Hank Balch’s Post

🌟 **AI and Its Revolutionary Impact on Space Exploration** 🚀 Artificial Intelligence (AI) is truly fascinating, not just for its growing implications in our daily lives but also for how it is shaping the future of critical fields like space exploration. At the upcoming World Congress on Innovation and Technology (WCIT), we're excited to delve into this very topic. One of our most anticipated panels will explore the intersection of AI and space exploration. We're thrilled to have some of the leading minds in this field joining us: - Gernot Groemer, who has led the Mars analogue missions for the Austrian Space Forum. - Dr. Sean Seah, Chairman of WITSA. - Hanna Harutyunyan, the first Armenian analog astronaut. - Hayk Aslanyan, founder of Armspaceforum. This discussion promises to offer groundbreaking insights into how AI is driving new possibilities in space research and exploration. Don’t miss it! #AI #SpaceExploration #WCIT2024 #Innovation #Technology #FutureOfSpace

Blast from the Past: 34 Years Ago, Hubble Launched a Cosmic Revolution ... Calling all space enthusiasts and armchair astronomers! Today marks the 34th anniversary of a momentous occasion: the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope 🛰 on the STS-31 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.  Hubble wasn't your average toaster-sized satellite. This behemoth of a telescope (4.3 meters in diameter!), deployed in 1990, revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos. Stuck in low Earth orbit (unlike its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope), Hubble needed a little help from its astronaut friends to get into prime viewing position. But why was Hubble such a big deal? Well, it could see further and clearer than any ground-based telescope, thanks to its escape from Earth's atmosphere (no pesky twinkling stars here!). This allowed Hubble to capture mind-blowing images of distant galaxies, nebulae, and even the birth and death of stars. Remember that iconic "Pillars of Creation" photo? Hubble. Those breathtaking views of deep space that make you question your place in the universe? Hubble (again!). Hubble's impact goes far beyond stunning visuals. Its data has helped us determine the age of the universe, fueled the theory of dark matter and dark energy, and even hinted at the existence of exoplanets (potentially habitable worlds orbiting other stars!). Next time you gaze up at the night sky, take a moment to thank Hubble😎. This incredible feat of engineering has forever changed the way we view the universe - and continues to inspire a new generation of space explorers and astronomers. What's your favorite Hubble image 🔭 ? #Space #Hubble #SpaceExploration #NASA #astronomy

From Hubble to Webb: The Evolution of Space Telescopes The journey from the Hubble Space Telescope to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a testament to human ingenuity and our insatiable curiosity about the cosmos. As we transition from Hubble's remarkable legacy to the groundbreaking capabilities of Webb, we are on the brink of uncovering new dimensions of our universe. Hubble, launched in 1990, revolutionized our understanding of space. Its high-resolution images have provided unprecedented insights into the formation of stars, the existence of exoplanets, and the expansion of the universe. Hubble's contributions have been nothing short of transformative, offering a clearer view of the cosmos than ever before. Enter the James Webb Space Telescope, set to be the premier observatory of the next decade. With its advanced technology, JWST promises to delve even deeper into the mysteries of the universe. Unlike Hubble, which observes primarily in the visible and ultraviolet spectrums, Webb will focus on infrared astronomy. This capability will allow it to peer through cosmic dust clouds and observe the formation of stars and planets in unprecedented detail. One of the most exciting aspects of JWST is its potential to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. By analyzing the light passing through these distant worlds, Webb could identify signs of habitability or even life. This leap in technology could bring us closer to answering one of humanity's most profound questions: Are we alone in the universe? As we stand on the cusp of this new era in space exploration, it's essential to reflect on how far we've come and the incredible possibilities that lie ahead. The evolution from Hubble to Webb is not just a technological advancement; it's a journey of discovery that will continue to inspire and challenge us. #SpaceExploration #Hubble #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #Astronomy #Technology #Innovation #CosmicDiscovery #NASA #STEM

I recently read about the unintended impact Starlink satellites are having on astronomy. While global internet coverage is a game-changer, the satellites’ bright reflections are disrupting space observations, making it harder for astronomers to study distant stars and galaxies. With thousands of satellites in orbit, concerns about space traffic and debris are growing too. As we push technological boundaries, it’s crucial to find a balance that supports both innovation and scientific research. #Starlink #SpaceExploration #Innovation #Astronomy

