The Book of Life - Your 23 Chromosomes

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-book-of-life-your-23-chromosomes/

Astronomy Photo of the Day: A Volcanic Eruption of Galactic Proportions: 1/12/2014

Most of us have probably heard about super eruptions, but for those of us who aren’t familiar with them, these are massive volcanic explosions that make ordinary eruptions look like nothing more than a bit of steam. So, what happens with a super eruption? In essence, the volcano erupts; people are drowned beneath mountains of lava; a looming cloud of sulfur dioxide gets carried over the globe; the Earth plunges into a volcanic winter; countless species die.

Fun times.

Of course, not all super eruptions are this catastrophic, but the basic point remains the same: A super eruption is a natural disaster of monumental proportions. And for whatever reason, humans are obsessed with annihilation. We love to witness the awesome power of a tornado, the havoc brought by earthquakes, and the explosive power of meteoroids. This drive has made “Storm Chaser” an actual job title.

This image by photographer Yuga Kurita shows an eruption that is just as awe inspiring as ordinary eruptions, but is (thankfully) far less destructive. In Japan, many individuals traverse the side of Mt. Fuji after sundown in order to see the sunrise from the volcanic peak. In order to avoid an undesirable tumble, the travelers use flashlights to guide them.

Kurita explained the creation of the image, writing that, “when I arrived at Fujiyoshida in Yamanashi Prefecture, I saw people climbing up Mt. Fuji with flash lights and I thought they looked like lava streams. Then I came up with this composition, since nowadays, the Milky Way appears vertically in the sky so probably I could liken Mt. Fuji to an imaginary galactic volcano, that is, people climbing up with torches are lava streams and the Milky Way is the volcano smoke.”

Sources:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/astronomy-photo-of-the-day-a-volcanic-eruption-of-galactic-proportions-1122014/

Image via: https://www.facebook.com/kuriyuga

Faster Than Light Neutrinos? No thanks.

In science, there is a saying that goes something like this: It is very hard to unprint something. This saying speaks towards the inevitable fact that, once something goes to print, it is hard to change it. Because of this, there are a lot of public misconceptions of science – I’m going to put one of them to rest today.

Allow me to set the stage for you. It was September 23, 2011 when the world woke up to impossible news; scientists have measured neutrinos traveling faster than the speed of light. Headlines around the world read ‘Was Einstein Wrong?’, ‘Faster than Light Neutrinos Could Disprove Relativity’, ‘Physicists Worried about Relativity’ and the like. All of the sudden, it appeared as if a century’s worth of physics and advancements began crumbling all around us. Most of these stories (and the first one I read) left you under the impression that this result was all but certain, what they didn’t say is that this result was a one-time occurrence and it hadn’t been confirmed. (As a comparison, NASA lands a rover the size of a small car on another planet in one of the most technologically advanced and ambitious Mars missions of all time, not a mention of it in my newspaper. This story was on the front page – and it isn’t even confirmed.)

To see the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/faster-than-light-neutrinos-no-thanks/

Dark Flow: A Mysterious Force From Outside of our Local Universe

When physicists were studying the signature of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which was thrust into existence when our universe was still in diapers, they noted something strange and very unexpected. Clusters of stars were seen traveling at exceptional speed into a narrow expanse of space (about 20 degrees). Indicating that something, but we are not sure of what, is tugging on the galaxies from beyond the scope of the observable universe. Leaving some VERY interesting questions, with equally interesting implications. Could this so-called "dark flow" be evidence of a sister universe, tugging at our own?

Read More: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/dark-flow/

Image Source (Before Editing): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nasa-dark_flow-large.jpg

Ada Lovelace – The Prophet of the Computer Age

Not many people know that Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace (1815-1852), otherwise known as “The Enchantress of Numbers”, was the daughter of the poet Lord Byron.

Even fewer know that Ada Lovelace would become one of the most important mathematicians in recorded history. Her work would prove instrumental in developing modern computers.

Read all about her here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/ada-lovelace-the-prophet-of-the-computer-age/

Image Credit: Getty Images

Potentially Hazardous Asteroids:

The most underrated threat to our planet might be impact events that threaten our small world. Most meteors and asteroids may be incredibly small; however, even the largest are discreet and almost undetectable until it"s too late to do anything about them -- a situation that played out just last year, with the Chelyabinsk Meteor in Russia. If that impact didn"t open your eyes to the danger of these objects, perhaps this newly released image will.

Learn about the significance of this image at
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/14300/

Image via
NASA

Solar Tsunamis:

Do you love diving into the crisp, salty waters of the ocean? Love to feel the sand rolling beneath your feet as you plod through the surf? Do you like the smell of your skin being scorched from your bones, and the feel of your blood as it is boiled from your body?

If you answered “yes” to the first two, you’d probably enjoy catching a few waves on some of California’s exquisite beaches. If you answered “yes” to all three, you’d probably enjoy catching a few solar waves on the Sun’s surface (and you might be a teensy bit crazy, but who am I to judge?).

We all know about the tsunamis that crash across our planet. And we know about the destruction that they can cause. Who can forget the horrifying 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, with its waves reaching some 95 feet (30 meters) in the air? If tsunamis on Earth are so unspeakably powerful, what can be said about solar tsunamis?

