The Galactic News Network's First Edition. Views of Earth from Different Spacecraft. The Imaginarium.

The Galactic News Network. Lakeview Academy

Hello Troops,

Brandon Wright and BJ Warner just released the first page of the Galactic News Network.  I'm assuming it is the official voice of Lakeview Academy's USS Leo Simulation Program.  They've done a great job.  What do you think?

Mr. W. 

Astronomy Picture of the Day

February 7, 2013

From Quarks to Quasars

This fantastic image shows the Earth and the Moon as seen from a distance of 114-million miles, or 183-million kilometers.

This picture, reminiscent of the famous ‘pale blue dot’ image captured by Voyager 1, shows our small-fragile world drifting through the vastness of space with its companion. MESSENGER, while exploring the region of space between the Earth and the Sun, turned its camera towards our special dot and sent back this snapshot of reality. For reference, the average Earth-Sun distance is about 93-million miles (150-million kilometers).

This image was taken in May of 2010. Using that fact, everyone reading this post today can be found somewhere on that little spec, along with everyone you currently know (assuming they are less than 3), living out their normal day-to-day life. Can see yourself?

Here's a composite photograph of the Earth system from other spacecraft.

The Imaginarium

The Ordinary blossoms into the Extraordinary

A Rad Moment in Time.
Kid's fashion when I started teaching in 1983

Same Place, Different Time

Training Room at the Missionary Training Center

The Discovery Space Center Offers a Season Pass, The First of its Kind. Gliese 667C - Home to Alien Life? Where is the Oort Cloud. Attack of the Geminids. The Imaginarium.

Discovery Space Center Introduces a First in Space EdVentures' History: The Season Pass

     Check out the Discovery Space Center's brand new season pass.  With a continuous 4 month long story, epic discounts on missions and priority registration! Not to mention sneak peaks into up and coming stories, behind the scenes videos and commentaries and special access to pass holder mission content. 
     The DSC's new continuous story lines will fly you through the Colonial Command universe in a way like never before!  2 hour campaign missions (a new mission to be released every 2 weeks) will pour over into Overnight Camps (one new overnight campaign mission a month) which all will build up to this season’s 18 hour mission: “The Fall” (to be released Summer 2014). Season Pass missions (which are one month pre-released to the season pass holders) will be available daily from 6 – 8 pm for ages 9 and older! That’s right, no age cap! An ‘older audience’ mission (16 years and up) will be available Saturdays from 8 – 10pm. 
     THIS is the Space Center event you DON'T want to miss! Check out the complete details at http://www.discoveryspacecenter.com/shop

     The universe awaits!

Space and Science News

Gliese 667C is a Perfect Location for Alien Life.  
From Quarks to Quasars
As far as extra-solar planet hunting goes, we’ve found quite a few of them. Most, however, haven’t been remotely discussed as being potential candidates to host life as we know it. In fact, hardly any have been discovered inside the Goldilocks region of their star (the area where liquid water could theoretically exist). However, scientists know of one planet that could potentially host life. It has been dubbed the “holy grail” of extrasolar planets, and it’s only 22 light-years away!  Read more


Just Where is the Oort Cloud We Use so Much in Our Story Telling at the Space Center?

It's Way Way Way out there.  Perhaps we should think of some other obstacle course for our ships to pass through.

The Copenhagen Wheel
I want one and I want it now and fully prepared to throw a temper tantrum until I get one.  It will make climbing Cardiac Hill (on the Murdock Trail near Smiths and Renaissance Academy in Lehi) almost enjoyable.  What will they think of next?

Attack of the Geminids

by Mark Daymont
Farpoint Educator

Take Cover! Space Rocks are entering the atmosphere RIGHT NOW!

It's time for the annual encounter with debris from the comet 3200 Phaethon. Each year, as the Earth revolves around the Sun, we come upon the orbital path taken by the comet, which is considered a "B-Type" asteroid, having a dark surface and still emitting dust and debris as its elliptical orbit (more like a comet than asteroid) brings it closer to the Sun. Its orbit is classed as an Apollo-type, and it orbits out from the Sun farther than the Earth's orbit but regularly crosses our path. Astronomers have linked the debris shed by 3200 Phaethon as the exact objects that encounter the Earth during the Geminid meteor shower each year. You can read more about 3200 Phaeton at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon .

Geminid meteors will be seen coming from the constellation Gemini. Chart view from Sky and Telescope.com.

If you have the endurance to look for the meteors during this very cold winter blast, look toward the constellation of Gemini. Sky and Telescope Magazine has a nice chart for you at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/skytel/beyondthepage/234792751.html

The Geminid shower started last night, and according to reports in SpaceWeather.com, the NASA cameras have detected 23 Fireballs over the US so far, and we can expect the shower to last over the next few days. Check out the orbital paths of the debris at: http://www.spaceweather.com/ while he has the images up.

Geminid Fireball from 2011. Credit Mount Washington Valley Astronomy: http://mwvastronomy.net/2011/12/geminid-meteor-shower-dec-13th-14th-2011/

From the Command Bunker: I should be safe from the bombardment here in the SpaceRubble Command Bunker. It's a very rare thing indeed for a home to be hit from a meteorite, but then again, look what just happened to the Russians in Chelyabinsk! I'm afraid I won't be spending Too Much time observing for meteor trails, as the temperature here is far below freezing at night. Yet, if the sky is clear tonight, the peak of the meteor shower is expected Dec. 12-13. Based on the report of fireballs, it seems that the outer space enemy of the Comet Empire still has some life in that old asteroid 3200 Phaeton, and these bombardments can be expected next year and many years after that. Shields Up! 

The Imaginarium
The Ordinary morphed into the Extraordinary

Christmas Portal Tree

Schools have had 3D printers for quite awhile.

Pirate Santa

Somebody had some fun with the Breakfast with Santa sign