Science is Fun Fridays!


 The 3I/ATLAS comet, as it made its closest approach to Earth last night/this morning.

This shot was captured by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectograph in Hawaii.

The comet's journey is expected to continue towards Jupiter, crossing the orbits of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune by 2028, and then heading out to interstellar space, never to be seen again.

From 168 million miles away, scientists will be able to study material from beyond our solar system.

They were able to detect an X-ray glow, revealing hidden gases and solar wind interactions.  Analyzing those gases can reveal the chemistry of other star systems, with which scientists can test models of planetary formation and investigate early galaxy evolution.

The James Webb Telescope already detected abundant water vapor, as well as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vacation Open Thread!

Image
 From Highway 395 overlooking Mono Lake. This year we're driving on past that to check out Mammoth Lakes and Bishop.  A few sites in the area I'd like to see, not to mention the lakes themselves and some hot springs. There's a fire in Yosemite, so we're hoping the winds keep the smoke to the west. I'll be back on the 18th! ❤️
Read more

Science is Fun Fridays!

Image
  Pterosaurs have incredibly lightweight skeletons, so finding one intact is pretty rare. In the Solnhofen Limestones in Germany, paleontologists came across a perfectly preserved hatchling.  And it is tiny, with a wingspan of less than 20 centimeters. "The odds of preserving one are already slim, and finding a fossil that tells you how the animal died is even rarer," reports lead author, Rab Smyth, from the University of Leicester Centre for Paleobiology. The fractures suggest a powerful twisting force, such as a severe storm, that caused catastrophic injuries. It should be noted that several young pterosaur fossils have been found in this area, and now scientists understand why - adults would likely have survived the storm. Here they explain the conditions:
Read more

Venice Film Festival

Image
This week I thought we might check out some fashion along with some background. The festival began in 1932, and includes the Venice Biennale, one of the world's oldest exhibitions of art. The first film to be presented: Helen Hayes was voted best actress, which she followed up with an Oscar. This year: Cate Blanchett, Father Mother Sister Brother Emily Blunt, The Smashing Machine Noomi Rapace, Mother Colman Domingo, Dead Man's Wire Shailene Woodley, Motor City
Read more