Steps into Space - Commercialisation, Occupation, Colonization: January 2014

Friday 31 January 2014

Lab clocks 'hot' electrons: Plasmon-generated electrons timed moving from nanorods to graphene

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Scientists time "hot" electrons as they transfer from excited plasmons in gold nanorods to graphene. Plasmonic nanoparticles are becoming known for their ability to turn light into heat, but how to use them to generate electricity is not nearly as well understood. Scientists are working on that, too. They suggest that the extraction of electrons generated by surface plasmons in metal nanoparticles may be optimized.

via Science Daily

Super-strong graphene oxide: In situ bandgap tuning of graphene oxide achieved by electrochemical bias

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The ability to modulate the physical properties of graphene oxide within electronic components could have numerous applications in technology. Super-strong graphene oxide (GO) sheets are useful for ultrathin, flexible nano-electronic devices, and display unique properties including photoluminescence and room temperature ferromagnetism.

via Science Daily

M31 Galaxy in Andromeda Print

Here's a great poster featuring a beautiful image from deep space

after scouring the Zazzle market place for a while, I settled on this as my choice for today. By fmayhar,
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M31 Galaxy in Andromeda Print

tagged with: astronomy, hubble space telescope, galaxy, andromeda, m31

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Imaging ferroelectric domains

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(Phys.org) —When thin films of ferroelectric materials are grown on single-crystal substrates, they can develop regions of aligned polarization—called "domains"—that often adopt complex patterns. Manipulation of ferroelectric domains can lead to advances in a number of technologies. However, in order to manipulate the domains, it is important to study their natural development. Previous studies have shown that interfacial strain and electrical boundary conditions play a large role. Accurate measurements of the local polarization can help science learn more. By changing the properties of the substrate and the interfaces of the ferroelectric materials, one can control the size and shape of the domains and thus influence the behavior of the material.

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Eagle Nebula, Pillars of Creation Oval Sticker

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space

Eagle Nebula, Pillars of Creation Oval Sticker

tagged with: breathtaking astronomy images, eglneb, young stars clusters, star forming nebulae, messier 16 ngc 6611, pillars of creation, inspirational, eagle nebula, heavens, stars, eso, european southern observatory, vista

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A breathtaking outer space picture showing a spectacular three-colour composite mosaic image of the Eagle Nebula (Messier 16, or NGC 6611). It's based on images obtained with the Wide-Field Imager camera on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory.

At the centre, the so-called “Pillars of Creation” can be seen and this wide-field image shows not only the central pillars, but also several others in the same star-forming region, as well as a huge number of stars in front of, in, or behind the Eagle Nebula.

The cluster of bright stars to the upper right is NGC 6611, home to the massive and hot stars that illuminate the pillars. The “Spire” - another large pillar - is in the middle left of the image.

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image code: eglneb

ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA www.eso.org
Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

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Light Pillars from a Little Planet

Eerie pillars of light ring the edges of this snowy little planet. Of course the little planet is planet Earth, shown in a nadir-to-zenith, around-the-horizon, little planet projection. The spherical panoramic image mosaic maps a view from Siilinjärvi in eastern Finland. Flat ice crystals, like those more often found in high, thin clouds, are gently fluttering in very cold air near the surface. The pillars of light appear as their briefly horizontal facets reflect upward directed light from ground sources downward, toward the observer. In fact, the fluttering crystals produce an effect analogous to the shimmering columns of moonlight or sunlight reflected by surface waves across water.

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Orion Nebula Wall Decal

Here's a great wall decal featuring a beautiful image from deep space

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Orion Nebula Wall Decal

tagged with: space, nebula, colors, stars, gas, plume, black, astronomy, hubble, colorful, wall, decal, decor, decorations

Gas plume near the edge of the Orion Nebula as seen through the Hubble telescope

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Ring Nebula (NASA/Hubble Telescope) Cover For The iPad Mini

Here's a great iPad case from Zazzle featuring a Hubble-related design. Maybe you'd like to see your name on it? Click to personalize and see what it's like!

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Ring Nebula (NASA/Hubble Telescope) Cover For The iPad Mini

tagged with: space, nasa, hubble space telescope, space photography, astronomy, geek present, nerd gift, outer space, rainbow, colorful, star, starry, night sky, astronomer gift

Travel to outer space without leaving the dinner table, when you have these plates featuring this Hubble Telescope image of the Ring Nebula, courtesy of NASA.

