Magik in Space by MagikUnicorn

Mixed Medium • Photo Manipulation • posted on Apr 10, 2009

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Description

â�¼ â�¼ â�¼ Just Me with Special Lady Bug â�¼ â�¼ â�¼ S P A C E â�¼ 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)

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B_PEACOCK

5:48AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Awesome looking image . That is cool that they did not have any problems with the cover

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lyron

6:21AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Veray cute scene. Fantastic image!!

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adrie

6:59AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Very cool work Magik, love the idea.....have a wonderful and happy easter weekend my friend.

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fredster66

7:51AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Very creative. Made me smile!

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miashadows

8:33AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

lol....beautiful image.Love the mood.

lucindawind

8:51AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

awww very sweet HAPPY EASTER mon ami :)

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jeroni

9:02AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Fanstastic photo

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beatoangelico

9:15AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

love the scene...beautiful image & colori...Bravissimo my friend...un augurio di una felice Pasqua..!!!!

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JaneEden

9:32AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Oh this is soo cute, and full of fun, thanks for the smile today Magik! hugs Jane xx

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Severine

9:53AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Oh comme c'est mignon !! Tu es en bonne compagnie dans l'espace ^-^

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ladyinblack

10:06AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Very cute and creative work! Happy Easter to you also :)

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Hendesse

11:00AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Really a cute composition. Looks superb!

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miwi

11:05AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Wonderful composition,like it a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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erlandpil

11:18AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Great idea and picture erland

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delbeke

11:42AM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Adorably done! :o) Interesting info, thanks. A Happy and safe Easter to you and yours! :o)

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Valery3D

1:07PM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Very creative and so cute!! :O)) Love this great idea! Excellent Work and image!

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Star4mation

2:57PM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Fun image Magik!!! :)

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averroes

3:18PM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Très Jolie composition !! bravo !!

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junge1

4:01PM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Very nice!

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BenBischop

5:08PM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Both look Cute...;) Cool Job Magik, and Happy Easter....;)

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Angelwave

5:19PM | Sat, 11 April 2009

nice little friend you have and great u got into the action

M2A

6:10PM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Trés mignon et amusant :D

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RodolfoCiminelli

6:17PM | Sat, 11 April 2009

Fantastique travail mon ami.....!!!!

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1358

6:22PM | Sat, 11 April 2009

we deream... we dream of that beyond our understanding, beyond our ken.... to a point in ewxistance where we can say that we are not alone, that we have cousins "out there" who also wonder and dream beyond their understanding, beyond their ken..... time to look beyond... cool image!

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