Here’s How Ridiculously Fast We Could Visit Everything In The Solar System If We Traveled At The Speed

The Planck Spacecraft had a series of various objectives including; hi-res imaging of the CMB, cataloging galaxy clusters, observe gravitational lensing, bright extra-galactic radio and infrared (dusty galaxy) sources. http://astronomyisawesome.com/universe/the-age-of-the-universe/

This is the coolest outer space animation ever. It shows the Crab Supernova explosion, happened in 1054, and its evolution into the remnant it is now - called the Crab Nebula. Basically a thousand years speeded up into less than a minute.

Modern understanding that the Crab Nebula was created by a supernova, an explosion of a massive supergiant star, dates to 1921 when Carl Otto Lampland announced he had seen changes in its structure. This eventually led to the conclusion that the creation of the Crab Nebula corresponds to the bright SN 1054 supernova recorded by Chinese astronomers in AD 1054. There is also a 13th-century Japanese reference to an appearance of a new or “guest” star in Meigetsuki. It was then so bright it was visible during the daytime for 23 days.

animation credit: ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen)

This is wonderful.

via Phil Plait

Check out our infographic on Venus here: http://astronomyisawesome.com/infographics/10-facts-about-venus/

THE GIANT MANATEE NEBULA Bright astronomical objects that are visible to the eye and optical telescopes are often nicknamed for their resemblance to earthly objects. A newly discovered view of a 20,000 year old supernova remnant is no different, resembling a beloved endangered species. W50 (or the Giant Manatee Nebula) is one of the largest supernova remnants ever viewed by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). This large cloud, nearly 700 light years across, formed when a giant star exploded as a supernova around 20,000 years ago, spewing its outer gases flying outwards to form an expanding bubble. The remaining super dense relic of that giant star, very likely a black hole, feeds on gas from a closeby companion star which form a disk around the black hole. This disk and the black hole’s network of powerful magnetic field lines pull out charged particles out of the disk and channel them outward in jets that travel almost at the speed of light, acting like a giant railroad system. This pairing system of a black hole and its feeder star are both known as the SS433 microquasar. Over time, this awesome image of Florida’s “sea cow” will become mishapen, as the micro quaser’s jets will force their way through the expanding gas bubble of W50, punching bulges outward on either side of it. Until then, it will continue to be another wonder in the sky while providing more clues to fill the history of this giant cloud. –Sanj SOURCE:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130119185021.htm National Radio Astronomy Observatory. “Microquasar makes a giant manatee nebula.” ScienceDaily, 19 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. Image:Left: W50 supernova remnant in radio (green) against the infrared background of stars and dust (red). A Florida Manatee rests underwater in Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, Florida. Image Credit: Left: NRAO/AUI/NSF, K. Golap, M. Goss; NASA’s Wide Field Survey Explorer (WISE). Right: Image used with permission from Tracy Colson, courtesy of NRAO

Go big or go home

“Consensual sex” is just sex. To say that implies that there is such a thing as “non consensual sex”, which there isn’t. That’s rape. That is what it needs to be called. There is only sex or rape. Do not teach people that rape is just another type of sex. They are two very separate events. You wouldn’t say “breathing swimming” and “non breathing swimming”, you say swimming and drowning.

(photo by mrmailbox)

This is one slice of an incredible high resolution, enhanced color image of Pluto, recently released by NASA. You can see the full, larger version here. 

Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI