NASA Names Astrophysics Fellowship for Iconic Woman Astronomer

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- NASA has established an astrophysics technology fellowship named for the woman many credit as one of the key contributors in the creation of the Hubble Space Telescope. The Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship in Astrophysics is designed to foster technologies that advance scientific investigations in the origin and physics of the universe and future exoplanet exploration. The fellowship will help early career researchers develop innovative technologies to enable scientific breakthroughs, while creating the skills necessary to lead astrophysics projects and future investigations. It also will foster and support early-career instrument builders on the path to long-term positions. "The Roman fellowship is an important opportunity to infuse new ideas and technologies into frontier research areas as diverse as dark energy, black holes and life elsewhere in the universe," said Jon Morse, astrophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This will be the most substantial fellowship at five years, compared to others that typically run two to three years." Beginning Nov. 18, early-career researchers may submit proposals for one-year concept studies for the development of new astrophysics technologies. Following a NASA review of the proposals, three to six applicants will be chosen for one-year fellowships to develop their concepts. Based on peer-review of the reports from the one-year studies, NASA will then select the fellows to implement the proposed technologies for up to four additional years. The first selection of fellows will be announced during February 2012. Finalists selected in early 2013 to execute their projects over four years will receive up to $1 million in funding. The fellowship's namesake is a distinguished American astronomer. Her celebrated career included multiple scientific and technical achievements at NASA and her important contributions to the design of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Space station flybys

The International Space Station (ISS) is making a series of bright flybys over Europe and North America this week. It outshines everything in the evening sky except the Moon. Sky watchers in the USA and Canada, check your cell phone for flyby times. Predictions are also available on the link below

A new way of looking at the sun

Aurora watch

April continues to be a good month for auroras. A new display could begin on April 20th when a solar wind stream is due to hit Earth's magnetic field. Wayne Barsky sends this dynamic preview from the Alaskan Arctic:

Near earth asteroids

Near Earth Asteroids

Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are space rocks larger than approximately 100m that can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU. None of the known PHAs is on a collision course with our planet, although astronomers are finding new ones all the time.

On September 16, 2011 there were 1218 potentially hazardous asteroids.

Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Mag.
Size
2011 GP59
Apr 15
1.4 LD
--
58 m
2002 DB4
Apr 15
62.5 LD
--
2.2 km
2011 GJ3
Apr 27
7.7 LD
--
24 m
2008 UC202
Apr 27
8.9 LD
--
10 m
2009 UK20
May 2
8.6 LD
--
23 m
2008 FU6
May 5
75.5 LD
--
1.2 km
2003 YT1
May 5
65.3 LD
--
2.5 km
2002 JC
Jun 1
57.5 LD
--
1.6 km
2009 BD
Jun 2
0.9 LD
--
9 m
2002 JB9
Jun 11
71.5 LD
--
3.2 km
2001 VH75
Jun 12
42.2 LD
--
1.1 km
2004 LO2
Jun 15
9.9 LD
--
48 m
2001 QP181
Jul 2
35.1 LD
--
1.0 km
2011 GA55
Jul 6
64 LD
--
1.0 km
2011 EZ78
Jul 10
37.3 LD
--
1.5 km
2003 YS117
Jul 14
73.9 LD
--
1.0 km
2007 DD
Jul 23
9.3 LD
--
31 m

Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU. MAG is the visual magnitude of the asteroid on the date of closest approach.