SMOG-P is the first Hungarian 1-PocketQube-sized (5x5x5cm) satellite developed at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem in Hungarian, abbreviated BME), within the framework of the SMOG project. The device was launched on December 6, 2019, and it has already recorded 2000 measurements.
The satellite serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, it creates a suitable environment for the operation of its equipment on board and on the other hand,
it continuously measures and analyses electrosmog, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by electronic devices, according to the instructions received from Earth and sends the data back.
The SMOG-P has been in a 350 km high orbit for six months, and it monitors a circular area of 4,000 km diameter. Based on the received signals, the satellite has already recorded 2,000 measurements, András Gschwindt, honorary associate professor of the Department of Broadband Infocommunications and Electromagnetic Theory at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics of BME and the head of the SMOG project told to Hvg.
The Hungarian picosatellite is the world’s first 5 cubic cm-sized, functional space device.
The professor added that, based on the height of the satellite’s orbit, it would expectedly reach a denser atmosphere at the end of September and it would burn.
“The measurement data from SMOG-P also allowed us to the electrosmog coverage of the Earth. The satellite’s orbit is signal-free over the oceans because there are no signal sources,” said András Gschwindt.
The faculties and departments of BME have been conducting a number of research and science workshops connected to space exploration for decades. These scientific activities range from basic research and technological developments to the practical implementation of various tools and services and different forms of education and training. BME is one of the major advocates of the Hungarian initiative to introduce space engineer training and in December 2019, the university’s Senate unanimously supported the establishment of a space engineering master programme at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics. The preparations are currently ongoing, and the training is expected to start in the autumn of 2021.
NASA and SpaceX launched Crew Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, carrying two American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
It is the first time since 2011 that American astronauts launch on an American rocket from American soil to the ISS.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 3:22 p.m. Eastern Time, from historic Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.
Veteran NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are co-commanders on the mission.
NASA confirmed main engine cutoff and separation of the rocket’s first and second stages minutes after the lift-off.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence watched the launch at the center.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted, “For the first time in 9 years, we have now launched American astronauts on American rockets from American soil. I’m so proud of the NASA and SpaceX team for making this moment possible.”
NASA confirmed main engine cutoff and separation of the rocket’s first and second stages minutes after the lift-off.
Falcon 9’s reusable first stage booster has successfully landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” drone ship off the Florida coast.
The Crew Dragon reached Earth orbit about 12 minutes after takeoff, and is making its way to the ISS, according to NASA.
The spacecraft is scheduled to dock to the space station on Sunday at 10:27 a.m. Eastern Time. The spacecraft is designed to do this autonomously, but the two astronauts and the station will be monitoring approach and docking, and can take control of the spacecraft if necessary.
After successfully docking, Behnken and Hurley will be welcomed aboard station and will become members of the Expedition 63 crew. They will perform tests on Crew Dragon in addition to conducting research and other tasks with the space station crew.
The mission will conclude with the Crew Dragon undocking from the station, deorbiting, and returning Behnken and Hurley to Earth with a safe splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean, according to NASA.
The mission duration has not been announced yet. NASA said it will be determined once on station based on the readiness of the next commercial crew launch.
Behnken and Hurley were among the first astronauts to begin working and training on SpaceX’s next-generation human space vehicle, and were selected for their extensive test pilot and flight experience, including several missions on the space shuttle, according to NASA.
Behnken will be the joint operations commander for the mission, responsible for activities such as rendezvous, docking and undocking, as well as Demo-2 activities while the spacecraft is docked to the ISS.
Hurley will be the spacecraft commander for the mission, responsible for activities such as launch, landing and recovery.
This is SpaceX’s final test flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and will provide critical data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft, and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking and landing operations.
The test flight also will provide valuable data toward certification of SpaceX’s crew transportation system for regular flights carrying astronauts to and from the space station.
U.S. private space company SpaceX launched its seventh batch of 60 Starlink satellites into space on Wednesday.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Following stage separation,
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Later, SpaceX confirmed successful deployment of the 60 Starlink satellites.
Falcon 9’s first stage had supported Crew Dragon’s first flight to the International Space Station, launch of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, and the fourth Starlink mission, according to SpaceX. Falcon 9’s fairing previously supported the AMOS-17 mission.
