NIST tests underscore potential hazards of green laser pointers

Using a low-cost apparatus designed to quickly and accurately measure the properties of handheld laser devices, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers tested 122 laser pointers and found that nearly ...

Webcams offer a low-cost way to tune lasers for serious science

Every photon in a laser beam marches in lockstep, at an identical wavelength that depends on what the laser is used for – for example, infrared lasers that drive the optic fiber internet. For many applications, lasers need ...

International Space Station salutes the Sun

(Phys.org)—This weekend the International Space Station will turn itself to position ESA's SOLAR instrument for a better view of the Sun. It will be the first time the Station has changed attitude for scientific reasons ...

Scientist turn focus to Titan

(Phys.org)—Humanity has landed a rover on Mars. Now, say scientists, it's time to land a boat on Titan. This outlandish scenario could become reality, according to engineers presenting their proposals at the European Planetary ...

New RBSP instrument telemetry provides 'textbook' excitement

(Phys.org)—In the very early hours of Sept. 1 – just under two days since the 4:05 a.m. EDT launch of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes – the team at the RBSP Mission Operations Center (MOC) controlling spacecraft ...

NASA explains why clocks will get an extra second on June 30

If the day seems a little longer than usual on Saturday, June 30, 2012, that's because it will be. An extra second, or "leap" second, will be added at midnight to account for the fact that it is taking Earth longer and longer ...

Dams -- what goes up must come down, and then what?

Time can take its toll on a dam. As dams age, they are more costly to repair and the risk of a catastrophic dam break increases--putting property and lives at risk. But, removing them can mean big changes to the community, ...

Researchers study collective behavior of nanosatellites

Scientists from the Skoltech Space Center (SSC) have developed nanosatellite interaction algorithms for scientific measurements using a tetrahedral orbital formation of CubeSats that exchange data and apply interpolation ...

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