fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Types of galaxies
By: Manas Karnik
Tags: Astronomy, Space, Physics, Astrophysics, Galaxy

So, after you realize that more than stars can be viewed in the night sky provided you know where and when to look, lets see in what range shape and sizes this gravitationally bound large collections of stars come in.

1.Elliptical

Elliptical

As the name suggests, it has a shape of an ellipse though it ranges from circular to ellipse. The main thing about this galaxies is that it contains old stars, they are more of yellowish in color and contain less of open clusters(we will come to it at some later point).

2. Spiral

Spiral

Okay so every one of you at some point would have hears about spirals as the galaxy we live in is a Spiral one.The difference between Elliptical and Spiral is that the latter contains spiral arms that are visible. There are many types of Spirals depending on the tightness of spiral arms.

3. Irregular

Irregular

As the name suggests they do not have a particular shape.Such galaxies are thought to be a result of two or more galaxies.

4. Active Galaxies

AGN

This galaxies contain an Active Galactic Nucleus(AGN) at their center. how do we identify them? This galaxies have a very bright center. Sometimes it looks like a very bright star but is a Galaxy. Their centers are so bright that the stars in the galaxy are not visible. Its like the center of the Galaxy is like a headlight of car and the stars are like fireflies…so you can imagine how the would look.Some of the AGN’s also show radio lobes or jets as can be seen in the picture.

So this are the major types in which galaxies are found in the universe.Although this shapes can’t be observed with bare eyes but a good number of pictures about different types of galaxies are avialable on the internet!

So the next time you think of Galaxies do think about the different shapes and sizes they are found in!

Physics Girl The Spaces DevTeam.Space Galaxy Digital Research Galaxy Project
Decrypted Possibilities: Contacting the Aliens
By: Info Statix
Tags: Astronomy, Aliens, Space, Scientist

Do you want to Understand more about this?

1. How all this started?

2. What’s the Drake Equation?

3. What is restricting us to contact Aliens?

4. What if aliens received our messages?

5. How Advance are Aliens?

and more….

and more….

Deep Dive to Info-Stats: Decrypted Possibilities: Contacting the Aliens
Chapter 5: Shooting star trails (2)
Tags: Astronomy, Sky, Astrophotography, India, Photography

Chapter 5: Shooting star trails (2)

Images by Stephane Guisard

Image 1 represents the celestial equator as shot from on of the two hemispheres, away from earth’s equator. The diagonal and almost straight line passing almost through the middle of the image from bottom to top is the celestial equator.

Image 2 has been shot from Ecuador, South America. The state lies at such a location so that the earth’s equator passes through it. Thus, facing the camera either west or east gives almost perfectly straight lines that track the apparent movement of the stars. They form these lines that look like latitudes all around the sky. Here, the earth’s equator is almost collinear and parallel to celestial equator.

Shooting such an image is not very different from shooting any of the poles. For shooting something like image 1, just point the camera towards east or west of you’re away from the earth’s equator. For shooting something like image 2, shoot either east or west with your location being as close to the earth’s equator as possible.

All other camera settings remain the same, aperture minimum, shutter as per requirement, and ISO minimum. Set up the intervalometer and take large amount of photos to get good results.

3) Shooting the poles, from celestial equator:

Images by Stephane Guisard

The images above are taken from Ecuador as well. Both the celestial poles are barely visible as they are close to the horizon due to the location being very near to the earth’s equator. Being close to the Earth’s equator, the distance towards both the poles is almost equal. The 1st image represents southern celestial pole as shot from the earth’s equator, the 2nd image represents northern celestial pole as shot from the earth’s equator. An important thing to note is that both the trails will extend in opposite directions, with the ones moving clockwise being the southern direction and the ones moving anticlockwise being the northern, as seen from the earth’s equator.

All other camera settings remain the same, aperture minimum, shutter as per requirement, and ISO minimum. Set up the intervalometer and take large amount of photos to get good results.

In the upcoming chapters, advanced star trail photography will be defined and followed by editing of basic and advanced star trails respectively.
5 Facts You Should Know About the Planet Venus
By: Jason Dickson
Tags: Astronomy, Space, Planets, Venus, Science

Earth is just one of eight planets that exists in our solar system, but there are over 4,000 that have been discovered in total. Venus is the third smallest planet in our solar system, with Mercury and Mars topping it. Other than knowing its size, there are surely other factors that are important to know about Venus, such as….

Its Name

Venus is named after the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty. Its bright and shiny appearance had much to do with its naming.

Atmospheric Pressure

Compared to Earth, its atmospheric pressure is 90 times that: 1,350 psi. Its atmosphere contains primarily carbon dioxide.

Shiny Appearance

Next to the moon, Venus is the brightest object in the night sky. Venus can be easily spotted 15–20 minutes before the sunrises. If you know where to look, you can spot Venus in the daytime.

Rotation

Venus spins clockwise on its axis. No other planet in our solar system does that. The reason why it spins unlike the other planets is because back in history it was knocked off of its axis somehow causing it to turn upside down.