Starlink will deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable, according to SpaceX.
The company’s internet service will be available in the northern United States and Canada at some point this year, with global coverage planned for 2021.
SpaceX planned to launch into space about 12,000 Starlink satellites by 2024, and has revealed a bigger plan to launch 30,000 additional ones, bringing the total to 42,000.
Each satellite weighs about 260 kilograms and features a compact, flat-panel design that minimizes volume, allowing for a dense launch stack to take full advantage of the launch capabilities of the Falcon 9 rocket, according to SpaceX.
Starlink satellites are equipped with efficient ion thrusters powered by krypton that enable the satellites to orbit raise, maneuver in space, and deorbit at the end of their useful life. They can autonomously perform maneuvers to avoid collisions with space debris and other spacecraft, said SpaceX.
At end of life, the satellites will utilize their on-board propulsion system to deorbit over the course of a few months. In the unlikely event the propulsion system becomes inoperable, the satellites will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere within one to five years, according to SpaceX.
The company has launched three Starlink missions so far in 2020.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday “successfully” launched the country’s first military satellite into space, official IRNA news agency reported.
“The satellite Noor 1 (Light 1) was launched by the satellite carrier Qased (Messenger) from the central desert region of the country by the IRGC and was successfully reached the 425 km orbit,” said the report.
IRNA released a picture showing part of the Qased satellite carrier in Iran’s central desert region ready to launch the satellite.
According to a statement by the IRGC website, the launch of the country’s first military satellite “would be a great achievement and would open new era for Iran’s space sector.”
Iran’s first home-built satellite Omid was launched in 2009.
Iran sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in February 2010, using a Kavoshgar-3 carrier.
The United States has criticized Iran’s space ambitions, claiming that it helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile program.
Tehran, however, has denied the allegations, saying that its space program aims at civilian and peaceful ends.
The new decade brings us several new travel trends, making our holidays even more exciting and adventurous than before. Have you ever thought of travelling to space, discovering your ancestors during your holidays, or doing yoga in the air? In 2020, you can try all of these. 😉
Space tourism
Image: www.facebook.com/VirginGalactic/
The topic has been highly discussed; however, in 2020, this supernatural travel trend finally turns into reality. According to Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, the first test flights are already being organised and will be realised by the Blue Origin company. In the summer of 2019, the New-Mexican Virgin Galactic’s Gateway to Space commercial space airport published the first photos of the station where space tourists will get ready for their extraordinary adventure.
So far, 600 people bought tickets for the first space flights starting in 2020.
Vegan hotels
Image: Pixabay
The vegan diet is becoming more and more popular nowadays, as a result of which several vegan hotels are being opened in many parts of the world, providing plant-based dining services for the guests. In 2018, Saorsa 1875, the first vegan hotel in the UK, was opened, where no animal product, neither in dining nor in the case of facilities (wool, silk, or down), can be discovered.
Flygskam
Image: www.facebook.com/Flygskam-France/
Tourism is significantly affected by climatic changes; therefore, environment protection is becoming an increasingly important issue regarding travelling. The Flygskam (flight shame) movement can be considered as one of the most important environment-friendly movements nowadays, initiated by the Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg.
The purpose of the environmental activist is to encourage people to travel by train and stop using environment-polluting aeroplanes.
So far, the initiative has been so successful that France’s intercity high-speed rail service (TGV) has experienced a 30% increase in the number of passengers.
Naked vacation
According to Turizmus, swimsuits might become an optional dress code at certain destinations due to the popularity of the new special travel trend called “naked vacation”.
According to the experts, naked vacation provides completely liberating and refreshing experiences for over-technologised urban people; therefore, several touristic activities can be combined with this unconventional travel trend including undressed mountain climbing, camping, canoeing, or sailing.
Naked vacation is becoming more and more popular in certain countries. By way of example, London has opened several restaurants welcoming their undressed guests, including one of the pioneers, Bunyadi Restaurant, with hundreds of thousands of followers, which plans to be re-opened this year.
