COSMIC RAY UPDATE: Note to astronauts: 2019 is not a good year to fly into deep space. In fact, it's shaping up to be one of the worst of the Space Age. According to a new paper just published in the journal Space Weather, cosmic rays are flooding into the solar system as the sun's magnetic field weakens, posing a health risk to space travelers. Full story.
THE CRATERS OF APOLLO 11: 50 years ago, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were hurtling toward the Sea of Tranquility, preparing themselves for the first Moon landing. With memories of Apollo 11 on his mind, Australian amateur astronomer Dennis Simmons turned his telescope toward their landing site last night, and this is what he saw:
"I managed to pinpoint and image the craterlets Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins located in Mare Tranquillitatis, using my 201mm diameter telescope from my back yard in Brisbane," says Simmons.
These three craters were named after the astronauts following the successful Apollo 11 mission. They're all small, with diameters of 4.6 kilometers (Armstrong), 3.4 km (Aldrin) and 2.4 km (Collins). Amateur astronomers often use the craters as guides to find the landing site itself by "triangulating" it with, say, Armstrong and Aldrin.
"Was it really 50 years ago when I watched this stupendous achievement of my neighbor's B&W TV in the early hours of the morning…?" marvels Simmons. "What a moment in history."
APOLLO 11 ANNIVERSARY SILVER DOLLAR: The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing is today. To mark the occasion, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus have been flying commemorative Apollo 11 silver dollars to the stratosphere and selling them to support their cosmic ray balloon program. Buy one this week and we will fly it to the stratosphere on July 20, 2019, exactly 50 years after Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon.
We plan to fly only a small number of these coins to the edge of space on July 20, 2019. Reserve yours for $197.95.
Created by the US Mint, the proof-quality 99% silver dollar is curved and reproduces the helmet of astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Reflected in Buzz's visor are Neil Armstrong, the United States flag, and the lunar lander. The opposite side of the coin shows Neil's iconic footprint on the Moon. Each coin comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight on the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing and a certificate of authenticity.
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