Steps into Space - Commercialisation, Occupation, Colonization: 05/03/14

Saturday 3 May 2014

Researchers question emergency water treatment guidelines

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recommendations for treating water after a natural disaster or other emergencies call for more chlorine bleach than is necessary to kill disease-causing pathogens and are often impractical to carry out, a new study has found. The authors of the report, which appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, suggest that the agency review and revise its guidelines. Daniele Lantagne, who was at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the time of the study and is now at Tufts University, and colleagues note that after natural disasters such as floods, clean water can be scarce. To prevent the spread of water-borne illnesses, the EPA currently recommends “bottle, boil, bleach” in case of a water emergency. That is, people should turn to bottled water as a first resort. If that’s not an option, then they should boil available water to disinfect it. As a last resort, they should add “1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water.” But, as the researchers point out, 1/8 of a teaspoon is not the same as 8 drops. And both amounts are higher than CDC and World Health Organization

The post Researchers question emergency water treatment guidelines has been published on Technology Org.

#materials
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Look out Soup Dragon, here we come!

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Look out Soup Dragon, here we come!
UK Space Industry given booster with official backing now coming from the government. Satellite industry to benefit and new space tourism ventures made possible.

#outerspace

Government backs UK spaceport plan
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Carl Sagan Quote Poster

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Carl Sagan Quote Poster

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"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." ~Carl Sagan

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Gravitational lensing lets researchers size up a white dwarf

Science Focus

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Variation in output of the light from a binary system consisting of a Sun-like star and a white dwarf. When the white dwarf eclipses its companion, its gravity magnifies the light, making the star appear very slightly brighter.

Eric Agol

White dwarfs are the remnants of stars like the Sun. They also provide some of the best means to measure large distances in the Universe if they explode as "type Ia" supernovae. All of those explosions occur in binary systems consisting either of two white dwarfs or a white dwarf paired with an ordinary star. To understand the whole process, astronomers need to identify progenitor systems before they explode: binaries with one or more white dwarf.

A particularly interesting example was recently identified and described in a Science paper by Ethan Kruse and Eric Agol. In this system, a white dwarf is locked in mutual orbit with a Sun-like star. The orientation of the binary relative to Earth means the two bodies periodically eclipse each other. When the white dwarf passes in front of its companion, gravitational lensing—the focusing of light by a massive body—magnifies the star's light very slightly. This is the first such "self-lensing" system containing a white dwarf, and should allow researchers to better understand understand the behavior of white dwarfs in binaries.

When one star passes in front of another (from our point of view), the gravity of the foreground star magnifies the light of the background object very slightly. This effect is very small, and so it is known as gravitational microlensing (or just microlensing) to distinguish it from the more dramatic form described in the sidebar. Microlensing can be used in some cases to detect exoplanets orbiting around the star in the foreground: the planet provides a tiny extra boost, beyond that provided by its host star, to the light of the star in the background.

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#science
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Quantum melting

Science Focus

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Christian Rüegg from the Paul Scherrer Institute preparing a pressure cell for a neutron scattering experiment. The pressure is applied by compressed helium. Credit: Paul Scherrer Institute/Markus Fischer When ice is warmed, the water molecules forming its structure vibrate more and more vigorously until finally the forces between them are no longer strong enough to hold them together – the ice melts and turns into liquid water. Quantum physics predicts that similar phenomena can be observed if the quantum mechanical fluctuations of the particles in a material can be altered. Such changes of state triggered by purely quantum effects – known as quantum phase transitions – play a role in many astonishing phenomena in solid-state systems, including high-temperature superconductivity. Researchers from Switzerland, Britain, France and China have now specifically altered the magnetic structure of the material TlCuCl3 by exposing it to a varying external pressure at different temperatures. By performing neutron-scattering measurements, they could observe what happens during a quantum phase transition, and compare the “quantum melting” of the magnetic structure with the classical “thermal melting” phase transition. Whether water is liquid or solid, in the form of ice, depends on which of two energies gains the upper hand. One is

The post Quantum melting has been published on Technology Org.

