APOD 4.5

This picture was taken in Germany last Sunday. The streak throught the picture is the largest artificial moon Earth has, the International Space Station. The moon is a waxing cresent. The little bright dot on the otherside of the line is Jupiter. Jupiter has many moons circling it, its four main ones are called the Galilean moons. In the picture if you look close enough you can see Jupiter's moons as well. It is cool how the trio of objects work together. Earths natural moon, one of its artificial moons, and Jupiter's moons all captured in one picture. This is truely an amazing picture.

observation

My family and I sat out by a fire tonight from 8 to 10. We live in sarasta near Bee Ridge and Beneva. The light pollution is a little bad but we could still make out some constellations. The moon is a waxing cresent. Venus and Jupiter were visible but Jupiter set around 9. Mars was visible looking up and a little East. Above us I pointed out Leo, I think Leo Minor as well. Ursa Major was partly visible, easily located, looking for the big dipper. I told them about M 101 in the constellation. I told them how Coma Bernices is the direction of the center of the galaxy. I think I also saw the Gemini twins above the moon.

Astrocast

Why do we have weather?
Thermal gradients are the main key. The difference in tempurature and dense pressure around the globe as well as humidity causes conflicting winds causing weather. The sun determines these thermal gradients, causing certain parts of the Earth to be warmer was well as have seasons as we relolve around it. The jet stream is located between the poles and the subtropics, which is where weather, like hurricanes, are generated. Why doesn't snow melt even if its above freezing temperature? The snow keeps the land below it cold as well as the air above it, making it hard to get snow to melt away quickly. Even different foliage, such as new farms can have an effect on local weather. Though we know the Earths alignment to the sun almost exactly and how the sun effects us, it is impossible to correctly predict the weather far into the future. Little changes in wind, or tempurature can cause tropic storms.The sun and moon control the weather and tides of the Earth.

APOD 4.3

The simularities between Mars and Earth still amaze me. To think that this highly detailed picture was taken of another planet is hard to grasp. Since Mars has a higher temperature than the Earth in most places, water evaporates very quickly on its surface. Wind however is very strong on Mars during season changes. It pushes dunes and rockes into drip like formations, creating an apearance of water. The mesa in the picture also reminds me of Earth, how did it for on the planet. How simular was Mars to Earth and why did it change?

APOD 4.4

The Ring Nebula is one of the most photographic celestial bands other than Saturn's rings. The Earth is positioned so we look directly into the center, making it even more magnificent. The nebula is a shroud of a once sun-like star dying. It has a large expanse of ring like stractures branching away from the center. The intense ultraviolet coming from the center ionizes atoms in gas. Ionized oxygen atoms produce the greenish glow, while the reddish glow is produced by ionized hydrogen.The central ring is about one light year across and is 2,000 light years away. It is found in the constellation Lyra.

APOD 4.2

In Paris the only thing that you can see are the bright planets and the moon. Light pollution in SRQ is bad but not nearly this bad. I cannot deal with only seeing a few stars, whenever I go to my friends house out in Myaka I always stare at the sky at night. It is amazing to think at how much light can effect your vision. I think I can see well in myaka but out west, or above our horizon must be amazing. I cannot wrap my mind around how many stars are out there, and it is sad that our light covers them up at night.