Articles about astro | UserComp.com

Amateur Radio Enthusiast Makes Contact with ISS Astronaut

An amateur radio operator, Doug, successfully communicated with a NASA astronaut, Woody Hoburg, from his backyard. Doug used a simple antenna and a dual-band VHF/UHF amateur radio transceiver to make contact with the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS has a radio station that astronauts use to communicate with schools and other radio amateurs during their free time. The first amateur radio transmission from space was made in 1983 by astronaut Owen Garriott. ARISS, an organization created by volunteers from various countries, organizes contacts between radio amateurs and ISS astronauts, which are usually prepared in schools for students to ask questions. However, the coincidence for other radio amateurs like Doug to make contact with the ISS is triple: the ISS must be in sight, an astronaut must be available during their free time, and they must be near the radio. Astronauts usually announce on social media when they will be available for radio communication to avoid wasting time for radio amateurs. Nonetheless, patience is key.

Urano's Blue Hue Debunked: A New Study

A recent study by a team of astronomers, including experts from the National Aerospace Technology Institute (INTA) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), has challenged the long-held belief that Urano is intensely blue. The researchers analyzed images of Urano and Neptune, focusing on their color. The study reveals that Urano is not as intensely blue as previously thought, but rather a lighter blue-green color, similar to its neighbor Neptune. The color of Uranus changes over the course of a year, with the planet appearing greener during the solstices when one of its poles points towards the Sun. The researchers used data from various telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the VLT (Large Telescope) of the European Southern Observatory, to determine the true color of the planet. The study also highlights how these observations have helped refine the models that describe the atmospheres of these planets.

How to Observe the Quadrantids Meteor Shower in 2024

Get ready for the Quadrantids meteor shower, one of the three major meteor showers of the year, which will take place between December 28, 2023, and January 12, 2024, with the peak on January 3rd. The shower will be visible from anywhere in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, as well as in the Canary Islands. To see the meteors, look towards the constellation of Bootes, near the tail of the Big Dipper, with a clear and dark sky, away from light pollution. The best time to observe the shower in Spain will be in the early hours of January 4th. With up to 120 meteors per hour, it's an event not to be missed.

Image Import Troubleshooting in Astro Storybook with React

Having trouble importing images in your Astro Storybook project using React? Learn about common issues and how to resolve them. Read more for tech support.

Finding Sun's Subpoints on Earth's Surface using Astropy

Learn how to use the Astropy Python module to find the latitude and longitude of the sun and its subpoints directly overhead the Earth's surface. This technique can be useful for astronomical observations and calculations.

Querying SDSS Magnitudes: A Python and Astroquery Tutorial

Learn how to query SDSS magnitudes using Python and Astroquery. This tutorial will guide you through the process of retrieving temperature and magnitude data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database. Discover how to use the powerful tools of Python and Astroquery to analyze astronomical data and gain insights into the universe.