By Tim KravetzPublished Nov 11, 2017 11:06:22The moon, the planets and the planets of our solar system have all contributed to shaping human civilization.
But how well do we understand the past, present and future?
The Moon is a key part of this, according to a new study by The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and it’s a topic we will be discussing at our event-driven architecture conference.
The team behind the study, which will be held on Nov. 18, was led by senior lecturer and lunar architecture professor Adam Stegall.
“Our work is part of a new approach to understanding the history of the Earth, the moon, and the solar system.
Our goal is to understand the processes that shaped our history and to help us understand the future of the solar systems,” said Stegart.
This is not the first time The University has focused on the Moon.
The last conference on the topic of lunar architecture, which took place in November 2017, was hosted by The Moon, the Stars, and Other Wonders.
In that event, the conference explored the history and future of lunar technology.
The conference was sponsored by the Lunar and Planetary Institute.
In this latest study, Stegar said, we’re taking a different approach.
He said that the goal of the project is to use the moon as a model for a more detailed view of our past and future.
“The moon is the most interesting place on Earth.
It’s not only a big, beautiful, beautiful planet, but it’s also the only place on the planet that has a history that’s completely different from the one that we have today,” Stegard said.
“It’s a very unique place, and that’s what’s going to help people to understand how the solar wind works on the moon.”
For the next several months, the team will be presenting the results of their research in a video-taped presentation at The Moon’s annual conference.
Stegart said that in order to be able to understand past and present lunar architecture and how it might influence the future, it’s important to look beyond our own historical and current experiences.
“We’re going to take a historical perspective, but we’re going take a holistic perspective.
That means looking at the evolution of structures on Earth,” Stesgart said.
The team will present their findings during a panel on the history, design and evolution of lunar structures at the event.
The event-based architecture conference is one of the largest conferences in the world.
It is the largest conference in the history with over 30,000 attendees and takes place every year in Chicago.
This year’s conference will take place on Nov 12-14, 2018.


304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Unlock the Secrets of Space Reproduction with SpaceBorn United! Dive into the ambitious mission to conceive and even give birth in space. Discover the groundbreaking research reshaping our future on Earth and beyond.
In this new era of space tourism and prospective human settlements beyond Earth, scientists are venturing into the exploration of reproduction in space. SpaceBorn United, a Netherlands-based company, is dedicated to the idea of conceiving and potentially birthing babies in space, whether through artificial means or naturally.
Dr. Egbert Edelbroek, the CEO of SpaceBorn United, expressed the motivation behind their mission: “There are numerous compelling reasons to look beyond Earth and expand the boundaries of human habitation. Earth is facing challenges like climate change, potential asteroid threats, artificial intelligence concerns, and even nuclear risks. Having a backup plan is a prudent approach.”
The company has developed a miniaturized IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) and embryo incubator, poised for deployment on a mission aimed at assessing humanity’s capacity to reproduce in the space environment. This mission is currently slated for launch in 2025.
SpaceBorn’s primary objective is to investigate conception and early embryo development in the unique conditions of space. Dr. Edelbroek elaborated on their vision, stating, “If we aspire to establish human settlements on celestial bodies like Mars and aim for their self-sufficiency, addressing the challenge of reproduction becomes paramount.”
He pointed out that significant resources have been invested in engineering and infrastructure for Mars settlements, yet the aspect of reproduction has been somewhat overlooked. “These settlements will eventually host inhabitants, which necessitates comprehensive life science research,” he emphasized.
While SpaceBorn is presently concentrated on the initial phases of reproduction research in space, its long-term mission encompasses the aspiration to achieve childbirth beyond Earth’s confines. Additionally, their research not only advances our understanding of reproductive biology but also offers potential enhancements in the success rates of IVF treatments on Earth, making it a dual-purpose endeavour.
In summary, SpaceBorn United is embarking on a groundbreaking journey to explore the beginnings of human life in space, with the ultimate goal of enabling childbirth beyond Earth. This endeavour not only supports the future of space settlements but also contributes to the advancement of reproductive science.


While everything is going on around us, all the mundane, the tragic, the upsetting, the hopeful, the challenging , the new... stars are being formed. Galaxies are colliding. Cosmic dust is coalescing or expanding, heating in a dance of friction and fusion or cooling and dissipating into the blackness of space. It's all happening and it is beautiful. It is orderly and and chaotic at the same time. It is a metaphor for our lives here. All is born, all lives, all dies, only to be reborn again. All is beautiful.
I have found comfort in this phenomenon since I was old enough to look up and grasp what I was seeing. I always felt like I was looking at "home" and I was. We are small and huge at the same time. We are individuals and part of systems, like stars in a galaxy. We are also galaxies in a universe.
Look closely at the last picture, borrowed from one of my favorite websites, NASA.com. The little spirals and lines are not stars, they are galaxies. Each galaxy has billions of stars, there are billions of galaxies in the universe, and now scientists are beginning to accept that there may be more than just one universe. There may actually be a mother universe that holds many many universes.
Perspective gives you the power to know more than just what is in the scope of your headlights. Perspective may stretch and span beyond time and space. You may begin to feel like you are a part of something bigger and that there is nothing to fear. There is no beginning and no end to anything.
You are beautiful just because you are. You are perfect in whatever state of perceived order or chaos you are wrapped in today.


• ApJ paper: On Shocks Driven by High-mass Planets in Radiatively Inefficient Disks. I. Two-dimensional Global Disk Simulations (Richert et al. 2015)
• ApJ paper: On Shocks Driven by High-mass Planets in Radiatively Inefficient Disks. II. Three-dimensional Global Disk Simulations (Lyra et al. 2016)
• Talk slides: Modeling the observational signatures of planets in circumstellar disks (Spring 2016)
I am collaborating with Dr. Wladimir Lyra on hydrodynamical simulations of protoplanetary disks. So far, we have examined the interactions between protoplanetary disks and embedded massive planets (i.e. we assume these planets to have already formed). Results from such studies have implications for observations of these systems, and also make predictions about the observed properties of mature planetary systems (“mature” in this case meaning after several million years when the gas of the disk has been depleted due to stellar accretion and evaporation).
Using the Pencil Code, we performed an ensemble of simulations to explore the dynamics of planet–disk interactions. While this general problem has been under study for many years, no single simulation or small ensemble of simulations can incorporate all of the physical phenomena at play in disks (due to the limits both of modern computing power and the human brain— no code currently exists that could hope to achieve this task). Massive protoplanets (around Jupiter-size and larger) create shocks in the gas of their disks due to their strong gravitational pull, however typically computer models have made use of the locally isothermal approximation for the gas, meaning that the temperature of each parcel of gas in the disk does not change. Any heating due to shocks will therefore not be observed in such simulations, along with any resulting effects on the global structure of the disk.
Our simulations with the Pencil Code suggest that the effect of shock heating due to interactions between massive protoplanets and disks is potentially significant, which has implications both for observations of these systems and for our understandings of the evolution of planets and disks. Our 3D results (Lyra et al. 2016) show that the effect of shock heating is not as stark as in the 2D case, but nonetheless the spiral shocks induced by a massive planet are an appreciable source of energy in the disk.


You can also appreciate sunrise at Maryang-ri just like that at Jeongdong-jin of the East Sea. Sunrise of the West sea is resulted from the revolution and rotation of the earth. The sun rises from the southeast of Maryang-ri for 60 days around January 22.
Many tourists visit here because you can see the sunrise from November to the middle of February when sunrise is focused on mainly. You can also appreciate the glow of setting sun at the same place. "Maryangpo sunrise feat" is held every year with the support of Seocheon-gun.


Hunting for dark energy with the WiggleZ
Dark energy (HubbleSite, USA)
Dark energy (Universe Forum, Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, USA)
Swinburne University of Technology (Australia)
WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey
Provides brief information on the researchers involved and the science behind the WiggleZ survey to detect the effects of dark energy.
The WiggleZ of the universe
A ten minute podcast describing the WiggleZ survey to measure dark energy.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian scientists measure dark energy wiggles (The World Today, 8 May 2009)
Describes efforts to understand dark energy through the WiggleZ program.
The hunt for dark energy (In Depth, 2 April 2009)
Clearly explains the WiggleZ project to measure dark energy.
Inflation model for the universe (The Science Show, 7 March 2009)
Transcript of an interview discussing inflation of the universe and dark energy.
Dark energy pushing universe apart (News in Science, 17 December 2008)
Describes X-ray measurements of galaxy clusters confirming that dark energy has slowed down their growth.
Dark energy a furphy, says new paper (Catalyst, 21 December 2007)
Provides an alternative explanation to dark energy for the perceived acceleration of the universe.
Dark energy (Catalyst, 13 April 2006)
Transcript of a story on dark energy, including discussions with Australian researchers using supernovae to measure the effect of dark energy.
The High-Z SN search (Australian National University)
Explains the important High-Z Supernova Search, led by Australian astronomer Brian Schmidt, which discovered dark energy in 1998. By using supernovae to measure the expansion of the universe, Schmidt’s team discovered it was accelerating.
Describes a survey that measured the effect of sound waves from the early universe on galaxy distribution, providing information on the properties of dark energy.
The universe from beginning to end (Australian Academy of Science)
Transcript of a lecture by Professor Brian Schmidt in which he discusses the accelerating expansion of the universe and evidence for dark energy.
External sites are not endorsed by the
Australian Academy of Science.
Posted June 2009, edited September 2012.


