29.9.16

Rui Veloso - "Anel de rubi" - Video - Musica - Ao vivo

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"Anel de rubi"

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 29 - Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope

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Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope 
Image Credit & CopyrightJeff Dai (TWAN)
Explanation: The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is nestled within a natural basin in China's remote and mountainous southwestern Guizhou province. Nicknamed Tianyan, or the Eye of Heaven, the new radio telescope is seen in this photograph taken near the start of its testing phase of operations on September 25. Designed with an active surface for pointing and focusing, its enormous dish antenna is constructed with 4,450 individual triangular-shaped panels. The 500 meter physical diameter of the dish makes FAST the largest filled, single dish radio telescope on planet Earth. FAST will explore the Universe at radio frequencies, detecting emission from hydrogen gas in the Milky Way and distant galaxies, finding faint galactic and extragalactic pulsars, and searching for potential radio signals from extraterrestrials.

Roberto Carlos - "A guerra dos meninos" - Video - Musica

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"A guerra dos meninos"

28.9.16

Fotos - "Marianne" - 04-12-2005

"Marianne"
04-12-2005
JoanMira

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 28 - NGC 3576: The Statue of Liberty Nebula

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NGC 3576: The Statue of Liberty Nebula 
Image Credit & Copyright: S. MazlinJ. HarveyR. Gilbert, & D. Verschatse (SSRO/PROMPT/UNC)
Explanation: What's happening in the Statue of Liberty nebula? Bright stars and interesting molecules are forming and being liberated. The complex nebula resides in the star forming region called RCW 57. This image showcases dense knots of dark interstellar dust, bright stars that have formed in the past few million years, fields of glowing hydrogen gas ionized by these stars, and great loops of gas expelled by dying stars. A detailed study of NGC 3576, also known as NGC 3582 and NGC 3584, uncovered at least 33 massive stars in the end stages of formation, and the clear presence of the complex carbon molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are thought to be created in the cooling gas of star forming regions, and their development in the Sun's formation nebula five billion years ago may have been an important step in the development of life on Earth. The featured image was taken at theCerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.

27.9.16

And now, it's time to say goodbye...

Trick or Strip Halloween pinup by Elias-Chatzoudis on deviantART:
CIAO, CIAO, CIAO...

Imagens do mundo - Avulsas - Zena Ali


Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 27 - Jupiter's Europa from Spacecraft Galileo

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Jupiter's Europa from Spacecraft Galileo 
Image Credit: Galileo ProjectJPLNASA
Explanation: What mysteries might be solved by peering into this crystal ball? In this case, the ball is actually a moon of Jupiter, the crystals are ice, and the moon is not only dirty but cracked beyond repair. Nevertheless, speculation is rampant that oceans exist under Europa's fractured ice-plains that could support life. This speculation was bolstered again this week by released images from the Hubble Space Telescope indicating that plumes of water vapor sometimes emanate from the ice-crusted moon -- plumes that might bring microscopic sea life to the surface. Europa, roughly the size of Earth's Moon, is pictured here in natural color as photographed in 1996 by the now-defunct Jupiter-orbiting Galileo spacecraft. Future observations by Hubble and planned missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope later this decade and a Europa flyby mission in the 2020s may further humanity's understanding not only of Europa and the early Solar System but also of the possibility that life exists elsewhere in the universe.

Imagens de Lisboa - Interiores secretos - Capela de Santo Amaro

This chapel was founded in 1549 in dedication to St. Maurus. It’s one of the greatest artistic curiosities in the city, but seems to have become completely forgotten. It’s almost always closed, opening only for Mass once a month (on the first Sunday). It was believed that St. Maurus healed broken legs and arms, so many of the magnificent 17th-century polychrome tiles that decorate the entrance walls illustrate those limbs. Inside, a panel depicts the legend of a boat about to sink that was saved by St. Maurus, allowing the crew to dock on this site. From outside there’s a nice view of 25 de Abril Bridge.
Capela de Santo Amaro, Lisboa
Esta capela fundada em 1549, dedicada a Santo Amaro, é uma das maiores curiosidades artísticas da cidade mas muito poucos a conhecem. Encontra-se quase sempre fechada, abrindo apenas para missa uma vez ao mês (no primeiro domingo). Acreditava-se que Santo Amaro curava as pernas e braços partidos, por isso muitos dos magníficos azulejos policromos do século XVII, que decoram as paredes da entrada, ilustram esses membros. No interior, um painel representa a lenda de um barco prestes a afundar-se, mas que é salvo por Santo Amaro, podendo assim a tripulação desembarcar neste local. Do exterior há uma bela vista para a Ponte 25 de Abril.

