Saturday 10 December 2016

Hubble catches a transformation in the Virgo constellation

more »
The constellation of Virgo (The Virgin) is especially rich in galaxies, due in part to the presence of a massive and gravitationally-bound collection of over 1,300 galaxies called the Virgo Cluster. One particular member of this cosmic community, NGC 4388, is captured in this image, as seen by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).
via Science Daily
Zazzle Space Exploration market place

Super-flexible liquid crystal device for bendable and rollable displays

more »
A super flexible liquid crystal (LC) device has been developed, in which two ultra-thin plastic substrates are firmly bonded by polymer wall spacers.
via Science Daily

The Lunar X

more »
The striking X appearing in this lunarscape is easily visible in binoculars or a small telescope. Yet, not too many have seen it. The catch is this lunar X is fleeting, only apparent in the hours before the Moon's first quarter phase. At the terminator, or shadow line between lunar day and night, the X illusion is produced by a configuration of the craters Blanchinus, La Caille and Purbach. Near the Moon's first quarter phase, an astronaut standing close to the craters' position would see the slowly rising Sun very near the horizon. Temporarily, the crater walls would be in sunlight while the crater floors were still in darkness. Seen from planet Earth, contrasting sections of bright walls against the dark floors by chance look remarkably like an X. This sharp image of the Lunar X was captured at approximately 16:45 UT on December 6, 2016. For extra credit, sweep your gaze along the lunar terminator and you can also spot the Lunar V.
Tomorrow's picture: star spiral
< | Archive | Submissions | Index | Search | Calendar | RSS | Education | About APOD | Discuss | >

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

High performance graphene photodetectors set speed record

more »
Graphene is an ideal material for optical communications systems. A new, waveguide-integrated photodetector now sets a record high bandwidth for ultrafast, high data rate graphene devices.
via Science Daily