#physics
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De-hype - to the right country 83%

Science Focus

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De-hype - to the right country 83%
re-hype: but, wait for it, 50% to within 62 miles. Wow.
#science

DNA Test Can Trace Your Ancestral Origins Back 1,000 Years - D-brief | DiscoverMagazine.com
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Name, Brightest Supernova Ever space picture Gift Wrap

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Name, Brightest Supernova Ever space picture Gift Wrap

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

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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Carina Nebula in Argo Navis constellation Round Stickers

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Carina Nebula in Argo Navis constellation Round Stickers

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

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$50 Off the Orion SpaceProbe 3 Equatorial Reflector Telescope

Amazon Gold Box Daily Deal

An amazing daily deal from Amazon's Sky Watching Specials. Grab yours quickly, it won't last long!


For a limited time, save $50 on the Orion SpaceProbe 3 equatorial telescope from Amazon.com.
Expires Jun 1, 2014

T Tauri and Hind's Variable Nebula

The yellowish star near center in this dusty telescopic skyview is T Tauri, prototype of the class of T Tauri variable stars. Just next door is the yellow cosmic cloud historically known as Hind's Variable Nebula (NGC 1555). Over 400 light-years away, at the edge of an otherwise invisible molecular cloud, both star and nebula are seen to vary significantly in brightness but not necessarily at the same time, adding to the mystery of the intriguing region. T Tauri stars are now generally recognized as young (less than a few million years old), sun-like stars still in the early stages of formation. To further complicate the picture, infrared observations indicate that T Tauri itself is part of a multiple system and suggest that the associated Hind's Nebula may also contain a very young stellar object. The naturally colored image spans about 7 light-years at the estimated distance of T Tauri.

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Rainbow Nebula Galaxy Girly Polka Dots Pattern Wall Graphics

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Rainbow Nebula Galaxy Girly Polka Dots Pattern Wall Graphics

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A bright, colorful polka dots pattern design of a girly, bright pink,turquoise, teal, purple Galaxy patchwork featuring outer space photography of different Nebulae, Stars, cosmos and space on a white background. Get this modern nebula polka dots pattern with rainbow colors. Perfect gift for her, for any occasion, for the astronomy geek and the space dreamer. Girly Road is a collaboration between Girly Trend and Railton Road

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Galaxy Cluster Abell S0740

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Galaxy Cluster Abell S0740

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"This image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows the diverse collection of galaxies in the cluster Abell S0740 that is over 450 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Centaurus."

(qtd. from HubbleSite.org NewsCenter release STScI-2007-08)

Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

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Tiny Step Edges, Big Step for Surface Science

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Experiments at the Vienna University of Technology can explain the behaviour of electrons at tiny step edges on titanium oxide surfaces. This is important for solar cell technology and novel, more effective catalysts. It can be found in toothpaste, solar cells, and it is useful for chemical catalysts: titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an extremely versatile material. Alhough it is used for so many different applications, the behaviour of titanium oxide surfaces still surprises. Professor Ulrike Diebold and her team at the Vienna University of Technology managed to find out why oxygen atoms attach so well to tiny step edges at titanium oxide surfaces. Electrons accumulate precisely at these edges, allowing the oxygen atoms to connect more strongly. In solar cells, this effect should be avoided, but for catalysts this can be highly desirable. Microscope Pictures of Titanium Oxide Surfaces Titanium oxide is Ulrike Diebold’s favourite material. In her latest publication, she and her team studied the behaviour of titanium oxide surfaces using scanning tunnelling microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Titanium oxide can be used for solar cells. In the so-called Graetzel cell, an inexpensive but inefficient type of solar cell, it plays the central role. “In a solar cell, we

The post Tiny Step Edges, Big Step for Surface Science has been published on Technology Org.

