Astronomy Picture of the Day

NASA ^ | 6/13/08 | Jerry Cannon, Robert Murray

[sig226]

At Last, GLAST
Image Credit: Jerry Cannon, Robert Murray, NASA

Explanation: Rising through a billowing cloud of smoke, this Delta II rocket left Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's launch pad 17-B Wednesday at 12:05 pm EDT. Snug in the payload section was GLAST, the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, now in orbit around planet Earth. GLAST's detector technology was developed for use in terrestrial particle accelerators. But from orbit, GLAST can study gamma-rays from extreme environments in our own Milky Way galaxy, as well as supermassive black holes at the centers of distant active galaxies, and the sources of powerful gamma-ray bursts. Those cosmic accelerators achieve energies not attainable in earthbound laboratories. GLAST also has the sensitivity to search for signatures of new physics in the relatively unexplored high-energy gamma-ray regime.

[sig226]

The hi res version is pretty cool.

[sig226]

[TexasCajun]

Kewl... Have a great weekend.

[RightWhale]

Smoke from nine or possibly more strap-on solid boosters. The core rocket burns hydrogen, nearly no smoke nor light.

[Lokibob]

NASA just said “commence fluid loading to prevent vestibular effects during landing”.

Pompous ass.

I would have said “Drink something so you do not dehydrate”.

Southwest air would have said “coffee, tea or soda pop?”

....Bob

[Lokibob]

Although this post was intended for the shuttle landing thread and accidently posted here, at least it is about NASA.

Things just naturally work out in my life....

.....Bob