1 - WORLD - JoanMira

2016-02-16

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 February 16 - Star Forming Region S106

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Star Forming Region S106
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Legacy Archive; Processed & Copyright: Brandon Pimenta

Explanation: Massive star IRS 4 is beginning to spread its wings. Born only about 100,000 years ago, material streaming out from this newborn star has formed the nebula dubbed Sharpless 2-106 Nebula (S106), featured here. A large disk of dust and gas orbiting Infrared Source 4 (IRS 4), visible in brown near the image center, gives the nebula an hourglass or butterfly shape. S106 gas near IRS 4 acts as an emission nebula as it emits light after being ionized, while dust far from IRS 4 reflects light from the central star and so acts as a reflection nebula. Detailed inspection of a recent infrared image of S106 reveal hundreds of low-mass brown dwarf stars lurking in the nebula's gas. S106 spans about 2 light-years and lies about 2000 light-years away toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus).

2016-02-15

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 February 15 - White Rock Fingers on Mars

White Rock Fingers on Mars
Image Credit: THEMIS, Mars Odyssey Team, ASU, JPL, NASA

Explanation: What caused this unusual light rock formation on Mars? Intrigued by the possibility that they could be salt deposits left over as an ancient lakebed dried-up, detailed studies of these fingers now indicate a more mundane possibility: volcanic ash. Studying the exact color of the formation indicated the possible volcanic origin. The light material appears to have eroded away from surrounding area, indicating a very low-density substance. The stark contrast between the rocks and the surrounding sand is compounded by the unusual darkness of the sand. The featured picture was taken with the Thermal Emission Imaging System on the Mars Odyssey, the longest serving spacecraft currently orbiting Mars. The image spans about 10 kilometers inside a larger crater.

2016-02-14

Texto - "Eu"

Porque não sou sectário, porque não fui (ainda?) atingido de proselitismo, porque detesto claques e facciosismos, porque entendo ser Livre, porque os Amigos não precisam de ostentar o que detesto, porque a corrupção não tem ideologias oportunas...

Porque os amigos pertencendo a todo e qualquer quadrante político-confessional que lhes aprouver, e tutti quanti… Porque entendo que a sinceridade é essencial…

Porque… Porquê? O tempo não passa, nos é que passamos por ele; e todas as mentiras acabam por ser reveladas na sua prova oculta.

Quanto mais me afasto da mentira, melhor me dou comigo, eliminando simultânea e progressivamente as gentes da “treta”.

Quando chegar a minha hora, irei em paz com a minha consciência…

14-02-2016

JoanMira

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 February 14 - A Heart Shaped Lenticular Cloud

A Heart Shaped Lenticular Cloud
Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Kunze

Explanation: Can a cloud love a mountain? Perhaps not, but on a Valentine's Day like today, one might be prone to seeing heart-shaped symbols where they don't actually exist. A fleeting pareidolia, the featured heart was really alenticular cloud that appeared one morning last July above Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand. A companion video shows the lenticular cloud was mostly stationary in the sky but shifted and vibrated with surrounding winds. The cloud's red color was caused by the Sun rising off the frame to the right. Lenticular clouds are somewhat rare but can form in air that passes over a mountain. Then, vertical eddies may form where rising air cools past the dew pointcausing water carried by the air to condense into droplets. Unfortunately, this amazing sight made the fascinated videographer late for breakfast.

2016-02-13

Lou Reed - "Venus in furs" - Video - Music - Live

Lou Reed lors de sa conférence de presse... (Photo: AFP)

"Venus in furs"

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 February 13 - Yutu on a Little Planet

Yutu on a Little Planet
Image Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese National Space Administration,
Emily Lakdawalla (Planetary Society) - Stitched by: Andrew Bodrov

Explanation: Tracks lead to a small robot perched near the top of this bright little planet. Of course, the planet is really the Moon. The robot is the desk-sized Yutu rover, leaving its looming Chang'e 3 lander after a after a mid-December 2013 touch down in the northern Mare Imbrium. The little planet projection is a digitally warped and stitched mosaic of images from the lander's terrain camera covering 360 by 180 degrees. Ultimately traveling over 100 meters, Yutu came to a halt in January 2014. The lander's instruments are still working though, after more than two years on the lunar surface. Meanwhile, an interactive panoramic version of this little planet is available here.