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The Crab Nebula. Poster

Here's a great poster featuring a beautiful image from deep space

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The Crab Nebula. Poster

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What your company can learn from NASA tragedies

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Scientists have been researching how NASA recognizes "near-miss" events ever since the Columbia shuttle was destroyed in flight 11 years ago Saturday. A new study finds recognition of near-misses goes up when leaders emphasize project significance and weigh safety over other goals.

via Science Daily

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Thursday 30 January 2014

Thyroid cancer cells become less aggressive in outer space

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For those who think that space exploration offers no tangible benefits, new research involving thyroid cancer may prove otherwise. Researchers show that some tumors which are aggressive on earth are considerably less aggressive in microgravity. By understanding the genetic and cellular processes that occur in space, scientists may be able to develop treatments that accomplish the same thing on Earth.

via Science Daily

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Breakthrough in rechargeable batteries: New twist to sodium-ion battery technology

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Engineers have made a breakthrough in rechargeable battery applications. They have demonstrated that a composite paper -- made of interleaved molybdenum disulfide and graphene nanosheets -- can be both an active material to efficiently store sodium atoms and a flexible current collector. The newly developed composite paper can be used as a negative electrode in sodium-ion batteries.

via Science Daily

Dumbbell Nebula in Taurus Oval Stickers

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space

Dumbbell Nebula in Taurus Oval Stickers

tagged with: awesome astronomy images, inspirational, dmbblneb, vulpecula constellation, intense ultraviolet radiation, messier 27 ngc 6853, heavens, stars, dumbbell nebula, the fox constellation, european southern observatory, eso, vista

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A great photo from deep space featuring the Dumbbell Nebula - also known as Messier 27 or NGC 6853. It's a typical planetary nebula and is located in the constellation Vulpecula (The Fox).

The distance is rather uncertain, but is believed to be around 1,200 light-years. It was first described by the French astronomer and comet hunter Charles Messier who found it in 1764 and included it as no. 27 in his famous list of extended sky objects.

Despite its class, the Dumbbell Nebula has nothing to do with planets. It consists of very rarefied gas that has been ejected from the hot central star (well visible on this photo), now in one of the last evolutionary stages. The gas atoms in the nebula are excited (heated) by the intense ultraviolet radiation from this star and emit strongly at specific wavelengths.

This image is the beautiful by-product of a technical test of some FORS1 narrow-band optical interference filters. They only allow light in a small wavelength range to pass and are used to isolate emissions from particular atoms and ions.

In this three-colour composite, a short exposure was first made through a wide-band filter registering blue light from the nebula. It was then combined with exposures through two interference filters in the light of double-ionized oxygen atoms and atomic hydrogen. They were colour-coded as “blue”, “green” and “red”, respectively, and then combined to produce this picture that shows the structure of the nebula in “approximately true” colours.

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ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA www.eso.org
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Rocket Streak and Star Trails

Fixed to a tripod and looking east across the Kennedy Space Center's Turn Basin, a camera captured these star trails as a series of short exposures over a three hour period on the evening of January 23rd. Positioned just a few miles from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, it also captured a spectacular night launch of an Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite TDRS-L. Creating the trails, the apparent motion of the stars through the sky is just a reflection of the daily rotation of planet Earth on its axis. But that rotation is also the reason the rocket streak follows a path arcing east across the Atlantic. Launching toward the east, in the direction of Earth's rotation, adds the rotation velocity to the rocket and reduces the fuel needed to reach orbit. A little ironically, TDRS-L is destined for a geostationary orbit. From there, 36,000 kilometers or so above the equator, it's orbital period will match Earth's rotation and the satellite will hang motionless in planet Earth's sky.

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Hubble images spawn theory of how spiral galaxies turn into jellyfish before becoming elliptical

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(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers, two from the University of Hawaii, and one from the University of Dunham in the U.K. has found evidence from the Hubble Space Telescope that suggests jellyfish galaxies come about when spiral galaxies are ripped apart as they move towards dense galaxy clusters. In their paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the team describes how six images of jellyfish captured by Hubble appear to show how spiral galaxies morph into elliptical galaxies.

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Monogram Brightest Supernova Ever space picture Table Lamp

Here's a gorgeous lamp featuring a beautiful image from deep in outer space.

