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

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.

Sir Isaac Newton: Father of Modern Science

Today, we celebrate the birthday of one of the most important human beings to walk the face of the Earth. On this day, in 1642, Sir Isaac Newton was born. He would be 371.

Newton was a physicist and mathematician from England. His work laid the foundation of classical mechanics (also called Newtonian physics or mechanics in his honor) and is generally credited with jump starting the scientific revolution. Newton was also one of the first people to assume that the natural world is governed by universal laws that can be expressed mathematically. Generally speaking, Newton"s list of accomplishments are long and profound - his influence will be felt for the rest of human history.

To learn more about Newton and his contributions to society, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/sir-isaac-newton-father-of-modern-science/

Scientifically Speaking, Santa Can Exist

One of the most widely known Christmas-stories involve good ol" St. Nick. After keeping tabs on you for a year, Santa decides whether you"ve been good or bad, then proceeds to deliver gifts accordingly. To do that, he zips around on his sleigh, pulled by flying reindeer, and visits a staggering number of children in a single evening and is back home in time for Christmas dinner with Mrs. Claus (not to mention, he needs to finish before the kids wake up so he isn"t seen).

Obviously, the "classic" version of Santa can"t exist, but with an advanced understanding of relativity and physics, Santa could still accomplish all of the same magic on Christmas Eve. There are plenty of places that "debunk" the classic version of Santa, and it is amusing to think about vaporizing reindeer and a disintegrating Santa, but when Science looks to physics, things get more interesting.

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/scientifically-speaking-santa-can-exist/

Happy December Solstice!

For the folks in the Northern Hemisphere, today is the long awaited Winter Solstice. Though, technically the first day of Winter, the Solstice marks the halfway point of this chilly weather. Today will be the shortest day of the year, and can vary by a few hours depending on your latitude.

For the Southern Hemisphere, today is your Summer Solstice. It marks the first day of Summer, the longest day of the year, and is the embodiment of "things will only get worse from here." The hot Summer days are going to fade into a distant memory until temperate fall and irritating winter clutch your region in it"s sadistic grasp.

To learn more about the Solstice (and to see a cool gif), see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/happy-december-solstice/

Curiosity Confirms First Drilled Mars Sample

References, sources, and further reading can be found here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/curiosity-confirms-first-drilled-mars-sample/

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/curiosity-confirms-first-drilled-mars-sample/