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The Planet Uranus
The First Seven Astronauts
Everything starts somewhere, and the space program began in earnest with the selection of the first seven astronauts that would participate in manned space flight. The NASA selection committee was made up of Charles Donlan, a senior management engineer; Warren North, a test pilot engineer; Stanley White and William Argerson, flight surgeons; Allen Gamble and Robert Voas, psychologists; and George Ruff and Edwin Levy, psychiatrists.
When the selection committee began their task, they received 508 applications. This number was reduced to 110 candidates after records were reviewed. The 110 candidates were brought together at an undisclosed location. A battery of tests were given and interviews were conducted. It took a month but the number of possible candidates was reduced to 32.
The 32 candidates were then subjected to even more stressful physical, psychological, and mental examinations. They were given full-body x-rays, tested in pressure suits, endured a variety of cognitive tests and really intense interviews. Finally, 18 or the 32 were recommended to the Mercury program without any medical reservations.
The final choices were made by Robert Gilruth, who was the head of the Space Task Group, as well as Charles Donlan, Warren North, and Stanley White.
The first seven astronauts selected for the Mercury program (the first manned space flight program) were Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper Jr., John H. Glenn Jr., Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Walter M. Schirra Jr., Alan B. Shepard Jr., and Donald K. "Deke" Slayton. Their names will resound through history forever.
Six of the original seven flew in Project Mercury. Only "Deke" Slayton did not fly because of a heart condition that had not been discovered. Deke later flew as a crewmember of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
See Also:
Galileo Galilei - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carl Sagan
The Planet Neptune
Adams and Leverrier predicted the existence of the planet Neptune back in 1845. Neptune is very difficult to observe from the earth because of (1) the distance, and (2) the earth's atmosphere. The closest and best look that we have had at Neptune was provided by the Voyager 2 flyby in 1989.
Neptune is the most distant planet from the sun. It was once believed that Pluto was a planet Pluto beyond Neptune, but astronomers have declared that Pluto is not a planet but one of many dwarf planets in our solar system.
Neptune has a diameter that is about four times larger than earths. Computer models suggest that Neptune has a rocky core that comprises about 15 earth masses at the center, but there is no confirmation of this theory. Neptune has a rotation period of about 16 hours. Neptune has an internal heat source, and it produces about 2.7 times more heat than it absorbs.
Strong winds, bright, high-altitude clouds, and two large dark spots attributed to long-lived giant storm systems were reveled by the 1989 Voyager flyby. Wind speeds are as high as 739 miles per hour. The larger of the two dark spots that Voyager reveals is called the "Great Dark Spot."
Neptune's rings were first detected from Earth in 1983, but no real study could be conducted at that time. It wasn't until the data supplied by the Voyager 2 flyby was available that any determination about the rings could be disseminated. There are two bright rings and two fainter rings. The rings rotate in the same direction as Neptune, and they are all close to the equator.
Triton and Nereid are the two large moons of Neptune and are visible from Earth. Voyager 2 discovered six more moons, and one of them is actually larger than Nereid; but it is difficult to see because it orbits so close to Neptune. |
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More articles:
Basic Astronomy QUIZ: Chapter 21
The Distant Planet Neptune Screensaver 1.0
MARMET- METEORITES
Star, Stars, Constellations at SPACE.com
Astronomy Clubs world wide
Galaxies
Planting by the Moon
Ah, the moon! The moon has been studied by astronomers (both professional and amateur) for centuries. We even reached out and touched it when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon 1969. The moon has been the subject of songs, movies, and poetry, and probably always will be. Astronomers have always been utterly fascinated by the moon, and mankind has been fascinated by how it affects the earth and earthlings since time began.
We do know without a doubt that the moon regulates the ocean tides. It is also a certainty that sleeping with moonlight on your head will not turn you into a werewolf or drive you insane. Some beliefs about the moon have been proven true while others have been proven not true.
Farmers have planted according to the moon for centuries, and more and more farmers are returning to those moon-planting axioms every year. Why? Because they work. Planting root vegetables when the moon is "waning" will produce more root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets, etc. Planting vegetables when the moon is increasing will produce more vegetables that produce above ground (beans, peas, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.).
Planting and gardening by the moon gets even more specific. For example, it is better to turn soil when the moon is in the last quarter. The moon tells farmers and gardeners when it is to their advantage to plant, as well as when it is to their advantage to pull weeds or turn soil.
There are many who doubt the validity of planting by the moon, but consider that the moon does have an effect on humans (you can get a lot of debate about that statement). We don't fully understand everything we know about those effects yet. You can ask any policeman, clergyman, doctor, or nurse and they will tell you that during a full moon, there are more crimes committed, more suicides, and more babies born.
Related Topics: NASA,
Digital Astrophotography, Astrological Signs
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