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CollidingGalaxies-PIA02180_modest.jpgHearts of Glass121 visiteThis artist's concept shows delicate greenish crystals sprinkled throughout the violent core of a pair of colliding galaxies. The white spots represent a thriving population of stars of all sizes and ages. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope detected more than 20 bright and dusty galactic mergers like the one depicted here, all teeming with the tiny gem-like crystals.
When galaxies collide, they trigger the birth of large numbers of massive stars. Astronomers believe these blazing hot stars act like furnaces to produce silicate crystals in the same way that glass is made from sand. The stars probably shed the crystals as they age, and as they blow apart in supernovae explosions.
At the same time the crystals are being churned out, they are also being destroyed. Fast-moving particles from supernova blasts easily convert silicates crystals back to their amorphous, or shapeless, form.
How is Spitzer seeing the crystals if they are rapidly disappearing? Astronomers say that, for a short period of time at the beginning of galactic mergers, massive stars might be producing silicate crystals faster than they are eliminating them. When our own galaxy merges with the Andromeda galaxy in a few billion years, a similar burst of massive stars and silicate crystals might occur.
Crystal Storm in Distant Galaxy
The graph (see inset above) of infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope tells astronomers that a distant galaxy called IRAS 08752+3915 is experiencing a storm of tiny crystals made up of silicates. The crystals are similar to the glass-like grains of sand found on Earth's many beaches.
The data were taken by Spitzer's infrared spectrograph, which splits light open to reveal its rainbow-like components. The resulting spectrum shown here reveals the signatures of both crystalline (green) and non-crystalline (brown) silicates.
Spitzer detected the same crystals in 20 additional galaxies, all belonging to a class called ultraluminous infrared galaxies. These extremely bright and dusty galaxies usually consist of two galaxies in the process of smashing into each other. Astronomers believe massive stars at the hearts of the galaxies are churning out clouds of silicate crystals. This phenomenon may represent a short-lived phase in the evolution of galactic mergers.
Feb 23, 2006
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FreeFall-1.jpgFree-Fall160 visiteDa "NASA - Picture of the Day" del 20.02.2006:"...Like a scene from a space mystery movie, a spacesuit floated away from the International Space Station earlier this month, but no investigation was needed. It was pushed out by the space station crew. Dubbed Suitsat-1, the unneeded Russian Orlan spacesuit filled mostly with old clothes was fitted with a faint radio transmitter and released to orbit the Earth. Suitsat-1 will orbit once every 90 minutes until it burns up in the Earth's atmosphere within a few weeks. The suit circled the Earth twice before its radio signal became unexpectedly weak. Pictured above, the lifeless spacesuit was photographed as it drifted away from the Earth-orbiting space station earlier this month..."
Nota: anche se la caption originale NASA si guarda bene dal dirlo, non siamo davanti nč ad uno scherzo, nč ad un gioco, ovviamente.
Questo esperimento, come in molti avranno giā capito, č stato effettuato al solo scopo di vedere che cosa accadrebbe (e, di conseguenza, come si potrebbe intervenire) qualora un Astronauta "sfuggisse" agli ormeggi e si allontanasse - irreversibilmente - dalla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale.
Conseguenze a breve: l'Astronauta diventa un "satellite" ed inizia ad orbitare.
Nel tempo (esaurimento delle scorte di O2 a parte), questo "satellite umano" inizia a perdere quota e poi finisce con l'avviare una vera e propria "fase di rientro".
Ma l'Astronauta non č una Navicella Spaziale dotata di schermature protettive: il rientro, ovviamente, non si compirebbe mai ed il malcapitato Astronauta finirebbe bruciato (vivo o morto, ma presumibilmente morto) giā negli strati superiori dell'atmosfera (ricordate il film "Mission to Mars"?).Feb 20, 2006
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ALANBEAN-PRAYER.jpgLunar Prayer184 visitenessun commentoFeb 19, 2006
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ALANBEAN-FANTASY.jpg"Buddies" forever104 visitePete Conrad, Dick Gordon and I were assigned by head astronaut Deke Slayton as the backup crew for Apollo 9. This was super news because this meant we would fly three missions subsequent and make one of the first Moon landings.
The most experienced astronaut was designated commander, in charge of all aspects of the mission including flying the lunar module. Prudent thinking suggested that the next most experienced crew member be assigned to take care of the command module since it had a heat shield and was our only way back home. This left the least experienced to accompany the commander. Pete Conrad had flown two Gemini flights, the second with Dick Gordon as his crew mate. I had not flown at all.
During training, Pete and I frequently practiced our lunar surface activities such as emplacing experiments, gathering rock samples, or making observations. We were excited. We were going to have the ultimative adventure someone in our profession could experience. But while we did, Dick Gordon would be orbiting 60 miles above us. We often fantasized Dick joining us on the Moon for all the fun, but we could never really find a way. But now I'm an artist and in my paintings I can have it my way. Now, at last, our best friend has come the last 60 miles.
