astronomy Archives | 91�Թ�� News

91�Թ�� Astronomer Selected by NASA to Explore Virtual Super Telescope Concept

Andrew Miller | Photos by Antoine Hart — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:00:11 +0000

Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when 91�Թ�� was founded in 1963. But we dared to believe — developing the talent and inventing the technologies to make it reality. That same spirit still drives us today.

We are America’s Space University. And we celebrate 91�Թ�� Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

91�Թ�� Professor Anish Roshi Damodaran is investigating a new approach for a virtual super telescope that could allow scientists to observe planet formation and the early universe in unprecedented detail.

Damodaran previously led radio astronomy for the Arecibo Observatory, which 91�Թ�� began co-managing in 2018 under an agreement with the U.S. National Science Foundation. Following the telescope’s structural collapse in 2020, he continued to advance his research activities at 91�Թ��.

Damodaran is now one of 18 researchers in the U.S. selected for Phase I of NASA’s 2026 Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. The nine-month, $175,000 award funds early development of technologies that demonstrate transformative potential and possible feasibility for eventual implementation.

“Having the opportunity to explore such a bold idea at its earliest stage, and to do so with the support of NASA and the NIAC community, is both professionally and personally inspiring,” Damodaran says.

The concept is known as PHOENIX — short for Photonics-Enabled Heterodyne Submillimeter/Far-Infrared Interferometer.

PHOENIX proposes using advanced photonic technologies to connect up to 25 spacecraft into a powerful space-based interferometer. Working together, the spacecraft could effectively function as a much larger telescope, capable of producing ultra-high-resolution observations at submillimeter and far-infrared wavelengths.

The project also brings together expertise in astronomy, photonics and space instrumentation from 91�Թ�� and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This includes CREOL Pegasus Professor Peter Delfyett; CREOL professors Guifang Li and Stephen Eikenberry; Florida Space Institute researcher Julie Brisset; College of Sciences Professor Yan Fernandez; and JPL researchers Jacob Kooi and Jonathan Kawamura.

Jumpstarting a New Wave of Space Technology

Some of the most important stages in the evolution of the universe are also among the most difficult to observe. Stars, planets and galaxies often form from cold gas and dust that are invisible to the human eye.

Falling between infrared and radio wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum, submillimeter astronomy gives scientists a window into this otherwise hidden universe.

But observing these phenomena at extremely high resolution requires capabilities that are difficult to achieve with a conventional space telescope. A single telescope with an aperture measuring tens or even hundreds of meters would face significant launch constraints. Dividing that observing power across multiple smaller satellites presents its own challenges, including precisely synchronizing the spacecraft, and processing and transmitting the enormous amounts of data they collect.

The PHOENIX system is designed to observe previously hidden phenomena at extremely high resolutions. It will use optical frequency combs and integrated photonic circuits to provide the precise timing, positioning and signal processing needed for the distributed telescopes to operate together as a single instrument.

“While existing facilities can detect cold gas and dust associated with planet formation, star formation, and galaxy evolution, they cannot directly resolve many of the critical structures where these processes occur,” Damodaran says.

Seeing the Universe in New Detail

PHOENIX could also provide new insights into how stars form within dense, dust-enshrouded environments. By combining high-resolution imaging with spectroscopy — an observation technique that uses light to analyze the chemical composition of matter — the observatory concept could allow astronomers to examine how turbulence, gravity and gas dynamics interact where stars form.

“One of the most exciting applications would be the direct observation of planet formation in protoplanetary disks around young stars,” Damodaran says, referring to the rotating disks of gas and dust which form planets. “PHOENIX could resolve structures on scales comparable to the size of the inner solar system — allowing scientists to observe how water, water ice, molecular gas and dust are assembled into planets, identify the signatures of newly forming worlds, and investigate the conditions that lead to potentially habitable planetary systems.”

On a larger scale, observations of gas and dust within distant galaxies could help researchers examine how star formation and supermassive black holes have influenced galaxy evolution over billions of years.

