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Abundant Exoplanets, Black Holes Hiding in a Spiral Galaxy: Astronomy News Today

Abundant Exoplanets, Black Holes Hiding in a Spiral Galaxy: Astronomy News Today

By Marcia Smith | Posted: January 7, 2013 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: January 7, 2013 9:11 pm ET

The American Astronomical Society’s (AAS’s) winter meeting is always a time when exciting discoveries in astrophysics are announced and this year does not disappoint.   Among the discoveries announced today are 461 additional exoplanet candidates and an image of a spiral galaxy hiding two black holes.

The exoplanet news is based on data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope.  The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) announced that 461 additional exoplanet candidates — planets circling other stars — have been identified, of which four are less than twice the size of Earth and orbit in their sun’s habitable zone where liquid water is a possibility.  The total number of exoplanet candidates is now 2,740.  Additional observations are needed to verify the data before they are confirmed as actual exoplanets.  Kepler looks for changes in the brightness of stars as planets cross in front of — “transit” — them.  It cannot actually directly image the planets. The 2,740 exoplanet candidates are orbiting 2,036 different stars; 467 of those stars have more than one planet.

JPL also manages the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) program which is looking for black holes.   In this image released today, NuSTAR images two black holes “lurking” inside a spiral galaxy.

 Image credit:  NASA/JPL-Caltech/DSS

The magenta dots are “blazing black holes” that were first observed by a different NASA x-ray space telescope, Chandra.  This image combines the Chandra and NuSTAR x-ray data with visible light imagery.  The galaxy is IC 342, or Caldwell 5, and is 7 million light years away.

NuSTAR also contributed to this new image of supernova remnant Cassiopeia-A, 11,000 light years away.

 Image credit:  NASA/JPL-Caltech/DSS

Blue is the highest energy x-ray light, provided by NuSTAR, while red and green are at the lower ends of the x-ray spectrum observable with NuSTAR, which overlap with Chandra.

 

 

Last Updated: Jan 07, 2013 9:11 pm ET
Events of Interest: Week of January 6-11, 2013

Events of Interest: Week of January 6-11, 2013

By Marcia Smith | Posted: January 6, 2013 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: January 6, 2013 5:03 pm ET

Happy New Year!   Welcome to our first 2013 events of interest.    The following events may be of interest in the coming week.  After their marathon sessions last week as the 112th Congress ended and the 113th began, the House and Senate both are in recess this week.  The House returns for legislative business next Monday, the 14th; the Senate on the 21st for the inauguration.

During the Week

Three major conferences are taking place this week:

Also of particular note for those interested in planetary science is the Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) meeting in Atlanta on Thursday-Friday, January 10-11.   In the most recent edition of the Planetary Exploration Newsletter, the chair and vice-chair of the DPS urge planetary science community members to listen to Jim Green’s presentation at 8:30 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) on January 10, which will be webcast.  Instructions on how to register for and listen to the webcast are on the OPAG website.   Green apparently will address recent community concerns about the planetary science budget, especially for research and analysis (R&A), although he obviously will not be able to talk about the FY2014 budget, since it has not yet been released.  There is enough uncertainty about the FY2013 budget in any case, with the sequester being delayed for two months, so the Damoclean sword continues to hang over the federal budget.

Sunday-Thursday, January 6-10

Monday-Thursday, January 7-10

Monday, January 7

  • NASA events at AAS meeting
    • Exoplanets Coming and Going Everywhere press briefing, 10:30 am Pacific Standard Time (PST)
    • Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) Gravitational Wave and X-Ray Astronomy Town Hall, 12:45 pm PST
    • The Hubble Ultra Deep Field Gets Deeper press briefing, 12:45 pm PST
    • A High Energy Astrophysics Extravaganza press briefing, 2:30 pm PST
    • Kepler Town Hall, 6:30 pm PST

Tuesday, January 8

  • NASA events at AAS meeting
    •  NASA Town Hall, 12:45 pm PST
    • Journey to the Center of the Galaxy press briefing, 12:45 pm PST
    • Exoplanets from Dust Grains to Brown Dwarfs, 2:30 pm PST

Wednesday, January 9

Thursday, January 10

Thursday-Friday, January 10-11

 

Last Updated: Jan 06, 2013 5:03 pm ET
Nelson, Hutchison Praise House Passage of Space Exploration Sustainability Act

Nelson, Hutchison Praise House Passage of Space Exploration Sustainability Act

By Marcia Smith | Posted: January 5, 2013 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: January 5, 2013 6:31 pm ET

In their final joint press release about the space program, Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) praised House passage of their Space Exploration Sustainability Act.  Senator Hutchison retired from the Senate at the end of the 112th session on Thursday.

