Math Problem: *begins With “we Know That..”*

[OC] Nine Merlin engines bloom at high altitude as SpaceX Falcon9 streaks across the night sky

NGC 7380, Wizard in Cepheus

A fleeting moment in time

The faint, ephemeral glow emanating from the planetary nebula ESO 577-24 persists for only a short time – around 10,000 years, a blink of an eye in astronomical terms. ESO’s Very Large Telescope captured this shell of glowing ionized gas – the last breath of the dying star whose simmering remains are visible at the heart of this image. As the gaseous shell of this planetary nebula expands and grows dimmer, it will slowly disappear from sight.

This stunning planetary nebula was imaged by one of the VLT’s most versatile instruments, FORS2. The instrument captured the bright, central star, Abell 36, as well as the surrounding planetary nebula. The red and blue portions of this image correspond to optical emission at red and blue wavelengths, respectively.

An object much closer to home is also visible in this image – an asteroid wandering across the field of view has left a faint track below and to the left of the central star. And in the far distance behind the nebula a glittering host of background galaxies can be seen. Credit: ESO    

Read more ~ phys.org

Hubble in Safe Mode as Gyro Issues are Diagnosed

NASA - Hubble Space Telescope patch. Oct. 8, 2018 NASA is working to resume science operations of the Hubble Space Telescope after the spacecraft entered safe mode on Friday, October 5, shortly after 6:00 p.m. EDT. Hubble’s instruments still are fully operational and are expected to produce excellent science for years to come. Hubble entered safe mode after one of the three gyroscopes (gyros) actively being used to point and steady the telescope failed. Safe mode puts the telescope into a stable configuration until ground control can correct the issue and return the mission to normal operation. Built with multiple redundancies, Hubble had six new gyros installed during Servicing Mission-4 in 2009. Hubble usually uses three gyros at a time for maximum efficiency, but can continue to make scientific observations with just one. The gyro that failed had been exhibiting end-of-life behavior for approximately a year, and its failure was not unexpected; two other gyros of the same type had already failed. The remaining three gyros available for use are technically enhanced and therefore expected to have significantly longer operational lives.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Image Credit: NASA

Two of those enhanced gyros are currently running. Upon powering on the third enhanced gyro that had been held in reserve, analysis of spacecraft telemetry indicated that it was not performing at the level required for operations. As a result, Hubble remains in safe mode. Staff at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Space Telescope Science Institute are currently performing analyses and tests to determine what options are available  to recover the gyro to operational performance. Science operations with Hubble have been suspended while NASA investigates the anomaly. An Anomaly Review Board, including experts from the Hubble team and industry familiar with the design and performance of this type of gyro, is being formed to investigate this issue and develop the recovery plan. If the outcome of this investigation results in recovery of the malfunctioning gyro, Hubble will resume science operations in its standard three-gyro configuration.   If the outcome indicates that the gyro is not usable, Hubble will resume science operations in an already defined “reduced-gyro” mode that uses only one gyro. While reduced-gyro mode offers less sky coverage at any particular time, there is relatively limited impact on the overall scientific capabilities. For more information about Hubble, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/hubble Image (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Sarah Loff/Felicia Chou. Greetings, Orbiter.ch Full article

Starry Greetings!

Seems like Planet X wanted to finish off Halloween with one… last…story…

https://cosmosmagazine.com/physics/vacuum-decay-ultimate-catastrophe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijFm6DxNVyI

http://io9.gizmodo.com/we-might-be-destroying-the-universe-just-by-looking-at-1514652112

❤️

Female Physicist’s moodboard <3

why is mercury shrinking?

Unlike the Earth, Mercury’s surface is made up of just one continental plate covering the entire planet, as Mercury’s interior is slowly cooling it also shrinks and the total volume of mercury shrinks.

Opportunity