Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 November 24 - Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater 
Image Credit: Apollo 17 Crew, NASA

Explanation: In December of 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the Moon in the Taurus-Littrow valley, while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. This sharp image was taken by Cernan as he and Schmitt roamed the valley floor. The image shows Schmitt on the left with the lunar rover at the edge of Shorty Crater, near the spot where geologist Schmitt discovered orange lunar soil. The Apollo 17 crew returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil samples, more than was returned from any of the other lunar landing sites. Forty five years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk on the Moon.

Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 November 23 - 'Oumuamua: Interstellar Asteroid

'Oumuamua: Interstellar Asteroid 
Illustration Credit: European Southern Observatory, M. Kornmesser

Explanation: Nothing like it has ever been seen before. The unusual space rock 'Oumuamua is so intriguing mainly because it is the first asteroid ever detected from outside our Solar System -- although likely many more are to follow given modern computer-driven sky monitoring. Therefore humanity's telescopes -- of nearly every variety -- have put 'Oumuamua into their observing schedule to help better understand this unusual interstellar visitor. Pictured is anartist's illustration of what 'Oumuamua might look like up close. 'Oumuamua is also intriguing, however, because it has unexpected parallels to Rama, a famous fictional interstellar spaceship created by the late science fiction writerArthur C. Clarke. Like Rama, 'Oumuamua is unusually elongated, should be made of strong material to avoid breaking apart, is only passing through our Solar System, and passed unusually close to the Sun for something gravitationally unbound. Unlike a visiting spaceship, though, 'Oumuamua's trajectory, speed, color, and even probability of detection are consistent with it forming naturally around a normal star many millions of years ago, being expelled after gravitationally encountering a normal planet, and subsequently orbiting in our Galaxy alone. Even given 'Oumuamua's likely conventional origin, perhaps humanity can hold hope that one day we will have the technology to engineer 'Oumuamua -- or another Solar System interloper -- into an interstellar Rama of our own.

Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 November 21 - Big Dipper over Pyramid Mountain

Big Dipper over Pyramid Mountain 
Image Credit & Copyright: Steve Cullen

Explanation: When did you first learn to identify this group of stars? Although they are familiar to many people around the world, different cultures have associated this asterism with different icons and folklore. Known in the USA as the Big Dipper, the stars are part of a constellation designated by the International Astronomical Union in 1922 as the Great Bear (Ursa Major). The recognized star names of these stars are (left to right) Alkaid, Mizar/Alcor, Alioth,Megrez, Phecda, Merak, and Dubhe. Of course, stars in any given constellation are unlikely to be physically related. But surprisingly, most of the Big Dipper stars do seem to be headed in the same direction as they plough through space, a property they share with other stars spread out over an even larger area across the sky. Their measured common motion suggests that they all belong to a loose, nearby star cluster, thought to be on average only about 75 light-years away and up to 30 light-years across. The cluster is more properly known as the Ursa Major Moving Group. The featured image captured the iconic stars recently above Pyramid Mountain in Alberta, Canada.

Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 November 19 - NGC 7822: Stars and Dust Pillars in Infrared

NGC 7822: Stars and Dust Pillars in Infrared 
Image Credit: WISE, IRSA, NASA; Processing & Copyright : Francesco Antonucci

Explanation: Young stars themselves are clearing out their nursery in NGC 7822. Within the nebula, bright edges and complex dust sculptures dominate this detailed skyscape taken in infrared light by NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite. NGC 7822 lies at the edge of a giant molecular cloud toward the northern constellation Cepheus, a glowing star forming region that lies about 3,000 light-years away. The atomic emission of light by the nebula's gas is powered by energetic radiation from the hot stars, whose powerful winds and light also sculpt and erode the denser pillar shapes. Stars could still be forming inside the pillars by gravitational collapse, but as the pillars are eroded away, any forming stars will ultimately be cut off from their reservoir of star stuff. This field spans around 40 light-years at the estimated distance of NGC 7822.

Article - Portugal : un requin préhistorique découvert par des chercheurs

Les mers et océans de ce monde sont vastes et bien mystérieux. De nombreuses espèces se cachent dans les profondeurs des eaux, et parfois, certains spécimens préhistoriques remontent à la surface. C’est le cas de ce requin-lézard, découvert par des chercheurs au Portugal.

