With only a very thin atmosphere, and no magnetic field, the Moon can’t protect itself from the elements that come from outer space, making the outlook look bleak for our grey companion.
What the Moon does experience is solar wind, a stream of tiny particles coming from the Sun.
During some parts of the month, Earth’s own magnetic field partially shields the Moon from the stream of solar wind particles that constantly bombard it.
Cameras outside the International Space Station captured views September 1 of Hurricane Dorian from 260 miles in altitude at 12:16 p.m. Eastern time as it churned over the Atlantic Ocean over the northern Bahamas. The storm, which is moving in a westerly direction with sustained winds of 180 miles an hour, is a dangerous Category 5 hurricane, carrying the strongest winds in recorded history for the northwestern Bahamas. The National Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. EDT advisory that Dorian is inflicting catastrophic damage to the Abacos and Grand Bahama Islands. Dorian is forecast to approach the east coast of Florida before taking a possible track up the southeastern U.S. seaboard later this week.
This edition of #Space comes from the coast of northern Norway, where we’ve come to the Andøya Space Centre to meet scientists working on a new satellite called Aeolus. This mission carries revolutionary laser technology to measure the wind around the entire globe. Lofted into orbit in August 2018 on a Vega rocket from French Guiana, Aeolus has only just begun its life in space. Engineers are now busy commissioning the mission to ensure that it will soon be ready to deliver novel data on winds. This will be used to improve our understanding of the atmosphere and to improve weather forecasts.
ESA is Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
At the Airbus Defence and Space facility in Toulouse, France, ESA’s Aeolus wind satellite has been prepared for its launch on top of a Vega rocket from Kourou in French Guiana. Liftoff is currently scheduled for August. The development of this latest Earth Explorer started 16 years ago and has now finished.
From orbit Aeolus will measure wind profiles on a global scale using a pioneering laser technology. These measurements will greatly benefit existing meteorological models and fill a gap in the observations of wind.
ESA’s Earth Explorer Aeolus satellite will be launched later this year to measure the world’s winds from space. The satellite carries one of the most sophisticated instruments ever to be put into orbit: Aladin, which includes two powerful lasers, a large telescope and very sensitive receivers. The laser generates ultraviolet light that is beamed down into the atmosphere to profile the world’s winds – a completely new approach to measuring the wind from space. These vertical slices through the atmosphere, along with information it gathers on aerosols and clouds, will improve our understanding of atmospheric dynamics and contribute to climate research. As well as advancing science, Aeolus will play an important role in improving weather forecasts. The mission will also complement information about the atmosphere being provided by the Copernicus Sentinel missions.
Read the full experiment at http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/wind-up-racer
Finding creative, hands-on ways to demonstrate the difference between potential and kinetic energy can be difficult. Not to worry… that’s why you have us! With some simple household items and a little creativity, the Wind Up Racer will have you racing a spool across the room in no time!
How many breaths does it take to inflate an 2 meter (8 ft) Windbag? 70 breaths, maybe? Why even try? With a simple science secret you can amaze your students and friends by blowing up your Windbag in one breath! If you don’t believe it, try this amazing science activity! Windbags are so light and strong that even the smallest scientist can demonstrate the amazing properties of air!
About Steve Spangler…
Steve Spangler is a celebrity teacher, science toy designer, speaker, author and an Emmy award-winning television personality. Spangler is probably best known for his Mentos and Diet Coke geyser experiment that went viral in. Spangler is the founder of www.SteveSpanglerScience.com, a Denver-based company specializing in the creation of science toys, classroom science demonstrations, teacher resources and home for Spangler’s popular science experiment archive and video collection. Spangler is a frequent guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Denver 9 News where he takes classroom science experiments to the extreme. For teachers, parents or DIY Science ideas – check out other sources of learning:
