DISCOVERY OF MOST RECENT SUPERNOVA IN OUR GALAXY

Briana Nardone February 14, 2013  

Earth Science, C even, Mrs. Davis 

DISCOVERY OF MOST RECENT SUPERNOVA IN OUR GALAXY

"Discovery Of Most Recent Supernova In Our Galaxy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 May 2008. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514131118.htm>.

May 14, 2008, a supernova in are Galaxy was discovered by using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and NRAO’s Arry (VLA). With this we can discover the supernovas by tracking the expansion on there remains.  This will also help in the future by understanding how often supernova’s explode in the Milky Way galaxy. This particular supernova exploded 140 years ago. So it is considered the most recent supernova in the Milky Way as measured in the Earths period. The last known supernova was in 1680 based on the remains of its Cassiopeia A. “We can see some supernova explosions with optical telescope across half the universe” said Stephen Reynolds. “Fortunately, the expanding gas cloud from the explosion shines brightly in radio waves and X-rays for thousands of years. X-rays and radio telescopes can see through all that obscuration and show us what we’ve been missing.”  Astronomers also observe supernovas in other galaxies like our, based on the data they receive, about three supernovas should explode every century in our Milky Way. Unforunently these estimates have many errors. “If this information was true we should have had remnants of about ten supernova explosions that are younger then Cassiopeia A.” Astronomers began tracking this source in 1985 when they used the VLA to identify remains of the explosion near the center of our galaxy. Considering the small size of it, it was estimated to have exploded about 400 to 1000 years ago. Twenty-two years later observations revealed that the explosion remnant expanded by surprisingly large amount of 16% since 1985. With this new information the supernova is younger then thought. With radio observations from VLA the remains were from about 140 years ago, making it the youngest supernova on record in the Milky Way. This is a vital step to be able to estimate the supernova rate in are Galaxy. This is important because supernovas heat and redistribute large amount of gas, pump large amounts of heavy elements out into their surroundings, and can trigger formation of new stars. Closing the cycle of stellar death and rebirth. This explosion can also cause a central neutron star or a black hole. This article concludes with astronomers stating it is important to study and keep learning about stars exploding and what happens after. This research also can help scientist find out witch environments they explode in. Also this could conclude that thousand of light years away from the center of are galaxy, there is a dense environment near the Milky Ways massive black hole. 

This article states many important facts and observations that astronomers discovered, these facts are important in the expansion of are knowledge of outside are solar system. With this new information we now can look for supernovas and have a better idea of what they will do in the future after they explode. Also we will be able to have a greater understanding of supernovas to find out what is the rate of there explosions. Also what kind of environments they explode in so we will be able to watch out for them in the future. I chose this article because I did not originally know what a supernova was. Also the interesting title stating it is the most recent in are Galaxy made me want to learn more about them. A supernova is a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass.

Over all this was a good article because was very interesting to hear about what is happening in space and that scientists can predict future events. What I didn't like was when the scientist made reference to equipment such as the NARIO’s ARI, but didn't really tell us what that is. Mostly, it was fun to learn what a supernova was and how it can affect our Galaxy. In conclusion, I enjoyed reading the article because it got its point across and explained to the reader why learning about a supernova is important for further research to continue on are Galaxy. 

Meteor Damage in Russia

Saige Sunier                                                                                         

February 27, 3013          

Earth Science Core, Block C Even

Ms. Davies

In Russia, Ruins and Property Spared by Meteor, Side by Side

Citation:

Moscow., Andrew E. Kramer; Ellen Barry Contributed Reporting From. "In Russia, Ruins and Property Spared by Meteor, Side by Side." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/world/europe/in-russia-property-ruined-and-spared-by-meteor-share-space.html?ref=space>.

            A meteor hit and city of Chelyabinsk, Russia on February 15, 3013. Although the rock from space exploded before hitting the Earth much damage was done. For miles there were buildings with freshly shattered windows. However, the damage is seemingly random. One family had every window of their house broken while their neighbor’s house was left perfect. Many do not understand why two homes, side by side, would not get similar, if not the same, damage. The destruction results of the waves sent off by the meteor. It is believed by scientists that this space rock is the largest to come through the atmosphere since 1908. The unusualness of such a large rock with such great effects was also noted. Over one thousand people were injured and hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged. This meteor lets scientist and people everywhere see the type of repairs that would be needed and the costs of fixes that would have to be put in to any meteor falling near civilization. The shattered glass is a result of the pressure waves with a low-frequency called infrasound. These waves bounce off of buildings, walls, etc. They are very random in their victims. The waves can be attracted to certain streets and take out all the glass or they could be stronger a couple streets down. They are impossible to predict; although, nuclear blast sensors used during the cold war can detect them. They also travel very far very efficiently making even more damage. The waves have been reported to pass through windows without shattering them and instead destroying glasses and plate inside the house. This is because the waves could have been weak passing through the window but once hitting the inside can bounce off of walls and get stronger. Once the waves stopped and all damage was done the repair teams came out. First emergency officials were sent to hospitals, roads, factories, military facilities, and any other crucial sites to assess the damage. Happy to report, most were undamaged. Teams of safety inspectors were also sent to look at Lake Cherbarkul. This usually frozen solid lake was opened by the meteor’s waves and immediate action was taken to ensure that no bad chemicals were being released from the freshly exposed water. Although tested for isotopes that are created from nuclear explosions, nothing was discovered. The most damage reported was at a steal factory. The roof, made of concrete and steel beams, collapsed and became all mangled. The most shocking behind this example of destruction is that a completely glass walled three-story building a couple yards down was completely untouched.