In the statement, Hutchison says the act reaffirms the intent of the 2010 NASA authorization act, which she and Nelson crafted as a compromise between what the Obama Administration wanted — commercial crew systems to take astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), and what Congress wanted — a new NASA-developed rocket (the Space Launch System or SLS) and crew spacecraft (Orion) to take astronauts beyond low Earth orbit.   Nelson says the new act “reaffirms our commitment to a robust future for the space program.”

They are referring to a section of the act that expresses the “sense of Congress” that NASA should not take money from SLS/Orion to fund commercial crew or vice versa.  The press statement says it “clearly reaffirms the existing law in requiring a balanced approach” and “underscores the importance of not pursuing those developments at the expense of each other, or of NASA’s other vital missions.”

The bill, H.R. 6586, is awaiting signature by the President.  It began in the House as a straightforward extension of third party launch liability indemnification for two years, passing the House by voice vote on November 13.  The Senate replaced the House text with an amendment that extends indemnification for only one year, gives NASA relief from some restrictions in the Iran, North Korea, Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA), and adds the “sense of Congress” language praised in the Hutchison-Nelson press statement.   That version passed the Senate on January 1 by unanimous consent.  The House agreed to the Senate amendment without objection on January 2.  

Thus there were no committee reports or debate on the floor of the House or Senate to amplify the intent of the Senate’s text.  Why the indemnification extension is for one year instead of two, or the full intent of the changes to INKSNA, has not been publicly explained, for example.

Last Updated: Jan 05, 2013 6:31 pm ET
Status of Space-Related Legislation As 112th Congress Ends

Status of Space-Related Legislation As 112th Congress Ends

By Marcia Smith | Posted: January 3, 2013 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: January 3, 2013 11:25 am ET

With little fanfare, the 112th Congress ends this morning, January 3, 2013.  The 113th Congress begins at noon.   Congress dealt with a number of space-related bills in the last days of the 112th.   Here’s how it all turned out as of 11:00 am ET today. 

  • American Taxpayer Relief Act (H.R. 8).   Passed. Signed by the President today.   Among other things, delays automatic across-the-board spending cuts — the sequester — for two months.
  • FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4310).  Passed.  Signed by the President today.   Among other things, eases export controls on satellites.
  • FY2013 Intelligence Authorization Act (S. 3454).  Passed.  Not yet presented to President for signature per Thomas and it is not on the White House pending legislation list.   The unclassified text does not directly address satellite programs conducted by the intelligence community, but the classified annex may.
  • Space Exploration Sustainability Act (H.R. 6586).  Passed.  Not yet presented to President for signature per Thomas and it is not on the White House pending legislation list.   Extends launch liability indemnification for one year, gives NASA relief from some provisions of the Iran, North Korea, Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA), expresses the sense of Congress that NASA not take money from SLS/Orion to pay for commercial crew and vice versa.
  • Renaming Dryden Flight Research Center after Neil Armstrong (H.R. 6612). Passed House, but not Senate.
  • Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act  for relief of Hurricane Sandy victims (H.R. 1).   Passed Senate, but not House.   House reportedly will take up a new bill tomorrow (Friday) funding $9 billion of the $60 billion passed by the Senate, with a subsequent bill to be taken up on January 15 for the remaining $51 billion.  The $9 billion is for the National Flood Insurance Program, which is about to run out of money.  (Of the $60 billion passed by the Senate, $15 million is for NASA, about $500 millon for NOAA).
  • Condemning North Korea’s Missile Launch (H. Con. Res. 145).  Passed House, but not Senate.