The so-called “digital detox” is a new phenomenon, referring to the minimalist style of this new travel trend, characterised by a combination of Spartan vacation. Just like in the case of naked vacation, there is a great emphasis on the relationship between nature and human well-being; therefore, only a small package is taken by the tourist, sometimes just a pair of underwear.
Image: Pixabay
However, digital detox does not necessarily mean a lack of luxury – based on guest request, hikers are accompanied by trucks, bringing their equipment and putting out their cushions, benches, and hammocks at the place where they would like to spend the night under the stars.
Tracing ancestors
Family tree research is a new travel trend which is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. According to the data of MIT Technology Review, a DNA test was taken by 26 million people, enabling them to trace their ancestors and visit the destinations concerned. The new touristic trend allows travellers to combine practicality with pleasure during their journey.
Experts say that in 2020, this amount will increase even more as this kind of journey is specifically promoted by Airbnb, based on its agreement with the 23andMe DNA laboratory.
Lifestyle flights
Image: www.facebook.com/qatarairways/
Despite the Flygskam movement mentioned above, in 2020, flying can become an unforgettable experience for those who can afford luxurious services. Luxurious airlines as Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, and Emirates already provide special services to their guests; however, passengers can enjoy even more pomp from 2020.
In the case of long-haul flights, space will be provided for yoga, along with a dining area and a childcare section.
Culinary experience at the airport
Image: www.facebook.com/changiairport/
Airports will soon be getting promoted as TOP culinary venues. Just to mention a few examples:
Beijing Daxing International Airport – wonton noodle restaurants recommended by Michelin guide.
Singapore Changi Airport – one of the best airports in the world, offering high-quality restaurants and cafes.
TWA Hotel at the JFK Airport (New York) – culinary experience is provided by a French celebrity chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Szilvia Vincze is one of the first applicants of Hungary’s astronaut training that will be realised between 2020-2024.
The government finances the programme – EUR 21-30 million (~HUF 7-10 billion) – thanks to which, professional training will be provided in Russia to four Hungarian astronauts.
Among them, there will be only one person – the luckiest – who can follow Bertalan Farkas’s space exploration in 1980.
Air Force pilots stand a fair chance to be among the chosen ones; however, the first potential female astronaut, Szilvia Vincze also considers herself competent for the extraordinary challenge.
According to the Hungarian news portal Bors,there are two things in Szilvia’s life, in which she is extremely interested – aviation and military. She also applied for a stewardess job opportunity. Eventually, she chose the military uniform as this was the first place who sent notice of her successful entry. Currently, she is working as a detective in a Budapest district.
She is continuously consulting with Bertalan Farkas as they know each other well and soon will test herself by medical and physical tests to make 100% sure that she can meet the requirements of the programme.
“We moved to Dunakeszi with my family; the airport was located near to our garden, so my big dream was in our vicinity. I participated in a sailplane training in Malév club, and by the help of an instructor, I got the hang of it. I read a lot, especially about aviation. When I heard that after Bertalan Farkas, another Hungarian astronaut would have the opportunity to explore the space, I decided to apply for the programme when it is officially published. Since not only military pilots are selected, and women are not excluded, I can be the first Hungarian female astronaut!”
“I will not have problems with my physical stamina, mentally, I’m fine; the only thing I should improve is my Russian knowledge. However, I have already resolved things in my life that seemed impossible for the first time. If someone really wants something, there is no limit. Furthermore, my family also supports me. Of course, everything will gain its significance when the programme is officially advertised” – commented Szilvia.
It was 30 years ago, in 1989, that UFOs caused a sensation and people were speaking everywhere about them.
And this was the first time that the Hungarian public media spoke about the question of UFOs and whether they exist – 24.hu reported.
On November 25, many people living in the Transdanubia region said that they saw unidentified flying objects over many cities and settlements. A woman reported to the local meteorological station that she saw yellow lights of the size of orange after 6 pm. At around 7:30 pm, people reported four different lights over Pápa, one of which was moving on an elliptic course while another one was flying 6 km high. According to the news, the meteorological station of Farkasfa could calculate
the speed of the flying objects but the result was shocking: 4.200 km/h
which is almost four times the speed of sound.
