Spectacular Images of Northern Lights Captured from Space
The aurora borealis steals the show in this nighttime photograph shot from the International Space Station as the orbital outpost flew over the Midwest recently. Cloud cover makes it difficult to identify the cities that are within the captured area. The spacecraft was above south-central Nebraska when the photo was taken. The angle of the look is northward to northeastward. (ISS030-E-061267 http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/) Continue reading »
Photo of the Day: Noachis Terra, Mars
This enhanced-color image shows sand dunes trapped in an impact crater in Noachis Terra, Mars. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)
Private Companies have Liftoff
A look at the work of private space companies that will attempt to fill the hole left by the end of NASA’s shuttle program.
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft after its return from orbit. (Mike Altenhofen / SpaceX) Continue reading »
Heart of the Sun
This image shows giant sun spot activity from a region on the sun that scientists are calling a “benevolent monster.” After years of quiet, the sun is coming alive with solar storms in a big way. (NASA)
Photo of the Day: Festival of Lights
A NASA Satellite photo over India, as the festival of lights begins. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, stretches beyond India, a five-day holiday encompassing multiple stories from around the world, involving Hindus, some Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. For India, however, where roughly 80 percent of the population practices Hinduism, Diwali 2011 is and will be a massive and deeply Hindu affair, one involving dancing, shows, religious worship and lots of fireworks. (NASA)
Lake Erie Algae Bloom Regarded as Worst in Decades
A massive algae bloom on the waters of Lake Erie in the U.S. is believed to pose a significant threat to aquatic life forms in the lake. The algae, which is toxic, is sucking the oxygen out of the water. According to reports, this is the worst bloom since the early 1960s. Scientists have also revealed that the bloom is caused, primarily, by the phosphorous from agricultural waste that is washed into rivers.
According to NASA Earth Observatory, such blooms were common in the lake’s shallow western basin in the 1950s and 60s. Phosphorus from farms, sewage, and industry fertilized the waters so that huge algae blooms developed year after year.
However, the condition improved in the 1970s when regulations were imposed on agricultural and sewage treatment procedures to limit the amount of phosphorus released. However, this year, a giant bloom has spread across the western basin once again. The particular reasons for the bloom are complex but may be related to a rainy spring and invasive mussels. Continue reading »
Photo of Holden Crater on Mars
Holden crater is 87 miles wide, filling the left side of the image, while to the right is the remaining part of Eberswalde crater, which has a diameter of about 40 miles. They are located in the southern highlands of Mars. (NASA)
Space Hardware Transformed into Art
An Apollo lunar module propellant tank sits on display in Dale Cox III’s Seattle-area backyard, alongside a more traditional sculpture. The tank might have been sent to the moon if NASA went ahead with Apollo 18, 19 and 20, as originally planned. Instead, it’s been turned into an art installation. (Alan Boyle / msnbc.com) Continue reading »
Photo of the Day: Me, Myself & Irene
Hurricane Irene (top center) churns over the Bahamas in this MODIS satellite image. Irene, now a Category 3 storm with winds of 120 miles per hour, is projected to possibly clip the Outer Banks region of North Carolina before moving up the eastern seaboard of the U.S. (NASA via Getty Images)
Space Colony Art from the 1970s
A couple of space colony summer studies were conducted at NASA Ames in the 1970s. Colonies housing about 10,000 people were designed. A number of artistic renderings of the concepts were made.
