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space porn
The Swan Nebula Shows The Death And Rebirth Of Superhot Stars
That silky white gas in this image of the Swan Nebula (also known as the Omega Nebula) is the remains of superhot stars, that bowed their shining heads and died. But it's also the birthplace of brilliant new stars. [ESO]
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Comment by crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: How long does it take for a star to form? Yes, I know I can google that. But I'd rather hear... 8 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Binary Star Discovery Allows Scientists To Detect Invisible "Gravity Waves"
Stars in the early universe probably formed in pairs, like the ones in this simulation created by a group of American astrophysicists. Their finding also has staggering implications: We may detect gravity waves, which has never been possible before. More »
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Comment by nonpareil: I'm still dubious about gravity waves. I understand that if they exist, they're very weak (and tough to detect), but... 11 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Helix Nebula Produces Cosmic Fireworks Display
The United States' independence day is over for the year, but a new image of one of Earth's cosmic neighbors reveals an explosive spectacle. One of the closest nebulae to us displays dramatic firework-like knots when viewed in the infrared. More »
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Comment by Garrison Dean: R.O.A.C.H.: Ok, this is weird. I went to the Seattle fireworks show (where I had kick ass seats thanks to friends... 1 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Exploring The Whirlpool Galaxy
Europe and the USA have joined forces to bring the world some beautiful images of distant galaxies. The image above, of the Whirlpool Galaxy, M51, combines pictures from the European Space Agency's Herschel space observatory and the Hubble telescope. More »
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Comment by Fuji-kun: i dunno what to think when i see these pics. it looks great but, would it look this pretty with... 6 Responses | Other threads
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maps
New Map Of Our Galactic Disc Reveals Where Future Stars Will Be Born
Members of a massive galaxy-mapping project started a few years ago have just unveiled the first of several atlases they will produce of our Milky Way's galactic disc. These images of "cold dust" in the galaxy show where stars will ignite. More »
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Comment by arthurborko: This map is gonna be very useful if we ever learn to break physics and invent warp drive :-p 5 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
The Most Efficient Particle Accelerator Known To Humanity
Chinese astronomers observed this supernova, RCW 86, in the year 185 A.D. But it's still pumping out cosmic rays, and a new image shows how supernova remnants like this one are the Milky Way's "super-efficient particle accelerators." [Chandra Observatory] -
space porn
What Makes Young Galaxies Stop Growing?
Eventually a galaxy has to grow up and settle down, and stop throwing superheated gas around all over the place. And now astrophysicists have figured out how the glowing "superblobs" around galaxies help to make this happen. More »
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Comment by Lord XIII: Just a small question: How the hell the superheated gas scapes the black hole in the center of the young... 3 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
A Once-In-A-Generation Event Leads To Saturn's Rings Disappearing
Check out that flat shadow crossing Saturn's rings. It's the shadow of Mimas, one of Saturn's moons, and its appearance means we're getting closer to Saturn's equinox, when it'll be spring in the North and the rings will go dark. More »
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Comment by milkysa: A correction: Carolyn Porco is the lead for the Imaging Science Subsystem (the camera), one of the twelve instruments onboard... 2 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Scientists Simulate Sun Spots In The Lab
This is the first accurate, computer-generated image of a sunspot. Not only is it awesome and terrifying to behold, but it means we're one step closer to understanding the solar weather that could one day destroy the earth. More »
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Comment by Hades_Kane: Looks like Lavos rising from Chrono Trigger... Terrifying indeed. 2 Responses | Other threads
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mystery in space
Did We Find An Extragalactic Planet Five Years Ago?
Has science finally caught up to the suspected discovery of a planet outside of our own galaxy from five years ago? Gravitational microlensing may explain the mysteries behind a 2004 sighting of something unusual in our neighbor galaxy of Andromeda. More » -
space porn
Newly Discovered Planet Is As Big As Its Star
The latest exoplanet we've discovered is an imposing giant, almost the same size as the star it orbits. It's also the first planet found using a fifty-year-old technique designed to find planets at greater distances from their suns. More »
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Comment by capntim: hmm. what prevents the amount of mass and gravity there from starting the fusion process? 9 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Let's Hope This Giant Galaxy Doesn't Come And Kick Our Asses
Centaurus A not only has a terrifying name, it's our nearest "giant galaxy," only 13 million light years away. Its superluminous central area comes from a supermassive black hole, and it's already swallowing a neighboring spiral galaxy. How long before it comes and pwns us? More »
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Comment by Erda: Or maybe we can create a huge black hole using that red matter shit from the new Star Trek movie,... 1 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Imagine The Call-Out Charge For This Repairman
After thirteen days in space, the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis successfully repaired the Hubble Space Telescope and ensured its usefulness for the next five years - and, in the process, made menial technical work look more exciting than usual. Here're some examples of spacesuits making everything look better. More »
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Comment by joetato: Menial technical work being jargon for "Repairs nobody thought possible ten years ago, and were never planned for in the... 2 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Rare Supernova Is Nearby But Invisible
In the galaxy M82 (pictured), a mere 12 million light years from Earth, an enormous but invisible supernova has disturbed its local volume with massive shockwaves. The supernova, the closest to Earth in the past five years, can only be detected via radio waves. More »
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Comment by The Curse of Millhaven: Wait: a huge, gaseous explosion that is detectable by radio? Has anyone made sure that Rush Limbaugh is okay? 12 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
All The Colors You Bled Into the Sky
Aptly called the Heart Nebula, this gory glow is located in the constellation Cassieopia. More »
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Comment by Edouard Eldred: Please tell me I'm not the only one who can see the shape of a person in the bottom right... 19 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
My God, Texas Is Full Of Stars!
