Lunar Eclipse 2010

Lunar Eclipse on Canary Islands



Credit: Itahisa N. González

Still compensating for the overcast that arrived exactly when the lunar eclipse started... :-)

Paradise on Earth

Paradise On Earth



Credit: Zhang Jiangqi

My lucky friend Jiangqi did a field trip to Mt. Kailash in August. Those are Tibetan prayer flags, that frame the super holy mountain Kailash (galase).

Scientist finds new origin of Indus river

Celestial North

Celestial North



Credit: P-M Hedén

The North Star is more or less in the middle of the star trail cone. An image of the celestial north pole taken from a place close to the terrestrial north pole. Where Santa Claus lives!! Or Nissen as we call him here in the dark end of the world. :-)

Merry Christmas! The Sun has turned! :-)

Stellare

Lunar Eclipse 2010

Lunar Eclipse 2010



On the darkest of nights (day before winter solstice) it became even darker. A lunar eclipse took place and I am bitter and grumpy and angry at the weather Gods who decided to throw a few clouds over Norway just before the eclipse started.

Plenty of pictures comfort me a little bit...

Solar Radiation and Climate Change

Solar Radiation and Climate Change





"Some climatologists, including Judith Lean of the United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, remain skeptical of the SORCE SIM measurements. "I strongly suspect the SIM trends are instrumental, not solar," said Lean, noting that instrumental drift has been present in every instrument that has tracked ultraviolet wavelengths to date."

Bioluminescent Snail

Snail Light Bulb



Apparently snails are able to emit light - so-called bioluminescent light.

Uber cool, I'd say! :-)

Blue Map

Blue Map



Net, net, networking - almost all over the world. What an excellent choice of color to show how we are all connected. Well, almost all..,

Thank you Bumapples - the Blue Bully. ;-)

The Sun

The Sun



Credit: Nasa

In all its glory!

Robin

Robin



by Nutmeg

Bugs

Bugs



Credit: Nutmeg

White Ermine Moth! Very elegant! A Royal Bug? :-)

Mars Dunes

Mars Dunes Drizzled With Gems



Credit: NASA


At least, that's how it looks to me. :-)

Jupiter's Belt

Jupiter's Belt



Returns!

Big Cats And The Environment

Not Easy Being A Big Cat



It takes a lot of food to make this cutie pie of a leopard to grow up and become one of these...



Big cats and other big carnivore animals are more vulnerable to environmental change that influence their access to food. They are big and need a lot of energy to be able to catch their prey. If prey become scarce due to environmental changes they might run out of energy before they find food.

Rhea

Rhea



Credit: NASA

Has atmosphere!

Aurora Time

It's Aurora Time

Living Fossil

Living Fossil



A living dead? It's seaweed! :-)

Mars - Chinese Dragon

Mars' 'Chinese Dragon' ?



Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Nah, just wallrocks and valleys at Melas Chasma.

Blue Jay

Blue Jay



Credit: Jean Vincent

Remember to feed the birds, now! (She told herself...:-)) King Winter has arrived!

Traces of Dust Devils

The Dust Devil Was Here



Credit: Nasa

Actually a crowd of dust devils were there - on the Martian surface - leaving an incredible pattern to prove it.

Blue Quasar

Blue Quasar 3c186



Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/A.Siemiginowska et al, Optical: AURA/Gemini Obs.

Gorgeous blue! and the most distant quasar yet observed.

The Earth's Atmosphere

The Earth's Atmosphere

Cloud carpet




Thin air





Gibbeous Moon




A line of Sun




Thin sunset




Hanging Space Station





Oblique atmosphere







All images are taken from the International Space Station. Courtesy of NASA.

A Star

A Star



Mirach and Mirach's Ghost (NGC 404 galaxy)
Credit: Anthony Ayiomamitis

Simply a star - with a GHOST! :-)

Comet Hartley 2

Hello Hartley!




Credit: NASA


Comet Hartley 2, actually! We spy you! And you are radiant. :-)

Parenthood A La Fish

Parenthood A La Fish



Fish parents with baby fish. Aren't they adorable? :-) And so human-like....

