Dec 17, 2013 The Universe behaves according to the laws of plasma dynamics. In every science journal discussing the behavior of planetary nebulae, the prevailing opinion usually involves gases and dust “blowing” through them, as well as “winds” created by “shock waves” from exploding stars. In many cases, the…
Dec 16, 2013 An X-2 class solar flare recently missed a direct impact with Earth. Heliophysicists classify solar flares according to their brightness in X-ray wavelengths. C-class flares are the smallest on the scale, with X-ray measurements in the 10^-6 watts per square meter range (W/m^2), while X-class flares…
Dec 13, 2013 Between Bali and its neighbouring island, Lombok, is a slim ten mile sea channel. The channel is the start of the thousands-mile-long Wallace line. It is not only a dividing geological etching beneath the sea, it is also a biological division. On one side of the…
Dec 12, 2013 Was the early Universe powered by “dark matter annihilation”? According to modern cosmologists, the Universe is composed primarily of dark matter. More than 95% of all that exists is unseen and undetectable by the most sensitive instruments yet devised. Many astrophysicists claim that the earliest stellar…
Dec 11, 2013 “Bubbles” of magnetic energy are said to surround the Sun’s heliosheath. “In all our quest of greatness, like wanton boys, whose pastime is their care, we follow after bubbles, blown in the air.” — John Webster Shortly after the event, astronomer Merav Opher of Boston University’s…
Dec 10, 2013 NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory recently discovered this object, which the dusty plasma near the center of the Milky Way obscures in optical light. X-rays penetrate the dust: low-energy signals are red, intermediate-energy signals are green, and high-energy signals are blue. The white dots are stars from the…
Dec 09, 2013 Some galaxies exhibit polygonal structures. The term “diocotron instability” is not generally well known. Its use is confined to the field of plasma physics and refers to the distortions that occur when two sheets of plasma flow past each other. It is often confused with the…
In November 2013, skywatchers around the world eagerly awaited the approach of Comet ISON. Dubbed the “Comet of the Century” by several in the media, some astronomers had predicted a stupendous cometary display as Comet ISON approached its perihelion. The comet was also the subject of countless bizarre speculations. However,…
The most intense electromagnetic event known to occur in the heavens is the gamma ray burst. For many years, scientists have claimed that most gamma ray burst occur when stars run out of nuclear fuel then collapse to form a black hole, neutron star or quark star. However, a recently…
Encoge, mancha, encoge 28 de mayo de 2014 El tamaño del vórtice rojo de Júpiter es menor que nunca. Durante más de 300 años, la Gran mancha roja ha persistido en la atmósfera de Júpiter ―al menos desde que existen telescopios para verla. Se suele considerar una tormenta ciclónica impulsada…