Elon Musk’s SpaceX company will launch the third-generation GPS satellite of the US Space Force into orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket launches from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral, Florida. After the separation of the stages, SpaceX will land the first stage of the Falcon 9 on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean.
The spacecraft will deploy in orbit approximately 1 hour 29 minutes after launch. A total of 32 third-generation GPS satellites are planned to be launched into orbit. They will replace the ones that now provide GPS signals around the planet.
There are already three such satellites in orbit. Recall that in September 2020, the US Space Force Center for Space and Rocket Systems announced an agreement with SpaceX on future missions to launch spacecraft for national security purposes.


Model/Stylist/Mentor: The Fabulous Tanya Dakin
24 years old gay guy from Venezuela........Bussiness Manager/Future Architect/Sometimes Writer....
LOVE Britney "Godney" Spears, Adele, Harry Potter, Games of Thrones, The Hunger Games, Revenge, Azelia Banks and some much more.....Just ask me if you want to know me!
A peanut in the middle of our galaxy
It turns out that the center of our galaxy resembles the shape of a peanut according to new research. UCLA’s R. Michael Rich is looking to map this dense inner region of the Milky Way. It can be thought of as a big metropolitan area with “stellar suburbs” of stars at the edges that can be anywhere from a few million years old to some 12 billion years old.
The way he plans to do this is to use images taken from a 500 megapixel camera - To put that in another way, an image taken from this camera would need 250 computer screens to view. So a supercomputer will then parse through that data and reduce the images for viewing.
Rich hopes to use this study to better understand how our galaxy has formed and evolved over time.


This etched and oxidized lunar phase necklace is great for wearing alone or layered with your favorite necklaces. Each phase of the moon has its own meaning. New moons are for beginnings, for example, while the waning moon is believed to be a good time for clearing negative influences.
Material: Oxidized Sterling Silver, Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver.
Size: The pendant is approx. 25 mm in length and comes on an 18 inch rhodium plated box chain.
The first time I heard my child say these words I just melted. Such a sweet sentiment with an equally powerful meaning. Wear our sterling...View full product details


The Belt of Venusabove the shadow of the earth at sunset, opposite the setting sun
at Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine
on October 4, 2016, sketched on October 6, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00
"The Belt of Venus, or Venus's Girdle, is an atmospheric phenomenon seen at sunrise and sunset when the observer is, or is very nearly, surrounded by a pinkish glow that extends roughly 10°–20° above the horizon, caused by backscattering of reddened sunlight, and seen above the dark band of the shadow of the earth, even after the sun sets."


Overview. Star Tracer is a Windows program that can be used to improve and enhance "star-trail" photographs. Its two main functions are:
Star Tracer works by calculating the path of the stars, and then using that information to either fill in the gaps and/or extend the length of star-trails.
Introduction. As the long-exposure capabilities of digital cameras have improved, they have become increasingly suitable for use in long-exposure "star-trail" photography, capturing the apparent motion of the stars across the sky as the Earth rotates. Star-trail images can be created by leaving the camera's shutter open for minutes or hours at a time. The longer the exposure, the longer the trails. A more flexible approach is to take a number of shorter exposures and then combine those images together using software to create a "synthetic" long exposure. Tawbaware's Image Stacker program makes this task very easy, and offers several blending modes to ensure that the sky does not appear over-exposed...something that can be problematic with star-trail images taken in a single long exposure.
One of the problems with the stacking approach is that most cameras typically pause for a short time between exposures. And, these pauses show up as "gaps" in the resulting stacked image. Even when using a remote-control device to automate the triggering of the shutter, most cameras pause for some period between exposures. And, many cameras perform "noise-reduction" immediately after capturing a long-exposure image, a process that can cause the camera to pause for several seconds before another image can be taken. Regardless of the reason why the camera pauses between exposures, the resulting stacked image often shows visible gaps. The image on the left above shows a stacked image consisting of 8 images taken with 12 second exposures. The camera paused for 3 seconds between each image, and these 3 second pauses appear as small gaps in the star-trails.
Gap Filling. Photographers have developed some techniques for minimizing and/or eliminating these gaps, but nothing really satisfactory that works well for a broad range of cameras, until now. Star Tracer can "fill in the gaps" in stacked images. It does this by calculating the trajectory of the stars and then using that information to precisely fill in the gaps. Gaps of any length can be filled using this technique...even if the gaps are larger than the individual trail segments themselves.
Star-trail Extension. A second use of Star Tracer is to extend the length of star-trails in any star-trail image. Once Star Tracer has computed the trajectory of the stars, it is a simple matter to extend the trails left by the stars.
How it Works. Conceptually, there are two main steps in using Star Tracer. The first main step is providing enough information to Star Tracer so that it can determine the path of the stars. This is done by drawing several "star lines" on the image. These lines tell Star Tracer about the path followed by individual stars in your image. Star Tracer uses this information to "optimize" the project...determining the trajectory of all the stars in the image. Even short star-trails (e.g. 60 seconds) contain enough information for Star Tracer to determine the trajectory that the stars will take over the course of several hours.
The second main step is creating the output image. Once the project has been optimized, Star Tracer can "rotate" the image by any amount and any number of times requested. You can choose to output the result as a single image, a series of images or a multi-layer Photoshop file.
Documentation. Star Tracer offers many more features than described here. The complete Star Tracer documentation (with additional screenshots) is available here.
Download Here. Download Star Tracer
Purchase and License Details. Star Tracer is shareware...meaning you are expected to "register" it (i.e. pay a small amount) to purchase the program. Before it has been registered, Star Tracer places several small watermarks on the images it creates, but no other restrictions/limitations are imposed. You can purchase a registration license code for Star Tracer on-line. Star Tracer is currently in public beta testing. During this period, the license price is discounted by 25% compared to regular price.
Contact. Please find contact details on


Photo of Pavlof’s main crater on 7/22/17 as seen from the west. Note the vent at the base of the main crater appears to be the main source of gas emissions.
Image courtesy of the AVO/UAF-GI.
Please cite the photographer and the Alaska Volcano Observatory / University of Alaska Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute when using this image.
To obtain a high-resolution image, open the full size
page. Then, right click on the image and click
"Save Image As..." or "Save Picture as..."


Norco College was among 150 schools selected to design and build a rocket to launch at the annual Spaceport America Cup in June. This is a big win for Norco College engineering students because this competition is historically reserved for four-year institutions.
The team of thirty-five Norco College engineering students have the opportunity to get hands-on experience and perform research in a student led environment.
The rocket, projected to reach a maximum altitude of ten thousand feet, will be carrying a scientific payload to research methods for protecting sensitive organic structures during launch and recover. The current prototype contains sensors monitoring the rocket force while in flight. The team will use this data to ground simulations and make improvements to future rockets.
“Working with a group of creative and brilliant people is a continual reminder of why I wanted to be an engineer. Our progress thus far is a testament to the power of collaboration, and collective ambition," said student and team lead, Paul Guyett.
The project is supported by the Engineering Pathways grant. Follow the latest project developments @norco.rocketry


Every year hundreds of excursions are visiting the observatory. The visitors get information about achievements of the world and Lithuanian astronomy, take a look at the telescopes and their equipment. They also have a lecture, illustrated by wonderful photographs of various sky objects: planets, stars, nebulas, star clusters and galaxies, accompanied by space music. On the southern wall of the observatory a sundial is mounted. Near the telescope domes an exhibition of the sacred mythological stones is presented. These stones with dish-like cavities hundreds of years ago were used to collect and keep the sacred water of Perkunas, the pagan thunder god. The interior of the observatory is decorated with the stained-glass windows on the astronomical topics. The Lithuanian Ethnocosmological museum is situated on the nearby Kapeliai hill.
Tel: +370 615 65677