“I would like to hear more about these phenomenons because I am very interested in them. Together with my classmates, I am waiting for the continuation” – wrote Zoltán H., a 23-year-old university engineer student for M2 (Channel 2 of the Hungarian State Television). His request was heard, and on November 28, the news reported about the strange phenomenons of which everybody in Hungary was talking about.
Those who were talking about what happened were not dubious people but a colonel of the Hungarian army and a meteorologist. The flight director of the Budaörs airport, Éva Tóth, added that the moment she warns pilots about the flying objects they disappear as if they understood what she said.
Reports about UFO detections came every day from people. Some were curious why the leading meteorologist of those days, Szilárd Aigner, does not say anything about the phenomenon while others did not understand why the Hungarian media remains silent about the UFOs that have been seen over Pápa before. Others talked about small red points flying from Ózd to Budapest.
Hungarians remained very much interested in the topic even in 1990, so the Hungarian State Television started a show titled Nulladik típusú találkozások (in English it can be translated as Close Encounters of the Zero Kind) with János Déri.
Want more?
HERE you can read about things that people from the UK find strange in Hungary. And HERE is an article about the Hungarian puli, the strangest looking dog ever.
Hungary plans to send an astronaut to space in 2024, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said at a European Space Agency ministerial conference in Seville on Wednesday.
“The space industry is becoming one of the most important industries,” he told the conference dubbed Space19+.
“This will be another opportunity for Hungary to develop and push forward, focusing on the training of the second Hungarian astronaut to be sent to the International Space Station — which we consider a realistic plan for 2024 — in cooperation with Russia’s Roscosmos,” he added.
He told the conference that this week the second and third satellites of Hungary’s space industry will be launched from New Zealand, and these will initially be used for measuring electromagnetic smog in the stratosphere.
Future goals include Hungary sending an independent satellite to orbit the Earth, he said. Additionally, in cooperation with Russia, Hungarian scientific and measuring devices will be sent to the International Space Station by 2024. Also, a space weather mission is in a preparatory phase, involving building a micro-satellite fleet, he said.
Hungary’s new foreign economic and political aspirations include once again participating in the peaceful use of space, Szijjártó said.
He said
Hungary will next year celebrate the anniversary of the first Hungarian astronaut’s journey to space in 1980,
and Budapest will host a space research conference on the occasion.
Each year in July and August, Earth passes through Comet Swift-Tuttle, resulting in the Perseid meteor shower, the most popular among people to watch. This year the shower will reach its peak on August 12-13. People will be able to see about 10-15 shooting stars an hour. Here are some tips on when and where to go star watching.
Earth passes through Comet Swift-Tuttle around the end of July to the end of August every year, this year from July 17-August 26. During this time, spectators can expect to see shooting stars upon looking at the sky.
This year, during the peak of the shower (August 12-13) the moon will almost be at its fullest, which means people can expect to see around 10-15 shooting stars per hour, says Bill Cooke, NASA meteor expert. This may seem like a high number to those not experienced in star watching. But when there is no – nearly – full moon up to over 150 stars can be seen. Last year the peak was at the same time of year as this year, and around 60-70 stars could be spotted each hour.
Perseid meteoroids are very fast, going about 60 kilometres per second. Their size can vary from between a grain of sand to a pea or a marble, says space.com.
The meteors will be able to see from the Northern Hemisphere as well as down to the mid-southern latitudes.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The ideal star-watching location
The best places to try catching shooting stars are dark locations. If you have a backyard which is not invaded by the light of street lights, great! Just grab a blanket and two, lay down – with your family or friends – and wait for the meteors. Maybe even make a wish. And remember to be patient.
If you do not have a backyard, try going to a park with limited streetlights, or maybe even go to the field with friends. The view will surely be amazing from there, with no other sources of light to ruin it.
The best time to catch a Perseid
The visibility of the Perseid meteors should increase after 10 PM (local time), and they will be visible until dawn. Meteors which appear earlier will have longer tails, but there will be fewer of them.
Other visible planets at this time
During the time the meteors are best visible, viewers should also see Saturn (until 2 AM) and Mars (until 4 AM) up on the sky. If someone decides to go skywatching before the peak of the shower that night, they can also see Venus (until 9:30 PM) and Jupiter (until 11 PM).
