Stardust.

Ever so often I post beautiful images from an intriguing book, entitled Astronomy, 365 Days. This work contains 365 photographs, all linked to our universe. One for each day of the year. I received it as a gift and considering that this year is the International Year Of Astronomy, I find it fitting to share some of the most stunning images with you.

For the 20th of August, the image couldn't be more appropriate and appealing to the painter in me. Entitled "Elements Of The Swan Nebula", also called Omega Nebula, it depicts clouds and dust, the very elements from which new stars are born. The colours each represents known chemical components; red indicates emission from sulfur, green from hydrogen and blue from oxygen.
A talented painter could have not created a more formidable masterpiece...

Apollo 11.

I guess I am one of many out there that will dedicate a post the Apollo 11 mission today. Forty years ago, the world sat mesmerized in front of the TV sets, watching with fascination as a man took the first steps across the lunar surface. That famous sentence; "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind", was uttered by Neil Armstrong, as he performed the first moon walk ever.

This moon landing was part of the Apollo Program, more precisely Apollo 11. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr.

On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon, while Collins orbited above.

I am completely in awe of this achievement. I think this mostly due to the fact that it was an incredible operation performed with detailed precision, with absolutely moderate technology. So many steps and all of them had to work, yet with very primitive instruments, at least seen through the eyes of modern technology. In fact, the Apollo rocket is considered so successful, that a new spacecraft is being developed by NASA, based on this technology. Called Orion, it is under development and is destined for a new moon landing within the next 20 years, most likely with the goal to colonize the Moon.
This means that the Space Shuttles Program (Space Transportation System (STS)) is about to retire. The reusable spacecrafts have proven far less economical than originally assumed and will hereby fly on their last mission next year.

Stars In Motion.

I do not know if anyone recalls, that one of the lovely Christmas gifts I received this past year from the Irishman was a book filled with stunning pictures of the stars and other celestial objects. Entitled "Astronomy, 365 Days", it depicts a year with images from the endless universe.
I like to look through it once in a while and often get intrigued by the photographs of our earth and the skies above. Considering that this year is the "International Year Of Astronomy", I like to continue to share with you some of the images that move me.

For the 8th of July, the image in my book depicts the most famous constellation in night sky; Crux, the Southern Cross. Taken with a tripod positioned camera where the shutter is left open, the image created is a stunning one, depicting stars in motion. A true cosmic art, painted with natural colours on a canvas of black velvet, the night sky.

Junk In Space.

Last week, on the 10th of February, there was collision between two satellites. Apparently, this was the first major, unintentional collision in space involving a Russian satellite, which was no longer functional and a US owned, data communication satellite in full service at the time of the crash. This encounter, which happened over Siberia, produced debris, that could potentially pose danger to other objects that are in orbit around the Earth.

Interestingly, while looking for more information about satellites and man-made objects in space, I stumbled upon a very fascinating article and was very surprised about the content. As seen on the picture, there are thousands of man made objects orbiting the Earth, some of them loose debris and junk. Few of the more unusual articles floating around are a camera, a glove and some numerous wrenches and screwdrivers, all lost by astronauts during space walks. Al the space junk put together would produce a weight of about 11 million pounds here on Earth. Amazing!

Overall, NASA is apparently tracking more than 500 pieces of debris, as the floating garbage might pose a threat to the International Space Station or complicate the shuttle launch.

Astronomy Picture Of The Day.

I have always been fascinated by the night sky. At no time am I aware of the vastness of space more, then when looking at stars on a clear night. During the day, the blue atmosphere above us feels almost as a blanket, or a lid confiding us here. However, on a cloudless night, thousand of stars on the jet-black sky make me aware of the immense dimensions of the universe. In that moment it becomes very obvious that our planet is truly suspended in space.

This Christmas I received a fantastic book as a Christmas gift. It contains different pictures related to astronomy, one for each day in a year.
Today’s beautiful photograph is called "Big Dipper Castle". It depicts a castle in the Swabia Albs in Southern Germany, on a clear night, with the constellation of Big Dipper above on the velvet blue sky. I think that is the only constellation that almost everyone recognizes. It goes by many names, for example in Swedish and Danish it is called "Karl's Wagon" and in Slovak and Czech, "The Big Wagon".

On a warm summer night when I sit outside on my terrace, this well known assemblage of stars is clearly visible. It looks the same it has always looked, ever since I was a child. Gazing at it makes me feel as if time stands still.

International Year Of Astronomy.

2009 has been selected as the international year of Astronomy. Partly due to the fact that it is 400 years ago (1609) since Galileo gazed at the night skies through the first, primitive telescope, making significant observations.

To the scientist in me this is an intriguing prospect, appreciating the fact that a man in my distant past was driven by the knowledge for the unknown. I like the thought of the existence of such men or women, who dedicate their lives to be different, in order to move the frontiers of science, even if it is ever so slightly.
The skies, the stars and the cosmos have always intrigued me. The mystery of our past and our place in the universe is ultimately an enigma. The never-ending questions of whether we are alone or not. Where do we come from and why are we here?

Sometimes I like to look at the big picture. I have heard that many astronauts change their view of the Earth and their own lives on it, once they have been in space. Seeing it from such a distance, they claim to undergo an almost spiritual experience. They see this small, beautifully coloured object in the jet black sky, realizing suddenly their own – and all ours - insignificance, forgetting all about the drawn borders, conflicts and differences. They see Earth, the whole planet, as their home.

And we might be alone. Or at least separated from other intelligent life through such vast distances, we truly can just as well say we are alone. Not to mention that other intelligent life might look nothing like us. This notion should be significant enough for us to try to appreciate that, which connects us all, not focusing one what makes us different. I often think about this and other subjects, such as the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecrafts, which are hurdling through the space as we speak. They are the longest travelled, man-made object ever; carrying information about us, engraved in plaques and disks. One of them is just about to leave our solar system. Pioneer 10 is destined for the star Aldebaran, which it will reach in 2 million years.

I have received another gift from - you know who, right? It is filled with wonderful pictures of space and our planet, one picture for each day of the year. I will try to post the most alluring ones here, during the course of the this year, "the year of Astronomy".