Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 February 16 - The Tulip and Cygnus X-1

The Tulip and Cygnus X-1 
Image Credit & Copyright: Ivan Eder

Explanation: Framing a bright emission region, this telescopic view looks out along the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy toward the nebula rich constellation Cygnus the Swan. Popularly called the Tulip Nebula, the reddish glowing cloud of interstellar gas and dust is also found in the 1959 catalog by astronomer Stewart Sharpless as Sh2-101. About 8,000 light-years distant and 70 light-years across the complex and beautiful nebula blossoms at the center of this composite image. Ultraviolet radiation from young energetic stars at the edge of the Cygnus OB3 association, including O star HDE 227018, ionizes the atoms and powers the emission from the Tulip Nebula. HDE 227018 is the bright star near the center of the nebula. Also framed in the field of view is microquasar Cygnus X-1, one of the strongest X-ray sources in planet Earth's sky. Driven by powerful jets from a black hole accretion disk, its fainter visible curved shock front lies above and right, just beyond the cosmic Tulip's petals

Fotografias subaquaticas - Polvo

Prémio Fotógrafo Subaquático do ano 2017 - "A maneira como ele se move é tão diferente de qualquer predador em terra, que isto poderia ser na verdade um alienígena de outro mundo", comentou o júri

GABRIEL BARATHIEU/UPY 2017

Adriano Correia de Oliveira - "Rosinha" - Slides - Musica

"Rosinha"

Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 February 15 - The Calabash Nebula from Hubble

The Calabash Nebula from Hubble 
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, MAST; Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt

Explanation: Fast expanding gas clouds mark the end for a central star in the Calabash Nebula. The once-normal star has run out of nuclear fuel, causing the central regions to contract into a white dwarf. Some of the liberated energy causes the outer envelope of the star to expand. In this case, the result is a photogenic proto-planetary nebula. As the million-kilometer per hour gas rams into the surrounding interstellar gas, a supersonic shock front forms whereionized hydrogen and nitrogen glow blue. Thick gas and dust hide the dying central star. The Calabash Nebula, also known as the Rotten Egg Nebula and OH231.8+4.2, will likely develop into a full bipolar planetary nebula over the next 1000 years. The nebula, featured here, is about 1.4 light-years in extent and located about 5000 light-years away toward the constellation of Puppis.

Fotografia - Lisboa Nocturna - Praça do Rossio

Estúdio Horácio Novais, Praça do Rossio, Lisboa, sem data Colecções da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa, Portugal (Flickr Commons)

Expressões populares portuguesas - Coisas do Arco-da-Velha

Significado: Coisas inacreditáveis, absurdas, espantosas, inverosímeis. 

Origem: A expressão tem origem no Antigo Testamento; arco-da-velha é o arco-íris, ou arco-celeste, e foi sinal do pacto que Deus fez com Noé: "Estando o arco nas nuvens, Eu ao vê-lo recordar-Me-ei da aliança eterna concluída entre Deus e todos os seres vivos de toda a espécie que há na terra." (Génesis 9:16) Arco-da-velha é uma simplificação de Arco da Lei Velha, uma referência à Lei Divina. Há também diversas histórias populares que defendem outra origem da expressão, como a da existência de uma velha no arco-íris, sendo a curvatura do arco a curvatura das costas provocada pela velhice, ou devido a uma das propriedades mágicas do arco-íris - beber a água num lugar e enviá-la para outro, pelo que velha poderá ter vindo do italiano bere (beber).

Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 February 14 - The Rosette Nebula

The Rosette Nebula 
Image Credit & Copyright: Evangelos Souglakos

Explanation: Would the Rosette Nebula by any other name look as sweet? The bland New General Catalog designation of NGC 2237 doesn't appear to diminish the appearance of this flowery emission nebula. Inside the nebula lies an open cluster of bright young stars designated NGC 2244. These stars formed about four million years ago from the nebular material and their stellar winds are clearing a hole in the nebula's center, insulated by a layer of dust and hot gas. Ultraviolet light from the hot cluster stars causes the surrounding nebula to glow. The Rosette Nebula spans about 100 light-years across, lies about 5000 light-years away, and can be seen with a small telescope towards theconstellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros).

Rui Veloso & Luz Casal - "Inesperadamente" - Video - Musica - En vivo

"Inesperadamente"

Fotografia - Lisboa nocturna - Estação do Rossio

Estúdio Horácio Novais, Estação do rossio, Lisboa, sem data Colecções daFundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa, Portugal (Flickr Commons)

Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 February 13 - Cloud Swirls around Southern Jupiter from Juno

Cloud Swirls around Southern Jupiter from Juno 
Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, SwRI, MSSS; Processing: Damian Peach

Explanation: Juno just completed its fourth pass near Jupiter. Launched from Earth in 2011 and arriving at Jupiter just last July, robotic Juno concluded its latest elliptical orbit around our Solar System's largest planet 11 days ago.Pictured here from that pass is a new high-resolution image of the southern hemisphere of Jupiter featuring a mesmerizing tapestry of swirling cloud systems. The terminator between day and night cuts diagonally across the bottom, meaning that the Sun is positioned off the top right. Large Oval BA is visible in orange on the far right. Reasons for the details and colors of Jupiter's cloud swirls are currently unknown. Juno planned six year mission will study Jovian giant in new ways, including trying to determine if beneath its thick clouds, Jupiter has a solid core.