Saturday, May 21, 2011

NASA Captures Giant Solar Comet Collision

NASA video captured May 10-11, 2011

SOHO watched as a fairly bright comet dove towards the Sun in a white streak and was not seen again after its close encounter (May 10-11, 2011). The comet, probably part of the Kreutz family of comets, was discovered by amateur astronomer Sergey Shurpakov. In this coronagraph the Sun (represented by a white circle) is blocked by the red occulting disk so that the faint structures in the Sun's corona can be discerned. Interestingly, a coronal mass ejection blasted out to the right just as the comet is approaching the Sun.

Scientists, however, have yet to find a convincing physical connection between sun-grazing comets and coronal mass ejections. In fact, analysis of this CME using images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory shows that the CME erupted before the comet came close enough to the solar surface to interact with strong magnetic fields.

Courtesy of SOHO.
SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.

Friday, May 20, 2011

How to prepare for a zombie apocalypse

Are you ready for the Night of the Living Dead? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a big, serious government agency advises on zombie apocalypse… and other real emergencies and pandemics.

If you're ready for a zombie apocalypse, then you're ready for any emergency. emergency.cdc.gov

"So what do you need to do before zombies…or hurricanes or pandemics for example, actually happen?

First of all, you should have an emergency kit in your house. This includes things like water, food, and other supplies to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp (or in the event of a natural disaster, it will buy you some time until you are able to make your way to an evacuation shelter or utility lines are restored). Below are a few items you should include in your kit, for a full list visit the CDC Emergency page.

Once you’ve made your emergency kit, you should sit down with your family and come up with an emergency plan. This includes where you would go and who you would call if zombies started appearing outside your door step. You can also implement this plan if there is a flood, earthquake, or other emergency."

emergency.cdc.gov

Just in case, the zombie plan isn't supposed to be taken seriously. It is supposed to raise awareness and to get people ready for any real emergency.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Azerbaijan wins 2011 Eurovision song contest

Ell (Eldar Gasimov) and Nikki (Nigar Jamaland) from Azerbaijan received the highest number of points from juries and televoters from the 43 countries participating in this year's edition of Europe's most popular music TV-show.*

Ell/Nikki - Running Scared (Winners of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest)

Performer: Ell/Nikki

Song title: Running Scared
Song writer(s): Stefan Örn, Sandra Bjurman
Song composer(s): Stefan Örn, Sandra Bjurman, Iain Farquharson

Creative Google offices

Google's headquarters in Zurich

View more presentations from Cheta Manuel

Flower Carpet in Brussels

Brussels - Grand Place, Floral Carpet - 200408...

The flower carpet in 2008. Image via wiki

Every two years in August, an enormous "flower carpet" is set up in the Grand Place, the central square of Brussels, for a few days. A million colourful begonias are set up in patterns, and the display covers a full 24 by 77 metres (79 by 253 ft), for area total of 1,800 square metres (19,000 sq ft). The first flower carpet was made in 1971, and due to its popularity, the tradition continued, with the flower carpet attracting a large number of tourists.
Each year celebrates a particular theme, such as 2007's Bicentennial of the Leuven Fire Department.
wiki

Flower carpet at the Grand Place. Photo by Yabbi

The Cranes are Flying (full movie online)

Based on a play by V. Rosov, the Russian The Cranes are Flying is a love story set during the early years of World War II.

The film was directed at Mosfilm by Mikhail Kalatozov in 1957 and stars Aleksey Batalov and Tatiana Samoilova. The Cranes are Flying won several international awards including the Palme d'Or at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival.

Watch full length movie The Cranes Are Flying online (Russian language, Russian subtitles)

The unnamed male cubs can see only shadows right now. They make soft chuffing noises, sleep most of the day and nurse when awake. Their legs are not strong enough to carry their rotund body, weighing 7.7 pounds.