The Apple iPhone Depends on the Samsung Galaxy - http://clapway.com/2016/01/08/the-apple-iphone-depends-on-the-samsung-galaxy-123/

The reports for Samsung preliminary earnings in the December quarter, and it looks like the spread of the smartphone is doing more harm than good, even for Apple. The South Korean giant’s operating income reached $5 billion, which is lower than what analysts expected, and similar results came for Apple. Is it the end of the iPhone and Galaxy?

Analysts Expect A Bigger Slowdown in Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Sales

Smartphone sales are declining, simply because everyone who wants an iPhone probably already has one. Samsung’s earnings were only 15% above last year’s holiday quarter, when it faced a 50% decline in premium smartphone models. The main reason for the decline was attached to the widespread of lower end Chinese smartphones and a weak smartphone product mix. This was the same case for Apple.

Regardless of the amount of lawsuits these two firms have thrown at each other, it looks like the fates of Apple and Samsung are intertwined. Both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S suffered declines in sales, and the same happened with Samsung’s Galaxy 6S and the 6 Egde. The demand for smartphones just is not high enough anymore. Chinese markets are starting to emerge and the economy is starting to slow down. And it is affecting the global market.

The Firms Have Not Released Details on Actual Sales Volumes

The December quarter was a vague report for both of these companies. Apple is set to release iPhone sales details later in January. Samsung has declared they will not, simply because they never have detailed Galaxy sales.

Have We Moved On From the Smartphone?

As time progresses and these reports are released, we could be surprised to find that Apple and Samsung are not cutting things as well as they used to. That is probably why every new model of the iPhone and Galaxy is more ambitious and more advanced, and why Apple is dipping their feet in other industries.

Samsung is a powerhouse in Korea and around the globe. There have been faring well in the global market, but they already have hand in other industries. If push comes to shove, Samsung has an entire roster of products and services to fall back on. As for Apple, it’s already making moves to develop better AI and a self-driving car. It’s possible we may have already moved on from the smartphone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy409bgKcgE

The Apple iPhone Depends on the Samsung Galaxy

NASA Hubble Telescope Finds New Galaxy, Are UFOs Next? - http://clapway.com/2016/01/05/nasa-hubble-telescope-finds-new-galaxy-are-ufos-next-123/

NASA Hubble Telescope has witnessed the birth of a new galaxy today, born from the merging to two others. Could the telescope spot UFO’s next? The new galaxy is called NGC 6052, and it is located 230 million light-years from Earth.

What We Thought Was One Galaxy Was Two All Along

This event occurred thanks to gravity. Two galaxies were helplessly pulled together and unite into a single body. This is the precise moment that the NASA Hubble telescope captured. According to a statement released by the European Space Agency, the new galaxy will eventually take its own shape and form. It might not be anything like its parents and could give way to countless new things.

New Galaxy Could Give Way to New Life

This includes the possibility of life. This event raises so many questions and opens up countless possibilities. For all we know, the Hubble telescope could spot a UFO emerging from this new galaxy in a few years or decades. Chaotic is the word ESA used to describe the nature of this new galaxy because stars and other objects are pushed out of their orbit and set on new paths.

What Really Happens When Two Galaxies Collide

While many would expect fire and destruction, the image captures a slow combination of many things. The birth of a new galaxy is slow and drawn out.

For the longest time, NGC 6052 was thought to be a single galaxy near the constellation of Hercules. With this new Hubble telescope image, scientists realize that it has been the merging of two separate galaxies all along.

UFOs Could Be Next

With this knowledge, there is a high chance that NASA and ESA will pay much closer attention to what’s going on there. The slow birth of this new galaxy has no name yet and is largely unexplored. Something this remarkable will not be overlooked anymore. There could already be life blooming here; there could even be interplanetary travel happening there. There is no way to know just yet, but with closer inspection and patience, we may get to find out what truly lies beyond what we know and what we see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JpgHUO0qLI

NASA Hubble Telescope Finds New Galaxy, Are UFOs Next?

Samsung Making a New Flip Phone: Is This For Real? - http://clapway.com/2015/11/19/samsung-making-a-new-flip-phone-is-this-for-real123/

Samsung has officially announced that they are developing a new flip phone. Now for those of you who think you traveled back in time and are actually reading this article in 2002, do not worry this is still 2015! This news is for real and to be honest, is a breath of fresh air given this era dominated by smartphones. Let’s take a look at Samsung’s blast from the past.