One last story. Dick was the more experienced astronaut, yet I got the prize assignment. In the three years of training preceding our mission, he never once said: "It's not fair, I wish I could walk on the Moon too." I do not have his unwavering discipline or strength of character.
Feb 12, 2006
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ALANBEAN-MANKINDROCK.jpgMankind Rock115 visiteThis is Gene Cernan as he was near the end of the third moonwalk of Apollo 17. He and astronaut-geologist Jack Schmitt had completed most of their work and were just gathering final equipment and samples, putting them aboard the lunar module. At this point, Gene turned toward the television camera and said, "Jack has picked up a very significant rock, composed of many fragments of many sizes and many shapes, probably from all parts of the Moon, probably billions of years old, but a rock of all sizes and shapes and even colors that had grown together to become a cohesive rock, outlasting the nature of space, sort of living together in a very coherent, very peaceful manner. We'd like to share a piece of this rock with many of the countries throughout the world. We hope that this will be a symbol of what our feelings are." Then they continued their preparations for leaving the Moon.
Gene knew he would be the last man on the Moon for quite a long time. As he closed his checklist and prepared for his ascent up the ladder, he said, "As we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave it as we came and, God willing, we shall return with peace and hope for all mankind." Gene Cernan, last man on the Moon, 5:34 a.m. GMT, December 14, 1972.
I felt this was such a fitting and proper occasion in the history of manned lunar exploration that I created two nearly identical paintings of this moment.
Feb 12, 2006
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ALANBEAN-LASTMAN.jpgThe Last of the "Twelve"...85 visitenessun commentoFeb 12, 2006
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ALANBEAN-MOONLIGHT.jpgThe Moon111 visitenessun commentoFeb 12, 2006
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ALANBEAN-MOTHEREARTH.jpgMother Earth117 visitenessun commentoFeb 12, 2006
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ALANBEAN-SELFPORTRAIT.jpgIn the dust...94 visiteAutoritratto, nella polvere (o nella "nebbia dei ricordi"...) dell'Astronauta Alan Laverne Bean.Feb 12, 2006
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ALANBEAN-LUNARROVER.jpgLunar "Grand Prix"79 visiteApollo 16 Commander John Young is putting the Lunar Rover through a full test. This was the second mission with the Rover onboard and this Lunar Grand Prix would allow John to evaluate the performance of the Rover in the light gravity and the dusty, cratered, and rocky surface of the Moon.
His companion, Charlie Duke, is photographing it all with the 16-mm Data Acquisition Camera normally mounted on the Rover, but hand-held temporarily to document the Rover motion.
John later said:"The tendency was to drive wide open or very close to that and take what you got. The best reference to speed control was the speedometer, as I really didn't have a feel for the difference between 7 and 10 Km per hour."
Later, he demonstrated a sharp turn at ax speed, about 10 Km per hour. I made the Rover end break out to show the engineers how it looked.
It is no problem as all I had to do was cut back like I do when driving in snow...I didn't get up to any great speed, maybe 10 clicks at the most, but the terrain around there was too rough and rocky for that kind of foolishness..."
Charlie, who was filming it all, told Houston, "...man, Indy has never seen a driver like this."
Feb 12, 2006
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ALANBEAN-CORETUBE.jpgCore-Tube120 visiteDalla Galleria Pittorica dell'Astronauta Alan Laverne Bean: un Omaggio alla Luna ed a quei pochi che ebbero il coraggio, la fortuna ed il privilegio di camminarci sopra.
Ma lasciamo che sia "Alan" a raccontarci questa storia: la "Sua Storia"...
"...When my book, "Apollo, An Eyewitness Account", was published in October of 1998, I felt an overall sense of satisfaction. I was, in fact, preserving some of my special memories of the Apollo Program. This was the reason I resigned from NASA to become an artist.
I was moving right along but I noticed my goals for the future were even more ambitious. I wanted to paint the Moon more beautifully than I had done so far, as colorful as it could be painted, and still look like the Moon to me, a worthy but elusive goal.
I stopped painting commissions and began painting several series of studies to explore and develop new color techniques and combinations. This intense and dedicated effort consumed me for the better part of a year with the resulting changes first coming to full fruition in this painting.
Sometimes when I look at this painting I wonder if the changes were all that much. I question if anyone other than me can see them or even care? I don't know. Was it worth the time? I hope so...".Feb 12, 2006
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TAURUS.jpgTaurus (Natural Colors - Credits: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/LXTT/IPF)12243 visite"...Aequa tellus
Pauperi recluditur
Regumque pueris..."
(Orazio)
"...The impartial Earth is opened alike for the pauper and the children of kings..."Gen 24, 2006
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