2009 December 31 - Dust and the Helix Nebula Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2009 December 31 Explanation: Dust makes this cosmic eye look red. The eerie Spitzer Space Telescope image shows infrared radiation from the well-studied Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) a mere 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. The two light-year diameter shroud of dust and gas around a central white dwarf has long been considered an excellent example of a planetary nebula, representing the final stages in the evolution of a sun-like star.
AP15_8.jpg from usgs.gov - StumbleUpon Astronaut Andre Kuipers Shares Stunning Images of Earth from Space EmailEmail In space, 28,000 km/h, 400 km above Earth, Dutch astronaut and physician Andre Kuipers is currently on a 191-days research mission at the International Space Station. Lately, he’s been sharing with the world some of the most amazing views of our beloved home planet up from his perspective. Don’t feel surprised to know that the breathtaking imagery is shot using only his Nikon D3S and not a sophisticated satellite photo-snapping device. The spectacular views of the universe’s constant activity and the spectrum of colors it offers is absolutely magnificent. TV Shows ಠ_ಠ 11 cheap gifts guaranteed to impress science geeks | DVICE - StumbleUpon Science comes up with a lot of awesome stuff, and you don't need a Ph.D, a secret lab, or government funding to get your hands on some of the coolest discoveries. We've got a list of 11 mostly affordable gifts that are guaranteed to blow your mind, whether or not you're a science geek. Click on any image to see it enlarged. 1. Also known as frozen smoke, Aerogel is the world's lowest density solid, clocking in at 96% air. Aerogel isn't just neat, it's useful. Price: $35 2. Inside these sealed glass balls live shrimp, algae, and bacteria, all swimming around in filtered seawater. EcoSpheres came out of research looking at ways to develop self-contained ecosystems for long duration space travel. Price: $80 3. NASA has been trying to figure out how to get a sample of rock back from Mars for a while now. Every once in a while, a meteorite smashes into Mars hard enough to eject some rocks out into orbit around the sun. Price: $70+ 4. Price: $150 5. So what's next year's new color going to be? 6.
Breathtaking views of an alien world: Panoramas made from pictures sent back by Curiosity show how it might look to stand on the surface of Mars Images of Mars have been stitched together by amateur enthusiastsThey show the vista as seen by Curiosity as it trundles about in the planet's Gale CraterScientists have found chemical make-up of the Martian rock is the same as ones found in Hawaii and St. Helena By Kerry Mcqueeney and Damien Gayle Published: 16:13 GMT, 12 October 2012 | Updated: 18:37 GMT, 12 October 2012 If you've ever wondered what it's like to stand on the surface of an alien world, drink in these breathtaking pictures of the surface of Mars. These incredible panoramas have been stitched together by amateur enthusiasts from images sent back from the Red Planet by Nasa's Curiosity rover. The interplanetary probe is currently investigating the Gale Crater, which sits just south of the Martian equator. Scroll down for video The surface of an alien world: This breathtaking panoramic image was stitched together by Stuart Atkinson from photos received by Nasa yesterday Click here for the full, hi-res panoramic version.
Your Age on Other Worlds | Exploratorium - StumbleUpon Want to melt those years away? Travel to an outer planet! <div class="js-required"><hr> This Page requires a Javascript capable browser <hr></div> Fill in your birthdate below in the space indicated. (Note you must enter the year as a 4-digit number!) The Days (And Years) Of Our Lives Looking at the numbers above, you'll immediately notice that you are different ages on the different planets. The earth is in motion. The top-like rotation of the earth on its axis is how we define the day. The revolution of the earth around the sun is how we define the year. We all learn in grade school that the planets move at differing rates around the sun. Why the huge differences in periods? Johannes Kepler Tycho Brahe Kepler briefly worked with the great Danish observational astronomer, Tycho Brahe. Here you see a planet in a very elliptical orbit. Kepler's third law is the one that interests us the most. Let's just solve for the period by taking the square root of both sides: Isaac Newton
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