Its longs days

It takes Venus 243 days to turn on its axis once. It takes it 224.7 Earth days to orbit the sun. So, its days are longer than its years.

We may never be able to actually set foot on Venus, due to its harsh conditions, but that won’t stop us from exploring the ‘Morning Star’.
Space manifolds are leading us to a more chaotic solar system.
By: Hasna Riaz
Tags: Astronomy, Space, Space Exploration, Science, Solar System

A new superhighway is discovered by a team of astronomers in Serbia and the United States, which gives us the information that due to the mutual interaction of stable manifolds and unstable manifolds in the solar system, a new pathway is generated which is chaotic in nature.

Jupiter linked manifolds are dynamically unstable:

Researches are working for decades to study the path followed by comets and their preferable trajectories; a huge amount of studies has been carried out to understand the formation of orbits around the planets of the solar system. The new study shows us that the distribution of such a manifold for all the solar system planets is similar. However, the most talked-about manifolds are linked to Jupiter because the asteroids and comets present between Jupiter and Neptune are dynamically unstable, which leads to chaotic architecture.

Manifolds facilitate comets and asteroids to travel much faster in the solar system if they follow the preferable chaotic trajectories. Jupiter has a high amount of gravitational force, which leads to shorter orbital periods, and thus more complex manifolds are present. The researchers have noted a “V-shaped” chaotic structure connected to various manifolds.

Figure1: Solar System

Manifolds in the solar system can assist us to travel much faster in space:

New spacecraft are being designed according to the new understanding of astronomical observations. The newly discovered pathways can assist our space missions, assist us in producing advancements in spacecraft manufacturing technology, and observe those bodies surrounding our earth.
What is a Galaxy?
By: Manas Karnik
Tags: Astronomy, Space, Physics, Astrophysics, Galaxy

A large number of stars held together is a Galaxy. It can have a specific shape or no specific shape at all, still it will be called a Galaxy provided it contains stars, remnant of dead stars, dust and dark matter among other things. And the best thing about them…some are even visible in the night sky, provided you know where and when to look.

So next time you step out at night and look at the stars remember to try to spot a Galaxy as well.

TIP :- It usually looks like a fuzzy patch in the night sky and you can always use apps to spot them!

Next time we will see different types of Galaxies, until then go out and spot some Galaxies!
Starts With A Bang podcast #64 — Galaxies Without Dark Matter
By: Ethan Siegel
Tags: Astronomy, Space, Galaxies, Cosmology, Dark Matter

Over the past 2 years, an exciting development has finally arisen: scientists have measured a large number of small, diffuse galaxies exquisitely well, and have finally found their first candidate galaxies that appear to have no dark matter at all. Whereas large cosmic structures typically have dark matter-to-normal matter ratios of 5-to-1, smaller structures typically have higher ratios, as star formation will kick some of the normal matter out but leave the dark matter intact. However, there should be a second type of galaxy: stars without dark matter, as tidal interactions can rip the normal matter out and keep it out. But these structures are easy to destroy, and so shouldn’t persist for very long.

How, then, did we find a galaxy that both appears to have no dark matter and also appears to have not formed any new stars in ~7 billion years or more? While the science is still ongoing, I’m so pleased to welcome Dr. Mireia Montes onto the program, whose recent paper may have just solved the mystery.

Have a listen and enjoy the show; there’s a lot of astronomy in here for you to enjoy!
The adventures of Keplar-425b
By: Branden Murphy
Tags: Astronomy, Interesting, Thoughts, Space

Hey guys! Back again to share my vast thoughts of the week! Today I want to talk about the long founded discovered planet called Keplar-425b! That’s right the well known planet labeled as Earths Cousin. Do you not have any idea of what that is? Let me Explain!

Keplar-425b is a exoplanet which was discovered by NASA on the 23rd of July, 2015. This was a major discovery because, believe it or not Keplar host many similar attributes to are home planet called mother Earth. It was proven that Keplar has a diameter 60% bigger than earth! That’s considered a Super-Earth!

Now, the main reason i have brought Keplar-425b to the thinker table is to discuss something with you guys.

When do you believe we will be able to reach Keplar-425b? Let it be known that Keplar is almost 1,400 Light Years away from earth! Meaning that traveling to Keplar will most definitely be a very long ride, but do you believe it would be worth it? Would you be willing to travel that far to explore a new Super-Earth?

I believe I would, Let me know what you guys think!
Here You Go, John.
By: Robert Oldershaw
Tags: Astronomy, Physics, Leadership, Science, Cosmology

Here You Go, John.