It has been famously saying, space is the final frontier. The greatest of unknowns, space is far vaster then we can comprehend, and filled with the phenomenon we barely understand. While we’ve been watching the heavens in awe for millennia, space exploration and discovery only began in earnest in the mid 20th century.
Yet even what are no doubt our primitive findings still point at a universe more incredible than we ever thought.
we’re taking a look at 50 incredible facts about space!
50. Until 1923 scientists thought that the entire universe was just our milky way- until astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that the astronomical feature known as Andromeda, a fuzzy spot in the night sky, was actually an entire other galaxies! Overnight the size of the universe was effectively doubled!
49. Hubble made his discovery from the Hooker telescope, built atop a mountain in California- it was the first mountain top telescope in the world and at the time, an incredible feat of engineering.
48. To measure the distance between galaxies in space, astronomers use Cepheids, or stars that periodically dim and brighten. Henrietta Leavitt discovered that by monitoring the time it took these stars to dim and brighten you could calculate how far away they were.
47. Leavitt’s discovery of how to calculate distance based on the cycling of Cepheid stars allowed Hubble to prove that Andromeda was located outside the Milky Way, and was thus its own galaxy.
46. Hubble scanned Andromeda for nights on end looking for Cepheid stars, until finally discovering one in October 1923. After monitoring it for a week, he used Leavitt’s formula and determined it was indeed located outside the Milky Way.
45. In 2011 the Hubble Space Telescope captured a picture of that star, called “Variable Number One”- or V1. It has been called “the most important star in the history of cosmology.”
44. Of all the planets in our solar system, only mercury and venus don’t have moons.
43. The hottest planet in our solar system is not Mercury as most would assume, but Venus. Due to runaway global warming, Venus’ temperature is an incredible 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius).
42. Not only is Venus’ atmosphere blazing hot, but it also has an atmospheric pressure 92 times greater than the Earth’s- that would crush you flat as a soda can if you walked on its surface!
41. In 1966 the Soviet Union’s Venera 3 was the first man-made craft to land on Venus. Unfortunately, its communications system had failed long before reaching Venus and it was unable to relay back any data.
40. Although it crash-landed and didn’t send any data back home, Venera 3 is the first human-made object to impact another planet’s surface.
39. On the 18thof October 1967, Venera 4 became the first spacecraft to measure the atmosphere of another planet. The Soviets initially claimed the craft reached the surface intact, but when the American Mariner 5 spacecraft flew by Venus the very next day, it measured a surface pressure of 75-100 atmospheres, well out of the range of Venera’s 4 25 atmosphere hull strength. The claim by the Soviet Union was quickly redacted.
38. Venus’s atmosphere is so dense, that parachutes are only necessary to slow down. The Soviet Union’s Venera 9 released its parachutes at an atmospheric height of 31 miles (50km) and landed at a speed of only 15 mph (7 m/s). It was also the first spacecraft to transmit photos from another planet!
37. Our solar system is about 4.6 billion years old, and scientists believe it will last another 5 billion years before our sun turns into a red giant.
36. The tallest mountain known to man is Olympus Mons, an extinct volcano on Mars with a peak 15 miles (25 km) high. It is nearly 3 times larger than Mount Everest.
35. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, or 5.88 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).
34. The width of our Milky Way galaxy according to NASA is about 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 kilometres, or 621371192237333888 miles- or in astronomical terms: 100,000 light-years.
33. Because most stars are so far away, when you look up into the night sky you are not seeing them as they currently are, but as they were thousands of years ago- that’s how long their light takes to reach us!
32. Our sun is 300,000 times larger than the earth, but in the universe, it’s a lightweight.
31. The largest star in the known universe is VY Canis Majoris- it is 1,400 times larger than our own sun! If you stuck it in our solar system it would extend all the way past Jupiter.
30. Red Giants are really old stars that form when stars 10 times the mass of our sun runs out of hydrogen in its core. As it collapses the hydrogen in the outer shells begin the process of fusion and the entire star begins fusing hydrogen all at once. They will burn through all their fuel in just a few million years- unlike the billions it takes our sun- and shining 100,000 times brighter than our sun!
29. These stars often explode as a Supernova- the most powerful explosion in the universe.
28. The original universe consisted solely of hydrogen and helium- every other element on the periodic table and every single thing you see around you today was formed in the heart of exploding stars.
27. That’s because when a star goes supernova it releases huge amounts of energy and neutrons, which produces heavier elements. The carbon in your body and the gold in the jewellery you wear were all made from exploding stars!
26. Only hydrogen and helium were formed from the Big Bang- next time you suck down helium from a party balloon you are sucking down a gas that probably formed just 3 minutes after the Big Bang!
25. Red Giant Betelgeuse, 1000 times larger than our sun, is a cosmic neighbour and expected to go supernova in the next 1,000 years!
24. Some scientists theorize that life is only possible in the outer edges of a galaxy, where large stars are rare and thus supernovas don’t routinely sterilize worlds of life.
23. We ourselves are between two arms of the milky way, and in a relatively rural part of the galaxy.
22. Extending well past the orbit of Pluto is a massive sphere of icy objects known as the Oort Cloud. These are remnants from the formation of the solar system, held in place by the weak gravity of the very distant sun.
21. Every few million years as we orbit the centre of the Milky Way we enter a region of space full of cosmic debris. Some scientists theorize that this debris may disturb the fragile orbits of objects in the Oort Cloud and send them hurtling into the solar system. The timing of our entry into this region of the Milky Way coincides with several mass extinction events here on Earth.
20. Panspermia is the theory that life is transmitted like a virus from planet to planet by asteroid and comet impacts.
19. A meteorite discovered in Antarctica was found to originate from Mars, and after careful examination, some scientists believe it shows fossilized evidence of microscopic organisms- giving serious credibility to the Panspermia theory. We might all actually be Martians!
18. It’s thought that this meteorite was launched into space from Mars when a massive asteroid struck the planet, sending debris hurtling out of the atmosphere. In time its orbit intersected with the Earth and may have brought its martian hitchhikers with it!
17. In 2008 an ESA mission sent tardigrades- tiny microscopic organisms- into space. After ten days of exposure to the vacuum of space, ultraviolet radiation from the sun, and cosmic rays, they were returned to Earth still alive!
16. Before the tardigrades, only some lichen and bacteria were known to survive exposure to space- meaning Panspermia may be a valid theory for the origin of life on earth.
15. Because there is no atmosphere on the moon, the footprints and tire prints left on the Moon by American astronauts will never disappear- unless an asteroid impact wipes them out.
14. Not only does Jupiter have the most moons in our solar system- with 79- but as of right now it has the most moons of any known planet in our galaxy.
13. Many scientists think that without Jupiter life on earth would be impossible. That’s because the giant of our solar system exerts such strong gravity that it pulls in many comets and asteroids that might have impacted on Earth. Jupiter is like our personal bodyguard!
12. Once thought rare outside of the Earth, water has been found practically everywhere in the solar system- even on Mercury where scientists never dreamed it would be possible! In 2011 NASA’s Messenger probe discovered water ice in craters on Mercury’s north pole. That’s despite a surface temperature of 800 degrees Fahrenheit (427 degrees Celsius) on the dayside.
11. Not only does the earth rotate as it orbits the sun, but the sun itself also rotates at a rate of once every 25-35 days.
10. Earth is the only Solar System planet not named after a god.
9. Pluto is smaller in diameter than the United States.
8. The first theory positing the existence of black holes was from an English clergyman named John Michell in November 1784. He even correctly noted that these features would not be visible to the naked eye, but that they could be detected by their gravitational effects on other bodies.
7. Despite proving through General Relativity that black holes could form, Einstein himself did not believe they could form in the natural world. It wouldn’t be until 1972 that Cygnus X-1 became the first observed black hole, taking them from the realm of theory to the realm of reality.
6. In 2002 astronomers presented evidence that a super massive black hole lurks at the centre of our Milky Way.
5. In 2012 Suvi Gezari and his team published the first visual evidence of a black hole. Using the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii, they photographed a supermassive black hole 2.7 million light-years away swallowing a red giant.
4. In 2015 gravity waves from the merging of a pair of black holes into one were detected. The violence of their merging created a ripple through space-time that was detectable here on Earth millions of light-years away!
3. Not only did general relativity predict that black holes were possible, but it also predicted that white holes could also be possible! The polar opposite of a black hole, a white hole is a region of space-time where matter cannot enter.
2. A growing theory suggests that white holes are the opposite ends of black holes and that our own Big Bang was a supermassive white hole that existed for fractions of a second.
1. Afraid that returning astronauts might be carrying unknown and deadly lunar germs, the Apollo astronauts were quarantined immediately after their arrival on earth.


Speaker: Prof. Roger David Blandford
Director of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
Time: 10:00AM, 11-3-2010
Abstract: As first pointed out by Refsdal, multiple images of a variable source created by a gravitational lens can provide a measurement of the Hubble constant. One of the complications limiting the accuracy of this technique is the combined effect of small deflections associated with lesser masses along the line of sight. A new formalism is presented for addressing this complication and it is applied to modeling the gravitational lens B1608+656.
Speaker: Dr. J. Anthony Tyson
Director of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
Institute: University of California, Davis
Time: 3:00PM 11-4-2009
Abstract: Images from the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope survey of the sky will be analyzed for a wide range of phenomena. With 20 trillion photometric and temporal measure-ments covering 20 billion detected objects, this will produce the world’s largest database. A sample of several billion galaxies will enable maps of dark matter and several independent cross-checking probes of the nature of dark energy. The 30 terabytes of pipeline processed data obtained each night will open the time domain window on the deep optical universe for variability and motion.


A few decades ago people were afraid of the Moon and associated with it many cataclysms and problems. First of all it concerned the lunar eclipse and its influence on people. In our time, science has described this natural phenomenon long ago and in detail, but superstitions from the past have remained.
Signs of the lunar eclipse
During the eclipse, it is not recommended to eat food and alcohol, since it is believed that this will cause bad habits. You can not enter into an intimate relationship, because conceived and born in a lunar eclipse people have an unfavorable fate. They may show the worst character traits, bad habits, and they can repeat the lives of relatives. It will not be possible to correct and change this state of affairs.
Another important point is a wedding in a lunar eclipse. Astrologers believe that this time is the most unfavorable period for marriage. There is an opinion that any union concluded on the day of the eclipse will end in parting.
Our ancestors believed that on the night of the lunar eclipse you can get rid of bad habits, evil eye and other negative influences. It was necessary an hour before the eclipse to drink a glass of purified water, and then take a contrast shower, changing water at least 5 times. At the same time, men had to finish the procedure with cold water, and women, on the contrary, were warm. After that light the candle and, looking at the flame, think about your life. Then look in the mirror and lie down on the bed so that the head goes to the North. Now try to look at yourself as if from the outside. Imagine that you are sick, smoking, experiencing something, that is, translate all existing problems into your "double". Then start compressing the image so that it dissolves into the air. Do not get up at once, lie down a little, and afterwards put out the candle and again take a contrast shower.


The Winter Solstice is almost upon us -- the longest night (and shortest day) of the year, and the original winter festival! This is the darkest time of the year, but also the turning point when the days begin to lengthen again -- Light overcomes Darkness as the Sun is "reborn" and moves toward the promise of Spring, when Light finally triumphs at the Spring Equinox. The Winter Solstice is a perfect time for any Festival of Lights, and candles, twinkling lights, Yuletide fires, evergreens, etc.
Tonight go outside and you'll see the Moon is full. The full moon of December is sometimes called the Cold Moon or Long Nights Moon. The term Long Night Moon is especially appropriate because not only are the midwinter nights especially long, but also because the moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full moon takes a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low sun.
The nights are cold, but the stars are bright.


