Author: M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer and a science enthusiast. I was graduated from the Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Computer Engineering. In the past, I worked at the Istanbul Technical University Science Center as a science instructor. I write about the planet Earth and science on this website, ourplnt.com. I am also an animal lover! I take care of stray cats & dogs. This website's all income goes directly to our furry friends. Please consider supporting me on Patreon, so I can help more animals!

Categories
Planet Earth Physics

The mass of Earth [Scientists used neutrinos to measure]

The Blue Marble
In December 1972, Apollo 17 spacecraft took a photo of Earth from space, at a distance of about 45,000 kilometers (28,000 miles). This image, with the official NASA designation AS17-148-22727, became known as "The Blue Marble", one of the most iconic photos of Earth from space. In fact, it was not the first clear image of Earth taken from space - similar photos had already been taken as early as 1967. But, the 1970s were the scene of a big surge in environmental activism. For example, on April 22, 1970, the first "Earth Day" was organized by Gaylord Nelson, former senator of Wisconsin, and Denis Hayes, a Harvard graduate student. Millions of people gather in the United States for the event. So, in today's terms, image AS17-148-22727 went "viral" and became a symbol of the environmental movement, as a depiction of Earth's frailty, vulnerability, and isolation amid the vast expanse of space. According to NASA archivist Mike Gentry, it is among the most widely distributed images in human history.

While scanning the interior of Earth using neutrinos, a team of scientists from Spain also used these subatomic particles to measure the mass of Earth. Their result is in agreement with the current best estimate, which was measured using the value of the gravitational constant (G).

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Categories
Earth from Space Space Exploration

Nasa Publishes the first 8k Video from Space

Earth from the ISS
"Science gets scaled up with the first 8K ultra high definition (UHD) video from the International Space Station. Get closer to the in-space experience and see how the international partnership-powered human spaceflight is improving lives on Earth, while enabling humanity to explore the universe." On November 2, 2018, NASA has published the first 8k Ultra-HD video from the space. The video focuses on science efforts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and features some important investigations and facilities. It also includes a few amazing Earth views from space. Fans of science in space now can experience fast-moving footage in even higher definition as NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) deliver the first 8K ultra high definition (UHD) video of astronauts living, working and conducting research from the International Space Station. The same engineers who sent high-definition (HD) cameras, 3D cameras, and a camera capable of recording 4K footage to the space station now have delivered a new camera capable of recording images with four times the resolution than previously offered. The Helium 8K camera by RED, a digital cinema company, is capable of shooting at resolutions ranging from conventional HDTV up to 8K, specifically 8192 x 4320 pixels. By comparison, the average HD consumer television displays up to 1920 x 1080 pixels of resolution, and digital cinemas typically project in resolutions of 2K to 4K. The RED camera is the same brand used to record theatrical releases such as The Hobbit trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, and television programs such as, Stranger Things, Maniac, and Lost in Space.

On November 2, 2018, NASA has published the first Ultra-HD 8k video from space. The video focuses on science efforts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and features some important investigations and facilities. It also includes a few amazing Earth views from space.

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Categories
Astronomy

The Milky Way as You’ve Never Seen It Before (video)

Milky Way from Las Campanas Observatory. Photo by Yuri Beletsky
This is a picture of nighttime sky - the best kind of nighttime sky that anybody on Earth could hope to see. It was taken from the Las Campanas Observatory in northern Chile by astronomer Yuri Beletsky. In this photo, you're seeing a fairly realistic image of what the nighttime sky should really look without light pollution. Notice there's a red dot at upper right corner: it is a total lunar eclipse. And at the left handside, you can see the large and small Magellanic clouds, which are two irregular dwarf galaxies, orbiting the Milky Way. In other words, they are the satellite galaxies of our galaxy. You can also see the Earth's multi-colored airglow.

In April 2018, the European Space Agency’s Gaia observatory released its second data catalog, which includes the distances to over 1.3 billion stars. In the video published by the American Museum of Natural History, the museum’s astrophysicist Jackie Faherty breaks down why this information is so revolutionary and explains how this information is helping scientists and non-scientists alike understand the universe like never before.

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Categories
Animals Life on Earth

Animal claws comparison: which animal has the biggest claws?

This chart compares some wild animals' claws
This chart compares some wild animals' claws (including Siberian tiger, African lion, Jaguar, Cougar, Grizzly bear, and Polar bear). The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea harpy eagle or Papuan harpy eagle. It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the rainforest, and among the largest extant species of eagles in the world. It usually inhabits tropical lowland rainforests in the upper (emergent) canopy layer. Destruction of its natural habitat has caused it to vanish from many parts of its former range, and it is nearly extirpated in Central America. In Brazil, the harpy eagle is also known as royal-hawk (in Portuguese: gavião-real).

The chart below compares some wild animals’ claws (including the Siberian tiger, African lion, Jaguar, Cougar, Grizzly bear, Harpy eagle, and Polar bear).

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Categories
Moon Landing Space Exploration

Apollo 11’s journey to the moon, annotated [video]

Apollo 11 significant events
Significant events of Apollo 11 and proposed constellation mission. Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two humans on the Moon. Mission commander Neil Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) and pilot Buzz Aldrin (born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) landed the lunar module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:18 UTC. A third astronaut, Michael Collins (born October 31, 1930) piloted the command module Columbia alone in lunar orbit while they were on the Moon's surface. Armstrong became the first to step onto the lunar surface six hours after landing on July 21 at 02:56:15 UTC; Aldrin joined him about 20 minutes later.

