Array ( [0] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 886 [parent] => 23 [order] => 3 [lang_id] => f63ed8c7e22de8ca7edb806eb1afbb64 [title] => CUPOLA | International Space Station Observation Module [subtitle] => 01.12.2023 [header_img] => 0 [list_img] => upload/media/cupola-module.jpg [summary] => The International Space Station (ISS), which is a joint effort of 5 space agencies, including NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) is a unique and complex spacecraft orbiting the Earth at an altitude of about 200 miles. [content] =>

• What is Cupola module used for?
• Is Cupola module able to withstand harsh space conditions?
• What are the purposes of Cupola module?
• What are the disadvantages of Cupola module?

One of the most striking features of the International Space Station is the Cupola, a domed, windowed structure that provides a 360-degree view of the surrounding space. The Cupola was added to the International Space Station in 2010 and is located on the front of the station's "Tranquility" module.

The hexagon-shaped, 80 cm wide module has the title of the largest window in space with its 7 windows. The windows are made of high-strength, multi-layered glass and are designed to withstand harsh space conditions, including extreme temperature fluctuations, solar radiation and micrometeorite impacts.

What are the astronauts doing inside Cupola module?

Cupola serves various purposes aboard the International Space Station. It provides a unique viewing platform for the station crew, allowing them to observe Earth and other celestial bodies as they pass. It is also used as a control center for the station's robotic arm, which is used to carry payloads and conduct experiments outside the International Space Station.

In addition to its practical uses, the Cupola also serves as a psychological and entertainment space for the crew. The views of Cupola are truly breathtaking and the station crew often spend time looking at Earth and the stars. In fact, the Cupola has also been used as a venue for concerts and other cultural events, providing a unique setting for these events.

What are the challenges of being inside Cupola module?

Despite its many advantages, Cupola also has disadvantages. One of the main challenges is condensation that can form on windows due to temperature and humidity differences between the inside and outside of the environment. Problems can occur in certain parts of this orbit, and the crew must take measures to prevent and reduce condensation.

In addition, Cupola is exposed to harsh field conditions that can cause wear and tear to its structure and components. To overcome these challenges, it is equipped with a variety of systems and materials to maintain its structural integrity.

Let's end our blog with a video clip from the International Space Station. In this clip, we can see the active use of Cupola.

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Winter Solstice: "The Darkest Day"

Solstices are the longest and shortest days of the year on a planet, marking the beginning of the next season. The longest day of the year marks the beginning of summer and is called the summer solstice. The shortest day marks the beginning of winter and is therefore called the winter solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs in June, when the North Pole tilts directly towards the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs in December, when the North Pole is tilted farthest away from the Sun, meaning that the Northern Hemisphere is as far away from the Sun as possible. The winter solstice is therefore the shortest day of the year with the least amount of sunlight.

• Why do we experience solstices?
• Do you know the impact of axis tilt on life on our planet?
• Brief information on the solstice
• Are there solstices on other planets?
• How to see your shadow at the winter solstice?
• How does daylight affect life?

Known as the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice is the day of the year with the least amount of daylight because less sunlight reaches the Earth. The good news is that each day after the winter solstice will start to last a little longer until the summer solstice in June, when there is the most daylight.

Why do we experience solstices?

The reason we experience solstices every year is that our planet's axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of 23.4 degrees. This means that the Earth's orbit around the Sun is not perpendicular and causes the seasons to form.

Thanks axial tilt...

Effects of Axial Tilt

Let’s consider the impact of this tilt in the Earth's axis on the potential for life on our planet. At this tilt, the Earth's orbit has enough influence to cause dramatic temperature changes between summer and winter. However, this effect is neither extreme nor long enough to render the planet uninhabitable for long periods. This moderate variability, which is the result of the tilt of the axis, has allowed life to develop slowly over the ages, allowing living things to survive.

The English word "solstice" is a combination of the Latin word "sol", meaning "Sun", and "stare", meaning "to stand still". As the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west (due to the Earth's rotation from west to east), its position in the sky changes throughout the year, depending on the season. During the solstice, the Sun reaches its highest and lowest point in the sky. These correspond to mid-summer and mid-winter, respectively, which are turning points in the Sun's journey. When the Sun reaches its zenith on the summer solstice, it begins its journey towards the horizon, and on the winter solstice it reaches its lowest point on the horizon. In the weeks before these turning points, the Sun appears to move very little. This is called a "solar standstill".

Earth is not the Only Planet with Solstice!

