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Explosions
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mad chemistry
space porn
This supernova dominated our skies for weeks, a thousand years ago. It was brighter than Venus and visible during the day, and observers documented it in China, Japan, Europe and the Arab world. We now know that the brightest supernova on record, SN 1006c, was caused by a white dwarf star that gained mass from a companion star until it gorged itself and exploded. Click through for some more mind-blowing images of SN1006c, including some super-colorful X-ray images.
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Brightest Supernova In History Has Turned To Velvety Goodness
This supernova dominated our skies for weeks, a thousand years ago. It was brighter than Venus and visible during the day, and observers documented it in China, Japan, Europe and the Arab world. We now know that the brightest supernova on record, SN 1006c, was caused by a white dwarf star that gained mass from a companion star until it gorged itself and exploded. Click through for some more mind-blowing images of SN1006c, including some super-colorful X-ray images.
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space porn
We Can Predict When Stars Will Explode
Need to get rid of a bunch of space trash, or jumpstart a wormhole? Now you can, at least if you can get near enough to a neutron star when it's heading into explosion mode. Using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), some astronomers have made an extraordinary breakthrough: they've discovered how to predict when neutron stars will unleash massive explosions. What this means, in essence, is that stellar explosions can be compared to Old Faithful, the geyser in Yellowstone Park that erupts at precise times. More »
doomsday
Exploding Mohawks Are Back, Baby!
Motorcycles and trucks will be spinning and bursting into flames in the dark quarantined-nation epic Doomsday, which opens in 10 days, according to this new TV spot. And a guy from the Society for Creative Anachronism will sword-fight with a riot grrl. Not only that, but a man with a blond mohawk will show you whether he has any armpit hair while shouting about the end of the world. If all that doesn't scream "instant cult classic," I don't know what does. Click through for two more clips. More »
triviagasm
You Have Ten Seconds To Reach Minimum Safe Distance
Science fiction has always had a dark obsession with destroying things, and spaceships are a constant target. When not worrying about enemy ships fragging them to pieces, crews have to worry self-destruct sequences, on-board bombs, lousy construction, bad driving, and suicidal commanders who seem hell-bent on piloting their ships to certain death in what we like to call "shipicides." Damn the photon torpedos! Set the engines for ramming speed in our picks of the best ship sacrifices in science fiction.
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railgun
Here are some photos of the Navy testing its new electromagnetic railgun at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The railgun fires at 10.44 megajoules, with a muzzle velocity of 2520 meters per second. Click through for more details and a gallery of splodey pics.
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The Navy's Explosive Super Weapon Crushes Speed Records
Here are some photos of the Navy testing its new electromagnetic railgun at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The railgun fires at 10.44 megajoules, with a muzzle velocity of 2520 meters per second. Click through for more details and a gallery of splodey pics.
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space porn
You can still see the shock wave from the explosion of supernova Cassiopeia A in this color-enhanced image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The blue glow around the dead star is the "forward shock," material blasted with energy by the shock wave when the star blew. Click through for a gallery of the biggest space detonations ever, including a deep-space eruption that released thousands of suns' worth of energy in a few seconds.
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The Biggest Space Explosions Ever Recorded
You can still see the shock wave from the explosion of supernova Cassiopeia A in this color-enhanced image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The blue glow around the dead star is the "forward shock," material blasted with energy by the shock wave when the star blew. Click through for a gallery of the biggest space detonations ever, including a deep-space eruption that released thousands of suns' worth of energy in a few seconds.
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science art
This image of "Nano-Explosions" won first prize in this year's "Science As Art" competition. Fanny Beron from the École Polytechnique de Montréal used an electron scanning micrograph to record the explosion that happened when a CoFeB magnetic array was overloaded. The chaotic blasts are a "reminder that nanoscale research can have unpredicted consequences at a high level." Beron has also been a star soccer goalie. [NanoWerk]
When Nano-Wires Explode
This image of "Nano-Explosions" won first prize in this year's "Science As Art" competition. Fanny Beron from the École Polytechnique de Montréal used an electron scanning micrograph to record the explosion that happened when a CoFeB magnetic array was overloaded. The chaotic blasts are a "reminder that nanoscale research can have unpredicted consequences at a high level." Beron has also been a star soccer goalie. [NanoWerk]
art
The largest piece of gunpowder art in history detonated last year in Fujian province, China. Cai Guoqiang, a New York-based artist, designed the "controlled explosion" to leave burn marks in the shape of a 59-foot-by-30-foot banyan tree. Check out the results.
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Massive Detonation Leaves A Permanent Scar
The largest piece of gunpowder art in history detonated last year in Fujian province, China. Cai Guoqiang, a New York-based artist, designed the "controlled explosion" to leave burn marks in the shape of a 59-foot-by-30-foot banyan tree. Check out the results.
More »
space weapons
Giant rockets fought in space yesterday when the Japanese military shot down a mid-range ballistic missile using this Standard Missile 3 (SM-3). The ballistic missile was zooming along 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean. Japan is the first US ally to attempt these kinds of space war moves, and they did it from a US Navy missile range off the coast of Kauai. Check out more fire and a Japanese military boat in photos after the jump.
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Japan Shoots Down Space Missile
Giant rockets fought in space yesterday when the Japanese military shot down a mid-range ballistic missile using this Standard Missile 3 (SM-3). The ballistic missile was zooming along 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean. Japan is the first US ally to attempt these kinds of space war moves, and they did it from a US Navy missile range off the coast of Kauai. Check out more fire and a Japanese military boat in photos after the jump.
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