Tag: rare

Picture of the Day: The Birth of a Star

the-birth-of-a-star-hubble

Photograph by ESA/Hubble & NASA

 

In this incredible image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, we are witness to the birth of a star.

This new Hubble image shows IRAS 14568-6304, a young star that is cloaked in a haze of golden gas and dust. It appears to be embedded within an intriguing swoosh of dark sky, which curves through the image and obscures the sky behind.
 
This dark region is known as the Circinus molecular cloud. This cloud has a mass around 250 000 times that of the Sun, and it is filled with gas, dust and young stars. Within this cloud lie two prominent and enormous regions known colloquially to astronomers as Circinus-West and Circinus-East. Each of these clumps has a mass of around 5000 times that of the Sun, making them the most prominent star-forming sites in the Circinus cloud. The clumps are associated with a number of young stellar objects, and IRAS 14568-6304, featured here under a blurry fog of gas within Circinus-West, is one of them.
 
IRAS 14568-6304 is special because it is driving a protostellar jet, which appears here as the “tail” below the star. This jet is the leftover gas and dust that the star took from its parent cloud in order to form. While most of this material forms the star and its accretion disc — the disc of material surrounding the star, which may one day form planets — at some point in the formation process the star began to eject some of the material at supersonic speeds through space. This phenomenon is not only beautiful, but can also provide us with valuable clues about the process of star formation. [source]

 

Click here to see the full-size 3951 x 1820 pixel jpg. For the full-size 16.3mb TIF file, click here.

 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day: Strokkur Geyser on the Verge of Eruption

Strokkur_Geyser,_Iceland_beginning_to_erupt

Photograph by HANSUELI KRAPF

 

In this perfectly timed photo we see Strokkur, a famous geyser in Iceland, on the verge of eruption. Located in the geothermal area beside the Hvítá River (in the southwest part of the country, east of Reykjavík), Strokkur erupts about every 4–8 minutes and can reach heights of 15–20 meters (50-65 ft), and sometimes even up to heights of 40 m (131 ft).

The frequency of eruptions coupled with a surrounding area of mud pools, fumaroles, algal deposits and other geysers makes the site a very popular tourist attraction.

A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase (steam). The formation of geysers is due to particular hydrogeological conditions, which exist in only a few places on Earth. Generally all geyser field sites are located near active volcanic areas, and the geyser effect is due to the proximity of magma.

The water and vapour seen building up under the surface about to erupt is a good example of surface tension.

 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day: The Multiple Exposure Blood Moon

 

THE MULTIPLE EXPOSURE
BLOOD MOON

 

multiple-exposure-blood-moon-composite

Photograph by NASA/JSC

 

From open prairie land on the 1625-acre Johnson Space Center site, a Johnson Space Center photographer took this multi-frame composite image of the so-called “Blood Moon” lunar eclipse in the early hours of April 15.

The eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when the Earth, moon and sun are in perfect alignment, blanketing the moon in the Earth’s shadow. The United States will not be able to witness a full lunar eclipse in its entirety again until 2019. As for the blood moon reference, this is a term that the media has picked up and run with recently. It is in reference to the four ‘red moons’ of a lunar tetrad. A lunar tetrad refers to four successive total lunar eclipses with no partial lunar eclipses in between, each of which is separated from the other by six lunar months (six full moons). There’s a good write-up on EarthSky about the whole ‘blood moon’ thing.

 

 

twistedsifter-on-facebook

 

Picture of the Day: The Blood Moon

 

THE BLOOD MOON

 

blood-moon-2014-total-lunar-eclipse-nasa

 

The United States was in a prime orbital position and time of day to view the eclipse on April 15, 2014. Depending on local weather conditions (it was cloudy and overcast for many), the public got a spectacular view looking into the sky as the moon’s appearance changed from bright orange to blood red to dark brown and perhaps gray.

The eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when the Earth, moon and sun are in perfect alignment, blanketing the moon in the Earth’s shadow. The United States will not be able to witness a full lunar eclipse in its entirety again until 2019. This image was taken in San Jose, California by Brian Day.