The solstice is also observed on any planet with an oblique axis of rotation. It is also worth noting that the seasons on other planets are not climatologically similar to those on Earth for several reasons. First, planets vary in their axial tilt. For example, Venus' axis of rotation is tilted by only three degrees. Because of this almost vertical tilt, there is much less seasonal difference between the summer and winter solstices on Venus than on Earth.

In addition, planets like Mars have less circular orbits than Earth. This means that their distance from the Sun varies more dramatically than on Earth, and therefore has a greater impact on seasonal temperature.

The Earth's axial tilt plays a much greater role in the formation of the seasons than its near-circular orbit. The Earth is closest to the Sun during the Northern Hemisphere winter, about two weeks after the solstice on December 21. The Earth is farthest from the Sun during the summer months of the Northern Hemisphere, about two weeks after the solstice on June 21.

What will happen to your shadow length on December 22nd?

On the winter solstice, when you stand outside at noon and look at your shadow, you can see the longest shadow you will see all year. The reason for this can be explained as follows: Every day, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, drawing a virtual arc across the sky on its journey.

The height of this arc changes during the Earth's annual orbital motion around the Sun. As our planet orbits around the Sun, one pole tilts towards the Sun while the other pole tilts away from it. During the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun, so the "height of the arc" - the angular distance of the Sun from the horizon - is low and therefore your shadow appears long.

For many people, the winter solstice marks the turning of autumn into winter. But there is a difference between the winter solstice, the "astronomical first day of winter", and the first day of winter, the "meteorological first day of winter". Meteorologists determine the first day of winter each year based on temperature records.

Life According to Changes in Daylight

Some plants and animals organize their lives according to changes in daylight. For example, when the days get shorter, leaves lose their green color due to less daylight and lower temperatures. Since ancient times, people all over the world have also paid attention to this annual rhythm. In cultures around the world, the winter solstice is celebrated. Fire and light are traditional symbols of celebrations on this darkest day of the year.

However, there are some benefits of long nights, especially for stargazers who don't mind cold winter conditions. Cold winter days reward observers with clear skies and lower humidity compared to the summer months.

May you have a happy winter solstice and a clear sky...

[description] => It's time for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and the first day of "astronomical winter"! Solstices are the longest and shortest days of the year on a planet, marking the beginning of the next season. The longest day of the year marks the beginning of summer and is called the summer solstice. The shortest day marks the beginning of winter and is therefore called the winter solstice. Check out our blog on December 21, 2022 winter solstice and more! [keywords] => when is winter solstice, what is winter solstice, winter solstice longest night, what does winter solstice mean, what date is winter solstice, solstice short information, winter solstice, winter solstice night, northern winter solstice, december 21 winter solstice features, winter solstice turkey, winter summer solstices, what is solstice, what does solstice mean, when is solstice, solstice date, solstice meaning, 21 december what will happen, 21 december characteristics, 21 december longest night, 21 december 2022, 21 december earth's position towards the sun, 21 december situation, 21 december where is the longest night, 21 december night day durations, 21 december shadow length, 21 december sun rays, 21 december solstice, information about 21 december, characteristics of 21 december, importance of 21 december, 21 december planets, information about 21 december, the effects of the axial tilt, the longest shadow [extra] => [{"key":"","value":""}] [created_date] => 2022-12-19 15:48:47 [updated_date] => 2022-12-20 13:29:48 [lang] => en [active] => 1 [search] => 1 [facebook_piksel] => ) [2] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 868 [parent] => 23 [order] => 6 [lang_id] => 3c587da010ba6cb473dfc0985faf66b1 [title] => The Partner Schools Science Program (PSSP) is Celebrating its 20th Anniversary This Year [subtitle] => 08.01.2022 [header_img] => 0 [list_img] => 0 [summary] => The Partner Schools Science Program was established in 2002 by our late Founder, Kaya Tuncer, and ESBAŞ Chairwoman of the Board, Mary Tuncer, in order to bring children from all over the world together with Turkish students. [content] =>

The Partner Schools Science Program (PSSP), which started in 2002 and set out with the goal of global friendship, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Within the year-long program, participants from different countries take part in an international project and receive STEAM-based education on space sciences. This education may even affect the future career plans of the participants. Thanks to the Space Camp Turkey Group Manager, Mr. Tolga Yıldırım, the program took its current form over the years, and has been continuing for 20 years without deviating from its goal.

 

Within the program, an impossible feat was achieved with the technological conditions of that day, and 179 video conferences were held among NASA, partner school, and Space Camp Turkey.

Although NASA's Digital Learning Network system was shut down in 2015, Space Camp Turkey, which took quick action under the leadership of Mr. Tolga Yıldırım, established its own Digital Learning Center in the same year. The center has held more than 1,400 video conferences since 2015 with NASA-based educational packages and aims to increase this number to over 2000 with the participation of different countries.

