APOD 1.4

"Equinox and the Iron Sun" is a fascinating image of the Sun on the autumnal equinox. The term equinox is referring to the fact that earth will experience an equal number of daylight hours as nighttime hours on that day. This image of the sun gives great insight on the massive amount of activity that is always occurring within the sun. The spirals seen on various parts are areas of the highest activity, as they spirals are plasma caught in magnetic fields. It is fascinating that our sun is constantly producing the many elements that make up our universe, and we can see it happening with this image. This image of the Sun focuses primarily on the emissions of Iron Atoms, which is what gives this false colored image such a unique look.

Stargazing Adventure With the Class! 9/20/10

What's better than stargazing alone? Stargazing with the class! On this stargaze we were provided with binoculars, which surprisingly change EVERYTHING. I always thought it was cool just being able to see Jupiter, but to be able to see Jupiter's moons orbiting around it is incredible. While trying to hold the binoculars steady to keep a view of Jupiter's moons occupied a lot of time, the most fascinating moment came when I focused the binoculars slightly above Scorpius' tail. I saw a nebula, which was the coolest thing ever. It was like a billion minuscule stars bunched into one tiny area, and it looked awesome. After seeing my first nebula, I basically spent the rest of the star gaze looking around Sagittarius for other nebula's which I was extremely happy to find. Other interesting observations, included the keystone in Hercules (and of course M13), Aquila and its star Altair, which made up the southern triangle, and the dual stars in the big dipper. To top the night off we watched a crescent Venus set on the horizon, which was a great way to end the star gaze.

Stargazing Adventure 9/18/10

On my second star gazing adventure I was able to find a few more constellations, primarily due to that fact that I had learned a few new constellations. For starters, I was quickly able to find the teapot in Sagittarius. After that I located Venus setting in the west, and then Jupiter rising in the east. While the bright waxing gibbous moon made it difficult to see stars in its proximity, It did not disrupt my viewing of the Summer Triangle, and a corner of that triangle, the star Altair. I was also able to find the keystone in Hercules. The most exciting portion of the night however came after a few hours of looking at the sky. A shooting star appeared for no more than a second, and it was awesome. That concluded my stargazing adventure.

APOD 1.3

"Clouds, Birds, Moon, Venus" is a fascinating photo taken from Spain, which shows, during daylight hours, the moon and Venus extremely close together (from our point of view). This photo is interesting as it gives a scale of what we see, showing the birds as closest, then clouds, and then through space to the mean, and even further out to Venus. What is also interesting is that Venus is close enough to the earth, and so bright that it is visible during the day. "Clouds, Birds, Moon, Venus" puts everything on an interesting scale, showing all that is observable from Venus to the birds flying right over the photographers head.

APOD 1.2: Vela Supernova Remnant

What happens when a star explodes? The Vela Supernova Remnant, over 11,000 light years away, provides an incredible example of how the surrounding space responds to the collapse of a star. Debris fills the space, giving an example of how new elements are formed, and then dispersed throughout the Universe.  The concept that it took the light 11,000 years to reach our planet is truly fascinating, as our view of this Supernova Remnant is probably entirely different from how it looks now. The sheer size of the debris is also incredible, the center of the explosion is now an estimated 800 light years away from the rest of the debris. This photo gives incredible insight on the size of supernova explosions, and that you can find every stage of a stars life throughout this infinite universe.

My first stargazing adventure.

Last Saturday, September 4th, myself and some other fellow classmates went stargazing on the beach. The view was incredible, and to my surprise I was able to find Sagittarius, Scorpius, and Corona Australis. The Teapot in Sagittarius in clear and easy to see, and I couldn't believe that I was able to find it so easily. I watched Venus set over the horizon, and it was awesome. I only wish I knew more constellations at the time, so I could identify  more of what I saw.

APOD 1.1

In the picture "Earth and Moon from MESSENGER" (September 1, 2010), NASA satellite MESSENGER took a photo from its orbit around mercury of the earth and the moon. The picture reminds me of the photo called "Pale Blue Dot" which was a picture of the earth taken my a different satellite as it was passing pluto. Just like "Pale Blue Dot," this photo gives a sense of insignificance to the earth. The earth is just a ball of light slightly larger than the moon, and from the photo one can see no sign that there is any life on it. The only thing distinguishing the Earth from every other star in the photo is its proximity to the photo. "Earth and Moon from MESSENGER" provides a fascinating perspective of the Earth from the closest planet to the sun.