S: Is for vastness of space

Just when we finally have taken responsibility that we are destroying our planet, European astronomers have discovered an "Earth" like planet outside our solar system. Speculating what it would be like to live on it, their first observation is that the "sun" wouldn't burn as bright, instead it would hang like a large red balloon. If you lived on one side of the planet the sun would never set. Would that mean that sunrises and sunsets would become an endangered pleasure? I adore when the sunsets and the stars like kisses grace the sky. Would that cease to exist? This planet would revolve every 13 days. I get dizzy on a merry-go-round. The temperature in this alien setting is deemed to be "just right". I adore sweaters in the fall and sarongs in the summer. What would be decided just right for me? The astronomers who announced this discovery of the new planet Tuesday say this puts them closer to answering the cosmic question: Are we alone and will we find possible life in the universe. The discovery of this new planet, named Gliese 581 c is sure to raise more questions than answers.

The Quest to Predict violent solar events is now being looked at. These events are capable of causing havoc with satellites, power grids, and radio communication, including the global positioning system unit. The sun is headed into a season of turbulent solar activity. Just like seasonal hurricane predictions, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will issue an update on efforts to predict the sun’s next solar cycle. The solar cycle is approximately 11 years long and is marked by unstable magnetic fields that power fierce solar weather. Solar flares are explosions in the sun’s atmosphere, with the largest equal to billions of one-megaton nuclear bombs The latest NASA solar missions aim to track solar storms from their birth on the sun to their impact with Earth. Understanding how solar energy flows and interacts with Earth in more detail is key to improving space weather forecasts. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is scheduled to launch and will improve our understanding of how solar storms develop.

In finishing up this tale of space a dazzlingly detailed image released by NASA scientists on Tuesday shows the chaotic conditions in which stars are born and die. In this case a huge nebula in another neighborhood of our Milky Way galaxy. Taken by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope this image depicts the birth of a star. Being born into violent conditions they are exposed to the relentless irradiation from their older siblings. Though it is only a small portion of the whole nebula, what you are seeing is hot ionized gas. The colors represent oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur at different temperatures. The image was released to celebrate the 17th anniversary of launching the Hubble into orbit. It is one of the largest panoramic images ever taken by Hubble. Sadly the future of Hubble is in doubt because the space shuttle program is winding down. For years this amazing instrument has given us a glimpse into our world and those beyond. It has allowed us to dream and imagine what lies beyond our limited perspective. Personally I think it should be kept going to allow further generations to dream and explore the F.A.C.T.S