A Green Sun

A Green Sun






Messing with our Local Green Space and Green Earth. At least the GPS satellites suffers from solar outburst like huge flares similar to the one we see above.

A Green Space - A Green Earth

A Green Space - A Green Earth
Launched on Earth Day 2009




On Earth Day Astrocast.TV launched a new segment called A Green Space - A Green Earth. I've spent the last week at the European Geophysical Union in Vienna and haven't managed to spread the news until now (I promised some you of to tell when it 'aired' the first time.)

This is the first episode of a monthly web TV show that I'm responsible for and co-produce together with the founder of Astrocast.TV, Richard Mathews an executive producer with extensive experience from CNN.

I'm very proud to be a member of the team at Astrocast.TV and I will not call this shameless self-promotion, but proud self-promotion.:-) That being said, I'd really love to hear your opinion about the first episode. I introduce you to geodesy while covering the big European event, the launching of the first geodetic satellite ever, and also the first satellite of the Living Planet Program of ESA - GOCE. I reveal some space exploration history that might surprise you, too.

Have mercy! :-) (but do let me know what you think - good or bad)

High Mountains from above

The Top of The World from above




Credit: Nasa

Mt. Everest - Qomolangma

Cosmic Fountain of Youth

Fountain of Youth - Arp 194



Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)


Celebrating Hubble's 19th Anniversary with a set of interacting galaxies called Arp 194. Spectacular!

Cosmic Colors

Cosmic Colors




Credits: X-ray (NASA/CXC/IfA/C. Ma et al.); Optical (NASA/STScI/IfA/C. Ma et al.)

Antarctic

Adventures in Antarctica



Follow the scientist's adventure here.

Pinwheel

Pinwheel Galaxy



Credit: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona (Board of Regents



In splendid blue shades. :-)

Volcanic Eruption of Llaima in Chile

Volcanic Eruptions in Chile




Credit: NASA

"Llaima is one of Chile's largest and most active volcanoes. Two craters at Llaima have been active during historical times, one at the summit and another in the southeast. Since the seventeenth century, observers have recorded frequent eruptions from Llaima, mostly explosive eruptions with some lava flows."

Space Exploration Day 2009 - Yuri Gagarin

Happy Yuri Gagarin's Day



I wish I had one of those posters of Yuri - the first human to orbit Earth.

In the former Soviet Union countries they celebrate Space Exploration Day.

Earth's Boundaries

On The Edge



Credit: iStockphoto/Andrey Prokhorov


Defining Earth's Boundaries.

Take Another Leap

Another Giant Leap into Space...



I second that, Lucy and Stephen! :-)

The Mercury 7 Celebrate 50

Go Ballistic



Credit: Nasa


With Mercury!


Learn more about the Mercury 7 - and celebrate their 50th Anniversary.

Unusual Dusty Galaxy

Dusty Galaxy




Credit: NASA, ESA and W. Harris (McMaster University)

NGC 7049


Time for spring cleaning? :-)

Handy Young Pulsar

Hand Me A Pulsar




Credits: NASA/CXC/CfA/P. Slane et al.

Or show me a pulsar who looks like a hand. :-)

Solar Power in Space - ISS

International Space Station



Credit: STS-119 Shuttle Crew, NASA


After the last visit by Discovery, The International Space Station is all powered up with solar panels, in perfect symmetry. It's becoming and I'm sure I'll keep posting images of the ISS....:-)

Butterflies

Butterflies



Photo: Andrey Antov

Just because...





Found via a deep dive into TapwaterJ's tag cloud.

Crustal Movement and Religion

Crustal Movements Shake Up Mecca



Credit: NASA/JPL

GPS data represented by arrows showing present crustal movement directions and relative magnitudes.



The moral of this story must be: know your geodesy before you build a Mosque!

The crust of the Earth is exposed to all sorts of movements displacing points relative to each other. Tectonic plates move round and about, as we all know, right?, and therefore what used to be aligned may in the course of some years no longer be that.

If I was a muslim about to build a mosque, I would certainly study the crustal movements of my potential mosque spot relative to that of Mecca, before building. And then I would keep a continuous GPS eye on both my mosque - and Mecca!

You wouldn't want to disturb the prayers of millions of people just because the Earth moved now, would you?

Sublime Saturn

Saturn Takes Us with Storm



Credit: NASA

Telescopes team up to send storms of new images of Saturn - in celebration of Galileo. On the image above there's a totally fascinating storm on Saturn itself. Enjoy!

Earth Observation in Antactica

Breaking The Ice in Antarctica




Credit: ESA (Annotations by A. Humbert, Münster University)
Click on the image for a larger view of the rift in the ice bridge supporting Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica.






Credits: ESA

This map is showing break-up events of Larsen-B and Wilkins ice shelves, as observed by Envisat, in Antarctica.


