Hydrogen Economy
Warming Atmosphere?
Physical Characteristics of Celestial Bodies-Moon & planets
The physical similarities of the Earth and the planets became important only after Copernicus put forth the theory that the Earth and all the planets are in motion around the Sun.
Cosmology: The structure of the universe
Unlike the characteristics of celestial bodies, cosmology had to accomodate all the observation on the structure of the universe. The work of Kepler and Newton on planetary motion and of Galileo on the physical nature of the planets,
Motion of Celestial Bodies
Since the beginning of civilization astronomy was dominated by the study of the motions of celestial bodies. This work was essential for astrology, for the determination of the calendar,
More Biodiversity
JB: This is Earth and Sky. Across the planet, the variety of plants and animals is waning at an alarming rate. But on some islands, biodiversity is actually increasing.
Astronomer Brad Schaefer
Here’s your chance to have your questions answered by a real astronomer — Brad Schaefer of the University of Texas at Austin. Brad does active research in gamma ray bursts, exploding stars known as supernovae, and sunspots. He can also talk about Stonehenge, eclipses and the real Star of Bethlehem.
Earth’s Core
E: Whatcha doin’ down in that hole, Kathy?
K: (SFX: shoveling sounds) I’m digging a tunnel to the middle of the Earth.
E: You are? Isn’t it really hot down there — like, as hot as the surface of the sun?
Ice in Antarctica
K: Ed, it says here that Antarctica nearly doubles its size every winter . . .
E: Hey! Just like my cousin Earl!
K: . . . and that the size increase is due to ice freezing in the ocean around the continent.
Solar System Live
Welcome to Solar System Live, the interactive Orrery of the Web. You can view the entire Solar System, or just the inner planets (through the orbit of Mars). Controls allow you to set time and date, viewpoint, observing location, orbital elements to track an asteroid or comet, and a variety of other parameters.
New MMT Mirror Installed
On Thursday, March 25th, the new
eye for the MMT Observatory was carefully set into place. The MMT Observatory
used to house the Multiple-Mirror Telescope. However, a year ago the six
1.8-meter-wide mirrors were removed to make room for a single primary 6.5 meters
in diameter. The 9.5-metric-ton, $10 million mirror was forged in 1992 within
the spinning oven at [...]
More Martian Microbes?
Yesterday NASA scientists offered
new evidence that fossilized microbes could be present in at least three
meteorites from Mars. Kathie L. Thomas-Keprta (NASA/Johnson Space Center) showed
that the controversial stone known as Allan Hills 84001 contains many
microscopic crystals of the iron-rich mineral magnetite. One-fourth of these are
perfectly shaped, same-sized hexagonal prisms free of chemical impurities.
Certain bacteria routinely produce [...]
Oracle scientist
For in five decades, the British neurologist Oliver Sacks expects “a general theory of imagination, consciousness and the self” and a “fusion of philosophy, psychology and physiology” (PPP ALARA). By the same date, the Portuguese Antonio Damasio dreams of “know how few genes can create so much complexity in the brain.” For his part, Richard [...]
About the origin of the radiation background diffuse
The event causing the CMB Planck observes that happened today there are almost 13.7 billion years, about 380,000 years after the “birth” of the observable universe. The temperature of the plasma of electrons, nuclei of light and photon content in the cosmos then dropped enough so that atoms are formed and, like a fog dissipating, [...]
Why the Sun there any stains?
The sun can be likened to a giant ball of hot gas with a surface, the photosphere at 6000 °, is constantly stirring (the movement of convection in the hot gas supply). Some regions of the photosphere, strongly magnetized, are cooler ( “only” 4000 °) in the absence of such convection, and appear very dark: [...]