26.9.16

And now, it's time to say goodbye. Ciao, ciao, ciao...

Gil Elvgren and his muse.:

CIAO, CIAO, CIAO...

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 26 - Gaia: Here Comes the Sun

Gaia: Here Comes the Sun 
Image Credit: Galaxy Illustration: Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org), Star Data: Gaia MissionESAAntoni Sagristà Sellés (U. Heidelberg) et al.
Explanation: What would it look like to return home from outside our galaxy? Although designed to answer greater questions, recent data from ESA's robotic Gaia mission is helping to provide a uniquely modern perspective on humanity's place in the universe. Gaia orbits the Sun near the Earth and resolves star's positions so precisely that it can determine a slight shift from its changing vantage point over the course of a year, a shift that is proportionately smaller for more distant stars -- and so determines distance. In the first sequence of the video, an illustration of the Milky Way is shown that soon resolves into a three-dimensional visualization of Gaia star data. A few notable stars are labelled with their common names, while others stars are labelled with numbers from Gaia's catalog. Eventually the viewer arrives at our home star Sol (the Sun), then resolving the reflective glow of its third planet: Earth. The featured video is based on just over 600,000 stars, but Gaia is on track to measure the parallax distances to over one billion stars over its planned five year mission.

25.9.16

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 25 - Saturn from Above

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Saturn from Above 
Image Credit: NASAJPL-CaltechSpace Science Institute
Explanation: This image of Saturn could not have been taken from Earth. No Earth based picture could possibly view the night side of Saturn and the corresponding shadow cast across Saturn's rings. Since Earth is much closer to the Sun than Saturn, only the day side of the ringed planet is visible from the Earth. In fact, this image mosaic was taken earlier this year by the robotic Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn, just before filming a 44-hour video of Saturn rotating. The beautiful rings of Saturn are seen in full expanse, while cloud details are visible including the polar hexagon surrounding the north pole. The Cassini mission is now in its final year as the spacecraft is scheduled to be programmed to dive into Saturn's atmosphere next September.

24.9.16

Imagens de Lisboa - Interiores secretos - Igreja das Mercês

Many passengers on tram 28 notice this church from a distance, but despite its attractive façade, it’s not worth a closer look unless it’s Sunday. That’s because you’ll always find it closed, and the only chance to see it is on Sunday Mass at noon. Even so, you won’t be able to admire the true work of art that is the tiled ceiling of a hallway that’s completely unknown and out of sight. It’s one of the most original groups of tiles in the country, dating from 1714, with the vaulted ceiling completely covered in blue and white, with the theme of the Litanies of the Virgin Mary. It’s the work of Antonio de Oliveira Bernardes, one of the masters of baroque tile art.
Igreja das Mercês, Lisboa
Muitos reparam nesta igreja, vista ao longe durante um passeio no eléctrico 28, mas apesar de a fachada despertar curiosidade, não vale a pena tentar conhecer o interior a não ser que seja domingo. Encontra-se quase sempre fechada, e a única maneira de entrar é durante a missa aos domingos ao meio-dia. Mesmo assim, não poderá admirar a sua grande obra de arte, que é o revestimento azulejar da Sala da Irmandade (hoje chamada Sala de Passagem). Praticamente desconhecida e sempre escondida, contém um dos mais originais conjuntos de azulejos do país, datado de 1714. A abóbada está completamente forrada de azulejos com o tema das Litanias da Virgem, obra de António de Oliveira Bernardes, um dos mestres da arte do azulejo barroco.

