Archived
Bale unfazed by “internet apocalypse”
In an article on June 28th, the Washington Post tried to allay recent concerns—hyped on social media—about the impact of future solar storms. A typical scary narrative foretells “magnetic fields unleashed by a solar superstorm rip through Earth’s magnetosphere, sending currents surging through human infrastructure…We look up from our phones and computers to catch a…
Read MoreNew SSL Undergraduate Engagement Group and Recent Activities/Achievements
“The University’s fundamental missions are teaching, research and public service” (source: UCOP). Although SSL excels at research, and through those discoveries, public service to a large degree, SSL’s role in and greater potential for contributing to the mission of teaching has been somewhat underappreciated on campus and beyond. But over the last year or so,…
Read MorePrecision instruments aid KPF exoplanet search
SSL’s Kodi Rider is featured in an April 26 article by R&D World in his role as project manager of the Keck Planet Finder. KPF is a precision optical spectrometer located at Keck Observatory in Hawaii that searches for Earth-like planets of a particular size and mass—astronomers have confirmed more than 5,000 such planets orbiting…
Read MoreOn Cal Day, SSL scientists, engineers and undergrads draw an audience
Nearly 300 people stopped by our booth to ask questions about SSL and engage in hands-on activities.
Read MoreSSL’s Raul Monsalve in Arctic with MIST
On Friday, April 21, SSL’s Raul Monsalve arrived in the Canadian High Arctic as part of the MIST ground-based radio cosmology experiment. Along with some photos, Raul shared, “The coordinates of the observation site are (79 22′ 47.28″ N, 90 59′ 55.86″ W), which is close to the McGill Arctic Research Station (MARS). This is…
Read MoreNature: “Are telescopes on the moon doomed before they’ve even been built?”
The dark side of the Moon is a unique and precious location for radio astronomers. Noise from Earth is blocked, allowing cosmology research to take place without electromagnetic interference. Nature magazine asks in recent article, “Are telescopes on the moon doomed before they’ve even been built?” Currently the dark side of the Moon is the…
Read MorePanel urges small satellite makers to prepare for big changes
A panel of experts at the SmallSat Symposium on Feb. 7 2023—including SSL’s Abhi Tripathi—issued a heads-up to small satellite manufacturers, cautioning them to be ready for the increasing availability of rideshare flights on SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy Launch vehicle. Abhi stated, “If you are not preparing for how you’re going to launch…
Read MoreBlue Origin to provide launch services for ESCAPADE
When ESCAPADE launches in late 2024, Blue Origin of Kent, WA will provide launch services, NASA has announced, as part of its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract. Blue Origin is one of a dozen-plus companies NASA selected for VADR contracts in 2022, part of an effort by the agency to secure new…
Read MoreDr. George Fisher awarded the Hale Prize
Our very own Dr. George Fisher was awarded the George Ellery Hale Prize by the Solar Physics Division (SPD) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) for his pioneering work on modeling the effect of solar and stellar flares on the lower atmosphere, as well as other important contributions to the studies of magnetic fields in…
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