Find out: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/solar-tsunamis/

Image Credit: NASA

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/11/14 - NGC 1316

When two galaxies collide, the aftereffects are typically noticeable to any outside onlookers (the tad pole galaxies and the Mice galaxies are two notable examples). However, the aftereffects are generally not nearly as peculiar as what we see here, with this unusual galaxy. NGC 1316 (its formal designation) is located about 75 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of Fornax. This jumbled mess of a galaxy spans about 60,000 light-years across - making it much smaller than our home galaxy of the Milky Way - yet it contains exponentially more gas and dust, which give life to new stars.

Astronomers have deduced that this unique looking galaxy is actually an elliptical galaxy of epic proportions, but by a strange twist of fate, it just so happens to have the dark dust (or knot) lanes typically attributed to spiral galaxies -- suggesting that one or more of the galaxies absorbed by NGC 1316 were spiral in nature. Similarly, more evidence was uncovered to suggest that NGC 1316 is the result of several celestial collisions. This evidence comes in the form of several low-mass globular clusters found lurking within the vicinity of NGC 1316"s central region (yes, it has one). Many of the stars that inhabit the cluster still bear the scars of the long-ended mergers, especially as far as distribution is concerned.

Sources & Further Reading: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-ngc-1316/

Image Credit: P. Goudfrooij (STScI), Hubble Heritage Team, (STScI/AURA), ESA, NASA

Question: Which Star is Likely to go Supernova in Our Lifetimes?

Question: I have read that supernovae only happen in our galaxy every hundred years or so, so which star is the most likely candidate to go nova soon? What will it look like from Earth?"

Answer: It"s difficult to be sure exactly which star will be the first to go, but we have a few candidates to consider. The first candidate is one of the brightest stars in the sky. Eta Carinae, as its called, is a heavyweight star located some 7,500 light-years from Earth. Moving onward, we have IK Pegasus, one of two stars in an ill-fated binary system. One of the stars, IK Pegasus A, will soon transform into a red-giant (this transformation marks the beginning of the end for sun-like stars), subsequently transferring matter to its companion white-dwarf, IK Pegasus B. This process will culminate in a type 1a supernova blast.

Of course, we can"t ignore Antares, a super-giant in the constellation of Scorpio. It too has a companion star that will explode in a type 1a blast. Neither of these are more likely to explode than Betelgeuse. (Perhaps if we say it three times, we"ll get to see it in our lifetimes? Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!)

Find out more about the star and how it will look on Earth, here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/question-which-star-is-likely-to-go-supernova-in-our-lifetimes/

Image Credit: ESO/L. Calçada (Larger image: http://ow.ly/stGvG)

Shirts for a Cause:

Here at From Quarks to Quasars, our team is working to spread scientific literacy in a fun, easily digestible fashion -- by showcasing some of the most recent scientific developments in a way that the average person can comprehend. Our philosophy centers around ensuring that everyone (regardless of education, location, language, economic situation, or background) has free access to said developments in technology and research. By increasing the amount of scientific material that is seen and understood by the general public, we hope to help others look at the world around them with rationalism and skepticism -- ultimately allowing them to separate science fact from science fiction using the scientific method.

With this in mind, our ultimate goal is to raise money to host scholarships and grants. This, in turn, will aid the next generation of scientists and encourage individuals to take part in scientific studies. We also hope to raise money to assist nonprofits that are working to achieve similar goals (all of our articles are free, and they always will be).

Consequently, if you are looking for a gift for yourself or for a fellow science lover, this is a great place to get cool items and contribute to a good cause. In addition to helping us with our day-to-day operational fees, your contribution will be used to help us achieve the aforementioned goals. With your help, we can help ensure that this generation has the tools they will need to succeed.

Visit us at The FQtQ Store:

http://www.sunfrogshirts.com/Geek-&-Tech/Quarks-to-Quasar-logo-white.html?2415

We have many different colors and designs; we ship outside the U.S., and we have shirts for both men and women. And as always, thanks for being awesome.

Science on,
~The FQtQ Team

Will There be Another Space Race?

At times, it seems that the world has come to a standstill--like the era of exploration is behind us, like we’ve nothing to do but turn inward, like we are grinding to a halt. With nations around the globe facing financial crisis, many question whether continued space endeavors are really worth the trouble. However, space exploration (like exploration in general) is not a vain attempt at conquest. Rather, it is fueled by a desire to know, to see, and to better understand.

In fact, our first steps out into the stars revolutionized the way that we saw our own little planet (think of Carl Sagan"s Pale Blue Dot). What"s more, it fueled industry and inspired an entire generation to reach for the stars (literally). The first men and women to leave our planet helped all of us better understand the cultural, economic, and scientific importance of space exploration. So where are we now? And where are we heading?

Find out what the future holds at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/will-there-be-another-space-race/

Image via
CNSA

ISON"s New Meteor Shower?

