Magik in Space by MagikUnicorn
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Description
� � � Just Me with Special Lady Bug � � �
S P A C E � N E W S
Engineers have successfully ejected the dust cover from NASA's Kepler telescope, a spaceborne mission soon to begin searching for worlds like Earth.
"The cover released and flew away exactly as we designed it to do," said Kepler Project Manager James Fanson of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "This is a critical step toward answering a question that has come down to us across 100 generations of human history -- are there other planets like Earth, or are we alone in the galaxy?"
Kepler, which launched on March 6 from Cape Canaveral , Fla. , will spend three-and-a-half years staring at more than 100,000 stars in our Milky Way galaxy for signs of Earth-size planets. Some of the planets are expected to orbit in a star's "habitable zone," a warm region where water could pool on the surface. The mission's science instrument, called a photometer, contains the largest camera ever flown in space -- its 42 charge-coupled devices (CCDs) will detect slight dips in starlight, which occur when planets passing in front of their stars partially block the light from Kepler's view.
The telescope's oval-shaped dust cover, measuring 1.7 meters by 1.3 meters (67 inches by 52 inches), protected the photometer from contamination before and after launch. The dust cover also blocked stray light from entering the telescope during launch -- light that could have damaged its sensitive detectors. In addition, the cover was important for calibrating the photometer. Images taken in the dark helped characterize noise coming from the instrument's electronics, and this noise will later be removed from the actual science data.
"Now the photometer can see the stars and will soon start the task of detecting the planets," said Kepler's Science Principal Investigator William Borucki at NASA's Ames Research Center , Moffett Field , Calif. "We have thoroughly measured the background noise so that our photometer can detect minute changes in a star's brightness caused by planets."
At 7:13 p.m. PDT on April 7, engineers at Kepler's mission operations center at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Boulder , Colo. , sent commands to pass an electrical current through a "burn wire" to break the wire and release a latch holding the cover closed. The spring-loaded cover swung open on a fly-away hinge, before drifting away from the spacecraft. The cover is now in its own orbit around the sun, similar to Kepler's sun-centric orbit.
With the cover off, starlight is entering the photometer and being imaged onto its focal plane. Engineers will continue calibrating the instrument using images of stars for another several weeks, after which science observations will begin.
See an animation of the event at:
Taking the Lid Off Kepler Animation
Happy Easter All
Thanks
Magik
Comments (73)
bmac62
Look like you are right at home out there. LOL. And a neat small friend...
shadownet
Cute picture! I can't help but think how disappointed a lot of folks will be if we turn out to be all alone in the universe. So many people are convinced that is an impossibility, given the billions and billions and billions of stars out there, plus all the tooted UFO sightings and abductions that many claim go on in fact and reality and are not just being imaginative. But until ET puts in a live appearance, does prime time, gives out autographs, and utters those immortal words, take me to your leader earthling, its remains a question of I think, you think, they think. So much of what we call reality is like that, more what we choose to believe is real or true, rather than knowing the actuality.
myquad
Very creative! Well done!
tryky5carla
Thank for this beautiful scene, my friend !!! Very beautiful, fun and creative ! Have a blessed Easter !
three_grrr
LOL, very cute, truly a little bit of Magik!!
RobyHermida
Fantastic!!!!!!!!!! ROBY ;o)
mikeerson
I don't even have to ask do I... You saw that hand in the sky reaching at a firering right - pretty awesome picture and the joints and proportions of the hand were correct - Pretty cool stuff... You should of given' her a green tamberine.... that's what came to mind while viewing... now I want to hear that song.
schonee
What a cool Idea you had. Excellent my friend. Happy Easter!
amota99517
This is great. What a thought it is to be able to think that there are other planets like ours.
bpclarke
Adorable! Excellent work!
Faemike55
Actually, I think it is egotistical of us to think that any alien would want to visit us. Think about it: any civilization sufficiently advanced enough to travel the wastes of space would be intelligent enough to look at us and post our planet 'OFF LIMITS' Those random visitations would more than likely be the teen-age aliens looking to do practical jokes.... we're not alone, just ignored until we grow up! Great render, Magik!
3x3
cool and creative my friend x
brycek
Wonderful work and Happy Easter!!
evielouise
Hey MU reserve me a ticket and any seat will do please I'm ready to leave lol Wonderful idea and great explanation !~ wow
eekdog
really col my friend. love the way you overlayed yourself on the space scene, cutie of a character, well done and happy easter my friend, steve
magnus073
Magik, j'aime cette image vous avez créé mon ami. Il est amusant pour vous voir dans l'espace. La NASA vous a-t-elle aidés à entrer dans l'espace ? Merci pour les nouvelles de NASA mon ami, c'est très excitant.
HERBshines
Very Awesome What about the twin binacular telescopes being worked on in Arizonia. Oh!!!! I'm sure You'll want to know ArtNutz, was hacked into, and is closing for Good this Saturday Night.
pops
Isn't this the cutest!!! Grat news and happy Easter to you too
annie5
Tellement cute..bonne idée que tu sois dans le portrait! Original :) Joyeuses Pâques
kasalin
Wonderful and cute image! Great composition and colours! 5*
tcombs
Really cute and creative.:)
claude19
Thanks Magik for all these comments...and I am very happy to see you next days in Space !!! Thanks cousin !
stevey3d
Superb Magik! Soooo Cute!!
Minda
wow! this is really cute and very creative magic!!
UteBigSmile
Lol - cute little Alien! Thanks for the information, it's very interesting! Happy Easter, U&R
carlx
Excellent and very lovely imagination, my friend!!!
bebert
EXCELLENT !!!!!
rayag
Wonderful imagination!
renecyberdoc
that be great,lets get the luggage ready.there must be something else,we will know at one specific moment each and eveyone i guess,but searching is the start to do.
ragouc
Good work. Well done.