For more articles like this, check out our space tag HERE.
What to bring on your skywatch adventure
You do not really need anything specific. Your eyes will adjust to the darkness in less than an hour. All you need is a comfortable place to lay down, so bring blankets – several, in case it is a chilly night –, some bug repellent – so you do not get eaten up by mosquitos –, maybe some snacks – in case you get bored –, friends or family for some company, and your patience.
In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
And if you do not have anyone to go skywatching with you, or you do not have an ideal spot to go to, worry not! There will be a livestream where you can watch it from the comfort of your own home.
There are also several events on Facebook for star-watching, so if you are interested in going to a group activity of the sorts, you should definitely check your Facebook and community!
Amazing aerial photographs have been made by a high-atmosphere balloon which started its way from Ajka, reached the height of 26 532 meters and then finished its ‘discovery’ in Tihany.
Astronomical Association of Bakony has been preparing for the project for months. The result could be viewed on 20th July 2019 as the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first landing on the Moon.
Probably, the whole world commemorated the historic moment. Astronomical Society of Bakony organised it uniquely – with the help of a high-atmosphere balloon which was let in the air at Ajka.
At 7 a.m., we arrived at Ajka sports centre where the high-atmosphere balloon was let in the air. Soon, visitors also arrived – around 100 people – who observed the event with great curiosity. The experiment was carried out by the help of a “technological package”, including cameras – especially abdominal camera, which was one of the most important; as well as other tools that measured acceleration, altitude and temperature. Besides these, the balloon was equipped with a GPS module,and mini-radio. The instrument package was compiled by András Veisz and Zoltán Kauker – described on Facebook.
Thanks to the abdominal camera, the rise of the balloon could be perfectly followed, as well as its movement away from the surface. All the settlements nearby became recognisable as it flew over the lake – Ajka, Ajkarendek, Úrkút, Tihany.The balloon reached its highest point in Somogy county with 26 532 m height. At this point, it started to loosen, then it burst, and started its fall. While rising, its internal temperature cooled down to + 3°C from +27°C. The external thermometer sensor measured the coldest temperature at -58°C at the height of 11,948 meters.
As csodalatosbalaton.hu describes, at the distance of 27 km, the Earth’s thin atmosphere became visible, along with the darkness of space behind. Wonderful pictures were taken from Lake Balaton – since then, we are so amazed that we are still under the influence of these breathtaking photographs!
A Hungarian neurobiologist, Chilla Ari, 40, took part in NASA’s newest underwater mission, named NEEMO.
She spent nine days in Florida, in an underwater laboratory with her colleagues and with future astronauts, reports Blikk.
Csilla Ari was entrusted with a special task by NASA: as the only Hungarian on the team, she was the one who examined how the future trips to space would affect the astronauts from a psychological and physiological aspect.
“On this expedition, we simulated Moon-like gravitation primarily, as NASA is planning on sending people there in coming years, but we also tested tools that they might use on Mars,” said Csilla, who had already worked with the American Space Administration two years ago. “The expedition was a success then, and a year later my phone rang: I can go on my next mission. I took their belief in me as a huge honour,” the researcher revealed.
She also explained the dangers astronauts have to face.
“The most trying thing on a trip like this is the increased level of stress, the pressure on them, the big workload, the isolation from their usual environment, the being locked in. All of these affect their psychological state as well as other functions,” Csilla explained.
During the simulated spacewalks, they completed exercises at the bottom of the sea for four to five hours.
“Primarily, we tested sample collecting processes and communication devices. We used newly developed equipment and simulated the reparation of future space buildings, which had been 3D-printed. There were complications, but our goal was to solve them,” said the neurobiologist, according to whom not only was the expedition challenging, but also the months of preparation ahead of it. The analysis of the data they collected is yet to be completed.
“We experienced a lot in these few days, exceptional memories and friends were made,” said Csilla.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/photos/
After getting her PhD, Csilla Ari started working at the University of South Florida. She moved to the United States nine years ago, and two years ago, she founded her own lab at the university, where she does a lot of research together with her husband. She mainly studies diving physiology and researches cramps in the nervous system. Apart from these, they also test nutritional supplements, which lower blood sugar level, stress level, and promote the regeneration of the nervous system.