Physicists at University of Helsinki’s have discovered proof from late gravitational-wave disclosures for the nearness of colorful quark matter QCD or quantum chromodynamic QCD matter alludes to any of various periods of issue inside the centers of the biggest neutron stars where nuclear issue is known to crumple into massively thick atomic issue in which the neutrons and protons are stuffed together so firmly that the whole star can be viewed as one single colossal core. They arrived at this resolution by joining ongoing outcomes from hypothetical molecule and atomic material science to estimations of gravitational waves from neutron star crashes.
Affirming the presence of quark centers inside neutron stars has been one of the most significant objectives of neutron star material science since the time this chance was first engaged about 40 years prior, says Aleksi Vuorinen, hypothetical molecule physicist from the University of Helsinki’s who centers around QCD and other quantum field hypotheses at nonzero temperature and thickness.
Up to this point, it has stayed hazy whether atomic issue in the centers of the most enormous neutron stars crumples into a much increasingly outlandish state called quark matter, in which the cores themselves do not exist anymore. Analysts from the University of Helsinki presently guarantee that the response to this inquiry is yes. Interestingly, typical issue encompassing us is made out of iotas, whose thick cores, containing protons and neutrons, are encircled by contrarily charged electrons
With even enormous scope recreations run on supercomputers unfit to decide the destiny of atomic issue inside neutron stars, the Finnish research bunch proposed another way to deal with the issue. They understood that by consolidating ongoing discoveries from hypothetical molecule and atomic material science with astrophysical estimations, it may be conceivable to find the qualities and character of issue living inside neutron stars.On the off chance that Nuclear Matter – the speed of sound would need to reach nearly that of light
As indicated by the examination, matter dwelling inside the centers of the most monstrous stable neutron stars looks to some extent like quark matter than to common atomic issue. The figurings show that in these stars, the measurement of the center recognized as quark matter can surpass half of that of the whole neutron star. Be that as it may, Vuorinen brings up that there are as yet numerous vulnerabilities related with the specific structure of neutron stars. I’m not catching it’s meaning to guarantee that quark matter has more likely than not been found?
There is as yet a little however nonzero chance that all neutron stars are made out of atomic issue alone. What we have had the option to do, in any case, is measure what this situation would require. So, the conduct of thick atomic issue would then should be genuinely unconventional. For example, the speed of sound would need to reach nearly that of light,” Vuorinen clarifies.
Gravitational wave perceptions
A key factor adding to the new discoveries was the rise of two ongoing outcomes in observational astronomy: the estimation of gravitational waves from a neutron star merger and the discovery of exceptionally gigantic neutron stars, with masses near two sun powered masses.
In the harvest time of 2017, the LIGO and Virgo observatories identified, just because, gravitational waves produced by two blending neutron stars. This perception set a thorough furthest breaking point for an amount called flowing deformability, which quantifies the defenselessness of a circling star’s structure to the gravitational field of its buddy. This outcome was along these lines used to determine a maximum breaking point for the radii of the impacting neutron stars, which ended up being approximately 13 km.
Also, while the main perception of a neutron star goes back right to 1967, exact mass estimations of these stars have just been workable for as long as 20 years or something like that. Most stars with precisely realized masses fall inside a window of somewhere in the range of 1 and 1.7 heavenly masses, however the previous decade has seen the identification of three stars either coming to or potentially even marginally surpassing the two-sun oriented mass breaking point.
To some degree irrationally, data about neutron star radii and masses has as of now extensively decreased the vulnerabilities related with the thermodynamic properties of neutron star matter. This has additionally empowered finishing the investigation introduced by the Finnish research bunch in their Nature Physics article.
In the new investigation, the astrophysical perceptions were joined with best in class hypothetical outcomes from molecule and atomic material science. This empowered determining an exact forecast for what is known as the condition of condition of neutron star matter, which alludes to the connection between its weight and vitality thickness. A fundamental segment in this procedure was a notable outcome from general relativity, which relates the condition of state to a connection between the potential estimations of neutron star radii and masses.
Since the harvest time of 2017, various new neutron star mergers have been watched, and LIGO and Virgo have immediately become a necessary piece of neutron star inquire about. It is this fast gathering of new observational data that assumes a key job in improving the precision of the new discoveries of the Finnish research gathering, and in affirming the presence of quark matter inside neutron stars. With further perceptions expected sooner rather than later, the vulnerabilities related with the new outcomes will likewise naturally diminish.
There is motivation to accept that the brilliant time of gravitational wave astronomy is simply starting, and that we will in a matter of seconds observer a lot more jumps like this in our comprehension of nature,” Vuorinen celebrates.
Eemeli Annala et al, Evidence for quark-matter centers in huge neutron stars, Nature Physics .The Daily Galaxy, Max Goldberg, through University of Helsinki.Picture at top of page: NASA Crab Nebula neutron star.
Most stars with precisely realized masses fall inside a window of somewhere in the range of 1 and 1.7 heavenly masses, however the previous decade has seen the identification of three stars either coming to or potentially even marginally surpassing the two-sun oriented mass breaking point.


look , i literally can’t stress how cute this deleted parks and rec scene is and im about to lose my fucking shit.
Im in love with Chris Pratt
Going to school with a dress code
Look, it’s twenty feet up in the air, and it’s in the middle of the most heavily guarded part of the prison. It’s impossible to get up there without being seen.
Knowing how much Sinatra hated cheesecake, Brando purposely flubbed each take so that Sinatra would have to eat piece after piece of cheesecake. (x)
It is a familiar sight to sky enthusiasts with even a small telescope. There is much more to the Ring Nebula (M57), however, than can be seen through a small telescope. The easily visible central ring is about one light-year across, but this remarkably deep exposure - a collaborative effort combining data from three different large telescopes - explores the looping filaments of glowing gas extending much farther from the nebula’s central star. This remarkable composite image includes narrowband hydrogen image, visible light emission, and infrared light emission. Of course, in this well-studied example of a planetary nebula, the glowing material does not come from planets. Instead, the gaseous shroud represents outer layers expelled from a dying, sun-like star. The Ring Nebula is about 2,000 light-years away toward the musical constellation Lyra.


September Care & Share Newsletter 2018
Well, I don’t know about you, but summer
certainly did fly by. Like every other year, the first day of fall happens on the Autumnal equinox, also known as the September equinox. The Autumnal equinox is the astronomical beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. While it doesn’t happen on the same exact date every
single year, it happens around the same date each year. For 2018, the first day of fall is September 22nd.
To read September’s full newsletter, click here.


“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” Marcus Aurelius
I couldn’t agree more with this wise author, there’s something special about observing the stars as it makes you appreciate the beauty of their twinkle, the vastness of the universe with all the galaxies, and it makes you dream of worlds far away.
This being said, stargazing is a great idea when you want to make a night special, be it a date or dinner with loved ones, or when you want to learn something from the fun experience and just forget about the terrestrial world for a while.
Best of all is you don’t have to be an astronomer to understand the universe that surrounds you a bit better with the help of star chart tonight created to assist you with getting to know the constellations and learning more about astronomy.
Even the search for the ideal chart is bound to provide you with lots of fun considering there’s no one chart fits all, and depending on what interests you the most, whether it’s the planets if you’re focused on finding out how many planets in our solar system, the constellations or the brightest object in the night sky, the Moon, you’ve got plenty to choose from.
When I say plenty I refer to incredible star chart scratch maps that are handy with travel and astronomy enthusiasts alike, that you can also personalise with a range of stickers, followed by an augmented reality solar system offering you the chance to get a new perspective of space, as well as detailed 3D models of the Moon that you can explore in-depth relying on a specialised app.
When you want to proceed further in the hobby, pair them with the right telescope and you can count on incredible space documenting!
Are you up for immersing in astronomy?
There’s no doubt using 3D models and star chart tonight would provide you with a unique experience in understanding the universe unlike you’ve ever done before. Other than having fun locating the planets and constellations, you’d get the chance to share this experience with ancestors.
People all throughout antiquity relied on astronomy, specifically the changes in the sky and star patterns for deciding on when it was harvest time and when it was time to sow crops, and with some cultures like the Australian Aboriginals, it helped them migrate as well as hunt. During the Ages of Discovery star maps have been useful in letting people explore more of the world overseas, travelling through the ocean.
Having in mind how some animals, like the nocturnal ones and those that migrate, have used and still use the stars to navigate it would allow you to understand them better too as a result, apart from getting to see things like what is the biggest planet and what is the smallest planet, Jupiter and Mercury respectively (or Pluto if you haven’t accepted the change) and get to know more about them.
In other words, this kind of purchase happens to be a great educational tool that you can use time and time again to expand your knowledge. You could even have fun surprising others with all the incredible astronomy facts you know!
For parents, a star chart tonight is the ideal purchase for their kids no matter the age because it would prove to be an amazing means of getting to spend some time together learning; remember, kids learn best through play so what better way to make use of playtime than by stargazing!
Furthermore, it’s just as great of a present for travellers who want to know what the sky holds in store for them at a specific destination, especially those who travel outdoors as they need a better understanding of navigation, as well as for people who would be interested in finding out more about the planets.
Oh, the things you’d get from the experience!
It’s clear you’re in for lots of fun and learning, but there’s way more to this than you might consider. While there are slight changes night after night that you may not be that aware of at the beginning, over time you’d notice the sky is quite different than when you first started, having in mind some stars you see during summer aren’t visible throughout winter, so you’re in for a treat.
It gets even more exciting if you change the location, go from the Southern hemisphere to the Northern, and mark your results. This is a great way of seeing your progress in astronomy too, apart from keeping the sky’s changes in check, and who knows, if you’re lucky enough you might even end up with some discovery you didn’t even imagine you’d stumble upon.
In case you’re up for expanding your social circle, meet new people who share the interest, you could easily join up some local amateur astronomy club, go to parties, meetings, and conventions, exchange knowledge, and learn something new along the way. Sounds thrilling, doesn’t it?


