The Sun is particularly active at the moment, unleashing powerful solar flares and causing radio blackouts on Earth. This is all part of an 11-year cycle that sees the Sun's poles reverse. Sun activity increases and decreases in an 11-year cycle known as the Schwabe cycle. From 1826 to 1843, German amateur astronomer Heinrich Schwabe observed the Sun, … [Read more...] about The Sun’s Poles Are About To Flip. What Will Happen When They Do?
NASA
NASA’s ‘Smiling Sun’ Image Is a Reminder of the Threat of Solar Wind
Coronal holes on the sun can release jets of charged particles that may interfere with Earth’s atmosphere In a NASA photo that made the rounds on social media last week, the sun appeared to smile for the camera. The image, taken by the space agency’s Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite, was shared on one of NASA’s Twitter accounts. Social media users have compared the … [Read more...] about NASA’s ‘Smiling Sun’ Image Is a Reminder of the Threat of Solar Wind
A Clear View of Scottish Highlands
Looking out from a window on the International Space Station, an astronaut captured this rare photograph of the Scottish Highlands. Cloud-covered skies are common for the region and typically prevent landscape photography from space, especially during the winter months (when this image was taken). The topography of the Scottish Highlands is the result of geological processes … [Read more...] about A Clear View of Scottish Highlands
Exploring the Pillars of Creation with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of the Pillars of Creation, a region where new stars are forming within dense clouds of gas and dust. The pillars appear like majestic rock formations but are made up of cool interstellar gas and dust that are semi-transparent in near-infrared light. The Webb telescope's new view of the Pillars of Creation will … [Read more...] about Exploring the Pillars of Creation with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
Exploring Kepler-442b: A Potentially Habitable Super-Earth
Kepler-442b, also known as KOI-4742.01, is an exoplanet that has been confirmed as a near-Earth-sized planet, orbiting within the habitable zone of the K-type main-sequence star Kepler-442, located approximately 1,206 light-years (370 pc) away from Earth in the Lyra constellation. Discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft using the transit method, this rocky planet has an … [Read more...] about Exploring Kepler-442b: A Potentially Habitable Super-Earth