The program brought students together from different countries such as the USA, England, Italy, and Poland with Turkish students in the field of space sciences and STEAM for one academic year. Afterwards, students from partner schools had the opportunity to meet face-to-face at Space Camp Turkey during the 6-day summer camp program, which was held under the name of E-Pal week. There was an utterly different excitement in the 2 different E-Pal weeks held this year. The 20th anniversary of the program was celebrated with great enthusiasm.

 

Students, who carried out researches and projects on the subjects they decided together with their teachers among from 10 training packages such as Mission Patches, Toys in Space, Solar System Vacation, and Planet Hunters, visited Space Camp Turkey on the weeks June 19-25 and June 26 - July 2.

  

As part of the events, the participants prepared their stands and gave presentations in order to show the studies they carried out throughout the year to other PSSP participants. Among the projects, there were many futuristic and realistic projects such as magnificent mission patches, toys that can be played with easily in a microgravity environment, and future space station models.

Arno den Toom, a plant biotechnologists and Space Camp Turkey alumni gave a magnificent presentation on growing plants in outer space, on the Moon, and on Mars, to the PSPP participants at Space Camp Turkey.

In the studies carried out with the Turkish Radio Amateurs Association (Izmir Branch), presentations were given about the amateur radio station used in the space station and amateur radio. Afterwards, participants from different countries had the opportunity to establish a radio connection with amateur radio operators in their own countries. During this amazing activity, the campers learned how to use the radio and how to become an amateur radio operator.

During the Special Events Night, prepared for campers to introduce their own cultures to the other campers from different countries, campers both had fun and experienced cultural exchange through local dances of Poland, presentation of cities of Romania, the history of Slovenia and Turkish traditions.

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of PSSP at the barbecue party, the last event held before graduation, the campers had fun with today's hit songs and local songs, and had the opportunity to exchange small souvenirs they brought with them.

 

Participants, receiving a certificate of participation in the Partner Schools Science Program and the certificate of participation to Space Camp Turkey during graduation ceremony, were also awarded with team awards and individual awards. Once again, we congratulate all of our campers who participated in the Partner Schools Science Program for one academic year and graduated from the program by participating in the special E-Pal Week held at Space Camp Turkey!

[description] => The Partner Schools Science Program was established in 2002 by our late Founder, Kaya Tuncer, and ESBAŞ Chairwoman of the Board, Mary Tuncer, in order to bring children from all over the world together with Turkish students. [keywords] => The Partner Schools Science Program, PSSP, global friendship, E-Pal Week, Partner Schools Science Program, The Special Events Night, different countries, Turkish Radio Amateurs Association, Space Camp Turkey alumni, Mission Patches, Toys in Space, Solar System Vacation, Planet Hunters, STEAM, NASA's Digital Learning Network, video conferences, STEAM-based education, NASA, partner school, Space Camp Turkey. [extra] => [{"key":"","value":""}] [created_date] => 2022-07-29 13:14:43 [updated_date] => 2022-09-05 12:49:42 [lang] => en [active] => 1 [search] => 1 [facebook_piksel] => ) [3] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 862 [parent] => 23 [order] => 7 [lang_id] => 95a9558a323f4ed5d7b69c0fe1801f7c [title] => Apollo 11 - Happy 53rd Anniversary of this Giant Leap of Mankind. [subtitle] => 07.20.2022 [header_img] => 0 [list_img] => upload/media/apollo-111.png [summary] => 53 yeras ago today; the words of Neil Armstrong, who took the first step on the moon, announced the magnificent achievement of mankind to the universe: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind..." [content] =>

On September 12, 1962, at the Rice University stadium in Texas, the following words of US President John F. Kennedy would mark the next 10 years, and humankind would set foot on the lunar surface for the first time: “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”

This speech began to form the west side of breakthroughs in space in many ways. In the east, the Soviet Union sent the first human, Yuri Gagarin, to space nearly a year before this speech and took the lead in the space race. The studies on the subject began quickly. But everything was still very new. Some special situations, producing special clothes suitable for space, and docking with each other in the space environment, which is called rendezvous would be learned step by step. The project of taking the first American into space, called Mercury, had come to an end, and 6 American astronauts were sent into space. The studies began for a new program to learn about all these issues, to discover different subjects, and find solutions to problems. The name of the program was "Gemini".

Mercury Program Crew

Astronauts, who were sent into space one by one in the Mercury program, were sent into space in pairs in a capsule in the Gemini program. During this program, NASA gained experience in topics such as extravehicular activities, docking-undocking, living in space for a long time, and NASA was almost ready to go to the Moon by the end of the program.