On July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, two American astronauts, Apollo 11 mission commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on the Moon. It was the first time humans set foot on another planetary body other than Earth, making the moon landing probably the most monumental event in history.

Vox.com published a beautiful video highlighting the key moments of the Apollo 11 mission.

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Categories
Earth from Space Planet Earth Space Exploration

The Secrets behind Earth’s Multi-colored Airglow (video)

Nile at Night from International Space Station (September 22, 2015)
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, recently past the halfway mark of his one-year mission to the International Space Station, photographed the Nile River during a nighttime flyover on Sept. 22, 2015. Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) wrote, "Day 179. The #Nile at night is a beautiful sight for these sore eyes. Good night from @space_station! #YearInSpace."

Even we could remove the effects of the moonlight, starlight and diffused sunlight from the far side, the Earth’s night sky would never be totally dark. This phenomenon is known as Airglow (also called nightglow). Airglow is a faint emission of light by Earth’s atmosphere (or any planetary atmosphere).

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Categories
Planet Earth Astronomy Places

50 Interesting Facts About Earth

The Blue Marble
In December 1972, Apollo 17 spacecraft took a photo of Earth from space, at a distance of about 45,000 kilometers (28,000 miles). This image, with the official NASA designation AS17-148-22727, became known as "The Blue Marble", one of the most iconic photos of Earth from space. In fact, it was not the first clear image of Earth taken from space - similar photos had already been taken as early as 1967. But, the 1970s were the scene of a big surge in environmental activism. For example, on April 22, 1970, the first "Earth Day" was organized by Gaylord Nelson, former senator of Wisconsin, and Denis Hayes, a Harvard graduate student. Millions of people gather in the United States for the event. So, in today's terms, image AS17-148-22727 went "viral" and became a symbol of the environmental movement, as a depiction of Earth's frailty, vulnerability, and isolation amid the vast expanse of space. According to NASA archivist Mike Gentry, it is among the most widely distributed images in human history.

One of the most surprising facts about the Earth is how we easily forget that what an amazing and interesting planet we live on. As Carl Sagan pointed out, “It’s home, it’s us”. It is the only known planet to support an atmosphere with free oxygen, liquid water on the surface, and, perhaps this is the most important amazing, life. Here are 50 interesting facts about Earth.

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Categories
Photography Astronomy Solar System

This is probably the most beautiful Solar Eclipse photo ever

Great American Total Solar Eclipse photo (Jon Carmichael)
Photographer Jon Carmichael chose another way. He got aboard a Southwest Airlines aircraft and captured the Great American Total Solar Eclipse from an unusual vantage point at 39,000 feet (11,890 meters). And the result is probably the most beautiful Solar Eclipse photo ever. Carmichael shot over 1,200 photos in two minutes at 39,000 feet and managed to perfectly capture the total eclipse over Snake River, a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. The result was so beautiful that Inc. calls it "the most amazing image ever taken from a commercial airplane". Limited edition prints of this wonderful image are now available for purchase via the photographer's website

More than a year ago, on Monday, August 21, around 2 million to 7.4 million Americans traveled to see the first total solar eclipse in 99 years to go coast to coast in the United States. Photographer Jon Carmichael chose another way. He got aboard a Southwest Airlines aircraft and captured the Great American Total Solar Eclipse from an unusual vantage point at 39,000 feet (11,890 meters). And the result is probably the most beautiful Solar Eclipse photo ever.

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Categories
Geology Mountains

Mount Etna is sliding into the sea

View of Mount Etna from Reggio Calabria, Italy
View of Mount Etna from Reggio Calabria, Italy (10 February 2017). Photo By Jacopo Werther, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano (also one of the most active volcanoes in the world) is sliding into the Ionian Sea at rates of centimeters per year. If part of it falls into the sea, it could create horrible mega-tsunamis that would devastate the eastern Mediterranean shores.

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Categories
Earth from Space Space Exploration

Amazing Moon-Earth Photo by the Amateurs using a Chinese Satellite

The Earth and far side of the Moon as seen by the Chinese Longjiang-2 lunar orbiting spacecraft
The Earth and far side of the Moon as seen by the Chinese Longjiang-2 lunar orbiting spacecraft. MingChuan Wei, Harbin Institute of Technology. When Earth and the moon lined up, a group of radio enthusiasts sent the command to Longjiang-2 to take the shot, downloading the image to the Dwingeloo radio observatory in the Netherlands. On May 20, 2018, China launched Queqiao lunar communications relay satellite, a key component of the upcoming Chang'e 4 lunar landing mission. During its journey to the Moon, it dropped off a pair of student-made small satellites, Longjiang-1 and Longjiang-2, bound for lunar orbit called. Their purpose was testing out future radio astronomy and interferometry techniques.

Amateur astronomers in the Netherlands took an amazing Moon-Earth photo using a Chinese satellite. On May 20, 2018, China launched Queqiao lunar communications relay satellite, a key component of the upcoming Chang’e 4 lunar landing mission. During its journey to the Moon (actually Earth-Moon L2 point (see notes 1), it dropped off a pair of student-made small satellites, Longjiang-1 and Longjiang-2, bound for lunar orbit called. Their purpose was to test out future radio astronomy and interferometry techniques.

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