You all remember Comet ISON, right? The little comet that couldn"t? In late November, ISON disappointed skywatchers all over the world by not surviving it"s trip around the Sun. There was no "comet of the century" to be seen in December as ISON was little more than a diffuse collection of dust. Even then, ISON has managed to continuously surprise astronomers with it"s peculiar behavior. The dust trail left behind by ISON might be the subject of some more interest.

Around January 12th, Earth will be passing through the debris trail left behind by ISON, paving the way for another annual meteor shower. Only, this meteor shower is likely to have some very interesting properties.

To learn more, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/isons-new-meteor-shower/

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/09/13 - LMC Over Easter Island

This is an incredible picture of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) as it rises in the southern sky over Easter Island. Here, four of the famous Maoi are easily visible as they guard Ahu Akivi.

The LMC is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way and is located about 160,000 light-years from Earth. Needless to say, it is easily visible with the unaided eye. For those interested, the Maoi were created about 500 years ago by Polynesian colonizers. There are seven Maoi at this particular location and a total of 887 of these great statues throughout the Island itself.

http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-010913-lmc-over-easter-island/

Colonization of Space is Now

When we think of space exploration, we generally think of excitement and entertainment--of all the interesting things that await us out in the cosmos. What we often fail to consider is the evolution and advancement of our species. And when I say "evolution," I mean it literally.

Learn how space exploration may fuel our evolution at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/colonization-of-space-is-now/

Image can be purchased here:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/gus3141592/works/5874730-jetpack-evolution

The Era of Exploration:

While browsing the internet, I stumbled across a rather alarming idea. It was in the form of a quote, and it read, “You were born too late. You will never explore Earth. You were also born too early. You will never explore the stars.” I find this assertion a tad depressing.

According to this quote, there is little hope that we will ever trek across the surface of unexplored mountains, deserts, volcanic plains, or what have you. No matter how remote a place may be someone, somewhere has already explored it.

Similarly, chances are, we will never boldly trek out into space and go where no man (or woman) has gone before. We lack the technology. We lack the drive. So the exploration of this final frontier will be left to those who are not yet born. But is our outlook really this dismal?

Find out what the future of exploration really holds for us at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-era-of-exploration/

Image:
NASA

The First X-class Solar Flare of 2014:

Our sun, that great fireball in the sky, is the giver of light to all the Earth. However, at times, we can feel very disconnected from our nearest star, not so much because of its physical distance (which is some 93 million miles/ 150 million km), but because we take it for granted. From Earth, we just see a bright ball of light that travels throughout the sky, much the same, day after day. The problem is that we don"t really see what is going on, and so we forget about the immense power the Sun. But every now and then, it flares up to remind us that we need to take notice.

Case in point, on January 7 at 18:09 UTC (Jan 8 5:10 am Melbourne, Australia), the sun let off a giant burst of energy! We had our first x-class solar flare for 2014, which registered a maximum flux of X 1.3 at 18:32 UTC.

For much of the Earth, we are still going to be detached from this solar tsunami. However, in the northern and southern latitudes, aurorae are likely to become livelier (as it takes a few days to travel such an enormous distance)

With two large solar flares ringing in the new year, it seems that solar cycle 24 still has more to offer.

Learn more about solar flares by visiting the sources at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-first-x-class-solar-flare-of-2014/

Image courtesy of
Science That

We Want You to Write for Us:

Do you love science and writing? FQTQ is looking to expand its staff, and you can help. We are looking to add writers and editors to a limited number of paid positions.

If you"re interested in applying, see the requirements listed here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/we-want-you-to-write-for-us/

Intelligence: Moving Beyond IQ (Part 2)

In part one (linked to below), I discussed a few ways that humans define intelligence, as well as the most widely used measure of intelligence (IQ). Now, we’re breaking away to look at the bigger picture of intelligence: Is IQ really all we have to say about intelligence?

When it comes to intelligence, there are some bold questions we have to ask. For example, “Can your IQ change over time or with education?,” “Does a high IQ guarantee academic success?,”“What do other skills (like empathy, communication, and perseverance) have to do with intelligence?” Scientists have been working over the last few decades to give us a more complete picture of what it means to be “smart.”

And this question is a lot more complex than you might imagine: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/intelligence-moving-beyond-iq/

Part 1: ow.ly/sp6yp

Image via: Wikimedia Commons

What is Intelligence? What Do IQ Tests Really Measure? (Part 1)

Throughout history, Homo Sapiens (as well as our direct ancestors like Neanderthals and Australopithecus) have attempted to breakaway from nature; one of the many ties that bind us. Instead of being controlled by the whims of mother Earth and adapting to our environment, we try and make nature and our environment adapt to us. We have invented a great variety of tools in order to assist us in this capacity. Over time, humans even started to harness nature itself--raising plants and animals for food rather than gathering or hunting. There is little doubt that, for the most part, present day Homo Sapiens dominate nature.

Of course, we can debate the ways in which this practice is both beneficial and problematic, but such debates are for philosophers. Scientists are more concerned with how humans became so technologically efficient and how they ultimately came to dominate other species. Of course, many variables play a role in the Human’s rise to power, but the primary determining factor is what we call intelligence.