Monogram Brightest Supernova Ever space picture Table Lamp

tagged with: astronomy pictures, outer space, star galaxies, sn1006c, supernova explosions, brightest supernova, exploding white dwarf, neutron star, deep space astronomy, monogram initials, supernova bursts, supernovae space bubble

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Just over a thousand years ago, the stellar explosion known as supernova SN 1006 was observed. It was brighter than Venus, and visible during the day for weeks. The brightest supernova ever recorded on Earth, this spectacular light show was documented in China, Japan, Europe, and the Arab world.
Ancient observers were treated to this celestial fireworks display without understanding its cause or implications. Astronomers now understand that SN 1006 was caused by a white dwarf star that captured mass from a companion star until the white dwarf became unstable and exploded. Recent observations of the remnant of SN 1006 reveal the liberation of elements such as iron that were previously locked up inside the star. Because no material falls back into a neutron star or black hole after this type of supernova explosion, the liberation of this star's contents is complete. It represents, therefore, a cosmic version of Independence Day for this star.
This is a composite image of the SN 1006 supernova remnant, which is located about 7000 light years from Earth. Shown here are X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue), optical data from the University of Michigan's 0.9 meter Curtis Schmidt telescope at the NSF's Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO; yellow) and the Digitized Sky Survey (orange and light blue), plus radio data from the NRAO's Very Large Array and Green Bank Telescope (VLA/GBT; red).
This combined study of the Chandra, CTIO and VLA/GBT observations shows new evidence for the acceleration of charged particles to high energies in supernova shockwaves. An accompanying Hubble Space Telescope image of SN 1006 shows a close-up of the region on the upper right of the supernova remnant. The twisting ribbon of light seen by Hubble reveals where the expanding blast wave is sweeping into very tenuous surrounding gas.
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Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Rutgers/G.Cassam-Chenaï, J.Hughes et al.; Radio: NRAO/AUI/NSF/GBT/VLA/Dyer, Maddalena & Cornwell; Optical: Middlebury College/F.Winkler, NOAO/AURA/NSF/CTIO Schmidt & DSS

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Wednesday 29 January 2014

'Rogue' asteroids may be the norm

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A new map developed by astronomers charts the size, composition, and location of more than 100,000 asteroids throughout the solar system, and shows that rogue asteroids are actually more common than previously thought. Particularly in the solar system's main asteroid belt -- between Mars and Jupiter -- the researchers found a compositionally diverse mix of asteroids.

via Science Daily

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First weather map of brown dwarf: Surface of nearest brown dwarf charted

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The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope has been used to create the first ever map of the weather on the surface of the nearest brown dwarf to Earth. An international team has made a chart of the dark and light features on WISE J104915.57-531906.1B, which is informally known as Luhman 16B and is one of two recently discovered brown dwarfs forming a pair only six light-years from the Sun.

via Science Daily

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Hubble Helps Solve Mystery of Ultra-Compact, Burned-Out Galaxies

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A certain class of massive galaxies in the early universe lived fast and died young. By "died" astronomers mean that the galaxies had completed building stars just 3 billion years after the big bang. By contrast, our 12-billion-year-old Milky Way galaxy continues making stars today. When star formation stops, the aging stellar population looks redder in the star-forming galaxies that are more bluish. The nickname for the essentially "burned-out" galaxies is "red and dead."

via HubbleSite NewsCenter -- Latest News Releases

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2014/10/

Array of perfect nanometer-scale spheres that can control the flow of visible light may find use in invisibility cloaks

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The optical properties of a material are predominantly determined by its constituent atoms and electrons and the way that these respond to electromagnetic waves. In natural materials, the diversity of possible optical characteristics is limited, and so metamaterials—artificial structures engineered to control the propagation of light—offer hope for a plethora of novel optical applications.

