Picture of the Day 05/08/2013

The Owl Nebula, a planetary nebula in Ursa Major

The Owl Nebula (designated Messier 97 or NGC 3587) is a fairly faint planetary nebula of some 3 light-years across that formed about 6,000 years ago. It is located within our Milky Way galaxy, about 2,600 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Ursa Major (the Big Bear or the Big Dipper).

Its round shape along with the placement of two large, dark “eyes” do suggest the face of a staring owl, hence its nickname.

Planetary nebulae represent the final brief stage in the life of a medium-sized star like our Sun. While consuming the last of the fuel in its core, the dying star (collapsing from a red giant to a white dwarf) expels a large portion of its outer envelope. This material then becomes heated by the radiation from the stellar remnant and radiates, producing glowing clouds of gas.

Over the next several thousand years, the Owl Nebula will gradually disperse into space, and then the white dwarf will cool and fade away for billions of years. Our own Sun is expected to undergo a similar fate, but fortunately this will not occur until some 5 billion years from now.

The Owl Nebula is one of the more complex planetary nebulae. The expanding bubble is confined by the interstellar medium, the bubble slows down and the outflow of gas builds up at the leading edge producing the bright reddish rim that surrounds the bluish core of the nebula. The red rim is in turn enveloped by a round halo that is about 10,000 times fainter than the core of the nebula, and doesn’t appear in most images.

Rest/Pic at Link: [link to annesastronomynews.com]

SpaceX Joining Virgin Galactic At Spaceport America

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez announced on Tuesday that SpaceX has signed a three-year agreement to use Spaceport America for flight testing.

According to a Spaceport America statement, SpaceX will be leasing land and facilities at the New Mexico site to conduct the next phase of flight testing for its reusable rocket program.

“I am thrilled that SpaceX has chosen to make New Mexico its home, bringing their revolutionary ‘Grasshopper’ rocket and new jobs with them,” Governor Martinez said today. “We’ve done a lot of work to level the playing field so we can compete in the space industry. This is just the first step in broadening the base out at the Spaceport and securing even more tenants. I’m proud to welcome SpaceX to New Mexico.”

SpaceX just finished up its first series of testing the new Grasshopper vehicle in McGregor, Texas. The company is planning to begin the next phase of development for tests performed in New Mexico.

“Spaceport America offers us the physical and regulatory landscape needed to complete the next phase of Grasshopper testing,” said SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell. “We are pleased to expand our reusable rocket development infrastructure to New Mexico.”

Virgin Galactic is the other tenant at the state-owned commercial launch site. Virgin had a bit of controversy with Spaceport America in January this year when the company refused to pay the state deposit because it believed the site wasn’t up to its standard yet. The Richard Branson company wrote a letter to the Spaceport that it didn’t believe the state had finished the work necessary to trigger activation of its annual rental obligation. However, matters have since been solved, and now a new tenant will be there to help pay for some of the cost of the facility.

Rest at Link: [link to www.redorbit.com]


NASA Study Projects Warming-Driven Changes in Global Rainfall

A NASA-led modeling study provides new evidence that global warming may increase the risk for extreme rainfall and drought. The study shows for the first time how rising carbon dioxide concentrations could affect the entire range of rainfall types on Earth.

Analysis of computer simulations from 14 climate models indicates wet regions of the world, such as the equatorial Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon regions, will see increases in heavy precipitation because of warming resulting from projected increases in carbon dioxide levels. Arid land areas outside the tropics and many regions with moderate rainfall could become drier.

The analysis provides a new assessment of global warming's impacts on precipitation patterns around the world. The study was accepted for publication in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters.

"In response to carbon dioxide-induced warming, the global water cycle undergoes a gigantic competition for moisture resulting in a global pattern of increased heavy rain, decreased moderate rain, and prolonged droughts in certain regions," said William Lau of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and lead author of the study.

The models project for every 1 degree Fahrenheit of carbon dioxide-induced warming, heavy rainfall will increase globally by 3.9 percent and light rain will increase globally by 1 percent. However, total global rainfall is not projected to change much because moderate rainfall will decrease globally by 1.4 percent.

Heavy rainfall is defined as months that receive an average of more than about 0.35 of an inch per day. Light rain is defined as months that receive an average of less than 0.01 of an inch per day. Moderate rainfall is defined as months that receive an average of between about 0.04 to 0.09 of an inch per day.

Areas projected to see the most significant increase in heavy rainfall are in the tropical zones around the equator, particularly in the Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon regions.

Some regions outside the tropics may have no rainfall at all. The models also projected for every degree Fahrenheit of warming, the length of periods with no rain will increase globally by 2.6 percent.

In the Northern Hemisphere, areas most likely to be affected include the deserts and arid regions of the southwest United States, Mexico, North Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, and northwestern China. In the Southern Hemisphere, drought becomes more likely in South Africa, northwestern Australia, coastal Central America and northeastern Brazil.

Rest at Link: [link to www.spacedaily.com]

Sun News 05/08/2013

Product: Forecast Discussion
Issued: 2013 May 08 1230 UTC
Prepared by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

Solar Activity

.24 hr Summary...
Solar activity was at low levels for the past 24 hours with several
C-class x-ray events observed. The largest event of the period was a
C2/Sf from Region 1738 (N15W08) at 08/0022 UTC. There are currently 7
active sunspot regions on the visible disk. Region 1736 (S07W66)
continues to show signs of growth in both area and magnetic complexity.
Region 1738 (N15W08) has also shown signs of growth. The other remaining
regions on the disk remained stable and quiet. There were no
Earth-directed CMEs detected during the period.

.Forecast...
Solar activity is expected to be at low levels through the period (08-10
May) with a chance for M-class flares.