The Grasslands Observatory is owned by Tim
The Director of the observatory is James McGaha, who
is in charge of the
The Grasslands Observatory was started
in 1985 when Tim
Hunter purchased 20 acres of land at a remote
location in Southeastern Arizona approximately an hour's drive
from Tucson. The site has no horizon obstructions in any
direction and sits on a large grassy plateau surrounded by
distant mountains. It is at 5000 feet elevation, and there is
only minor light pollution from distant Tucson, Sierra Vista,
and Nogales, Arizona (and Sonora, Mexico).
In 1986, a 24-inch f/5
equatorial Newtonian (f/20 Cassegrain telescope) was purchased
from its builder Jeff Shaffer and installed in a 20 x 20 foot
roll-off building. The building was designed by Tim Hunter and
James McGaha and built by them under the guidance of Jeff
To the direct west of the original Observatory Building is
the Warm Room (sometime called the Control Room) a separate 14 x 14 foot building which is
heated and insulated. It contains the controls for multiple telescope, a microwave, refrigerator, computers, bed, power, telephone, and internet service. Unfortunately, there is no running
The Warm Room was originally built in 1995 when the original 24-inch
telescope was changed from mainly visual use to electronic
In 2013 the Warm Room/Control Room was expanded considerably by a 14 x 26 foot additon, and a separate 12 x 14 foot Storage Room was added. A new weather station and an All Sky Cam were also added.
Since 2015, the Grasslands Observatory has been significally improved and enlarged with the addition of three new 14 x 14 foot roll-off roof buildings containg telescopes for remote operations.
At this time a PlaneWave 24-inch CDK24 f/6.5 telescope and a TPO RC 16-inch f/8 telescope are in active use via remote operation. An ASA 20-inch f/3.5 telescope is on site and is expected to be put into operation in the next few months.
tbh 21 April 2017


Visitors from around the globe have enjoyed Night Sky Tours with astronomer Dennis Mammana... some several times. Read what they're saying about their cosmic experience.
WHAT STARGAZERS ARE SAYING
"Last night was spectacular. I know that this is what you do every day but sharing not only your knowledge but your wonder in what is out there is pretty extraordinary. Thank you so much for a life-changer."― Elizabeth K.El Segundo, CA, U.S.A."It is always a pleasure to be guided by a person who is genuinely interested in his field and knows how to share it to an audience of different backgrounds."― Eeva P.Belgium"Thanks for sharing your contagious enthusiasm for the cosmos. I will never see the night sky the same way ever again! I enjoyed how you simplified astronomy in a way that I could understand. I'll definitely spread the word of your awesome and memorable tour."― Jon G.San Diego, CA, U.S.A."Many thanks for arranging such an enlightening tour for my family and sharing with us so much insightful info."― Ho Pei L.Hong Kong"[We] had a wonderful time learning and laughing with you! You were entertaining as well as informative. It was the highlight of our trip. We are looking forward to visiting again, during another season, to see other awe-inspiring things in the night sky."― Rene A.Hemet, CA, U.S.A."Thanks for a fantastic experience! Vivid discussions over breakfast about all we experienced. Also we all admire your knowledge and dedication."― Håkan D.Stockholm, Sweden"Thank you again for showing us the night sky! It was a wonderful experience to learn from you about the stars! Dirk and I agreed that viewing the stars with you was one of the most amazing things we've ever seen."― Brigitte & Dirk P.Montreal, QC, Canada


In 590 days, the Earth will have travelled 943,056,000 miles round the Sun!
The Earth revolves the Sun at 18.5 miles/sec
In 590 days, there will be 2,065,000,000,001 searches made on Google!
Over 3.5 billion Google searches per day
In 590 days, There will be 3,357,343 weddings in the USA!
2,077,000 weddings in the USA each year
In 590 days, 6,983,013,698,631 Apps will be downloaded to Cell Phones!
180 billion Apps downloaded each year


Hello! I'm Anthony Matthews. I've been working in the US Space Program, largely for the DoD, for many years, and have now returned to the UK. Here are some highlights of my current activities which I hope you will find interesting.
AntyMatterSpace This website is where I keep track of my activities. I conduct occasional interviews, and also write articles on space things I find interesting. Browse AntyMatterSpace.com.
NASA Solar System Ambassador I am honoured to be a NASA SSA. The role of an SSA is to communicate the science and excitement of NASA's space exploration missions and discoveries with the people in their communities. I'm one of two SSAs in the United Kingdom, and am available at no charge to visit schools, libraries, events, and anything else really to help spread the word about NASA activities. I have presentations ready to go! Please contact me for more information.
Space Consulting I am a long-time engineer and manager in the US Space Program. Having returned to the UK, I offer my services to organizations as required. Click for more information and a CV/resume.
Journalism I am a freelance journalist registered with the IAPP. In this capacity I am available to attend and report on any function, event, or activity on your behalf. Please contact me for rates and availability.


Levin Iglut, prime superior
Levi / Kittilä, Lapland
Levi’s igloos are a wonderful and atmospheric way to spend a holiday in the north. Iglut is located in Utsuvaara, only about 9 km from Levikeskus. The nearest slopes are just 2.6 km away and the snowmobile route is just around the corner. The igloos are completely covered with glass, so the starry sky and northern lights can be present at all times. The electrically heated glass is frost-free and draft-free. Igloos are equipped with a kitchenette and a bathroom. But the most important, of course, are the motorized beds in the middle of the igloo, from which the observation of the starry sky is comfortable. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: No pets! The price includes: bed linen, final cleaning, bathrobes, slippers, a welcome drink and breakfast at Restaurant Utsu.


By VIRGINIA WINDER
WHEN stargazer Rodney Austin found his first comet he shrugged it off as “just another bloody galaxy”.
The New Zealand astronomer found Comet Austin 1982 M1 (pictured) on a miserable night 25 years ago, on June 18.
He was making a final sweep of space, when he found something. “A fuzzy thing passed through the field and I thought ‘oh, just another bloody galaxy’.”
But when he got his low-resolution charts out, he found there was nothing marked there. He then opened his high-resolution charts, but once again found no sign of a galaxy.
With excitement rising, he headed home to his parents’ house where he battled his way through boxes stacked in his bedroom to find extensive field charts of space.
To his delight, Mr Austin found nothing marked on the documents, which meant only one thing. “It’s a comet – it can only be a comet.”
He checked comet documents to see if anyone else had found one in this area of the sky. “There wasn’t a comet within 90 degrees of it.”
Then it hit him. “It was like being punched in the stomach and I thought ‘I’ve done it, I’ve found one’. Then I thought, ‘now what do I do? It’s half-past four in the morning’.”
So he went to bed, leaving a note for his mother to wake him up because something big had happened.
“She came in and I was as white as a sheet. I sat up in bed and said ‘I found a comet’.”
Next, he got up and rang the Mt John Observatory in the South Island and told the woman on duty of his sighting. “She said ‘that’s interesting’.”
Her comment told him what he wanted to hear: “I knew I had a new comet. You see if it hadn’t been reported it was my comet.”
And it was. Three days later Comet Austin was ratified to him.
Mr Austin has found two more comets since – one in 1984 and another in 1989. The latter got a huge amount of publicity. “It was predicted to do what Comet McNaught did, but failed. If it had, I would probably still be walking on cloud nine and living on the proceeds.”


11 July 2023
The nature and origin of space-time
an insider's perspective on the universe
* * * * *
Would space and time exist
if the universe were empty? Yes, according to Newton, father of the popular imagination of absolute space and time as a stage on which the cosmic play unfolds. Nope, says Leibniz; they are merely mathematical relationships between objects, not real entities. Modern physics is cleaved by a similar absolute-relational divide between quantum theory and Einstein’s gravitational theory of curved spacetime. A unified, more fundamental understanding is sought to unravel the mysteries of black holes and the big bang, and for shedding light on the true nature of spacetime. To this end, some of the world's brightest minds will be gathering in Nijmegen this summer for the Quantum Gravity 2023 conference.
Three of its invited speakers will share their mind-boggling ideas and the newest insights during a special summer edition of the Science Café at the border of the Waal. Thomas Hertog (KU Leuven) will take us along on his quest with Stephen Hawking, venturing far back to the universe's primordial roots. By trading the traditional God's-eye view for an insider’s perspective we may discern a deep sort of evolution in which the physical laws themselves transform until particles, forces, and even time itself fades away. The fundamental role of perspective and relations is explored in Flaminia Giacomini's (ETH Zurich) thought experiments. By seeing the quantum world from multiple points of view at once, she will demonstrate that - upon interaction - a shared spacetime reality is taking shape. Daniele Oriti (LMU Munich) investigates how exactly spacetime and the entire cosmos can emerge from entities that themselves are not in space and time. He’ll discuss the conceptual and philosophical aspects of this endeavor, for which our basic notions and intuition prove futile. We need new eyes to see the universe!
This smoking hot science will be served with cool drinks and music by Lamm & Pielsticker, who will infuse the evening with their own Jazzy blend of complexity ... to grow us new ears. Space: cultural terrace De Kaaij. Time: Tuesday evening July 11, 7.30/8 pm. Seize the evening!