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Jelly Donut Shaped Rock Appears on Mars

What if a rock that looked like a jelly donut suddenly appeared on Mars? That's just what happened in front of the robotic Opportunity rover currently exploring the red planet. The unexpectedly placed rock, pictured above, was imaged recently by Opportunity after not appearing in other images taken as recently as twelve Martian days (sols) before. Given the intriguing mystery, the leading explanation is somewhat tame -- the rock was recently scattered by one of the rover's tires. Even so, the rock's unusual light tones surrounding a red interior created interest in its composition -- as well as causing it to be nicknamed Jelly Donut. A subsequent chemical analysis showed the rock has twice the abundance of manganese than any other rock yet examined -- an unexpected clue that doesn't yet fit into humanity's understanding of the Martian geologic history. Opportunity, just passing its 10-year anniversary on Mars, continues to explore the Murray Ridge section of the rim of 22-kilometer wide Endeavor Crater. Tomorrow's picture: open space

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
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Graphene prevents icy winter

In the unusually warm winter that bridges the years 2013 and 2014, graphene continues to be a hot topic of investigation - and we mean "hot" in the physics sense.

Mid-December last year, researchers at Rice University reported a novel method of deicing radar domes using a coating based on graphene. The coating, consisting of a mixture of graphene and a polymer, can be spray-painted onto the surface of the dome. Current is then run through the coating, heating the dome to deice it. The coating project was also supported by Lockheed Martin, who aim to use it on real radar devices onboard ships and aircraft. Importantly, the coating was shown to be nearly transparent at radio frequencies, alleviating the worry that powerful radar signals could bounce back off the coating and burn the radar itself.

The graphene in the coating was produced by unzipping carbon nanotubes, a method perfected by the same research group, led by James Tour (we wrote about Professor Tour's work in our recent article "Graphene for oil exploration"). The process is entirely ready for mass-production, and is hence a serious contender for commercial use. The spray-on graphene layer itself is easily removed by touch, however when mixed with a common automotive paint based on polyurethane, the layer sticks very well, while still retaining all the desired heating and transparency properties. Most importantly, the graphene layer is lightweight, putting it ahead of the currently used technology based on metal constructions and alumina.

The ability to heat graphene for a good use came up again this month, in a report of using a graphene oxide balm to treat skin cancer. The balm, consisting of graphene oxide and hyaluronic acid, is heated with a laser after application to the affected area. The graphene oxide absorbs the laser light, generating enough heat to burn the cancer cells.

The treatment, known as photothermal therapy, is nothing new - reports up to five years old show a similar effect with metal nanoparticles. Compared to metal and other kinds of nanoparticles, however, graphene oxide has a higher light absorption efficiency. Another advantage of the graphene balm is that it can be directly applied to the skin, whereas other treatment options involve injecting nanoparticle solutions into the bloodstream. Although this work still has to pass all the clinical trials and health checks associated with new medicine, it is certainly promising and an interesting direction of graphene research to keep an eye on.

Whereas hot graphene can be useful for treating skin cancer and de-icing radar domes, heat can be detrimental to electronic circuits made of the two-dimensional material. As atomic monolayers of graphene are very promising for constructing ultrafast electronic circuits, the heat issue could become a serious challenge in the future. Luckily, researchers at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley Lab have solved the problem faster than it could fully emerge, elegantly using another form of nanocarbon – carbon nanotubes (CNTs).

Figure: Artist's representation of CNT cooling of microchips (Source: Berkeley Lab)

The researchers succeeded in cooling standard microchips by attaching a layer of CNTs on top of the chips. The challenge was to make the bond strong, which they overcame by using organic molecules as an “adhesive layer”. The process is suitable for mass manufacture. The same method could be used for cooling graphene microchips.

Low temperatures are also the key benefit of using graphene as a charge collection element in new high-efficiency solar cells. Teams based in Spain and Oxford University have now constructed photovoltaic cells with a 15.6% efficiency, using perovskite as the active (light-absorbing) material, and a combination of titanium oxide and graphene as the charge collector. The temperature used in the production process does not exceed 150 degrees Celsius, leading to lower production costs as well as the option of integrating the cells on flexible plastics.

With all this graphene heat, it is no surprise we have been seeing extra-warm winter weather. We'll have to wait and see whether the trend is followed by an extra-hot summer, or perhaps graphene will surprise us once again with a display of some unexpected cooling properties.

via Graphenea

Orion Nebula Case For iPad Mini

Here's a great iPad case from Zazzle featuring a Hubble-related design. Maybe you'd like to see your name on it? Click to personalize and see what it's like!

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Orion Nebula Case For iPad Mini

tagged with: orion, nebula, rust, aqua, green, space, cosmic, astronomy, images, nasa, hubble

A lovely image of the Orion Nebula thanks to NASA/Hubble Space Telescope.

