If you happen to be an amateur astronomer or have always had your greatest moments when looking at the sky then you may have an online website that could be your favorite spot on the web.

The Adler Planetarium working together with GalaxyZoo. org is looking for people who can donate their time to help trace the origins of the universe.  Currently, they have registered 10,000 volunteers who are able to give their time to help them by simply looking at the stars.

The professional star gazers at the Adler Planetarium have teamed up with Galaxy Zoo in order to solve a universal mystery and there are many mysteries in the universe. Their current project is to understand and to find galaxy mergers. These galaxy mergers will let them uncover the secrets of the evolution of the universe. They are therefore recruiting people to map possible galaxy mergers. Since the universe is huge, they need a lot of people who can donate their time to helping them in their task.

All amateur astronomers and even astrologers as well as online people who like looking at the stars are asked to log-in to GalaxyZoo.org. The online website has images of virtual collisions and the object of the search is to match a virtual collision with a real collision. Some online users might wonder why a computer is not used to do the searching.

The scientists believe that that humans are more capable of spotting similarities from the virtual collisions than computers. This current project of uncovering the secrets of the Universe is just another project in a long line of projects in the works. Their website, GalaxyZoo,  was started two years ago by astronomers who decided that ordinary people not trained in knowing what to look for might like looking at pictures of galaxies and their are thousands to look through of the galaxies.

The project of using common people to look at images of the universe and the colliding galaxies has already proven to be successful. Important discoveries in finding supernovae and in listing galaxies according to their physical representations have already been reported.

In 2009, a collection of bright green galaxies were found and were named “Green Peas” . Seems that these galaxies have unique colors as well as measurable size. Two years ago, in 2007, what looked like a distant trace of what could have been a black hole was surprisingly spotted by a teacher in Holland.

All star gazers are encouraged to visit mergers.galaxyzoo. org to begin their new hobby of looking for images that match the real thing. The project is obviously going to take a long time and your new hobby should give your hours of dedicated enjoyment. This site sounds like a good jumping off point to astrologers who do that mapping of the universe with individual people already.  The site is a great place to begin if you have an interest in Astrology or if you are just wishing to try your hand at being an astronomer as well as an astrologer.

In 2005 NASA established a program referred to as COTS, (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services.) COTS purpose was to see if commercial industries could develop and implement a shuttle type program to supply the ISS, much as a delivery service would. From this competition rose Space Exploration Technologies, otherwise known as SpaceX. This company has become famous for the development of the Falcon series rockets, and the Dragon cargo and crew capsule.

Founded in 2002, SpaceX has developed the Falcon series rockets from the ground, up with the intent purpose of carrying the Dragon capsules into orbit. Using the Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon 9 heavy they will be able to achieve any earth orbit. SpaceX designed the booster rockets so that they be recovered and reused, a first for any company. The Falcon series rockets use Merlin engines developed by SpaceX, with the Falcon 9 heavy being able to heft 12,000 kilos to geostationary orbit using 2 extra Falcons as strap-on boosters. NASA has accepted and approved the Falcon 1, Falcon 9, and Falcon 9 heavy for future ISS resupply missions.

The Dragon is a vehicle designed for the transportation of cargo and astronauts to and from the ISS and geostationary orbit. This was originally built to present a reusable solution to cargo and crew issues for the ISS, but the platform is considered an excellent vehicle for scientific testing and demonstration uses. The Dragon has on-board computers that allow for remotely controlled docking and flight, there is also a manual override for this, on-board the Dragon. The dragon has a payload capacity of 490 cubic feet in an unpressurized environment, and 245 cubic feet with a pressurized cabin.

Other design innovations have been included on the Dragon to allow it to be used as a multi-purpose vehicle. Things such as the cargo and crewed configurations are very similar to each other, making the transition from one to the other easily accomplished, and a parachute and water landing mechanism. These features make the Dragon very reusable. There is a docking hatch that will mate with the ISS, and solar panels for recharging on-board batteries and lab experiments. The Dragon has a 7 person capacity, and provides a little room to move around the cabin.

With the Falcon rockets being ready to launch, the one hurdle for SpaceX to jump is the test flights for the Dragon. COTS demands that the Dragon perform successfully on three separate missions to complete the first phase of the program. The three missions are: one 5 hour mission to demonstrate maneuverability, transmit data, reentry, and recovery; one 5 day mission that will have a 10 km fly-by of the ISS, the ISS crew will then send commands to the Dragon, then the capsule will fly away to perform tests and then reentry/recovery; the final flight will be an actual cargo mission with mating to the ISS. These mission are scheduled sometime in February, 2010, but exact mission dates are not available on their websites. One company spokesperson made the statement that the date could be later due to first launch woes.

