'The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth … The Rest Of Us Are Going To The Stars!'
David Reneke is one of Australia’s most well known and respected astronomers and lecturers, with over 40 years experience in astronomy. David is the editor for Australia’s Astro-Space News Magazine and a writer for the prestigious Australasian Science magazine. David teaches astronomy at college level, is an invited speaker at astronomy conventions throughout Australia, a feature writer and columnist for dozens of Australian newspapers, and is a celebrity science correspondent heard on more than 16 ABC & commercial radio stations across Australia every week – total audience, around 3 million! As a new author, David has two E-Books to his credit.
David has been featured on Regional TV stations in NSW, Good Morning America, American MSNBC news, the BBC, Spanish television and Sky News here in Australia. He’s recently entertained passengers across Australia onboard the famous ‘GHAN’ with his show and has been invited back in the New Year. David has developed a style of presenting astronomy that is incredibly unique, fast paced and entertaining. David recently toured the USA on a magazine assignment where he met Sir Richard Branson in New York and visited astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon, at his home in California. David also travels NSW with his ‘Astronomy Outreach’ program.
Throughout 2010 – 2011 David will be conducting a series of specialised astronomy/space talks interstate and overseas and heading a number of tours to New Zealand with Grand Pacific Tours Aust.
SPACE – 'The Final Frontier'
Space is indeed the final frontier. Even from the confines of our tiny planet, we have been able to discover much about our immediate neighborhood and thanks to technology, we have discovered mysteries that extend into the vastness beyond. Our technology has taken us to the moon and someday, perhaps, our technology will allow us to follow our imaginations to Mars and beyond. Through these pages we'll highlight some of the information we have discovered about space from planets to galaxies, from the sun to supernovae, from Apollo to ISS - and a lot more in between . I really hope you find this site informative. Just click on any of my "Space Sites" to check out the information we have researched, and the things I'm into. If you like you can subscribe to my newsletter, comment on what you read here (be as critical as you like, but not nasty, OK?) or browse the many astronomy items on sale now and ones on the way.
Each Week We Have A New Winner!!!
ASTRO DAVE 'SOUNDS OFF'
We're looking down the barrel soon of a federal election in this country (Australia) and issues abound. Everything from the obvious to the ill conceived. Another leader,another party, more policies and still, after 50 years of following the US space program, we are one of the two main developed nations left that don't (and never will it seems) have our own dedicated space program.
We've been the support for America on all their launches and still maintain that base but nobody in any of our past governments have ever seriously made any steps to developing a program that will return the huge monetary benefits to our country in the coming 2-3 decades that exploiting the opportunities in low-Earth orbit will. This is where the money will lie in the future – rocket launches for other countries, satellite deployment, payload movement to orbit, and a host of other things as well.
We were once third in the world in space. We had Woomera, sadly now known more for immigration issues than space research. It was once a thriving town. We launched rockets here for other countries and Woomera became a mini city in it's own right… then it all just stopped. I think it's time now, heading into the second decade of the 21st century, to reassess it again, draw up some plans and make a start. It isn't too late in my books. The new frontier beckons and the bucks are what will drive it's development.
ANNOUNCEMENT
TASCO IS NOW A MAJOR SPONSOR!
I'm proud to announce that I've gained the support and sponsorship of Australia's leading telescope manufacturer TASCO. From now on I'll be actively promoting TASCO to schools, teachers, in our night astronomy shows, on my webpage, in all the newspaper columns I write and where applicable, on radio.
The company have graciously donated to my program the latest 150 mm BK15012EQ6 achromatic refractor telescope and accessories (shown right) - valued in excess of $2000! This is a great adjunct to the scopes we are currently using and one that will help foster and develop astronomy teaching into the future. I will, of course, be retailing the company's range of products from this website so keep an eye out in the future for additions to our range and some keenly priced specials into the bargain.
Along with TASCO, my programs are now sponsored by Austar for Schools, Discovery Channel Science and Kookaburra Educational. My Astronomy Outreach Program is now in it's 7th Year and plans to licence the program for other individuals to use are in progress.
Tasco has everything the aspiring astronomer needs to bring the most spectacular celestial images right to your home. Our powerful line of telescopes can take you away to other worlds, to distant galaxies, to the most stirring depths of the universe. With Tasco, you can travel light-years into space and be back in time for dinner. We’re not saying Hollywood doesn't still have its place, but why settle for special effects when you can have the real thing? Visit TASCO today.
