Pathway To The Stars: Part 2, Eliza Williams Audiobook Released!

Constellations: Andromeda

Andromeda is most prominent during autumn evenings in the Northern Hemisphere, along with several other constellations named for characters in the Perseus myth.

Its brightest star, Alpha Andromedae, is a binary star that has also been counted as a part of Pegasus, while Gamma Andromedae is a colorful binary and a popular target for amateur astronomers. Only marginally dimmer than Alpha, Beta Andromedae is a red giant, its color visible to the naked eye. The constellation’s most obvious deep-sky object is the naked-eye Andromeda Galaxy (M31, also called the Great Galaxy of Andromeda), the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way and one of the brightest Messier objects. 

In this image of the Andromeda Galaxy, Messier 32 is to the left of the center.

Several fainter galaxies, including M31’s companions M110 and M32, as well as the more distant NGC 891, lie within Andromeda. The Blue Snowball Nebula, a planetary nebula, is visible in a telescope as a blue circular object. 

NGC 891, as taken with amateur equipment

Along with the Andromeda Galaxy and its companions, the constellation also features NGC 891 (Caldwell 23), a smaller galaxy just east of Almach. It is a barred spiral galaxy seen edge-on, with a dark dust lane visible down the middle. 

In addition to the star clusters NGC 752 and NGC 7686, there is also the planetary nebula NGC 7662.

Each November, the Andromedids meteor shower appears to radiate from Andromeda. The shower peaks in mid-to-late November every year, but has a low peak rate of fewer than two meteors per hour. Astronomers have often associated the Andromedids with Biela’s Comet, which was destroyed in the 19th century, but that connection is disputed. source

https://www.youtube.com/embed/YVfMMpkVs80?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque

I am pleased to announce a NEW RELEASE to my Space Opera series. It is now available on Amazon in ebook and paperback formats! 

Pathway to the Stars: Part 4, Universal Party

Autographed copies of printed material are available for direct purchase on the author website at:

https://www.ftb-pathway-publications.com 

Thank you, Kim, for putting this together!

2020 February 19

UGC 12591: The Fastest Rotating Galaxy Known Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & Copyright: Leo Shatz

Explanation: Why does this galaxy spin so fast? To start, even identifying which type of galaxy UGC 12591 is difficult – featured on the lower left, it has dark dust lanes like a spiral galaxy but a large diffuse bulge of stars like a lenticular. Surprisingly observations show that UGC 12591 spins at about 480 km/sec, almost twice as fast as our Milky Way, and the fastest rotation rate yet measured. The mass needed to hold together a galaxy spinning this fast is several times the mass of our Milky Way Galaxy. Progenitor scenarios for UGC 12591 include slow growth by accreting ambient matter, or rapid growth through a recent galaxy collision or collisions – future observations may tell. The light we see today from UGC 12591 left about 400 million years ago, when trees were first developing on Earth.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200219.html

#Christmas with @k1mberly0 and #matthewopdyke #strongfemalelead #strongmalerolemodel #physiology #neuroscience #physics #theoreticalphysics #biotechnology #nanotechnology #longevity #CRISPR #politicalsciencefiction #furtherthanbefore #authorsofinstagram #scifi #sciencefictionnovels https://www.amazon.com/author/matthewopdyke https://www.instagram.com/p/BqnJwmYgEIL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1sphrn7bybdvh

Combined as one! Further than Before: Pathway to the Stars, Parts 1 & 2 in an 8.3 x 11.7 inch novel of 400K words that hit the intellect in the best and most sophisticated ways,... through #scifi #fantasy #mustread #physics #theoreticalphysics #spaceopera #strongfemalelead #strongmalerolemodel #physiology #neuroscience #nanotechnology #longevity #CRISPR and more! Enjoy! https://www.instagram.com/p/BsP4HEpn5eV/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=dntpo9632yjz

A nice little summary of stars that passed nearby, or that may yet pass by, and their affects on our solar system...

http://futurismnews.tumblr.com/

Pathway to the Stars: Part 12, Alpha Andromedae

“Throughout this Universe, we’re all part of the same team. We need each other to succeed as a universal civilization. We need to do due diligence by recognizing the good in others and by doing our part to cause a positive shift in focus to resolutions to issues met with action while seeking the well-being of each of the individuals involved." ~ Vesha Celeste

The time has arrived! The Intergalactic Mission Contingency is awaiting orders from the United Allied States (UAS) President, Eliza Williams, to take off into distant regions beyond our Solar System! With their Q-Drive and a phenomenal lineup of command staff and crew, the journey to explore the Universe has become imminent and real. Each of the Spacecraft Commanders and their Vice Commanders brief all of civilization throughout Sol, going into intriguing detail about where they plan to go in each of their zones and regions.