            The importance of this article speaks for itself. The meteor hit recently and spreading the word of the damage is essential. From experiences we, as a society, can learn how to respond to events like this. Being able to respond to natural disaster is part of sustainable development and if we cannot learn from the effects that happen we will not be able to respond in efficient ways in the future. Space is a vast place that we are constantly searching to know more about. When something from the unknown comes to Earth learning from it is very important.  From just this event scientists have been able to expand their knowledge about infrasound waves and their randomness. I chose this article because I had heard about this meteor but did not know much about it. I wanted to learn a little about it and on the damage that it resulted in. It is important for me, and everyone, to be aware of what happens in other places around the world. Scientists got a chance to look into nuclear energy again and watch old technology come alive. It is amazing the power that came from such a small rock. This event is important because it makes us think more about what has happened on the Earth before and what could happen and how these events could alter the planet forever.

            This article was well written and really brought its points across. The author managed to include a lot of facts and discoveries while keeping it interesting. Although I found it pleasing to read, the article did get repetitive. The author used a lot of examples of damage and it ended up being too many of the same type. This evidence helped the author explain clearly how destructive the invisible waves are and the randomness of their attack but there is only so many times he can use shattering glass as an evidence. The article also seemed to jump around a lot. This technique was good at keeping the article interesting but it interrupted the flow. The author would randomly put in bits about science then jump back into examples. I feel if he was to go with this style he should of tried to create a more fluid tone throughout. Overall, I think it was a great article that did a good job introducing meteors and the damage they can have. It got me thinking more about larger meteors and space objects that come down on us and change our planet.

Wisconsin Scientists Help Search for Alien Life

Matt Dougherty

February 13, 2012

Earth Science C Even

Ms. Davies

Antlfinger, Carrie. “Wisconsin Scientists Help Search for Alien Life” Time. February 13, 2013.

            The article I chose is entitled Wisconsin Scientists Help Search for Alien Life. Carrie Antlfiger, its author, talks about how scientists at the University of Wisconsin are searching for evidence of alien life, not in space, but here on earth. Given a five-year, $7 million grant funded by NASA, the scientists is able to study rocks here on earth for possible justifications of alien life. The rocks, some of them over 3.5 billion years old, might provide crucial information to understand how and where life may have arisen elsewhere in the universe. The lead investigator for the Wisconsin Astrobiology Research Consortium Clark Johnson says, “It’s up to (geologists) to be clever enough to find the tools that we need to interrogate those rocks to find what story they preserve.” The consortium is tasked with finding biosignatures, such as elements or isotopes that show ancient life. In these rocks, the scientists look for microscopic signs of life, including microbes, or tiny bacteria, and other unicellular organisms that are more adaptive in comparison to complex organisms such as ourselves. These microbes are then sent into Earth’s orbit on the International Space Station to see how they respond to radiation and a space-like environment.  Scientists have found traces of microbial life that date back 2 to 3 billion years before the planets atmosphere contained oxygen. Similarly, they’ve found microbes that relied more on iron for energy than sunlight. Information acquired by Curiosity, the mars spacecraft, will help interpret their data. Curiosity is on a 2-year trip to determine whether or not Mars is suitable for life and their work can also help prepare for future missions to Mars. “It may be that planets spent a long time in a microbial life condition and then only rarely evolved to advanced multicellular complex life,” Johnson said. Edward Goolish, the acting director at the NASA Astrobiology Institute, said that data collected by them supports one of NASA’s major goals of finding potential life on other planets. “The project’s results will provide a quantitative understanding of how life is  preserved”, he said. Johnson and his team’s understanding of earth is very important to understanding Astrobiology or science in general.