Artigo - "Etudes. Cinq universités portugaises parmi les meilleures du monde"

L’université Jiao-tong de Shanghai vient de publier un classement des 500 meilleures universités du monde. L’université de Lisbonne (UL) figure en 160e position – soit la 53e au niveau de l’Union européenne.

Le Diário de Notícias cite le communiqué de l’université lisboète, fière de ce résultat, qui “traduit un moment historique de confirmation d’un grand projet d’une université centrée sur l’investigation et au service de la société”. Le journal précise que l’UL gagne en notoriété depuis la fusion, en 2013, avec l’université technique de Lisbonne. L’UL abrite 18 facultés, dispense 485 cours à 50 000 étudiants et compte 8 000 chercheurs.

Les quatre autres universités portugaises qui apparaissent dans le classement sont celles de Porto, Minho, Aveiro et Coimbra.

Courrier International - France

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 24 - Heart and Soul and Double Cluster

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Heart and Soul and Double Cluster 
Image Credit & CopyrightAdrien Klamerius
Explanation: This rich starfield spans almost 10 degrees across the sky toward the northern constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus. On the left, heart-shaped cosmic cloud IC 1805 and IC 1848 are popularly known as the Heart and Soul nebulae. Easy to spot on the right are star clusters NGC 869 and NGC 884 also known as h and Chi Perseii, or just the Double Cluster. Heart and Soul, with their own embedded clusters of young stars a million or so years old, are each over 200 light-years across and 6 to 7 thousand light-years away. In fact, they are part of a large, active star forming complex sprawling along the Perseus spiral arm of our Milky Way Galaxy. The Double Cluster is located at about the same distance as the Heart and Soul nebulae. Separated by only a few hundred light-years, h and Chi Perseii are physically close together, and both clusters are estimated to be about 13 million years old. Their proximity and similar stellar ages suggest both clusters are likely a product of the same star-forming region.

23.9.16

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 23 - Harvest Moon Eclipse

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Harvest Moon Eclipse 
Image Credit & CopyrightMiguel Claro (TWANDark Sky Alqueva)
Explanation: A Harvest Moon rises over Sesimbra Castle south of Lisbon in this impressive series of telephoto exposures. Captured at its full phase, the golden Moon was also gliding through the Earth's more diffuse outer shadow during September's penumbral lunar eclipse. The eclipse shading is subtle compared to a total lunar eclipse. Still, the penumbral shadow does darken the Moon's upper limb, the pale shadow receding as the Moon climbs into Portugal's evening sky. In this eclipse timelapse the effect of sunlight and earthshadow on the Moon looks remarkably like the coloring of light and shadow along the illuminated castle walls.

22.9.16

Sting - "Seven days" - Video - Music

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"Seven days"

Imagens de Lisboa - Interiores secretos - Colégio dos Meninos Orfãos

Number 64 of Rua da Mouraria hides one of the marvels of Portuguese tiled art from the 1700s. A former school and orphanage, now in a state of disrepair and divided into several offices and services, maintains a beautiful staircase covered with rococo tile panels depicting the main scenes of the Bible. In total there are 41 panels, with inscriptions at the top revealing the themes represented. It's not officially open to tourists, but the door is always open to those who wish to visit.
Colégio dos Meninos Orfãos, Lisboa
O número 64 da Rua da Mouraria esconde uma das maravilhas da azulejaria portuguesa do século XVIII. Um antigo colégio de orfãos, hoje em mau estado de conservação e dividido em vários escritórios e serviços, mantém uma bela escadaria forrada a azulejos rococó, contanto os principais episódios da Bíblia. Ao todo são 41 painéis, com inscrições na parte superior de cada um, identificando os temas representados. Não são realizadas visitas turísticas, mas a porta encontra-se sempre aberta a quem quiser visitar.