Hungarians helped develop spacecraft headed to Mercury! Read more HERE.
The Vasarely Museum is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing with a special exhibition documenting the connection between art and space through works made at the height of the Cold War and conveying people’s euphoric faith in technology.
The pilots of the Apollo 11 mission of the Unites States spaceflight programme made history when they landed on the Moon on 20 July in 1969. The successful landing and the Moon walk of the two cosmonauts, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin – that was broadcast on television live across the globe – can be regarded as a milestone in human civilisation and the greatest scientific achievement of mankind. The event also sent a symbolic message. More and more people began to think of the possibilities of making contact with alien cultures, while artists were also seriously preoccupied with this concept.
The exhibits displayed here serve as a kind of discursive field for the pieces made in the second half of the twentieth century.
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10 am – 5.45 pm Entry until 5.15 pm. Closing begins at 5.45 pm
Venue: Vasarely Museum 1033 Budapest, Szentlélek tér 6.
The Vasarely Museum’s exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing presents the connection between art and space through works made at the height of the Cold War and reflecting the euphoria felt over technology at the time. The selected material pays tribute to ideas conceived half a century ago and aimed at the creation of space art. Through iconic – albeit not so well known – works, the show documents the desire of artists to throw off the earthly shackles and take their works to a distant point of the universe, possibly displaying them on the Moon.
Thanks to the fascinating archive footage discovered in the Vasarely Museum during the preparations for the exhibition, visitors can embark upon a journey to The Moon Show of fifty years ago, which will be evoked, among others, through the interviews conducted with Wayne Andersen, the curator of the exhibition, and with Gus Kayafas, who made the documentation for the show.
The exhibition mounted at the Vasarely Museum will be made comprehensive not only by artefacts linked to the Moon and space but also by some space travel equipment from the period, as well as recordings of the Moon landings and critical adaptations discrediting the landings, including responses by Hungarian artists.
The historical section, one of the most important parts of the exhibition, presents the Moon as an outstanding iconic symbol of universal culture through one work each from the epochs from Egyptian art to the invention of photography. The exhibits displayed here serve as a kind of discursive field for the pieces made in the second half of the twentieth century.
Last light the moon passed through Earth’s shadow in a total lunar eclipse during the Full Wolf Moon, which is also a “supermoon.”
The last full lunar eclipse took place in July 2018. Unlike with a solar eclipse, when the moon moves between the Earth and sun, a lunar eclipse is safe to view with the naked eye.
Photos from Salgótarján, Hungary – MTI’s photographer Péter Komka took pictures of this special natural attraction:
Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI
Photos of Super Blood Wolf Moon of 2019 – The view from Hungary! Photo: MTI
The mission blasted off on an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou at 03:45 CET 20th October. The 6.4 meters high and 4.1 ton spacecraft will reach Mercury, the Solar System’s innermost planet on 5th December 2025 – says Index.
When it reaches its destination in space, the two main probes (and a shading unit) detach to collect data in orbit around the extremely hot planet. The bigger one called ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), among others, takes photographs with wide-angle and telephoto cameras, but it is equipped with an infrared, ultraviolet, gamma, x-ray and a neutron spectrometer, as well as a telescope
which can detect asteroids potentially dangerous to Earth.
The smaller one called JAXA Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) will examine the magnetic field of the planet and it will have different cameras.
If everything goes well, the mission of the spacecraft will last at least a year
which could be extended to one more year, if the condition of the satellites allows, and they would not run low on budget.
Hungarian researchers took part in developing two gauges and an interactive virtual environment for simulation, as it stands in the article of Wigner Research Centre for Physics.
The spacecraft was named after Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo, Italian mathematician and engineer.
Szeretlek Magyarország shared the astonishing works of Hungarian photographers who took pictures of the Namibian sky. The light of the stars and the Milky Way is so strong there that you do not even need a flashlight to navigate the desert. The team of astrophotographers had to transport very delicate equipment and travel several hundred kilometres in the savannah nights, but one look at their work will convince you that it was every bit worth it.