“One of the most exciting applications would be the direct observation of planet formation in protoplanetary disks around young stars.” — Anish Roshi Damodaran, Florida Space Institute professor

Testing an Ambitious Idea

The nine-month Phase I study represents an early step toward determining whether that vision could eventually become technically achievable. Rather than building the observatory itself, Damodaran and his collaborators will use the NIAC award to develop a more detailed mission architecture, identify critical enabling technologies, evaluate performance requirements, assess technology readiness and further define the scientific capabilities PHOENIX could provide.

Young planetary systems form within rotating disks of superheated dust and gas, primordial environments that researchers hope to observe with unprecedented clarity through concepts just like Damodaran’s PHOENIX system.

Following his selection, Damodaran attended the NIAC orientation and symposium, where he met other NIAC fellows and learned about the range of early-stage concepts being pursued through the NASA program.

“In many ways, the process feels like undertaking a second Ph.D. thesis,” Damodaran says. “It requires questioning assumptions, exploring alternative approaches, identifying critical technology gaps and developing a compelling scientific case. As a scientist and instrument developer, I find that immensely rewarding.”

Future Stages of NASA’s NIAC Program

NASA’s NIAC program supports visionary aerospace concepts through progressive phases of study. Eligible Phase I recipients can propose for Phase II, which provides up to $750,000 for two years of further concept development and requires researchers to prepare a roadmap for continued development.

Phase III provides up to $2 million for another two years of exploration and development, with the goal of strategically transitioning concepts with the highest potential impact for NASA, other government agencies or commercial partners. NASA plans to make six to eight Phase II awards and one Phase III award annually.

The PHOENIX project is supported by a $175,000 Phase I award through NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program.

91�Թ�� Researchers Advance Tech That Could Help Scientists Detect Habitable Worlds Beyond Our Solar System

Andrew Miller | Photos by Antoine Hart — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 13:00:18 +0000

Are we alone in the universe?

For scientists working on NASA’s proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory, that question is no longer purely philosophical. It is increasingly becoming an engineering problem.

Researchers at ��’s are helping develop technology designed to help future space telescopes detect potentially habitable planets orbiting distant stars.

The NASA-funded project, known as PEEPSS (Photonics-Enabled Exoplanet Spectroscopic System), aims to help astronomers directly observe planets hidden within the overwhelming brightness of their parent stars.

“If they’re in the habitable zone, that means they are orbiting close to their host star, and that host star is typically going to be 10 billion times brighter than the planet,” says Professor Stephen Eikenberry, principal investigator on the project.

To explain the difficulty, Eikenberry compares the task to trying to spot “a tiny blinking light while someone is shining a spotlight directly in your face.”

The work supports the long-term goals of NASA’s proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a future flagship space telescope intended to search for Earth-like planets beyond our solar system and analyze their atmospheres for signs of life.

Solving One of Astronomy’s Hardest Problems

Astronomers already know planets are common throughout the universe. The challenge now is identifying Earth-like planets that are extraordinarily faint compared to the stars they orbit.

Astronomers use instruments called coronagraphs to block a star’s glare while allowing faint planetary signals to reach a telescope’s detectors.

Even then, however, microscopic imperfections in a telescope’s optics can allow enormous amounts of starlight to leak through the system.

“And you can say, ‘Well, that’s only a part in a million,’ ” Eikenberry says. “Guess what? A part in a million means it’s still 10,000 times brighter than your exoplanet. You’re doomed.”

The system performs an advanced form of wavefront sensing that detects and corrects tiny distortions in incoming light before they overwhelm planetary signals.

Unlike many existing systems that monitor light earlier in the optical process, PEEPSS performs wavefront sensing directly at the telescope’s focal plane, the same location where scientific imaging occurs.

That distinction is important because it allows researchers to detect and correct optical errors that emerge after light passes through a telescope’s coronagraph. Scientists refer to these distortions as “non-common-path aberrations.”

To explain the concept, Eikenberry compares the system to trying to monitor a room you cannot fully see.

“Imagine you’re in a house and you want the entire house to be perfectly clean,” he says. “You can see people walking into the bedroom, but you can’t actually see inside the bedroom itself. That’s the non-common path.”