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 22 - Sunset at Edmontonhenge

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Sunset at Edmontonhenge 
Image Credit & CopyrightLuca Vanzella
Explanation: On September 18, the setting Sun illuminated both sides of the steep brick and steel canyon otherwise known as Jasper Avenue in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, planet Earth. The Stonehenge-like alignment is captured from the middle of the road in this daring snapshot. In Edmonton streets are laid out on a grid almost oriented along the cardinal directions, so aligned Edmonton sunsets (and sunrises) occur along the nearly east-west streets twice a year, close to the Equinox. In fact, at today's Equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator at 1421 UT and on this day the Sun will rise due east and set due west, bringing approximately equal hours of day and night to denizens of planet Earth. The September Equinox marks the astronomical beginning of Fall in the north and spring in the southern hemisphere.

Texto - Outono - Video - Musica

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"Autunno"
Feuilles sèches virevoltant dans un ciel coloré de gris, images d’enfance enfouies au cœur de pensées, ciel se couchant en un éclat de bien-être, le bonheur de la senteur des sous-bois fleurant le temps passé, pluies parfumées, musique douce, peinture impressionniste,  Bientôt le parfum des feux de bois…

Bienvenu l’Automne.

22-09-2016
JoanMira

Leonard Cohen - "In my secret life" - Video - Music

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"In my secret life"

21.9.16

Teresa Salgueiro - "Horizonte" - Video - Musica

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"Horizonte"

Now, it's time to say goodbye. Ciao, ciao, ciao!

Pinup girl:
CIAO, CIAO, CIAO...

Texto - Haïzé - A cada minuto penso em você

Quando o pensamento ora chorando o corpo que não vai ser mais, esquece a sua essência.

Corpo tal alga voltando ao mar; que mais?

Espírito no reencontro; o melhor.

Poder voltar a ver todos daquela nesta vida!

Maravilhoso, não seria!?

Poder dizer-lhes, do fundo da alma, quanto gostavamos da nossa sofrida infância; 

E, apesar de tudo amar-mos outra lembrança esquecida 

21-09-2016

JoanMira

magens de Lisboa - Interiores secretos - Palacio Foz

Foz Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings in downtown Lisbon, but is unfortunately not regularly open to the public, allowing visits by appointment only. Its construction began in 1777, and after several owners and several renovations it has a mixture of styles, from the Rococo to the neo-Gothic and neo-Manueline. One of the many curiosities is the “Abbey,” an old space used almost exclusively as a restaurant where the Masonic elite held secret meetings. Much of the décor reveals esoteric symbols and mythological figures, which more recently served as the backdrop for scenes of the film “Mysteries of Lisbon.”
Palácio Foz, Lisboa
O Palácio Foz é um dos edifícios mais belos do centro de Lisboa, mas infelizmente não se encontra regularmente aberto ao público, sendo apenas possível visitar por marcação ou durante os vários eventos culturais que se realizam todos os meses. A sua construção iniciou-se em 1777, e vários proprietários e diversas remodelações deram-lhe uma mistura de estilos no interior, desde o rococó ao neo-gótico e neo-manuelino. Uma das muitas curiosidades é a “abadia”, um antigo espaço usado como restaurante praticamente exclusivo da elite maçónica, onde se realizavam reuniões secretas. Grande parte da decoração revela símbolos esotéricos e figuras mitológicas, que recentemente serviram de pano de fundo para cenas do filme “Mistérios de Lisboa”.

Simple Minds - "Mandela day" - Video - Music

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"Mandela day"

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 21 - Zooming in on Star Cluster Terzan 5 (Video)

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Zooming in on Star Cluster Terzan 5 
Image Credit: Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org), DSSHubbleNASAESAESOMusic: Johan B. Monell
Explanation: Globular clusters once ruled the Milky Way. Back in the old days, back when our Galaxy first formed, perhaps thousands of globular clusters roamed our Galaxy. Today, there are less than 200 left. Over the eons, manyglobular clusters were destroyed by repeated fateful encounters with each other or the Galactic center. Surviving relics are older than any Earth fossil, older than any other structures in our Galaxy, and limit the universe itself in raw age. There are few, if any, young globular clusters in our Milky Way Galaxy because conditions are not ripe for more to form. The featured video shows what it might look like to go from the Earth to the globular cluster Terzan 5, ending with a picture of the cluster taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. This star cluster was recently found to contain not only stars formed in the early days of our Milky Way Galaxy, but also, quite surprisingly, others that formed in a separate burst of star formation about 7 billion years later.