Dark Matter Free Essays - PhDessay.com.
Dark Matter: A Basic Understanding Introduction Many people, from the inquisitive, to those involved in the astronomical sciences have questioned the existence of Dark Matter.While it is called many things today, I will continue to refer to this unseen substance by its original name, Dark Matter.As it is still a theory being researched today to validate its existence and make-up, the discovery.
Dark energy and dark matter makes up roughly about 95% of the universe. Dark energy is a theoretical force that counteracts against gravity thus making the universe expand at a quickening pace. “The only explanation for dark energy is that it is a property of space” (NASA, 2014).
Mysterious Dark Matter .determining what the universe is mostly composed by what substance. By utilizing the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), scientists discovered that the universe (for the first a few hundred thousand years) was an expanding gas composed primarily of protons, electrons, photons, neutrinos, and the mysterious dark matter.
The dark matter halo is in every galaxy and is as dense as a trillion suns. There was a study of over 3,000 elliptical galaxies where researchers used star movement to track and weigh the galaxies’ black hole. To weigh the dark matter, they took x-ray measurements of the hot gas surrounding the galaxies.
The Physics Of Dark Matter Essay. 1945 Words 8 Pages. Show More. Dark matter leaves astronomers and physicists baffled as to what it possibly could be. Scientists design experiments to attempt to figure out what it is, but no one truly knows what composes dark matter. Physicists are so interested in understanding dark matter because it accounts.
Dark matter is thought to exist as large black rings surrounding galaxies. The space between planets and stars isn't just nothing, it's probably matter of some sort. The consensus seems to be that it's made up of small subatomic particles called MACHOs (MAssive Compact Halo Objects) and WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles).
During the last Yin Yoga class, I also had the impression that Yin Yoga as a matter of fact is a religious ritual. I wrote considerations about the purpose of physical exercises in another essay a few months ago, and claim there that monotheist religions practice empty none-sense rituals. Yin Yoga feels exactly the other way round.


Simon Fraser University Lecturer Faculty Position Department of Physics
The Department of Physics at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada, invites applications for a faculty teaching position at the rank of Lecturer, commencing September 1, 2018. The main responsibilities of this position include teaching a minimum of four astronomy/physics courses per year, and managing the use of the Trottier Observatory for teaching and outreach events.
Applicants for the position must have a Ph.D. in Physics and/or Astronomy with knowledge and practical experience in both astronomy and the use of an optical telescope observatory. Candidates should also have a marked interest in, and demonstrated talent for, teaching at the undergraduate level.
The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to excellence in teaching, a strong commitment to excellence in communicating science to the public through outreach events, outstanding communication skills and great enthusiasm for new course and instructional laboratory development.
We expect to begin interviewing by February 19, 2018, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
The Trottier Observatory is the anchor of a high-profile public science courtyard situated near the centre of campus. Opened in 2015, the observatory houses a 0.7-m aperture reflector with sharp wide-field optics and a sophisticated control system, along with a variety of specialized cameras and spectrographs. The observatory and science courtyard are used to host a regular series of very popular star nights for the general public (www.sfu.ca/starrynights), and the observatory is used by a large group of students and local amateur astronomers to do sophisticated projects. Remote access to the observatory by schools throughout the province is planned.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. Simon Fraser University is committed to employment equity and welcomes applications from all qualified women and men, including visible minorities, persons of aboriginal heritage, persons with disabilities, and LGTBQ-identified persons.
Applications should include a curriculum vitae and a statement of teaching experience and philosophy. Candidates should arrange for three letters of recommendation focusing on the candidate’s teaching excellence to be supplied in confidence.* Applications and reference letters should be addressed to Dr. Jeff Sonier, Chair, Department of Physics, and submitted via an online application form available at: http://www.sfu.ca/physics/about/employment/faculty-positions.html
About Simon Fraser University, Department of Physics
The Department of Physics presently numbers 31 full time faculty members, 10 postdoctoral fellows and research associates, and approximately 65 graduate students.
The department was founded in 1965 with a nucleus of faculty members primarily specializing in condensed matter physics with emphasis on magnetic, superconducting, and semiconducting materials. This area of physics continues to be th...e research field of a majority of department members but significant research programs have emerged in the areas of biophysics and soft matter, cosmology, high energy physics (theory and experiment), nonlinear phenomena and pattern formation, and atomic, molecular and optical physics. The department enjoys an enviable international scientific reputation and is certainly one of the strongest research departments in Canada. Many SFU Physics faculty members have been honoured for their research accomplishment through national and international awards.


Like most people, I have questions, and if you can answer them, please answer in the comments.
1. When will we become extinct?
2. Are we behind the great filter or in front?
3. Will there really be a meteor hitting our planet in 2020, July ##?
4. Will the Earth ever stop spinning?
5. When will the sun turn into a black dwarf?
6. Will we ever create flying cars or any other great invention?
7. When will our UV ray shield layer go gone?
8. When will the atmosphere have no oxygen left?
9. Have we invented the time machine that you can control what year you will end up in?
10. Will there ever be a zombie apocalypse?
11. Will this post ever end?
Okay, now the last one was a silly one, but if you can answer some of them, then please answer by posting your answers in the comments.


Nakshatras have a unique significance in Vedic astrology despite being well known as a small constellation of stars. Predictions are made using the constellations. Aside from that, the term “constellation” appears in ancient astrology. Mool Nakshatra is related to the end of life and is considered a harbinger of fresh beginnings. It is sometimes referred to as the root or the base. As we all know, no plant can survive without a root, and every event in the world is linked to something.


Bid to fly with Jeff Bezos to the space and back. $3.200.000 is the current high bid for the 1st seat on NEW SHEPARD
Jeff Bezos announced on Monday 7th June that he and his brother Mark will fly on New Shepard, the first crewed space flight from his rocket company Blue Organ. Will you be one of the first passengers to the space?
Place your bid to fly with Jeff Bezos to the space. $3.200.000 is the current high bid for the 1st seat on NEW SHEPARD
Jeff Bezos announced on Monday 7th June that he and his brother Mark will fly on New Shepard, the first crewed space flight from his rocket company Blue Organ. Click here and place your bid if you would like to join the first passengers who willl fly with Jeff Bezos to the space in July 2021 and back.
ABOUT THE AUCTION
On July 20th, New Shepard will fly its first astronaut crew to space. We are offering one seat on this first flight to the winning bidder of an online auction.
There are three phases of the auction:
The winning bid amount will be donated to Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and help invent the future of life in space.
Safety, Blue Origin's Top Mission
Blue Origin has been flight testing New Shepard and its redundant safety systems since 2012. The program has had 15 successful consecutive missions including three successful escape tests, showing the crew escape system can activate safely in any phase of flight.
ABOUT BLUE ORIGIN
We're committed to building a road to space so our children can build the futur.
To Benefit Earth
Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos with the vision of enabling a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes that humanity will need to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. Blue is working on this today by developing partially and fully reusable launch vehicles that are safe, low cost and serve the needs of all civil, commercial and defense customers.
Increase Access to Space Through Reusable Rockets
Blue’s efforts to fly astronauts to space on New Shepard, produce reusable liquid rocket engines, create a highly-reusable orbital launch vehicle with New Glenn and return Americans to the surface of the Moon—this time to stay—will add new chapters to the history of spaceflight and move us closer to fulfilling that founding vision. Everything we do follows our motto “Gradatim Ferociter” or “Step by Step Ferociously”.


Context: Researchers have noted on three extraordinary occasions this year that Sagittarius A*, the black hole showed unusual behaviour. The area immediately outside Sagittarius A* is becoming twice as bright as compared to any previously recorded instance.
GS- 3 Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
- According to Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, black holes are uninhabitable chasms of spacetime that end in a ‘singularity,’ or a mass of infinite density.
- Black holes, with gravitational fields so powerful that not even light could escape them, were inferred by quantum physics about a century ago.
- It’s a place so bleak that even the laws of physics break down there.
- According to scientist estimates, there are approximately 100 million black holes in our galaxy, however, none of them are close enough to Earth.
- The gravitational forces of them are so strong that nothing, neither matter nor light, can escape once it gets too close.
- It is at the center of the Milky Way galaxy which has four million times the mass of the sun.
- A supermassive black hole that sits 26,000 light-years away from Earth, near the Galactic Center, or the center of the Milky Way.
- It is one of the few black holes where we can witness the flow of matter nearby. This has been made possible with the help of Event Horizon Telescope.
- Since the discovery of Sagittarius A* 24 years ago, it has been fairly calm.
- This year, however, Sagittarius A* has shown unusual activity, and the area around it has been much brighter than usual.
- It may be that the Sagittarius A* has become hungrier, and has been feeding on the nearby matter at a markedly faster rate, which one researcher described as a “big feast”. A black hole does not emit light by itself, but the matter that it consumes can be a source of light.
Event Horizon Telescope
- The Event Horizon Telescope is an international collaboration aiming to capture the first image of a black hole by creating a virtual Earth-sized telescope.
- Instead of constructing a giant telescope EHT links radio dishes across the globe to create an Earth-sized interferometer to measure the size of black holes.
- The EHT project includes theoretical and simulation studies that are framing questions rooted at the black hole boundary.
- The following are two massive black holes photographed by EHT
- Sagittarius A* – It is at the center of Milky Way galaxy which has four million times the mass of sun.
- Monster black hole – It is in an elliptical galaxy known as M87, and it is 1500 times more massive than Sag A*.


Welcome to our exciting Spring 2019 meeting. We have interesting talks and workshops scheduled. The meeting registration fee, which includes lunch, is $30 for members. Please register as a member for an additional $10 to help support the section.
A separate PTRA workshop is optional for an additional fee of $30. Workshop description:
"PTRA Workshop - Activities from Perimeter Institute - GPS and Gravitational Waves" The workshop will focus on activities to help students understand how GPS works and the detection of Gravitational Waves. Workshop will be hands and include access to the Perimeter Institute materials. Cost is $30/participant for the 3 hour workshop.


