Particles from a massive solar flare Monday are en route to earth, and they may have interesting effects in our own atmosphere. When charged emissions from solar flares encounter atoms in Earth’s ionosphere, they stimulate the phenomenon we know as the aurora borealis or “northern lights”. Usually seen in extreme northern parts of the US and Canada, this flare might result in auroras being seen as far south as Washington DC.
http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/todays-top-forecast-4276#19695
NASA’s Stardust NExT does — a date with a comet. At around 11:30 tonight Stardust NExT will meet up with Temple 1, the comet previously visited by Deep Impact in 2006. …. read more
NASA’s Mission: Sceince website provides a great information resource about the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. If you are confused or would simply like to know more, click on the image, read through the pages, download a .pdf or view the videos. This might even be useful information for your paper.
A little word of advice as you write your paper (link to directions); don’t write it as questions and answers or use phrases like “next I’ll tell you about”. Your writing should flow naturally from one paragraph to the next as you tell the story of your space mission. Double check your facts — be sure what you write is accurate. And of course do your research so you understand what you are writing about.
Let’s analyze the lyrics; what does this say about the “Big Bang”? How much of it is accurate? Copy the lyrics and do your analysis.
Everyone knows that “the moon on the breast of new-fallen snow gives the luster of mid-day to objects below.”
That is, except during a lunar eclipse.
See for yourself on Dec. 21st, the first day of northern winter, when th
e full Moon
passes almost dead-center through Earth’s shadow. For 72 minutes of eerie totality, an amber light will play across the snows of North America, throwing landscapes into an unusual state of ruddy shadow.
The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST (Monday, Dec. 20th, at 10:33 pm PST). At that time, Earth’s shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk. It takes about an hour for the “bite” to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 02:41 am EST (11:41 pm PST) and lasts for 72 minutes.
If you’re planning to dash out for only one quick look - it is December, after all - choose this moment: 03:17 am EST (17 minutes past midnight PST). That’s when the Moon will be in deepest shadow, displaying the most fantastic shades of coppery red.
Why red?
A quick trip to the Moon provides the answer: Imagine yourself standing on a dusty lunar plain looking up at the sky. Overhead hangs Earth, nightside down, completely hiding the sun behind it. The eclipse is underway. You might expect Earth seen in this way to be utterly dark, but it’s not. The rim of the planet is on fire! As you scan your eye around Earth’s circumference, you’re seeing every sunrise and every sunset in the world, all of them, all at once. This incredible light beams into the heart of Earth’s shadow, filling it with a coppery glow and transforming the Moon into a great red orb.
Back on Earth, the shadowed Moon paints newly fallen snow with unfamiliar colors–not much luster, but lots of beauty.
Enjoy the show.
Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA
Test your knowledge by taking a practice test. Click on the image below.
Remember if you want to see the results of your test (which questions you got right or wrong) include your email address on the test and I’ll send you the results.