U2 - "Ordinary love" - Video - Music

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"Ordinary love"

20.9.16

Now, it's time to say goodbye. Ciao, ciao, ciao...

♥ Love Your Curves! ♥
"CIAO, CIAO, CIAO"

Imagens de Lisboa - Interiores secretos - Palacio Burnay

Built in 1734, this palace was the residence of the bishops of Lisbon and of aristocrats before being acquired by the State in 1940. It’s currently occupied by the Institute of Tropical Science Research, and is not open to the public. It features a sumptuous interior, although much of its priceless decoration (furniture, paintings, sculptures and tapestries) was sold in 1936. Most impressive are the walls of the staircase painted in trompe l’oeil, creating a monumental effect of sculptural reliefs.

Palácio Burnay, Lisboa
Construído em 1734, este palácio foi residência de patriarcas de Lisboa e de aristocratas, até ser adquirido pelo Estado em 1940. Hoje é ocupado pelo Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical e não se encontra aberto ao público. Apresenta um suntuoso interior, apesar de grande parte da sua preciosa decoração (mobiliário, pinturas, esculturas e tapeçarias) ter sido vendida em 1936. O mais impressionante são as paredes da escadaria pintadas em trompe-l’oeil, que criam um efeito monumental de relevos.

Artigo - Durão Barroso I - O traidor


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Rien ne va plus pour José Manuel Barroso. L’annonce, en juillet, de son recrutement par Goldman Sachs a provoqué un tollé de protestations. L’ancien président de la Commission européenne a été choisi pour occuper le poste de président non exécutif de la filiale internationale de la banque à Londres, chargée d’accompagner le Brexit.

Or Goldman Sachs est considérée comme en partie responsable de la crise financière mondiale de 2008, et de ses graves conséquences économiques en Europe. Barroso présidait aux affaires de l’Europe alors que les économies s’effondraient et que les plans d’austérité draconiens ont été mis en place à travers l’Union.

D’éventuels conflits d’intérêts sont en cause, et, dans une lettre envoyée le 11 septembre, le président Juncker a sommé Barroso de s’expliquer.
Un “simple lobbyiste”

Au Portugal, pays d’origine de Barroso, la presse commente abondamment le sujet. Dans le Diário de Notícias, le chroniqueur Ferreira Fernandes rebondit sur l’annonce que Barroso ne sera plus considéré comme ex-président de la Commission mais comme un “simple lobbyiste” chargé de représenter une banque au sein de l’Union européenne.

“Heureusement le 11 septembre ne sert pas seulement à ce que des médiévaux imbéciles lancent des avions sur des gratte-ciel, cela sert aussi à lancer des camouflets avec des gants blancs contre des tours d’ivoire”, s’esclaffe Fernandes. “Barroso devient le grand méchant lobbyiste… affublé des grandes dents de l’ambition”, poursuit-il, faisant un jeu de mot entre “lobby” et lobo (“loup”). Désormais sans tapis rouge à Bruxelles, le lobbyiste Barroso sera soumis aux contrôles sévères appliqués en la matière...

Courrier International - France

Imagens do Mundo - Lago da aldeia de Logoisk, ao norte de Minsk (Bielorrusia)

Un hombre pesca desde su bote mientras la niebla le rodea, en el lago de la aldea de Logoisk, al norte de Minsk (Bielorrusia).
Um homem pesca no seu bote, no meio da neblina, no lago da aldeia de Logoisk, ao norte de Minsk (Bielorrusia).
SERGEI GRITS AP

Imagens do Mundo - Lago Garbsen (Alemanha)

Un hombre sobre una tabla practica esquí acuático en el Lago Garbsen (Alemania).
Um homem sobre uma prancha pratica esquí acuático no Lago Garbsen (Alemanha).
JULIAN STRATENSCHULTE AFP

Imagens do Mundo - Laytown (Irlanda)