By monitoring the complete optical pathway all the way through to the focal plane, researchers hope PEEPSS can help future observatories achieve the extraordinary precision necessary to detect habitable worlds.

91�Թ�� graduate students Liza Fernanda Quinn Reyes (foreground) and Genevieve Markees work with photonic lantern fabrication equipment in a CREOL laboratory. The technology is being developed as part of the NASA-funded PEEPSS project to improve future exoplanet imaging. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

A New Approach Using Photonic Lanterns

At the center of the project is an emerging technology known as a photonic lantern.

The device separates complex incoming light into individual optical channels, allowing researchers to recover not only brightness information, but also phase information carried by light waves, data that conventional imaging systems typically discard.

Precision fabrication equipment used by 91�Թ�� researchers to develop photonic lanterns for the NASA-funded PEEPSS project. The technology is designed to improve future observations of Earth-like exoplanets. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

“Traditional detectors wipe that information out,” Eikenberry says. “Photonic lanterns allow us to recover it.”

That additional information enables what researchers describe as “quantum-inspired imaging,” an emerging technique that uses light behavior to improve image resolution and filter out the remaining starlight.

Researchers at CREOL have become major contributors to the rapidly growing field of astrophotonics, which combines astronomy, fiber optics and advanced photonic technologies.

“There are really only two major centers doing cutting-edge work on photonic lanterns,” Eikenberry says. “Us and the University of Sydney in Australia.”

The project brings together collaborators from 91�Թ��, University of California, Santa Cruz, the University of Sydney, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. At 91�Թ��, Eikenberry works alongside graduate student Genevieve Markees and researchers including Rodrigo Amezcua Correa, Miguel Bandres and Jose-Enrique Antonio-Lopez, whose expertise in fiber optics and photonics helped establish the collaboration.

Looking Toward Habitable Worlds

The current PEEPSS project is structured as a three-year effort focused on building and testing prototype photonic lantern systems in laboratory and telescope environments.

Some versions of the technology have already undergone testing on telescopes in Hawaii through collaborations with the Air Force Research Laboratory and international research partners.

Ultimately, researchers hope the technology could become part of the future NASA missions searching for habitable planets around distant stars.

“If we can identify habitable worlds around other stars and show they possess conditions where Earth-like life could survive, that’s already revolutionary,” Eikenberry says. “If we discover actual evidence of life, then we’re talking about one of the greatest scientific discoveries in human history.”

For Eikenberry, humanity may now be approaching a historic turning point.

“We are one mission away,” he says.

And if future observations succeed, humanity may no longer simply wonder whether life exists elsewhere in the universe. For researchers involved in the project, that possibility is what makes the work so compelling.

“We’ll look up and know.”

The PEEPSS project is supported by NASA through award No. 80NSSC26K0577 and brings together researchers from 91�Թ��, the University of Sydney and the University of California, Santa Cruz to develop advanced photonic technologies for future exoplanet imaging and spectroscopy missions, including NASA’s proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory. The initial PEEPSS concept development was supported by the 91�Թ�� through its SPICE Academic Excellence Program.

91�Թ�� Fuels America’s Space Program with Innovative Education, Medicine and Tech

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 19:15:48 +0000

As America’s Space University, the 91�Թ�� continues to drive advancements in space technology, medicine and workforce development, preparing students to lead in the evolving space industry. This commitment to the space sector will be celebrated at 91�Թ�� football’s annual Space Game on Saturday, Nov. 2, as the Knights take on the University of Arizona Wildcats, honoring ��’s roots in supporting the U.S. space program.

Founded in 1963 with the mission to provide talent for Central Florida and the growing U.S. space program, the university’s extensive involvement in space research and education not only drives innovations in space technology but also prepares the next generation of leaders in the field.

With more than 40 active NASA projects totaling more than $67 million in funding, 91�Թ�� continues to push the frontiers of space research, and its contributions promise to help shape the future of humanity’s presence in the cosmos.

