A towering dust devil casts a serpentine shadow over the Martian surface in this stunning, late springtime image of Amazonis Planitia.
![[photo] twister on the martian sands - The Serpent Dust Devil of Mars - ESP_026051_2160 - 1900](http://www.tamaratemple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/twister-on-the-martian-sands-The-Serpent-Dust-Devil-of-Mars-ESP_026051_2160-1900-1024x768.jpg "twister on the martian sands - The Serpent Dust Devil of Mars - ESP_026051_2160 - 1900")
twister on the martian sands - The Serpent Dust Devil of Mars - ESP_026051_2160
Great quote from Laurence Kraus, Theoretical Physicist, captured in this image:
![[photo] Laurence Kraus, Theoretical Physicist with Quote](http://www.tamaratemple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/LaurenceKrausQuote.jpg "LaurenceKrausQuote")
“Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And, the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than the atoms in your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about the universe:
You are all stardust.
You couldn’t be here if stars hadn’t exploded, because the elements (the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, all the things that matter for evolution) weren’t created at the beginning of time, they were created in the stars.
So forget Jesus. Stars died so you could live.”
Over on youtube, this is a rather cool optical illusion where putting down the little white pips makes the checkerboard appear to distort:
via The Daily What
(posting article for reference)
Alzheimer’s, Dementia & Mental Health
Cognitive Function in Older Adults Gets Boost from World of Warcraft Video Game
It’s been 25 years since supernova 1987a was observed. This was such an important event in the history of astronomy so far because it was the first supernova to be observed since the development of the telescope (much less neutrino detectors and cameras and such!). It was found on February 23rd, 1987 and generated so much excitement about it because it was unusual for the understanding of supernova at the time.
![[animated gif] Time-lapse animation of SN1987A from 1994 to 2009. Date](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SN1987a_debris_evolution_animation.gif "Time-lapse animation of SN1987A from 1994 to 2009. Date")
Time-lapse animation of SN1987A from 1994 to 2009. Credit: Mark McDonald, 2011 (CC BY-SA)
Over at Tiny Buddha, they tweeted about an article to reclaim Valentine’s day. It was a bit disappointing in that the first half seemed to just be a rant about how they were forced into it.
Wonderful shot on today’s Astro Picture of Day:
Helix Nebula - click for full size
I don’t know what else to say about this but OMGSOAWESOME!!!!
Another gorgeous timelapse movie of the sky and the aurora borealis. Shot in Northern Norway:
The Aurora from TSO Photography on Vimeo.
Follow on http://www.facebook.com/TSOphotography
I spent a week capturing one of the biggest aurora borealis shows in recent years.
Shot in and around Kirkenes and Pas National Park bordering Russia, at 70 degree north and 30 degrees east. Temperatures around -25 Celsius. Good fun.
via Phil Plait @ BadAstronomer blog
Last Monday, the University formally adopted a new policy of open access for Princeton-produced scholarly publications. This policy will authorize Princeton faculty members to post their published articles on their own websites, an online University repository or other free archives for the general public.
via Open access policy adopted – The Daily Princetonian.
This is a great piece of news. Too many important scientific papers are locked away behind exhorbitant journal publishing paywalls. The scam is two-way — scholars not only have to pay to get access to other scientists’ work, they have to pay the journal publishers in order to get their own work published.
Open access means anyone can see the work, much of which is paid for with public funding in the form of government grants and such. Open access can once again permit researchers to share their findings and build upon each others’ work.
Good move, Princeton.