Skies to Stars: An Exciting Year Ahead

By Ed Downs Wow, time has flown, and this writer regrets not keeping readers up to speed in what has been taking place in the world of astronomy, astrophysics, and space travel. To put it mildly, last year, we “sky bound” pilots witnessed incredible events of discovery in our solar system and galaxy. We orbited two asteroids (have you been watching the new Sci-Fi Channel fictional series based upon asteroids Ceres and Vesta?), landed upon a comet, discovered liquid water on Mars (the movie The Martian, stressed the need for water as the key for settling Mars), landed on a comet with the Rosetta mission (looking very different than the asteroid/comet portrayed in the movie, Armageddon) and finally, have come very close to actually seeing the massive black hole at the center of our galaxy.The fly-by of Pluto brought new meaning to the term “buzzing,” with new photographs being released, daily, that disclose this demoted dwarf planet is far more complex than ever imagined, complete with a huge, bizarre, moon, atmosphere, and surface conditions that show us that Pluto is far from being a dead rock. In another scientific discipline, astrophysicists applied the principles of gravitational effect developed by Einstein to locate what now appears to be a massive ninth planet orbiting 20 times further from the Sun than the Earth. In years past, we looked to science to catch up with science fiction. It now seems that science is blazing a new trail for fiction writers to follow!Our solar system is providing telescope fans a great chance for a grand slam. All six of our inner planets will be visible at the same time. Mercury, Venus, Earth (if you can manage a “selfie”), Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible to the unaided eye if you look just before dawn prior to Feb. 20. Even a modest telescope will offer a spectacular view. Take a look at www.skyandtelescope.com for details on viewing opportunities.  This fine magazine will also give you leads on great telescope values, which start as low as $200 for manual tracking scopes and under $400 for telescopes that are computer driven to locate and track objects.Mars is going to continue its show, as on May 22, Mars will be in opposition to Earth, meaning the closest it will be to our planet in two years. A decent scope will allow one to see surface color differences and the polar Ice caps. Amateur astronomy equipment can allow even a rank beginner to see remarkable views of distant objects, and astrophotography enables amateurs to rival the pros in photographic beauty. This time of year also allows one to view the Orion Nebula (a vast cloud of glowing dust and gas), a favorite in the astronomy world. This famous “star nursery” can even be seen with the unaided eye if you look for the fuzzy spot in Orion’s sword. But, with a six-inch reflector and an Oxygen-III Nebula Filter (telescopes have all kinds of extra goodies, just like flying paraphernalia) you can actually see stars being formed. It is spectacular!  And if you are a fan of movies that include “in a galaxy far, far away,” instruct your computer star finder (cell phone apps) to locate the M81 and M82 galaxies.These two galaxies are close together and bring to mind stories of the Millennium Falcon, X-wing fighters, and heroic deeds. And do not forget all those “M” class planets out there that are visited by the crew of the Enterprise. It is now known that planets probably outnumber the stars in our Milky Way by a fairly large factor. Speaking of Star Trek, one episode included a story of a spaceship that was powered by solar winds, like a sailboat in space. The Planetary Society’s “LightSail” project will launch in 2016, proving this concept is viable, offering interstellar flight that cannot be done with chemically powered engines. Cool stuff!But not all of this year’s adventures will be limited to telescopes. Final assembly of the first crew capable Orion spacecraft has begun. The first flight of this Mars spacecraft took place in late 2015. Components to the giant Space Launch System (SLS) are being delivered to the Kennedy Space Center, with first flight scheduled for 2018. This heavy lift launch vehicle is larger and more powerful than the historic Saturn 5 that enabled our moon landings almost a half century ago.The SLS, when combined with variations of the Orion spacecraft, will orbit the Moon, capture asteroids, and take astronauts to Mars. 2016 will also see the continued test of U.S. made spacecraft that can once again take our astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) without the need to hitch a multi-million dollar ride on a pre-70s Russian Soyuz.America’s continued advancement into space science may depend upon the upcoming elections, as NASA’s budget continues to drop to something less than point four percent of the federal budget in recent years. During the heydays of America’s leadership in space exploration, four and a half percent of our federal budget was being spent on the enormous moon landing effort, resulting in job creation and advancement in technology, which has yet to be equaled. Maybe Back to the Future is a plan we should explore, and take a look at our past to define the future. These are exciting times. Keep your eyes on the stars, for our “truth may be out there.”