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Rosetta wide awake as check-up continues

Following last week’s wake-up of the Rosetta comet-chaser, ESA’s flight controllers have conducted the first in a series of health checks aimed at assessing how well it came through 31 months of hibernation.

via ESA Space Science

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Rosetta_wide_awake_as_check-up_continues

galaxy and stars wrapping paper

Present wrapping paper for citizens of Earth who adore the beauty awaiting them in the universe.

galaxy and stars wrapping paper

tagged with: nasa, planets, space, galaxy, photo, hubble, telescope, stars

stars and planets photographed by the hubble telescope, for nasa,

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Tuesday 28 January 2014

Spiral Galaxy iPad Mini Case

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Spiral Galaxy iPad Mini Case

tagged with: nasa, hubble, galaxy, spiral galaxy, stars, space, image, outer space, astronomy, telescope, geek, starfield, cosmology, universe, science

Spiral Galaxy

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Spiral Galaxy M83: The Southern Pinwheel

M83 is one of the closest and brightest spiral galaxies on the sky. Visible with binoculars in the constellation of Hydra, majestic spiral arms have prompted its nickname as the Southern Pinwheel. Although discovered 250 years ago, only much later was it appreciated that M83 was not a nearby gas cloud, but a barred spiral galaxy much like our own Milky Way Galaxy. M83, pictured above by the Hubble Space Telescope in a recently released image, is a prominent member of a group of galaxies that includes Centaurus A and NGC 5253, all of which lie about 15 million light years distant. Several bright supernova explosions have been recorded in M83. An intriguing double circumnuclear ring has been discovered at the center of of M83. Organize Your Universe: Free APOD 2014 Calendar in PDF format
Tomorrow's picture: open space

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Research could bring new devices that control heat flow

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Researchers are proposing a new technology that might control the flow of heat the way electronic devices control electrical current, an advance that could have applications in a diverse range of fields from electronics to textiles.

via Science Daily

Graphene-like material made of boron a possibility, experiments suggest

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Graphene, a sheet of carbon one atom thick, may soon have a new nanomaterial partner. In the lab and on supercomputers, chemists have determined that a cluster of 36 boron atoms forms a flat disc with a hexagonal hole in the middle. The shape fits theoretical predictions for a potential new nanomaterial: "borophene."

via Science Daily

Quantum computing? Moving an atom inside a crystal to investigate its function

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Physicists have moved an atom inside a crystal and investigate its function. Nanotechnology is a thriving science. Parts for computers for example are becoming smaller and more precise by the minute. One of the most efficient computers would be the so-called quantum computer. Up to now, its existence has been merely a concept that is based on the laws of quantum mechanics. Here, the ability to control the state of single atoms is decisive. For the first time ever, scientists have managed to move single atoms vertically inside a crystal.

via Science Daily

Active supermassive black holes revealed in merging galaxies

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Astronomers have conducted infrared observations of luminous, gas-rich, merging galaxies to study active, mass-accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs). They found that at least one SMBH almost always becomes active and luminous by accreting a large amount of material.

via Science Daily

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New theory suggests way to teleport energy long distances

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(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers at Tohoku University in Japan, led by Masahiro Hotta, has proposed a new way to teleport energy that allows for doing so over long distances. In their paper published in Physical Review A, the team describes a theory they've developed that takes advantage of the properties of squeezed light or vacuum states to allow for "teleporting" information about an energy state, allowing for making use of that energy—in essence, teleporting energy over long distances.

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Trifid Nebula, Messier 16 Rectangle Sticker

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space

Trifid Nebula, Messier 16 Rectangle Sticker

tagged with: breathtaking astronomy images, star forming nebulae, trfdnbl, star nurseries, galaxies, nebulae, star factory, trifid nebula, star clusters, heavens, factories for stars, eso, vista, european southern observatory

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A fantastic picture from our universe featuring the massive star factory known as the Trifid Nebula.

It was captured in all its glory with the Wide-Field Imager camera attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in northern Chile.
So named for the dark dust bands that trisect its glowing heart, the Trifid Nebula is a rare combination of three nebulae types that reveal the fury of freshly formed stars and point to more star birth in the future. The field of view of the image is approximately 13 x 17 arcminutes.
It's an awe-inspiring, breathtaking image that reveals some of the wonder that is our universe.

