Building Big and Finding Life - Episode 12 of Astronomy: Secrets of the Universe Revealed
Building Big and Finding Life - Episode 12 of Astronomy: Secrets of the Universe Revealed Segment 1 [8:56]: Building Big Segment 2 [8:59]: Finding Life Credit: An ESO production. Directed...
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Building Big and Finding Life - Episode 12 of Astronomy: Secrets of the Universe Revealed - Video
A University of Utah-led team discovered a "hypervelocity star" that is the closest, second-brightest and among the largest of 20 found so far. Speeding at more than 1 million mph, the star may provide clues about the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way and the halo of mysterious "dark matter" surrounding the galaxy, astronomers say.
"The hypervelocity star tells us a lot about our galaxy - especially its center and the dark matter halo," says Zheng Zheng, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy and lead author of the study published recently in Astrophysical Journal Letters by a team of U.S. and Chinese astronomers.
"We can't see the dark matter halo, but its gravity acts on the star," Zheng says. "We gain insight from the star's trajectory and velocity, which are affected by gravity from different parts of our galaxy."
In the past decade, astronomers have found about 20 of these odd stars. Hypervelocity stars appear to be remaining pairs of binary stars that once orbited each other and got too close to the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center. Intense gravity from the black hole - which has the mass of 4 million stars like our sun - captures one star so it orbits the hole closely, and slingshots the other on a trajectory headed beyond the galaxy.
Zheng and his colleagues discovered the new hypervelocity star while conducting other research into stars with the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope, or LAMOST, located at the Xinglong Observing Station of the National Astronomical Observatories of China, about 110 miles northeast of Beijing. LAMOST boasts a 13.1-foot-wide aperture and houses 4,000 optical fibers, which capture "spectra" or light-wavelength readings from as many as 4,000 stars at once. A star's spectrum reveals information about its velocity, temperature, luminosity and size.
LAMOST's main purpose is to study the distribution of stars in the Milky Way, and thus the galaxy's structure. The new hypervelocity star - named LAMOST-HVS1 - stood out because its speed is almost three times the usual star's 500,000-mph pace through space: 1.4 million mph relative to our solar system. Its speed is about 1.1 million mph relative to the speed of the center of the Milky Way.
Despite being the closest hypervelocity star, it nonetheless is 249 quadrillion miles from Earth. (In U.S. usage, a quadrillion is 1,000,000,000,000,000 miles or 10 to the 15th power, or 1 million billion).
"If you're looking at a herd of cows, and one starts going 60 mph, that's telling you something important," says Ben Bromley, a University of Utah physics and astronomy professor who was not involved with Zheng's study. "You may not know at first what that is. But for hypervelocity stars, one of their mysteries is where they come from - and the massive black hole in our galaxy is implicated."
The Down-Low on a Fast and Loose Star A cluster of known hypervelocity stars, including the new one, is located above the disk of our Milky Way galaxy, and their distribution in the sky suggests they originated near the galaxy's center, Zheng says.
The diameter of the visible part of our spiral-shaped galaxy is at least 100,000 light years, or 588 quadrillion miles. Zheng says that when the halo of dark matter is added, the estimated diameter is roughly 1 million light years, or 5,880 quadrillion miles.
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Astronomy in Palestine
Palestinian initiative to establish an infrastructure in Astronomy teaching and learning in Palestine.
By: Suleiman Baraka
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How Can Gases Such as Helium Escape the Earth #39;s Atmosphere? : Astronomy the Solar System
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How Can Gases Such as Helium Escape the Earth's Atmosphere? : Astronomy & the Solar System - Video
VOVOD vovod + astronomy domine (Pink Floyd cover) (Music Hall, BH - 04-05-2014)
Show VIVOD (Canad) Music Hall, BH - 04-05-2014 Bandas de abertura - Certo Porcos (BH) + Hatefullmunder (RJ) Filmagem postagem - Edmar Alves Contato - edmaralves1972@ig.com.br.
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VOVOD vovod + astronomy domine (Pink Floyd cover) (Music Hall, BH - 04-05-2014) - Video
Petaflop Radio Astronomy Signal Processing and the CASPER Collaboration
In this video from the OpenFabrics International Developer Workshop 2014, Dan Werthimer from the UC Berkeley Radio Astronomy group presents: Petaflop Radio A...
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Petaflop Radio Astronomy Signal Processing and the CASPER Collaboration - Video
Pierce College Astronomy Club camping trip
The Pierce College Astronomy Club traveled two hours out of Los Angeles into Santa Barbara where they spent three days camping at the Cachuma Lake Recreation Area March 28 through 30. Roundup...
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Astronomy: The Big Bang (9 of 30) Olbers #39; Paradox: Is the Universe Infinite?
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain Olber #39;s paradox answering "Is the universe finite or infinite?"