But there’s more to intelligence than meets the eye: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/intelligence-changing-what-you-think-you-know-part-one/

Image Credit: Andrew Councill/AFP/Getty Images

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/09/13 - Orion"s Sword in the Winter Sky

This epic picture was captured by Mike Berenson at Colorado Captures. It reveals the splendor of one of the night sky"s biggest attractions - the Sword of Orion. This region of the sky houses the Orion nebula (the very bright pinkish/blue one), among other interesting objects and features. Altogether, this little region of sky is one of the most viewed regions and best studied regions in the entire celestial hemisphere.



The Orion nebula is the closest nebula to Earth, residing at a distance of 1300 light years. This makes it a hot destination for professional astronomers who want to study the nebula"s intricate detail. Amateur astronomers turn their eye to Orion because it is one of the most stunning objects in the night sky.

http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-010913-orions-sword-in-the-winter-sky/

Image Credit: Mike Berenson (Colorado Captures)

Good news alien enthusiasts! Area 51 officially exists!

For decades, Area 51 was one of the governments worst kept secrets – a secret military base that everyone knew about. A recently declassified CIA document has now confirmed the existence of the ‘secret’ military base in the middle of the Nevada desert making the inner conspiracy theorist in us all jump with glee. Unfortunately, happiness turns to sorrow because the CIA still hasn’t released any documentation that Area 51 has been visited by extraterrestrials, nor that any alien spaceships crashed in the desert in the 40s, nor that humanity has received any sign of the existence of aliens whatsoever.

Of course, everyone knows first contact will really happen in the middle of Montana in 2063, but we’re talking about Roswell right now.

To read more about the declassification, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/good-news-alien-enthusiasts-area-51-officially-exists/

Do You Believe in Molecules?

This article was created by Dr. Oné Pagán and originally posted on his BaldScientist blog. Reposted with permission.

Molecules are entities composed of at least two atoms, organized in specific ways; they are really small things, and that’s no joke. I would not blame you one bit if you do not “believe” in them, but that makes them no less real, just so you know. Anyway, we all know “in our heads” that everything is made out of atoms and by extension, molecules, but in “our hearts” we find this fact quite mind-boggling and therefore very hard to imagine… Just think about the size of those tiny things!

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/do-you-believe-in-molecules/

2010 WG9 & The Oort Cloud

Somewhere beyond the orbit of Neptune is a treasure-trove just waiting to be opened – and I’m not talking about Pluto. Astronomers have identified the trans-Neptunian object 2010 WG9; it’s certainly an awesome find. Dr. David Rabinowitz believes 2010 WG9 isn’t any regular trans-Neptunian object, but rather an object from the Oort cloud that has ventured closer to home.

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/2010-wg9-the-oort-cloud/

Planetary Conjunction Over Hawaii

Back in Early June, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter were involved in a cosmic dance in the early evening sky known as a planet conjunction.

A conjunction is when two or more astronomical objects appear close to one another from the standpoint of a third observer. It’s a dynamic byproduct of orbital mechanics. There are many different kinds of conjunctions; you can literally use any astronomical objects; the moon and a planet, the sun and a planet, two planets, a planet and a distant star, etc. Obviously, this conjunction, seen in the shape of a triangle off center-left, features Jupiter (top left point), Venus (bottom center point), and Mercury (top right point).

This image in particular was taken by Mike Dillnger just after sunset on May 26 from the Haleakala Summit in Maui, Hawaii.

http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/planetary-conjunction-over-hawaii/

Are there still undiscovered planets in the Solar System?

Question: Is it possible that there are planets in the Solar System that we don"t know about? For example, in the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud.
Asked by: Tom Andersson

Answer: First, I should clarify that a "planet" is simply an object (that is not a moon) that orbits the Sun. There are different categories of "planet" such as a major planet (Earth/Jupiter), dwarf planet (Pluto/Ceres), and minor planet (asteroids/comets). So, technically speaking, there are plenty of undiscovered planets out there since there are still loads of undiscovered asteroids and comets.

However, when most people say "planet" they are referring to major planets, so for the duration of this article, I"ll use the two terms interchangeably. So, are there still undiscovered planets in the solar system? If we go by the traditional definition for "planet" then the answer is both ‘not really’ and ‘sure, why not’.

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/are-there-still-undiscovered-planets-in-the-solar-system/

Image Credit: NASA

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/08/14 - NGC 2170

NGC 2170 is a spectacular nebular region located in the constellation Monoceros. Part of this beauty lies in the fact that it is a region bearing many different types of nebulae. We have a reflection nebula that is surrounded by other blueish reflection nebulae, black absorption nebulae and a red emission region. Areas such as this tend to be hot beds for star formation activity, which gives us plenty of eye candy to look at.

Speaking of star formation activity; this region lies on the edge of a molecular cloud, which is known as Mon R2. It can be found close in the sky to the Orion nebula, but it is currently estimated to be almost twice as far away (making it around 2,400 light-years from Earth).