            I chose this article because it directly relates to two of the topics we have briefly started talking about this year in earth science, geology and astronomy. It shows how the different areas of earth science are directly related and a study of one can lead to a better understanding of another. Similarly, I chose this article because I have always been interested in possible forms of life outside of earth. This article clearly explains how that might be possible through a study of Earth’s properties. This article is important to society because it allows us to predict whether or not planets contain the resources suitable for life without visiting the planets directly. We do not have access to technology allowing us to fly to distant planets, but rovers can collect samples of rocks and a study of these rocks in comparison to rocks on earth can help determine whether or not the planet is suitable for microbes. Similarly, sending these microbes into space allows us to see whether or not they are able to survive in similar conditions to those on earth. “I’d be really interested to see what they find too. We’ll have to keep updated on it,” said one University of Wisconsin-Madison student. Like most people, she and I share similar views on the study and are quite interested to see what kinds of data and conclusions they collect and draw from their experiments.

            I enjoyed the article and thought it was well written, but wished it was longer and gave more information. I know that the study is pretty new and the grant was only given in January, but I still feel as if some information was left out. For example, I would like to know if any other similar studies have been done in determining possible life forms beyond earth. Also, I was interested in other studies of Mars and other possible ways life could be determined, which the article did not mention. I understand that it was focused on this one particular study, but I sort of wished it maybe mentioned similar studies. Still, the article provided enough detail as to what the scientists were performing and how conclusions could be drawn from this. It even offered a YouTube clip in which Clark Johnson and two University of Wisconsin-Madison were interviewed. The articles strengths included the fact that it got the point across in a pretty straightforward way. I for one cannot stand when it takes an article 6-7 paragraphs to even mention anything you saw in the title. The article was also strong in the fact that it was written in a simplistic way, so that even someone unfamiliar with astronomy or geology was able to understand it. However, it lacked enough detail and did not get into the details of the project, which I did not enjoy. To improve the article, I would suggest that they show similar studies performed with the same goal and they get into more depth on the Wisconsin Astrobiology Research Consortium and previous experiments they may have performed related to the topic.

Rewards and Risks of Upstate Natural Gas Drilling

 Report Outlines Rewards and Risks of Upstate Natural Gas Drilling 

Andrew Estes                                                                                                       2/15/13
Earth Science
Ms. Davies- C Even

Navarro, Mireya. "Report Outlines Rewards and Risks of Upstate Natural Gas Drilling."The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Sept. 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2013.

           

            With the price of natural gas increasing exponentially, it only makes sense for the United States to capitalize on these plentiful natural gas deposits scattered around upstate New York. Extracting this gas has many benefits, some of these benefits include 37,000 new jobs for Americans, an economic turn around for some of the poorer county’s upstate. Even though in the immediate scheme of things the new jobs and money are appealing to some, most see past this and recognize the consequences of extracting the gas. These negative affects include an influx in workers moving in to these rural areas; this would cause housing prices to go up. Also industrial activity, heavy truck traffic, and water contamination are all negative affects of natural gas extraction. The method that would be used to extract the gas is called hydrofracking. This uses millions of gallons of water, laced with a cocktail of chemicals, to fracture shale and release gas. This uses a lot more water and chemicals than the original method of drilling. And, it is also a lot more environmentally dangerous; all these new chemicals being forced into the landscape can eventually reach a well, or water source and completely contaminate it. If this toxic water is consumed it could lead to death. Even though the state is currently banning hydrofracking in areas with major aquifers, no matter where they drill in upstate New York it would render tens of thousands of wells undrinkable. Currently there is a lot of debate around this subject of hydrofracking. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo stated that he would approve the process of extracting the gas only if it was “environmentally sensitive and safe.” Joseph Martens, who is the environmental conservation commissioner for New York stated, “It makes sense to move forward with them together and hold simultaneous public comment periods and hearings.” Even with all these opinions, the citizens of New York are still undecided on this issue. With the two valid arguments being, hydrofracking is too environmentally dangerous and could have adverse affects on New York, with the opposition saying this is the economic turn around that upstate New York has been searching for, it will provide tens of thousands of jobs, as well as helping small businesses that are already closing down.

            Because of the possible adverse affects on the environment, and the possible transformation of upstate New York from a rural quiet area to a busy industrial hotspot. Hydrofracking directly affects us as New Yorkers. If the government dose allow for the extraction of natural gas it could lead to an environmental catastrophe, or in contrast it could cause upstate New York to becoming a new busy industrial area. People that are currently living on top of the major deposits are affected for reasons such as a new drastic change in population, and the transformation from quiet county’s, to noisy and hectic industrial parks. Even people living far away from the natural gas deposits could still be affected. New York taxes will rise in order to pay for this huge project, and families that you may be in touch with could possibly relocate due to the thousands of available jobs. If you live close enough to the site you may now have to prepare for a disaster such as mass contamination of the underground aquifers, even though this is extremely unlikely, because hydrofracking is a new method it could still go wrong very easily. Because my family owns property upstate on top of a major deposit It is possible that I will directly see the advantages and disadvantages of fracking.