This time-lapse fish-eye-lens photo of the night sky over Texas is incredible, thanks to a red-lens filter that allows us to see the galactic core of the Milky Way rising up at the end. [Gizmodo]
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Comment by BongoFury: The stars at night/are big and bright/CLAPCLAPCLAPCLAP!deep in the heaaarrrrrt of Texas! 6 Responses | Other threads
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solar porn
Is NASA Acting Out Danny Boyle's Sunshine For Real?
Award-winning space photographer Thierry Legault traveled to Florida to take this picture of the Space Shuttle Atlantis passing in front of the sun. And click through to see Atlantis and Hubble meeting in the sunshine. More »
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Comment by prometeum: Is the sun supposed to look this big from earth? I'm not sure... 2 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Watch Atlantis Rendezvous With Hubble - Live Feed, Right Now!
It's live on NASA TV right now . . . Atlantis will rendezvous with Hubble in about 20 minutes. (via NASA TV)
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Comment by Smeagol92055: R.O.A.C.H.: Oh damn it all! No streaming video allowed at work! THIS IS AN HISTORIC MOMENT YOU PHILISTINES Someone describe it to... 8 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
View From The Vacuum Organism Farms Outside My Domed Habitat On Rhea
Wish you were here! More »
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Comment by Roklimber: Why, oh why, wasn't I born in the 23rd century? 5 Responses | Other threads
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solar porn
Is This Shockwave Our Only Warning Of A "Solar Katrina"?
Check out the eruption on the left side of this picture — that's a shockwave plowing through the sun's atmosphere. Could this be the early warning sign of a Solar Katrina? More »
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Comment by WestMantooth: First they were complaining about no sun activity now they are complaining about a Sun Katrina. Get over yourselves scientist.... 10 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
This Sparkling Galaxy Hides A Stellar Secret
This spiral galaxy, NGC 2841, is helping NASA solve a huge mystery: why do galaxies look so smooth, with such an even distribution of stars? More »
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Comment by crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: Mmmm... strawberry/blueberry black milk. 5 Responses | Other threads
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space pornographers
Pack Your SPF-5 Billion: We're Going To The Sun!
We're sending not one, but two probes to the sun in the next few years. Hopefully making first contact with the super-hot aliens who have been watching us from inside the solar coronas. Gallery below. More »
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Comment by Kevin Jones: Sunshine is on my Netflix list. Should I just wait for the reality show? 9 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Billion-Year Old Starburst Helps Us See Deeper Space Than Ever Before
It may have happened aeons ago, but the self-destruction of a star 13.1 billion light years away has just been seen by scientists, giving them their farthest look into the universe yet. More »
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Comment by eXo: If the universe is expanding, and this happened relatively quickly after the initial big bang - wouldn't this be relatively... 10 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Physicists Create Extremely Accurate Simulation of Entering a Black Hole
Want to visit the black hole at the center of our galaxy? Now you can, in a movie made by University of Colorado scientists Andrew Hamilton and Gavin Polhemus. More »
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Comment by Roklimber: "Extremely accurate" simulation ? Compared to what? Other simulations, almost certainly, but not to any real observations or data since, as... 28 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
A Cosmic Fountain of Foamy Galaxies and Blue Giant Stars
The cluster of galaxies known as Arp 194 is enormous - over 100,000 light-years from top to bottom - and it's filled with young, blue stars burning at extremely high temperatures. More »
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Comment by AvenueOfTheStrongest: Ok, time to fess up. I'm actually an intergalactic space deity. I came to io9 to pick a roster of... 8 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Saturn's Equinox Brings Shadows
Look at this photo of Saturn's rings from earlier this month. Wondering what those little jagged lines are, on top of the thick white band? They're shadows of Saturn ring debris. Click through for larger. More »
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Comment by thesis: For the life of me, I can't make anything of this picture. It's just disorienting. :/ But that looks like a... 3 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
How Many Advanced Civilizations Can You See In This Picture?
