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A universe of beauty, mystery and wonder

A universe of beauty, mystery and wonder
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Showing posts with label Astrophysics - Moons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Astrophysics - Moons. Show all posts

Monday, November 14, 2016

BREATHTAKING VIEWS OF SUPERMOON ACROSS THE WORLD - ALSO: EERIE PREDICTION OF SUPERMOON EARTHQUAKE in New Zealand was fulfilled within a week

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The full moon will come nearer to Earth than at any time since 1948, astronomers said. At closest approach, which occurs at 6.23am EST (1123 GMT) on Monday, the moon will pass within 216,486 miles (348,400 km) of Earth's surface, about 22,000 miles (35,400 km) closer than average  
The supermoon is seen above rising over New York City, behind the Statue Of Liberty

An American Airlines passenger plane passes in front of the moon, as seen from Whittier, California, Sunday night 

Continue reading, see more awesome pictures of the Supermoon, and read about the prediction that came true, along with pictures of New Zealand earthquake devastation and the Blue Light phenomenon during the quake

Sunday, August 2, 2015

BLUE MOON MAGIC - IT MAKES THE WORLD LOOK VERY, VERY STRANGE - See photos of the phenomenon around the world

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Pictures this good only come round once in a blue moon: Glorious images of second full moon in a month.
 
Stargazers gathered to watch the blue moon as it transcended over Glastonbury Tor in Somerset with a clear blue sky
 Spectacular images show people gathering in Glastonbury, England, to watch the event that could be seen around the world  

  • 'Blue moon' refers to when a full moon occurs twice in a calendar month - not the colour of the Earth's satellite 
  • The moon does not appear blue, but is its usual silvery grey colour, so it looks like a regular full moon  
  • It was the first blue moon since August 2012 and there won’t be another for three years, until January 31, 2018

  • See more images

    Tuesday, June 23, 2015

    SATURN'S MOON TITAN HAS SINKHOLES CAUSED BY RAIN - SEE EERIE PICTURES OF TITAN, some taken by the Huygens Lander

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  • Study led by the European Space Agency examined Saturn's moon Titan
  • It found 'depressions' on the surface were caused by rainy weather
  • This dissolves the surface and causes it to collapse in places
  • It only rains on Titan every 30 years, so the process is very slow 

  • Almost all the bodies of liquid on Titan (image left) occur in the northern hemisphere, within a region about 600 by 1,100 miles (900 by 1,800km). In fact, only three per cent of all the liquid on Titan falls outside this area
    Almost all the bodies of liquid on Titan (image left) occur in the northern hemisphere, within a region about 600 by 1,100 miles (900 by 1,800km). In fact, only three per cent of all the liquid on Titan falls outside this area. Some of the seas are hundreds of miles wide, such as Kraken Mare, Titan’s largest body
     
    A View From Huygens
     View from the Huygens lander
     
    Continue reading and see more photos of mysterious Titan

    Sunday, June 7, 2015

    WHAT IS A HUNTER'S MOON? - It's the Autumn moon also known as BLOOD MOON, and it is preceded by the HARVEST MOON - Its connection to North American First Nations

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    by Matt Williams, Universe Today
    Via Phys.org 

    What is a hunter’s moon?
    The full moon of October is traditionally known as a “Hunters Moon”.
    Credit: David Haworth/stargazing.net  
     
    The hunter's moon has long been regarded as a significant event in traditional folklore, and a subject of interest for astronomers.
     
    Also known as a sanguine or "blood" moon, the term "hunters moon" is used traditionally to refer to a full moon that appears during the month of October. It is preceded by the appearance of a "harvest moon", which is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox (which falls on the 22nd or 23rd of September).
     
    The hunter's moon typically appears in October, except once every four years when it doesn't appear until November.
     
    The name dates back to the First Nations of North America. It is so-called because it was during the month of October, when the deer had fatted themselves over the course of the summer, that hunters tracked and killed prey by autumn moonlight, stockpiling food for the coming winter.
     
