Every Burst of Star Formation Can Reshape the Universe
One of the most violent and wondrous cosmic events is starburst, in which hundreds of millions of stars are born all at once. These are far rarer nowadays than they were in the early universe, but they do still happen… and the massive energy released during these periods can alter the future histories of entire galaxies.
That’s the finding of new research from Hubble astronomers. Using the space telescope to study 20 nearby galaxies undergoing starburst activity, they discovered that the cosmic winds generated by starburst had effects that extended far beyond just the immediate vicinity of the newborn stars.
Read more at io9.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, L. Calçada
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![matthen:
When you plot the position of Mars in the sky, you’ll notice that in general it moves from West to East. But when we are closest to Mars, it seems to go backwards for a bit before continuing. This is called retrograde motion, and this challenged early models of the Solar system which had Earth at the centre. The animation shows why Mars appears to go backwards for a bit. [more] [code]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lld3ozwD5f1qfg7o3o1_400.gif)
When you plot the position of Mars in the sky, you’ll notice that in general it moves from West to East. But when we are closest to Mars, it seems to go backwards for a bit before continuing. This is called retrograde motion, and this challenged early models of the Solar system which had Earth at the centre. The animation shows why Mars appears to go backwards for a bit. [more] [code]
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The Sun Blasts Out Two X-Class Flares, Strongest of the Year
http://space-pics.tumblr.com/
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The New Kids on The Block 13th May 2013 | Flickr Sunspot monster AR 1745 and chums
Source: David Firth Photo-Graphics (flickr)
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Sunspots This Morning 13th May 2013 | Flickr Telephoto Lens capture through cloud
Source: David Firth Photo-Graphics (flickr)
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Stars, galaxies, planets, nebulae, etc. Anything space or space-related.
