Picture of the Day

Picked up from Twitter is this stunning view of Jupiter with Io in transit.  Ah, the wonders of space. 

The Jovian system truly fascinates me.  Such an amazing, violent, awe-inspiring place.

Tour the Universe with WIKISKY

Thanks to Angela for pointing me to the WIKISKY site in one of her comments. What a great way to tour the known universe, gaze at photos of galaxies, nebula and supernovas, or look for specific astronomical entities.

WIKISKY has been added to the list of references under SCI FI 101 side bar at the right.

Thanks again for the link, Angela.

Hubble Transmission a Perfect 10

A glitch with the Hubble Space Telescope has been corrected, and the transmitted photo of the aftermath of two galaxies colliding to form what looks like a "Perfect 10."

The Hubble was brought back online two days ago and aimed its primary camera--the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2)--at these colliding galaxies named Arp 17.

Scientists hope the Hubble will now be in operation through 2013.

Surprising Find

NASA astronomers using the Spitzer Telescope have found a triple-ringed star, an asteroid belt and a gas giant like Jupiter in orbits similar to that of our own solar system. In fact, research suggests that the solar system might be a twin to our own.

In a strange case of life possibly imitating art the star is Epsilon Eridani, which was the Vulcan sun in the popular Star Trek series. Epsilon Eridani is only a fifth the age of our own sun at about 850 million years old. It is about 62 trillion miles away, and has the closest known solar system.

Being smaller, dimmer and younger than the sun, Epsilon Eridani's "habitable zone" for Earth-like planets would be closer to the star.

A Galaxy's Tail

Scientists have spotted a galaxy some 200,000 light years from earth that has a tail much like a comet, and--to quote a popular Sci-Fi movie--"It's full of stars."

The tail, another 200,000 light years in length, is believed to be full of incubating suns. Though this phenomenon is believed to have been common in the early universe, it's quite a spectacular find for modern day observers.

Check out the full story with photos here:

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/09/orphaned-stars-.html

Space Tornado?

An astronomical event was recently caught by the Spitzer telescope. It appeared to be a tornado in space! Read the story on Science Daily and see the video on this phenomenon here:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006-05-08/

I admit it. I'm addicted to the fascinating images from Spitzer, Hubbel and some of our other deep space telescopes.

When Galaxies Collide

Four galaxies in a monster collision that might form the largest known galaxy in the universe. Story and photos can be found here:

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/nasa-photographs-big-galactic-collision/20070806172409990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

The Life and Times of Light

In our universe, light may be the only thing that really gets around. Light brings us information in the form of detail from other stars and galaxies and distant points in the universe. We learn things about far-off places because of this light, and learn things about the universe around us because of the effects it has on light.

But the distances are so enormous that what we're seeing by the time the light reaches us is the situation as it was tens, hundreds, thousands, even millions or billions of years ago. Sometimes what we're seeing may have occured before Earth even existed. It is, quite literally, like looking back through time.

Imagine seeing your neighbor pick up the morning paper and wave, except what you are seeing happened yesterday, or a week ago. You don't even know if your neighbor or their house are still there, although chances are pretty good that they are.

The interlinking elements of light, distance and time are important ingredients in writing Sci-Fi. Suppose Starship X sees Planet Z through their futuristic high-powered telescopes, some 16 light years distant, and decide to go there. Planet Z looks like a great place to visit. Acceptable proximity to its sun suggests warm oceans, tropical vegetation, maybe even classy nightclubs. Just the place for the weary crew to enjoy a bit of planet-side shore leave. They plot a course using their hyperdrive, but when they arrive they discover Planet Z ceased to exist the year before. In order to visit, their ship must have the ability to travel much faster going to the planet than the light carrying the image of Z did coming from the planet, so the status quo is unknown until they arrive. What they saw was Planet Z as it had been 16 years before. Meanwhile, well...there went the neighborhood. The "messenger" was carrying old information. The crew may be in for a rude surprise. Especially if Planet Z was obliterated by an astronomical event or attack by another civilization. So much for their vacation.

Light doesn't always have an uneventful voyage as it shoots through universe. It can be affected by gravity, deflection, refraction and absorption. Gravity can bend it (as Einstein surmised in his Theory of Relativity), and black holes can swallow it. For light to be generated in the first place, some sort of event had to take place--fusion or an explosion.

Rough neighborhood, the universe. It isn't easy being light.

To read more:
http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-03/6-03.htm
http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node100.html

Space Slide Show

MSN has a great series of photographs from space. All different topics. This is a great resource for Science Fiction writers to add to their list of references. I did.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6955261/?GT1=10252

Does This Change Everything We Know?

[Please note: As a writer, I love to explore new theories and ideas. I have written the following article for speculation and further musing. I have not researched the validity of statements made, some of which are reportedly based on scientific evidence and some on personal hypothesis. If you want to learn more, please follow the links at the end of the article and develop your own theories.]

Recent articles are proposing a shocking new idea from the astronomers of the University of Massachusetts: We may not be who we thought we were. Not children of the Milky Way Galaxy at all, but adoptees.

There is recent evidence that our solar system was not originally part of the Milky Way, but was formed in the Sagittarius Dwarf galaxy, which has since been all but consumed by the monstrous Milky Way.