��’s cutting-edge areas of space expertise include:

Space Medicine

��’s College of Medicine is pioneering new frontiers in aerospace medicine, positioning itself as a leader in space health research and education. Spearheaded by initiatives to create an interdisciplinary curriculum, 91�Թ�� is integrating expertise from engineering, medicine and nursing to address the unique health challenges of space exploration.

The college is building on existing research in space health, including innovative studies on the effects of microgravity on bone health, which could lead to improved protection for astronauts. Collaborations across disciplines, such as testing therapeutics for radiation protection and developing antimicrobial solutions for space station environments, highlight ��’s commitment to advancing astronaut health and shaping the future of space medicine.

Space Propulsion and Power

91�Թ�� is advancing space propulsion with groundbreaking research that could make space travel more efficient and viable for future missions. Researchers are developing innovative hypersonic propulsion systems, such as rotating detonation rocket engines, which harness high-speed detonations to increase propulsion efficiency and reduce fuel consumption — an advancement that could significantly lower costs and emissions associated with space travel, creating new commercial opportunities in the industry. 91�Թ�� is taking its hypersonics research even further with its recently launched Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion — the HyperSpace Center.

Additionally, 91�Թ�� teams are exploring novel power systems for spacecraft venturing far from the sun, where solar energy becomes impractical. With funding from NASA, researchers are creating storable chemical heat sources capable of providing essential heat and power in extreme environments, from the icy surfaces of distant moons to the intense heat of Venus.

A conceptual hypersonic aircraft is pictured. Background image credit: NASA. Aircraft and composite image credit: Daniel Rosato, 91�Թ��.

Space Technology and Engineering

91�Թ�� is forging the future of space technology with innovations that push the boundaries of lunar and deep space exploration. Through advancements in lunar resource utilization, 91�Թ�� has developed methods to efficiently extract ice from lunar soil so that it can be transformed into vital resources like water and rocket fuel, while new techniques for processing lunar soil drastically reduce construction costs for infrastructure such as landing pads.

91�Թ�� researchers are also pioneering 3D-printed bricks made from lunar regolith that withstand extreme space conditions, setting the foundation for resilient off-world habitats. Lunar regolith is the loose dust, rocks and materials that cover the moon’s surface.

��’s Exolith Lab, part of the , continues to lead in space hardware testing, advancing resource extraction and lunar construction technologies. Meanwhile, FSI’s CubeSat program is opening new doors in space exploration with compact, affordable satellites that give students and researchers access to microgravity and beyond.

Illustration of NASA astronauts on the lunar South Pole. Credit: NASA

Space Commercialization

91�Թ��’s new space commercialization program — led by , College of Business professor of practice and associate provost for space commercialization and strategy — positions the university as a leader in space-related business education.

Autry will guide the college’s efforts to deliver Executive and MBA programs in space commercialization, driving curriculum development and establishing space-focused programs that equip students to lead in the growing commercial space industry.

In addition to the space commercialization program, Autry will be working with external stakeholders, including NASA, the U.S. Space Force and commercial firms like Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, to develop opportunities to advance mutual interests in space.

This includes working with Kennedy Space Center to lead a State University System partnership with the state of Florida to develop the necessary talent to maintain and expand Florida’s leadership in space exploration and commercialization.

Autry will also be leading ��’s effort to develop and execute a roadmap for the university’s SpaceU brand through targeted investments in talent and facilities.

Space Domain Awareness

91�Թ�� is advancing space domain awareness research to protect critical assets in orbit by developing sophisticated algorithms for tracking and predicting the movement of objects such as satellites and asteroids, so they don’t collide with spacecraft. Under the guidance of aerospace engineering expert Tarek Elgohary, 91�Թ�� researchers are creating a computational framework to rapidly and accurately track space objects in real time. This initiative is backed by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Dynamic Data and Information Process Program.

91�Թ�� is also addressing the growing issue of orbital debris through a NASA-funded study that includes researchers from ��’s FSI and . This project seeks to increase public awareness and support for managing space debris, a hazard to satellites and potential space tourism ventures.