Some Of The Stories We're Covering This Week
The Biggest Star Ever Found In The Universe!
They are the most colossal stars ever seen and live short, bright, lives in faraway reaches of space before exploding in a blaze of glory. One of the stars, now tagged R136a1, is estimated to weigh 265 times more than the sun and to shine millions of times more brightly. Were it to replace our own star, the intensity of its rays would sterilise the Earth leaving it lifeless. British astronomers spotted the stars, more massive than any others on record, using the Very Large Telescope, an aptly named observatory on a mountain top in the Atacama desert of northern Chile. The discovery of the stellar giants has prompted astronomers to scrap the upper limits they set on star formation.
Australian Laser System To Track Space Junk
An Australian company last Tuesday said it had developed a laser tracking system that will stop chunks of space debris colliding with spacecraft and satellites in the Earth's orbit. Electric Optic Systems said lasers fired from the ground would locate and track debris as small as 10 centimetres (four inches) across, protecting astronauts and satellites. "We can track them to very high precision so that we can predict whether there are going to be collisions with other objects or not," Craig Smith, the company's CEO said. mith said the technology improved upon existing radar systems because it could detect tiny objects, left behind by disused rockets and satellites.
Reader Photo Sent In – Can You Identify This Object?
Hi Dave. I took this photo some time back, and when we were looking through them we noticed this anomaly. There is a photo taken exactly 4 seconds later and the object is not visible. Whatever it is it was really moving. There was no noise like an aircraft. Can you help identify this Unidentified Flying Object? Kind regards, Ray S. Hi Ray.Thanks for the mail and the interesting photo. Best guess, probably a plane in unusual light conditions. You can see it's illuminated by the Sun from underneath and what appears to be a 'jet trail' behind it. Feedback on this photograph would be appreciated and will be publishe din next week's newsletter.…
WISE Mission Completes All-sky Infrared Survey
If you take a lot of digital pictures, you're probably familiar with the frustration of keeping track of dozens of files, and always running out of hard drive space to store them. Well, the scientists and engineers on NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission have no pity for you. Their spacecraft just finished photographing the entire sky in exquisite detail: a total of 1.3 million photos. "The eyes of WISE have not blinked since launch," said William Irace, the mission's project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Both our telescope and spacecraft have performed flawlessly and have imaged every corner of our universe, just as we planned." ….
Mars Sample return Mission Could Start In 2018
Space officials in the United States and Europe are planning an ambitious dual-rover mission that could start collecting Martian soil samples in 2018 to be picked up by a subsequent mission and returned to Earth in the 2020s. The costly mission would blast off on an Atlas 5 rocket in 2018 and land two rovers on Mars with a single "sky crane" descent system that will be tested for the first time at the Red Planet in August 2012. It would be the first time two rovers will be delivered to the same landing site on Mars. The European Space Agency's ExoMars rover and a $2 billion NASA Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher mission are the leading candidates for the tandem project……
Hyperfast Star Was Booted from Milky Way
A hundred million years ago, a triple-star system was traveling through the bustling center of our Milky Way galaxy when it made a life-changing misstep. The trio wandered too close to the galaxy's giant black hole, which captured one of the stars and hurled the other two out of the Milky Way. Adding to the stellar game of musical chairs, the two outbound stars merged to form a super-hot, blue star. This story may seem like science fiction, but astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope say it is the most likely scenario for a so-called hypervelocity star, known as HE 0437-5439, one of the fastest ever detected. It is blazing across space at 2.5 million kilometers an hour……
Put Your Own Satellite Into Orbit With $8,000 Kit
Attention wannabe supervillains: Putting your own, personal satellite into orbit is not such a far-fetched idea after all. Interorbital Systems, which makes rockets and spacecraft, created a kit last year that lets almost anyone with a passion for electronics and space build a satellite. The $8,000 kit includes the price of the launch. The company is now ready to launch its first sub-orbital test flights in California next month. “$8,000? That’s just the price of a cool midlife crisis,” says Alex “Sandy” Antunes, who bought one of the kits for a project that will launch on one of earliest flights.I can see a number of people I know right now eager …
1974 UFO Close Encounter With 'Saucer' In NSW
I've included this report after so much comment and feedback received from readers about the Westall Case I featured last week. This report has interesting parallels (to me) with the type and shape of object seen at Westall. Witness' account in own words: "My sister and myself were driving along Hamilton Road, Quakers Hill, NSW Australia when the car I was driving suddenly shook violently then completely stopped, nothing worked, not even the radio, the motor just stopped. I was scared something was really wrong with the car. I started to get out of the car to get my to babies out of the back seat when something made me look up…
Do Americans Still Care About The Space Program?