By: Michel van Biezen
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Astronomy: The Big Bang (9 of 30) Olbers' Paradox: Is the Universe Infinite? - Video
TWIN FALLS In celebration of International Astronomy Day, the Herrett Center for the Arts and Science is holding a full day and night of events.
Activities begin at 11 a.m. Saturday with make and take astronomy projects, coloring pages, solar viewing, and building and launching of water bottle rockets. Admission to the activity center is $1.
The Centennial Observatory will offer safe views of the sun, bright stars and planets from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., then reopen for a nighttime star party from 8:45 p.m. to midnight, weather permitting. Targets will include Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and the moon. All observatory events are free.
The Faulkner Planetarium will show Astronaut with a live sky tour at 1:30 p.m.; Perfect Little Planet at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.; Earth, Moon & Sun with a live sky tour at 3:30 p.m.; Sea Monsters at 7 p.m.; and Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon at 8 p.m. Admission to the planetarium costs $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for students.
For more information, contact the Herrett Center at 208-732-6655 or at http://www.csi.edu/herrett.
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May 8th, 2014 11:52 pm by Matthew Lane
KINGSPORT Bays Mountain Park is kicking off Astronomy Day with its newest planetarium show "Back to the Moon For Good."
The show debuts at 4 p.m. Friday, with Astronomy Day running Saturday from noon until 10 p.m.
The Bays Mountain Astronomy Club and park officials will celebrate the International Day of Astronomy with free presentations, displays and hands-on activities for the entire public.
"Back to the Moon For Good," narrated by award-winning actor Tim Allen, immerses the viewer in a race to return to the moon 40 years after the historic Apollo landings.
The show takes a look at how a competition among privately funded international teams is ushering in a new era of lunar exploration.
Viewers will also learn about the Moon's resources and discover what humanity's future on the moon might hold.
"Back To The Moon For Good" presents the Google Lunar XPRIZE, and the personal stories of competition and collaboration which it inspires.
The show is immediately followed by a two-part live presentation the first highlighting the moon and its major features while the second utilizes the planetarium's Carl Zeiss ZKP-4 star projector.
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Bays Mountain marks Astronomy Day with planetarium show, activities
BAY CITY, MI The Delta College Planetarium and Learning Center in downtown Bay City is inviting community members to turn their eyes to the skies on Saturday, May 10, in celebration of Astronomy Day.
Planetariums, museums, science centers and astronomy clubs all around the world try to have an organized day that helps people get interested in astronomy, said Planetarium Show Specialist William Mitchell. Perhaps you have never had a chance to look at Saturn. This is an opportunity for that.
Astronomy Day is an international event that encourages an interest in the sun, moon, planets and deep-sky objects.
The planetarium, located at 100 Center Ave., is marking the occasion with a variety of shows and activities for both families and individuals of any age with an interest in astronomy.
A double-feature of "Moon" and "Fly Me to the Moon," targeted to a family audience, kicks off the event at 2 p.m.
After the show, attendees can make and launch rockets and, weather permitting, take part in solar observation on the planetariums solar deck using high-powered telescopes.
We have several telescopes that children can use to safely observe sun spots and solar flares assuming that the sky is clear, Mitchell said.
Astronomy Day activities continue at 8 p.m. with another double-feature "Stars" and "Solar Quest."
'Stars' and 'Solar Quest' is all about the powerhouses of the universe: how they are born, how they live and how their lives might end, Mitchell said. 'Solar Quest' is about our star, and how it promotes life and also endangers life here on earth.
Following that presentation, again weather permitting, the planetarium will open the observation deck and its telescopes for night-sky viewing. If the sky is overcast, however, the planetarium will use its theatre to simulate the night sky as it would look over Bay City on a clear night devoid of light pollution.
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Delta College Planetarium celebrating Astronomy Day Saturday, May 10
sexual comments during astronomy item with Mark Thompson - This Morning 6th May 2014
"size is everything" and Phil will show Holly some rings.
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sexual comments during astronomy item with Mark Thompson - This Morning 6th May 2014 - Video
The New Zodiac - Astrology vs Astronomy
It #39;s 5:07pm on the 10th February, and a child is being born in central London. According to astrology he #39;s born under the star sign Aquarius, he will be innovative, sociable, and unconventional....
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Astronomy nights are back at Rush Ranch.
Astronomy enthusiast, Jim Jerrell, will host the first of 6 scheduled nights of adventure with the skies. on Friday, May 16 at the ranch. The program begins at 7 p.m. with a presentation in the Rush Ranch Nature Center, followed by telescope viewing after dark.
Telescopes will be on hand, with their owners ready to guide visitors to check out what they are focused on. Personal scopes and binoculars are welcome, but you need to be familiar with the set up of your scope. Bring warm clothing, as it can get chilly after dark, and mosquito repellent.
Children are welcome. To protect viewers night vision, flashlights should be covered with red cellophane, and late comers are asked to dim their headlights.
Additional nights scheduled for programs are Fri. June 17, Sat. July 26, Fri. Aug. 22, Sat. Sept. 27, and Fri. Oct. 24. All programs begin at 7 p.m.
