Photo: Exotic Speca galaxy featuring central black hole stuns the astronomers

 Science  Comments Off
Aug 292011
 

The image features the spiral galaxy Speca at 1.7 billion light years from Terra. Photo: Hota et al., SDSS, NCRA-TIFR, NRAO/AUI/NSF

A strange newly discovered galaxy might help astronomers to find out how black holes and star formation evolved in the early universe, a new study disclosed.

The spiral galaxy, called Speca, throws fast-moving jets of particles from the center, a phenomenon particularly spotted in elliptical galaxies. In fact, Speca is the second spiral galaxy in the universe known to feature such jets.

These jets are thrown outwards by a supermassive black hole located at the core of the galaxy. Scientists hope that the study of Speca galaxy will brings new information about black holes, the birth of stars and the interaction between the two.

Speca is 1.7 billion light years away from Earth. Apart from its spiral pattern, it resembles also a radio galaxy.

In the center of a radio galaxy is a supermassive black hole. The surrounding matter is “thrown” outwards, forming bright streams that generate radio waves.

Most of the detected radio galaxies are elliptical. They are old, with no new stars, while the spiral galaxies reveal more star birthings. Therefore, according to the scientists, the discovery of spiral radio galaxy is very challenging. Research on speca could help astronomers to learn how a spiral galaxy transform into an elliptical one.

Video: KLM Boeing 747 – a super jumbo take-off

 Videos  Comments Off
Aug 292011
 

A pal, member of KLM crew, films the take-off moments of a Boeing 747 at Hong Kong airport.

Video: Cockpit view of KLM B747 take-off: Hong Kong – Amsterdam flight

Photos: Wanna bid for Pink Panther car?

 Photos  Comments Off
Aug 272011
 

Panthermobile, the original Pink Panther car comes up for auction. Photos: pinkpanthercar.com

Panthermobile, the famous car of the Pink Panther is about to be auctioned again!!!

The original version of Pink Panther character’s vehicle, created in 1969 by Jay Ohrberg, is sheduled to be auctioned for a second time on September 4, 2011. The car was owned by Ohrberg Panthermobile until June 2007 when it was submitted for auction and sold for around 100,000 euros. Now the car is looking for a new owner.

Movies featuring the pink car called Panthermobile were broadcast on NBC in the U.S. between 1969 and 1976.

Jay Ohrberg left his marks on many other famous vehicles such as the Black Pontiac from the movie Knight Rider (KITT), DeLorean car from Back to the Future, Barman Mobile (1966), the Torino Ford from Starsky & Hutch, but also The Flintstones’s cars.

The 42-year-old Pink car is not allowed to ride on the street. Its engine does not work.

The company that organized the auction is expected to obtain between 56,000 and 113,000 euro for the vehicle.

Panther Car ready for sale in September 2011


Panthermobile's signature

Another suicidal mission by Freddy Nock – Feuerkogel record

 Photos  Comments Off
Aug 262011
 

Zugspitze record:
Swiss Freddy Nock set up recently a hard-to-break world record for the highest and longest barless wire walk. He managed a stunning performance after walking about 1 kilometer at an altitude of 3000 meters in the German Alps. Nock conquered Zugspitze Mountain, the highest peak in Germany (2962 m), in one hour and 20 minutes without even using a balance bar!!!

Feuerkogel record:
The wire stuntman did not even enjoy his successful adventure because had already planned to break seven other records in Austria, Germany and Switzerland and just seven days. One of these records is featured in the picture below which shows Mr Nock heading up on the cable of a Feuerkogel funicular in Ebensee, Austria on Monday, August 22, 2011.

Swiss Freddy Nock in balance as he climbs the Feuerkogel car cable in Ebensee. Photo: AP/Kerstin Joensson

Romanian jumps in water trying to escape heat wave

 Photos  Comments Off
Aug 262011
 

Hot weather overwhelmed Romania during the last days of August 2011.

As the temperatures riched as high as 35 degrees centigrade, people struggle to cope with the hot ordeal.

The picture below was taken on Wednesday, August 24, 2011 and features a Romanian taking a leap at sunset in a lake from Bucharest in efforts to cool himself down.

Romanian dives in lake at sunset on Wednesday, 24 Aug. 2011. Photo: AP / Vadim Ghirda

Photo: Scientists discover exotic diamond planet

 Science  Comments Off
Aug 262011
 

Schematic image published by Melbourne's Swinburne University of Technology reveals diamond-made planet orbiting the J1719-1438 star. Photo: Reuters.com

Astronomers from Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology tracked down a planet apparently made of diamond.

The exotic planet, which seems to consist in large proportion of diamond, was discovered revolving around a small star near our galaxy, according to a study published in Science magazine on Thursday.

The new planet which orbits the PSR J1719-1438 pulsar, is much denser than any other body of its kind detected so far and contains mainly carbon. Because of the high density, scientists concluded that the carbon must be in a crystalline form, which means that much of this planet is really made of diamonds.

Located at a distance of 4,000 light-years, equivalent to an 8th of the distance Earth – Milky Way center, the new planet is believed to be the remains of a former massive star that has lost its outer shell that was absorbed by the pulsar around which gravitates.

Pulsars are small neutron dead stars that feature a diameter of about 20 kilometers and rotate around its axis hundreds of times per second, generating electromagnetic radiation.

“According to measurements, the planet orbiting around its star every 2 hours and 10 minutes, has a mass comparable to Jupiter but is 20 times denser”, the astronomers revealed in Science.

The new planet is thought to feature also oxygen, which might exist in large quantities on the surface, but increasingly become less as progressing to the planet’s core which is rich in carbon.

Due to its high density, the exotic planet is less likely to comprise light atoms such as H and He, which are the main elements of large gas planets like Jupiter.