Latest Posts by scotlandknight-blog - Page 8
Arp 159 and NGC 4725
Star Factory Messier 17
Galactic politics
A galactic mega-merger
Cassini Top 10 Images and Science Results of 2015
As our Cassini spacecraft enters its final 20 months before its plunge into Saturn, the mission’s science team has selected their top 10 images from 2015 (above), a year of historic discoveries, as well as the top science results (below). Take a look:
1. First Deep Seafloor Hydrothermal Vents Found Beyond Earth
Cassini found the first evidence of active hot-water chemistry beyond planet Earth. An extensive, four-year analysis of data from the spacecraft, computer simulations and laboratory experiments led researchers to the conclusion the tiny silica (SiCO2) grains most likely form when hot water containing dissolved minerals from the moon’s rocky interior travels upward, coming into contact with cooler water.
2. Global Ocean Beneath Enceladus’ Surface
A global ocean lies beneath the icy crust of Saturn’s geologically active moon Enceladus. Scientists analyzed more than seven years’ worth of images of Enceladus taken by the spacecraft, which has been orbiting Saturn since mid-2004. As a result, they found Enceladus has a tiny, but measurable wobble as it orbits Saturn. This proves that there must be a global layer of liquid separating the surface from the core.
3. Titan Observed Outside of Saturnian Magnetosphere
During Cassini’s flyby of Titan, the giant moon happened to be on the sunward side of Saturn when a powerful outburst of solar activity reached the planet. The strong surge in the solar wind so compressed the sun-facing side of Saturn’s magnetosphere that the bubble’s outer edge was pushed inside the orbit of Titan. This left the moon exposed to, and unprotected from, the raging stream of energetic solar particles. The region of space dominated by Saturn’s magnetic field is called the magnetosphere.
4. Density of a Ring Particles May Indicate Recent Origins
Saturn’s A ring was found to be warmer than expected at the planet’s equinox, and also had an unusually large thermal asymmetry about the equinox. This could be due to the A ring being mostly composed of denser particles made primarily of solid ice, with a thin top layer of fluffy regolith.
5. Titan Southern Polar Ice Cloud
Scientists have detected a monstrous new cloud of frozen compounds in Titan’s low- to mid-stratosphere – a stable atmospheric region above the troposphere, or active weather layer.
6. Curtain Vents on Enceladus?
New research using data from Cassini suggests most of the eruptions from Saturn’s moon Enceladus might actually be diffuse curtains rather than discrete jets. Many features that appear to be individuals jets of material erupting along the length of prominent “tiger stripe” fractures in the moon’s south polar region might be phantoms created by an optical illusion, according to the new study.
7. Discovery of Tethys Red Arcs
Like graffiti sprayed by an unknown artist, unexplained arc-shaped, reddish streaks are visible on the surface of Saturn’s icy moon Tethys. The origin of the features and their reddish color is a mystery to scientists.
8. Saturn’s 30-year Giant Storms Powered by Water Convection
Changes in temperature and the composition of the hydrogen-laden air within the remnants of a giant storm system on Saturn reveal that air was lofted more than 120 miles in altitude from the deeper water condensation levels.
9. Seasonal Change Seen at Saturn’s Poles
Saturn’s polar regions have displayed extreme seasonal changes during Cassini’s decade-long watch, providing the most comprehensive view ever obtained of seasonal change on a giant planet.
10. Huygens Probe Imaging Mosaic of Titan’s Surface and Descent Movie
Ten years ago, an explorer from Earth, the Huygens probe, was released from the Cassini spacecraft and parachuted into the haze of an alien moon toward an uncertain fate. After a gentle descent lasting more than two hours, it landed with a thud on a frigid floodplain on Titan, surrounded by icy cobblestones.
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A 212 Hour Exposure of Orion : The constellation of Orion is much more than three stars in a row. It is a direction in space that is rich with impressive nebulas. To better appreciate this well-known swath of sky, an extremely long exposure was taken over many clear nights in 2013 and 2014. After 212 hours of camera time and an additional year of processing, the featured 1400-exposure collage spanning over 40 times the angular diameter of the Moon emerged. Of the many interesting details that have become visible, one that particularly draws the eye is Barnard’s Loop, the bright red circular filament arcing down from the middle. The Rosette Nebula is not the giant red nebula near the top of the image – that is a larger but lesser known nebula known as Lambda Orionis. The Rosette Nebula is visible, though: it is the red and white nebula on the upper left. The bright orange star just above the frame center is Betelgeuse, while the bright blue star on the lower right is Rigel. Other famous nebulas visible include the Witch Head Nebula, the Flame Nebula, the Fox Fur Nebula, and, if you know just where to look, the comparatively small Horsehead Nebula. About those famous three stars that cross the belt of Orion the Hunter – in this busy frame they can be hard to locate, but a discerning eye will find them just below and to the right of the image center. via NASA
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Fascinating....
