Monday, August 31, 2009

Open Cluster M25




Open Cluster M25




Reminds me of the Pleiades, only with a dash of other colors (not just the blue as all the stars are in the Pleiades). :-)




Sunday, August 30, 2009

Goodness GRACEious




Goodness GRACEious



From the Moon to Ocean Bottom with Geodesy! :-)

The geodetic satellite Grace will allow us to measure changes in ocean bottom pressure globally for long periods of time. Through transferring data analysis methodology used on the Moon to Earth we will keep a better and sharper eye on the ocean bottom - from space!




The Sun and Climate Change




Solar Activity and Climate Change



Credit: NASA/ESA/SOHO


Solar activity have an influence on the climate on planet Earth. The question that remains unanswered with a satisfactory certainty is whether it is dominant compared to other effects like CO2.

Based on my experience and knowledge of the field it is done far to little research on the topic, mainly due to politics. It is very dangerous to even ask the questions we need to ask. It is a pity, because asking them is necessary to reduce the non manageable uncertainty of the climate models today.

The Sun is many orders of magnitude larger and energetic than the Earth. However, we do benefit from a protective magnetic field bouncing off enough to make it livable here.

I wish we could look at the Sun in this perspective in a more sober way than what is being done today.






Terrific Titan




Titanic Storm



AND - Saturn in BLUE!! :-D






Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Antarctic Lakes




Active Antarctic Lakes



Credit: NASA


We've suspected there is some kind of activity underneath the ice sheets of Antarctica. Now, we've gathered more information and have spotted a number of active lakes playing around under the ice.

We do not want the lakes to play in such a way that the ice disappear more rapidly than it already does!




Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Clouds




Rays of Clouds*



* not rays of Sun...ha! :-)




Monday, August 24, 2009

Rock Lobster




Rock Lobster



How do they do it? Rocking lobster, or more precisely perhaps, walking lobster! :-)

I'm merely adding intel on lobster for bears and catwomen.






Star Gazing




Star Gazing



...and a cat in boots as toppings...





Friday, August 21, 2009

New Worms: Glow-In-The-Dark Bombers




Glow-In-The-Dark Bombs



Totally awesome, dude! I want - and I need - those bombs.

And I know who to ask for help collecting them. I'll ask XineAnn to harass those bomb producing worms living outside the coast of Santa Barbara, California and Intrepiddreamer to take an annoying dive in the Philippines. (You need to harass the newly discovered worms to provoke the bombing...)






GPS Getting Better




Improving GPS



US Air Force is on the job!






Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Bloom!




Phytoplankton in Norwegian Fjords



Credit: NASA

Spectacular Algae Bloom.






Monday, August 17, 2009

Titan




Titan



And rotating....-)



It has sunk in; I really like Titan, don't I? :-)






Butterflies




Blue Butterflies



Credit: Midas Photography

Delightful Double Butterfly Blues!




Sunday, August 16, 2009

Ground Water with GRACE




Ground Water



Geodetic satellites are gathering an unprecedented amount of information about the water cycle, also the big unknown factors such as ground water. Totally awesome! :-)

Animation of water fluctuations in northern India It is pretty, too. :-)






Saturday, August 15, 2009

Coastal Mega Cities




Coastal Mega Cities



Cartographer Hugo Ahlenius, Nordpil

One of my favorite carthographer, Hugo Ahlenius, made me a pretty map. That's right, this is tailor made for me! :-)

Hugo's work shows that it is possible to make beautiful maps in modern digital times. I think Google Maps should take lessons at Nordpil, that is what I think. :-)






Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Rome Planetarium




Hitler's Gift to Astronomy



I was in Rome this summer and visited Rome Planetarium in EUR. This visit was extraordinary in many ways - the planetarium and it's exhibition are excellent in itself, the surroundings and the very building in the which the planetarium is placed is something else - and the history of both the optical instrument from Carl Zeiss and the general story behind Rome Planetarium is unique. So be it that both Hitler and Mussolini - some less than fine men - are part of the story. Remember, I am a scientist and astrophysicist - and just because I mention the role of these men in this story I do not endorse their actions!

Sam, I am not against Jews. There, I said it! It is official, I can talk about Hitler and like Jews at the same time. What do you know! :)




Dragons




Dragon Day




Dragons are so cool. And what an excellent and refreshing way of starting a new week...:-)





Saturday, August 8, 2009

Clouds




Clouds All Over








Blood Veins




Delicate Blood Veins






EUR




EUR - Rome



A different Rome.



Cygnus




Cygnus by Warm Spitzer








Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Titan




Terrific Titan




Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Elegant - and sort of deceivingly soft looking...




Tuesday, August 4, 2009

New Star




T Tauri




Credit:T. Rector (U. Alaska Anchorage), H. Schweiker, WIYN, NOAO, AURA, NSF




Pasta in Paris




To Paris with Stellare?



Rue Mouffetard, Paris
Credit: Stellare


I love Paris. I love pasta. So this spring I took a picture of some delicious fresh pasta on Rue Mouffetard in Paris. And what do you know, my image was selected as one of the descriptive pictures of this part of Paris by the online travel guide Schmap! Awesome as I also love maps!






Sunday, August 2, 2009

The Earth




The Earth



Credit: NASA and NOAA

As seen by GOES-14





Bugs




Spotted Bugs



By Nutmeg