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Horsehead Nebula - Our Awesome Universe Wall Graphic

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Horsehead Nebula - Our Awesome Universe Wall Graphic

tagged with: breathtaking astronomy images, hrshdneb, stars, nebulae, star clusters, starfields, star nurseries, horsehead nebula, galaxies, vista, european southern observatory, eso

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A gorgeous deep space photograph featuring the Horsehead Nebula.
It's actually a composite colour image based on three exposures in the visual part of the spectrum with the FORS2 multi-mode instrument at the 8.2-m KUEYEN telescope at Paranal.

It was produced from three images, obtained on February 1, 2000, with the FORS2 multi-mode instrument at the 8.2-m KUEYEN Unit Telescope and extracted from the VLT Science Archive Facility.

The frames were obtained in the B-band (600 sec exposure; wavelength 429 nm; FWHM 88 nm; here rendered as blue), V-band (300 sec; 554 nm; 112 nm; green) and R-band (120 sec; 655 nm; 165 nm; red).

The original pixel size is 0.2 arcsec.

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ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA www.eso.org
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Monday 27 January 2014

River of hydrogen flowing through space observed

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Astronomers have discovered what could be a never-before-seen river of hydrogen flowing through space. This very faint, very tenuous filament of gas is streaming into the nearby galaxy NGC 6946 and may help explain how certain spiral galaxies keep up their steady pace of star formation.

via Science Daily

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Monogram Cigar Galaxy, Messier 8 space picture Table Lamp

Here's a gorgeous lamp featuring a beautiful image from deep in outer space.

Monogram Cigar Galaxy, Messier 8 space picture Table Lamp

tagged with: agmet, messier 82, cigar galaxy, active galaxies, outer space images, deep space photography, hubble astronomy, sky watching, monogram initials, star galaxies, chandra

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Composite of images of the active galaxy Messier 82 from the three Great Observatories: Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope. X-ray data recorded by Chandra appears here in blue, infrared light recorded by Spitzer appears in red. Hubble's observation of hydrogen emission appears in orange. Hubble's bluest observation appears in yellow-green.
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Image credit: Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, Spitzer Space Telescope

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Tarantula Nebula Gift Wrapping Paper

Present wrapping paper for citizens of Earth who adore the beauty awaiting them in the universe.

Tarantula Nebula Gift Wrapping Paper

tagged with: tarantula, nebula, stars, galaxy, space, cloud, red, green, blue, milky way

This composite of 30 Doradus, aka the Tarantula Nebula, contains data from Chandra (blue), Hubble (green), and Spitzer (red). Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Tarantula Nebula is one of the largest star-forming regions close to the Milky Way.

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Exceptionally close stellar explosion discovered

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An exceptionally close stellar explosion discovered on Jan. 21 has become the focus of observatories around and above the globe, including several NASA spacecraft. The blast, designated SN 2014J, occurred in the galaxy M82 and lies only about 12 million light-years away. This makes it the nearest optical supernova in two decades and potentially the closest type Ia supernova to occur during the life of currently operating space missions.

via Science Daily

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DNA Galaxy Print

Here's a great poster featuring a beautiful image from deep space

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DNA Galaxy Print

tagged with: galaxy, milky way, milky way galaxy, space art, astronomical illustration, lynette cook, astronomy, astronomy magazine, dna, dna galaxy, double helix, chromosomes, life in space

A spiral galaxy metamorphoses into the DNA double helix. Chemical structures and chromosomes are visible, symbolic of life in space. From a mixed media illustration created for Astronomy magazine. The original art is in a private collection.

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Image: Hubble looks at Messier 65 and its history

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(Phys.org) —The first day of March 1780 was a particularly productive night for Charles Messier. Combing the constellation of Leo for additions to his grand astronomical catalog, he struck on not one, but two, new objects.

