A Geek and Freelancer Writing About the Awesomeness of Science
Before being reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006, Pluto was considered the ninth and final planet of the Solar System. It was discovered in 1930 but it wasn’t until 1978 when astronomers discovered a second object. Named Charon, the moon was nearly half the diameter of Pluto and defied all expectations. While working at... Continue Reading →
The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was the first vehicle designed for another world. It was a staple of the later Apollo missions and helped astronauts travel further afield on the Moon than ever before. Though it resembled a dune buggy, with its nickname affectionately being “Moon buggy”, it was actually very different from a car... Continue Reading →
CubeSats are a type of nanosatellite, meaning they weigh anywhere between 1 and 10 kgs. They’re quite versatile and can be used for a number of applications such as weather and climate monitoring, disaster observation to help relief efforts and science experiments. CubeSats exist because of an explosion in technology miniaturisation that’s occurred over the... Continue Reading →
Rockets have made it possible for humans to travel into space. The technology has taken us to the Moon and sent robotic probes to every planet in the solar system. They’ve helped us to better understand the universe and our place in it. The concept dates back nearly 2000 years and was originally conceived as... Continue Reading →
People have been looking up at the night sky for thousands of years but radio astronomy was new in the 1950s. One of the first fully functioning radio telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere was the one at Parkes Observatory. It is located 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) north of the town of the same name and... Continue Reading →
The Australian Space Agency and NASA have just signed a new partnership to work together on America’s plan to return to the moon in 2024. The endeavour will produce new technologies and help build Australia’s growing aerospace industry. On September 21st, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Australian Space Agency head, Dr Megan Clark, met with... Continue Reading →
The Parkes Radio Observatory will be holding a free open day weekend (July 20–21) for the public to celebrate the moon landing fiftieth anniversary. There will be opportunities for rare behind-the-scenes tours of ‘the Dish’. The weekend will feature astronomy talks by leading scientists, space trivia, science fun for kids, face painting, performances, live music... Continue Reading →