ASTRONOMY - The Horsehead Nebula in Infrared from Hubble

 2022 September 21

The Horsehead Nebula in Infrared from Hubble
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing: Alexandra Nachman

Explanation: While drifting through the cosmos, a magnificent interstellar dust cloud became sculpted by stellar winds and radiation to assume a recognizable shape. Fittingly named the Horsehead Nebula, it is embedded in the vast and complex Orion Nebula (M42). A potentially rewarding but difficult object to view personally with a small telescope, the featured gorgeously detailed image was taken in infrared light by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. The dark molecular cloud, roughly 1,500 light years distant, is cataloged as Barnard 33 and is seen above primarily because it is backlit by the nearby massive star Sigma Orionis. The Horsehead Nebula will slowly shift its apparent shape over the next few million years and will eventually be destroyed by high energy starlight.

ASTRONOMY - Star Forming Region NGC 3582 without Stars

2022 September 20

Star Forming Region NGC 3582 without Stars
Image Credit & Copyright: Chris Willocks

Explanation: What's happening in the Statue of Liberty nebula? Bright stars and interesting molecules are forming and being liberated. The complex nebula resides in the star forming region called RCW 57, and besides the iconic monument, to some looks like a flying superhero or a weeping angel. By digitally removing the stars, this re-assigned color image showcases dense knots of dark interstellar dust, fields of glowing hydrogen gas ionized by these stars, and great loops of gas expelled by dying stars. A detailed study of NGC 3576, also known as NGC 3582 and NGC 3584, uncovered at least 33 massive stars in the end stages of formation, and the clear presence of the complex carbon molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are thought to be created in the cooling gas of star forming regions, and their development in the Sun's formation nebula five billion years ago may have been an important step in the development of life on Earth.

ASTRONOMY - Star Trails and Lightning over the Pyrenees

 2022 September 19

Star Trails and Lightning over the Pyrenees
Image Credit & Copyright: Marc Sellés Llimós

Explanation: The beauty in this image comes in layers. On the bottom layer is the picturesque village of Manlleu in Barcelona, Spain. The six-minute exposure makes car lights into streaks. The next layer is a mountain -- Serra de Bellmunt -- of Europe's famous Pyrenees. Next up is a tremendous lightning storm emanating from a classically-shaped anvil cloud. The long exposure allowed for the capture of many intricate lightning bolts. Finally, at the top and furthest in the distance are stars. Here, the multi-minute exposure made stars into trails. The trailing effect is caused by the rotation of the Earth, and the curvature of the trails indicates their distance from the north spin pole of the Earth above. Taken after sunset in early June, the lightning storm soon moved off. The stars, though, will continue to circle the poll for as long as the Earth spins -- surely billions of years into the future.

ASTRONOMIA - O telescópio Inouye e o sol com elevado detalhe

 

Sethuraman Panchanathan, diretor da National Science Foundation, que subsidia este telescópio, explica que este “vai transformar a maneira como o planeta prevê e se prepara para eventos como as tempestades solares”.

O Inouye tem estado a enviar pequenas antevisões das imagens que consegue produzir já há algum tempo. O telescópio passou por uma fase de comissionamento de quase um ano, à medida que as equipas iam cooperando para deixar tudo preparado para iniciar a operacionalização. Agora, o telescópio está 100% funcional e deverá começar a enviar imagens com detalhe nunca conseguido com os instrumentos atuais.

VisãoPortugal

MACROPHOTOGRAPHIE - Quand l'aube nous envoie ses tendres pensées

D'un point de vue très prosaïque, les espèces de Gerbera sont parmi les groupes de fleurs les plus coupées -- et donc les plus vendues -- au monde. Certaines servent aussi d'organisme modèle aux biologistes. Mais dans le langage des fleurs, les gerberas symbolisent un amour profond et de tendres pensées.