Ed White - Gemini Program - First Space Walk

The influence of Wernher von Braun, a German rocket engineer, was incredible in the program, which was called the "Apollo Program". Braun was already working for NASA on powerful rocket engines and bodies. However, the height of the rocket he was going to make now would be exactly 110 meters, and after 4 days of the journey in outer space, the rocket would carry human beings to the Moon.

Dr. Wernher von Braun - İsmail Akbay (The first Turkish Engineer to work at NASA)

The Saturn rockets consisted of 3 different groups. These; Saturn I, which was used for test flights, Saturn IB, which was a modification of Saturn I for the Apollo program and which would later carry the first American space station Skylab to space, and Saturn V, the 110-meter-long rocket carrying human beings to the Moon.

Saturn V Rocket

On January 27, 1967, there was great excitement at Kennedy Space Center. There was a Saturn IB rocket standing on the launch pad and the Apollo capsule atop the rocket. Astronauts were making final preparations for Apollo 1 which was scheduled for February 21 as the first mission of the Apollo Program.

Three astronauts, Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee, entered the Apollo capsule and began their work. However, since it was the first flight of the program, there were some problems. Even, Gus Grissom said to his friends at ground control due to a malfunction caused by the microphone, "How are we going to get to the Moon if we can't communicate between two or three buildings?” he lamented. A much bigger problem awaited them a few minutes later.

Since the capsule was not yet on a real mission, the capsule was completely filled with oxygen instead mixed with nitrogen. Since the oxygen can cause other materials that burn to ignite more easily and to burn far more rapidly, a tiny spark inside the Apollo 1 capsule turned into a fire. Although there were those who tried to help, the inwardly opening cover of the capsule could not be opened due to the pressure created by the fire inside, unfortunately, 3 professional astronauts lost their lives.

Apollo 1 Crew

Deke Slayton, the executive of the space programs, announced after the event that the missions will be carried out unmanned until everything is sure. Afterwards, all missions were carried out unmanned until the Apollo 7 mission. Astronauts orbited the Earth with Apollo 7, orbited the Moon with Apollo 8, and tested the Moon landing module on Apollo 9. In Apollo 10, almost everything was completed except landing on the Moon, the astronauts returned back to Earth within 15 kilometers of the Moon's surface as a part of the mission.

Apollo Mission Patches

On July 16, 1969, three astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins took their places in the Command Service Module. When the clock hit 13:32 (GMT), the countdown was completed and the 110-meter Saturn V rocket started the journey of 384,000 km with all its glory and roar. They reached lunar orbit on July 19. Soon after, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin moved on to the Lunar Landing Module, which was called "Eagle" for that mission, to become the first humans on the lunar surface. On July 20, 1969, at 20:17 GMT, the Eagle landed on the Moon's surface.

The words of Neil Armstrong, who took the first step on the moon, announced the magnificent achievement of mankind to the universe: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind..."

Happy 53rd anniversary of this giant leap of mankind.

[description] => 53 yeras ago today; the words of Neil Armstrong, who took the first step on the moon, announced the magnificent achievement of mankind to the universe: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind..." [keywords] => Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, Yuri Gagarin, Mercury program, 6 American astronauts, Gemini program, NASA, Apollo Program, Werner von Braun, Dr. Werner von Braun -İsmail Akbay, Saturn I, Saturn IB, Skylab, Kennedy Space Center, Apollo 1, Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee, Apollo capsule, Apollo 7, Apollo 8, Apollo 9, Apollo 10, Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, Michael Collins, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", [extra] => [{"key":"","value":""}] [created_date] => 2022-07-19 11:17:37 [updated_date] => 2022-07-20 14:16:38 [lang] => en [active] => 1 [search] => 1 [facebook_piksel] => ) [4] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 860 [parent] => 23 [order] => 8 [lang_id] => 83750158a7e678a3e0ec7fea802ee2f8 [title] => The Top 5 Data From The James Webb Space Telescope [subtitle] => 07.13.2022 [header_img] => 0 [list_img] => upload/media/en_list_img8.jpg [summary] => The first data from James Webb reached planet Earth on July 12, 2022! [content] =>

The countdown is complete! Here are the top 5 data from the James Webb Space Telescope!

The adventure, which started with the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990, continues today with the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb), which is much larger than Hubble and launched from French Guiana with the Ariane 5 rocket on December 25, 2021. We will be able to see in much greater detail what we see with Hubble and find definitive answers to questions about the nature of the universe. Webb, an international effort between NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency), was sent into space as a magnificent tool to investigate space objects that have appeared since the first formation of the universe.