Older to newer. Just a sampling. It helps to read the literature.

https://rloldershaw.medium.com/new-paper-11-28-17-seven-hints-that-dm-pbhs-ead5f665bda4

https://rloldershaw.medium.com/new-paper-zhu-et-al-on-primordial-black-hole-dark-matter-1c12abaeda99

https://rloldershaw.medium.com/radio-background-anomalies-and-black-holes-d6769e5613e1

https://rloldershaw.medium.com/new-hope-in-dark-matter-search-b4a88cdf4dd0

https://rloldershaw.medium.com/new-evidence-for-primordial-black-hole-dark-matter-91c5808ea00c
35 Years Of Losing At Particle Dark Matter Roulette
By: Robert Oldershaw
Tags: Astronomy, Physics, Leadership, Science, Cosmology

35 Years Of Losing At Particle Dark Matter Roulette

Particle physicists are supposed to be the best and brightest, but one begins to wonder when one sees their track record at trying to identify Nature’s actual dark matter objects.

In the 1980s theoreticians came up with the Cold Dark Matter Model of the cosmos, which required particle dark matter. Between roughly 1985 and 2020 there have been an average of 10 to 50 tests per year, and this is a conservative guess. That makes a rough approximation of 350 to 1750 experimental tests of the particle dark matter hypothesis, and 1000 may be a more realistic minimum number. The number of papers written on the particle DM hypothesis over that 35 year period is enormous and the number of equations devoted to it is astronomical. The expenditures on this snipe hunt have been jaw-dropping.

A partial list of the major candidates would include: neutrinos, sterile neutrinos, axions, neutralinos, Sneutrinos, gravitinos, light scalar particles, axinos, Little Higgs particles, and superheavy particle.

Because particle theorists had little idea about the details of what they were looking for (like their crucial putative mass values) they had a vast parameter space to play in. The problem is that every experiment yielded negative results or false positives “hints” that were quickly disavowed.

So have particle theorists soured on the idea of particle dark matter? Hardly! Most seem to have doubled down and pressed on into the Big Muddle. ‘Surely the next experiment with a bigger machine will find them’ is their mantra.

Meanwhile the observational evidence for stellar-mass primordial black holes has grown steadily, as has interest in this novel dark matter candidate.

Scientists are evidence-based and rational. Right?
Amil baba in pakistan amil baba in lahore amil baba in london amil baba in faisalabad amil baba in…
Tags: Astronomy, Dailies, Data Visualization, Astrology, Data

in The Brain is a Noodle
Sorry, but I don’t buy the argument.
By: Robert Oldershaw
Tags: Physics, Science, Astronomy

Sorry, but I don’t buy the argument. You can choose any reference frame you want and the wavelength can change, but is still an EM wave in my book. Some radio waves have truly astronomical wavelengths. Can you really shrink them down to, say, 10^-16 cm by choosing a certain reference frame. Show me your math please.
A Strained Astrophysical Model
By: Robert Oldershaw
Tags: Astronomy, Physics, Science, Astrophysics, Cosmology

Astrophysicists recently discovered a very unusual planetary system. It consists of a double star with a large circumstellar disk. The truly odd thing is that it also has an 11-Jupiter-mass planet that is orbiting the stellar system in a highly unusual way. Its orbit is VERY far from the double star center; it is also very eccentric; and it is “highly misaligned” with the plane of the stellar system.

https://phys.org/news/2020-12-hubble-pins-weird-exoplanet-far-flung.html

The burning question for astrophysicists is how could such a system form. Here is their model. “The prevailing theory is that it formed much closer to its stars, about three times the distance that Earth is from the Sun. But drag within the system’s gas disk caused the planet’s orbit to decay, forcing it to migrate inward toward its stellar pair. The gravitational effects from the whirling twin stars then kicked it out onto an eccentric orbit that almost threw it out of the system and into the void of interstellar space. Then a passing star from outside the system stabilized the exoplanet’s orbit and prevented it from leaving its home system.”

This model seems to involve multiple “then a miracle happens” steps, especially the last one where the “passing star” just happens to nudge the planet into a stable orbit.

As yet there is no mention of the possibility of a capture model for this unusual planet, but that seems less strained to me. We have discovered that there are large numbers of rogue planets roaming free in our galaxy (courtesy of Sumi et al, 2011). The estimated typical mass of the rogue planets is virtually the same as the planet in question. The orbit of that planet has the odd characteristics expected for capture of a rogue planet.

There is no guarantee that the capture model is correct, but it should be considered a viable model, and perhaps the least far-fetched? Why are astrophysicists so adamant in ignoring capture models for stellar systems. Capture models certainly apply on atomic and galactic scales. Why ignore them on stellar scales?
Jupiter-Saturn conjunction 2020
By: Astro Kuhuk
Tags: Astronomy, Science Communication, Cosmos, Science, Universe

The world is all set to witness the “Christmas Star” this year! Wait, Christmas Star? What? Yeah, the great planets of our solar system Jupiter and Saturn are coming together on December 21 this year. They are going to be so close to each other as if a large beautiful star is lightening up the night sky during the Christmas holidays! Isn’t it really charming to read? Imagine how crazy it will be for you to witness it.

You don’t need to have telescopes or binoculars for this event. Have them? Even better (cherry on the top). Shoot crazy astrophotographs. This can be easily seen with naked eyes. Just grab a cup of hot coffee, fill-in into some cozy corner of your terrace, and make the night worthy! :)

Now, time for some geeky updates! Here we go.