NGC 2170 is thought to span about 80 light-years across. Just to give you a sense of how incredibly large this is, our solar system is sometimes estimated to be about 15 light-hours across (one light year extends 9.5 trillion kilometers [or about 6 trillion miles]) The distance that separates our solar system from our closest neighbor (in the Alpha Centauri star system) is about 4.37 light-years. That number only says how long it would take a photon traveling from the sun at the speed of light to reach it, not a space ship or one of the voyager probes (it would take thousands of years to journey to the closest star, Proxima Centauri, going at top speed). In this stellar nebula, it takes light 80 YEARS to travel from one side to the other. Very large indeed!

Sources & Further Reading: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-ngc-2170/

Image Credit: Adam Block, Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, U. Arizona

True Shooting Stars;

If you"ve ever gazed up at the night sky (and lets just admit it, we all have) you"ve probably wished upon a shooting star (which are really meteors burning up after entering Earth"s atmosphere) at some point in your life, but shooting stars actually do exist, and they"re as rare as one in 100 million.

In 2005, astronomers discovered the first "hypervelocity" star careening out of the galaxy into intergalactic space at nearly 530 miles per second (or almost 2 million miles per hour), which is 10 times faster than ordinary star movement. They were first theorized to exist in 1988, but not confirmed for several more years. The theory was that binary star systems at a galaxy"s center would occasionally wander too close to the supermassive black hole looming there, which would disrupt their orbital dance. While one of the pair was captured by the black hole, the other would be sent rocketing off at incredible speeds.

One such star, which can be read about here, has a more interesting story: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/true-shooting-stars/

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI)

True Shooting Stars;

If you"ve ever gazed up at the night sky (and lets just admit it, we all have) you"ve probably wished upon a shooting star (which are really meteors burning up after entering Earth"s atmosphere) at some point in your life, but shooting stars actually do exist, and they"re as rare as one in 100 million.

In 2005, astronomers discovered the first "hypervelocity" star careening out of the galaxy into intergalactic space at nearly 530 miles per second (or almost 2 million miles per hour), which is 10 times faster than ordinary star movement. They were first theorized to exist in 1988, but not confirmed for several more years. The theory was that binary star systems at a galaxy"s center would occasionally wander too close to the supermassive black hole looming there, which would disrupt their orbital dance. While one of the pair was captured by the black hole, the other would be sent rocketing off at incredible speeds.

One such star, which can be read about here, has a more interesting story: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/true-shooting-stars/

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI)

The Birth of the Big Bang and the Timeline of Everything We Know

Modern scientific thought owes itself to the contributions of many great men and women. Without these individuals, our universe would (literally) look quite different. However, there are two scientists in the field of cosmology who stand out among all the rest: Edwin Hubble and Georges Lemaître. By 1930, other cosmologists had concluded that the static (non-evolving) model of the universe was unsatisfactory.

This discovery is largely due to the efforts of Edwin Hubble. Using the world’s largest telescope, which is located at Mt. Wilson in California, he showed that the distant galaxies all appeared to be receding from us. What"s more, these far flung galaxies were traveling away from us at speeds proportional to their distances -- Enter Lemaître -- Lemaître used these findings to draw attention to his earlier paper, in which he explained the relationship between the distance of a galaxy and the recession velocity of that same galaxy. By putting together Hubble’s observations with Lemaître’s paper, a majority of astronomers became convinced that the universe was indeed expanding. This revolutionized the study of cosmology.

Why was this find so notable? Shortly after this discovery, Lemaître reasoned that traveling back in time should lead to an epoch in which all the matter in the universe was packed together in an extremely dense state – a primeval atom. And this was the birth of Big Bang cosmology.

So, let us take a moment to delve into the Big Bang--into the timeline of everything that has ever existed...

Image:
NASA/ESO

Ghost Galaxies: A Cosmic Riddle

See this lovely image? Any guesses as to what you are looking at? (Hint: It"s not the Hubble Ultra Deep Field or any similar image) What may look like nothing, for all intents and purposes, is actually a full blown galaxy -- with a twist. This galaxy is almost lacking in stars entirely.

You see.. There are ghosts all around us, that is, assuming your definition of a ghost extends to extremely faint galaxies with very few stars; and by very few, I do mean very few. You could probably count the number of stars in these galaxies within minutes, as these galaxies contain hundreds, or maybe a couple thousands, of stars. That’s right, we are talking about numbers 3 or 4 digits long -- numbers that probably resemble your bank account. (In contrast, our galaxy - the Milky Way - contains an estimated 4 billion stars) These so-called "ghost galaxies" have intrigued astronomers for several years now.

But maybe not for the reasons you"d think: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/ghost-galaxies-a-cosmic-riddle/

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and T. Brown (STScI)

Spray-on Clothing: It’s Headed Your Way…

n one of the coolest (but least life-changing) developments over the last year or so, scientists at Imperial College London have created a revolutionary technology: Spray-on Clothing. In this case, I suppose that the “scientists” can also be referred to as “fashion designers,” especially as the concoction was created by one of each. The scientist is chemical engineer and professor of particle technology, Paul Luckham, and the fashion designer is concept creator and founder of the company “Fabrican,” Manuel Torres.

The “spray-on” part might make the process sound a little messy, but it is actually relatively tidy.