As for the blood moon reference, this is a term that the media has picked up and run with recently. It is in reference to the four ‘red moons’ of a lunar tetrad. A lunar tetrad refers to four successive total lunar eclipses with no partial lunar eclipses in between, each of which is separated from the other by six lunar months (six full moons). There’s a good write-up on EarthSky about the whole ‘blood moon’ thing.

 

 

twistedsifter-on-facebook

 

This 3000 Year Old Amulet Kind of Looks Like a Gummy Bear

3000-year-old-amber-bear-amulet-looks-like-a-gummy-bear

Photographer Unknown via innuendoPL

 

The story goes that this amber bear amulet was found in 1887 in a peat bog near Slupsk, a city in northern Poland. The amber bear is believed to be from the Neolithic period and was dated between 1700 and 650 BC. Until 1945 the ‘amber bear of happiness‘ was on display at a museum in Szczecin until it “mysteriously disappeared”….

The bear resurfaced in 2002 when the Historic Museum in Straslund, Germany presented the amber bear to the public. It is not known how the museum came into possession of the prized amulet… You can read more about the story here.

Oh yeah, and it kind of looks like a gummy bear 🙂 Could this be the original?
 
[Sources: slupcio.slupsk.edu.pl, Stolper_Bär on Wikipedia.de, innuendoPL on reddit]

 

The amber bear of happiness

 

The Legendary Amber Bear of Happiness

 

Gummy_bears

Photograph by Thomas Rosenau

 

Could the original gummy bear be over 3000 years old?

 

billbee honey bottle shaped like a bear

 

Some have suggested it also inspired the Billy Bee Honey Bear.

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter
highly recommends:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rare Portraits of Roald Amundsen. The First Person to Reach the South Pole

 

Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (16 July 1872 – c. 18 June 1928) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the Antarctic expedition (1910-12) to become the first men to reach the South Pole in December 1911. In 1926, he was the first expedition leader to be recognized without dispute as having reached the North Pole. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage (1903–06).

Amundsen disappeared in June 1928 while taking part in a rescue mission when his plane crashed into the Arctic ocean. Amundsen, Douglas Mawson, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton were key expedition leaders during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

To learn more about Amundsen, be sure to check out his Wikipedia page. There’s also a great bio on Amundsen on PBS.org. Below you will find some rare portraits of the polar explorer. Most are from the National Library of Norway which has an extensive collection of images on Flickr Commons.

 

1. Oslo, 1899

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (3)

 

Roald Amundsen in polar gear after returning from the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1897-1899.

 

2. Oranienburg, 1910

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (4)

 

Roald Amundsen in the workroom at Oranienburg, 1910

 

3. Alaska, 1906

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (9)

 

4. Svalbard, 1925

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (12)

Photograph via Preus Museum on Flickr

 

5. circa 1875

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (2)

 

6. Antarctica, 1897-1898

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (6)

 

At this time one knew that the dangerous disease scurvy was due to vitamin C deficiency, but they had learned that fresh and not cooked through meat in the diet counteracted the disease. Amundsen hunted extensively during the expedition to supply the crew with meat.

 

7. circa 1909

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (5)

 

8. Alaska, 1906

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (7)

 

 

9. January 16, 1913

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (8)

 

Roald Amundsen (1872-1928), Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922) Robert Edwin Peary Og (1856-1920) receiving the National Geographic Society’s Gold Medal.

 

10. circa 1926

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (10)

 

11. circa 1912

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (11)

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

 

12. Oslo, 1899

roald amundsen rare photo portrait (1)

 

Roald Amundsen in polar gear after returning from the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1897-1899.

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter
highly recommends:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the World’s First ‘All White’ Blue Marlin Ever Caught on Film

all white albino leucistic blue marlin (1)

 

Bob and Karen Weaver got the fish charter of a lifetime when they caught (and released!), what the IGFA and TBF are saying is the first ever ‘all white’ blue marlin ever caught on film.

