Serene Scene (Saturn with Tethys)
Even in a peaceful looking scene such as this one of Saturn and its moon Tethys, the Cassini spacecraft reveals clues about how Saturn is ever-changing.
Saturn’s northern hemisphere still shows the scars of the huge storm that raged through much of 2011 (see Chronicling Saturn’s Northern Storm). And, day by day, the shadows cast by the rings on the planet’s southern hemisphere are growing wider as the seasons progress toward northern summer. See The Rite of Spring and Sliding Shadows to learn about the changing seasons and the shadows cast by the rings.
A deep view into a galaxy far, far away
A photo released by the European Southern Observatory on May 14, 2012 shows the peculiar galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128) on an image taken with the Wide Field Imager attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.
With a total exposure time of more than 50 hours this is probably the deepest view of this peculiar and spectacular object every created. (European Southern Observatory/AFP/Getty Images)
(via skysignal)
Plasma Jam - the first ever video from inside the Northern Lights:
This timelapse video contains the first-ever photos from alongside the edge of the Northern Lights, aka. the Aurora Borealis.
Captured at 100,000 feet using a modified GoPro HD Hero2 camera attached to a carbon fiber frame, this homemade spacecraft reached altitude using a helium weather balloon and also hosted other scientific instruments used to measure features of the Aurora.
According to the project leader, Ben Longmier, “We were measuring the plasma particle density at an altitude of 30 km, where the particle density is enhanced due to the presence of the aurora and high energy electrons streaming down into the magnetosphere.”
[Note: it also may feature the first-ever footage of the Northern Lights scored without the use of classical music. We’re breaking all kinds of firsts, here.]
(via n-a-s-a)
Dusty stellar nurseries from the dark side of a galaxy
The red colors in this image show the galaxy M66 as it appears at the submillimeter wavelength of 850 microns, while the white background shows the galaxy as it appears in visible light. Regions of cold dust that appear as dark streaks in the white image glow brightly in the red image. The center of the galaxy contains much more dust than is obvious from looking at the visible image, and the submillimeter image also picks out an unusual compact cloud in the southern part of the galaxy that is a prime site for future star formation.
Credit: VLT/ESO, JAC, G. Bendo
(via thenewenlightenmentage)
Is Water Essential to Life?
New research by scientists at the University of Bristol has challenged one of the key beliefs in chemistry: that proteins are dependent on water to survive and function. The team’s findings, published this month in Chemical Science, could eventually lead to the development of new industrial enzymes.
Proteins are large organic molecules that are vital to every living thing, allowing us to convert food into energy, supply oxygen to our blood and muscles, and drive our immune systems. Since proteins evolved in a water-rich environment, it is generally thought that they are dependent on water to survive and function.
Proteins consist of one or more polypeptides – chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds. If a protein in water is heated to temperatures approaching the boiling point of water, these chains will lose their structure and the protein will denature (unfold).
A classic example of denaturing occurs when an egg is hard-boiled: the structures of the proteins in the egg unfold with temperature and stick together creating a solid. In the egg’s case, this process cannot be reversed – however there are many examples where cooling the protein results in refolding of the structure.
Previously, it was thought that water was essential to the refolding process, however the Bristol findings suggest this isn’t necessarily the case.