To find out how they are made, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/spray-on-clothing/

Image Credit: Manel Torres

Know Your Scientist: Alan Turing

Alan Turing – a brilliant British mathematician and one of the leading scientific geniuses of the 20th century, is regarded as the father of modern computer science and artificial intelligence. Although his name wasn’t widely known outside scientific circles during his lifetime, (his most crucial work was classified top secret until the late 1970s), he became the center of media attention when he was posthumously granted a Royal pardon on December 23, 2013, by Queen Elizabeth II.

Turing cracked the unbreakable German Enigma codes during World War II, shortening the duration of the war and "saving countless lives," according to British Prime Minister David Cameron. Turing was arrested in 1952 for homosexuality, and tried and convicted of" "gross indecency." Homosexuality was a crime in Britain in the 1950s, and Turing was given a choice between prison and chemical castration. The latter involved a series of estrogen injections for one year. He chose chemical castration, received "treatment" for his "disorder," but two years later, he was found dead of an apparent suicide. He was 41 years old.

Read more about this incredible visionary here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/know-your-scientist-alan-turing/

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/05/14 - IC 4678

This magnificent image has several areas of interest: First and foremost, we have the Lagoon nebula, one of the most photographed star forming regions in our galaxy. Pictured close-by is IC 4678, an emission nebula comprised of glowing red gas, surrounded by intricate filaments of material. Moving onward, we see a small reflection nebula (the small blue area containing two bright stars). Lastly, we have a dark absorption nebula, which contains so much opaque dust, the activity going on inside of the area is obscured from sight.

IC 4678 (and its respective regions) can be found more than 5,000 light-years away in the Sagittarius constellation. Overall, the area spans more than 25 light-years across.

Sources & Further Reading: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-ic-4678/

Image Credit: Ken Siarkiewicz & Adam Block, NOAO, AURA, NSF

Supergiant and Hypergiant Stars Compared to our Solar System:

The universe is filled with enormous planets that make the Earth seem like nothing more than a speck of sand on a mountain. We don"t even need to leave our solar system in order to find the behemoths that put our planet to shame. Take Jupiter, for example. This gas giant has 63 moons, some of which are larger than the other planets in the solar system (like the moon Ganymede, which is larger than the planet Mercury). Similarly, the Great Red Spot (Jupiter"s largest storm system) could swallow Earth twice over, while over 1,300 Earths could easily fit inside the planet itself.

To put it mildly, Jupiter is truly enormous. But of course, Jupiter isn"t the reigning king of the solar system. Obviously, that title goes to our star--you could fit 1.3 million Earths inside the Sun. That may sound impressive, but (unsurprisingly) there are many stars that dwarf our Sun. In fact, there are stars that dwarf nearly our entire solar system....like Blue Supergiants.

Want to learn about some of the largest stars in the universe? See:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/supergiant-and-hypergiant-stars-compared-to-our-solar-system/

Image via NASA

A Message from the Vitruvian Man:

In the summer of 2011, in the remote area of the Arctic Ocean, between Greenland and Norway’s Svalbard Islands, a huge piece of ice was used as a canvas by John Quigley, an artist form Los Angeles. He and his volunteer assistants traveled to the Fram Strait on board the Greenpeace icebreaker Arctic Sunrise to construct a giant copy of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous drawing – the “Vitruvian Man.”

The “Melting Vitruvian Man”, as it was called by the artist, half submerged in the warming waters of the Arctic Ocean, resembled a drowning man slowly disappearing into the depths of the ocean. The installation, covering an area the size of four Olympic swimming pools, was created with recycled copper strips, and was on display only for a day. The goal of the project was to deliver an urgent message to the world. “We came here to create the “Melting Vitruvian Man” after Da Vinci’s famous sketch of the human body, because climate change is literally eating into the body of our civilization,” explained Quigley.

See the entirety of his message, here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/a-message-from-the-vitruvian-man/

Image Credit: Nick Cobbing/Greenpeace

Standard Candles - Measuring Cosmic Distances:

Among the various questions we are often asked about, the one that comes to the forefront of the mind deals with how we accurately estimate how distant objects truly are from us. It"s a difficult task all together since humans are inherently incapable of truly grasping how large the distance that separates the sun from Pluto or the Oort cloud is (not to mention our crappy depth perception) -- let alone trying to wrap your mind around the 4.37 light-year gap separating our solar system and its closest neighbors in the Alpha Centauri system. Then, we must contemplate the vastness of the universe outside of our peripheral view.. like, all of the planetary systems across our galaxy at large and of our local group -- a region of space containing more than 54 galaxies. We know that much more exists beyond our local group, which brings us to the point of this article... how exactly are distances measured? Lets take a look:

First up, Cepheid variable stars: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/measuring-cosmic-distances/

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cal-tech

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/04/14 - The Fireworks Galaxy

To start off 2014 right, this is the Fireworks Galaxy, aptly named given its brilliance. NGC 6946, as it is formally known as, lies about 10 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of Cepheus. When it was originally discovered by Sir William Herschel, the galaxy was widely believed to be a member of our local group, which is made up of over 50 galaxies, including several other dwarf-galaxies. It wasn"t until years later that astronomers discovered that the reddening seen enveloping the galaxy was from interstellar dust grains, obscuring our view (instead of red-shift).

