New Year's Aurora

Aurora are one of the most amazing things you can see on our planet. Auroras are created when charged particles flow along Earth's magnetic field lines. The particles hit the atmosphere at the Poles and excite air molecules, which release the extra energy as light, in this case beautiful green light.

The new year's first big display of northern lights - aurora borealis was into the mountains near Tromso in northern Norway on January 7.

Photograph: Thilo Bubek

The another amazing showing of aurora was on January 8. above the island of Kvaloya, again in northern Norway. According to a report on spaceweather.com  the northern lights were so bright they could be seen from as far away as Northern Ireland.

Photograph: Fredrik Broms

Taking the "Boom" Out of Booms - NASA Chat

Sonic booms usually mean something cool. The space shuttle is coming in for a landing or a jet fighter is flying overhead. We don't hear them very often, so when we do it's an event. But how will be if every single plane that is flying above our heads every time create sonic boom? Normal life would not be possible! And that is a major problem why airplanes for passengers and cargo are not climbing up to supersonic speeds over land. Sonic booms would be happening all the time; and they're loud and annoying. Noise regulations in most countries wouldn't allow it to fly over land because of the sonic booms it generated.

We have to figure out how to turn down the volume on sonic booms.

NASA has been doing flight tests and simulations and ground experiments. All of them have cool names: "Quiet Spike," "SonicBOBS," "SonicBREW," "LaNCETS," "House VIBES," "Low Boom/No Boom".

On the front of the airplane they put some kind of a spike. It's testing now, but who knows... Maybe that will be new system in the future to avoid sonic booms and to create high speeds for more enjoyable and shorter.

On Tuesday, January 25, at 3:00 p.m. ET, you can ask NASA aerospace engineer and "sonic boom guru" Ed Haering about what it's like to try to tame a sonic boom.

To join a chat, simply go to this PAGE on January 25. The chat window will opet at the bottom of that page starting at 2:30 p.m. ET. You can log in and ask questions at 3:00 p.m.

Artist's concept of a future supersonic cruise vehicle designed to have low-level sonic booms. Credit: Frassanito & Associates

NASA aerospace engineer Ed Haering and the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator aircraft. Image credit: NASA/Tony Landis

ISS Resupply

A quick succession of international space supply trucks will arrive on the International Space Station's loading docks early in 2011, dropping off more than 11 tons (10,000 kilograms) of food, computers, medical equipment and supplies, spare parts and experiment gear - not to mention the necessities of everyday human life in orbit. Space trucks from Japan, Europe and Russia will launch to the station in January and February, followed quickly by the space shuttle Discovery. More about this topic and more about equipment and cargo ships you can find HERE.

When HTV2 (Japaneese Cargo Ship) approaches the station, Expedition 26 astronauts will use the station's robotic arm, known as "Canadarm2" to grapple and berth it to the port.

First ISS Spacewalk of 2011

Two Russian cosmonauts will venture outside the International Space Station on Jan. 21. to complete installation of a new high-speed data transmission system, remove an old plasma pulse experiment, install a camera for the new Rassvet docking module and retrieve a materials exposure package. Engineers Dmitry Kondratyev and Oleg Skripochka are scheduled to float outside the Pirs airlock at 9:20 a.m. EST to begin six-hour excursion. They will wear Russian Orlan-MK spacesuits.

Cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev has described in his blog in the web-site of Roscosmos how a spacesuit used by cosmonauts during time outside the station works. - "A spacesuit is a small spaceship. Spacesuit systems provide a supply of oxygen and dispose of carbon monoxide, maintain a comfortable temperature for a cosmonaut and also provide a radio connection"


On images below you can see (from left to right) Oleg Skripochka, Dmitry Kondratyev and Orlan-MK Spacesuit.

Live Web Chat With Planetary Scientist

On Thursday, Jan. 20 from 3:00 to 4:00 EST (20:00 - 21:00 GMT), NASA planetary scientist Dr. Renee Weber will answer your questions about the inner workings of our nearest neighbor. Joining the chat is easy! Go to this PAGE a few minutes before 3:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 20. The chat module will appear at the bottom of that page. After you log in, wait for the chat module to be activated, then ask your questions! Prepare good questions! And enjoy the chat!

Dr Renee Weber. (NASA/MSFC)