Haiti Post Quake

Haiti Post Quake



Credit: NASA/JPL

Here you see how Haiti looks from the air after the Haiti earthquake. The epicenter at the end of the fault (black arrow). And the capital Port-of-Prince (yellow arrow).





"This image will be combined with other images of the same area to be acquired later this month and in the future in order to measure the motion of Earth's surface during the time between images using a technique called interferometry. The interferometric measurements will allow scientists to study the pressures building up and being released on the fault at depth."

Haiti in Red

Haiti in Red



Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

With the help of satellite images before and after we can identify wound in the soil.

"Tiny dots of white against the plant-covered landscape (red in this image) are possible landslides, a common occurrence in mountainous terrain after large earthquakes. The possible landslides were identified by carefully comparing the new image with an image acquired one year ago.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, is silver in the false-color image. The rivers are pale blue, while the ocean is dark blue. Exposed soil is white."

Celestial Dancefloor With Waltzing Black Holes

Celestial Dancefloor with Waltzing Black Holes




Dancing in the Dark - The Antennae Galaxies

Credit: Robert Gendler




Contestant number one, The Antennae Galaxies. Best close-up ever. By Hubble of course!

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

As the two galaxies smash together, billions of stars are born, mostly in groups and clusters of stars. The brightest and most compact of these are called super star clusters.

At the American Astronomers Society (AAS) meeting in January 2010 Julie Comerford from the University of California, Berkely presented her work on dancing black holes. By looking at their constant movements more information about the relationship between the black holes is revealed. Julie writes about it her self in Cosmic Matters. But, this is good, Astrocast.TV's Carolyn Collins Peterson includes a great interview with the black holes experts in her The Astronomer's Universe program from the AAS meeting. You can hear and see for yourself in the video (14:31 min) below.

The Science Behind The Haiti Earthquake

The Science Behind The Haiti Earthquake



Here you see a map of all the tectonic plate boundaries on this planet. In Haiti, we find the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault (part of tectonic boundary) and the earthquake took place very close to the Haitian capital Port-of-Prince.

I had the honor of talking with some of the best experts on the Enriquillo fault as well as other leading scientists. This is the first time I do interviews with people, and it made me almost feel like a journalist. Funny, since the executive producer worked for years at CNN. That's right! I'm lucky to work with the best of the best. :-)

My video made it to the front page of The Global Geodetic Observing System. :-)

Read more and watch the video The Science Behind The Haiti Earthquake

World Wetlands Day 2010

World Wetlands Day



From Canada
Credit: Blair Hammond, Habitat Protection Biologist, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada


Today, 2. February, is the World Wetlands Day.


The European Space Agency is one of many to mark this day.



From France
Credit: Tobias Salathé

M51 Spiral Galaxy Beauty

Spiral Galaxy - M51



Credit: NASA, Hubble Heritage Team, (STScI/AURA), ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI). Additional Processing: Robert Gendler


A classic beauty! Make-up and styling: Hubble and Hubble crew.

Crater in Kazakhstan

Chiyli Crater in Kazakhstan



Credit: NASA

Space art. :-) And how appropriate. Astronauts returning from ISS often end up in Kazakhstan. Not in the Chiyli Crater though...