Let's take a look at these data one by one.

1. Data: Deep Field: SMACS 0723 (The Deepest Infrared Image of Universe Yet)

This initial data was the most detailed infrared image ever taken of the farthest reaches of the universe. This stunningly detailed image of the SMACS 0723 galaxy cluster made history as the telescope's first deep-field study.

The telescope's advanced infrared cameras have helped the scientists to get a very clear view of the thousands of galaxies in the cluster. Although the image above seems like a huge area, it represents the size of a tiny grain of sand in a desert on Earth in our universe.

This image is actually an image of the cluster 4.6 billion years ago. Because of the finite speed of light, when you gaze up into the night sky, you are actually looking into the past. For example, the Sun is approximately 150 million kilometers away from the Earth, and according to Sun's distance to Earth in light year, every time we look at the Sun, we actually see 8.3 minutes before that moment. The massive mass of the SMACS 0723 galaxy cluster works like a gravitational lens, bending and stretching light from more distant galaxies. This is called the gravitational lensing effect. Due to this effect, you can see galaxies flattened at the edges of the center.

As Webb searches for the universe's earliest galaxies, scientists will soon start to discover more about the galaxies' masses, ages, histories, and compositions.

2. Data: Exoplanet: WASP-96 B (Steamy Atmosphere of Exoplanet in Detail)

Webb also collects information about exoplanets that our campers research in the training package called Planet Hunters during the distance learning programs.

Webb spotted water marks in the atmosphere of planet WASP-96 B, a hot gas giant orbiting a Sun-like star, and found spectacular evidence of clouds and fog forming on the planet.

This discovery, based on small variations in the brightness of light tones from the planet, thereby identifying the presence of certain gas molecules, is the most detailed study in this field to date. It also confirms Webb's incredible ability to probe atmospheres which are hundreds of light-years away.

3. Data: Stellar Death: Planetary Nebula NGC 3132 (Dying Star’s Final ‘Performance’)

The Southern Ring nebula, photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1998, is actually a nebula formed by the explosion of a medium-mass star. Although the dim star, in the center of this image has reached the end of its life, spewing gas and dust in all directionsfor millions of years, these gases and dusts can combine to form one or more planets within the nebula.

Two cameras aboard Webb obtained the most recent photograph of this planetary nebula, officially known as the Southern Ring Nebula and cataloged as NGC 3132. The nebula is about 2,500 light-years away from the Earth.

4. Data: Interacting Galaxies: Stephan's Quintet

Webb's powerful infrared vision and extremely high resolution cameras reveal details never seen before in this galaxy group. The image is dotted with glowing clusters of millions of young stars and starburst regions where new star birth takes place. Although called the quintet, only four of these galaxies actually interact with each other. The fifth and leftmost galaxy are closer to the Earth and do not interact with the others. The leftmost galaxy is only 40 million light-years away, while the other four are nearly 290 million light-years away.

This massive mosaic is Webb's largest image to date. It contains over 150 million pixels, which covers about one-fifth of the Moon's diameter and is made up of nearly 1,000 different image files. Webb's findings shed new light on how galactic interactions may have shaped galaxy evolution in the early universe.

5. Data: Star Forming Region: NGC 3324 In Carina Nebula

This landscape of "mountains" and "valleys" which covered by the shining stars is actually the young star-forming region known as NGC 3324 near the Carina Nebula. This image, captured with infrared light by the James Webb Space Telescope, reveals previously invisible stellar birth fields for the first time.

While this stunning image of Webb's "Cosmic Cliffs" looks like a landscape image of steep mountains on Earth, they are the boundary of NGC 3324's massive void in reality, with what appears to be a hilly area about 7 light-years high in this image. High ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from massive, hot, young stars above the area shown in this image created the recess in the left-middle portion of the image.

As we mentioned at the beginning, if you consider the universe as all of the beaches on the Earth, this is maybe a mineral molecule which is located in a grain of sand. In the future, we will learn more, be surprised more…

[description] => The countdown is complete! The first data from James Webb reached planet Earth on July 12, 2022! [keywords] => James Webb Space Telescope, Webb Telescope, Webb, space objects from webb, the farthest reaches of the universe, the furthest reaches of the universe, SMACS 0723, galaxy clusters, the southern ring nebula, NGC 3132, the quintet, NGC 3324, James webb data, webb data [extra] => [{"key":"","value":""}] [created_date] => 2022-07-13 17:00:19 [updated_date] => 2023-01-24 17:03:51 [lang] => en [active] => 1 [search] => 1 [facebook_piksel] => ) )