How Extraordinary

nasasapod:

M95 with Supernova
Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block, Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, University of Arizona

Explanation: Barred spiral galaxy M95 is about 75,000 light-years across, comparable in size to our own Milky Way and one of the larger galaxies of the Leo I galaxy group. In fact, it is part of a not quite so famous trio of Leo galaxies with neighbors M96 and M105, about 38 million light-years distant. In this sharp and colorful cosmic portrait, a bright, compact ring of star formation surrounds the galaxy’s core. Surrounding the prominent yellowish bar are tightly wound spiral arms traced by dust lanes, young blue star clusters, and telltale pinkish star forming regions. As a bonus, follow along the spiral arm unwinding down and to the right and you’ll soon get to M95’s latest supernova SN 2012aw, discovered on March 16 and now identified as the explosion of a massive star. A good target for small telescopes, the supernova stands out in this video feature (vimeo) comparing the recent image with a deep image of M95 without supernova taken in 2009.

mothernaturenetwork:

Earth braces for biggest space solar storm in 5 years
The space weather storm is hurtling toward Earth, threatening to disrupt power grids, GPS systems, satellites and airline flights. The brunt of the storm is expected to strike early Thursday and last through Friday, possibly garbling some of Earthlings’ most prized gadgets but also giving viewers in parts of Central Asia a prime look at the aurora borealis when darkness falls.

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mimilogy:

Arches National Park- Photograph by Bret Webster, 

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you-dont-compare:

Spiraling Aurora Borealis 

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carl00s01:

Original Video
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sam:

March To The Moon

Arizona State University in cooperation with NASA has released a treasure trove of photos from the Mercury and Gemini missions. If you need me, I’ll be looking through these photos for a while.

nasasapod:

M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Bill Snyder (Bill Snyder Photography)

Explanation: The first hint of what will become of our Sun was discovered inadvertently in 1764. At that time, Charles Messier was compiling a list of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets. The 27th object on Messier’s list, now known as M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula, the type of nebula our Sun will produce when nuclear fusion stops in its core. M27 is one of the brightest planetary nebulae on the sky, and can be seen toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula) with binoculars. It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27, shown above in colors emitted by hydrogen and oxygen. Understanding the physics and significance of M27 was well beyond 18th century science. Even today, many things remain mysterious about bipolar planetary nebula like M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a low-mass star’s gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an X-ray hot white dwarf.

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