IF YOU’RE feeling out of sorts today don’t worry, it isn’t just you.
The King James Bible predicts: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD comes,” [Joel 2:31].
And, according to NASA, a highly unusual ‘Tetrad’ – four successive total ‘blood-red’ lunar eclipses each followed by six full moons – will, indeed, start next Tuesday and finish on September 28 2015.
The incredible alignment has only happened a handful of times in the last two thousand years but, remarkably, on each of the last three occasions it has coincided with a globally significant religious event.
The first Tetrad since the Middle Ages, in 1493, saw the expulsion of Jews by the Catholic Spanish Inquisition, which rocked western Europe.
The second coincided with the establishment of the State of Israel – after thousands of years of struggle – in 1949.
Strangely, the last one occurred in 1967 – far earlier than expected – precisely at the time of the Six-Day Arab–Israeli War.
While NASA has confirmed the astrological validity behind some of the claims, not everyone is convinced the Tetrad means anything at all, let alone the End of Days.
Professor Gary Shogren, a former pastor who studied the New Testament at Aberdeen University, said: “You’ll never go broke predicting the apocalypse.
“An eclipse on Passover night seems wildly improbable, but we should remember that lunar eclipses only happen on full moons and that Passover by definition always takes place on a full moon. Sukkoth (The Feast of Tabernacles) also by definition coincides with a full moon.
“I thought in 2011 we all said we weren’t going to fall for this again, when Harold Camping twice missed the date of the Second Coming?
Try as we might scripture is clear on this:
“No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows. Matthew 24:36 (GW)
Whether the blood moons are signs of the coming “End of Days” or not, no one knows how many days each has on this earth so let’s make each day count for the Lord shall we?
And that is the way I see it. What say you?
See on www.express.co.uk


How tall is Neil deGrasse Tyson?
The American astrophysicist, author and communicator of science Neil DeGrasse Tyson. He has been the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City since 1996, as Frederick P. Rose.Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University. In 1996, he became director of the planetarium and oversaw its $210 million reconstruction project, which was completed in 2000.
image credits: gstatic.com


The Heavy Falcon launch made me want to go to space. That, and during lunch coworkers have been discussing how low the chance of death would have to be for them to agree to go to the Moon. So I’ve setup Leaving Earth with all the expansions with a Very Hard set of missions. Let’s see how much we can accomplish in 31 years.
(I don’t think many people have played Leaving Earth, since it’s only sold through the manufacturer’s website, unlike most retail games. I’m going to try to explain what I’m thinking so people can get a feel for what it’s like to play the game. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.)
Arguably the best part of Leaving Earth is the board. Missions at the bottom. Sorry about the glare.
The missions at the start of the game are clustered, which is handy. Surveying all of the Jupiter system will net us 17 points from 4 objectives. We’ll also want to do a Grand Tour of the outer planets which, together with the Neptune Survey, will give us 20 points. What intimidates me is the 32-point Man on Venus mission; I haven’t had much experience with manned missions.
Furthermore, the Outer Planets expansion has explorable missions: when a Jupiter or Saturn location is surveyed, a new mission is revealed there. So our first objective will be to survey those bodies so we can plan ahead. As long as we launch the Grand Tour by 1972, we should be good. A manned mission to Venus can take 4 years, so we could push it as late as 1982; the hard part is saving enough funding to fly the mission.
1956: We’ll start by opening the Soyuz Rocket program. There are two good ways to lift spacecraft into Earth Orbit: Soyuz and Saturn. A 2-stage Saturn rocket can lift 20 mass into Earth Orbit for $30. A 2-stage Soyuz rocket can lift 7 mass into Earth Orbit for $16. In a pinch, a 1-stage Soyuz can lift 1 mass into orbit. (If you want to plan space missions, I hope you like arithmetic.) For any really big missions later, we’ll probably want Saturn rockets, but to survey Jupiter and Saturn as fast as possible, we’ll use Soyuz to get up and running.
Every year, our space program has a budget of $25. With the remaining budget, I open the Ion Thruster program and buy 2 probes and let the remaining $1 go to waste. I’ll try not bore you with bookkeeping; this was just a comment on how to work around the use-it-or-lose-it way funding works in this game, by buying things you might not need right now but can stash in a warehouse until you need them later.
1957: Okay, one more bookkeeping comment: Soyuz rockets are annoyingly priced at $8. Buying 2 in a turn leaves $9 to spend, which is an awkward amount since many things are priced $5 or $10. I especially want $10 to cover testing. Buying 1 or 3 Soyuz is fine though. We spend our entire turn buying 3 Soyuz and wasting the leftover $1.
1958: Time to start testing. We strap a probe on the tip of a Soyuz and… Minor Failure! Exclamation point because this is, ironically, the best possible result. See, when we open a program, it comes with 3 outcome cards (exception: Surveying). Every time we use the program – in this case, by firing the Soyuz rocket – we draw an outcome card. What we don’t want to happen is draw a Major Failure on a rocket on a big manned mission, killing astronauts and blowing up many years’ worth of budget. Whatever outcome occurs, we can pay money to analyze the data and improve the design (read: remove the card). If all cards are removed, the project works flawlessly from then on (this design is a game first, simulation second). A Minor Failure allows us to buy off a card for a cheap $5. Even better, the damaged rocket stays on Earth, where engineers will repair it for use next year.
The next Soyuz successfully launches. That Soyuz rocket is consumed and will have to be replaced. But we put a probe in space. Space!
The one place that hasn’t been corrupted by capitalism: space!
Of course, the Russians had put Sputnik in orbit last year.
The harder question is whether to pay the $10 to buy off this outcome card. You may ask why buy off successful outcome. We are choosing between two scenarios:
(a) We buy off the card, leaving one left on the program. The next time we fire a Soyuz, we either buy it off the last card if it’s a failure or leave it if it’s a success. Either way, Soyuz rockets work perfectly from now on.
(b) We leave the card, saving the $10, but leaving two cards on the program. The next time we fire a Soyuz, we shuffle the outcomes and draw one. Say we draw a success. Maybe both cards are successes, in which case we save $10. But maybe we drew the same success again, and there’s a major failure lurking in that stack, waiting for our next big launch before blowing up. As long as there are at least 2 cards in the stack, we can’t be sure the component will work when we need it.
I pay the $10. We will be using Soyuz for a while, and I don’t want them blowing up on the launchpad. With our last $10, I buy an ion thruster for next year.


WASHINGTON — The primary workforce of bigger, second-generation Starlink satellites is going through issues that can require SpaceX to deorbit a minimum of a few of them.
On March twenty second tweetSpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated there have been “some problems” with the Starlink satellite tv for pc constellation introduced on February 27, confirming business hypothesis over the last a number of days in keeping with the spacecraft’s converting orbits.
“Loads of new era in Starlink V2, so we are operating into some problems, as anticipated,” he wrote. “One of the seats shall be deorbited, and others shall be neatly examined earlier than being lifted excessive above the gap station.”
The 21 satellites, referred to as Staff 6-1, started lifting their orbits two days when they had been deployed to orbits about 370 kilometers excessive. Then again, the satellites stopped orbiting after a couple of days, keeping up their orbits at an altitude of about 380 kilometers. The Global Area Station is situated in an orbit between 415 and 420 kilometers excessive.
Beginning round March 15, its orbital excessive started to lower at various charges: maximum regularly, however a minimum of two are a lot steeper, losing to about 365 km. All 21 remained in orbit, however this peculiar habits precipitated hypothesis of issues of the satellites.
Musk’s tweet used to be the primary remark from him or SpaceX to verify there have been issues of the satellites, even though neither he nor the corporate have made it transparent what the ones issues are.
The Staff 6-1 satellites are the primary of what SpaceX calls “V2 Mini” variations of Starlink satellites. It is a lot higher than the primary era of Starlink satellites that SpaceX has introduced, greater than 4,000 to this point.
The spacecraft options stepped forward phased array antennas and the usage of junction electron band frequencies that give each and every satellite tv for pc 4 occasions the capability of the former spacecraft. In addition they have new high-performance electrical propulsion engines that use argon gas as an alternative of krypton to cut back prices.
SpaceX hasn’t launched information about the V2 Mini satellites, however a design referred to as “F9-2” in filings the corporate filed with the Federal Communications Fee as a part of its second-generation constellation software describes an 800-kilogram spacecraft and 2 12.8-meter sun arrays. The primary-generation satellites weigh about 300 kilograms and feature one cluster 8 meters lengthy.
Because the identify suggests, the V2 Mini spacecraft are miniature variations of the general V2 Starlink satellites, which can weigh about 2,000 kilograms each and every with 20-meter sun arrays. This spacecraft will release on SpaceX’s Starship, whilst the V2 Mini is sufficiently small to release on Falcon 9 rockets.
The FCC partly approved SpaceX’s second-generation, or Gen2, Starlink constellation in December, permitting the corporate to release 7,500 of its proposed 30,000 satellites into orbits from 525 to 535 kilometers. SpaceX has since introduced 4 batches of “Cluster 5” satellites into FCC-authorized Gen2 orbits, however the ones appear successfully similar to earlier Starlink satellites.
Every other batch of five is scheduled to be introduced once March 24 from the Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station in Florida. A moment batch of V2 Mini satellites, cluster 6-2, is scheduled to release no later than March 30, additionally from Cape Canaveral, however it’s unsure if problems with the V2 Mini satellites in orbit will prolong that release.