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From the Northern to the Southern Cross

There is a road that connects the Northern to the Southern Cross but you have to be at the right place and time to see it. The road, as pictured above, is actually the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy; the right place, in this case, is dark Laguna Cejar in Salar de Atacama of Northern Chile; and the right time was in early October, just after sunset. Many sky wonders were captured then, including the bright Moon, inside the Milky Way arch; Venus, just above the Moon; Saturn and Mercury, just below the Moon; the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds satellite galaxies, on the far left; red airglow near the horizon on the image left; and the lights of small towns at several locations across the horizon. One might guess that composing this 30-image panorama would have been a serene experience, but for that one would have required earplugs to ignore the continued brays of wild donkeys. Follow APOD on: Instagram
Tomorrow's picture: big pinwheel

Zazzle Space Gifts for young and old

Engineers teach old chemical new tricks to make cleaner fuels, fertilizers

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University researchers from two continents have engineered an efficient and environmentally friendly catalyst for the production of molecular hydrogen, a compound used extensively in modern industry to manufacture fertilizer and refine crude oil into gasoline.

via Science Daily

Stellar Nurseries RCW120 Stickers

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space

Stellar Nurseries RCW120 Stickers

tagged with: envelope sealers, star clusters, nebulae, gstlnrsr, rcw120, breathtaking astronomy images, star nurseries, inspirational stars, ionised gas clouds, star forming regions, galaxies, starfields, heavens, eso, european southern observatory, vista

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series

A fantastic set of stickers, with a monogram for you to change, featuring a colour composite image of RCW120.

It reveals how an expanding bubble of ionised gas about ten light-years across is causing the surrounding material to collapse into dense clumps where new stars are then formed.

The 870-micron submillimetre-wavelength data were taken with the LABOCA camera on the 12-m Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope. Here, the submillimetre emission is shown as the blue clouds surrounding the reddish glow of the ionised gas (shown with data from the SuperCosmos H-alpha survey). The image also contains data from the Second Generation Digitized Sky Survey (I-band shown in blue, R-band shown in red).

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Image code: gstlnrsr

ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA www.eso.org
Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

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via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Extraterrestrial Intelligence: The Challenge of Comprehending E.T.'s IQ

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Although we often ponder the possible otherworldly morphology of extraterrestrials, a harder exercise is conceiving alien intelligences.

Zazzle Space market place

Carina Nebula - Our Breathtaking Universe Room Stickers

Here's a great wall decal featuring a beautiful image from deep space

so many products with fantastic designs on Zazzle... which to choose today? How about this one from HightonRidley,
another talented creative from the Zazzle community!

Carina Nebula - Our Breathtaking Universe Room Stickers

tagged with: crnneb, star clusters, stars, starfields, astronomy, nebulae, nebula, star forming region, star nurseries, galaxies, european southern observatory, vista, eso

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A fantastic astronomy photograph showing a panoramic view of the WR 22 and Eta Carinae regions of the Carina Nebula.

The picture was created from images taken with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile.

It's a stunning, mind-blowing, fantastic image that reveals a little of the wonder that is our universe.

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image code: crnneb

ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA www.eso.org
Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

All in a whirl

Space science image of the week: ESA’s Herschel and XMM-Newton reveal three generations of stars in the Whirlpool Galaxy

via ESA Space Science

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/01/The_whirl_of_stellar_life

Monogram Crab Pulsar deep outer space picture Lamps

Here's a gorgeous lamp featuring a beautiful image from deep in outer space.

Monogram Crab Pulsar deep outer space picture Lamps

tagged with: astronomy, crbplsr, crab pulsar, time lapse astronomy, neutron star, matter and antimatter, near light speed, star galaxies, outer space, active pulsar

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Multiple observations made over several months with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope captured the spectacle of matter and antimatter propelled to near the speed of light by the Crab pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star the size of Manhattan.
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image code: crbplsr

Image credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this
Click to fill in your monogram initials.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Great Cosmic Images 2 Gift Wrapping Paper

Present wrapping paper for citizens of Earth who adore the beauty awaiting them in the universe.

Great Cosmic Images 2 Gift Wrapping Paper

tagged with: nasa hubble images, hubble telescope images, hubble space images, hubble images high resolution, images from hubble, hubble photos, hubble ultra deep field poster, hubble space pictures, hubble telescope pictures, hubble telescope posters, hubble space telescope pictures, galaxy posters, pictures from the hubble telescope, hubble wall art posters, hubble space telescope image posters, space posters for kids, outer space posters

Have a small piece of the night sky all to yourself. Hubble Space Telescope image. Image is PD.

»visit the AcidhedzCosmicShop store for more designs and products like this
Click to see it bigger.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Moonshadow Print

Here's a great poster featuring a beautiful image from deep space

so many products with fantastic designs on Zazzle... which to choose today? How about this one from digitalblasphemy,
another talented creative from the Zazzle community!