Simulation of orbital debris around Earth demonstrating the object population in the geosynchronous region.
Credits: NASA ODPO

Workforce Development

91�Թ�� is propelling students toward dynamic careers in the space industry with hands-on programs and sought-after internship opportunities. Through the new engineering graduate certificate in electronic parts engineering, developed in collaboration with NASA, students are gaining essential skills in testing and evaluating space-ready electronic components — a key advantage for aspiring space professionals.

Additionally, 91�Թ�� students can benefit from hands-on internships at Kennedy Space Center, where they gain real-world experience in various fields, from engineering to project management.

At the , students gain direct experience in microgravity research and robotics. The center embodies ��’s commitment to democratizing space access, offering pathways for students from all backgrounds to participate in and contribute to the growing space industry.

FSI’s CubeSat program further immerses students in satellite design and operation, offering direct involvement in active space missions.

Cubesat constructed at 91�Թ��’s Florida Space Institute (Photo by Antoine Hart)

Planetary Science

91�Թ��’s planetary science program is driving breakthroughs in space exploration with projects spanning the moon, Mars and beyond. The NASA-funded Lunar-VISE mission, led by 91�Թ��, will explore the Gruithuisen domes on the far side of the moon to understand their volcanic origins, potentially unlocking insights crucial for future space exploration.

Complementing this, 91�Թ�� researchers are contributing to NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission, which will map water ice deposits on the moon — an essential resource for sustained stays in space. On another front, 91�Թ�� scientists are studying dust behavior in microgravity through experiments that flew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, potentially leading to strategies for mitigating lunar dust, a challenge for electronics and equipment on future missions.

Expanding its reach beyond the moon, ��’s planetary science research involves asteroid studies, including the high-profile OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu and examining seismic wave propagation in simulated asteroid materials to understand asteroid evolution and early planetary formation. 91�Թ�� is also home to the , a node of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, which facilitates NASA’s exploration of deep space by focusing its goals at the intersection of surface science and surface exploration of rocky, atmosphereless bodies.

Additionally, 91�Թ�� researchers are studying trans-Neptunian objects and using the James Webb Space Telescope to explore the solar system’s outer reaches, analyzing ancient ices to uncover clues about the solar system’s history, while also investigating exoplanets to advance our understanding of other planets and to search for life beyond Earth.

In parallel, 91�Թ�� researchers are also advancing bold ideas for terraforming Mars through nanoparticle dispersion to create warming effect, making the Red Planet potentially more habitable.

91�Թ�� researchers have also contributed their expertise to multiple high-profile NASA missions, including Cassini, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Curiosity, and New Horizons.

Lunar-VISE landing site. Credit: NASA / Arizona State University / LROC Team

Advancing Astrophotonics, History and Policy

��’s space research spans pioneering astrophotonics technology, studies in space history and critical analyses in space policy, each offering unique insights into the universe. The within CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics, is pushing the boundaries of photonics and astronomy, using tools like photonic lanterns, fiber optics, and hyperspectral imaging to detect cosmic phenomena and address profound questions about dark energy.

Meanwhile, delves into space history, exploring the cultural and scientific impacts of milestones like the Apollo missions and the Space Shuttle program, helping illuminate humanity’s journey into space.

The contributes to this comprehensive approach with its broad studies of space policy, both domestically and internationally, including examining military space policy and rising space powers. The work involves studying space law, international agreements, and policy frameworks that guide space activities, which is essential for addressing the governance and strategic planning needed for space exploration and utilization.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image credit: NASA/Steve Seipel

Pioneering Tomorrow’s Space Exploration

91�Թ�� is pushing the frontiers of space research and education, tackling today’s challenges while preparing for the demands of future space missions. As the new space race continues, ��’s forward-thinking approach will continue to drive progress, inspire new possibilities and expand humanity’s reach into the universe.

91�Թ�� Student Selected for International Optica Women Scholars Award

Kissimmee Crum — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 18:19:35 +0000

Isabella Pardo has been recognized as one of the first 20 Optica Women Scholars in the world. The award supports women majoring in optics, physics, chemistry, math, or engineering who are pursuing careers in optics and photonics.

