SDO first Light today 4-21-10

watch it LIVE on NASA TV.
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

NASA Science News Conference on the Solar Dynamics Observatory
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM CDT

http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/

http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/docs/SDOfirstlight.pdf

A Movie of Saturnian Lightning … A First from Cassini!

FYI:
–Ben
==================
April 14, 2010,

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Ever since the beginning of the Cassini mission, a major goal of the Imaging Team has been the detection of Saturnian lightning. The process of electrostatic discharge and lightning production is tied to the motions of electrically charged particles and molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, and the same is believed to be true for the atmospheres of the giant planets. Measuring the power of lightning strikes in a planetary atmosphere can tell of the energy contained in the thunderstorms that spawn them and of the vigor of the atmospheric motions.

Now, for the first time, and as a direct result of the dimming of the ringshine on the night side of the planet during last year’s Saturn equinox, the Cassini Imaging Team has detected flashes of lightning in the atmosphere of Saturn. And these flashes have been shown to be coincident in time with the emission of powerful electrostatic discharges intercepted by the Cassini Radio and Plasa Wave experiment.

For more on this fantastic result, go to …

http://ciclops.org
http://www.ciclops.org/view/6064/Lightning_Flashing_on_Saturn

… and see for yourself our images and movies of Saturnian lightning. And make sure the sound is up on your computer!

(A news release on these findings that went out a moment ago is attached below.)

Enjoy,

Carolyn Porco
Cassini Imaging Team Leader
Director, CICLOPS
Space Science Institute
Boulder, CO

Podcast: Interview with Bob Naeye of Sky & Telescope

Our latest contributions to The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast featured a two-part interview with Robert Naeye, Editor-in-Chief of Sky & Telescope magazine. Mike Simonsen talks to Bob about amateur astronomy in Part 1 and science journalism in Part 2. In the extended versions, we hear more from Mike and Bob as well as insightful and entertaining commentary by Michael, Doug and Mike. Enjoy!

Part 1, short version
Part 1, extended version

Part 2, short version
Part 2, extended version

Listen now:
Part 1
 

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