First things first! The two planets are around 430 million miles apart and they are just going to APPEAR closest in the night sky as seen from the planet Earth.

Conjunctions are basically planets coming closer to each other in the sky with reference to our planet. But especially when the conjunction is of planets Jupiter & Saturn, we call it “THE GREAT CONJUNCTION”.

Last time the great conjunction occurred on July 16, 1623. Now if you deep further into records, the first telescope was invented back in 1608–1609. Meaning that people could see the event through telescopes as well. But unfortunately, the last great conjunction went unobserved for all of humanity because the planetary pair was less than 13° east of the sun and by the time of twilight, the pair was at the horizon making it impossible to witness even using telescopes.

This time the great conjunction will peak around 6:20 PM (local time) on 21st December 2020 and the planets will be around 30° east of the sun making the pair lit up the twilight sky as a double star. *drumrolls!

Save the date. Do not forget to witness once in a lifetime astronomical event. Wish you clear skies! :)

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/astro_kuhuk/
Arecibo Observatory, Huge loss for the knowledge of existence of mankind
By: Ritwik Sanyal
Tags: Astronomy, Space, Arecibo Observatory, Space Exploration, Science

Arecibo Observatory, Huge loss for the knowledge of existence of mankind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h-f9PNe_ww

Dec 1, 2020

Seriously Sad for Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This contributed a lot to the History of existence of Mankind.

Arecibo Observatory, also known as the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) located in Puerto Rico collapsed that day.

It contributed a lot towards our space explorations

· It broadcasted a pictorial message in 1974 was sent to globular star cluster M13 just to show the Human achievements in the field of astronomy to Aliens (if they existed)

· Discovered 1st Binary Pulsar star system which is a pulsar orbiting another star. This was discovered in 1974

· Discovered 1st exoplanet in the universe

and so on…

Huge loss in Space Exploration
The Adventures of Space and Astronomy
By: Branden Murphy
Tags: Astronomy, Questions, Space, Pluto

Hey guys!

I’m Branden Murphy, a young student from a rural town in south Georgia, and today on the 6th of December I decided to branch out my excitement, my mind numbing questions , and facts to the blogging and Astronomy world! Throughout my day I sometimes think to myself the silliest questions and ponder on them for quite awhile, sometimes even days! Today I want to jump right into a very controversial question! Do you believe Pluto is a planet? Think about it and then meet me down there.

Tough question, I know… Did you say, yes? Well good! Then you are spot on. If you said no, then let me change your mind!

The background of Pluto being downgraded from a planet came in 2006 from the International Astronomical Union (IAU) due to it not following the 3 criteria based from IAU.

The criteria consisted of It is in orbit around the Sun.

It has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (an early round shape).

It has “cleared the neighborhood” around its orbit.

Pluto was unfortunately striked out at the 3rd criteria. Scientists believed that Pluto was not clearing its orbit out of other debris, since it technically is aligned in orbit with the kuiper belt. But to other scholars It is still classified as a planet, because they believe that just because Pluto is in orbit along with other objects and has not cleared it of orbit, should not invalidate the fact that it is a planet, especially after claiming the first 2 criteria created by IAU.

Now I ask my question… what do you think!? If you have any questions, or would like discuss something with me, message me at — https://twitter.com/SpaceyUniverses

Resources: https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/astronomy/item/why-is-pluto-no-longer-a-planet/#:~:text=The%20International%20Astronomical%20Union%20(IAU,define%20a%20full-sized%20planet.&text=It%20contains%20the%20asteroid%20belt,Venus%2C%20Earth%2C%20and%20Mars.
Your Introduction to Amateur Astronomy
By: Camille Stephens
Tags: Astronomy, Midnight Sun, Amateur Astronomy, Meteor Showers, Phases Of The Moon

The point is that you don’t need fancy equipment to experience the wider universe and to learn about this galaxy we call home. The most commonly used tool is the human eye, but we can learn a lot even just by adding our phones or a regular DSLR camera into the mix. The image heading this article, in fact, was taken after midnight using only moonlight.

The bright spot at the top of this image is, that’s right, the full moon. The moon has a remarkably high albedo, which means that it is actually quite bright. You’ll have probably noticed this if you’ve ever been outside with only the moonlight, but it is indeed enough to see by on a clear night. The reason that it looks so much brighter here is because when I took this picture, I left the shutter on my camera open for close to 30 seconds. A standard picture only has the shutter open for about 1/250 of a second or less. This means that my shutter was taking in light onto the camera sensor for 7500 times as long, leading to it being a brilliantly lit point in this photograph. The human eye is significantly more sensitive to light than a camera shutter is, so in order for me to be able to take this picture and have it be as clear and visible as it is, I had to be able to give the camera a lot of light. The long shutter speed is normally used to create blur, which is why the clouds in the middle of the photograph are blurred, since they were moving during the time that the camera shutter was open.

