Milky Way Seen From The Moon, Err, Death Valley [OC][3648x4713] Http://space-pics.tumblr.com/

his voice sounds so animated and he’s so cute i want to hug him for a long time

T-39 days (October 26, 2015) - Technicians at the International Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center integrated the Cygnus spacecraft’s Pressurized Module with its Service Module late last week. The spacecraft spent last week being loaded with over 7,700 pounds of supplies for the orbiting laboratory. The PM arrived in mid-August while the SM arrived in early October. OA-4 is the first flight of a Cygnus spacecraft since October 2014′s launch failure of Orb-3. The Antares rocket is being redesigned, with its reflight slated to occur in spring, 2016. Until then, two Commercial Resupply Missions are scheduled to fly on United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rockets, OA-4 and OA-5. Launch of OA-4 is currently scheduled for 6:03 pm EST on Thursday, December 3.

Wind farm star trails by Matt James

Scientists spot the closest Earth-sized exoplanet yet

Scientists have discovered a new exoplanet that, in the language of “Star Wars,” would be the polar opposite of frigid Hoth, and even more inhospitable than the deserts of Tatooine. But instead of residing in a galaxy far, far away, this new world is, galactically speaking, practically next door. The new planet, named GJ 1132b, is Earth-sized and rocky, orbiting a small star located a mere 39 light-years from Earth, making it the closest Earth-sized exoplanet yet discovered. Based on their measurements, the scientists have determined that the planet is a roasting 500° F (260° C), and it is likely tidally locked, meaning that it has a permanent day and night side — presenting the same face to its star, much like our Moon is locked to Earth.

Read more ~ Astronomy Magazine

Image: In this artist’s rendering of GJ 1132b, a rocky exoplanet similar to Earth in size and mass, circles a red dwarf star. GJ 1132b is relatively cool at about 450° F (230° C) and could potentially host an atmosphere. At a distance of only 39 light-years, it will be a prime target for additional study with Hubble and future observatories like the Giant Magellan Telescope.    Credit: Dana Berry

This is me

i dab every morning when i wake up

May 1, 1979 – The prototype Space Shuttle Enterprise rolls out from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

(NASA/Kennedy Space Center)

This is what happens when Two Black Holes Collide.

This is the animation of the final stages of a merger between two black holes. What is particularly interesting about this animation is that it highlights a phenomenon known as Gravitational Lensing.

What is Gravitational Lensing?

Mass bends Light. What? 

Yeah, mass can bend Light. The gravitational field of a really massive object is super strong. And this causes light rays passing close to that object to be bent and refocused somewhere else.

The more massive the object, the stronger its gravitational field and hence the greater the bending of light rays - just like using denser materials to make optical lenses results in a greater amount of refraction.

Here’s an animation showing a black hole going past a background galaxy.

This effect is one of the predictions of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity 

PC: cfhtlens, Urbane Legend

A Precocious Black Hole In July 2015, researchers announced the discovery of a black hole that grew much more quickly than its host galaxy. The discovery calls into question previous assumptions on development of galaxies. The black hole was discovered using the Hubble Space Telescope, and detected in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, by ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s Chandra.

People: you should talk more

Me: *tries to talk*

- gets interrupted

- gets ignored

- gets talked over

- no one pays attention

- no one cares