In #Astronomy, seeing is well-defined. Now that my Astromedia cardboard kit "Newtonian" telescope performs, I try to calculate conservatively what I can see with it. The theoretical angular resolution is roughly 10^-5 rad, from my measurements it is a bit better than 10^-4. So I should expect to have effectively roughly 100 pixels resolution across the moon, and just (0.14/900)/10^-4 = 1.3 across Jupiter. No chance then to see the coloured bands, let alone the red spot. But the moons may be seen separately from Jupiter, their orbits range from 3 to 12x Jupiter's radius, so effectively 4 to 16 pixels. Even with the 10x better limit of the theoretical resolution, we would be hard pressed to see more than a few colored bands on Jupiter. It helps a lot though to know the limits of your equipment, so that you can rule out over-interpretation. The theoretical angular resolution limit is a very simple formula: lambda /D, where lamda is the wavelength of the light, and D the diameter of the primary lens or mirror. So even if my 2.5 mm phone camera would be perfect (which it is not), it would resolve just 0.7 effective pixels across Jupiter. The moons of Jupiter are beyond my phone camera as they are 30x smaller than Jupiter. So my conclusion is that I did see Jupiter indeed around 5 AM yesterday, roughly 5 degrees below the moon as was predicted. See left side of the picture the speck at the bottom. But my interpretation that it was side-lit was early morning gibberish, over-interpretation of the expanded image (right side)! Which goes to show that I am just human....in case you wondered!

🌌 Stunning New View of the Pillars of Creation 🌌 The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has unveiled a breathtaking image of the Pillars of Creation, a vast stellar nursery in the Eagle Nebula. Captured in near-infrared light, this mesmerizing view reveals the intricate beauty of star formation within these towering pillars of gas and dust. 🔭 Key Features: Pillars of Gas and Dust: The image showcases towering pillars resembling elephant trunks, where new stars are actively forming. Young Stars: Emerging from their dusty cocoons, young stars shine brightly as red orbs with distinctive diffraction spikes. Eroding Pillars: Intense radiation and stellar winds from nearby massive stars are sculpting these pillars. Cosmic Dust: The JWST's near-infrared capabilities reveal the rich tapestry of colors and textures within the pillars. 📡 Details: Telescope: James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Wavelength: Near-infrared light Location: Eagle Nebula, Serpens constellation Distance: Approximately 6,500 light-years from Earth While the Pillars of Creation were famously imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, the JWST's advanced technology allows us to peer through the dust and capture a more detailed view of this cosmic wonder. The image reminds us of the boundless beauty and complexity of our universe. 🌟 #Astronomy #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #PillarsOfCreation #Space #Science #Innovation #Nasa #Isro

The "TIME🕛" Time in space can be a bit tricky due to the effects of relativity. For astronauts in orbit, time actually moves slightly slower than it does for people on Earth due to the phenomenon known as time dilation. This effect becomes more pronounced the faster you travel and the stronger the gravitational field you're in. So, astronauts experience time differently than we do on Earth. This has been proven mathematically through simple algebra in special and general relativity equations by #alberteinstein Time itself is an abstract thing perceived by neurons in brain to differentiate between two events. For those who are suffering from rare brain diseases like Alzheimer or dementias, they lose the perception of time and live in one dimension. In the distant future when humans may travel in spaceships in sub or at light speed, the astronauts returning to earth may see those whom they left behind are no more and they reach another century perhaps. #alberteinstien #generalrelativity #timedilation

It’s a startling find straight out of the dark depths of sci-fi horror: aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA discovered 13 strains of a super bug, a multidrug-resistant bacterium. It’s name? Enterobacter bugandensis. One hypothesis I have put forward is that we do not have the scientific equipment to drive deeper than the bug’s DNA. I postulate that there is world that is unseen by our powerful micro microscopes where an intelligent universe resides within the particular bugs or viruses that are capable of understanding their environment and processing the necessary tools to continue to thrive against all odds, including space. It’s a brain we can’t see.

Here's everything I learned distilled into 11 tweets (that you can start applying today): 1. The universe is vast and ever-expanding. 2. Stars are born in nebulae, massive clouds of dust and gas. 3. Black holes are regions of space where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape. 4. Dark matter makes up about 27% of the universe. 5. The Milky Way is our home galaxy, but there are billions of others. 6. Light from distant stars takes millions of years to reach us. 7. Space exploration requires advanced technology and brave astronauts. 8. The Hubble Space Telescope has provided stunning images of the cosmos. 9. Exoplanets are planets outside our solar system, many of which could support life. 10. The Big Bang theory explains the origin of the universe. 11. Space is an endless source of inspiration and wonder. Visit our website for captivating content about the universe: https://lnkd.in/ebambBFU Share if you love space! 🚀✨ #SpaceExploration #CosmicJourney #UniverseWonders theuniverseepisodes

The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered strange shapes in Jupiter's atmosphere above the Great Red Spot. Initially thought to be bland and even homogeneous, this part of Jupiter's atmosphere actually displays a variety of structures and activity, such as dark arcs and bright spots. But the team thinks one way to change this structure is through gravity waves - similar to waves hitting the beach, creating ripples in the sand. These waves are generated deep in the turbulent lower atmosphere around the Great Red Spot, and they can propagate high into the atmosphere, changing the structure and emissions of the upper atmosphere.#space #universe #astronomy