APOD 4.5

This photo above is the remnant of the supernova observed by Tycho Brahe. What is so incredible about space is that we are able to see the effects of something that happened centuries ago, as it continues to evolve. This supernova was clearly enormous, the amount of dust that has been created is incredible. The remnant star, quite possibly a neutron star, is impossible to see on this spectrum, with such an incredible amount of dust in the way. The Supernova was visible to the naked eye when it occurred, giving an idea of how incredibly monstrous a supernova truly is.

Going to see a shuttle launch, and looking at the stars from the top of roller coasters.

On Friday me, Sam, Max, and Jack began our epic journey to see the shuttle launch. Unfortunately, the shuttle was delayed, but we still got to eat hamburgers at a biker bar, and went on the worlds largest slingshot, which unfortunately is not astronomy related.

However, on the next day, at Gradbash in Universal Studios, I had the opportunity to observe many constellations throughout the entire night from the vantage point of roller coasters. First, on the Incredible Hulk roller coaster, I was able to observe Caster and Pollux setting on the horizon. Then, at around 1:30 I was able to see the big dipper while on an upside down, which was cool. I followed the arc to Arcturus, and then the loop dropped and I lost sight of it. Finally, at 4:00 in the morning I was able to see my favorite constellations, Sagittarius and Scorpius, while walking through the shell lot.

PLANETARIUM POST

On Tuesday I went to the Riverview Planetarium, to see a show conducted by the magnificent Mr. Percival. It was wonderful, and the knowledge I gained on black holes will always be of the utmost importance to me. The IMAX style presentation was like cotton candy for the eyes, and made learning about black holes even more exciting. Between super-massive black holes and regular black holes, I can't decide which ones I prefer. Additionally, Uranus is the coolest planet ever, and the space video to the theme of "Rocketman" was extremely enjoyable.

APOD 4.4

12,000 light years away, in the constellation Auriga lies IC 410, the beautiful Nebula pictured above. Frozen gas floats in space in IC 410, providing a beautiful site, yet also blocking the view of the rest of the universe. The dust clouds floating in the interstellar medium have a minuscule density, even though they appear to be solid from our vantage point they are actually less dense than most man-made vacuums. However, these dust particles take up such a massive amount of space that if it is ever compressed together it will be capable of forming a few stars. These awesome nebula's represent just one part of matters life cycle in the universe, as it will eventually move to star in the future.

Zooniverse blog entry

I have been focusing on planet hunters for the majority of my Zooniverse career, mainly because its the only one I know how to do properly. I attempted galaxy hunters for a short period of time, but I wasn't entirely sure how to do it so I stopped before I destroyed science as we know it. I'm good at planet hunters, so I've been sticking with it. It is also pretty enjoyable.

APOD 4.3

This view of Earth is similar to what Yuri Gagarin saw fifty years a go when he became the first man in space. In addition to being the first man in space, he was the first man to get this great view of the Earth. Considering that it was only fifty years ago that the first man was put into space, launched from a ballistic missile, it is pretty remarkable where we have gotten today. Having put a man on the moon, rovers on Mars, satellites spanning our entire solar system, and images that map our universe, it's hard to imagine what the next fifty years of space exploration will bring.

APOD 4.2

The picture shown above is a photo taken by Voyager 2 in 1986 of the largest cliff known in are solar system. Located on Uranus' moon Miranda, Verona Rupes stretches 20 kilometers deep. What I like most about this picture is it touches on how many more mysteries our solar system holds, and how much their is too explore. Even on a Miranda, a moon so distant it is orbiting Uranus, we are able to look into its dark recesses. How the cliff was formed remains a mystery, but something significant must have happened to form a cliff of such a great magnitude. What I also find fascinating about this picture is that we are actually able to see something so distant, and learn about and label a 20 kilometer deep cliff on a distant planet's moon. Sure, we can study galaxies further away, but they stretch hundreds of light years long. Here we are able to view a cliff, which while large in comparison to our cliffs, its size is infinitesimally small in comparison to the surrounding solar system.