Launched this past January, the program received more than 160 applications from 36 countries from both undergraduate and master’s students. Students underwent a rigorous application process to compete for the $10,000 scholarship, professional development aid, mentorship, and a global network as they enter their prospective fields. The ten-year scholarship fund of over $2 million was established with contributions from ten $100,000 donors and a $1 million match from the foundation. Some sponsors included Google, NeoPhotonics, Intel and many others.

For Pardo, the award is an example of what happens when you persevere. As a daughter of two immigrant parents, she has overcome many obstacles. When she was younger, her family faced financial hurdles, resulting in a move back to Colombia, where Pardo grew up. After graduating high school at the age of 16, she returned to the U.S. without her parents to pursue higher education.

“I have overcome language, cultural and financial barriers due to the passionate and hardworking mindset my parents instilled in me,” Pardo says. “I owe my determination, passion, and character to my family, to whom I am forever grateful.”

It’s that grit that has propelled her to pursue a bachelor’s in photonic science and engineering with a minor in physics and astronomy. Pardo has been excited by space research ever since she began at 91�Թ��, which explains her current research focuses on working in ray tracing simulations at different fuel levels, initial velocities, and initial accelerations to study the behavior of fuel in a fuel tank.

This research is important because without gravity, it is challenging to accurately measure the fuel left in a spacecraft, which is one of the determinant factors of a mission. Pardo’s research hopes to solve this problem and make space missions more efficient. Her ultimate goal is to develop an imaging-based fluid gauging system to improve fuel management in space.

Although Pardo entered the application process on her own, it was the encouragement from Assistant Professor at and Director of Shuo “Sean” Pang and current 91�Թ�� doctoral student Andrew Klein who propelled her to finish the application process strong. She also thanks the multitudes of programs she’s been a part of, such as at 91�Թ��, VECTOR at Valencia College, the research groups at CREOL, the 91�Թ�� and the companies where she has interned. This achievement is a combination of the entirety of her experiences and wonderful people she has met along the way, she says.

“I feel honored to receive this award,” Pardo says. “I am tremendously thankful for the overwhelming support from professors and students at CREOL that made this possible.”

The Optica Women Scholars scholarship will go toward reducing any financial barriers that may arise, allowing Pardo to focus on her academics and research during the remainder of her undergraduate journey at 91�Թ��. She plans to graduate in Spring 2023.

Why is Leap Year a Thing?

Jenna Marina Lee — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 13:48:39 +0000

Every four years — well almost every four, but we’ll get to that later — an extra day gets tagged on to the month of February.

Humans have been practicing Leap Year since the days of Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire, but why?

91�Թ�� Physics Professor Josh Colwell explains the science behind the need for Leap Year and other facts you may not know about the bonus day.

Leap Year exists because of the time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun.

There are 365 days in most calendar years, but in the time it takes for the Earth to go around the sun once, our planet actually spins 365 and nearly a quarter times. The reason we care about that extra quarter is because the Earth has seasons.

To know when to plant and harvest your crops it’s nice to have a calendar where spring always starts in March and the longest day of the year is in June and the shortest day is in December.

“In order to have that consistency in the seasons from year to year, we have to periodically make a correction [to the calendar].”

Because there’s that extra quarter of a day in the year, it means we have to reset our calendar periodically. Otherwise, start dates of seasons would gradually drift by a quarter of a day every year. After 40 years, we’d be 10 days off. So the start of the season would be 10 days different than it would be 40 years before. After hundreds of years, summer could be starting in November. So in order to have that consistency in the seasons from year to year, we have to periodically make a correction.

A Leap Year happens every four years except for when it doesn’t.

We add a leap day every four years except if it is a year that is divisible by 100 unless it happens to also be divisible by 400. Did I confuse you enough with that formula?

So that means 1900 was not a leap year. Nor was it a leap year in 1800, nor will it be in 2100. But 2000 was a leap year because it was divisible by 400. We skip it in three out of every four of those century years. We will skip it in 2100, 2200 and 2300 but we will not skip it in 2400.

