Topic: Astronomy

Austin Peay State University Student Heading to Famous CERN Lab this Summer

February 11, 2013 |

Clarksville, TN – The tunnel, which is more than 16 miles long, is buried some 300 feet underground in the suburbs of Geneva, Switzerland. Back in 2008, a few nervous individuals worried the long, circular corridor might end up destroying the planet.

That’s because scientists planned to smash subatomic particles together in that hidden laboratory to recreate the “big bang” that spawned the universe. A handful of doomsdayers worried the researchers might instead create a miniature black hole.

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NASA releases Why the World Didn’t End Yesterday

December 15, 2012 |

NASA is so sure the world won’t come to an end on December 21st, 2012, they have already released this news item for the day after.

Written by Dr. Tony Phillips
Science at NASA

Washington, D.C. – If you’re reading this story, it means one thing:  The World Didn’t End Yesterday.

According to media reports of an ancient Maya prophecy, the world was supposed to be destroyed on December 21st, 2012.

Apparently not.

“The whole thing was a misconception from the very beginning,” says Dr. John Carlson, director of the Center for Archaeoastronomy. “The Maya calendar did not end on December 21st, 2012, and there were no Maya prophecies foretelling the end of the world on that date.”

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NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope sees cluster of Ancient Stars in the constellation Sagittarius

October 9, 2012 |

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, MD – This dazzling image shows the globular cluster Messier 69, or M 69 for short, as viewed through the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Globular clusters are dense collections of old stars.

In the picture below, foreground stars look big and golden when set against the backdrop of the thousands of white, silvery stars that make up M 69.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope sees Cosmic Riches in the constellation Sagittarius. (Credit: ESA/NASA)

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NASA Engineer Adam Steltzner explains the importance of the Mars Curiosity Rover

September 22, 2012 |

Written by Dauna D. Coulter
Science at NASA

Washington, D.C. – Adam Steltzner doesn’t sound much like an ordinary engineer.

For instance, when we asked him if he would talk about Curiosity—and explain why the Mars rover matters to ordinary people–the former rock-n-roller responded “I’m totally down with that.”

He really is down with it. Steltzner is the NASA engineer who helped take the country’s cool new Curiosity rover to the surface of Mars with moves – and flair – even Evel Knievel would envy.

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Radnor Lake State Park and Dyer Observatory Partner to Host Rare Viewing of Venus in Transit on June 5th

June 2, 2012 |

Nashville, TN – A rare sighting of Venus in transit will occur during the late afternoon of Tuesday, June 5th, and Radnor Lake State Park and the Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory are partnering to host a special viewing party to observe this unique planetary event.

The actual viewing will be held from 4:00pm to 6:15pm at the Dyer Observatory in Brentwood, in a specially designated area adjacent to Radnor Lake State Park. Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory will provide the appropriate solar telescopes and viewing apparatus, along with a number of experts in the field of astronomy to answer questions and to share their knowledge. «Read the rest of this article»

Stellar Extremophiles

By Nicole Kelly | November 10, 2011 |

Written by Dr. Tony Phillips
Science at NASA

Pasadena, CA – Back in the 1970s, biologists were amazed to discover a form of life they never expected.  Tiny microorganisms with ancient DNA were living in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park.  Instead of dissolving in the boiling waters, the microbes were thriving, ringing the springs with vibrant color.

Scientists coined the term extremophile, which means “extreme-loving”, to describe the creatures–and the hunt was on for more.  Soon, extremophiles were found living in deep Antarctic ice, the cores of nuclear reactors, and other unexpected places.  Biology hasn’t been the same since.

Could astronomy be on the verge of a similar transformation?

This composite (radio+UV) image shows long octopus-like arms of star formation stretching far away from the main disk of spiral galaxy M83. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/VLA/MPIA)

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