Any legislation that does not pass both the House and Senate in final form by the end of a Congress dies with that Congress.   New bills need to be introduced in the new Congress if the sponsors want to pursue the subject.

For a more comprehensive list of space-related legislation considered by the 112th Congress, see our Legislative Checklist:  Major Space-Related Legislation in the 112th Congress fact sheet, freshly updated today.

Last Updated: Jan 03, 2013 11:25 am ET
Wolf Vows to Promote U.S. Competitiveness in Space Exploration

Wolf Vows to Promote U.S. Competitiveness in Space Exploration

By Marcia Smith | Posted: January 3, 2013 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: January 3, 2013 4:09 pm ET

As the 113th Congress convened for the first time today, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), who will continue as chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA and NOAA, vowed to focus “more than ever” on American competitiveness in space exploration.

“Now more than ever, I am focused on promoting American competitiveness in space exploration and research and development, continuing to invest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs in schools, safeguarding public safety against foreign and domestic threats, preventing terrorism in the United States and advancing economic growth and job opportunities for the American people,” he said in a press statement.

The Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee which he chairs has jurisdiction over the Departments of Commerce (including NOAA) and Justice, and science agencies including NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Considering the breadth of issues, the fact that space was mentioned first is probably a good sign for NASA, but cheering would be premature.  The 113th Congress is immediately facing the prospects of forcing deep cutbacks in government spending overall.   The across-the-board cuts known as the sequester were simply postponed for two months. 

By kicking that can down the road, Congress and the nation did not really avert the fiscal cliff, just postponed the day of reckoning.   The bill that passed in the last moments of the 112th Congress and was signed by the President today resolved some tax issues — revenue — but not spending.   President Obama also made clear that he is not done trying to raise more revenue through reform of the tax code, for example, but spending cuts will be the focus of attention as the newly elected and reelected members of the House and Senate get down to business.

Correction:  An earlier version of this article misstated the jurisdiction of the CJS subcommittee.

Last Updated: Jan 03, 2013 4:09 pm ET
House Passes Senate's Fiscal Cliff Bill

House Passes Senate's Fiscal Cliff Bill

By Marcia Smith | Posted: January 1, 2013 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: January 1, 2013 11:27 pm ET

Despite deep reservations by some members of his Republican caucus, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) brought the Senate-passed bill to avert the fiscal cliff to the floor of the House for a vote tonight.   The House passed it (257-167).

Earlier in the day, some House Republicans said they wanted to amend the bill to add more spending cuts.  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) calculated that the bill as passed by the Senate would add $4 trillion to the deficit over 10 years because of the extension of tax breaks, unemployment benefits and other provisions.  Boehner agreed to bring such an amendment to a vote, but only if 218 Republicans would promise to vote for it — the majority that would be needed to pass the amended bill absent any support from Democrats.   Other Republicans, realizing the need to settle the matter before financial markets reopen tomorrow, argued that though the bill was far from perfect, the issue of spending cuts could be dealt with later.

In the end, the latter group prevailed and no amendments were offered.  With the House vote in favor of the Senate-passed bill, that clears the measure for signature by President Obama, who has indicated that he will, indeed, sign it.

The bill, H.R. 8, settles a number of major tax issues, but from a space policy perspective the most important issue is the sequester — automatic spending cuts to defense and non-defense discretionary spending accounts that were to take effect tomorrow.  The bill delays the sequester for two months.  At that time, Washington will be debating raising the debt limit again. 

As some Members pointed out today, by resolving the current fiscal cliff drama in this manner, Congress has simply created three new “mini-cliffs” that will arise in coming months — raising the debt limit, resolving the sequester, and finalizing FY2013 appropriations (the government is currently operating under a Continuing Resolution that ends on March 27, 2013).

For this moment in time, however, significant tax increases for most taxpayers have been averted, while tax rates will increase for the wealthiest Americans, and the sequester has been delayed.  