We do this because a year is not exactly 365.25 days long. It’s actually closer to 365.24 days long. The 365-day calendar including Leap Year was adopted during Julius Caesar’s time, but they didn’t account for that small difference. This minute discrepancy meant that the “Julian Calendar” drifted off course by one day every 128 years, and by the 14th century it had drifted 10 days off schedule. Pope Gregory XIII fixed the issue by instituting a revised “Gregorian Calendar” in 1582, which we still use today. Fun fact: when this calendar was created, to fix that 10 day drift, Oct. 4, 1582, was followed by Oct. 15, 1582. By skipping those years not divisible by 400, we keep the calendar in check.

Leap Year doesn’t necessarily have to occur in February.

Our collection of months is very peculiar. If we have a calendar that’s based on a 7-day week, there are 52 weeks plus one day in 365 days. Theoretically, you could have 13 months of 28 days and then have one loaner day — say New Year’s Day — that isn’t in a month. The particular mish-mash of 28-30-31 days that we have in our calendar is a question for an historian more than an astronomer.

February gets it because it is shorter than the other months. But it really doesn’t matter. You could put it anywhere.

We also observe leap seconds — they’re just not as well known.

“Even having Leap Year doesn’t get our calendars exactly right. So periodically the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service adds leap seconds to our daily lives we don’t notice.”

Every four years we add a day — except not quite every four years because we have that divisible-by-400 rule. So even having Leap Year doesn’t get our calendars exactly right. So periodically the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service adds leap seconds to our daily lives we don’t notice, especially now that most people’s clocks are updated automatically on their cell phones. We add a leap second less than once a year. There have only been 27 leap seconds since 1972. They are based on very precise measurements of the rotation of the Earth, which isn’t perfectly constant, to bring things into alignment.

Ultimately these things are tied to the motion of the Earth around the sun and the exact rotation of the Earth and little tiny things adjust that interaction between the Earth and the moon that causes little slow downs and speed ups. All of these things are little adjustments so that our written calendar, which we use to organize our daily lives, lines up as closely as possible to the astronomical calendar, which for us is important because of seasons.

If we lived on any other planet besides Earth, we’d still need to observe Leap Year.

On some planets, like Venus, it rotates so slowly, that the difference between the time it takes to rotate and the time from noon to noon is very extreme. The longest solar day of any of the planets in the solar system is on Mercury. Its day is about 176 Earth-days long. Venus’ day is 117 Earth days long and it rotates backwards compared to the direction it goes around the sun. Uranus is tipped almost exactly on its side so for its northern summer, the sun is directly over the north pole. And for its northern winter it would be complete darkness in the northern hemisphere for years because it takes it 84 years to go around the sun. So the seasons can be quite extreme on other planets. We’re set up well here on Earth.

Flea on Pluto? Arecibo Observatory Helps Provide Unprecedented View of Pulsar

Zenaida Kotala — Thu, 24 May 2018 13:00:24 +0000

Imagine being able to see a flea on the surface of Pluto. That’s a good way to describe what the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico helped a group of Canadian researchers do.

The team, led by Robert Main of the University of Toronto, was able to observe unprecedented details of a pulsar 6,500 light years from Earth. Astronomers study pulsars for a variety of reasons. For example, pulsars have been used to verify gravitational waves. In fact, the pulsar system that led to the first indirect measurement of gravitational waves was also discovered at Arecibo, and led to the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1993. Pulsars may also hold clues to understanding the mechanisms behind colliding black holes.

The team’s new findings are published this week online in the journal Nature.

The Arecibo Observatory, a National Science Foundation facility, is managed through a collaboration between 91�Թ��, Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan, and Yang Enterprises Inc. in Oviedo, FL. Arecibo’s instrumentation gives hundreds of international scientists the opportunity to make observations and conduct research not easily done through other means.

“Arecibo continues to be one of the most important telescopes to our research, due to its incredible sensitivity,” Main says.

Main, a Ph.D. astronomy student in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, says Arecibo and the pulsar’s location gave the team a unique opportunity.

