Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has captured a vast region of space containing the Heart nebula and Soul nebula.The infrared picture above is composed of 1,147 frames totaling exposure time of three and a half hours.
On the left, it is the Heart nebula designated IC 1805, named after its resemblance to human heart. The Soul nebula on the right also known as Embryo nebula designated IC 1848 is named after its resemblance to symbolic heart with two lobes. In my opinion, I think the Soul nebula resemble our hearts better. Anyway, these two nebulae are massive star making factories lying about 6,000 light years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. They stretch out nearly 580 light-years across. For comparison, Milky Way is 100,000 light-years across.
Continue reading ‘WISE Has Heart and Soul?’
An annular solar eclipse taken by Hartwig Luenthen on 01 August 2008
On 26 January 2009, we celebrate Chinese New Year, the Ox Year. This year, we are “favored” a partial solar eclipse here in Malaysia. I said “favored” as if we were in centuries ago, a solar eclipse meant a terrible nightmare to the Chinese. Not in these days, we are now equipped with scientific minds, a solar eclipse now means a wonder from the sky.
Now, let’s cut straight into the title. Go to this NASA website and look out for your location. You will be given exact time when the solar eclipse will start and reach the maximum and finally end. Check out Solar Eclipse 2009 too. There’s useful information like the coverage of the obscured sun, basic skills to look at the sun, sunglasses making and so on. This booklet is made by Miss Lau at National Planetarium in Malaysia.
Make sure you are well equipped with solar filter before looking at the sun. The damage to the eyes but the strong rays of light from the sun is irreversible!
Wish everybody enjoys the Chinese New Year! This maybe my last year celebrating CNY in Malaysia until another 4 years with my family members if I go to US for tertiary education.
Join NASA’s return to the Moon by sending yourself to the Moon!
Alright, it’s just your name. 
Just sumbit your name to the website below, you’ll be given a certificate to show your support of the mission. The names will be collected and placed onboard the LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) spacecraft.
LRO’s objectives are to find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology. This will be a historic mission.
The deadline of submission of names is 28 June 2008.
http://lro.jhuapl.edu/NameToMoon/
22nd April, a day to be remembered, today is Earth Day.
The mother earth is undergoing disastrous changing. It’s obvious enough that everyone of us can feel it. For instance, the climate warming strongly affected the crops, which in return we have to pay for 20% more. Now, we pay back for what we had done to the earth.
My hosting service provider – Exabytes emailed me some interesting way to keep the earth green. Read them here.
The earth scientists at JPL, NASA also have some words.
Continue reading ‘Earth Day – Every Day Is Earth Day’
STS-122 Crew Ready To Launch
STS-122 mission is to deliever the Columbus, the European Space Agency’s new laboratory. Columbus will be installed on Harmony Node 2 which was delivered by the STS-120 mission. Harmony allows the addition of European laboratory (Columbus) and Japanese laboratory (Kibo) which will be transfered during STS-123.
The weather is not that great as forecasted so their chance to lift off is 30%. They’re going to launch on 8 Feb 2007 at 7:45pm UT. Good luck to them!
Did I mention that the every crew’s badge is so nicely designed?
More mission information at NASA
In the next 20 years, NASA will be laying the groundwork for sending humans not only beyond Earth’s orbit, but further into to space than they’ve ever been. The next key steps are:
- Complete the International Space Station and retire the Space Shuttle by 2010
- Begin robotic missions to the moon by 2008 and return people there by 2020
- Continue robotic exploration of Mars and the Solar System
- Develop a crew exploration vehicle and other technologies required to send people beyond low Earth orbit.
Though nearly 50 years old, NASA is only beginning the most exciting part of its existence.
Source:NASA
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