Forty-one years ago last Tuesday marked one of the biggest accomplishments the U.S. has ever completed. Much like Sept. 11 or when John F. Kennedy was shot, many people remember where they were when they watched the event unfold on their televisions. Stumped? On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the moon, propelling the U.S. ahead in the space race with the Soviet Union.Then, it was a big deal. A really, really big deal. Children and adults alike watched in awe as astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin floated with ease in their spacesuits. The spectacle was otherworldly, a moment that etched itself in everyone’s minds……
Houston… We Had A Problem!
On July 23, 1969, as Apollo 11 hurtled back towards Earth, there was a problem — a problem only a kid could solve. At age 10, Greg Force reaches his arm into a tiny hole to fix an antenna crucial to Apollo 11. It sounds like something out of a movie, but that's what it came down to as Apollo 11 sped back towards Earth after landing on the moon in 1969. It was around 10:00 at night on July 23, and 10-year-old Greg Force was at home with his mom and three brothers. His father, Charles Force, was at work.Charles Force was the director of the NASA tracking station in Guam, where the family was living. The Guam tracking station was to play a critical role in……
PLUS…Much more inside!
Support The People Who Support Astro Space News
These are the people and the companies who actively support this website and who are bringing to Astronomy – Space the best products and services. I use their services and you should too. They're the best.
Southern Cross Observatory – Tasmania, Australia.
If you are interested in Astro-Photography take note and learn from the experts! Shevill Mathers is recognized as one of the world’se leading amateur astronomers and is a specialist in his field. Shevill writes for various magazines and newspapers and is presently working at a professional level at Mt Canopus Observatory. Southern Cross Observatory
LOOKING TO BUY A TELESCOPE?
Are you a beginner and just want a good telescope at a good price to get started in astronomy? Or do you just want to see a list of what's available in your price range?
Check out the new addition to this website. 'Telescopes For Beginners' .. it's designed to take the guesswork 
out of selecting a telescope that's right for you, or someone in your family… A guide for all ages.
We've looked at the entire range of scopes on the market and set them out in three levels and all in different price ranges to make it easier to choose:
Beginner – Intermediate – Advanced.
Email me now for advice or payment and delivery details davereneke@gmail.com
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE A TRULY AMAZING ASTRONOMY & SPACE SHOW?
Every Wednesday Night At The 'Village Resort'
288 Hastings River Drive Port Macquarie NSW.
Video 6.45pm – Show 7pm.
This is one of the most amazing space shows you will ever see!
FREE Star map and astronomy fact sheet, FREE Science magazine worth $8.95- FREE ‘What’s in the Night Sky’ guide – FREE DVD giveaway through the night, etc. After the show you will have a chance, weather permitting, to peer through the telescope with viewings of the moon, stars and planets, and a laser guided tour of the night sky. 6.45pm start & kids welcome. Bookings and enquiries 0400 636 363 or email: davereneke@gmail.com More information see the Port Macquarie Tourism Webpage: http://www.hastings.nsw.gov.au/www/html/2587-event-details.asp?intEventID=8291
Note: During the holidays enquire about our special kids astronomy show 'KidSpace'.
'Astro Space News' – Contributions/suggestions always welcomed.
Your letters are always encouraged and any questions you have can be forwarded by emailing Dave at davereneke@gmail.com Enjoy your stay, enjoy the news and feel free to pass this on to any of your friends. Contact Details: Phone/Fax (02) 6585 2260 Mobile: 0400 63 63 63
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'Astro-Space News' is now accepting a limited number of advertisements and sponsors for this site. Please note that any ads posted on this site must be relevant to space and /or astronomy. Got an idea? Let's talk . Note: This is an 'Authority Website' rated No.5 on Google. If you are interested in placing an ad anywhere on this site or are interested in sponsoring any part of it, please contact Dave at this email address: davereneke@gmail.com
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