Vista general de la carrera anual de Laytown (Irlanda).
Vista geral da corrida anual de Laytown (Irlanda).
JUSTIN SETTERFIELD GETTY IMAGES

Imagens do Mundo - Xianrendao (China)

Vista aérea de barcos de pesca en Xianrendao (China).
Vista aérea de barcos de pesca em Xianrendao (China).
JOHANNES EISELE AFP

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 20 - The Helix Nebula in Infrared

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The Helix Nebula in Infrared 
Image Credit: NASAJPL-CaltechSpitzer Space TelescopeProcessing: Judy Schmidt
Explanation: What makes this cosmic eye look so red? Dust. The featured image from the robotic Spitzer Space Telescope shows infrared light from the well-studied Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) a mere 700 light-years away in the constellation of the Water Carrier Aquarius. The two light-year diameter shroud of dust and gas around a central white dwarf has long been considered an excellent example of a planetary nebula, representing the final stages in the evolution of a Sun-like star. But the Spitzer data show the nebula's central star itself is immersed in a surprisingly bright infrared glow. Models suggest the glow is produced by a dust debris disk. Even though the nebular material was ejected from the star many thousands of years ago, the close-in dust could have been generated by collisions in a reservoir of objects analogous to our own solar system's Kuiper Belt or cometary Oort cloud. Had the comet-like bodies formed in the distant planetary system, they would have survived even the dramatic late stages of the star's evolution.

Andarilhos - "Chula do Douro" - Video - Musica

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"Chula do Douro"

19.9.16

A aguia voa mais alto! - Benfica 3 - Braga 1


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O Benfica derrotou nesta segunda-feira o Sp. Braga, por 3-1, e assumiu a liderança isolada da I Liga. Os golos dos benfiquistas foram apontados pelo grego Mitroglou (27’ e 78’) e pelo internacional português Pizzi (74’). Os bracarenses reduziram no último minuto, por Rosic.

Num jogo de boa qualidade com oportunidades para ambos os lados, o Benfica revelou-se mais eficaz e acabou por justificar o triunfo. O primeiro golo da partida foi apontado pelo avançado grego Mitroglou, que regressou após lesão, aos 27': na zona da marca de grande penalidade, onde o “11” do Benfica rematou com o seu pé esquerdo à meia-volta, abrindo o marcador.

Na segunda parte, o desfecho da partida manteve-se em aberto até à entrada do quarto de hora final, quando o Benfica fez o 2-0 por Pizzi, num golo onde um ressalto num bracarense isolou o médio benfiquista que, com alguma sorte à mistura, bateu Marafona.

Menos de cinco minutos depois, os “encarnados” voltaram a festejar: Pizzi encostado à linha cruzou e Mitroglou encostou de cabeça para o fundo da baliza. O resultado final foi fixado no minuto 90, com um golo do defesa central bracarense Rosic, na sequência de um canto.

Com esta vitória, o Benfica ultrapassa o Sporting, e assume a liderança isolada do campeonato ao fim de cinco jornadas, com 13 pontos, mais um do que os “leões”.

Publico - Portugal

Fotografia - Saul Leiter - La magie du flottement -

Leiter
- La magie du flottement - 

Imagens de Lisboa - Interiores secretos - Igreja do Convento da Encarnação

Despite being one of the country’s richest works of gilded art, the church of this convent remains a well-hidden treasure. It’s kept secret, allowing entry only once a month for early-morning Mass on the first Friday. Once inside, you may admire the monumental main altar created in 1719, survivor of the 1755 earthquake.
Igreja do Convento da Encarnação, Lisboa
Apesar de ser uma das mais ricas obras em talha dourada do país, a igreja deste convento permanece um tesouro bem escondido. É mantido em segredo, permitindo entradas apenas uma vez por mês, para missa nas manhãs das primeiras sextas-feiras. Só assim é possível admirar o monumental altar-mor de 1719, que sobreviveu ao terramoto de 1755.