The rare fish was caught off the coast of Los Sueños, Costa Rica while on board the Spanish Fly, a chartered fishing boat through Maverick Yachts and Sportfishing Charters. The boat was captained by Juan Carlos Fallas Zamora with mates Carlos Pollo Espinoza Jimenez and Roberto Chelato Salinas Hernandez.

According to the IGFA (International Game Fish Association), the shape and size of the marlin’s dorsal and pectoral fins are clear indications that it’s a blue marlin.

While it was first described as an albino, many are saying that is actually leucistic, which is often confused with albinism. Unlike albinism, leucism is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin.

A further difference between albinism and leucism is in eye colour. Due to the lack of melanin production in both the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and iris, albinos typically have red eyes due to the underlying blood vessels showing through. In contrast, most leucistic animals have normally coloured eyes, such as this particular marlin. [source]

Ultimately it was Karen Weaver who reeled the billfish in after a 90-minute fight. Later, it was safely released back into the ocean by the crew.

 

1.

all white albino leucistic blue marlin (4)

 

2.

all white albino leucistic blue marlin (3)

 

3.

all white albino leucistic blue marlin (5)

 

4.

all white albino leucistic blue marlin (2)

 

5.

all white albino leucistic blue marlin (7)

 

6.

all white albino leucistic blue marlin (10)

 

7.

all white albino leucistic blue marlin (6)

 

8.

all white albino leucistic blue marlin (9)

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter
highly recommends:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Rare Salvador Dali Illustrations of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

 

In 1975, world-renowned Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali created a rare set of illustrations for Shakespeare’s famous play, Romeo and Juliet. The series consisted of 10 off-set lithographs on heavy paper with 99 pages of bound text contained in a red/burgundy silk slipcase with the lithographs signed in the plate. Also included was an additional set of 10 off-set lithographs contained in a separate slip case with titled wrappers that are signed by Dali.

Each photolith is preceded by a sheet wrapper with the title of the section of the play represented printed in it.

A total of 999 numbered books were printed and published in 1975 by Rizzoli and Rizzoli. Number 819 of 999 is available for sale by the Lockport Street Gallery in Plainfield, Illinois and can be seen in the images below. There are only 35 versions of the book that contain the extra set of 10 signed photoliths. One of them being this one.

[via Brain Pickings]

 

1.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (11)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

2.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (1)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

3.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (2)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

4.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (3)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

5.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (4)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

6.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (5)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

7.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (6)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

8.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (7)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

9.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (8)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

10.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (9)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

11.

salvador dali romeo and juliet illustrations 1975 (10)

Artwork by SALVADOR DALI
Courtesy of Lockport Street Gallery (available for sale)

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter
highly recommends:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chewbacca Tweets an Epic Series of Behind-the-Scenes Photos from Star Wars

 

It all started with a simple tweet…

 

 

Peter Mayhew (@TheWookieRoars), the 7′ 3″ (2.21 m) actor who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films went on an amazing twitter run last week, sharing an unbelievable gallery of behind-the-scenes photos from the various Star Wars films. The images give us a glimpse into the creative process behind one of the most iconic film series of all time, including candid moments with the cast and crew.

To see all of the fascinating images, you’ll have to check out Mayhew’s twitter account for the complete set of nostalgic goodness.

[via Huffington Post]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter
highly recommends:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day: Aurora Borealis – Christmas Edition

 

AURORA BOREALIS – CHRISTMAS EDITION

 

Red_and_green_aurora borealis christmas edition

Photograph by Frank Olsen

 

Seen here is a rare red aurora beautifully complementing the green band of colour below. The image was taken at Hakoya island, just outside of Tromsoe, Norway on October 25th, 2011 by photographer Frank Olsen.

An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere (thermosphere). The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind and, on Earth, are directed by the Earth’s magnetic field into the atmosphere.

In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis (or the northern lights), its southern counterpart is known as aurora australis (or the southern lights). [Source]