Five planets will align for the first time since 2005
In an event that hasn’t happened in a decade, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus will illuminate morning skies around the world beginning Wednesday, and last a full month, until Feb. 20. The time of night that’s best for viewing.
Follow @the-future-now
Hubble Unveils a Tapestry of Dazzling Diamond-Like Stars
The View Toward M101
Portrait of an Imperfect but Beautiful Spiral
Evolution of the Crop Circles (1980 - 2007).
Winter, 1870 - Mount Washington, New Hampshire
This photograph depicts a cloud formation over the summit of Mt. Washington in the Winter of 1870 - 1871 - along with an added surprise! One can see a cigar shaped object. This could possibly be the earliest photograph of a UFO. The image is part of an antique stereo view. The description reads “SUMMIT Mt. Washington WINTER 1870-1871 Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1871, by CLOGH & KIMBALL, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington."
Source: http://www.ufoevidence.org/photographs/section/pre1940/Photo134.htm and UFOArtwork.com
Things that history can not explain - WTF fun facts
Very interesting....
Göbekli Tepe, an archaeological site at the top of a mountain ridge in the Southeastern Anatolia, and one of most ancients shrines in the world, dated to the 10th millennium BCE
Figures...
BaaaHhhh...
Typical bakery...
the phoenix lights incident is one of the most famous alleged ufo incidents. in 1997, hundreds of witnesses watched as a triangular formation of lights hovered above phoenix arizona for almost two hours.
Has China Built a Stargate
I see they have a T.V. show called “wierd or what”
Hosted by William Shatner whom was Captain Kirk…
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Police Officer Photographs a Ghostly Presence Inside an Abandoned Truck.
This image was submitted to GhostHauntings.org by a policeman named Roy. Roy, who is also an amateur photographer, says he came across this abandoned truck on Honey Run Road located in Chico, California. The image shows what looks to be a ghostly face peering out the passenger side of the truck.
Roy says that prior to snapping the photo, he looked inside the truck and saw nobody. Thinking he was seeing what was left of the truck’s sliding back window, Roy sent the image to be examined. After studying the photo, examiners ruled out Roy’s theory and believe the image to be genuine.
Despite the examiners’ conclusion, some still believe the face is nothing more than an optical illusion. What do you think? Did this police officer photograph an actual ghost? Or is this simply a case of pareidolia?
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Ghost Filmed Inside a Home in Indonesia.
While filming themselves goofing around in a house, a group of young friends from Indonesia were unaware that a ghostly presence was nearby. In the video they captured, a strange figure with long hair can be seen standing in a backroom. The camera momentarily pans away, and when the room comes back into view, the figure is gone.
The figure could easily have been a person dressed in a costume. Even though the group supposedly had no idea the figure was even there until they watched back the footage, the person filming seems to make sure that we the viewer can see it.
I’m interested to hear your thoughts on this footage. Do you think this figure was an actual ghost? Or might this simply be a hoax?
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Alien Caught on Tape in Australia.
This video was captured on February 23rd, 2007 at 1:30 a.m. by a young man and woman in Adelaide, South Australia. The two witnesses were at the Hallett Cove Conservation Park when they spotted a “large person like animal”. Nobody believed their strange tale, so they later returned to the area, this time with a camera and the hope that they would encounter the creature again.
To both their luck and dismay, the creature was indeed still around, and the two were able to capture a quick shot of the alien being before they fled the area in terror.
It’s possible that this was simply a costumed friend, or possibly even a dummy. Personally, I find it a bit too convenient that the alien stuck around long enough for the witnesses to return with a camera. Overall, I’m not convinced this footage is real, but that’s just my opinion.
I’m interested to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think these two young adults captured footage of an actual extraterrestrial? Or is this simply just another hoax?
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A squitten is a cat with unusually short forelegs or unusually long hind legs that resembles a squirrel. It is an example of a cat body type genetic mutation.
Surly this is proof enough!