Tag: space
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The evolution of the Spacesuit: History, Layers, Functionality
As spacesuit design continues to become thinner, more intricate, and more dynamic — there are touchscreen-sensitive gloves, an attached helmet, and built-in ventilation in the latest uniform — it’s worth looking at how both US and Russian spacesuits have evolved over time. Start by looking at the original suit (the Marshmallow Moon-Suit) designed for the moon mission…
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Sunset from Mars: Why the Mars sunset is blue
NASA’s Curiosity Rover photographed this view of the sun setting from its 956th Martian day on Mars. Notice that the sunset from Mars appears blue. The above image actually consists of a sequence of four images captured over a span of 6 minutes, 51 seconds. Check out the full GIF below. Said Mark Lemmon of…
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Explore the incredible crater of Australia’s Gosses Bluff
Gosses Bluff is an eroded crater remnant in central Australia formed from an asteroid or comet collision during the earliest Cretaceous period, 142 million years ago. The 3-mile wide crater was originally believed to be 12 miles in diameter before natural erosion took its course. The aboriginal Western Arrernte were the first to recognize the…
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Meet the first flower grown entirely in space, a zinnia flower
“The earth laughs in flowers,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in Nature and Selected Essays. We, humans, spend our entire lives blistering through space on a giant rock we call Earth with flowers in abundance. It is fascinating to know that we too can pollinate the cosmos. NASA astronaut and American engineer Scott Kelly captured the…
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What cities look like at night without electricity
In his series Villes éteintes (Darkened Cities), French photographer Thierry Cohen imagines the world’s biggest cities at night without urban light. Cohen uses a special exposure technique called day for night which enables him to capture the cities in the daytime but increases darkness levels. Then, he combines the city skylines into the backdrop of…
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NASA and ESA capture closest images of the sun ever taken
NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have snapped the closest pictures ever taken of the sun. The images, taken nearly 48 million miles away from the sun’s surface by the Solar Orbiter probe (launched February 9), reveal countless tiny flares which scientists have called “campfires.” Scientists hope that these never-before seen exterior shots will…
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Take a look back at NASA’s true-color view of Pluto
On this day in 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft gave us the first look at Pluto’s dynamic planetary body. The flyby images capture a world with ice mountains, nitrogen glaciers, and hauntingly beautiful blues hazes in the dwarf planet’s atmosphere. Writes NASA in its love letter to Pluto, the farthest world in our solar system:…
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Friday’s ‘Strawberry Moon’ is the sixth Full Moon of the year
In what will be the sixth full moon of the year, the Strawberry Moon will bring a penumbral lunar eclipse. The term “Strawberry Moon” originates from the berries that harvest in North America in June. Other names include the Rose Moon, Hot Moon, Mead Moon, and Honey Moon. A penumbral eclipse occurs when the Earth’s…
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Views of the Super Pink Moon from around the world
Miss the ‘Super Pink Moon’ rise on Wednesday? We’ve got you covered. The pink moon is the largest full moon of the year and occurs when the moon gets in close proximity to Earth, making it appear 7% larger and 15% brighter than the average full moon. The Super Pink Moon isn’t really pink The…