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 19 - 50,000 Kilometers over the Sun

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50,000 Kilometers over the Sun 
Image Credit & Copyright: Pete Lawrence
Explanation: What's happening at the edge of the Sun? Although it may look like a monster is rampaging, what is pictured is actually only a monster prominence -- a sheath of thin gas held above the surface by the Sun's magnetic field. The solar event was captured just this past weekend with a small telescope, with the resulting image then inverted and false-colored. As indicated with illustrative lines, the prominence rises over 50,000 kilometers above the Sun's surface, making even our 12,700-diameter Earth seem small by comparison. Below the monster prominence is active region 12585, while light colored filaments can be seen hovering over a flowing solar carpet of fibrils. Filaments are actually prominences seen against the disk of the Sun, while similarly, fibrils are actually spicules seen against the disk. Energetic events like this are becoming less common as the Sun evolves toward a minimum in its 11-year activity cycle.

Playing For Change - "Crazy" - Video - Music

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"Crazy"

18.9.16

Fotografias do passado - Praça dos Restauradores, Lisboa

01_Estudio_Horacio_Novais_Praca_dos_Restauradores_Lisboa_sem_data_01.jpg
Estúdio Horácio Novais, Praça dos Restauradores, Lisboa, sem data Colecções da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa, Portugal (Flickr Commons)

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 18 - Starry Night Scavenger Hunt

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Starry Night Scavenger Hunt 
Image Credit: Vincent van Gogh; Digital Collage & Copyright: Ronnie Warner
Explanation: Did you know that van Gogh's painting Starry Night includes Comet Hale-Bopp? Hopefully not, because it doesn't. But the featured image does. Although today's picture may appear at first glance to be a faithful digital reproduction of the original Starry Night, actually it is a modern rendition meant not only to honor one of the most famous paintings of the second millennium, but to act as a scavenger hunt. Can you find, in the featured image, a comet, aspiral galaxy, an open star cluster, and a supernova remnant? Too easy? OK, then find, the rings of Supernova 1987A, the Eskimo Nebula, the Crab NebulaThor's Helmet, the Cartwheel Galaxy, and the Ant Nebula. Still too easy? Then please identify any more hidden images not mentioned here -- and there are several -- on APOD's main discussion board: The Asterisk. Finally, the collagist has graciously hidden APOD's 10th anniversary Vermeer photomontagejust to honor APOD. (Thanks!)

15.9.16

Imagens de Lisboa - Interiores secretos - Palacio das Necessidades

This palace was the only royal residence to survive the 1755 earthquake. Despite its cultural and architectural signirficance it’s not a tourist attraction, as is now occupied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and therefore closed to the public. Its precious collection of jewelry was transferred to the National Museum of Ancient Art, and many of the furnishings were placed in the palaces of Ajuda and Queluz. However, it still has an opulent regal interior, where heads of state are often received.
Palácio das Necessidades, Lisboa
Este palácio foi a única residência real que sobreviveu ao terramoto de 1755. Apesar do seu valor cultural e arquitetónico, não é uma atração turística, pois é hoje ocupado pelo Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, estando por isso fechado ao público. As suas preciosidades de ourivesaria foram transferidas para o Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, e parte do mobiliário foi colocado nos palácios da Ajuda e de Queluz. No entanto, ainda possui um interior opulento, onde são muitas vezes recebidos chefes de estado.

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 15 - Retrograde Mars and Saturn

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Retrograde Mars and Saturn 
Image Credit & CopyrightTunç Tezel (TWAN)
Explanation: Wandering Mars and Saturn have spent much of this year remarkably close in planet Earth's night sky. In a sequence of exposures spanning mid-December 2015 through the beginning of this week, this composited skyview follows their time together, including both near opposition, just north of bright star Antares near the Milky Way's central bulge. In the corresponding video, Saturn's apparent movement is seen to be back and forth along the flattened, compact loop, while Mars traces the wider, reversing S-shaped track from upper right to lower left through the frame. To connect the dots and dates just slide your cursor over the picture (or follow this link). It looks that way, but Mars and Saturn don't actually reverse direction along their orbits. Instead, their apparent backwards or retrograde motion with respect to the background stars is a reflection of the orbital motion of the Earth itself. Retrograde motion can be seen each time Earth overtakes and laps planets orbiting farther from the Sun, the Earth moving more rapidly through its own relatively close-in orbit.

