Showing posts with label Hubble Space Telescope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hubble Space Telescope. Show all posts

December 9, 2009

Today's Tune: "I Can See Clearly Now"
By Johnny Nash


On December 9, 1993, a troubled Hubble Space Telescope was considered ready to be put "Back In Action", after astronauts made some repairs and adjustments. They also broke some space walk records on that day.

In the course of their repair mission, the astronauts completed a record five space walks on that December 9th, including the longest of the 11 days they were in orbit around Earth. That longest happened while the 40 ft. solar panels that power the telescope were unfolded.

The main repair on their list was to correct a focus problem caused by a mirror in the lens system that was manufactured just a teeny tiny bit too flat. They fixed the problem by adding a compensating lens. After all the repairs had been made, Hubble became an incredibly useful scientific tool, instead of the $1.55 billion dollar piece of practically useless space junk it would otherwise have been.

"I Can See Clearly Now", written and recorded as a successful comeback hit by American singer and songwriter Johnny Nash, seems to be a fitting song for the 'Today's Tune' in this case.



Johnny Nash - "I Can See Clearly Now" on The Midnight Special.

September 24, 2009

Today's Tune: "House Of Broken Love" By US Band Great White

Great White Spot image captured by Hubble Space Telescope December 1, 1994.

A Great White Spot of the planet Saturn, is similar to the atmospheric storm known as the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. However, instead of being a constant and instantly recognizable feature, this is actually a case of storms that are visible from Earth only on a periodic basis. They can usually be seen through a telescope approximately every 28 and a half years on average, while the Northern hemisphere of the planet is tilted most toward our Sun. These spots are sometimes as much as several thousands of kilometers wide. One such occurrence of one of the spots being observed, happened on September 24, 1990, and lasted through November of that year.

That makes this 'Today's Tune' post as good a spot as any, to weather the song "House Of Broken Love" by the American rock band known as Great White.



Great White - "House Of Broken Love" (Full length version)

August 27, 2009

Today's Tune: "Cosmos Rockin" By Queen + Paul Rodgers

Mars viewed from the Hubble Space Telescope on June 26, 2001.

The distance between planets varies due to their inexact orbits around the Sun, which also moves. On August 27, 2003, the planet Mars came as close to Earth as it had done in almost 60,000 years. The two planets are believed to have gotten as close as 55,758,005 kilometres apart. Scientists expect the distance between Earth and Mars to decrease slightly during these close passes throughout the passing years. In order to relate to this bit of history, 'Today's Tune' is "Cosmos Rockin" by the short lived supergroup Queen + Paul Rodgers.


Queen + Paul Rodgers - "Cosmos Rockin" from 'Live in Ukraine'

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