Milky Way Over Morganville, New Jersey

The Orion Nebula and The Running Man 

 Last night I was able to finally resolve some issues I’ve been having with my new CCD and get a decent image comprised of Luminance and RGB color channels shot through a filter wheel. 

Although I’ve done Orion before this image is substantially higher resolution, incredibly low noise, extremely well color balanced, and far more detailed than any previous attempt. This is a work in progress until I can get another hour or two worth of exposure to reveal Orion in all it’s beauty.

I wasn’t aware how introvert I’ve come with my depression. I’ve never being good at talking on the phone, but today when I should’ve made a phone call to the bank, I panicked over a word that I forgot and hang up before I even get to the line.

The last but not least of Assorted Planets Month!

And now to cool you all off with some “refreshing” rain!

This week’s entry: Planetary Rain

http://www.zmescience.com/other/science-abc/rain-titan-earth-neptune/

http://io9.com/on-jupiter-you-can-see-neon-rain-1640118403

There’s a biological reason why we can’t resist puppy dog eyes. Sustained eye contact significantly raises oxytocin levels in both humans and dogs, which encourages love, trust, and bonding. This response isn’t even found in hand- raised wolves, which suggests humans and dogs may have co-evolved to share this trait in order to be companions. Source Source 2 Source 3

Milky Way over Provence, France

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Solar System: Things to Know This Week

Our solar system is huge, let us break it down for you. Here are a few things to know this week:

1. Juno Eyes on Jupiter

After a journey of more than five years, the Juno spacecraft is ready for its detailed look at Jupiter—arrival date: July 4. Using Eyes on the Solar System and data from the Juno flight team, you can take a virtual ride onboard the spacecraft in the “Eyes on Juno” simulation.

2. Taking a Spacecraft for a Spin

Preparations for the launch of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid mission are spinning up, literally. Here, the spacecraft can be seen rotating on a spin table during a weight and center of gravity verification test at our Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff is scheduled for Sept. 8. This spacecraft will travel to a near-Earth asteroid called Bennu and bring a small sample back to Earth for study.

3. Long-Range (Or at Least Long-Distance) Weather Report

Our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquires a global view of the red planet and its weather every day. Last week, dust storms continued along the south polar ice cap edge. Northern portions of Sirenum, Solis, and Noachis also experienced some local dust-lifting activity. A large dust storm propagated eastward over the plains of Arcadia at the beginning of the week, but subsided just a few days later over Acidalia.

4. Hello from the Dark Side

The New Horizons spacecraft took this stunning image of Pluto only a few minutes after closest approach in July 2015, with the sun on the other side of Pluto. Sunlight filters through Pluto’s complex atmospheric haze layers. Looking back at Pluto with images like this gives New Horizons scientists information about Pluto’s hazes and surface properties that they can’t get from images taken on approach.

5. A Titanic Encounter

On June 7, our Cassini orbiter will fly very close by Saturn’s giant, haze-shrouded moon Titan. Among the targets of its observations will be the edge of the vortex that swirls in Titan’s thick atmosphere near its south pole.

Want to learn more? Read our full list of the 10 things to know this week about the solar system HERE. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

laundry boys

When Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited Abu Dhabi in 2016, she was the first member of the British royal family to be protected by an all-women security team. The women wore flowing, black hijabs, are all members of the UAE’s presidential guard, are highly skilled in martial arts and combat, and each one is hiding unidentified weapons on her person. Source

Paris syndrome is a mental disorder experienced mostly by Japanese tourists who are disappointed when they visit the city for the first time. The shock of Paris not living up to their expectations can cause depression, sweating, anxiety, dizziness, hallucinations and delusions of persecution. The Japanese Embassy in Paris has a 24-hour hotline for those needing help, and up to 20 tourists a year are hospitalized. The usual treatment for Paris syndrome is ‘to go home.’ Source Source 2 Source 3