A singing comet

~ susie

Link:

Thanks to some recent recordings courtesy of NASA, we now know that space is actually a musically rich environment, and not the frozen abyss where no one can hear you scream. Saturn’s song is vast and brooding, Neptune has a slightly country twang, and Uranus — wait for it — is a lithe and gorgeous ballad. But what sound does a comet make? How about one of the most awe-inspiring little ditties of the entire year?

As ABC Science reports, the European Space Agency launched a satellite called Rosetta back in 2004 in order to study “the processes which led to the formation of not only comets, but also the planets, our Sun, and the rest of the Solar System.” The satellite recently reached one of its targets, a little rock called Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, where it deployed a relay of instruments to study the layer of plasma surrounding the object. (Plasma is charged gas, and studying it helps researchers understand the comet’s structure and how it moves through space.)

(Listen: NASA releases actual recordings from space — and they’re absolutely breathtaking)

During a series of tests, ESA scientists tuned their instrument to between 40 and 50 millihertz, and it’s there that the comet actually began to “sing.” It’s not exactly humming show tunes, though; the noise may be the result of oscillations created by the “the ionisation of neutral particles from the comet’s jets. They collide with high-energy particles from interplanetary space and become ionised. Because it is electrically charged, the plasma then interacts with the cometary magnetic field, causing oscillations.” See,magnets are miracles.

 

Into the light of the dark black night

~ susie ~ 2 Comments

There are no words:

LOMA LINDA, Calif. – A video showing a father singing the Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ to his dying newborn son after his wife died in childbirth is being watched around the world.

On Saturday, Nov. 8, Lennon James Picco was delivered by emergency C-section at 24 weeks. Hours later, Lennon’s mother, Ashley Picco, passed away in her sleep. She was 30 years old.

According to the YouTube video, Lennon’s lack of movement and brain activity was a concern for the doctors and nurses at Loma Linda University Hospital.

During Ashley’s pregnancy, she would often feel Lennon moving to music. Lennon’s dad, Chris Picco, asked if he could bring his guitar into the NICU and play for his dying son.

Several hours a day, Chris played music for Lennon during the last days of his life.

Baby Lennon passed away Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Chris wrote this Facebook post after the death of his son:

“Dear friends, family, and supporters; it is with an unbelievably heavy heart that I write this. My little fighter, Lennon James Picco went to sleep in his daddy’s arms late last night. He was surrounded by family, friends, and the best doctors, nurses and hospital staff in the world. He was dressed in an outfit that Ashley bought for him, with little guitars on it, and wrapped in a blanket made by a dear friend. I am so thankful for the four unforgettable days I got to spendwith him. His mommy would have been so beyond joy to see him and to hold him, touch him, bathe him, sing to him – as I have had the privilege of doing. I have been so blessed and honored to love him before he was formed, to cherish him while mommy carried him, meet him face to precious face, and hold his perfect little body while we said “goodbye for now”. There are no words, but I wanted to keep you updated, as your love and support has meant more than anything in the world. All you need is love.”

Time to invest in lightning rods!

~ susie ~ 1 Comment

Cloud-Ground lightning bolt

Since we’re going to have a lot more lightning:

New research from the University of California, Berkeley, published on Thursday in the journal Science, found warming conditions would result in 50% more lightning strikes by the end of the century.

“For every two lightning strikes you had at the beginning of the century, we will have three at the end of the century,” said David Romps, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley.

Researchers have known for some time that climate change was producing more lightning strikes, and fatalities in developing countries have been rising in recent years. But the latest findings put a number on that rate of increase, using data from federal government scientific agencies.

The scientists found lightning strikes would increase by about 12% for every 1C of warming, resulting in about 50% more strikes by 2100.