Et c'est, à n'en pas douter, ce point de vue là que la photographe japonaise Miki Asai a voulu adopter ici. Trois gouttelettes de rosées naturellement posées sur un pétale. Un instant hors du temps immortalisé depuis la fenêtre de sa maison, à la faveur de la douce lumière de l'aube. 

© Miki Asai

FuturaSciences

METEO EXTREME - Orages en Vendée - (2/10)

Dans la nuit du mercredi 24 au jeudi 25 août, des orages se sont abattus sur le département de la Vendée. L’occasion pour les amateurs de photographie de capturer des images incroyables de ce phénomène.

Demotivateur

ASTRONOMY - Galaxy by the Lake

 2022 September 10

Galaxy by the Lake
Image Credit & Copyright: Gerardo Ferrarino

Explanation: This 180 degree panoramic night skyscape captures our Milky Way Galaxy as it arcs above the horizon on a winter's night in August. Near midnight, the galactic center is close to the zenith with the clear waters of Lake Traful, Neuquen, Argentina, South America, planet Earth below. Zodiacal light, dust reflected sunlight along the Solar System's ecliptic plane, is also visible in the region's very dark night sky. The faint band of light reaches up from the distant snowy peaks toward the galaxy's center. Follow the arc of the Milky Way to the left to find the southern hemisphere stellar beacons Alpha and Beta Centauri. Close to the horizon bright star Vega is reflected in the calm mountain lake.

ASTRONOMY - Perseverance in Jezero Crater's Delta

 2022 September 17

Perseverance in Jezero Crater's Delta
Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS, ASU

Explanation: The Perseverance rover's Mastcam-Z captured images to create this mosaic on August 4, 2022. The car-sized robot was continuing its exploration of the fan-shaped delta of a river that, billions of years ago, flowed into Jezero Crater on Mars. Sedimentary rocks preserved in Jezero's delta are considered one of the best places on Mars to search for potential signs of ancient microbial life and sites recently sampled by the rover, dubbed Wildcat Ridge and Skinner Ridge, are at lower left and upper right in the frame. The samples taken from these areas were sealed inside ultra-clean sample tubes, ultimately intended for return to Earth by future missions. Starting with the Pathfinder Mission and Mars Global Surveyor in 1997, the last 25 years of a continuous robotic exploration of the Red Planet has included orbiters, landers, rovers, and a helicopter from planet Earth.

ASTRONOMY - Harvest Moon over Sicily

 2022 September 15

Harvest Moon over Sicily
Image Credit & Copyright: Dario Giannobile

Explanation: For northern hemisphere dwellers, September's Full Moon was the Harvest Moon. Reflecting warm hues at sunset it rises over the historic town of Castiglione di Sicilia in this telephoto view from September 9. Famed in festival, story, and song Harvest Moon is just the traditional name of the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox. According to lore the name is a fitting one. Despite the diminishing daylight hours as the growing season drew to a close, farmers could harvest crops by the light of a full moon shining on from dusk to dawn.

SANTé/MEDECINE - Encore trop de substances nocives dans les dentifrices

Une enquête de 60 millions de consommateurs a analysé la composition de douze produits de blanchiment des dents parmi les dentifrices les plus utilisés par les Français. Elle révèle que les deux tiers des produits en test sont à éviter et qu'aucune étude scientifique n'a validé l'efficacité des quatre autres.

Des substances utilisées pour éclaircir les dents sont pointées du doigt, toutes suspectées d'être cancérogènes. La principale utilisée, le peroxyde d'hydrogène, ne devrait pas représenter plus de 6 % de la composition des dentifrices de l'Union européenne. Cette substance pose entre autres des problèmes d'hypersensibilité dentaire, et présente le risque d'abîmer l'émail.

Plus de la moitié des dentifrices contenait du dioxyde de titane, pourtant interdit comme additif dans les denrées alimentaires depuis cette année. Sous forme de poudre, il est utilisé pour son caractère colorant blanc. Il est classé comme « cancérogène suspecté pour l'Homme de catégorie 2 par inhalation ».

Claire Manière

FuturaSciences