Speaking of red, the applicable areas are star forming regions, teeming with new-life -- while the blue bits are actually celestial members of our own galaxy, which are obstructing our view of NGC 6946. Interestingly, several new supernova remnants have been discovered each year for the last 60 lurking within NGC 6946"s spiral arms. This is very unusual, as it is normal to only witness one supernova blast every 30 years in galaxies similar to our own.

References & Further Reading: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-fireworks-galaxy/

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (U. of Ariz./Inst. of Astr., U. of Cambridge) and the SINGS Team

Tonight, Meteors will light up the winter sky:

If you"re in the Northern Hemisphere, you"re in luck! Tonight, turn your eyes towards the Big Dipper"s handle and look to the west of the bright star Arcturus. If the weather is favorable (and light pollution isn"t clouding the skies and obscuring your view), then you should be able to see some 80-200 meteors per an hour streaking through the sky. If you"ve never seen a meteor shower before, be sure to check it out this evening starting at midnight and carrying on until dawn. They are truly glorious events, and definitely worth a little lost shut-eye.

These meteors will blast into Earth"s atmosphere at about 90,000 miles per hour (144,800 km/h), but you"ve no need to fear any deadly cataclysms. The typical bright meteor is produced by a particle with a mass less than 1 gram...no larger than a pea. So even if the Quadrantids set the sky aglow, you"ve nothing to fear.

Want to learn more amazing facts about meteors and how to find them? See:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/tonight-meteors-will-light-up-the-winter-sky/

Image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73449134@N04/8343003942/in/photolist-dHf5py-dH9EGv-dH6aWh-97BHji-b7byEF-b7byVX

New Observation of a Coronal Mass Ejection:

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are quite possibly the most terrifying storms in the solar system (yes, even more horrifying than Jupiter"s Great Red Spot). Imagine an explosion that sends 100 billion kg (220 billion pounds) of superheated material storming towards you at speeds reaching 1000 km/second (2 million mph). That"s essentially what coronal mass ejections are. These events can release as much energy as one billion hydrogen bombs.

In short, these solar events are amazingly powerful and amazingly destructive. And we had an opportunity to witness one of these events recently, on December 16th and 17th.

See more images of this CME, as well as a video, at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/new-observation-of-a-coronal-mass-ejection/

Via:
NASA

Nature At Its Most Devastating: The Science Of Earthquakes

Earthquakes are often amazingly impressive events. If they are large enough, they can disrupt local habitats and even alter Earth"s rotation. Just a few centuries ago, we could only explain volcanic and seismic activities as the acts of gods who were punishing their creations. For example, ancient Greeks believed that Poseidon was the "Earth-Shaker," a being who would topple their cities if they didn"t worship and appease him. Unfortunately for them, Greece sits in one the most earthquake prone areas of the world, situated in a boundary region between 3 tectonic plates (their God must have often appeared to be displeased). Similarly, the Romans believed the Italian island of Volcano was the vent above the forge of the god Vulcan.

Centuries later, even with all our technological advances, we haven"t come to a complete understanding of the various phenomena that make up Mother Nature. Nevertheless, today, scientists have a very reliable and accurate understanding of the mechanics behind these (often devastating) seismic events.

To learn about these fantastic events, see:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/nature-at-its-most-devastating-the-science-of-earthquakes/

In this image:
Smoke engulfs San Francisco as fires erupt after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
aia A.L. Murat – Corbis

Astronomy Photo of the Day: The Multiwavelength Sun 1/3/2014

Unfortunately, humans can only see light from a very small part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Quite literally, there is a whole universe out there that we can"t see. Fortunately, we have technology to aid us.

This fantastic image of the Sun shows us how our star looks from the visible part of the spectrum to the extreme reaches of the ultraviolet wavelengths. Of course, the light received by our observatories had to be translated into a color that we could see, so this isn"t *actually* what ultraviolet light looks like; however, the image does give us a pretty good idea of how much of our the Sun we can"t see.

Want to know how much of the universe we are missing? See:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/astronomy-photo-of-the-day-the-multiwavelength-sun-132014/

Image:
NASA

Nature At Its Most Devastating: The Science Of Earthquakes

Earthquakes are often amazingly impressive events. If they are large enough, they can disrupt local habitats and even alter Earth"s rotation. Just a few centuries ago, we could only explain volcanic and seismic activities as the acts of gods who were punishing their creations. For example, ancient Greeks believed that Poseidon was the "Earth-Shaker," a being who would topple their cities if they didn"t worship and appease him. Unfortunately for them, Greece sits in one the most earthquake prone areas of the world, situated in a boundary region between 3 tectonic plates (their God must have often appeared to be displeased). Similarly, the Romans believed the Italian island of Volcano was the vent above the forge of the god Vulcan.

Centuries later, even with all our technological advances, we haven"t come to a complete understanding of the various phenomena that make up Mother Nature. Nevertheless, today, scientists have a very reliable and accurate understanding of the mechanics behind these (often devastating) seismic events.