But we still go about our daily lives without much change, right? Well, maybe not. As we are absorbed into the Milky Way, a galaxy of considerably more energy, things are being to change.

Our sun might be burning hotter. Dark spots are appearing and growing. Auroras have been sighted on Saturn and the magnetic field on Jupiter has doubled. The Martian biosphere may be changing, and there are early indication an atmosphere could be forming on the Moon. Maybe the most startling change is that Uranus and Neptune have registered polar shifts. If it's happening elsewhere in our neighborhood, will it happen on Earth? NASA information indicates there may already be a movement in the Earth’s poles. Polar shift is believed to have happened in Earth's past, possibly more than once. Are we in for another 'big shake up'?

And what are the implications for global warming, which the increased energies may intensify, but our emissions activities certainly accelerate?

In looking at the 'what ifs', we can't overlook the enigma of the Mayan calendar, currently the center of much speculation, as some believe it has predicted major events through time, and comes to a sudden halt in the year 2012. Research indicates this may be when our solar system will move through the central axis of the Milky Way galaxy.

If you'd like to read more, click on the following links:

Daijaworld: Massachusetts Discovery: Earth Part of a New Galaxy Rediff
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=34995&n_tit=Massachusetts%3A+Discovery+-+Earth+Part+of+a+New+Galaxy

American Chronicle Article: If This Be True, Then... by Philip F. Harris
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=32272

All About 2012
http://www.greatdreams.com/2012.htm

Alignment 2012: What the Maya Left Behind by John Major Jenkins
http://www.alignment2012.com/

Wikipedia: Sagittarius Dwarf Eliptical Galaxy
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_Dwarf_Elliptical_Galaxy

Houston, We Have Water!

Meet HD 189733b.

The first hard evidence of water on an alien world was just discovered on this gaseous giant, described as a "hot Jupiter."

HD 189733b is in the Vulpecula the Fox constellation (only 64 light years, or about 380 million million miles from our Sun). Astronomers were able to analyse its chemical makeup and determine the presence of water.

Read the entire article here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/07/12/sciplanet112.xml

Independence Day = Mars Solstice

Did you know July 4th is the Martian Solstice?

Or that on July 7th the Dawn probe will launch with a mission to study the minor planets Ceres and Vesta in the asteroid belt (arrival 2011)?

These are just a couple of the interesting facts on NASA's Solar System Exploration site. Here's the link: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/index.cfm

It will also be added to our permanent list of reference sites on the lower right.

Romance the Solar System

A great article on the moons of the solar system from the Sierra Vista Herald (Arizona):

http://www.svherald.com/articles/2007/06/22/news/doc467b72eab34a1801821258.txt

I printed this one for my research files.

Sci-Fi 101: Meet Eta Carinae

Located right in the neighborhood (in astronomical terms), Eta Carinae is a very bright, very unstable star. Only about 7500 light years distant, the star is believed to be consuming its internal nuclear fuel at an alarming speed. Is it close to its explosive demise?

Read more: http://www.physorg.com/news101558374.html

Muse Motivator: Tour of Nebulae

Have a few minutes to watch a spectacular show set to the music of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata? This video will definitely stir the imagination, spur the muse, and rack up some credits in the shock and awe department. It's a little over six minutes long and features some of the spectacular imagery of visible nebulae. After a few moments, the title of each also appears. Can you guess which is the Cat's Paw, the Pelican, the Cone, the Butterfly? Click the image shown above left in THE LATEST FEED below when it comes up or click the link at the bottom of this post to go directly to the YouTube feature.

WARNING: If you watch until the end there is an inspiring quote, followed by a personal comment that some may find controversial or offensive. (I rather wish the last statement had not been added because I feel it takes away from the impact of the quote instead of adding to it, but that's personal preference and others may have no issues with the point being made.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x41n9thAU8

More Sci-Fi 101

Here's something I recently learned. Could come in handy.

Did you know the solar system is traveling through space inside a giant magnitized bubble?

It's called the heliosphere, and you can learn more by clicking the links below.

http://helios.gsfc.nasa.gov/heliosph.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,272557,00.html

Jupiter's Northern Lights

The aurora phenomenon on Jupiter was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectograph (STIS) in 1998. This link will take you to the Hubble STIS site (like a sci-fi picture book). http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/html/heic0009a.html

Discoveries suggest that Jupiter's aurora may be 1000 times more powerful than Earth's. http://www.sprl.umich.edu/CassiniHSTJupiterflyby/

That must be some light show! :O

Image: The Horsehead Nebula
(but of course! What else would I chose for my first image?)

Ah...A purpose!

When I created Spacefreighters Lounge it was more or less to test the features of the new blog template. Once done playing, it needed to decide what to be when it grew up. Since my other blog http://draxiantrilogy.blogspot.com deals with my work and the writing industry in general, this one required its own identity and reason for existance.

Aha! ::: lightbulb ::: or should that be ::: exploding nebula :::

Since I'm in constant search of new information to pour into my fictional universes, I decided this might be a good place to post news, information, and links for recent discoveries and theories that could be used to spur...er, propel the imagination of science fiction and futuristic fantasy writers.

So read, comment, learn...and enjoy the ride!