Astronomical Halloween

Astronomical Halloween



IC 2118 or The Witch Head Nebula is my favorite astronomical Halloween object.

Image Data: Digitized Sky Survey; Color Composite: Noel Carboni



This lunar eclipse looks very much like Pumpkin Moon. Carved pumpkins is one of the characteristics of our Halloween celebrations.

Credit & Copyright: Sebastien Gauthier



The Perseus Cluster's X-Ray Skull is a heavenly example of another symbol of Halloween namely skulls.

Credit: A. Fabian (IoA Cambridge) et al., NASA

Black Hole

Black Hole



It is that time of year again when the world is getting darker and darker and darker....until we hardly see any daylight at all up here in the High North. So, evidently it is 'black hole' season! Enjoy this piece on black hole duality, folks, and cherish the light as long as you can...:-)

Bugs

Bugs!



Carrying malaria or not - bugs are bugs and this one is uber cool! :-)

Cute Frog

A Cutie Pie



Lovely new frog species discovered in the Amazon. Totally charming! :-)

Save Birds

Save Birds



It is the international year of biodiversity. Birds are populating the list of animals that are in danger (red list). I love to watch birds and I hope the international efforts this year can help save some birds at least, as well as other species of course. And stop what appears to be some political battling....

Cat In Space

Cat in Space



Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/U.Illinois/R.Williams & Y.-H.Chu; Optical: NOAO/CTIO/U.Illinois/R.Williams & MCELS coll.

A super nova remnant CAT, that is. Do you see it? :-)

This cat image is part of NASA goes pink honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October).

Magnetars

Stellare's Week-end Magnetar



Credit: CXC/M. Weiss

There will be very few of these Week-end Magnetars, so enjoy this rare moment. :-)


PS. A magnetar is a slowly rotating neutron star where the internal magnets go bananas....

The Rhino Posisiton

The Rhino Position



Is given by GPS, not any particular rhinos personal view....:-)

Chilean Miners Rescued With Help From Space

Chilean Miners Walking On Planet's Surface



All 33 Chilean miners were rescued with the help of all the best scientific and technological knowledge humans possess. That includes element of space technology as well as medical and psychological experience from our numerous space expeditions.

Congratulations Chile! Congratulations Science!

Fossil Day 2010

Fossil Day



Happy National Fossil Day, America! :-)

Staring Contest

Staring Contest



I'm so glad Bumapple is back on SU. Because he commits literary pearls like this Staring Contest. I was a late bloomer alright and had my staring contest period a wee bit late, but Bumapple devastate my record of immaturity. Just read about his combat with a kid, will you! It is hilarious.

Fly Me To The Moon

Fly Me To The Moon



Or at least close by...:-)

Io

Io, Mio Io!



Credit: NASA

Io, the golden moon of Jupiter. Smashing!

Blue Christmas

Blue Christmas



A Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) found at Lizard Island.

Credit: John Huisman-Murdoch University



This must be the nicest little worm I've ever seen. It is a marine worm that looks like a blue xmas tree. :-)

Soyuz! Combust Me!

Combust Me!



Credit: NASA

Alright, alright! I know 'combust' isn't really a word. But will you just look at that combustion rocket huge thingy, already! I want one. It is a free world (at least where i live) so... Combust me! :-)

Oh, well, we are talking about Soyuz TMA-01M which is about to get ready to blast off the next shipment into space. On 7th of October 2010 this Russian rocket will take off and dock at the International Space Station.

Mining Chile

Mining Chile



Talk about down under. Deep under the surface of the Earth as we see it from space in the satellite image above, resides more than 30 Chilean miners 700 meters under ground. I certainly hope they succeed in getting those brave workers up on the right side of the surface of the Earth again.

The Equinox Sun

Equinox Set In Iron



Credit: NASA

Of course I mean more precisely and actually correct 'The Sun as seen by the light emitted from iron'

All the same, it is a lovely picture of our dear Sun on this day of equal duration of day and night...