The amount of detail in this image of galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745 is astounding — the unprecedented collision of four separate galaxies, it's one of the most complex galaxy clusters ever seen. [Hubble]
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Comment by tetracycloide: pictures of other galaxies are a depressing reminder that it's unlikely i'll live long enough to see anyone explore anything... 6 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
A Black Hole That Grew Brighter Than Its Galaxy
The black hole that sits at the heart of the M87 galaxy has been spewing a stream of particles that mysteriously grew so bright that their radiance outshone the galaxy itself. More »
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Comment by BCWoods: Maybe it just ate a bunch of Dark Matter, and that gave the singularity enough kick to rev up the... 5 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Amateur Photographer Captures The Amazing Brightness At A Galaxy's Heart
"Newbie" astrophotographer Kurt Skaar captured this amazing image of Messier 51, the Whirlpool Galaxy, using a three-hour exposure on a Celestron CPC 11 telescope and a Canon EOS 40Da camera. Its core shines so bright!
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Comment by Dr Emilio Lizardo: This is really cool, but how do you do a 3 hr exposure? Doesn't it move? Or rather, doesn't the... 3 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
The Hand In Space!
NASA's Chandra Observatory colored the X-rays emanating from a nebula around the pulsar PSR B1509-58 blue, to reveal a ghostly hand, reaching for a cosmic light (coming from neighboring gas cloud RCW 89.) [Space.com]
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Comment by geej: Isn't this what the origin of the DC Universe looks like? 4 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Newly-Discovered Meteorite From An Otherworldly Rock Formation
A micrometeorite found in Antarctica was shed from rock formations like this one. They look too regular to be natural. Is this tiny space rock part of an ancient alien castle? More »
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Comment by RedStateSciFiGal: Wow, that's incredible. Can meteors have volcanos on them? 4 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
A Wounded Galaxy Sings With Light
Another galaxy smashed through the heart of the Cartwheel Galaxy 100 million years ago, and today the Cartwheel remains one of the most powerful UV-emitting galaxies near us, as that blue outer ring shows. More »
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Comment by chumia40_El_Señor_Justicia: La belleza de nuestro universo es inmensamente mas grande que cualquier retorica religiosa de la creacion de este. Brindo por el... 14 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Andromeda's Lovely Shimmer, Plus A Lunar Makeover
Astrophotographer Tyler Allred took this amazing new image of the Andromeda Galaxy, which just appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune. Today's new space porn also includes Jupiter's shrinking spot, digitally-restored moon pics, and an exoplanet. More »
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Comment by adamczar: Interesting, how could one digitally enhance a picture from 40 years ago, I wonder? It's like in movies when... 2 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
First Look at the Spacecraft That Will Take Humans to Mars
Yesterday NASA gave the world a first look at the Orion, a space vessel that will take humans back to the Moon in 2020, and then onward to Mars in the 2030s. More »
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Comment by ytrozs: I'm mortified that the truck that brought it in has Wile Coyote on the grill. 9 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Mars Attacks In 3-D!
Hope you saved your 3-D glasses from recent issues of Entertainment Weekly and People, because new images from Mars have been released in 3-D... It's just like being there! But more comfortable, and with air! More »
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Comment by matthewrex: Very cool, but the headline totally misled me. I was so excited that maybe Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!" was getting... 2 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
The Star That Died Too Young
It's not just celebrities and beloved pets that pass before their time, apparently. Images from the Hubble Space Telescope have captured a star going supernova almost a million years before it should have. More »
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Comment by atrus123: Translation: we humans can no longer live under the assumption that we have millions of years of fun before we... 7 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Sitting In a Tin Can High Above the World
Over the weekend, space shuttle astronaut Steve Swanson climbed outside the International Space Station to do some repair work and inspections. Here he floats beneath one section of the growing space structure. More »
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Comment by winshape: I guess they are getting ready to add the new "Colbert" section in the near future *eyeroll*. 8 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Hubble Captures Four Moons Transiting In Front Of Saturn!
The opportunity to capture a quadruple transit, when Saturn's ring plane is nearly "edge on" as seen from Earth, only happens every 14 to 15 years. [Hubblesite]
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Comment by twophrasebark: I am noticing an optical illusion where I only see three moons. 12 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
Watch the Spacewalk via Helmet Cam for the Next 3 Hours on NASA TV
Check out NASA TV right now - you can see the spacewalk first-person-shooter style, with cameras mounted on the crews' helmets. Cool! Not exactly sure what they're doing, but it seems as if they're installing the new truss on the ISS. Lots of views of Earth in between cool shots of space tech.
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Comment by cljohnston108: Well, the helmet cam's been in use since at least the first Hubble servicing mission in '93. Mac users can get... 2 Responses | Other threads
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space porn
The Shuttle Blasts Off On One of Its Final Missions
Yesterday the space shuttle Discovery blasted into space, ready to deliver its payload of solar panels and astronauts to the International Space Station. More »
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Comment by Garrison Dean: R.O.A.C.H.: SPACE BAT!? Did it turn into a sexy naked lady and ransack London? It always comes back to Lifeforce. 16 Responses | Other threads
space porn
San Francisco, 4:54 AM
Fri Jul 10
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