Dawn Spacecraft Begins Approach to Dwarf Planet Ceres

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz

Dawn / NASA 
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Crazy Engineering: Ion Propulsion and the Dawn Mission

As Dawn journeys across our solar system, the spacecraft will unearth the mysteries of more asteroids and a dwarf planet:

"Orbiting both Vesta and Ceres would be truly impossible with conventional propulsion. Thanks to ion propulsion, we're about to make history as the first spaceship ever to orbit two unexplored alien worlds," said Marc Rayman, Dawn's chief engineer and mission director, based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Thanks to this new ion propulsion system, we on Earth are in for a treat as Dawn investigates the beginnings of our space home. In fact May 9, 2015 is the date of NASA's Ceres Celebration. 

For more information, pictures, and research, visit: Dawn.

Source: NASA

Russian Scientists ‘Map’ Water Vapour in Martian Atmosphere

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz

Solar System / Water Vapor
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Water is not native to Earth. Mars has water vapor in its atmosphere: 

Russian Scientists ‘Map’ Water Vapour in Martian Atmosphere

Russian scientists from the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), together with their French and American colleagues, have created a “map” of the distribution of water vapour in Mars’ atmosphere. Their research includes observations of seasonal variations in atmospheric concentrations using data collected over ten years by the Russian-French SPICAM spectrometer aboard the Mars Express orbiter. This is the longest period of observation and provides the largest volume of data about water vapour on Mars.

Source: MIPT

3 Interplanetary Shockwaves - Dec. 21-23, 2014

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz

Solar Storms / Shock Waves
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Since December 17th, the sun has produced solar flares that have bombarded the Earth's atmosphere. Suspicious Observers' information has documented the strain on our magnetosphere:

3 Interplanetary Shockwaves - Dec. 21-23, 2014

This video utilized the SDO Satellite and NOAA Spaceweather Monitoring

Source: Suspicious Observers

Comet Siding Spring - Potential Interactions

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz
Astronomy / Comets
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Comet Siding Spring - Potential Interactions 

A look into the future of the comet set to intercept Mars.


Source: Suspicious Observers

Comet Siding Spring - Introduction

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz
Astronomy / Comets
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Comet Siding Spring - Introduction

All you wanted to know about the next comet to have a show in our solar system.


Source: Suspicious Observers