The observation was made possible by the rare geometry and characteristics of a stellar binary system in which a brown dwarf star and a pulsating neutron star, or pulsar, orbit each other. Gas, or plasma, from the brown dwarf acts like a lens, focusing radiation from the emission sites, Main described in a press release.

“We are essentially looking at the pulsar through a naturally occurring magnifying glass, which allows us to see the two regions separately,” Main says. “The biggest advantage to Arecibo is its incredible sensitivity compared to other radio telescopes since it has much more collecting area. Finding the effect of highly magnified pulses was only possible in Arecibo, since we already had the sensitivity to detect every pulse from this pulsar.”

Main is already working on furthering his findings with new observation times at Arecibo.

91�Թ�� Moon Observation Night Saturday For Entire Family

Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:02:37 +0000

91�Թ�� will host a free Moon Observation Night for children and their families on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the main campus.

From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., observers will have an opportunity to view the moon through several telescopes set up at Knights Plaza near the CFE Arena. Students and professors associated with ��’s Planetary Sciences Group will be on hand to help viewers decipher the many lunar features they will see through the lens.

There also will be activities geared toward children: star charts, meteorites, demonstrations and other activities, such as “Find the Apollo Lunar Landing Sites on the Moon,” playing off the popular “Where’s Waldo?“ books.

The goal is to share the wonder of astronomy with youngsters and potentially inspire a new generation of space explorers with physics degrees.

“We’re very excited,” said Yan Fernandez, director of the 91�Թ�� Robinson Observatory and an associate professor of astronomy and physics. “A lot of us remember looking at the night sky through telescopes as children and being in awe of the things we saw, like the moon, our nearest neighbor. We want to make sure children in Central Florida have that same opportunity.”

A similar event last year drew more than 100 people. An observation night was scheduled last month, but rain forced the volunteers to cancel the event.

“Because it gets darker earlier now, we hope to see people who might otherwise would not have been able to visit in September, when the sun sets later, closer to kids’ bedtimes,” Fernandez said. “And the cooler weather should make for crisper views through the telescope.”

The event is free but parking fees apply. To get live updates, especially if the weather is questionable, look for the 91�Թ�� Robinson Observatory on Facebook at .

Religion, Science and the Stars: Vatican Astronomer at 91�Թ��

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:48:43 +0000

Religion and science are topics central to Guy Consolmagno’s life as a planetary scientist and a Jesuit brother at the Vatican Observatory. In a talk Monday, Oct. 18, on 91�Թ��’s main campus, Consolmagno will explore the relationship between these topics, during a presentation entitled, “God, Astromony, and the Search for Elegance.” The event runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union. It is free and open to the public.

Consolmagno will cover the Vatican’s role in astronomy, from the reform of the calendar in 1582 to the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope in Arizona.

Consolmagno is curator of the Vatican meteorite collection in Castel Gandolfo. His research focuses on the connections between meteorites, asteroids and the origin of small bodies in the solar system.

Previously, he has worked at Harvard and MIT and as a teacher in Kenya for the Peace Corps. He is the past chair of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences and past president of Division 16 (Moons and Planets) of the International Astronomical Union. He has coauthored five books on astronomy and has appeared on “The Colbert Report,” as well as a number of BBC radio programs.

Consolmagno’s talk is part of the College of Sciences’ Distinguished Speaker Series.

Asteroid Ice May Be 'Living Fossil' With Clues to Oceans' Origins

Tue, 04 May 2010 19:04:39 +0000

91�Թ�� researchers detected a thin layer of water ice and organic molecules on the surface of 24 Themis, the largest in a family of asteroids orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.

Their unexpected findings will be published Thursday, April 29 in Nature, which will feature two complementary articles by the 91�Թ��-led team and by another team of planetary scientists.

“What we’ve found suggests that an asteroid like this one may have hit Earth and brought our planet its water,” said 91�Թ�� Physics Professor Humberto Campins, the study’s lead author.

To continue reading about the study, click here.

astronomy Archives | 91�Թ��� News

91�Թ��� Astronomer Selected by NASA to Explore Virtual Super Telescope Concept