To learn about these fantastic events, see:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/nature-at-its-most-devastating-the-science-of-earthquakes/

In this image:
Smoke engulfs San Francisco as fires erupt after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
aia A.L. Murat – Corbis

A Step Forward in the Genetic Treatment of Down"s Syndrome:

Ordinarily, during the reproduction process, the egg cell and the sperm cell start out with 46 chromosomes. The egg and sperm each undergo cell division (a process through which the 46 chromosomes are divided in half), and the egg and the sperm cells each end up with 23 chromosomes. Consequently, when a sperm with 23 chromosomes fertilizes an egg with 23 chromosomes, the baby ends up with a complete set of 46 chromosomes (half coming from the father"s sperm and half from the mother"s egg).

From time to time, an error may occur when the chromosomes are being divided in half, and an egg or sperm cell keeps both copies of the #21 chromosome instead of just one copy. As a result, if this egg or sperm is fertilized, the baby ends up with three copies of the #21 chromosome. This is called "trisomy 21" or Down syndrome. The features of Down syndrome result from having an extra copy of chromosome 21 in every cell in the body. Ninety-five percent of Down syndrome results from trisomy 21.

People with this condition have an increased susceptibility to infection, while children with Down"s Syndrome have a 10 to 20 fold increased risk of developing leukemia, and 10 to 15% of babies with Down syndrome have a severe heart defect that requires surgical intervention during the first few months of life. Fortunately, in recent times, we have made great advancements in the fight against this condition.

Learn about these breakthroughs at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/a-step-forward-in-the-genetic-treatment-of-downs-syndrome/

Image:
X.Compagnion

Scientists Discover New Element

The existence of a new element has been confirmed!

Physicists at the Lund University have recently confirmed the existence of an element with an atomic number 115 - the newest addition to the Periodic Table.

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/scientists-discover-new-element/

What is the Shape of Space?

Take a guess and post it in the comments below. Afterwards, check out this article for the answer.

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/what-is-the-shape-of-space/

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/02/14 - The Lagoon Nebula

This is the Lagoon Nebula, which is also known as M8. This fascinating object can be found within the constellation Sagittarius about 5,000 light-years away. This image stretches about 60-light-years.

The Lagoon Nebula is a stellar nursery responsible for cranking out the next generation of stars in the Milky Way. Near the center of the nebula, you can see the star cluster NGC 6530. This open cluster is currently carving out the Lagoon with solar winds from the hot young stars. Scattered throughout the lagoon, you can see little cocoons shielding more new star systems from view.

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-010214-the-lagoon-nebula/

Image Credit: Ignacio Diaz Bobillo

Astronomers Find Manatee in Space:

Astronomers found a bright blue manatee hovering in the cosmos. Covering a distance of some 700 light-years, this celestial beast makes Earth"s manatees look like...well, quite frankly, there is no apt comparison. The manatees found on Earth typically measure just over 13 feet (3.9m) in length; this celestial mammoth stretches more than 4.1 quadrillion miles.

Of course, a creature this size would quickly deplete Earth"s oceans of all life. Fortunately, the National Wildlife Federation doesn’t have to worry because this manatee isn’t a carnivore or even a herbivore. It’s a nebula.

Get more amazing facts about this fantastic structure at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/astronomers-find-manatee-in-space/

Image:
NASA

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/01/14 - The Magellanic Stream

No, that"s not a bleach stain on the Milky Way. This object is called the Magellanic Stream. It was discovered in 1965 in the southern hemisphere of the Milky Way, covering at least 180 degrees of sky (it"s about 600,000 light-years in length). The mysterious structure is located about 180,000 light-years from the Milky Way. The gas moves at excessive speeds, and in a direction that doesn"t match patterns found within the Milky Way. As a result, it has been the source of much astronomical scrutiny.

However, the long search for the object that spawned this beast is over. This structure was found to originate from the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, two satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. Through this new data, originating from Hubble"s Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, scientists were able to determine that the material was likely freed from the gravitational bondage of the two satellite galaxies some 2-billion years ago, when the two galaxies interacted with each other. Most of the material is thought to originate from the Small Magellanic Cloud because it"s smaller and would have felt a stronger pull from the bullying Large Magellanic Cloud.

Another mystery solved. Yay.

Sources and further reading: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-010114-the-magellanic-stream/

Image Credit: D. Nidever et al., NRAO/AUI/NSF, A. Mellinger, LAB Survey, Parkes, Westerbork, and Arecibo Obs.

Evidence suggests life on Earth could have started on Mars:

There is a theory that"s gaining a bit of traction in the scientific community, a theory which suggests that life on Earth could have come from Mars. Evidence in favor of this theory has been building over the last couple of decades, which and it indicates that we all (could be) Martians.

The theory basically asserts that, some 4-billion years ago, life started on Mars. Then a meteor then struck the planet, sending little chunks of Martian rocks (containing Martian life) into interplanetary space. One or more of these rocks then fell to Earth, seeding life on the planet and BOOM, here you are.

Learn all about this theory, and the evidence that supports it, at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/evidence-suggests-life-on-earth-could-have-started-on-mars/

Image:
NASA