Will there be parties after their first jump? Or, will the IMC crews look at the Universe in terror facing their impending doom? Read and find out!

LCCN: 2019918961 ISBN: 978-1-951321-13-0 eBook: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B081XNKNRW Paperback: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1951321138

#ScienceFiction #Scifi #SpaceOpera #Fantasy #Author #MatthewJOpdyke #eBook #Paperback #Spacecraft #AI #SpaceExploration #Astronomy #GalacticScience #UnitedAlliedStates #UAS #Wellbeing #ClarityofMind #Physiology #Biology #Nanotech #Longevity

Just published, Pathway to the Stars: Part 3, James Cooper! Woot! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K2B5WS3 #future #scififantasy #architect #pathwaytothestars #strongfemalelead #strongmalerolemodel #physiology #neuroscience #physics #theoreticalphysics #biotechnology #nanotechnology #longevity #CRISPR #politicalsciencefiction #matthewopdyke https://www.instagram.com/p/BpswVbAHJ5d/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=o8byncedd7qp

10 Things: Journey to the Center of Mars

May the fifth be with you because history is about to be made: As early as May 5, 2018, we’re set to launch Mars InSight, the very first mission to study the deep interior of Mars. We’ve been roaming the surface of Mars for a while now, but when InSight lands on Nov. 26, 2018, we’re going in for a deeper look. Below, 10 things to know as we head to the heart of Mars.

Coverage of prelaunch and launch activities begins Thursday, May 3, on NASA Television and our homepage.

1. What’s in a name? 

“Insight” is to see the inner nature of something, and the InSight lander—a.k.a. Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport—will do just that. InSight will take the “vital signs” of Mars: its pulse (seismology), temperature (heat flow) and reflexes (radio science). It will be the first thorough check-up since the planet formed 4.5 billion years ago.

2. Marsquakes. 

You read that right: earthquakes, except on Mars. Scientists have seen a lot of evidence suggesting Mars has quakes, and InSight will try to detect marsquakes for the first time. By studying how seismic waves pass through the different layers of the planet (the crust, mantle and core), scientists can deduce the depths of these layers and what they’re made of. In this way, seismology is like taking an X-ray of the interior of Mars.

Want to know more? Check out this one-minute video.

3. More than Mars. 

InSight is a Mars mission, but it’s also so much more than that. By studying the deep interior of Mars, we hope to learn how other rocky planets form. Earth and Mars were molded from the same primordial stuff more than 4.5 billion years ago, but then became quite different. Why didn’t they share the same fate? When it comes to rocky planets, we’ve only studied one in great detail: Earth. By comparing Earth’s interior to that of Mars, InSight’s team hopes to better understand our solar system. What they learn might even aid the search for Earth-like planets outside our solar system, narrowing down which ones might be able to support life.

4. Robot testing. 

InSight looks a bit like an oversized crane game: When it lands on Mars this November, its robotic arm will be used to grasp and move objects on another planet for the first time. And like any crane game, practice makes it easier to capture the prize.

Want to see what a Mars robot test lab is like? Take a 360 tour.

5. The gang’s all here. 

InSight will be traveling with a number of instruments, from cameras and antennas to the heat flow probe. Get up close and personal with each one in our instrument profiles.

6. Trifecta. 

InSight has three major parts that make up the spacecraft: Cruise Stage; Entry, Descent, and Landing System; and the Lander. Find out what each one does here.

7. Solar wings. 

Mars has weak sunlight because of its long distance from the Sun and a dusty, thin atmosphere. So InSight’s fan-like solar panels were specially designed to power InSight in this environment for at least one Martian year, or two Earth years.

8. Clues in the crust. 

Our scientists have found evidence that Mars’ crust is not as dense as previously thought, a clue that could help researchers better understand the Red Planet’s interior structure and evolution. “The crust is the end-result of everything that happened during a planet’s history, so a lower density could have important implications about Mars’ formation and evolution,” said Sander Goossens of our Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

9. Passengers. 

InSight won’t be flying solo—it will have two microchips on board inscribed with more than 2.4 million names submitted by the public. “It’s a fun way for the public to feel personally invested in the mission,” said Bruce Banerdt of our Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the mission’s principal investigator. “We’re happy to have them along for the ride.”

10. Tiny CubeSats, huge firsts. 

The rocket that will loft InSight beyond Earth will also launch a separate NASA technology experiment: two mini-spacecraft called Mars Cube One, or MarCO. These suitcase-sized CubeSats will fly on their own path to Mars behindInSight. Their goal is to test new miniaturized deep space communication equipment and, if the MarCOs make it to Mars, may relay back InSight data as it enters the Martian atmosphere and lands. This will be a first test of miniaturized CubeSat technology at another planet, which researchers hope can offer new capabilities to future missions.

Check out the full version of ‘Solar System: 10 Thing to Know This Week’ HERE. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.