First black hole discovered finally reveals its distance

Black holes are pretty tough to get accurate measures on. Their activity, and the fact that they absorb light, makes it a difficult process. However the first black hole ever discovered in the Cygnus X-1 revealed, has revealed key measurements such as its distance and mass.

This black hole was first discovered back in 1972. Getting an accurate measurement on its distance has made it difficult to measure other pieces of data such as the weight and rotation.

A team recently using the radio telescopes of the Very Long Baseline Array, found the distance to be around 1.86 kiloparsecs away. Or 6063.6 light years. Shifts in its position were measured in accordance of the Earth’s rotation around the sun. A mass was revealed to be that 14.8 times that of our sun.

Wide-field radio image of the environment of the black hole system Cygnus X-1. The cross marks the location of the black hole.

An X-ray binary system is made up of a companion star and a collapsed star such as a white dwarf, neutron star or black hole which pulls plasma and gas from the companion star.

A Black Hole - Cygnus X-1

Cassini images Saturn’s rings across the moon of Titan

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has been orbiting Saturn, imagining the planet and its moons for 7 years now. The view in this image (see below) is almost parallel with Saturn’s rings. The angle is just slightly under the ring plane. That is why the rings look so thin.

A 938 nanometers near infrared spectral filter was used with Cassin’s narrow angle camera to snap the shot. Cassini was 1.4 million miles away from Titan when the shot was snapped. For perspective, up on Titan is north.

 

Cassini is a joint project between NASA, ESA, and ISA.

Original image photographed by NASA of Saturn's rings across the moon of Titan

Colorized version of ;Titan based on previous data

NASA Administrator says 50 year mission is on track

NASA says it will continue its leadership in space exploration, despite how they get people there is currently unknown. “The question is not if we’re going to explore, but how we’ll do it.” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden recently in a speech at the National Press Club Friday.

Commercial space partners are the route NASA seems to be going with. Plans to upgrade facilities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for commercial use are under way. Until the commercial space programs are ready and can safely transport cargo and crew to the International Space Station (I.S.S.), American astronauts will have to be transported with the help of the Russians and their Soyuz rockets.

In the meantime NASA will be developing a heavy lift rocket that will be capable of reaching places like asteroids and Mars. In laying out NASA’s future, President Barack Obama and Congress disagree what NASA’s priorities are. Obama wants to emphasize on commercial rockets, and Congress wants NASA to emphasize the development of the heavy lift rocket.

Bolden disputed with members of Congress claiming that utilizing the commercial sector is just what NASA needs to dedicate resources to developing their heavy lift rocket. “The station is the pinnacle of our current achievement, a stepping-stone to the rest of the solar system and the tip of what comes next.” he stated.

Mark Kelly, the Commander of Space Shuttle Endeavour’s final mission, and husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (R-Ariz), was in attendance at Friday’s speech. He went on record that he has no plans to run for public office in October when he retires from NASA, despite rumors that have been circulating.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden gets emotional when speaking at the National Press Club on Friday.

The Commander of Space Shuttle Endeavour's final mission, Mark Kelly, addresses the National Press Club on Friday.

Crew Readies for Final Shuttle Mission and Bolden Speaks at Ntl. Press Club on This Week @NASA

Apollo 14 Astronaut Sued for trying to sell Lunar Camera

Dr. Edgar Mitchell, one of the astronauts who walked on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission to the moon, is being sued by the government of the United States. The reason being is that Dr. Mitchell attempted to sell a 16 mm Data Acquisition movie camera which was used on the moon. A camera that NASA says, is still their property.

The former astronaut says that the camera is not government property, and that it was given to him as a memento when he left the program. Mitchell’s home is full of pieces of history from our space program. Many of which were given to him by NASA.

Dr. Mitchell attempted to sell the camera through an auction house. It’s value is believed to be between $60,000 and $80,000 dollars. He says he has yet to be served any court order, but the camera has been pulled from auction.

Dr. Mitchell served as the Lunar Module Pilot on the Apollo 14 mission to the moon in 1971 along with mission Commander Alan Shepard, and Command Module Pilot Stuart Rosa.

Image of Dr. Edgar Mitchell working on the lunar surface during the Apollo 14 mission.

This 16 mm movie camera used during the Apollo 12 mission may be the same type of camera that Dr. Mitchell tried to sell.

Apollo 14 - 40th Anniversary