Author Archives: Allen Versfeld

About Allen Versfeld

Allen is an amateur astronomer, an IT professional, a podcaster, a father of five growing kids, a barely competent chess player, and the owner and publisher of the Urban Astronomer podcast and website. He has formerly served as Director of the Astrophotography and Citizen Science sections of the Astronomical Society of South Africa. You can find his personal social media feed on Mastodon!

Traffic Jams in Space

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on by

By Michael Neale NASA recently avoided a traffic jam in space. The Endeavour shuttle launch to the ISS was postponed, because a Russian cargo ship was scheduled to arrive during the same time. It is not really turn point news in the timeline of space development, but I cannot help feel a tinge of excitement as things like this start happening. Normally our space faring fantasies spotlight landing people on Mars, building an orbital hotel, colonizing the moon, melting the … Continue reading →

Real Life

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on by

Real life has a way of interfering with one’s plans.  When I started this project, I didn’t anticipate how much upcoming events would impact my time.  But impact they did, to the point where I haven’t touched my mirror in almost a month, and don’t expect to start pushing glass again for at least another week.  This is the way of things. For the curious, here’s are some valid reasons for shelving your mirror grinding project: Your mother-in-law is getting … Continue reading →

Planetary Forensics

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on by

Jupiter showing its bruises after being pelted with fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.Credit: Hubble Space Telescope Comet Team July 1994.  The planet Jupiter reels under the impact from a series of high-velocity objects slamming into its thick soupy atmosphere.  Witnesses on Earth watch breathlessly as Jupiter turns slowly, revealing 21 black wounds slowly spreading their stain across Jupiter’s striped waist.  All fingers point accusingly at comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which astronomers knew to be hellbent on its suicide mission against Jupiter … Continue reading →

SASRA – What’s in it for us?

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on by

This is the first of a series of guest posts by Michael Neale, president of the South African Space Resources Association (SASRA).   What is in it for us? – the Earthly benefits of developing space. By Michael Neale If you are reading this article, changes are you are pro-space development. Even so, you might still have wondered whether space development is economically justifiable. Sure, we do it to broaden our knowledge, and because it is satisfying, and it will … Continue reading →

Elektro-L Earth Images

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on by

Russia’s new Elektro-L weather satellite has recently announced its presence by returning some truly stunning high-resolution whole-Earth images.  Launched in January this year, Elektro-L is parked in a geostationary orbit above the Indian Ocean, where it will monitor both oceanic conditions and local space weather, and will be used for both global and local weather forecasts. Elektro-L is noteworthy in that it is the first spacecraft that Russia has conceived, designed, built and launched since the fall of the Soviet … Continue reading →