Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Total Lunar Eclipse

Total lunar eclipse  15th April 2014  (source: link)
Lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow). This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned (in "syzygy") exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a full moon. The type and length of an eclipse depend upon the Moon's location relative to its orbital nodes.

Friday, April 11, 2014

MAGNETIC STORM


Magnetic Storm  (source: link)

A magnetic storm is a disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) or solar flares from the Sun. It usually begins between 24 and 36 hours after the solar event, when a shock wave of solar wind reaches the Earth's ionosphere. The storm then typically lasts 24 to 48 hours, though some may last as long as days. The effects of such a storm include disruption of communications and navigation systems, intense auroras, damage to satellites, and during the most extreme storms, induced currents in power lines and pipelines that result in power outages and corrosion.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

FLAME NEBULA


Flame Nebula and Alnitak by Palomar, Samuel Oschin Telescope  (source: link)
The Flame Nebula, designated as NGC 2024 and Sh2-277, is an emission nebula in the constellation Orion. It is about 900 to 1,500 light-years away.