The expedition organised by the MAFE (Hungarian Astrophotographer Association) was two weeks long, during which time they wandered the Namibian savannah to take wonderful shots of the endless sky.
Photo: Magyar Asztrofotósok Egyesülete / Rafael Schmall
The six members of the team travelled 12 thousand kilometres for the breath-taking photos,
in Namibia, the paradise of astrophotography.
One member of the expedition was Rafael Schmall, founder of the MAFE, who also works at the Star Park of Zselice, near Kaposvár. He specialised in Astro-landscapes that show both the sky and the land. One of his images from Namibia was selected to be the astrophoto of the month by National Geographic. It was not the first time that they selected one of his works.
A different sky
Namibia attracts those infatuated with astrophotography for two reasons. The first would be its location: as it is in the Southern hemisphere, you can observe an almost completely different sky.
Even the familiar constellations appear differently. For example, the Plough (or the Big Dipper) is barely above the horizon. The Milky Way, on the other hand, is much further up, above the observer’s head. From Namibia, you can see the Magellanic Clouds and smaller galaxies orbiting around the Milky Way.
The most convincing argument, however, is the exceptionally clean sky.
Photo: Magyar Asztrofotósok Egyesülete / Rafael Schmall
Namibia is about nine times larger than Hungary, but its population is only two million people. Therefore vast lands are basically uninhabited, and the light of the settlements cannot outshine the sky. The 1800 metres elevation above sea level and the low humidity also contribute to Namibia’s appeal.
The light of the Milky Way and the stars is so strong that they can cast a shade, and you can orientate without flashlights.
“From a photographer’s view if the quality of the Namibian sky is 100% then what we can experience in a larger Hungarian city is 10-20%, and maybe 50-60% in smaller villages” explained Rafael Schmall.
Photo: Magyar Asztrofotósok Egyesülete / Rafael Schmall
Did you get in the mood to stargaze?
The Star Park of Zselice is outstanding both in Hungary and on a world scale for the observation or photography of the night sky. Due to its low light pollution, the fainter stars are also visible, and in ideal conditions when there are no clouds or moonshine, even the smaller details of the Milky Way are perceivable.
In the past few years, several spectacular eclipses could be witnessed from different parts of the world. Nevertheless, the next and possibly most marvellous lunar eclipse can be witnessed soon, at the end of July, according to sokszinuvidek.24.hu. You definitely do not want to miss it.
On the night of July 27th, it is going to be the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century for those living on the Eastern hemisphere (Eastern Africa and Central Asia). Do not be discouraged if you live elsewhere, though, as the natural wonder will be partially visible from Western Africa, East Asia, South-America, Australia as well as from Europe, too.
The eclipse will take place in a span of 1 hour and 43 minutes. Counting the partial eclipses, too, the natural wonder will last 3 hours and 55 minutes on the Eastern hemisphere.
It is important to note that the longest lunar eclipse so far lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes altogether.
Lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon during which the Moon gets partially or entirely behind the Earth’s shadow. It occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon and its shadow or half-shadow is reflected onto the Moon.
It is an extraordinary thing as it will be visible from everywhere on the Earth and from space, as long as the Moon is visible. Considering Hungarian time, the lunar eclipse will start at 8:24 pm, the Moon will turn red at 9:30 pm, and it will all end by 11:13 pm.
The eclipse is also going to bring a blood moon, as the moon will not darken entirely. Its light will turn orange and shine through the Earth’s atmosphere, creating a hollow semidarkness.
When it is a partial lunar eclipse, the Earth casts a grey shadow onto a part of the surface of the Moon.
The next phenomenon will come shortly after. Only a few days later, Mars will be a mere 57.6 million kilometres away from the Earth. This means that the red planet is going to be visible for the naked eye as well, for the first time since 2003.
Colonel Béla Magyari, backup for Hungary’s cosmonaut Bertalan Farkas, has died at the age of 69.
Magyari died after a long illness in the early hours of Monday, his friend Nándor Schuminsky, a member of the Hungarian Astronautical Society, told MTI.
Born in 1949, Magyari studied in Hungary and the Soviet Union to become a fighter pilot of the Hungarian Air Force in the early 1970s.
