In December an important climate change meeting will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark: The United Nations Climate Change Meeting or the so-called COP15 climate meeting.
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A web based video news program about Earth observation from space at Astrocast.TV.
The Global Geodetic Observing System provides the geodetic infrastructure necessary for monitoring the Earth system and for global change research.
ESA's Living Planet Programme comprises a science and research element, which includes the Earth Explorer missions, and an Earth Watch element, which is designed to facilitate the delivery of Earth Observation data for use in operational services.
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About Bente Lilja
Earth science expert and astrophysicist writes about Earth observation, geodesy, climate change, geohazards, water cycle and other science related...
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Our society is saturated with GPS, or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), applications. GPS is the first GNSS and it is operated by US Air Force. Most people are not aware of the fact that GPS was developed and is run by the military. A reduced quality signal is released for civil use. After Europe decided to build their own GNSS, called Galileo, the US Air Force decided to released an improved signal. It was and is a matter of competition.
Hitler's gift to astronomy? What?
Believe it or not, Hitler wanted to give Mussolini and Rome a planetarium*. Rome was among the first in the world to build a planetarium. Italy (and Mussolini) had already taken a planetarium as part of the 'compensation' for the damage Germany did to Italy in WW1 and opened the first Roman planetarium already in 1928.
It is the most peculiar story, so much so that I feel compelled to tell, however little, what I know about this hidden treasure of planetarium history...
Believe it or not, Hitler wanted to give Mussolini and Rome a planetarium*. Rome was among the first in the world to build a planetarium. Italy (and Mussolini) had already taken a planetarium as part of the 'compensation' for the damage Germany did to Italy in WW1 and opened the first Roman planetarium already in 1928.
It is the most peculiar story, so much so that I feel compelled to tell, however little, what I know about this hidden treasure of planetarium history...
Astronomy and green space? Yes, indeed. As an astrophysicist I always find great pleasure in pointing out that the Earth is a planet, just like all the rest of the bunch orbiting our Sun and thus an astronomical object. The Earth is special though because we live on it. And we talk about a green planet referring to environmental issues on planet Earth.
Credit: NASA
At the European Geophysical Union EGU, Jochen Zschau from GeoForschungZentrum GFZ in Germany presented his Sergey Soloviev medal lecture, Meeting the Challenge of Earthquake Risk Globalisation: Towards the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) on the first day of this huge gathering of geoscientific expertice.
Bringing together more than 9.000 geoscientists from all over Europe and the rest of the world into one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, the European Geophysical Union (EGU) annual General Assembly takes place in Vienna this week.
On March 17th 2009 Europe's first geodetic satellite was successfully launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. The first stages of putting the satellite in a stable recording orbit are proceeding according to plans. So far, so good.
Credit: ESA - AOES Medialab
Credit: ESA - AOES Medialab
Maybe ESA’s Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) is destined to launch on the exact same date as Vanguard 1, the third artificial satellite to ever orbit our planet after Sputnik and Explorer 1. On March 17th 1958 Vanguard 1 was successfully launched and as a matter of fact the satellite is still orbiting our planet as today's longest 'living' satellite ever.
I am not a gambler, except when it comes to my own life. I'm referring to my astronaut application a few years back. I was not happy the selection committee was happy for me being pregnant and used that as an excuse to not allow any further tests on me. I will forever hate that committee; but I love my son.
