Latest news with #AirandSpaceMuseum
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How you can catch the peak of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower from Europe
Billed as one of the best meteor showers of the year, the annual appearance of the Eta Aquarids always has skygazers in a fervour. Born from the debris of Halley's comet, which swings near the Earth every 75 years, "Halley's crumbs" are set to peak on Tuesday and will be more vivid in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere. But that doesn't necessarily mean it will be impossible to see them in Europe. Related Scientists find 'strongest sign to date' of possible life on a distant planet When this meteor shower lights up the night sky, "you'll know that Earth is crossing the path of the most famous comet," said Shauna Edson of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Eta Aquarids are "pretty fast meteors," said NASA's Bill Cooke. As the Earth orbits the Sun, several times a year, it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids. The source of the Eta Aquarids is the debris from Halley's comet. When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up. Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail - the end of a "shooting star". You don't need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights. Related What was the glowing blue spiral seen in the night sky above Europe? They are better seen in the southern hemisphere due to the location they originate from in the Water of Aquarius constellation - hence the name aquarids - which favours viewing from southern parts of the world. In the northern hemisphere, they can still be seen, but the conditions are less favourable. During Tuesday morning's peak, if you live in Europe and North America, you can expect to see between 10 to 15 meteors per hour in ideal viewing conditions, said Cooke. This is compared to over 50 per hour in southern regions, according to the Meteor Calendar of the International Meteor Organisation (IMO). It added that it was more likely that the shower would produce a greater number of meteor trains - the trail of ionised gas behind the meteor - than fireballs. However, the Moon will be nearly two-thirds full, which will likely reduce visibility. Viewing of the shower lasts until May 28. Related Scientists using Google Cloud discover new asteroids that could wipe out entire cities The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky. Competing sources of light, such as a bright moon or artificial glow, are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities. And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren't checking your phone. The next major meteor shower, the Southern Delta Aquarids, peaks in late July.
Axios
26-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
D.C. plots a future beyond federal jobs
D.C.'s leaders are thinking about how to grow the city if federal jobs ship out over President Trump 's next four years. Why it matters: D.C. wants to repurpose federal buildings that may be offloaded to create new neighborhoods, lean on sports and entertainment for the economy, and identify emerging sectors to replace federal jobs, transit and planning officials said at this week's Axios What's Next Summit. "We gotta be eyes wide open," Metro general manager Randy Clarke said in an interview at the summit. Federal job cuts could throw a wrench in getting Metrorail ridership back on par with pre-pandemic levels. "There is a regional conversation about if all of these federal agencies left D.C., we're going to have a different region," he said. Zoom in: Nina Albert, D.C.'s deputy mayor in charge of economic development, said the city is looking closely at the Trump administration's proposal to offload a cluster of federal buildings in Southwest. "We'd be talking about redeveloping everything basically between Independence Avenue down to I-395," she said in an interview. "Can you imagine walking out of your door and going to the Air and Space Museum to have breakfast at their cafe? And then at the end of the day, you go to the Wharf, all in walking distance." It could take a decade-plus to build that out, but she compared it to how the city partnered with the feds to redevelop Navy Yard over the last two decades. Meanwhile, Trump could derail D.C.'s plan to free up the square block of land near the FBI headquarters, which was poised to move to Greenbelt, Maryland. Trump wants it to stay downtown. Albert said the city is open to the current site or another Metro-accessible location. Due to federal job cuts, D.C.'s chief financial officer recently said the city is expected to enter a "mild recession" in the next fiscal year, before economic conditions improve again. Albert said it would take "the next three to four years" to "figure out how to get back up and out." What's next: Albert's staff is in talks with the Washington Commanders to build a new football stadium and mixed-use development at the RFK site. Mayor Muriel Bowser's budget proposal is expected to come out next week. It will likely include details about the proposed redevelopment, which Bowser's administration hopes will contribute to economic growth.
Voice of America
18-03-2025
- Science
- Voice of America
Wilbur and Orville Wright: The First Airplane
Wilbur and Orville Wright are the American inventors who made a small engine-powered flying machine. They proved that flight without the aid of gas-filled balloons was possible. Wilbur Wright was born in 1867 near Melville, Indiana. His brother Orville was born four years later in Dayton, Ohio. As they grew up, the Wright brothers experimented with mechanical things. Later, the Wright brothers began to design their own flying machine. They used ideas they had developed from earlier experiments with a toy helicopter, kites, the printing machine and bicycles. Soon, they needed a place to test their ideas about flight. The best place with the best wind conditions seemed to be a piece of sandy land in North Carolina along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It was called Kill Devil Hill, near the town of Kitty Hawk. The Wright brothers did many tests with gliders at Kitty Hawk. With these tests, they learned how to solve many problems. By the autumn of 1903, Wilbur and Orville had designed and built an airplane powered by a gasoline engine. The plane had wings 12 meters across. It weighed about 340 kilograms, including the pilot. On December 17th, 1903, they made the world's first flight in a machine that was heavier than air and powered by an engine. Orville flew the plane 36 meters. He was in the air for 12 seconds. The two brothers made three more flights that day. Four other men watched the Wright brothers' first flights. One of the men took pictures. Few newspapers, however, noted the event. It was almost five years before the Wright brothers became famous. In 1908, Wilbur went to France. He gave demonstration flights at heights of 90 meters. A French company agreed to begin making the Wright brothers' flying machine. Orville made successful flights in the United States at the time Wilbur was in France. The United States War Department agreed to buy a Wright brothers' plane. Wilbur and Orville suddenly became world heroes. But the brothers were not seeking fame. They returned to Dayton where they continued to improve their airplanes. They taught many others how to fly. Wilbur Wright died of typhoid fever in 1912. Orville Wright continued designing and inventing until he died many years later, in 1948. Today, the Wright brothers' first airplane is in the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Visitors to the museum can look at the Wright brothers' small plane. Then they can walk to another area and see space vehicles and a rock collected from the moon. The world has changed a lot since Wilbur and Orville Wright began the modern age of flight over one hundred years ago. I'm John Russell. Marilyn Rice Christiano wrote this story for VOA Learning English. John Russell adapted it. Quiz - Wilbur and Orville Wright: The First Airplane Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ______________________________________________________ Words in This Story glider– n. a flying object similar to an airplane but without an engine
