Monthly Stargazing Calendar for November 2011
This month we are expecting the flyby of Asteroid 2005 YU55. On November 8th, it will make a close approach to the Earth at 0.85 lunar distances. It has a diameter of about 400 meters so unfortunately it is too small to be visible to the naked eye.
The Future of the Automotive Industry
A survey conducted in the UK has revealed that 65% of motorists are planning on buying a more environmentally friendly vehicle the next time they are looking to purchase a brand new car. The majority of respondents blamed rising fuel prices for this decision; with a further 5% of stating that they had been forced off the road altogether.
Educational Gift Ideas
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, many of us are stuck with the dilemma of choosing gifts for kids. Sure you could go out and buy the most popular video game or this season’s trendy Barbie doll, but do these gifts really hold much meaning? Lets face it, children often play with a toy for a few minutes, forget about it, and move onto the next thing. This year get them something they can use over and over with their friends, along with providing an educational experience. These toys listed below are both fun and educational toys that are great for children of the ages 7-15. One of the main…
Panoramic View of the Orion Nebula – Astronomy Picture of the Week
This image, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, represents the sharpest view ever taken of the Orion Nebula. More than 3,000 stars of various sizes appear in this image. The bright central region is the home of the four largest stars in the nebula.
Yellow Tang in Aquarium
This photo of a yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) was taken at an aquarium at Bristol Zoo in England. It is one of the most popular aquarium fish.
Demystifying Cell Phone Plan Jargon [Infographic]
Cell phone plans contain a lot of technical jargon which can be confusing to the average user. This is why most of them only pay attention to the basics and don't bother going over the finer points of the plan.
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for October 2011
This month we were expecting to see a close approach of the comet Elenin. Unfortunately, the comet has recently lost in brightness and it seems that it is breaking up. Even these news haven't stopped all that doomsday nonsense in the blogosphere about this comet crashing into the Earth…
“Mystic Mountain” in the Carina Nebula – Astronomy Picture of the Week
This close up on the Carina nebula looks like the fantasy "Mystic Mountain" from Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". The image was taken on Feb. 1-2, 2010 by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Hubble's launch and deployment into an orbit around the Earth.
Tatooine-Like Planet Discovered Orbiting Two Suns
An exoplanet that orbits around two stars, known as a circumbinary planet, has recently been discovered by astronomers using the Kepler space telescope. The planet dubbed Kepler-16b has been compared to the planet Tatooine from Star Wars, due to the fact that it has two Suns in its sky.
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for September 2011
This month you can witness a supernova with just binoculars or a small telescope. The supernova is called SN 2011fe and has been discovered by astronomers on August 24 within hours of its explosion. It is located within the Messier 101 galaxy 23 million light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major.
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Starburst Galaxy NGC 1569
This image of a dwarf galaxy called NGC 1569 was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. It is of one of the most active galaxies in our local neighborhood. NGC 1569 gives birth to stars at a rate that is 100 times faster than the rate observed in our Milky Way Galaxy.
Junior Jaguar
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. It is a near threatened species and unfortunately its numbers are declining. The following photo shows a three-year-old jaguar kept at the Belize Zoo. Photo by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen.