The video explanation from Mr Barlow’s Blog: http://mrbarlow.wordpress.com/2011/07/15/the-aurora-borealis-explained/
The Aurora Borealis explained
July 15, 2011 by Mr. Barlow
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky, particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions. This is how they are caused:
Tags: Astronomy, Meteorology, Science
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The Hubble Space Telescope was taken into space on April 24, 1990.
This telescope has five scientific instruments: a wide field camera and a planetary camera (WF / PC), the Goddard high resolution spectrograph (GHRS), High Speed Photometer (HSP), chamber of faint objects (FOC) and the spectrograph faint objects (FOS). WF / PC was a device for high resolution image, especially for optical observations. It was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and incorporated a set of 48 filters insulators, spectral lines of special astrophysical interest. The instrument contained eight CCD chips divided into two chambers, each with four CCDs.
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has helped to solve some problems in astronomy, and also led to results that required new theories to explain them. [...] Before the launch of HST, the estimates of the Hubble constant typically had errors of up to 50%, but measurements from HST provided a value measured with an accuracy of 10%.
While the HST helped to refine estimates of the age of the universe, he also cast doubt on theories about their future. Astronomers used the telescope to observe distant supernovae and uncovered evidence that, far from decelerating under the influence of gravity, the expansion of the universe may in fact be accelerating. This acceleration was later measured more accurately by other ground-based telescopes and spacecraft, confirming the discovery.
The spectra of high-resolution images provided by HST has been a particularly good observation important to establish the prevalence of black holes in the nuclei of nearby galaxies.
adapted from wikipedia
International Astronomy Year
Website:
Image from: astronomy2009.org
100 hours of Astronomy website and twitter:
http://100hoursofastronomy.org/program/75-live-24-hour-research-observatory-webcast
You can also visit:
COOL COSMOS – http://www.di.utoronto.ca/coolcosmos/
COSMIC DIARY – http://www.cosmicdiary.org/
365DAYS OF ASTRONOMY – http://365daysofastronomy.org/
Two tail comet Lulin – Image from APOD-NASA
Astrophysics Harvard-Smithsonian a meeting of the American Society of Astronomy held in Long Beach, California.
in Lusa
The fact that scientific observations are made from within the galaxy makes the measurements and study of its structure, which makes it easier for the other galaxies.
Previously, the value of the magnitude of the Milky Way was calculated from indirect measurements, but the radio-telescopes VLBA the National Science Foundation in the United States now can record images with high quality and make direct measurements of distances and movements regardless of other factors such as brightness.
In images captured by radio telescopes, scientists are located in regions of the Milky Way profuse creation of stars in which the gas molecules increase radio broadcasts.
These areas are bright for the brand of radio-telescope, which determines the three-dimensional movements of these regions, which mostly does not follow a circular path as you move the galaxy, but elliptical and a lower speed to those described by other regions .
It was thus possible to calculate the speed at which the Milky Way rotates around its center is about 914,000 kilometers per hour, 15 percent more than the 791,800 miles per hour that were accepted as a measure for decades.
The team of researchers also suggested that the galaxy has four arms of gas and dust in spiral in which stars are formed, not two.
in SIC
— Versión en Español:
Vía Láctea es más grande, más densa y más rápida que lo que se pensaba
Los científicos descubrieron que la Vía Láctea es de 15% mayor de ancho, 50% más denso y se vuelve a una velocidad de casi 15% más alto que se había pensado anteriormente. Estos datos fueron presentados por investigadores del Observatorio Nacional de Radio y el Centro de Astronomía y Astrofísica Harvard-Smithsonian una reunión de la Sociedad Americana de Astronomía, celebrada en Long Beach, California.
in Lusa
Tiene más peso y és más rápido, también tiene una mayor fuerza de gravedad y, por tanto, mayor será el potencial de conflicto con galaxias vecinas, como Andrómeda, antes de lo previsto, a pesar de los miles de millones de años luz, advierten los investigadores.
Anteriormente, el valor de la magnitud de la Vía Láctea se calculó a partir de mediciones indirectas, pero los radio-telescopios de VLBA de la National Science Foundation de los Estados Unidos ahora pueden grabar imágenes con alta calidad y realizar mediciones directas de las distancias y los movimientos, independientemente de otros factores tales como el brillo.
Así, se pudo calcular la velocidad a la que la Vía Láctea gira alrededor de su centro es de unos 914.000 kilómetros por hora, 15 por ciento más que los 791.800 millas por hora que fueron aceptadas como una medida durante décadas.
El equipo de investigadores también sugirieron que la galaxia tiene cuatro brazos de gas y polvo en espiral en la que se forman estrellas, no dos.
in SIC
— Vesão em Português:
Via Láctea é maior, mais densa e mais veloz do que se pensava
Cientistas norte-americanos descobriram que a Via Láctea é 15% maior em largura, 50% mais densa e gira a uma velocidade quase 15% maior do que se pensava anteriormente. Estes dados foram apresentados por investigadores do Obervatório Nacional de Rádio e Astronomia e do Centro de Astrofísica Harvard-Smithsonian numa reunião da Sociedade Americana de Astronomia realizada em Long Beach, Califórnia.
A equipa de investigadores sugeriu também que a galáxia tem quatro braços de gás e pó em espiral em que se formam estrelas, e não dois.