Samsung has officially announced that they are developing a new flip phone.

MORE THAN JUST A NOSTALGIA RUSH

This new flip phone created by Samsung is more than just an epic nostalgia rush for anyone who remembers how cool flip phones were back in the day. This is reportedly going to rival the hardware of any current gen smartphone. According to details, this phone is being named the SM-W2016, will have two screens, will have an octa-core 64-bit processor with 3 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of hard drive storage. This new flip phone with its reported glass and metal design will apparently be reminiscent of the Galaxy S6. Samsung must have their reasons for deciding to create a phone that has not been popular in a long time. Maybe to give the world a breath of fresh air and give fans of the 90’s and 2000’s a huge nostalgia rush. However, if Samsung can make this new flip phone popular and successful then flip phones could actually make a comeback.

HOW EXCITING IS THIS?

HOW EXCITING IS THIS?

This is pretty awesome news considering it seems like every single day companies are releasing new smartphones. Releasing a new flip phone brings the world an old phone that many probably considering to be dead with a new pizazz. To say seeing nothing but smartphone after smartphone being released one after another is monotonous is an understatement. This new flip phone from Samsung will give the world a fresh take on an old design. The most exciting part about this news is the question of whether or not this phone will become a phenomenon again. If flip phones did end up making a comeback, it would be a tremendous breath of fresh air for the world. No release date has been reported at this time, but when that day comes people around the globe will most likely be excited. Some people will probably not care too much about this, but for the fans of nostalgia out there it does not get more nostalgic than this.

Samsung Making a New Flip Phone: Is This For Real?

Tabby"s Star: Alien or Anomaly - http://clapway.com/2015/10/24/tabbys-star-alien-anomaly/

The star KIC 8462852 is behaving strangely. Known as Tabby’s Star, it quickly drew the attention of astronomers and scientists because of its odd light output.

When observed from extreme distances, objects such as planets or asteroids momentarily block the light of the star as they cross in front of it- resulting in a perceived dimming. The amount that the star ‘dims’ can be used to learn much about the celestial bodies orbiting the star. This astronomical method, known as ‘Transit Photometry’, is singularly responsible for discovering over 1000 exoplanets over the past three years.

WTF: WHERE’S THE FLUX

Even the largest gas giant planet is tiny compared to the vast majority of stars. Thus, this ‘dimming’ of light is typically only a few percent of the stars total light output. However, Tabby’s Star dims by roughly ten to 20 percent, which is far too much for even the largest of planets or asteroids. This has resulted in KIC 8562852 being given an unofficial nickname- the WTF Star.

Scientists from around the world are poring over data taken from NASA’s Kepler telescope to try and understand the reasoning behind these odd oscillations, but there has been no breakthrough yet.

A LONG, LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…

It’s important to note that Tabby’s Star is 1480 light years away- which means that the light that we are observing is 1480 years old. Essentially, what we see in 2015 using telescopes and radio arrays is what was happening at Tabby’s Star during 535 CE on Earth.

Naturally, this means the only method we have of directly observing Tabby’s Star is through high-resolution telescopes and careful analysis of the resulting images.

POTENTIAL EXPLANATIONS

The light fluctuations are far too large to be caused by any assortment of planets or asteroids. Mechanical error has been ruled out. So what is the cause behind these anomalous light patterns?

One early hypothesis was a collision between two planets- the resulting cloud of dust and gases could plausibly cause this sort of dimming. However, this sort of cataclysmic impact between planetary bodies would release a tremendous amount of heat- none of which was observed by thermal imagers.

Some scientists believe that Tabby’s star may have acquired a massive asteroid field or been obscured by disintegrating comets. Although these may explain the light patterns, the probability of asteroids or comets behaving in that manner is very low. Other scientists postulate that Tabby’s star may be orbited by a series of gas giants with massive rings (Think Saturn’s ring but much larger). Unfortunately, current orbital telescopes lack the resolution to confirm this hypothesis.

DYSON SPHERES

The most controversial hypothesis by far is that the light fluctuations are due to a Dyson Sphere. A Dyson sphere is a hypothetical method of harnessing energy from a star by surrounding it with a solar panel ‘shell’. Only a civilization with great scientific and technical prowess could manage such a feat. However, before any conclusions can be made, there is no other evidence to support the hypothesis that Tabby’s Star is home to advanced alien civilizations.