With the above in mind, SpaceX and NASA have managed to collaborate to get a few training sessions in, recently. Tracy Dyson, Shannon Walker, and Douglas Wheelock are all scheduled to be present on the ISS, so received training concerning the cargo design of the Dragon. The training included controlling the vehicle, docking, unloading, etc. Their training was completed in October 2009, and SpaceX has a Falcon 9 launch sometime in December 2009, exact date for this has yet to be announced, also.

Sometime in the next ten years, NASA could be sending astronauts to a Near Earth Object like an asteroid. The spacecraft that could take the astronauts to an asteroid most likely would be the Orion spacecraft, which is the successor to the Shuttle. According to experts, such a voyage would be extended, far beyond the scope of the Space Station and the Moon.

NASA has theorized that such a journey would take 90-120 days with a one or two week long stay at the asteroid. Although astronauts have extended stays at the Space Station, this flight would be much different. Two or three astronauts may fly to the object. Once there, they probably will use some sort of jet pack to land on the surface. There they will obtain rock samples and could explore the possibility of water or any other resource.

One can imagine what it might be like to be one of those astronauts jetting around an asteroid, traveling through space. Despite the advancements that will be part of the Orion spacecraft, personal space for each astronaut will be tight. Also, the excitement of being the first humans to go beyond the Moon will undoubtedly be a factor for every person on the mission. Since the asteroid probably has loose dust, rock and craters, it would be too dangerous to land the spacecraft. The astronauts will have to use a jet backpack or even do a spacewalk to the surface. These space exploration techniques take a lot of training and optimum physical strength. The men and women of the mission also must be careful– there is no turning back to Earth quickly. They will have to be highly adept at multiple tasks like first aid, mechanical repair, astronomy, scientific experimentation and more. They must be capable of mentally and physically withstanding months of zero to very low gravity. Even more importantly, the Near Earth Object mission astronauts must love adventure and exploration. Imagine space, far from Earth, near Mars, beyond the Moon. They will see the far-off light of ancient and fledgling stars. They will see the distant glow of home and the mother-star, the Sun.

Of course, there will be plenty of science. The astronauts will collect rock and dust samples from the asteroid. Close observation will be critical to finding evidence of water and the possible trajectory of the asteroid through space. After all, one of the goals of such a mission is to determine the threat posed by Near Earth Objects. They will need to comb the surface of the asteroid for debris and samples and explore the craters and determine the size of the asteroid. When the asteroid exploration segment is complete, they will take the long return journey home and reflect on all they will have seen and all there is yet to learn from the pieces of space they will bring back.

Whatever the result of such a mission to an asteroid, the trip to Mars will seem just a little less out of reach. NASA may return to regular Moon missions. The International Space Station could become a regular destination for the expansion of human endeavors. Catastrophic collisions with other asteroids could be avoided. (After all, one theory is that an asteroid crash caused the sudden demise of the dinosaurs.) The trek into space will continue with missions like the Near Earth Object mission. New inventions will develop from the needs that will arise in the planning process. Undoubtedly new dreams will manifest. Space is the vastest frontier.

For anyone who has ever thought about the romance and adventure of space exploration but found the misery of everyday earthly travel sickness to be a bit of a bitch, there is chance to completely forget about the Dramamine, because now, thanks to a partnership between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Microsoft, it’s possible to visit Mars without ever leaving the safety and security of your house.

There is no grueling physical regime required or years of specialized training, no spacesuits to slip into, and no flight experience necessary, because anyone can become a ‘virtual Martian citizen’ and help NASA to collect valuable data on the landscape of Mars. This is quite literally the next generation of space exploration through a website that makes you feel as though you truly are a part of the exploration crew roaming over the strange and dangerous landscape.

NASA is currently gathering so much information about Mars that by offering a chance for everyone to take part in counting craters on the surface or in matching detailed areas of high resolution photography with lower resolution altitude images, it can all be sorted, classified, sifted and minutely examined in much less time than it would normally take by the use of more traditional methods, and what might once have involved years of relentless work could be cut down to just a few exciting months.