Last Updated: Jan 01, 2013 11:27 pm ET
Senate Votes To Delay Sequester for Two Months, House Action Pending

Senate Votes To Delay Sequester for Two Months, House Action Pending

By Marcia Smith | Posted: January 1, 2013 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: January 1, 2013 9:25 am ET

The country fell off the fiscal cliff last night as 2012 turned into 2013.  Two hours later the Senate voted to delay the automatic federal spending cuts known as the sequester for two months and to keep tax rates from rising for most Americans.   The bill now must be taken up by the House, which is scheduled to meet at noon.

The tax issues are vitally important for American taxpayers, but from a space policy perspective the sequester is the key issue.  Unless the House agrees with the Senate, beginning tomorrow defense spending will be cut 9.4 percent and spending for NASA, NOAA and other non-defense discretionary accounts will be cut 8.2 percent. 

If the House passes the Senate bill, the sequester will be delayed until February.  At that time yet another political drama is expected to envelop Washington as politicians debate raising the debt limit.  Treasury Secretary Geithner said last week that the United States would hit the current debt limit of $16.4 trillion on December 31.  He said he can buy about two months of time by using emergency measures to keep the government solvent.   By delaying the sequester for the same amount of time, the politicians presumably will try — again — to reach a grand bargain to fix the nation’s economic woes through spending cuts and revenue adjustments.

It is not certain whether the House will pass the Senate measure, but the strength of the vote in the Senate is considered promising.  The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 89-8, with five Republicans and three Democrats voting no.   (Three Senators, two Republicans and one Democrat, missed the 2:00 am vote).  Many Senators said they did not like the bill, but it was better than nothing.  The hope is that at least 218 of their House counterparts agree.

The bill is not on the list for consideration by the House today.  That may simply be a timing issue considering that the Senate passed it only seven hours ago, but some pundits are speculating that House Speaker Boehner may wait until Thursday, when the new 113th Congress convenes, to bring it to a vote.

Until the House acts and the President signs whatever bill emerges, the nation will stay at the bottom of the cliff.

Last Updated: Jan 01, 2013 9:25 am ET
Senates Extends Launch Indemnification Only For One Year, Extends INKSNA Waiver

Senates Extends Launch Indemnification Only For One Year, Extends INKSNA Waiver

By Marcia Smith | Posted: January 1, 2013 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: January 1, 2013 3:50 pm ET

In the wee hours this morning, the Senate not only passed legislation to deal with the fiscal cliff, but a bill that would extend the FAA’s authority to indemnify commercial launch services companies against certain third-party claims.  The FAA’s launch liability indemnification authority expired at midnight.  The bill is entirely different than what passed the House in November, so must be returned to the House for its consideration.

The Senate kept the House bill number, HR. 6586, but replaced all the text with a modified version of S. 3661, the Space Exploration Sustainability Act introduced by Senators Nelson (D-FL) and Hutchison (R-TX) on December 5.  The Senate version of H.R. 6586, as passed this morning, provides for the following:

  • Extends the launch liability indemnification authority, but for only one year.  The House-passed version was for a two year extension.
  • Extends NASA’s waiver from the Iran, North Korea, Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA) so it can purchase services from Russia for the International Space Station through December 31, 2020, and also strikes the language “or for the purchase of goods or services relating to human spaceflight.”  The House-passed bill did not address this issue.
  • Amends the 2010 NASA authorization act to add a sense of Congress statement about the human spaceflight program that, among other things, says that NASA should not take money from the Space Launch System or Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (authorized in Title III of that law) in order to pay for commercial crew (authorized in Title IV of that law) or vice versa.  The House-passed bill did not address this issue.

The House is in session today, so it is possible it could take up the legislation immediately.  Or not.   The congressional schedule is very fluid at the moment.

 

Last Updated: Jan 01, 2013 3:50 pm ET
Where Key Space Legislation Stands Now: Fiscal Cliff, NDAA, Indemnification, INKSNA, Armstrong

Where Key Space Legislation Stands Now: Fiscal Cliff, NDAA, Indemnification, INKSNA, Armstrong

By Marcia Smith | Posted: January 1, 2013 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: January 1, 2013 5:13 pm ET

In these hectic last days of the 112th Congress — which will end by noon on Thursday when the 113th Congress begins — it can be tough to keep track of where legislation stands.   Here’s the status of key pending bills that could affect the space program as of 4:00 pm ET today, New Year’s Day 2013.