However, this is also how you can photograph stars at night. Since the stars are even dimmer to our eyes than the moon is, you need to leave the shutter open for even longer to be able to see them on film. The bright pinpricks of light seen in the photo(especially the large one opening this article) are actually stars! Other bright spots in the sky are likely to be planets, so if there’s a particularly bright point in the sky, odds are that it’s probably a planet!

If you are interested in giving it a shot for yourself, I’ve included some handy graphic here that you can download to refer to again later, or you can also find them on the camillesteachingspace Instagram account(which I’ve linked a video from later on in this article as well).
It’s confirmed!!! — Water is there on the Moon
Tags: Astronomy, Sofia, Moon, NASA, Astrology

From all over the world we hear lots of strange news. Meanwhile, a different story was reported from America. That is nothing but the latest research to find water on the moon that we once thought was a dry barren land.

Water has been identified on the moon since 2009. In 2018, it was confirmed. But recently it was discovered that there is a larger amount of water on the moon than previously thought. It also revealed that there was water on the side facing the sun.

“If you stand on one of the poles of the moon and observe it, you will see many spots spread all over its surface”, said Paul Hertz who conducted one of these researches. Paul Hertz is the director of the Astrophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He is also an Assistant Professor of Atmospheric and Aerospace Physics at the University of Colorado.

“Most of these spots, which have been around for an unimaginable amount of time, are made of ice.”

SOFIA

They used NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) spacecraft for this study. These data have been obtained by closely scanning the lunar surface and taking temperature measurements. SOFIA observations are made by infrared.

“We used closer wavelengths than before. We used a wavelength of 06 microns instead of the original 3 microns,”he said.

Their close observations show that there are holes as small as from a millimetre to a metre in diameter. They are also made of ice.

“These ice caves act as holes in the water that do not flow out of them. That’s why the water hasn’t flowed out for billions of years. “

A previous research showed that there is a phenomenon on the moon where hydroxyl ions are converted into water.

Water near Clavius…

CONTINUE READING
Real photos of Earth from Space
By: Absolute Cosmos
Tags: Astronomy, Space, Earth, Galileo Spacecraft, Cassini Spacecraft

Earth- third in line from Sun is the only planet known to have oxygen, liquid water on its surface and of-course, life. With a diameter of 13,000 kilometres, Earth is the fifth biggest planet in our solar system. Earth is not completely round, in-fact it is an “oblate spheroid,” since its spin makes it to be crushed at its poles and swollen at the equator.

Crescent-shaped Earth and Moon

This image of crescent-shaped Earth and Moon was documented by NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft on Sept. 18, 1977, when it was 11.66 million kilometres from Earth. Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Image Processing Lab made this photo by processing three images taken through colour filters. Since the Moon is many times less brighter than Earth, so to make it clearly visible in the photo, it was artificially brightened by a factor of three compared to Earth.

Earth viewed as bright flashlight from Kepler

This photo of Earth was captured by Kepler Space Telescope at 94 million miles away on 10th December 2017. In this image Earth appears as a bright flash light among the sea of stars, completely obscuring our moon Luna. Some stars are hundreds of light years away.

Earth as a dot beneath Saturn’s rings

This rare image of Saturn’s rings and Earth-Moon system was taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft on 19th July 2013 at 1.44 billion kilometres away. Earth appears to be a blue dot at the centre right as indicated by arrow. The other visible bright dots/objects are stars.

Earth-rise by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)

This photo of Earth rise was made from a series of images taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) on 12th October 2015 from 134 kilometres above the moon’s far-side crater Compton.

Earth-Moon system as seen by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured this image of the Earth and Moon on 17th January 2018 from a distance of 63.6 million kilometres. Earth can be seen as the largest, brightest spot in the centre of the image. While the smaller, dimmer companion appearing to the right is Moon.

Curiosity’s view of Earth and Moon from Mars

This image of Earth-Moon was taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover from the surface of Mars. Image was taken on the 529th Martian day, or sol, (Jan. 31, 2014). At that time the distance between Earth and Mars was about 160 million kilometres.

Image Credit: NASA/ NOAA

These images were taken on July 16, 2015 by the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite. The animation features the real satellite images of the Moon’s far side as it crosses between DSCOVR and Earth at about one million miles away.

The Earth-Moon System as viewed by Galileo spacecraft

Galileo spacecraft took this photo of Earth-Moon system on 16 December 1992 from a distance of about 6.2 million kilometres.

Rosetta’s view of Earth by European Space Agency (ESA)

European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft captured this stunning image of Earth on 12th November 2009 from a distance of about 633,000 kilometres.
When Kepler Destroyed the Universe
By: Douglas Giles
Tags: Astronomy, Paradigm Shift, Philosophy, Science, Ideas

Ideas change everything

It is impossible for us today to appreciate the profound effect of Johannes Kepler’s theory of planetary motion. Before Kepler’s book Astronomia Nova (1609) the unquestioned assumption was that everything in the heavens was perfect. A large part of that assumption was that the motion of heavenly bodies must be circular.