This Free event is sponsored by the Rush Ranch Educational Council and The Solano Land Trust, owners of Rush Ranch.
Rush Ranch is located near Suisun City, approximately. 2 1/4 miles south of Highway 12 at 3521 Grizzly Isle. Road. Grizzly Isle Road is opposite the McDonald's,and next to Jack In The Box, at the Sunset Ave. and Highway 12 intersection.
For more information call 689-2639, 422-4491, or visit:www.rushranch.net.
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May 6, 2014 News Briefs - 05/07/2014
Anonymous Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Tue May 06, 2014, 11:49 PM EDT
Astronomy Day program Saturday
LAVALE The Cumberland Astronomy Club will observe Astronomy Day 2014 on May 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the LaVale Library.
Jason Speights of Frostburg State University will present a talk titled Ga-laxies: Is-lands of Stars, Dust, and Gas in the Universe.
Speights earned his doctorate in astrophysics from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and is a lecturer in the department of physics and engineering at FSU. In addition to his research interests in astrophysics, Speights is a practicing amateur astronomer.
Following the presentation, telescopes will be set up to ob-serve the moon, Jupiter, Mars and other sky sights, weather permitting. Visitors who bring a digital camera can take home a photograph of the moon as seen through a telescope.
For more information, contact Steve Luzader at 301-689-1976 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or visit the clubs website at http://www.cumberlandastronomyclub.org.
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May 7, 2014 Learn about amateur astronomy on Friday
Anonymous Gloucester Daily Times The Gloucester Daily Times Wed May 07, 2014, 12:00 AM EDT
Stars, speakers, telescopes and treats all will be on the agenda Friday when the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club hosts its annual Welcome to Amateur Astronomy Night meeting.
The event is Friday, May 9, from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the Lanesville Community Center, 8 Vulcan St. in Lanesville.
Well be all set up for everyone who wants to learn more about the hobby, said club member Michael Deneen. Well have all kinds of telescopes and equipment set up for everyone to look at, and well explain everything you ever wanted to know about amateur astronomy and about the sky over your head.
There will be six different speakers, with 10-minute presentations on everything from Why are we doing this to Were made of stardust, to How different kinds of telescopes work.
Deneen said there will be decaffienated coffee and home-made baked goods, and that there are no dues or fees to attend this or any of the clubs meeting.
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BAY CITY, MI The Delta College Planetarium and Learning Center in downtown Bay City is inviting community members to turn their eyes to the skies this weekend in celebration of Astronomy Day.
Planetariums, museums, science centers and astronomy clubs all around the world try to have an organized day that helps people get interested in astronomy, said Planetarium Show Specialist William Mitchell. Perhaps you have never had a chance to look at Saturn. This is an opportunity for that.
Astronomy Day is an international event that encourages an interest in the sun, moon, planets and deep-sky objects.
The planetarium, located at 100 Center Ave., is marking the occasion with a variety of shows and activities for both families and individuals of any age with an interest in astronomy.
A double-feature of "Moon" and "Fly Me to the Moon," targeted to a family audience, kicks off the event at 2 p.m.
After the show, attendees can make and launch rockets and, weather permitting, take part in solar observation on the planetariums solar deck using high-powered telescopes.
We have several telescopes that children can use to safely observe sun spots and solar flares assuming that the sky is clear, Mitchell said.
Astronomy Day activities continue at 8 p.m. with another double-feature "Stars" and "Solar Quest."
'Stars' and 'Solar Quest' is all about the powerhouses of the universe: how they are born, how they live and how their lives might end, Mitchell said. 'Solar Quest' is about our star, and how it promotes life and also endangers life here on earth.
Following that presentation, again weather permitting, the planetarium will open the observation deck and its telescopes for night-sky viewing. If the sky is overcast, however, the planetarium will use its theatre to simulate the night sky as it would look over Bay City on a clear night devoid of light pollution.
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Delta College Planetarium celebrating Astronomy Day this weekend
Astronomy: The Big Bang (3 of 30) The Hot Early Universe
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain how Alpher and Herman discovered our early universe is hot.
By: Michel van Biezen
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Astronomy: The Big Bang (3 of 30) The Hot Early Universe - Video
Features of a Black Hole : Astronomy the Solar System
Subscribe Now: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=ehoweducation Watch More: http://www.youtube.com/ehoweducation A black hole swallows every...
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Features of a Black Hole : Astronomy & the Solar System - Video
Death by Black Hole: Holoien et al. (2014b) OSU Astronomy Coffee Brief
This is an OSU Astronomy Coffee Brief for Holoien et al. (2014b) paper "ASASN-14ae: A Tidal Disruption Event at 200 Mpc" posted on astro-ph on May 6th, 2014. For more information, see For...
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Death by Black Hole: Holoien et al. (2014b) OSU Astronomy Coffee Brief - Video