Earth observation from space is a powerful tool when we try to understand what happens to our planet. I'm so fond of the concept of getting accurate data that will improve our Earth models. The more the merrier - the better will our predictions be. A real money saver, if you ask me. :-)

Moon and Venus over Iran

Persian Night



Credit: Oshin Zakarian/Dreamview.net

Moon and Venus at Naqsh-e Jahan square, Isfahan, Iran

Hubble's Winner - Arp 274

Great Galaxies in Precious Pink



I love blue and I hate pink. Sorry, I cannot stand the color in part because girls are supposed to like it. And I am declined to take the opposite view as a default position.

However, I think that these lovely Arp 274 galaxies looks really good on The Spacewriter's Ramblings. It is as if she designed her pages so that the fantastic Hubble images would be even more becoming.

It is astronomical eye candy!

Sweet Dreams

Sleep Like A Fruit Fly



Photo: courtesy UW Health Public Affairs

I do not need to study fruit flies, rats or any other living being, I know sleep is good for my brain. Interestingly they something about the use of energy here, that using the brain consumes more energy than when it relaxes in sleep. They argue in this study, that a reduced level of energy is what the poor brain needs.

I've always wonder why they say that the brain is the fastest burner of energy. Because according to all the thinking I do I should be anorectic by now, by last decade, no by last century. Come to think of it; by last millenium I should have been barely bones.

Easter Peeps

Stellare's Week-end Car



PeepMobile


Peep

Peep
Peep Peep (p[=e]p), n.
1. The cry of a young chicken; a chirp.
[1913 Webster]

2. First outlook or appearance.
[1913 Webster]

Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn. --Gray.
[1913 Webster]

3. A sly look; a look as through a crevice, or from a place
of concealment.
[1913 Webster]

To take t' other peep at the stars. --Swift.
[1913 Webster]

4. (Zool.)
(a) Any small sandpiper, as the least sandpiper ({Trigna
minutilla}).
(b) The European meadow pipit ({Anthus pratensis}).
[1913 Webster]

Peep show, small show, or object exhibited, which is
viewed through an orifice or a magnifying glass.

Peep-o'-day boys, Irish insurgents of 1784; -- so
called from their visiting the house of the loyal Irish at
day break in search of arms. [Cant]
[1913 Webster]

-- From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Peep Peep (p[=e]p), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Peeped (p[=e]pt); p.
pr. & vb. n. Peeping.] [Of imitative origin; cf. OE. pipen,
F. piper, p['e]pier, L. pipire, pipare, pipiare, D. & G.
piepen. Senses 2 and 3 perhaps come from a transfer of sense
from the sound which chickens make upon the first breaking of
the shell to the act accompanying it; or perhaps from the
influence of peek, or peak. Cf. Pipe.]
1. To cry, as a chicken hatching or newly hatched; to chirp;
to cheep.
[1913 Webster]

There was none that moved the wing, or opened the
mouth, or peeped. --Is. x. 14.
[1913 Webster]

2. To begin to appear; to look forth from concealment; to
make the first appearance; as, the sun peeped over the
eastern hills.
[1913 Webster]

When flowers first peeped, and trees did blossoms
bear. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]

3. To look cautiously or slyly; to peer, as through a
crevice; to pry.
[1913 Webster]

Peep through the blanket of the dark. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

From her cabined loophole peep. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]

Peep sight, adjustable piece, pierced with a small hole
to peep through in aiming, attached to a rifle or other
firearm near the breech.
[1913 Webster]

-- From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Peeps Gear



This week-end I'll drive the peepmobile and join Around The World in 80 Telescopes peeping at stars. Maybe SweetPeepsLJ would like to join me? :-)

Happy Easter!

Hello Kitty

Cats&Cosmetics



Yeah, that is right. I'm a woman. I almost forget sometimes. Thank God I've got Xineann, sending me this combo - cats and cosmetics - to remind me that I am a member of the opposite sex. You bet I knew what I was writing when saying opposite sex. It is not a relative expression in my case. I'm all about opposite. Just ask the kids I grew up with....:-) (and my colleagues?!?! :-)))

Sober Sun

Sober Sun



It's No Sunspot Party - Yet!

The Sun is chilling. Taking it easy. Actually making life in many ways easier for us too. Not knocking out GPS and other instruments that we'd like to have functioning in a continuous manner, thank you very much! Navigations of airplanes is better with instruments....

I'm not surprised, I'm just finding it interesting. A part of me enjoy observing the population being stunned by the fact that we haven't got it all figured out yet. I like it when people show some respect for our - no actually I regard it as MY - Sun. :-)

Like my kids says: Respect! (and a roar...)

The Sun

Solar. Energy.



Credit: Tamas Ladanyi

Astronaut with Guitar

Square Headed Astronaut with Guitar





You do see the guitar in the astronauts belt, don't you? :-)