Since ancient times, the circle was revered as geometric perfection. Scientists and sages assumed that the heavens were a realm of perfection and all motions of bodies reflected that perfection. Planets, assumed to revolve around the Earth of course, must revolve in circles. The paradigm of circular motion was so strong that to explain retrograde planetary motion, astronomers developed the complicated theory of multiple epicycles. It was better to have dozens more circles in heaven than no circles at all.

Ironically, Kepler made the heavens more pristine through a profound paradigm shift. He proposed that planetary orbits are elliptical rather than circular. His system was much more elegant than Copernicus’s. Each planet moved in a single motion without epicycles. However, it meant that the Creation was not based on perfect geometry as everyone had assumed since before Plato. (No, it wasn’t a Christian concept.)

Kepler’s shift in thinking, coupled with scientific work from others, affected how intellectuals viewed their universe. If perfection is not the model for creation then the universe is a very different place. If we can’t argue from rational first principles to reality, but instead reality tells us something that violates our assumptions, then we have to change how we approach the universe. Knowledge has to be won by searching, not by reasoning to it — an idea proposed by Christian monk, William of Ockham centuries earlier.

Not that this changed everyone’s views. Spinoza, Leibniz, and others still clung to the belief that truth was knowable through analytical logic. Hobbes still demanded that science proceed from first principles rather than observations. Even today, some analytical philosophers stubbornly maintain this idealistic approach.

Regardless, after Kepler’s theory of planetary motion, the perfect crystal spheres of the Ptolemaic universe were destroyed forever. The paradigm shift away from perfection and teleology that started in astronomy became the basis for all sciences. Good philosophy and science reflects observations of the world, not our preconceived notions. Like the Hindus say, out of destruction comes creation.

Originally published at https://insertphilosophyhere.com/kepler-destroys-universe/
The End of 2020 will bring the “Age of Aquarius”
By: Eila Smith
Tags: Astronomy, Self Improvement, Art, Artificial Intelligence, Astrology

Get ready for something new!!!

Photo by Thiébaud Faix on Unsplash

It will start on December 21, 2020 @ 1:20PM EST (the Northern Hemisphere’s Winter Solstice) when the planets of Saturn and Jupiter couple or come together, this has not happened since the year 1623, 14 years after Galileo invented the telescope.

For those who have the opportunity to view this conjunction, they will have a spectacular experience of cosmic beauty.

So a big change is coming.

Start preparing and get ready for new opportunities, new friendships, new connections and new relationships.

Months from now, we will break out of our Social Distancing (when it is recommended by the medical experts) and start a New Social Connectiveness.

We may even, momentarily, forget about our phones when we connect.

Most people have heard about the “Age of Aquarius” from books, movies and songs.

But this time, get ready to live it.

The effects will start off slow, like any new transformation, but by the mid to late 2021, the inception and new ways of life will start their genesis.

For the Creatives and the Techies, this will really be your era to shine. And anyone who can join these two talents. Watch out, you will become one of the valued and brilliant new innovators that will change the world.

This “Age of Aquarius”, which is projected to last for the next 200 years, will focus on driving individual uniqueness for the greater good. Those with ideas that can solve problems but at the same time benefit the community, will be rewarded handsomely.

Imagine coming up with ideas that solves a problem, saves money and heals the planet. You will be heralded as a Genius, even by those that think the planet is doing just fine.

Take note, it is projected that there will be great advances in Artificial Intelligence, Global Communication, Medicine and Science. Even the way we entertain ourselves will evolve, the Arts will not be left behind.

I welcome the new titans of industry that will build wealth while adding value to others, the community and the earth.

Minds that can outthink our divisive politics and cultural differences will add a new paradigm to our world.

Will you be someone who will simplify the complicated?

Knowledge is power.

Power can change lives.

So focus your intentions on intellectual development, new concepts, expansion of consciousness, new choices, enlightenment and social progress.

With all this positive energy, the status quo will not let go of the past easily. But the power of the people and the power of the purse will force them into our history books.

One of my favorite Astrologer’s Kelley Rosano stated in one of her recent YouTube videos, “When we honor individual uniqueness, we can do anything together. It is just breathtaking….a breath of fresh air”.

The World is ready for a breath of fresh air.

Aren’t you?
366 Days of 2020
Tags: Astronomy, Space, Moon, 2020, Calendar

Very early this year I was tasked with making a calendar as part of a typography class. This was in late January/early February, i.e. before mayhem. At the time, I had a bright outlook on 2020, much like everyone did. A fresh year, a fresh decade, approaching graduation; there was a lot to look forward to. Then came March, and now it’s December. It flew by and yet it seems so little has happened. Now comes the time to look back on the year, and this project seems to be a good place to start.

