Category Archives: Events

Apple iPhone 4 Goes to Space

Posted on July 2, 2011 | 3 comments

AstrO Gears Product showcase: Apple iPhone 4 AstrOceanOmy Store

apple-iphone-4

Product Features Description

iPhone 4. The fastest, highest-resolution iPhone
FaceTime
Retina Display
Multitasking
HD Video Recording and Editing
5-Megapixel Camera with LED Flash
Astronomy Edition 🙂

Yeah! The most amazing feature in iPhone 4 is the Gyroscope built-in. Which makes the iPhone 4 Astronomy edition.

I’m including iPhone 4 as one of my AstrO Gears product. Why! Just see below… I will include more features of this gear later on.

Last year Father-Son Team lunched iPhone 4 into Space with weather balloon. They have used an insulated craft, weather balloon, iPhone 4 and a HD video camera to enter the space and film down the whole process. iPhone 4 was used to locate the location of the craft. Check out the video>>>

iPhone in Orbit

Interesting right!

The next surprise is that iPhone 4 this Month will be taken aboard the International Space Station via STS-135 to help conduct ground breaking experiments. Odyssey Space Research LLC, of Houston, TX, has developed an iOS application that will take advantage of the iPhones built-in mechanisms.

The experiments will perform onboard the US. National Laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS)

Screen_shot_2011-06-13_at_2.10.46_PM.png.scaled1000

In an excerpt from their official press release, Odyssey states:

“The SpaceLab for iOS app will utilize the innovative features of iPhone 4, including the three-axis gyro, accelerometer, Retina display, cameras and A4 chip, for space-based research. The crew will conduct various experiments to collect data which could one day find use in practical applications, such as the recovery of navigation information for a spacecraft that might be “lost in space.”

Four experiments are planned, click on the image above to read more.

As stated by Odyssey Space Research: “When the experiments are completed, both iPhones will be returned to Earth. The first opportunity for return will be on a Russian Soyuz vehicle in the fall of 2011. Flight data from the experiments are expected to be collected, analyzed, and then shared via this app on the App Store. “

The launch target for STS-135 (Orbiter Atlantis) is set by July 8, 2011. 🙂

What are you waiting for! Download the application now.

Need an iPhone! It’s available in AstrOceanOmy Store.

Click here for more AstrO Application for iOS from NASA

Clear Skies

3 Comments

Posted in AstrOGears, Computer and Internet, Events, Projects

Tagged Apple, Atlantis, Gyroscope, iOS, iphone, ISS, lab, Odyssey, Orbit, Research, Space

Lunar Eclipse Pictures

Posted on June 17, 2011 | 8 comments

On Wednesday 15th of June @ night, I managed to take some shots of the lunar eclipse using my lil 3 inch (76mm) Catadioptric telescope and Apple iPhone 4.

The Moon was so bright in early stage, therefore I used the green Lunar filter.

Red Moon..Without the lunar filter

And yeah 🙂 some drinks, Barbican (Non-Alcoholic Drink) Just for refreshing 🙂

Technical Data:

Telescope: 3 inch (76mm) Catadioptric type, 600mm focal length, tabletop mounted.
Eyepieces: H20mm with green lunar filter
Camera model: Apple iPhone 4, (5 megapixels)
Image Type: jpeg (Width: 2592 pixels, Height: 1936 pixels)
Exposure Time: 1/15 sec, normal.
Camera Aperture Value: 2.97 EV (f/2.8)
Camera ISO Speed Rating: 500
Camera Focal Length: 3.9 mm
Metering Mode: Pattern
Camera Software: iOS 4.3.2
Location: Muscat, Oman. (Athaiba – Ocean area, on top of the roof surrounded with plants 🙂
Weather Temperature: 31°C , feels like 40+
Sky Condition: Haze around the horizon
Humidity: ~80%
Field Time: 22:15 (GMT+4) to 16th June 00:45 (GMT+4)
Refreshment Drink: Barbican ^_^

8 Comments

Posted in Events

Tagged camera, Catadioptric, eclipse, Field, Filter, iphone, Lunar, moon, pictures, telescope

Total Lunar Eclipse on June 15

Posted on June 9, 2011 | 4 comments

lunar-eclipse

People in the Arab world, European, African and Western Asian countries will witness a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday (June 15) and will be viewed in relative density for 100 minutes over two days.

It is the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2011, the second occurring on December 10.

Bookmark your calendar now, if you’re in the indicated zone above

The eclipse will start at 10:23 pm (GMT+4) on Wednesday in partial shading, develop into full eclipse at 11:23 pm (GMT+4) on the same day and continue till 1:02 am (GMT+4) on Thursday.

“The peak of the lunar eclipse will be at 12:13 (GMT+4) (Wednesday), while the partial lunar eclipse will last till 2:02 am (GMT+4) (Thursday).” The moon will not disappear totally because of the reflection of sunshine from the Earth’s surface.

Click on the image above for more information on time & place..

Provided by Larry

Clear Skies on June 15th hopefully 🙂

4 Comments

Posted in Events

Tagged dark, earth, eclipse, light, Lunar, moon, reflection, sunlight

Geomagnetic Sun Storm

Posted on June 9, 2011 | 4 comments

Our nearest star, the Sun Unleashed ‘Spectacular’ & Powerful Eruption on 7th June, 2011.

<<<Read the full article written by Tariq Malik on Space.com>>>

MAGNIFICENT FLARE on 7th June, 2011

STORM WARNING: The forecasters have downgraded the chances of a geomagnetic storm on June 9th to 20%. The disturbance, if it occurs, would be in response to a glancing blow from the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) of June 7th. High-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras. Above all, there are small chances that the radio satellites in orbit will be effected.. I suggest all people around the world to take care while doing outdoor activities.. Wear suitable clothes and sunglasses..Anyway, there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Clear amazing auroras skies 🙂

Books from AstrOceanOmy Store:

4 Comments

Posted in Events

Tagged auroras, CME, eruption, flare, geomagnetic, storm, sun

Nuclear Energy! Is it Green?

Posted on March 17, 2011 | 3 comments

Green-No-Clear

Well, the question Is it GREEN means the following:

Is it Safe for the Environment?
Is it Healthy?
Is it cheap? / Economical?
Is it recyclable / renewable?
Is Radioactive material Green?
Is it truly Green in terms of short and long term.

The answer to these questions is in the word itself (“Nuclear” Energy / Power)

Nuclear sounds to me as No-Clear Energy / Power

So what’s behind the No-Clear Green? That is the question.

I think history already answered to that question! See the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant disaster & The Three Mile Island disaster

Now I feel sorry for Japan. The same scenario happening at the moment in Fukushima Nuclear power plant while I’m typing this.

What really made Nuclear power as “Green” is because people who designed this technology said that it emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Therefore less harm to the environment.

So again I say