#materials
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Ships that didn't quite pass in the night

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Ships that didn't quite pass in the night
It makes you wonder what havoc might be being wreaked on any life that exists there.

Though I suppose over the timescales we're talking about it would be business as usual.

#outerspace

NASA originally shared:

Here's what happens when galaxies collide - as seen by our Chandra X-Ray Observatory:

M51 is a spiral galaxy, about 30 million light years away, that is in the process of merging with a smaller galaxy seen to its upper left.

This image is part of a "quartet of galaxies" collaboration of professional and amateur astronomers that combines optical data from amateur telescopes with data from the archives of NASA missions.

Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: Detlef Hartmann; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech
#nasa #chandra #space #universe #galaxy #galaxies

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Science Rocks Sir Isaac Newton Poster

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Science Rocks Sir Isaac Newton Poster

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Science Rocks Isaac Newton Posters

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Monogram Starry Wingtip of Small Magellanic Cloud Gift Wrapping Paper

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Monogram Starry Wingtip of Small Magellanic Cloud Gift Wrapping Paper

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Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series The tip of the "wing" of the Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy is dazzling in this new view from NASA's Great Observatories. The Small Magellanic Cloud, or SMC, is a small galaxy about 200,000 light-years way that orbits our own Milky Way spiral galaxy.
The colors represent wavelengths of light across a broad spectrum. X-rays from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory are shown in purple; visible-light from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is colored red, green and blue; and infrared observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope are also represented in red.
The spiral galaxy seen in the lower corner is actually behind this nebula. Other distant galaxies located hundreds of millions of light-years or more away can be seen sprinkled around the edge of the image.
The SMC is one of the Milky Way's closest galactic neighbors. Even though it is a small, or so-called dwarf galaxy, the SMC is so bright that it is visible to the unaided eye from the Southern Hemisphere and near the equator. Many navigators, including Ferdinand Magellan who lends his name to the SMC, used it to help find their way across the oceans.
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Image credit: NASA/CXC/JPL-Caltech/STScI

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A Starburst Galaxy - Messier 82 (Cigar Galaxy) Stickers

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A Starburst Galaxy - Messier 82 (Cigar Galaxy) Stickers

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Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series This mosaic image of the magnificent starburst galaxy, Messier 82 (aka Cigar Galaxy) is a really sharp wide-angle view of M82. It is a galaxy remarkable for its webs of shredded clouds and flame-like plumes of glowing hydrogen blasting out from its central regions where young stars are being born 10 times faster than they are inside in our Milky Way Galaxy.

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Image credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA). Acknowledgment: J. Gallagher (University of Wisconsin), M. Mountain (STScI) and P. Puxley (NSF).

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ALHAT ensures safe landing for Morpheus

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Led by engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and supported by Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., ALHAT technology will provide planetary landers similar to Morpheus the ability to precisely and safely land on rugged surfaces by detecting dangerous hazards such as rocks, holes and slopes.

via Science Daily

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Hardy little space travelers could colonize Mars, space station research shows that

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In the movies, humans often fear invaders from Mars. These days, scientists are more concerned about invaders to Mars, in the form of micro-organisms from Earth. Three recent scientific papers examined the risks of interplanetary exchange of organisms using research from the International Space Station.

via Science Daily

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Cassini spies the ice-giant planet Uranus beyond Saturn's rings

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NASA's Cassini spacecraft has captured its first-ever image of the pale blue ice-giant planet Uranus in the distance beyond Saturn's rings.

via Science Daily

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Students devise concept for Star Wars-style deflector shields

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If you have often imagined yourself piloting your X-Wing fighter on an attack run on the Death Star, you’ll be reassured that University of Leicester students have demonstrated that your shields could take whatever the Imperial fleet can throw at you.

via Science Daily

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Orion Nebula Green Upright Bass Wall Graphic

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Orion Nebula Green Upright Bass Wall Graphic

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Space image of the Orion Nebula on the shape of an upright bass.

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