It’s time again for the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower, the annual cluster of shooting stars that occurs when Earth falls in the path of debris left behind years ago by the messy Swift-Tuttle comet (way to clean up after yourself, Swift-Tuttle). Tonight marks the absolute peak of the shower, during which you can […]
Astronomy
Posted inEvents
NASA’s Final Shuttle Mission: Amuricaaaa!
NASA Flying phallic objects make history~~~!~ Armed with about a gazillion American flags, a new state-of-the-art pee-recycling machine, and (yes, it’s true Apple is taking over the galaxy) an iPhone, the space shuttle Atlantis’ mission to the International Space Station—NASA’s last shuttle mission ever—will be a ground-shaking, out of this world feat of cosmic prop… […]
Posted inAstronomy
This Is What it Looks Like When an Asteroid Brushes the Earth
OH MY GOD WATCH: So… did you catch that? (You might need to watch it again—this time with speakers ON. You still won’t see anything, but man, those sweet, sweet sounds.) As reported, asteroid 2011 MD—which is about the size of a bus—came within 7,500 miles of the earth’s southern hemisphere earlier today. From National […]
Posted inAstronomy
You Won’t Get to See the Longest Lunar Eclipse in 11 Years
photo from NASA On Wednesday, June 15, the moon will magically disappear and then reappear* in what’s said to be the longest lunar eclipse in 11 years. From CBS News: The longest total lunar eclipse since July 2000 will occur on Wednesday (June 15), with skywatchers in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia […]
Posted inAstronomy
The Planet Saturn Is a Jerk
Want to see some space stuff? Look up, dummy! Right now there are six planets visible in the dawn sky, according to a report on Space.com: If you get up any morning for the next few weeks, you’ll be treated to the sight of all the planets except Saturn arrayed along the ecliptic, the path […]
Posted inAstronomy
Sweden Attempts to Recreate the Solar System, Fails Miserably
It has been brought to my attention that the country of Sweden has attempted to create a scale replica of our solar system within its borders. They’ve got the sun represented by the Ericsson Globe (pictured above) in Stockholm, with the planet of Mercury—a 25-centimeter bronze sphere—located 2900 meters away (whatever a meter is), Venus […]
Posted inMedia
The Existence of Bill O’Reilly Proves There is No God
In one of his low rent “backstage conversations,” Bill O’Reilly tries to outwit the Atheists with one simple question: “If there is no God, then how did the moon get there, PINHEADS?” (Yes, he actually ends the question with “pinheads.”) His logic: If Mars doesn’t have a moon, then why do we have a moon? […]
Posted inAstronomy
Today in WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THE ZODIAC’S ALL DIFFERENT NOW?!?
Okay, first they said Pluto wasn’t a planet. Whatever, like I give a shit. But now they’re saying I’M NOT A GEMINI ANYMORE?? From the Washington Post: Star signs were created by ancient Babylonians some 2,000 years ago by tracking where the sun was in the sky each month. However, the moon’s gravitational pull has […]
Posted inAstronomy
Here Is What You Missed During Last Night’s Eclipse
Oh, how lovely! Look at the bright shining moon, and… whoa. Look, it’s getting darker. Look, it’s turning black! Ohhhhh shit. Uh, you guys? Are you seeing this? The moon has turned orange. Now it’s… OH MY GOD IT IS BLOOD RED. THE MOON HAS TURNED MURDEROUS CRIMSON LIKE THE DAWN OF A THOUSAND BLOODFEASTS […]
Posted inAstronomy
Blood Red Moon Tonight, Maybe!
Fred Espenak/Mr. Eclipse Greetings, fellow moongazers and star hustlers! Now is a very busy time for astronomers! Tomorrow is the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year—but that’s not all. Tonight there will be a full lunar eclipse, which, if my time at Astronomy Academy* serves me well, means a full eclipse […]
Posted inAstronomy
Dads? Try to “Out-Dad” This Dad.
A dad in New York and his 8-year-old son attach an HD video camera to a weather balloon, send it into space, and retrieve it. Here’s the breathtaking video, and by the way, my dad and your dad sucks compared to this dad. Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.
Posted inAstronomy
Man Spots UFO in Bend. Or Maybe a Paper Airplane. Or a Pizza.
This just in from geek blog io9: Three men have spotted a UFO after a football game in Bend. Based on their detailed drawings and story, UFOs these days look a like like paper airplanes. Or flying pizza slices.