Earth as a sliver, photographed by the crew of Apollo 12 during their return from the Moon in November, 1969. Edited by yours truly since the original scan has a nasty colour cast on it.
(Source: ckck, via monkeyknifefight)
Introducing Kepler-62: A Star System With Two Earths?
Two Earth-sized planets have been discovered orbiting Kepler-62, a star approximately 1,200 light-years away, inside its habitable zone. Which, quite frankly, is bonkers.
“We’re particularly delighted to find that there are two planets in the habitable zone.” — lead Kepler scientist William Borucki
- Quadriplegic uses her mind to control her robotic arm.
- DARPA robot can traverse an obstacle course.
- Genetically modified silk is stronger than steel.
- DNA was photographed for the first time.
- Invisibility cloak technology took a huge leap forward.
- Spray-on skin.
- James Cameron reached the deepest known point in the ocean.
- Stem cells could extend human life by over 100 years.
- 3-D printer creates full-size house in one session.
- Self-driving cars are legal in Nevada, Florida, and California.
Voyager I leaves the solar system.- Custom Jaw transplant created with 3-D printer.
- Rogue planet[s] floating through space.
- Chimera monkey’s created from multiple embryos.
- Artificial leaves generate electricity.
- Google goggles bring the internet everywhere.
- Higgs-Boson Particle discovery.
- Flexible, inexpensive solar panels challenge fossil fuel.
- Diamond planet discovered.
- Eye implants give sight to the blind.
- Wales barcodes DNA of every flowering plant species in the country.
- First unmanned commercial space flight docks with the ISS.
- Ultra-flexible “willow” glass will allow for curved electronic devices.
- NASA begins using robotic exoskeletons.
- Human brain is hacked.
- First planet with four suns discovered.
- Microsoft patented the “Holodeck”.
Learn more about each of these scientific break-throughs and discoveries here.
The Antennae
A pair of interacting galaxies, NGC 4038/NGC 4039 or Caldwell 60/61, are currently going through a phase of starburst.
Credit: Star Shadows Remote Observatory and PROMPT/CTIO
(via likeaphysicist)
“Here’s an excuse to stay outside tonight that doesn’t (necessarily) involve any drunken shenanigans: according to Accuweather, we may be able to see a display of the northern lights over the city Saturday! They write: “The [solar] flare is also expected to cause vibrant northern lights from the Arctic as far south as New York, the Dakotas, Washington and Michigan, with a smaller possibility of it going into Pennsylvania and Iowa, even Kansas.” — Accuweather
Images: Accuweather
From Article:
A solar flare that occurred around 2 a.m. Thursday morning may create a spectacular display of northern lights Saturday evening. The midlevel flare had a long duration and was directed at Earth. According to AccuWeather.com Astronomer Hunter Outten, who stated that this flare was “impressive”, these are the best conditions for seeing a direct effect on our planet. On the Kp index, the flare has been categorized at 6 to 8. This is a scale for measuring the intensity of a a geomagnetic storm. The 6 to 8 rating means that the effects of the radiation will have a greater reach.
The radiation from such a flare may cause radio wave disturbances to electronics such as cell phones, GPS and radios, causing services to occasionally cut in and out. While traveling slower than was originally anticipated, the flare effects are moving towards Earth at 1000 km per second.
The flare is also expected to cause vibrant northern lights from the Arctic as far south as New York, the Dakotas, Washington and Michigan, with a smaller possibility of it going into Pennsylvania and Iowa, even Kansas. The lights are currently estimated for 8 p.m. EDT Saturday arrival, with a possible deviation of up to seven hours. If the radiation hits much after dark settles on the East Coast the lights may be missed and will instead only be visible for the West.
Solar flares create auroras when radiation from the sun reaches Earth and interacts with charged protons in our atmosphere. The effects are greater at the magnetic poles and weaken as they move south from the Arctic or north of the Antarctic. In the northern hemisphere the results are called the aurora borealis, with the aurora australis being its southern counterpart. The result is a spectacular display of light and color for areas with clear enough views.
Reminder: The Amateur Astronomy Association of NY is hosting a starfest event and will be located in great viewing conditions (unless it rains or gets too cloudy) for the aurora as well.
(via likeaphysicist)
9 Exoplanets That Could Host Alien Life
As of December 2012, the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog lists nine planets that have the best chance for life beyond our solar system. Not all of these planets are confirmed, and there’s still a lot to learn about their environments. But the catalog gives astrobiologists a great place to start when talking about life beyond Earth.
Here, according to the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, are the nine planets we know of that are most likely to host alien life.
Gliese 581gThis planet is a controversial find. It was discovered in 2010, but there has been difficulty in getting it confirmed. Still, the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo calls Gliese 581 the top candidate for alien life. If confirmed, this rocky world is about 20 light-years away from Earth’s sun, and is two to three times as massive as Earth. It orbits its parent star, Gliese 581, about every 30 days in the constellation Libra.Gliese 667CcAnother “super-Earth”, Gliese 667Cc is also close by Earth: about 22 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. The planet is at least 4.5 times bigger than Earth, and takes 28 days to make an orbit around its parent star. GJ 667C – the parent star – is actually part of a triple-star system. The star is an M-class dwarf star that is about a third of the mass of Earth’s sun.Kepler-22bWhile Kepler-22b is bigger than Earth, it circles a star that is quite close in size and temperature to Earth’s sun. Kepler-22b is 2.4 times Earth’s size and, assuming its greenhouse effect is similar to Earth’s, has an estimated surface temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius.) Its star system is about 600 light-years away from Earth’s sun, in the constellation Cygnus.HD 40307g“Super-Earth” HD 40307g orbits comfortably inside the habitable zone of its parent star. It lies about 42 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Pictor. It is so close by that future telescopes may be able to peer at its surface. It orbits its parent star about 56 million miles (90 million kilometers) away, which is just over half of the Earth-sun distance of 93 million miles (150 million kilometers).HD 85512bHD 85512b was announced in 2011 as part of a treasure trove of 50 planets discovered by the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher instrument, or HARPS, in Chile. This planet is about 3.6 times more massive than Earth. It lives about 35 light-years away from Earth’s sun, in the constellation Vela (the Sail). Researchers are hoping to one day figure out if there is water on its surface.Tau Ceti eThe planet candidate Tau Ceti e, which was detected in December 2012, is found just 11.9 light-years from Earth. This world is a “super-Earth” at least 4.3 times as massive as Earth. Depending on its atmosphere, Tau Ceti e could be a mildly hot planet suitable for simple life, or a scorching world like Venus.Gliese 163cThe mass of Gliese 163c puts the planet in a gray zone. The planet is seven times the mass of Earth, which could make it a very large rocky planet or a dwarf gas giant. Gliese 163c whirls around its dim planet star every 26 days, at a distance of 50 light-years away from Earth. Its parent star is in the constellation Dorado.Gliese 581dAt least one study supposes that Gliese 581d might have a thick, carbon dioxide atmosphere. It is about seven times more massive than Earth, orbits a red dwarf star, and is a sister planet to the also-potentially-habitable Gliese 581g. At just 20 light-years away from the sun, Gliese 581d is essentially in Earth’s backyard.Tau Ceti fTau Ceti f is a super-Earth candidate like its sibling Tau Ceti e, but it orbits close to the outer edge of Tau Ceti’s habitable zone. Tau Ceti f is at least 6.6 times as massive as Earth and could be suitable for life, if its atmosphere traps significant amounts of heat.
(via likeaphysicist)