And what’s more, is everyone gets to have a stake in the outcome. Taking part includes getting the chance to ask questions of top NASA scientists, learning about the history of exploration to Mars, and the opportunity to view a whole stack of fascinating videos and documentaries, as well as gaining new knowledge on the probes and rovers that have touched down in the famous red dust. With a points and reward system, this exploration can become a highly addictive ‘gaming’ type of experience, yet at the same time there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had in know that the data being retrieved is serving to help scientists better understand just what is going on, there upon the Martian surface.

Mars is our closest neighbor in the solar system and the Red Planet has always held a special kind of significance for mankind. Kings were said to rise and fall with its appearance in the sky, and science fiction writers have plotted infamous alien invasions arriving on earth from the Martian surface.

But could life have actually originated from there? What happened to cause the landscape to appear the way it does? Was there once water on Mars as so many articles and stories have suggested? Could it have had an atmosphere similar to ours? Did it in fact sustain life at one time?

These are questions asked not just by famous writers like H.G. Wells, or news reporters on TV, but by NASA scientists too, looking for the meaning of life beyond our own blue green planet.

And we we could all help them in finding the answers.

As Microsoft Data Centers host the hundreds of thousands of Martian images being used, that in turn frees up NASA’s own internal servers for other works in progress and allows for what is being termed ‘citizen science’, though maybe that would be better termed ‘martian citizen science’.

With so many amazing sights already discovered, like the incredible snapshots of a Martian landslide in progress, it would surely be the thrill of a lifetime to make the next awesome discovery, or find a new crater no one has seen before.

NASA has released its plans to launch a WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) on December 9, 2009 weather permitting. The lauch will occur from Vandenberg Air Force Base, which is located in California. The Spacecraft will offer the opportunity to view galaxies and stars of the solar system that are invisible to the naked eye. The WISE will also offer many education opportunities to classrooms and teachers around the world by offering the chance to get involved with the mission.

The WISE is comprised of a telescope that will view outer space using infrared technology. Heat is given off by virtually all-functional mass. Infrared sensors detect heat and its intensity. There will be millions of objects detected that were not formerly known to scientists. How will the telescope do this? The WISE is set up to detect heat from objects, which will include colder stars, dark asteroids and distant galaxies. The whole sky will be mapped using infrared wavelengths. Infrared wavelengths are longer than most of the spectrum and only detected by the lack of heat. This information will allow future missions to be planned using this mapped data.

Humans cannot see infrared light. So, there are many objects that are not visible without using infrared technology. There are many asteroids that pass fairly close to Earth and now they will be cataloged for study. The closest known star to us is the Proxima Centauri and it is about four light-years away. NASA’s telescope may detect one or more stars that are closer to Earth than that. In order to detect what NASA wants to find the detectors used in the telescope have to be froze. By froze, I mean negative 445 degrees Fahrenheit. The spacecraft cannot give off any heat and must remain at this temperature.

NASA has many objectives that go beyond just finding new planets and asteroids. The Explorer program has created this opportunity for everyone to share in. They want to include the public, student and their teachers in the study. They will use websites, lesson plans and interactive programs to allow a “hands on” approach to learning. NASA plans to use the WISE to educate elementary, middle and high school age groups on the study of space. From studying the WISE students will become more involved in science, mathematics and technology. These students are the future and if they are introduced to this information at a young age, then chances are they will become more involved as they enter the college years.

The Wide-field Infrared Telescope has two Hydrogen filled tanks that will keep it froze. The telescope will orbit around the poles of the Earth recording information, which will be relayed back to NASA to use. NASA’s Spitzer and Hubble Telescopes will study the universe further upon the WISE’s observations. The WISE processes technology that is thousands of times more advanced than some predecessors.

NASA has taken an approach that will entice students and teachers to get involved with their study. This will benefit both NASA and the education system. The WISE is comprised of new technology and will allow many future missions to be conducted that expand on the information it gathers.

NASA has a vast amount of information about the WISE Infrared Telescope on their website. There are links to additional data there as well. Also, the site explains how you or your child can get involved in the study. The WISE telescope will promote the desire of everyone to learn about outer space, hidden plannets, asteroids and the deeper regions of space.

What Is The Significance Of Finding Water On The Moon?

Their have been many recent reports of finding traces of minor light amounts of water on the moon mostly towards the polar caps. The traces of water on the moon are believed to be trapped among the glass and minerals just below the moons surface. If water really is discovered to even slightly to significantly exist on the moon this will have drastic positive impacts on the future plans which involve the moon such as colonization and other space related projects, possibly even life previously existing on the moon.

How does the existence of water on the moon impact the possibility of creating a colonization on the moon?