Energetic Particles

.24 hr Summary...
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at
normal to moderate levels. The greater than 10 MeV proton flux at
geosynchronous orbit was at background levels.

.Forecast...
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected
to be at moderate to high flux levels on days one, two, and three (08-10
May) in response to a coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS). The
greater than 10 MeV proton flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to
remain at background levels during the period.

Solar Wind

.24 hr Summary...
Solar wind speed, as measured by the ACE spacecraft, ranged between
500-600 km/s as CH HSS effects continued. The total interplanetary
magnetic field (IMF) hovered around 6 nT with the Bz component remaining
mostly negative. The phi angle was predominately positive (away).

.Forecast...
Solar wind speed should continue to be elevated on day one (08 May) as
CH HSS effects begin to wane. Days two and three (09-10 May), should see
a return to background solar wind speeds.

Geospace

.24 hr Summary...
Geomagnetic activity was at quiet to unsettled levels.

.Forecast...
The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels on
day one (08 May) as CH HSS effects begin to subside. Quiet with a slight
chance for unsettled conditions should prevail on days two and three
(09-10 May).

Link: [link to www.solarham.net]

Steamer: [link to iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov]
[link to www.gdgps.net]

Active Region Map: [link to sidc.oma.be]
STAR Active region map: [link to solen.info]
Magnetometer: [link to www.swpc.noaa.gov]
EVE 3-Day: [link to lasp.colorado.edu]
Ionospheric Electrons: [link to www.ips.gov.au]
Ionospheric foF2: [link to www.ips.gov.au]
Surface Heat Index: [link to weather.unisys.com]
Sea Surface Temps: [link to www.ssec.wisc.edu]

Estimated Planetary K-Index : [link to www.solarham.net]


4MIN News May 8, 2013: NASA Chemtrails, Volcano Eruption, Starwater


OFFICIAL TRAILER - How to Watch the Sun
[link to youtu.be]
Coming Soon - MAY 18, 2013

TODAY's New LINKS:
Herschel's Hot Gas: [link to www.esa.int]
Ice Melt: [link to earthobservatory.nasa.gov]
NASA's Chemtrails: [link to www.nasa.gov]
San Onofre: [link to www.latimes.com]
Popo Blows: [link to youtu.be] Live Cam: [link to www.cenapred.unam.mx]
Popo's Ash: [link to youtu.be]
Eclipses: [link to eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov]

Radio Anomaly: [link to iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu]
US TEC: [link to www.swpc.noaa.gov]
US Windmap [link to hint.fm]
US Severe Weather: [link to www.weather.com]
UK/EU MET Office: [link to www.metoffice.gov.uk]
NOAA: [link to www.weather.gov]
EU Weather Alerts: [link to www.meteoalarm.eu]
US Weather Warnings: [link to www.weather.gov]
India: [link to 202.54.31.51] [link to www.imd.gov.in] [link to www.imd.gov.in]

The REAL Climate Changer: [link to youtu.be]
Ice Age Soon? [link to youtu.be]
An Unlikely but Relevant Risk - The Solar Killshot: [link to youtu.be]

REPEAT LINKS:

WORLD WEATHER:
NDBC Buoys: [link to www.ndbc.noaa.gov]
Tropical Storms: [link to www.wunderground.com]
HurricaneZone Satellite Images: [link to www.hurricanezone.net]
Weather Channel: [link to www.weather.com]
NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory: [link to www.nnvl.noaa.gov]
Pressure Maps: [link to www.woweather.com]
Satellite Maps: [link to www.woweather.com]
Forecast Maps: [link to www.woweather.com]
EL DORADO WORLD WEATHER MAP: [link to www.eldoradocountyweather.com]
TORCON: [link to www.weather.com] [Tornado Forecast for the day]
HURRICANE TRACKER: [link to www.weather.com]

US WEATHER:
Precipitation Totals: [link to www.cocorahs.org]
GOES Satellites: [link to rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov]
THE WINDMAP: [link to hint.fm]
Severe Weather Threats: [link to www.weather.com]
Canada Weather Office Satellite Composites: [link to www.weatheroffice.gc.ca]
Temperature Delta: [link to www.intellicast.com]
Records/Extremes: [link to www.ncdc.noaa.gov]

SPACEWEATHER:
Spaceweather: [link to spaceweather.com]
SOHO Solar Wind: [link to umtof.umd.edu]
HAARP Data Meters: [link to www.haarp.alaska.edu]
Planetary Orbital Diagram - Ceres1 JPL: [link to ssd.jpl.nasa.gov]
SDO: [link to sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov]
Helioviewer: [link to www.helioviewer.org]
SOHO: [link to sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov]
Stereo: [link to stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov]
SOLARIMG: [link to solarimg.org]
iSWA: [link to iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov]
NASA ENLIL SPIRAL: [link to iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov:8080]
NOAA ENLIL SPIRAL: [link to www.swpc.noaa.gov]
GOES Xray: [link to www.swpc.noaa.gov]
Gamma Ray Bursts: [link to grb.sonoma.edu]
BARTOL Cosmic Rays: [link to neutronm.bartol.udel.edu]
ISWA: [link to iswa.ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov:8080]
NOAA Sunspot Classifications: [link to www.swpc.noaa.gov]
GONG: [link to gong2.nso.edu]
GONG Magnetic Maps: [link to gong.nso.edu]


MISC Links:
JAPAN Radiation Map: [link to jciv.iidj.net]
RADIATION Network: [link to radiationnetwork.com]
LISS: [link to earthquake.usgs.gov]
QUAKES LIST FULL: [link to www.emsc-csem.org]
RSOE: [link to hisz.rsoe.hu] [That cool alert map I use]
Moon: [link to www.fourmilab.ch]

"Stay safe GLP and have a great day and make it your own"