    Continue reading

    Sunday, May 24, 2015

    BOOK BITS - "SEVENEVES" - A NOVEL ABOUT BLOWING UP THE MOON - And what Earth would be like without the Moon, according to scientists.

    PERPLEXED OTTER©http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/. Unauthorized duplication of this blog's material is prohibited.   Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full credit and link is given to Otters and Science News Blogspot.  Link to this post:  http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2015/05/book-bits-seveneves-novel-about-blowing.html - Thank you for visiting my blog.
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    Large Asteroid closing in on Earth
    Chunks of moon destroy the Earth in Seveneaves. Photograph: Alamy

    Although I haven't read the just-released Neil Stephenson's book Seveneaves, the plot of his novel is intriguing enough to speculate on what would Earth be without its Moon  -  This without any modern apocalyptic disaster that would blow it up into pieces.  Just the physics of an Earth without the Moon. 
     
    So, after reading an outline of the plot, read what real scientists have to say about what our planet would be like if there was no Moon, and the effect on climate, geology, tides, and so on. 

    Over one lunar month more than half of the Moon's surface can be seen from the surface of Earth.
    On this page: 
    • The fiction:  Excerpts of reviews of Seveneaves
    • The science:  What would Earth be like if there was no Moon.
    • Link to article on what would happen if the Earth stopped turning.


    THE FICTION:

    Steven Poole of the Guardian writes: 

    SevenevesThe story begins with admirable rhetorical swagger: “The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason.” Something – perhaps a tiny black hole – has caused the moon to fragment into large chunks. Then one chunk bashes into another chunk and breaks it in half.
     
    A media-friendly astronomer, Doc Dubois, calculates that this rate of collision will increase exponentially. More and more chunks causing more and more collisions causing more and more chunks.
     
    In two years’ time, a huge storm of moon debris will rain down as meteorites on the Earth. Dubois christens this the “Hard Rain”, and it is even worse than the one Bob Dylan foresaw. All life on the planet will be extinguished. And then the Hard Rain will continue for millennia.
     
    Continue reading, including what science has to say

    Tuesday, March 10, 2015

    THE TRAVELLER'S GUIDE TO JUPITER'S MOON EUROPA

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    Jupiter's icy moon Europa has long been thought of as a potentially friendly place for life in the solar system. But what would human explorers find if they set down their ship on the moon's icy shell?
    • Europa is thought to have a vast water ocean beneath its icy surface, and is considered the best place to find life (animals?) in our solar system.
    • Europa's surface is relatively smooth, lacking large craters and mountains because convective ocean forces constantly recycle Europa's surface ice. 
    • If you were to look in any direction, you'd see little ridges, no more than a couple of meters high
    •  You'd also see numerous cracks that crisscross the globe.
    • These cracks and ridges are likely the result of the daily rise and fall of Europa's subsurface ocean due to tidal forces from Jupiter.
    • Set up your base on the side of Europe permanently facing Jupiter.   Jupiter's magnetosphere showers Europa with deadly radiation, which is far stronger on the side facing away from the planet.
    • The view is awesome.  Jupiter would look almost 24 times larger in the sky than Earth's moon appears from the planet's surface.
    • Dress warm.  The temperature averages about minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 160 degrees Celsius) near the equator and minus 370 F (minus 220 C) near the poles.
    • You'd definitely feel lighter.  Gravity is similar to that on Earth's moon.
    • Low gravity means almost no atmosphere.  Which results in no weather, no wind, no sky colors.  That sounds dull.  But wait.
    • Excitement never ends.  Watch out for earthquakes, for giant plumes of water that could violently shoot out of the ice. There would also be a small chance you'd be hit by a small meteor or particles from space.
    • Sightseeing ideas: the "chaos terrain," where the normally flat ice has been fragmented into jumbled blocks. It looks like Monument Valley. You'd also want to see the moon's depressions and ice domes, which are up to a little more than a half-mile (1 kilometer) high.  
     
    Chart shows conditions on Europa, moon of Jupiter.
     
    Continue reading,
    including link to article on how our Earth would be without its Moon