Within the next 20 years it was planned by higher orders of the government to begin a project to achieve a human colonization on the surface of the moon. Although rumors now exist that some of the officials which now work under Obama instead of previous presidents now plan to postpone possibly even stop this future project but little clarification has been stated. If water is discovered to exist on the moon this will actually help ensure people and make the colonization project much easier to achieve than planned. This is because the existence of water on the moon if significant enough or capable of being built significant enough will help to achieve clean drinking water, plant growth and irrigation, leading to significant releases of oxygen and and hydrogen for life to breathe into the atmosphere. This will allow the future existence of life on the moon to flourish and live successfully.

Another positive impact of water being discovered on the moon, would mean that explorations which were conducted by India were actually the first explorations which discovered the existence of water on the moon. This will create a sense of accomplishment in India and put India higher into the charts of having a major impact on the growth and future of human existence. This may encourage other countries which took little part in the economic growth of the world wide society to take more of a step forward and work together in creating a better world for humanity. Which would be a very significant goal to reach and very possibly pushed forward by the discovery of water on the moon.

How exactly was the existence of water on the moon legitimately clarified?

Although many different journeys into space had detected the existence of water on the moon it was pretty vague as to whether samples brought back from the moon to earth with significant evidence of water in its contents were water from the moon or water from the actual moon.

The invention of a machine changed the above points about being unable to differentiate the earths H20 from the actual H20 which originated from the samples from the moon. This machine is known as The NanoSims, this machine can see up to one micrometer of a specimens makeup externally and found significant contents of H20 in the make-up of the materials received from samples taken from the moon.

This means that the existence of water on the moon is officially clarified and it is simply further steps to on moon development from here. Hopefully this will lead to all of the above expected benefits which will be achieved now upon the discovery of the existence of water on the moon. The only thing we are waiting for now is for the government to decide exactly what the next move will potentially be when in terms of preparations for colonizing the moon.

Cars cruising down the road. Farm animals grazing in the pasture. Children playing in the park. Professionals waiting for subway trains. These are scenes from a typical day on Earth. Far above these daily scenes, an immense galaxy awaits our exploration. Above our planet, the space station is docked, hovering above Earth as astronauts explore outer space. Living on the space station is much different than living on Earth. Astronauts train for life on the space station, but it still must be an adjustment when they enter the space station. Everything is different there, such as eating, breathing, sleeping, and exercising.

Zero gravity makes sleeping quite different…imagine sleeping standing up. When an astronaut sleeps on the space station, instead of a bed they have a sleeping bag that is mounted to the wall. You have to make sure your arms are restrained so your arms don’t float above your head while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning, instead of looking out your window to see the sky, you are treated to a wonderful view of the Earth. Not many people get to experience the view of the Earth from outer space.

Even living on a space station, you will still need to shower and keep up on personal hygiene. Instead of a shower or a bath, you will be required to take sponge baths with a washcloth. Although you may wish they had a bath, the water would not stay in the tub, and for that matter, you wouldn’t be able to sit down without restraints. When you brush your teeth on the space station, you must converse every drop of water, since you have limited water resources. Using the restroom on the space station is also different than on Earth. You have to be use special restraints, so you won’t float off the toilet. Then the toilet is flushed using air instead of water. Liquid waste is dumped in outer space, while solid material is dried and disposed of when back on Earth.

Since there is no gravity, your muscles will weaken. No slacking off on the exercise routine here! Your space station will be equipped with fitness machines. Exercising is different on the space station. You can’t just hop on the machine and start walking; you must strap yourself on the machine. Without this step, your legs won’t stay on the pedals…not many calories burned that way!

After all that exercise, you do get hungry on the space station. To eat, you have a stash of dehydrated meals. Pick something that sounds appetizing, prepare it in the microwave, and enjoy. It may not be home cooking, but it is edible. Finish off your meal with some freeze-dried ice cream.

Living on the space station requires some novel ways of getting your essentials. In the space station, you recycle your air and water. The space station is equipped with state -of -the -art technology that helps conserve and reuse everything. Special machines help gather the condensation from breath and sweat, and convert this into water. The same is true for oxygen. Other specialized machines convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. As you breathe, your carbon dioxide is being converted into new oxygen, and your water molecules from your breath are converted into water for you to drink.

As you can see, living on the space station is quite different than Earth. Everything from eating, sleeping, and exercising requires modifications to allow for the lack of gravity. Living on the space station requires a person to be the ultimate environmentalist, recycling the air they breathe and the water they drink.