Ce requin-lézard aux 300 dents n’aurait pas évolué depuis au moins 80 millions d’années. Il a été découvert par des chercheurs au Portugal, au large de Portimao. Cette espèce préhistorique semble être sortie tout droit d’un film de science-fiction, et pourtant, l’animal est bien réel.

Un animal discret, vieux d’au moins 80 millions d’années

Le requin-lézard, ou Chlamydoselachus anguineus, est un véritable fossile vivant pour les chercheurs. Toujours selon eux, l’espèce n’aurait pas évolué depuis au moins 80 millions d’années. Il mesure plus d’un mètre, sa tête ressemble à celle d’un serpent, sa gueule ouverte a de quoi effrayer, mais ce sont ses 300 dents qui sont certainement la partie la plus impressionnante de son anatomie.

Cette prise est totalement inédite, puisqu’il est presque impossible de croiser cette créature marine qui vit entre 500 et 1.000 mètres de profondeur sous la mer. Les chercheurs, qui étaient à l’origine sur une toute autre mission, l’ont trouvé à 700 mètres de profondeur.

La Depêche - France

Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 November 18 - Friday, the Moon Smiled

Friday, the Moon Smiled 
Image Credit & Copyright: Tunç Tezel (TWAN)

Explanation: Friday, an old Moon smiled for early morning risers. Its waning sunlit crescent is captured in this atmospheric scene from clear skies near Bursa, Turkey, planet Earth. In the subtle twilight hues nearby celestial lights are Jupiter (top) and Venus shining close to the eastern horizon. But today, Saturday, the Moon will be new and early next week its waxing crescent will follow the setting Sun as it sinks in the west. Then, a young Moon's smile will join Saturn and Mercury in early evening skies.

Igrejas maravilhosas do Brasil - Igreja de São Francisco – Califórnia – PR

Construída por migrantes mineiros em 1957, a história da Igreja de São Francisco começou juntamente com a cidade de Califórnia, quando o local foi registrado como um município. Hoje é considerada o principal ponto turístico da região, e conhecida por ter uma das maiores torres do Paraná. Seu estilo possui predominância gótica e barroca, com destaque para o mosaico instalado em sua fachada representando o seu padroeiro.

Astronomy picture of the day - 2017 November 17 - Major Fireball Meteor

Major Fireball Meteor 
Image Credit & Copyright: Ollie Taylor

Explanation: The sky glows with soft pinkish colors of fading twilight in this serendipitous mountaintop vista. Taken in subfreezing temperatures, the thoughtfully composed photo shows snowy, rugged peaks seen from a mountain pass on November 14. Below lies the village of La Villa, Alta Badia in Italy's Dolomite Alps. Above the nestled village lights, the constellation Ursa Major hangs over the northern horizon. But most stunning is the intense fireball meteor. It was captured during the camera's exposure by chance as it flashed east to west across the northern horizon, under Ursa Major's familiar Big Dipper asterism. In fact, sightings of this major fireball meteor were widely reported in European skies, the most reported fireball event ever for planet Earth's American Meteor Society and the International Meteor Organization. The meteor's measured track over Germany is consistent with its origin near the active radiant of November's Taurid Meteor Shower. Taurid meteors are associated with dust from Encke's comet.

Grupo Coral de Cantares Regionais de Portel - "Se fores ao Alentejo" - Slides - Musica

"Se fores ao Alentejo"

Igrejas maravilhosas do Brasil - Basílica do Senhor Bom Jesus de Iguape – Iguape -SP

Construída entre os séculos, XVIII e XIX, a Basílica do Senhor Bom Jesus de Iguape demorou 80 anos para ser finalizada. Os materiais incorporados em sua obra, como pedra portuguesa, arga massa e óleo de baleia, juntamente com a riqueza de detalhes de seu interior e sua história, chamam a atenção de qualquer visitante. Várias imagens estão dispostas pela Basílica, entre elas a Nossa Senhora das Neves e Bom Jesus de Iguape, padroeiros do município.