14.9.16

Imagens de Lisboa - Interiores secretos - Salão Pompeia

The Palace of Ega, built in the 1500s and home to the archives relating to Portugal’s former colonies since 1931, hides one of the most beautiful rooms in the city. Called “Pompeii Hall,” it dates from an 18th-century renovation of the building, and was used as a music room during large banquets. A statue of Apollo, the god of music, was placed under frescoes, by magnificent columns and eight Dutch tile panels from the 1700s illustrating the main European ports. 
The name of the palace derives from one of its owners, the Countess of Ega, who allowed General Junot (her lover), to stay in the palace during the French invasion of Portugal. The Countess later married Count Stroganov from St. Petersburg, a city where she later lived and died in. That was also where the Countess found a recipe from her husband’s chef which later became quite popular — stroganoff. 
Pompeii Hall used to open for guided tours once a month, but is now completely closed to visitors.
Salão Pompeia, Lisboa
O Palácio da Ega, construído no século XVI e usado como instalações do Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino desde 1931, esconde uma das mais belas salas da cidade. Chama-se Salão Pompeia e data de uma remodelação do edifício no século XVIII. Era um espaço usado como sala de música em grandes banquetes, e por isso foi colocada uma estátua de Apolo, o deus da música. Este encontra-se rodeado de frescos, de magníficas colunas e de oito painéis de azulejos holandeses do século XVIII, ilustrando os principais portos europeus. 
O nome do palácio deve-se a uma das suas proprietárias, a Condessa da Ega, que permitiu que o general Junot, seu amante, se instalasse no palácio durante as invasões francesas. A condessa mais tarde casou-se com o conde Stroganov de São Petesburgo, para onde foi viver, acabando por falecer nessa cidade. Foi também aí que a condessa encontrou uma receita do cozinheiro do marido, que mais tarde se tornou bem conhecida -- Estrogonofe. 
Houve tempo em que o Salão Pompeia abria ao público uma vez por mês, mas neste momento já não são permitidas visitas.

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 September 14 - The North and South Jupiter

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The North and South Jupiter 
Image Credit: NASAJPLJuno Mission
Explanation: A wide, looping orbit brought Juno close to Jupiter on August 27. As the spacecraft swung around the giant planet's poles JunoCam acquired these premier direct polar views, a change from the usual nearly equatorial perspective of outbound spacecraft and the telescopes of planet Earth. The sunlit side of Jupiter's north polar region (left) was imaged about 125,000 kilometers from the cloud tops, two hours before Juno's closest approach. An hour after close approach the south polar region was captured from 94,500 kilometers away. Strikingly different from the alternating light-colored zones and darker belts girdling more familiar equatorial regions, the polar region clouds appear more convoluted and mottled by many clockwise and counterclockwise rotating storm systems. Another 35 close orbital flybys are planned during the Juno mission.

13.9.16

Imagens de Lisboa - Palacios - Palacio Foz

Palácio Foz, Lisboa
Foz Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings in the center of Lisbon, both inside and out, but unfortunately is not always open to the public. You may only visit during the several cultural events that take place throughout the year. Its construction dates back to 1777, and it had several owners who mixed various styles, from the rococo to the neo-Manueline. Its magnificent rooms recently served as the backdrop for scenes of the film "Mysteries of Lisbon," and the old library is now the National Sports Museum.
Palácio Foz, Lisboa
O Palácio Foz é um dos mais belos edifícios do centro de Lisboa, por dentro e por fora, mas infelizmente não se encontra sempre aberto ao público. É apenas possível visitar durante os vários eventos culturais que acontecem várias vezes ao ano. A sua construção data de 1777, e teve vários proprietários que lhe misturaram vários estilos, do rococó ao neo-manuelino. As suas grandiosas salas serviram recentemente de pano de fundo para cenas do filme "Mistérios de Lisboa", e a antiga biblioteca é hoje o Museu Nacional do Desporto.
Palácio Foz, Lisbon