Moonshadow Print

tagged with: eclipse, sci-fi, alien, space, astronomy, wallpaper, digital art posters, sci fi posters, desktop wallpaper

A massive solar eclipse observed on a distant moon.

»visit the digitalblasphemy store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize with size, paper type etc.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Cats Eye Nebula Sticker

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space

Cats Eye Nebula Sticker

tagged with: nebulae, amazing astronomy images, tcenebnch, hubble chandra images, cats eye nebula, stellar evolution, dying star, red giant evolution, galaxies, outer space pictures, stars, nasa

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A gorgeous design featuring a composite image of the Cat's Eye nebula from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope.
This famous nebula represents a phase of stellar evolution after a star like our Sun runs out of fuel. In this phase, a star becomes an expanding red giant and sheds some of its outer layers, eventually leaving behind a hot core that collapses to form a dense white dwarf star. A fast wind emanating from the hot core rams into the ejected atmosphere, pushes it outward, and creates the graceful filamentary structures.
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image code: tcenebnch

Image credit: NASA/Chandra www.nasa.gov

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Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Lagoon Nebula - Our Awesome Universe Room Decals

Here's a great wall decal featuring a beautiful image from deep space

so many products with fantastic designs on Zazzle... which to choose today? How about this one from HightonRidley,
another talented creative from the Zazzle community!

Lagoon Nebula - Our Awesome Universe Room Decals

tagged with: lgnnbl, star nurseries, galaxies, nebulae, european southern observatory, awesome astronomy images, lagoon nebula, clusters of stars, eso, starfields, vista

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A fantastic outer space picture showing the third image of ESO’s GigaGalaxy Zoom project. It's an amazing vista of the Lagoon Nebula taken with the 67-million-pixel Wide Field Imager attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.

The image covers more than one and a half square degrees - an area eight times larger than that of the Full Moon. It's based on images acquired using three different broadband filters (B, V, R) and one narrow-band filter (H-alpha).

It's a mind-expanding, wonderful image that reveals a little of the wonder that is our universe.

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image code: lgnnbl

ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA www.eso.org
Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Sunday 26 January 2014

Nebulae Photo by Hubble Telescope Case For The iPad Mini

Here's a great iPad case from Zazzle featuring a Hubble-related design. Maybe you'd like to see your name on it? Click to personalize and see what it's like!

here's a design from one of the greats - Spaced_Out,
another talented creative from the Zazzle community!

Nebulae Photo by Hubble Telescope Case For The iPad Mini

tagged with: nebulae, nebula, images of nebulae, photos of nebulae, space, deep space, hubble, hubble telescope, hubble telescope photos, images from hubble telescope, photos from hubble telescope, hubble nebulae, nasa photos, space photos, astronomy photos, astronomy, images of space, photos of space, pictures of space

Photo of nebulae taken by the Hubble Telescope. A stunning colorful photo of deep space.

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The Zazzle Promise: We promise 100% satisfaction. If you don't absolutely love it, we'll take it back!

Monogram Carina Nebula in Argo Navis space images Pendant Lamp

Here's a gorgeous lamp featuring a beautiful image from deep in outer space.

Monogram Carina Nebula in Argo Navis space images Pendant Lamp

tagged with: carina nebula, argos navis constellation, carina the keel, star formation, gas clouds, galaxy stars, ngc 3372, carnebngcttst, astronomy pictures, outer space

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Hubble's view of the Carina Nebula shows star birth in a new level of detail. The fantasy-like landscape of the nebula is sculpted by the action of outflowing winds and scorching ultraviolet radiation from the monster stars that inhabit this inferno. In the process, these stars are shredding the surrounding material that is the last vestige of the giant cloud from which the stars were born. The immense nebula is an estimated 7,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina the Keel (of the old southern constellation Argo Navis, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts, from Greek mythology).
The original image is a mosaic of the Carina Nebula assembled from 48 frames taken with Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. The Hubble images were taken in the light of ionized hydrogen. Colour information was added with data taken at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Red corresponds to sulfur, green to hydrogen, and blue to oxygen emission.

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image code: carnebngcttst

Image credit: Hubble Space Telescope; colour data from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this
Click to fill in your monogram initials.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place