Watch the sky for a comet, another rover has died, the leaked Soyuz will be replaced, JWST dominates the American Astronomical Society meeting, and Starship is just around the corner.
A good comet is coming
Keep your eyes skyward over the next few weeks for your first chance to see a comet in 2023. Designated C3/2022 ZTF, the comet was first spotted in March 2022 and has been getting closer to Earth and getting brighter. It is expected to reach its brightest point in early February, taking a path across the sky to bring it closer to the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. Astronomers have estimated that it is on a 50,000-year orbit, so eons have passed since its last visit. It should look great in a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.
More on the coming comet.
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Another one bites the Martian dust
The terrible dust of Mars claimed another victim. This time it’s China’s Zhurong rover, which was supposed to wake up from hibernation on December 26. The China National Space Administration attempted to reestablish communication with the Zhurong, but they were unsuccessful. The rover was put into hibernation six months ago to help it survive the Martian winter, when temperatures drop to -100C. A regional dust storm also blanketed the area, reducing the power it could use to keep its batteries running.
More about Zhurong.
The cracked Soyuz must be replaced
The Soyuz MS-22, which had a coolant leak last month, will be replaced. This decision was made after an inspection of the craft, which is currently attached to the ISS. Roscosmos will launch the replacement ship MS-23 in February in autonomous mode. Temperatures in MS-22 can climb into the low 40s. It is therefore considered unsafe to use in manned flight unless absolutely necessary. The other option for the ISS crew is the Crew Dragon, which should be able to carry up to 7 people. But let’s hope there won’t be a need.
James Webb discovers his first exoplanet
James Webb has confirmed his first exoplanet. It was first discovered and tagged as an exoplanet candidate by the TESS telescope. It’s called LHS 475b and it’s 41 light years away. Interestingly, the planet has almost the exact diameter of Earth. So far, JWST has definitely confirmed the existence of the exoplanet, but it is also observing its atmosphere. Research will need more time to establish its exact composition.
More on the JWST exoplanet.
Early Galaxies by James Webb
This week, the American Astronomical Society meets for the first time since the James Webb Space Telescope went live, so there’s a mountain of Webb news. One notable story is this image of primordial galaxies captured by JWST. These galaxies are only a few thousand light-years across and form so many stars that they heat the surrounding gas and dust so they glow in the ultraviolet (red-shifted to infrared after billions of years). Their structure matches newly discovered “green pea” galaxies, which have the same behavior and are much closer and therefore easier to study.
More on Webb’s findings.
Build your own ELT
Got some extra time? Here to keep you busy. The European Southern Observatory has released a paper model of its Extra Large Telescope. While the actual telescope will measure nearly 40 meters in diameter and be able to see Earth-like planets orbiting sun-like stars, yours will be much smaller, made of paper, and unable to make any observations at all. Still, it will be fun and you can learn more about the telescope while making your own out of paper.
More about the Extremely Large Telescope model.
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