Outer Space Universe

Saturn and Two Moons: Dione and Titan

Greg - Staff Writer — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:28:34 +0000

You know....NASA's Cassini spacecraft has taken some pretty amazing pictures, but this has to be one of the best. This image, released on December 22, 2011 shows Saturn's largest moon, Titan, almost eclipsing Saturn's fourth-largest moon, Dione. Fantastic!

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A Barred Spiral Galaxy in a Sea of Galaxies!

Greg - Staff Writer — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:20:43 +0000

How many galaxies can you count in this picture? This image of a barred spiral galaxy (NGC 3259) was released this week by the ESA/Hubble Team. What strikes me about this image is the sheer number of galaxies that appear to be surrounding this beautiful barred spiral galaxy. It's almost as if the barred spiral galaxy is adrift in a sea of galaxies.

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Giant Red Gas Bubble in Space

Greg - Staff Writer — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:23:32 +0000

I was browsing through images from the Hubble Space Telescope today and came across this beauty. Known as SNR 0509, the giant red gas bubble shown in the image above is the remnant of a violent supernova explosion. It was found in the Large Magellanic Cloud which is a small galaxy that lies about 160,000 light years away from Earth.

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What do Scientists Consider the “Habitable Zone” for Planets?

Brian - Staff Writer — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:46:57 +0000

You may have seen recent news stating that scientists have discovered several new planets that may support thanks to the Keplar Space Telescope, a spacecraft that is currently traveling through space and observing distant planets, stars, and solar systems. Thanks largely in part to the work being done by the Keplar Space Telescope, scientists have discovered around 2,300 planets that may be capable of supporting extraterrestrial life. However, this raises the question - what exactly is the Habitable Zone for planets, and what does this have to do with alien life?

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The Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy

Greg - Staff Writer — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:15:07 +0000

The Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy is a galaxy that is a neighbor to our own Milky Way Galaxy. In fact, it's considered a satellite galaxy because it's a mere 50 kiloparsecs away and it's shape appears to have been influenced by the Milky Way's gravitational pull. The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is an irregular galaxy. While it doesn't have the beautiful spiral shape that our galaxy has, it does have a central bar and a spiral arm that has been distorted by the more massive Milky Way. It has a diameter of about 14,000 light years which makes it only about one tenth the size of the Milky Way Galaxy.

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Pioneer Astronomers in History: A Biography of Nicolaus Copernicus

Greg - Staff Writer — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:10:55 +0000

The pioneer astronomer credited with placing the sun at the center of the solar system was Nicolaus Copernicus. This short biography will discuss Copernicus' life and highlight some of his notable accomplishments.

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Close Up Image of M8 – The Lagoon Nebula

Greg - Staff Writer — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:59:06 +0000

The Lagoon Nebula, or M8, is an enormous cloud of interstellar gas and dust that can be found in the constellation Sagittarius. It is classified as an emission nebula, but it is also referred to as an H II region (a large, relatively low density area of ionized gas where star formation is occurring). This close-up image of the Lagoon Nebula was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope last September.

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Fiery Re-Entry of Man-Made Satellite Expected Around October 23, 2011

Greg - Staff Writer — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 01:25:57 +0000

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside again, another man-made satellite is expected to crash into the Earth sometime on or around October 23, 2011. This time, the potential noggin' basher is the ROSAT satellite.

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The Different Colors of Stars and Why Stars are Colored Differently

Brian - Staff Writer — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:20:13 +0000

As you may or may not know, stars actually come in a variety of colors. But do you know all of the different colors that stars can be? In this post, we will explore why stars come in different colors and then we will identify all of the different colors that stars can be. The [...]

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Large Meteor Outburst Anticipated This Month!

Greg - Staff Writer — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:14:57 +0000

Scientists are anticipating a large meteor outburst this month. On October 8, 2011 Earth will pass through the dust trail of the Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner which is the cause of the outburst. Meteor Watchers in the Middle East, parts of Europe and northern Africa will be best positioned for this potentially big show!

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