Two Suns? Twin Stars Could Be Visible From Earth By 2012 By Dean Praetorius | HuffingtonPost.com Earth could be getting a second sun, at least temporarily. Dr. When that happens, for at least a few weeks, we’d see a second sun, Carter says. The Star Wars-esque scenario could happen by 2012, Carter says... or it could take longer. But doomsday sayers should be careful about speculation on this one. In fact, a neutrino shower could be beneficial to Earth. UPDATE: To clarify, the news.com.au article does not say a neutrino shower could be beneficial to Earth, but implies a supernova could be beneficial, stating, "Far from being a sign of the apocalypse, according to Dr Carter the supernova will provide Earth with elements necessary for survival and continuity." UPDATE II: In a follow-up piece on news.com.au, Dr. Article from: huffingtonpost.com Top Image: Source Tune Into Related Red Ice Radio Programs: Alex Putney - Messages of Resonance Change in 2012, Betelgeuse & Modern Alchemy Will Hart - Solar Flare Apocalypse & Comets
Black holes were first identified in Einsteins general relativity Ask any kid about the coolest thing they've learned in science. If they're still in elementary school, they'll tell you about dinosaurs, particularly the T Rex. By the time they're in middle school, however, a different kind of carnivore will be high on their list. But this one doesn't have legs and nine inch teeth. This monster preys on galaxies. German astrophysicist Karl Schwarzschild calculated the first rigorous solution to the field equations in Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity while serving on the Russian front during World War 1. When Einstein developed relativity theory, it took him about ten years to work out the math using a daunting form of mathematics called tensor calculus. Schwarzschild was also a German patriot, so he set aside his astronomical studies when World War 1 erupted and enlisted in the army. Significantly, it provided support for a, then, seemingly implausible situation about the effects of severely compressed matter on gravity and energy.
Astronomers discover two planets orbiting a two-star system : University of Hawaiʻi System News Artist's rendition of the Kepler-47 system. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle A team of astronomers, including University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Associate Astronomer Nader Haghighipour, has discovered the first two-planet system orbiting two stars. Known as Kepler-47 because the data came from the Kepler spacecraft, this planetary system demonstrates that complete planetary systems can exist around a pair of stars. The system contains the smallest known planet orbiting a pair of binary stars. More important, the outer planet’s orbit and the spectral types of the stars (G and M) place the planet well within the “habitable zone,” the region where a terrestrial planet could have liquid water on its surface. Adapted from a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Institute of Astronomy news release.
Black Holes Click here to go to the JPU200Y home page. Click here to go to the Physics Virtual Bookshelf Click here to go to the UPSCALE home page. Introduction: "A luminous star, of the same density as the Earth, and whose diameter should be two hundred and fifty times larger than that of the Sun, would not, in consequence of its attraction, allow any of its rays to arrive at us; it is therefore possible that the largest luminous bodies in the universe may, through this cause, be invisible." -- Pierre Laplace, The System of the World, Book 5, Chapter VI (1798). Evolution of Stars Clouds of Hydrogen begin condensing into more dense clusters due to gravitation. When this "fuel" is exhausted, there are three possible outcomes, depending on the total mass of the star: If the mass of the star is less than about 1.2 solar masses, the star becomes a spinning ball of dead slag, gradually cooling down as it radiates away its thermal energy. Another Approach to Black Holes The Wormhole Solution -- e.e. cummings
Scientists discover one of the biggest structures in the Universe By Seth Borenstein | Associated Press Scientists have found a cosmic supermom. It’s a galaxy that gives births to more stars in a day than ours does in a year. Astronomers used NASA’s Chandra X-Ray telescope to spot this distant gigantic galaxy creating about 740 new stars a year. The galaxy is about 5.7 billion light years away in the center of a recently discovered cluster of galaxies that give off the brightest X-ray glow astronomers have seen. But this is the size, type and age of galaxy that shouldn’t be producing stars at such a rapid pace, said the authors of a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. "It’s very extreme," said Harvard University astronomer Ryan Foley, co-author of the study. The unnamed galaxy — officially known by a string of letters and numbers — is about 3 trillion times the size of our sun, said study lead author Michael McDonald of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There’s another strange thing about this galaxy.
10 Awesome Online Classes You Can Take For Free Cool, but you need iTunes for nearly everything, and that gets an 'F.' Are there really no other places to get these lessons? I was sure there are some on Academic Earth. Flagged 1. 7 of them are available via YouTube. 2. iTunes is free. 1. 2. Don't worry, we're looking out for you! While I have no personal beef with iTunes, I know that many people share your sentiments — so I actually made a concerted effort to include relevant youtube links when possible.
Spectacular Photos from the ISS by cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin [50 pics Spectacular photos by Cosmonaut Yurchikhin: Triggerpit staff: “Purple sea around a what looks like an atoll. The image is very powerful and we would very much like to know where this is so we can plan our next vacation trip.”From Laura in Comments below: “Nikumaroro or Gardener Island of the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati – identified with Google Image search for similar images” Photo Credit: Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and the Russian Space Agency Press Services Presenting the Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, and his fantastic photographs from the International Space Station. Cosmonauts are the Russian equivalent to Astronauts and this Russian Hero has been in space not once or twice but three times. In 2002 he flew on the Shuttle STS-112, and he later, twice went on the ISS in 2007 and finally in 2010. All photos below are taken by Astronaut Yurchikihin and posted with the permission of the Russian Space Agency. Triggerpit staff: “The golden horizon we call this one.
Space Science - Herschel detects abundant water in planet-forming disc Herschel detects abundant water in planet-forming disc Detection of water vapour in the spectrum of TW Hydrae's protoplanetary disc 20 October 2011 ESA’s Herschel space observatory has found evidence of water vapour emanating from ice on dust grains in the disc around a young star, revealing a hidden ice reservoir the size of thousands of oceans. TW Hydrae, a star between 5-10 million years old, and only 176 light-years away, is in the final stage of formation, and is surrounded by a disc of dust and gas that may condense to form a complete set of planets. It is believed that a large proportion of Earth’s water may have come from ice-laden comets that bombarded our world during and after its formation. This new detection is the first of its kind and has been made possible by Herschel’s HIFI instrument. "These comets we believe became a contributing source of water for the planets." Artist's impression of the TW Hydrae protoplanetary disc