            Overall I believe that this article was well written, and assembled. However I would have liked it if the article would have gone further in depth with some particular subjects, such as the actually process of hydraulic fracturing. I would have liked to known in greater detail the procedure of this method. It also would have been helpful to be informed of the views of the people who are living where the drilling is supposed to take place, it would be interesting to see if they believe that the increase in industry would be good for the upstate area. Furthermore the author of the article did a good job at showing both sides of the argument without any bias. And, the article was interesting the entire way through, I now feel compelled to follow this debate until it is finally resolved. Overall I enjoyed reading this article and learning about how hydrofracking could affect us.

A Start-Up Sees a Gold Rush Among the Stars

Fallon Raviol                                                                                                               February 14, 2013
Block C                                                                                                                       Ms. Davies

Citation: Johnson, Kirk. "A Start-Up Sees a Gold Rush Among the Stars." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Dec. 2012. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. 
          Chris Lewicki, president of Planetary Resources is planning that in this next decade are preparing for the next gold rush, except this gold rush will be among the stars. Almost one hundred years ago, in the 1920’s scientists had started to think about being able to get chunks of asteroids and bring them back to Earth because the asteroids contain a platinum group of metal, and are high in gold and are also very rare. Many companies today have started to think of ways to actually get the asteroid back to Earth. Chris Lewicki not only has a plan, but he thinks that he could possibly launch ships into space and bring the chunks of an asteroid back to Earth in the next decade, and he thinks that the cost would only be “in the single-digit million” (Johnson, Kirk. "A Start-Up Sees a Gold Rush Among the Stars." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Dec. 2012. Web. 14 Feb. 2013). One asteroid mining company opened about ten ago, and sold its shares to people, only to crash and fail its people. Now, since Planetary Resources, is proposing an idea that is less than ten million dollars, and it will be finished in the next decade, people are starting to doubt him and are telling him that this is not possible. Also in the movie “Avatar” produced by Mr. Cameron, there is an effort to extract unobtanium on a moon, but in his movie, the people failed. Dr. Sykes, an advisor of Planetary Resources on asteroid science said that maybe one day this company would succeed, but not for a long time and the cost would be more expensive than just a couple of millions of dollars. Also, Erik Asphaug, a professor of planetary science at Arizona State University, who studies asteroid, says that since there is no gravity the ship would have to land on the asteroid chunk, which could possible be the size of a city block, ad lock itself to the asteroid. Erik Asphaug thinks that this mission could takes decades and maybe a century to figure out. Even after all this criticism, many people are interested because water has been found on other planets, such as Mercury. Water can then be turned into hydrogen which maybe could allow the ship to travel making its own fuel for the return trip, which would make the mission a lot easier, and even more likely, it would succeed.
          This article is important to society because if there are riches in space that we are able to obtain then maybe we would be able to use this money for even more advanced research in  the field of astronomy to maybe land a man on Mars or even send a satellite out of our solar system. If this mission were to work, then other scientific researchers could design more ships or more ideas that can cost less than ten thousand dollars that can get us up into space to explore the unknown. Also, this article states that there is water on Mercury, and the water can then be converted into hydrogen which can then be used for fuel for an asteroid. This maybe one day can be explored into, and would be every cheap if instead of using fuel, we could just use water instead. If this idea is possible, maybe we could use water instead of fuel not only in space, but on Earth as well, which would greatly increase our environmental condition and could potentially save the Earth. This article contained an idea by an expert, and if this idea succeeds many changes could be made in the field of science, but maybe to the world around us.
          This article has proposed a lot of wonderful ideas to society that could potentially save the world. It has said that there are scientists that are working on this idea. Even though there has been some faults in the past for another asteroid mining company, this article does a decent job of stating why you should put your trust in Planetary Resources even though there have been faults in the past, and what is different now. For example, there have been new discoveries, such as water located on Mercury which would help this mission by not having to worry about having to get this asteroid back to Earth because the water would be like fuel. This discovery has made the public more likely to buy a share in the company, and this will give the company more money to take on their ideas and eventually launch a ship into space. This article is well-written and has a lot of great ideas, but a lot of the ideas that have been proposed, such has the cost of this mission being less than ten thousand dollars, or the ships being launched within the next decade, have no evidence. There is nothing in this article that states evidence or a newly found recyclable material that will make this mission cost less than ten thousand dollars. The article does not tell us the progress the Mr. Lewicki has made on the project or even some ideas that he has worked on or even succeeded with. This article does a great job explaining his ideas that might be able to happen, but we still need evidence behind the conclusions to be sure that these conclusions are not just ideas, and that they will actually succeed.