Printed size is 24"x36"

Our assignment was a calendar, and in addition, the calendar had to have goals worked into the days. These goals had to be personal goals I had for myself, goals I had for the country, and goals I had for the world. I like(d) the thought of planning out goals over the course of a year and not over the course of a day, because as I’ve found in life that humans often overestimate how much they can get done in a day but underestimate how much they can get done in a year. With that in mind, I brought forth my interest in astronomy to design a 366 day calendar (2020 is a leap year, in case it wasn’t long enough already) rather than a month by month/week by week.

closeup of individual days, color-coded for goals

The calendar tracks our (Earth’s) trip around the sun, marking various astronomical events happening throughout the year; some events including meteor showers, oppositions, and full/new moons. Most events relate to Earth in some way so that it’d be more relevant to the viewer.

closeup of half of my personal goals

So, now we reach the fun part: taking a look at the goals I set before I knew what we were all in for. My personal goals were pretty basic, learn new things, be healthy, maybe save up for a couple fun purchases, but one I’d like to point out that seems ironic with everything that has happened is get an internship (lol). I had two lined up, one as a backup, but we all know what happened to those. The national and world goals were more so things I’d like to see happen that may or may not be out of my control. Surprisingly, just about all are worth noting: reduce carbon footprint by 30% (not sure if it was 30%, but less travel definitely improved air quality), care for those less fortunate & a more politically active population (safe to say those both have made serious movement). I also had more public transportation (insert upside-down smiling emoji).

I believe 2020 and this calendar have taught us an important lesson: things can go to shit real fast and might continue for a long time. However, I suppose it’s how we all choose to face it. Personally, I’d like to face it by taking the direction of my last global goal on the calendar and go to Mars.
As if their arms came back to life
By: H Peter Ji
Tags: Outdoors, Astronomy, California, Adventure, Photography

As soon as Thanksgiving arrived, I left town. Although I wanted to hit up the Sierra Nevada, considering how much time I had, it made sense to head for the desert. But I didn’t want to go to the Mojave desert, or Joshua Tree, both of which I had already been. Instead I found myself driving farther south of Joshua Tree and ended up at Salton Sea, which is a salt lake sitting at 236 feet below sea level. It had been on my list for quite some time.

My first stop was Three Sisters. Oh boy, was I expecting too much… Because it had been awhile since last rainfall, the field was bone dry and filled with crusts of salt deposits. Nonetheless, what is unique about it is that there are no other trees nearby. It makes it easy to isolate them as subjects, particularly for astrophotography.

My plan to capture the Milky Way though was ruined by the Moon as soon as it got dark. I was hoping for even a faint galaxy sight, but it was almost completely washed off that bare eyes could not make out its shape.

The shadows cast by the moon though was perfect for timelapse. As the stars traveled across heaven, the shadows also crawled across the barren field as if their arms came back to life…

Salton Sea, CA

Sony A7RIV

Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM

24 mm / 3 sec at ƒ/1.4 at ISO 400

Taken 11/26/2020

This photo can be also viewed on Instagram, EyeEm, Twitter, 500px, Flickr, ViewBug, Ello and LinkedIn.

You can purchase this and other photos on my website.

© 2020 H Peter Ji
Liberal Arts Blog —Phases of the Moon: Oreo Cookies, A Clock, Two Thumbs, and “D-O-C”
By: John Muresianu
Tags: Astronomy, Moon, Math, Harvard, Liberal Arts Blog

Liberal Arts Blog — Wednesday is the Joy of Science, Engineering, and Technology Day

Today’s Topic — Phases of the Moon: Oreo Cookies, A Clock, Two Thumbs, and “D-O-C”

It’s a half moon out. How long before the next full moon? Think about it before reading on. Do you have an answer? What is your confidence level? My experience is that less 1% of Harvard science majors get the answer correct. But most are extremely confident in their solutions. Today’s post is devoted to using oreo cookies, the clock analogy (thank you, Leon), and the D-O-C mnemonic to teach about the phases of the moon. Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.

SCIENCE BOB’S OREO COOKIE ACTIVITY

1. “I’ve always been a fan of science activities that you can eat. One of my favorites is the Oreo Cookie Moon Phases activity. It’s almost as if Oreo cookies were made for this lesson, and it’s a great way to learn how to match a moon phase name with a moon phase appearance.”

2. Needed: An Oreo cookie for each moon phase, a popsicle stick or other tool for scraping the frosting.

3. “Separating Oreo cookies while keeping the frosting intact is a fun challenge. I like to slowly twist the Oreo to maximize the amount of frosting on one side, Cooling the cookies in the refrigerator can make it easier…You can always transfer frosting if needed.”

THE WALL CLOCK ANALOGY: if it’s a full moon at 12, what does the moon look like at 6?

1. What does it look like at 3?

2. What does it look like at 9?

3. Why?

NB — Now turn a paper plate into a clock and place the appropriate oreo cookie in the appropriate location. See second link.

IS THE HALF WAXING OR WANING? Remember “D-O-C”

1. “The most common mnemonic used to remember the phases of the moon is “DOC,” which switches to “COD” if you are in the southern hemisphere.”

2. The “D” is curved to the right and is a waxing moon. That would be the moon at 9 in above analogy. The “O” is the full moon at 12, The”C” is the waning moon at 3.

3. Align your two thumbs facing each other — your left thumb is the “D” (waxing at 9), your right thumb is the “C” (waning at 3). See last link.