CURRENT INQUIRIES

Coupled with the recent discovery of flowing salt water on Mars, a large portion of public interest has been drawn to this astronomical oddity. The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute announced that it would aim the exquisitely sensitive Allen Telescope Array toward the vicinity of the star to search for possible extraterrestrial radio activity. The next generation of orbital telescopes, such as NASA’s TESS and the ESA’s PLATO will also investigate Tabby’s Star further. Whether the light fluctuations of KIC 8562852 are due to alien megastructures or unknown celestial interactions- only time will tell

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Make Aliens skate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uvFIozLuAg

Tabby"s Star: Alien or Anomaly

Thanks to evidence from a #quasar, scientists believe two massive #blackholes in a #galaxy are orbiting each other at a distance closer than ever seen, and it is likely that they will collide--in about 100,000 years. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/18/pair-black-holes-spiral123/

Two massive black holes are orbiting each other at a distance closer than scientists have ever seen, and it is likely that they will collide–in about 100,000 years.

Rhythmic Quasars

A team of astronomers at Columbia University led by Daniel D’Orazio recently published a study on the black hole duo in the journal Nature. They’ve been measuring the light from the quasar associated with the area, which has helped them to establish the relative distance and activity of the black holes.

A quasar is the term given to the flickering light sources that emanate from black holes as they burn through surrounding gas and dust. This particular quasar is called PG 1302-102, and last winter, it was determined to derive from not one, but two black holes that are rotating around one another. This discovery was the result of analyzing a rhythmic feature of the quasar’s light: once every five years, its light grows brighter by fourteen percent.

The Columbia team created models of the quasars and estimated that the black holes are about 200 billion miles apart from each other, which turns out, is extremely close in cosmic terms. 200 billion miles is not even a tenth of a light-year. Their orbit is around 3.5 billion light years away from Earth.

Their models also suggest that the black holes are moving in an orbit that spirals, rather than one that rotates evenly. The spiral appears to be bringing them closer and closer to one another, on course for collision in about 100,000 years, depending on their relative masses.

A New Theory of Gravitational Relativity?

The spiral is what’s peculiar about this particular pair of black holes. It is relatively common for black holes to orbit one another when galaxies merge, given that every galaxy “of note” contains a supermassive black hole. In order for quasars to behave in the way that PG 1302-102 is behaving, there would have to be “hundreds of millions of solar masses” accompanying the black holes and exerting gravitational forces that act on the orbits.

Further analysis of PG 1302-102 could provide insight for astrophysicists not just into these two specific black holes, but into the theories of gravity and relativity in general. As D’Orazio said, “The detection of gravitational waves lets us probe the secrets of gravity and test Einstein’s theory in the most extreme environment in our universe…Getting there is a holy grail of our field.”

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DID SOMEONE SAY BLACK HOLES?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdcU4nKKV2E

Pair of Black Holes is Stuck in a Death Spiral

Astronomers have discovered a #galaxy 9.8 billion #lightyears away that creates an astounding 800 stars a year. The #MilkyWay produces two stars per year at most. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/12/gigantic-galaxy-800-new-stars-101/

Astronomers have discovered a galaxy 9.8 billion light years away that creates an astounding 800 stars a year. The Milky Way produces two stars per year at most.

“It is very exciting to have discovered such an interesting object,” said Gillian Wilson, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Riverside and a member of the research team. “Understanding its nature proved to be a real scientific challenge which required the combined efforts of an international team of astronomers and many of the world’s best telescopes to solve.”

IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY

Galaxies exist within rare regions of the universe known as galaxy clusters. The largest ones are located at the cluster’s center, and are called Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs).

The cluster named SpARCS1049+56 was first discovered using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The Spitzer was used in combination with the Herschel Space Telescope to detect infrared light. Researchers learned that the cluster is 9.8 billion light years away, contains 27 galaxies, and has a total mass equal to 400 trillion Suns.

Scientists wanted to pin down where star formation was taking place so they brought in the Hubble Space Telescope. It showed ‘beads of string’ at the center SpARCS1049+56. This is an indication of a ‘wet merger,’ which occurs when at least one galaxy in a collision between galaxies is gas rich. The gas is then converted into stars.

Researchers believe that the BCG at the cluster’s center collided with a smaller gas-rich galaxy, igniting a monstrous production of new stars.

SHEDDING NEW LIGHT ON STAR FORMATION

“What is particularly interesting is that BCGs in clusters of galaxies closer to the Milky Way are thought to grow by so-called ‘dry mergers,’ collisions between gas-poor galaxies which do not result in the formation of new stars,” Wilson stated.

