Category: Solar System

Our solar system

Webb mail: US Priority Mail stamps to again star deep space images in 2025

NeRD

The universe of United States postage stamps featuring James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) imagery is set to expand again in 2025. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on Monday (Dec. 16) revealed that its upcoming Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express flat rate stamps will feature two deep space vistas captured by the Webb observatory. Scheduled for release on Jan. 21, the stamps will be the second set to use JWST photos after the pair issued this year. “USPS celebrates the continued exploration of deep space with an extremely high-definition image…

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‘Edge of Space’: Ambitious short film chronicles daring flight of X-15 rocket plane test pilot (video)

NeRD

EDGE OF SPACE Trailer – YouTube Watch On Getting noticed in Hollywood is a Herculean task for up-and-coming young filmmakers. If you wanted to put a holiday spin on it, you could say they’re often given a snowball’s chance in Hell. Dreams of being recognized are often disappointingly dim, unless you’ve got a hot screenplay or, in the case of writer/director Jean de Meuron, a professional pulse-pounding short film centered around a brave USAF test pilot recruited by NASA for a suborbital mission aboard the X-15 rocket-powered aircraft. Set in…

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Astronomers discover 1st binary stars orbiting supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way

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Astronomers have discovered the first binary stars orbiting a supermassive black hole. The stellar pairing in question orbits the cosmic titan at the heart of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A*. The binary stars, designated D9, were found in data collected by the Very Large Telescope (VLT), located atop Cerro Paranal, an 8,645-foot-tall (2,635-meter) mountain in Chile’s Atacama Desert. By measuring their velocity, the team behind the discovery was surprised to find they were two stars, not one. The fact that these binary stars so near Sgr A* have survived the…

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Watch SpaceX Starship test fire engines ahead of flight 7 launch (video)

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Things are getting hot for SpaceX’s next Starship launch. SpaceX fired up its next Starship spacecraft during an engine test over the weekend, ahead of the company’s 7th orbital test flight of the gargantuan megarocket. SpaceX ignited Starship’s Raptor engines for approximately 10 seconds on Sunday, Dec. 15, as a part of a series of checkouts to ensure the vehicle is healthy before being transported to the launchpad where it will be integrated with its first stage Super Heavy booster. Its next launch, Integrated Flight Test-7 (IFT-7), is expected around…

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SpaceX’s 31st Dragon cargo capsule departs ISS to head home to Earth

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SpaceX’s 31st robotic cargo mission is headed back to Earth. SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on schedule today (Dec. 16) at 11:05 a.m. EST (1605 GMT) today (Dec. 16). The spacecraft will begin a series of deorbit burns to complete the company’s 31st commercial resupply services mission (CRS-31) for NASA, splashing down of the coast of Florida tomorrow (Dec. 17). The agency won’t webcast the splashdown but will provide updates via its ISS blog. CRS-31 is returning to Earth with thousands of pounds of…

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1st monster black hole ever pictured erupts with surprise gamma-ray explosion

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In 2018, it was revealed that a pioneering telescope the size of Earth had taken, for the first time, an image of a black hole. That same instrument, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), has now witnessed the same black hole erupt with a powerful and unexpected explosion. Scientists hope that by studying this emission, they can better model the structure surrounding supermassive black holes. The flare, which lasted for about three days in April and May 2018, erupted from the supermassive black hole designated M87*, which liesat the heart of…

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See the best Geminid meteor shower 2024 photos from around the world

NeRD

The Geminid meteor shower put on a dazzling show this week, delighting skywatchers worldwide. The Geminids are one of the most prolific showers of the year, known for bright, colorful meteors and impressive hourly rates. This year, despite the almost full moon, they lived up to their reputation. We’ve rounded up some of the most jaw-dropping Geminid photos from around the world, showcasing the true beauty of this famous shower. So sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in the wonder of the Geminid meteor shower 2024. Night sky live (Image…

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Where does ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ fit in the Star Wars timeline?

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It’s easy to forget that the “Star Wars” we’ve seen unfolding since director George Lucas’s first entry erupted onto the big screen back in 1977 actually happened ages ago — as in “a long time ago,” — and not in some far future period, despite the futuristic spaceships and lightsabers. That might seem perfectly obvious to most fans, but it’s worth mentioning as we delve into the timeline of Disney+’s “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” to hone in on the calendar to determine where Wim, Fern, Neel, KB and Jod Na…

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‘Dune: Prophecy:’ What are Face Dancers and who are the Bene Tleilax?

NeRD

Watching someone transform their appearance into the likeness of a long-deceased loved one before your very eyes would be unsettling for anyone to see, but apparently, this is a thing in the “Dune” universe and we’re here to explain everything you need to know about these shape-shifting individuals. If you’ve seen the end of the “Dune: Prophecy,” episode “Twice Born,” after Valya Harkonnen stood by to see poor Uncle Evgeny Harkonnen fall out of his floating suspensor chair and die gasping and floundering for air after she denied him his…

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‘Dune: Prophecy’ stars talk weird haircuts and hairy coats (exclusive)

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HBO’s “Dune: Prophecy” is lurching towards its season finale on Dec. 22, but before we’re further embroiled in the heated court politics of House Corrino and Valya Harkonnen’s vengeful thirst for power and Sisterhood control comes to a head, fans were treated to some intimate time with the two brooding patriarchs, Evgeny Harkonnen (Mark Addy) and the younger Baron Harrow Harkonnen (Edward Davis) in this past Sunday night’s fourth episode, “Twice Born.” In the cheerless confines of their stone and steel abode on Salusa Secundus, the grizzled, wheezing Uncle Evgeny…

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