In 1977 he was selected as a candidate for a Hungarian spaceflight in the framework of the Soviet Intercosmos space programme designed to help the Soviet Union’s allies with space missions.
From 1978 to 1980 Magyari and Farkas prepared for the flight in the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Moscow.
Finally Farkas was selected for the mission he performed in the company of Soviet cosmonaut Valery Kubasov on board of Soyuz 36 from May 26 to June 3, 1980.
Magyari then graduated from the Budapest Technical University and worked as an aeronautical engineer and pilot. He took part in upgrading MiG-21 fighters and served for half a year in the NATO-led Stabilisation Force in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
From 2001 to 2006 he was president of the Hungarian Astronautical Society.
Ever since Sputnik 1 was launched into orbit in 1957, humanity has been eager to explore “what is out there” aka exploring space. Origo.hu assembled an article about how Hungary contributed to space research. Equipment was designed and produced, and meaningful research and developments were carried out by Hungarian scientists over the years.
The Moon Radar Experiment
A team of Hungarian engineers lead by Zoltán Bay carried out the first moon radar experiment in Europe in 1946. Their experiment successfully processed and detected radar signals bounced off the Moon.
Micrometeorite traps
In 1967, Hungary joined the Interkosmos, a Soviet space program. Within this program, the first micrometeorite traps were created by Hungarians. The traps left Earth’s orbit as part of the Vertikal-1 Aeronomy/Ionosphere/Solar mission in 1970, thus Hungary officially “reached” space. The tools needed to resist extreme fluctuations in temperature and cosmic radiation as well as extreme mechanical stress.
The first Hungarian cosmonaut and Pille
Farkas Bertalan was the first Hungarian cosmonaut. In 1978, he volunteered to become a cosmonaut and was selected as part of the fifth international programme for Interkosmos. Farkas, along with Soviet Valeri Kubasov, was launched into space on Soyuz 36 from Baikonur Cosmodrome on May 26, 1980.
Farkas Bertalan was also the first cosmonaut to use one of the most successful products of Hungarian space research: the Pille.
Pille Dosimeter System Photo: www.cocorad.kfki.hu
Pille [butterfly in Hungarian] was the first system designed specifically for astronauts to use while travelling in space. It was used to measure radiation exposure received by astronauts while outside the station. KFKI AEKI developed the original Pille system in the late 1970’s. The original Pille system continued to be used by Russian cosmonauts until 1983. There were many improvements and refinements to the Pille system throughout the years. The system is probably the longest used piece of spaceflight hardware in the history of human spaceflight. The Pille was used nearly for 20 years, and it never malfunctioned.
The Vega Program
Two Soviet space probes were launched as part of the Vega program in the 1980’s. Within the program, the Halley Mission’s purpose was to investigate the Halley Comet with the help of the space probes. The radiometers and solar wind analysers used during the mission, as well as the control electronics of the tv system were all developed by Hungarian engineers.
Philae lander
Philae is a robotic European Space Agency lander that accompanied the Rosetta spacecraft until it separated to land on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, ten years and eight months after departing Earth. After bouncing off the comet’s surface twice, Philae achieved the first-ever “soft” (nondestructive) landing on a comet nucleus.
Depiction of Philae on Churyumov-Gerasimenko Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org By DLR, CC-BY 3.0
Despite the landing problems, the probe’s instruments obtained the first images from a comet’s surface. The lander’s brain, its electronics, software and power supply system were all developed by a team of Hungarian engineers.
Hungarian satellite
The first Hungarian satellite made it safely into Earth’s orbit in 2012, and it was a huge milestone in Hungarian space research history. The first Hungarian satellite was Masat-1, and it was constructed at Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). The first Hungarian satellite, Masat-1 took four years to design, develop and build. Masat-1 was operating perfectly for 1062 days until its destruction. Masat-1 was a CubeSat which is a type of miniaturised satellite made up of multiples of 10×10×10 cm cubic units. CubeSats have a mass of no more than 1.33 kilograms per unit.
A Hungarian team developed a new dosimeter called Tritel RS. The new Tritel RS dosimeter has been operating at the International Space Station since 2013. It is not considered to be a direct successor of the original Pille, but it serves similar purposes.