Star-gazing will always hold a spot on the itinerary and sometimes we get to see that rogue star ripping across the sky. But since when is one shooting star ever enough? Let's take a stab at watching an interstellar phenomenon together, under a pitch black sky in the peacefulness of the forest.
Lyrids Meteor Shower - April 21-23
This is a triple crown for 2018. 1) Our first backcountry trip of the season! 2) It covers Earth Day! 3) Meteor Shower. Duh.
You can thank your lucky stars for this - or Comet Thatcher (the source of the Lyrid meteors). Take a ride to the Hickory Ridge with us where we will hike during the day and skywatch at night. The trees will be budding at this time with tons of open sky to peer at. Temps should be mild - perfect for camping . Set an azimuth to the NE and observe.
Perseids Meteor shower - August 11-13
The Perseids are among the greatest displays of falling stars we have the opportunity to see. Because of a new moon, conditions are expected to be perfect for a dark sky. Get ready for bright, fiery stars with long-lasting tails streaking across the sky.
Join us at the Hidden Lakes to watch the show over reflecting water and under open skies.
Orionids meteor shower - October 20-22
Ah, the peak of autumn camping. Enjoy changing leaves by day and an astronomical good time by night. Peaking on the 21st of October, the Orionids will compete with a full moon for star-gazers' attention - but that's alright. Ever wander the forest by moonlight? It's a memorable experience.
We're heading back to the Hidden Lakes to share one of our favorite spots. If conditions are right we'll fill the days with exploration and wildlife viewing.
GEminids meteor shower - december 13-16
With great risk comes great reward. Sometimes. For this time, we're gonna say "yes, great rewards abound!" Uh-huh, we're aware of December camping BUT the Geminids are the best show of the year with up to 100 meteors streaking per hour! Plus, we're heading way down south to the mild, late season climate of the Shawnee National Forest. Exact area is TBD but we're stoked. Officially stoked.


Here are some interesting facts about our solar system:
- The Sun contains 99.86% of the mass in the solar system. It is 73% hydrogen and the rest is a mixture of helium, oxygen and carbon.
- If Jupiter — the largest planet in our solar system with a mass that is 318 times that of Earth’s — had any more mass, it would actually become smaller in size. Additional mass would make the planet denser and so it would start pulling in on itself.
- Venus rotates in a clockwise direction — opposite to that of all the other planets in the solar system. Hence on Venus, the sun rises in the west.
- Saturn — one of the gas giants and the second largest planet in the solar system — is
- The rusty, red planet Mars has the tallest mountain in the solar system. This mountain, known as Olympus Mons, is a volcano. It is 15 miles high, which is three times the height of Mt. Everest.
- It takes Neptune 165 years to complete one revolution around the sun. This planet has yet to finish a full orbit since its discovery in 1846.
- Saturn is famous for the bright and colorful rings around it, which are comprised of gas, dust, possibly chunks of ice and particles of dust. But did you know that there are rings around all the other gas giants (Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune) in the solar system, too?
- Mercury and Venus are the only two planets that have no satellites, or moons, revolving around them. In comparison, Jupiter is known to have around 63 of them.
- Pluto, the “dwarf planet”, is comprised of half rock and half ice, and if it were any closer to the sun, it would be a comet.
- Mercury rotates slowly on its axis. It completes one rotation every 59 Earth days. As a result of the planet’s slow rotation on its axis and rapid movement around the sun, a day on Mercury — that is, the interval between one sunrise and the next — lasts about 180 Earth days.
Aren’t you glad you are part of this amazing system, even if only in the capacity of a very small spectator?


The space race in the twenty first century is a hot topic for those who study both in the fields of politics and science. Many people are excited for the advancement in technology in the Asian countries, who are in a space race of their own. China seemed to be defeating India in every way, until November, when India launched their own probe. Just recently, it was confirmed that the probe was incredibly close to entering Mars’ orbit- about 48 hours away.
But the space race doesn’t end there. It seems that old rivals are at it again: Russia and the United States.
We’ve all heard nearly every story about the hostilities between the United States and Russia. Between Crimea and the Ukraine, we’re generally concerned about what happens on Earth, due to the fact that we live here, and because space doesn’t usually cross our minds too often.
In 2011, the space shuttle used by the United States was retired. Ever since then, the United States has relied on Russia while sending astronauts to the International Space Station. While this method has proved to be reliable, it also is incredibly costly for the United States at about $70 million per seat. With this cost in mind, NASA made contracts with two companies- Boeing and SpaceX in order to create a shuttle that can bring astronauts back and forth between the space station and Earth. These companies were also selected for their ability to create technology that can survive deep space projects, launching the United States ahead in the space race. Optimistically, the shuttle will launch astronauts to the space station in 2017.
The United State’s decision to hire a company to build a new shuttle could not have come at a more convenient time. Back in April, the deputy prime minister tweeted:
“After analysing the sanctions against our space industry I suggest the US delivers its astronauts to the ISS with a trampoline.” -Dmitry Rogozin
The decision was made after several different run ins with Russia, such as the hostilities in Crimea and Ukraine. It was also made after the United States angered Russia with sanctions against the Russian space program and those who run the program. This decision also means that NASA no longer has to fund the Russian space program.
Charles Bolden, the present-day administrator of NASA, makes remarks on his blog that are similar to those made during the Cold War era. He reiterates the importance of the leadership of the United States in space technology and in space exploration. He also states that the contracts with the two companies to create new spacecraft is the best for the nation in order to cut ties with Russia and their space program.
Keeping all of this in mind, it’s hard to not compare this to the Cold War space race between the USSR and the US. And when remembering the course of history, the big question is: how long until Russia retaliates with policies or technologies of their own, whether it is on Earth or in space?


Astronomy: A Bright Look at Shooting Stars
One of the most unique of all astronomy events is that of the meteor shower. These are amazing events but the notable thing about meteor showers is the shooting stars that come from them. These are harmless astronomy events that are especially impressive to watch.
Shooting stars are essentially meteoroids. They are small parts of space rubble. The rubble is generally composed of dust or rocks from a comet that has broken up from an asteroid that will eventually land somewhere or break up to the point where they will become nonexistent. The pieces here will be considered to be ones that fall towards the earth because there are lights that can caused because of the friction of the atmosphere as these pieces from space burn up. What is the most unique about this is that the meteoroid will break up and explode when in entry, and the pieces from the explosion are bolides.
Comets are the most common sources of these materials. That is because of the long tails of these comets. Dust, ice and other space materials will get into the tail of the comet which can be especially long. When the comet moves from the sun when in orbit the matter on the tail will be thrown off course into space where it can disintegrate. In many cases the earth will pass through clouds of this material during its natural orbit. A meteor shower will result here.
A shooting star does not have to be too large to be one. The meteoroid can be as small as a millionth of a gram. In fact, the speed of the meteoroid can be incredibly high. The average speed of one will be about ten to seventy kilometers per second, and that is even faster than a bullet that has been shot.
Many people believe that these types of stars are unique astronomy events that may not be happened very often. This is not the case though, as there are about two hundred thousand tons of space matter that will get into the atmosphere every year to burn up as it reaches the atmosphere.
Predicting when these stars will come around is easy for astronomers. There are certain times in the day where people will need to look into certain areas. Various astronomy magazines or websites will have details on where to look and when. Of course, this is a phenomenal astronomy event, so it should be noted that there are radiants where meteoroids will occur in. A notation system involving looking into certain constellations for these showers. For instance, when a shower occurs near the Leo constellation the Leonid radiant should be observed.
Shooting stars are impressive and beautiful astronomy events. They are amazing scenes of nature where the meteoroids of comets will burn up into earth. They are indeed unique and great to watch.


Wei-Di Cheng ’93 showed an interest in space from a young age. Even so, he spent his first two years of university as an art major before his mother questioned his choice. “After my mom lectured me, saying, ‘There’s not much future in doing art.’ — that changed my path,” says Cheng. That lecture drew him back to what inspired him as a child and led him to UW–Madison’s engineering physics department. “There was a full NASA research lab, doing the composite material study, funded by NASA. ... I heard it was a great school to go to, and that brought me to the UW,” Cheng recalls. “I was intrigued by all the things I heard from the news, the things beyond [Earth], and what the future could hold.” Now, as a stress analyst in the Space Division at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California, Cheng has a hand in the space exploration efforts he admired as a kid — and gets to produce art as a result.
For the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) project, the $10 billion successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, Cheng worked on the Mechanical Ground Equipment Testing Group. A major focus of this testing was packing the sunshield, a five-layer device designed, in part, to prevent heat and light from interfering with the telescope’s ability to capture infrared images.
Now, one million miles away from Earth, the JWST is sending back images that reveal previously unseen objects and help scientists discover the origins of the universe. “The experience of being an engineer is constant learning,” Cheng says. “[With] every project, I learn something new. It’s not repetitive, and to me, it’s not boring. It’s very challenging. It makes life, and a career in engineering, very satisfying for me.”
Keep scrolling to see a few of the images made possible by Cheng’s work. Image credits: NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute.
James Webb Space Telescope
- An artist’s rendering shows the sunshield out in full force.
- 1 million miles from Earth
Pillars of Creation
- Images from the Hubble Telescope (left) in 2014 and the Webb Telescope (right) in 2022 showcase the power of new imaging technology.
- 6,500 light-years from Earth
- Thousands of never before seen stars are now visible, appearing in blue. Rust-colored gas tells astronomers about the hydrocarbons that form future stars.
- 159,800 light-years from Earth
- A group of galaxies that make up the Sculptor constellation, including the Cartwheel (right).
- 500 million light-years from Earth
- The edge of a giant gaseous cavity forms the Cosmic Cliffs, a region in which new stars form.
- 7,600 light-years from Earth
- Stephan’s Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies, serves as a “laboratory” for scientists to study galactic evolution in unprecedented detail.
- Furthest galaxy of the quintet is 290 million light-years from Earth