Magnetic Movie

Magnetic Movie from Semiconductor on Vimeo.

Manhattanhenge

Manhattanites take it for granted that their avenues run north-south and their streets run east-west. But truly observant inhabitants know that Manhattan's street grid is rotated 29 degrees away from the north-south axis.

Why should you care? Well, as Geoff Manaugh writes in his delectable BLDGBLOG, this angle carries "interesting astronomical side effects" -- namely, "Manhattanhedge," as coined by Neil deGrasse Tyson. For two days every year (May 28 and July 12/13), the setting sun lines up perfectly with the east-west streets of Manhattan's main street grid. The result, needless to say, is spectacular:




Unfortunately, I'll be out of town next week. Otherwise, I'd be simultaneously watching the sunset and sweeping a lady off her feet in Union Square Park like the couple above :)

Life: A Journey Through Time by Frans Lanting

Using contemporary photographs taken from different points around the world, photographer Frans Lanting has created a visual timeline of the evolution of life on Earth. The sequence of breathtaking photos trace the history of life, from its fiery beginnings through its evolution in sea, land, and air. I was captivated by many of the photographs, and the accompanying music by Philip Glass only intensifies the experience. If you have 10+ minutes of free time, check out Life: A Journey Through Time.

The New Earth-Like Planet

Neil DeGrasse Tyson discusses the discovery of "New Earth" on the Colbert Report.

Giant Crystals

This article explains how giant crystals formed in the Cueva de los Cristales -- "The conditions were perfect. By maintaining the temperature just below 58 degrees for a very long time you get a few, very big crystals," said Professor Garcia-Ruiz.

We'll see how they compare to the crystals being grown in our classroom...

Comet McNaught

Lucky night star gazers in Australia and the southern hemisphere were able to catch stunning views of Comet McNaught earlier this month.

The photo above was taken from the NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Volcanoes in Antarctica?!?

Check out this photograph from photojournalist George Steinmetz. Steinmetz specializes in photographing remote (far away) and harsh places. For this assignment, he traveled all the way to Antarctica to take photographs of an active volcano, which appear in the December issue of the Smithsonian magazine.

If you think about it, volcanoes in Antarctica are not all that implausible. Recall from Earth Science that volcanoes typically occur in one of three places: 1) convergent plate boundaries, 2) divergent plate boundaries and 3) hot spots. (Here's a quick refresher on plate tectonics and volcanoes) So Antarctica is probably situated near the boundary between these tectonic plates or near a hot spot.

Antarctica is not only place where you'll find a warm oasis caught in a winter wonderland. Iceland is a volcanic island found on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Even though it's fairly cold all year round, Icelanders take advantage of their geographic location by using hot springs and geysers to provide geothermal energy and year round outdoor bathing!

Dr. Tyson on The Colbert Report

Last year, Neil DeGrasse Tyson appeared on the Colbert Report after the IAU classified Pluto and three other round objects in the solar system as dwarf planets. Both Dr. Tyson and Stephen Colbert were not happy about the IAU's decision.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Did you know that one of America's most famous astrophysicists grew up in the Bronx? You may have seen him hosting the PBS series "Origins," or appearing as a guest on "The Colbert Report," explaining the International Astronomical Union's decision to "downgrade" Pluto's planetary status.

Dr. Tyson is currently the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. I had the great fortune of hearing Neil deGrasse Tyson speak to a group of teachers (on several occasions) and he is even more "cool, classy, articulate, and brilliant" in person then he is on TV.

Learn more about Dr. Tyson on Wikipedia or check out his autobiography, The Sky is Not the Limit.