h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/physics_astronomy/astronomers_camera_reveals_early_galaxies_168399.html


and we're not alone - ha! someone's out there, they just don't know our phone number

interesting link from the BA - basically a blogsite where some Harvard grad students pull together latest astronomy research papers and provide a summary of them. They give some background - ie why this was done - then summarise what was done, what they found and what this means.

Not as in depth as reading the paper, and assumes undergrad level of knowledge but an interesting resource for giving overviews of where the cutting edge is at.

http://astroph.wordpress.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12206941

pretty new colours

Something new on arsenic containing bacteria.

http://wavefunction.fieldofscience.com/2011/01/phosphorus-beats-arsenicby-factor-of-50.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+curiouswavefunction+%28The+Curious+Wavefunction%29

on the other hand, it's also been proven bumble bees can't fly... on a basis of aerodynamics models pertinent to fixed winged aircraft.

"Amateur" space photos from public data, courtesy of WIRED:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/01/eso-hidden-treasures-contest/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&pid=906

*Shame the URL could not have been longer.

The moon and Venus over Switzerland http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110202.html

Tropical Cyclone Yasi (from space) yesterday heading towards Queensland http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=49066

1st photo - Wow, that is wonderful!

2nd photo - OMG! Thoughts going out to those in the path!

TC Yasi = the size of New Zealand The biggest ever recorded to hit Australia. 300kph winds. An eye 35km across (taking an hour to pass). Expected winds will last for 24 hours.

Be thankful you're not there.

If you've got a clear sky (it's raining here) take a look outside in about a quarter of an hour (UK people, that is) you might see the ISS with attached Space Shuttle. It'll be travelling southwest-northeast,

Time it's due is 6.37pm

well it *was* raining, but it cleared enough for me to get a great view. It dissected Orion between Betelgeuse and the Belt

and yes, I remembered to wave

It's wonderful how many people saw it, including Hoggy & family

Another chance to see the ISS and the Discovery tonight, the shuttle has undocked but is still close... check outside around 7.20pm,

clear sky predicted for tonight...looking good for viewing...

I hope you can all see that gorgeous new moon with Jupiter directly beneath (in the west)

I was amazed how far behind the ISS the shuttle was...like it was being towed!

They were lower than I've seen them before, too.

Really annoyed - I wanted to get a photo of them undocked, but didn't finish work until 7.30!

I got them the wrong way round, the shuttle was towing the ISS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSJIEKcHlho

AA or RAC ??

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110309.html no towrope in sight

Am I imagining it, or is that Dusty Bin sat on top Of the ISS?