Oreo Cookie Moon Phases — ScienceBob.com

Oreo Moon Phases Activity

Oreo Moon Phases — The Stem Laboratory

9 Strategies For Teaching Moon Phases

A link to the last three years of posts organized by theme:

PDF with headlines — Google Drive

YOUR TURN

Please share the coolest thing you learned this week related to science, engineering, or technology. Or, even better, the coolest or most important thing you learned in your life related to science and engineering.

This is your chance to make someone else’s day. Or to cement in your mind something that you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply about something dear to your heart. Continuity is key to depth of thought.
Astronomer Beatrice Tinsley — a snapshot biography.
By: Roman Mikhail
Tags: Nonfiction, Astronomy, Feminism, Biography, History

Beatrice Tinsley loved music, she loved math, she enjoyed being in the outdoors and she was completely unafraid to speak her mind, blithe to authority.

As a child Beatrice dreamt of being a scientist. Her path to becoming one started in Chester, England, where she was born in 1941, then continued to New Zealand with her family shortly after the end of WWII. There she would go to college, earn a Masters of Science in Physics, marry a classmate. Life then took them to the U.S. where her husband took a job in Dallas, Texas. And where Beatrice, who already caused uproar by refusing to host a tea party when hosting was her turn, decided to pursue her dream and enrolled in the PhD program at UT-Austin. Her commute each way was 200 miles. But she earned top scores on exams, conducted pioneering research in the evolution of universes, and in 1966 earned her doctorate.

But still, this was the 1960s and Beatrice was a woman. A job was hard to come by. After years of struggle to find a position, in 1974 she became an assistant professor of astronomy at Yale.

At Yale, she conducted groundbreaking work, won awards, published over 100 articles, mentored many women scientists. She was known for being confident, positive, devoted to her work, an inspiration to others, enthusiastic, interested in her research and that happening in the field. And for some, as the “Queen of the Cosmos.”

In 1978, Beatrice became a professor of astronomy at Yale, the first woman to do so. That year she was also diagnosed with cancer, melanoma. Three years later she passed away at the age of 40.

Sources:
İKONİK ARECIBO GÖZLEMEVİ TELESKOBU ÇÖKTÜ
By: Ezgi Doğan
Tags: Astronomy, Astronomi, Arecibo Telescope

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The Virus Day 262, Dimondale, Michigan
By: Sexy Hermit
Tags: Astronomy, Life, Science, Faith, Michigan

A rear event yesterday. A triple conjunction of the baking sheets in the dirty dish pile. The observation went without incident but it may be the best observation we can do in America soon. Thanks to Trumpism and it’s war on science, The Arecibo Observatory, an icon of American thought and innovation for over half a century, is now dead.

It lived in Puerto Rico, now officially a “shithole,” thanks to Trump's negligence and dereliction of his duty as POTUS.

Before Trump.

After Trump. The sinkhole of American thought and innovation lies right here in Arecibo.

Even if you take away all the pure science Arecibo has produced, it still had a vital security function. It tracked all the shit out there that might destroy our entire civilization. I was one of the few scopes used to find all the space bullets with Earth’s name on them. I guess we’ll just have to trust the Chinese as they now have the biggest and badest radio telescope scope ever made and it's just warming up.

If America does not get back the ability to inspire more than just harder bible thumping as a reaction to everything, we are all screwed. Democracy depends on an educated populace. Educated with facts. Educated with how REALITY works. Educated on possibilities. Democracy depends on science.

The page has turned on this country and we better decide well what we’re going to write next. Will it be the further illumination of our collective mind toward truth or the descent back into “faith” and the wrong assumption that we know anything at all?

#rebuildarecibo
The Grand Conjunction. We must keep in mind that both signs…
By: Ambika Devi
Tags: Astronomy, Astrologer, Night Sky, Astrology, Solstice

The giants Saturn and Jupiter are moving steadily towards a turning point on December 18 when they change the 20 year cycle their conjunctions set on course from the cold cadent rhythm of Capricorn♑ to the expansive group consciousness of ♒ Aquarius.

We must keep in mind that both signs were originally ruled by Saturn. So often this planet is overlooked as having a rainbow side and love for humanity.

Indeed the father of time does and this could be considered a dawning of an age of Aquarius as it will set off a 20 year cycle in which we humans are to be challenged with creating a renaissance of ideas and new parameters in society.

What are you experiencing as a personal revolution? Is there a project or idea you have felt challenge and stagnation in the ability to move forward?

Your natal birth chart holds clues and keys as to timing and location as well as where your energy is best invested.

After all, life is how you planet! Keep looking up, the stars are here to guide you and I am your Navigator.
Independent Music: Videos
By: Music Discovery Xo
Tags: Music Discovery Xo, Music Industry, Music, Videos, Entertainment

Tour Footage: Just In Case Tour Highlight Reel by Christina Custode - Adult Contemporary - New…

Tour Footage. Video featuring music by Singer Songwriter, Christina Custode on YouTube. Stream and download audio in…
VIDSNATCHER.
Tags: Vidsnatcher, Video Marketing, Video Editing, Videos

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