  • American Taxpayer Relief Act (H.R. 8) — or more descriptively referred to as the fiscal cliff avoidance act since it not only deals with taxes but delays the sequester for two months.    Passed Senate at 2:00 am this morning.   Still must pass House.  If they change it — and rumors are that they plan to —  the bill will have to go back to the Senate.  If the House passes it with no changes, it must be signed by the President.   So the country did fall off the much-feared fiscal cliff and is still at the bottom waiting to see what happens next.
  • FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4310) — Final version has passed the House and Senate.  It was presented to the President for his signature on December 30.   He’s expected to sign it.  Among other things, it eases export controls on satellites.
  • FY2013 Intelligence Authorization Act (S. 3454) — Final version has passed the House and Senate.  The bill now must be presented to the President for signature, which is expected to happen.
  • Extending Launch Liability Indemnification/INKSNA/Other Matters (H.R. 6586) — House passed its version, dealing only with indemnification, in November.  Senate passed its version in the wee hours this morning, completely replacing the House text.  The Senate version extends indemnification for only one year instead of two as in the House version.  The Senate version also deals with two issues not addressed in the House version:   extending the waiver for NASA from the Iran, North Korea, Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA) and a sense of Congress that NASA should not take money from SLS/Orion to pay for commercial crew or vice versa.   The bill now must return to the House for consideration.  
  • Renaming Dryden Flight Research Center after Neil Armstrong (H.R. 6612) — Passed House last night; needs to be considered by Senate.
  • Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Hurricane Sandy Relief (H.R. 1) —  Passed Senate December 28, needs to be considered by House.   Includes $15 million for NASA and about $500 millon for NOAA (but not necessarily for NOAA’s satellite programs).

The House is also considering a House Concurrent Resolution condemning North Korea’s missile launch (H. Con. Res. 145).  It was debated by the House yesterday, but the vote was postponed to today.  It would also need to pass the Senate.  Concurrent resolutions are not “legislative” because they do not become laws signed by the President.  Instead, they are expressions of opinion, fact, principle or purpose by the House and Senate.

Last Updated: Jan 01, 2013 5:13 pm ET
House Appropriations Committee Announces Subcommittee Chairs for 113th Congress

House Appropriations Committee Announces Subcommittee Chairs for 113th Congress

By Marcia Smith | Posted: December 31, 2012 12:00 am ET | Last Updated: December 31, 2012 4:01 pm ET

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) will continue as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee in the next Congress, which funds NASA and NOAA.  Rep. Bill Young (R-FL) will continue chairing the defense subcommittee after receiving a waiver to continue in that position beyond House Republican term limits.

Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), chair of the full appropriations committee, today announced the names of all 12 subcommittee chairs — referred to as “cardinals” inside the Beltway — 11 men and one woman.   There are few new faces overall, but some switching among subcommittees.  

  • Agriculture and Rural Development — Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), replacing Rep. Jack Kingston (GA), who moved to chair the Labor-HHS subcommittee
  • Commerce, Justice, Science — Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), continuing in that position
  • Defense — Rep. Bill Young (R-FL), continuing in that position
  • Energy and Water Development — Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), continuing in that position
  • Financial Services — Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), replacing Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (MO), who announced shortly after being reelected that she will leave Congress in February to run the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
  • Homeland Security — Rep. John Carter (R-TX), replacing Rep. Robert Aderholt, who moved to chair the Agriculture subcommittee
  • Interior, Environment — Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), continuing in that position
  • Labor, Human and Health Services, Education — Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), replacing Rep. Denny Rehberg (MT) who ran for the Senate, but lost
  • Legislative Branch — Rodney Alexander (R-LA), replacing Rep. Ander Crenshaw, who moved to chair the Financial Services subcommittee
  • Military Construction, Veterans Affairs — John Culberson (R-TX), continuing in that position
  • State, Foreign Operations — Kay Granger (R-TX), continuing in that position
  • Transportation, Housing and Urban Development — Tom Latham (R-IA), continuing in that position

 

Last Updated: Dec 31, 2012 4:01 pm ET

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