This is also one of the first to known cases of a ‘wet merger’ at the core of a galaxy cluster, and the farthest example ever observed.

Scientists will continue their research to determine if SpARCS1049+56 is a unique case, or if other galaxies are expanding in a similar way.

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ARE YOU A FAN OF NATURE’S MOTIONS? CHECK OUT ATMOPH!

https://youtu.be/vD63kwQuZ2I

Gigantic Galaxy Bursts With 800 New Stars Per Year

Check out this #VanGogh painting...I mean #ESA"s photo of the Magellanic Clouds. It gives our own Milky Way #galaxy a run for its money. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/09/magellanic-clouds-photo123/

In the past, the European Space Agency (ESA) has released some awe-inspiring pictures of space – from the empty lakes on Titan to an eclipse shadow seen from the International Space Station. ESA, always seeking to inspire would-be astronauts, recently released another majestic sight, two Magellanic Clouds, in a picture that somewhat resembles a celestial version of a Van Gogh painting.

WHAT ARE THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS?

The two Magellanic Clouds, seen in the photo below, are a duo of irregular dwarf galaxies that are visible from the southern hemisphere. From our terrestrial standpoint, the swirls don’t seem like much. However, the two small “cloud” like patches – in the middle of the image and to the bottom left – are representative of the Large Magellanic Cloud, located roughly 160,000 light-years away and the Small Magellanic Cloud, located 200,000 light-years away, respectively.

These dwarf galaxies, around ten and seven billion times the mass of our sun, are named after Portuguese navigator, Ferdinand Magellan. According to the ESA, they are also “among the nearest companions” of our very own Milky Way galaxy.

The image was captured by the Planck satellite, which was launched back in 2009, and deactivated in 2013. The space observatory, operated by ESA, managed to detect the dust between the stars infiltrating the Magellanic Clouds “while surveying the sky to study the cosmic microwave background – the most ancient light in the Universe,” according to the ESA in a press release.

However, it’s not just the two Magellanic Clouds that are depicted. Other galaxies are revealed in the foreground and the interstellar dust from our galaxy is the “mixture of red, orange and yellow clouds in the upper part of this image, which belong to a large star-forming complex in the southern constellation, Chameleon.”

The variety of colors seen in the image come from Planck’s imaging equipment, which assigns colors to the dust formations in order to visualize the interaction of comic dust with our galaxy’s magnetic field, reports The Space Reporter. Although, astronomers eventually need to remove the interstellar material to study the “wealth of cosmic information” held in the ancient light, the technology currently allows us to enjoy one-of-a-kind pictures that are as beautiful as they are enlightening.

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MORE SPACE PLEASE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdcU4nKKV2E

Magellanic Clouds Photo Rivals Van Gogh Painting

Researchers have discovered the farthest and oldest #galaxy to date - nearly 13.2 billion years old. The #universe, by contrast, is 13.8 billion years old. Yay #space! - http://clapway.com/2015/09/06/farthest-and-oldest-galaxy123/

A team of researchers at Caltech has discovered the farthest and oldest galaxy to date. Published in an article on August 28, 2015 in Astrophysical Journal Letters, their findings show evidence of a newly discovered galaxy, called EGS8p7, which is more than 13.2 billion years old. The universe, in comparison, is around 13.8 billion years old.

Prior to discovering EGS8p7, the research team spent years searching for the earliest objects in the universe. Their discovery was based on data collected by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope at W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii.

The Science Behind Discovering The Farthest and Oldest Galaxy

The multi-object spectrometer for infrared exploration (MOSFIRE) carried out a spectrographic analysis of the galaxy to determine its redshift. Redshift results from the Doppler effect. You’ve experienced the phenomenon – it causes a fire truck’s siren to drop in pitch as it passes. It’s different, however, with celestial objects. Rather than sound, light is being “stretched.” Instead of a drop in tone, a shift from actual color to redder wavelengths occurs.

The universe was a soup of charged particles of electrons, photons, and light (photons) after the Big Bang. Photons were dispersed by free electrons, making it impossible for the early universe to transmit light. This makes it difficult for scientists to use redshift to measure the universe’s most distant and earliest galaxies.

The Farthest and Oldest Galaxy EGS8p7: A Special Case Study

380,000 years after the Big Bang, the universe was cool enough, allowing free electrons and protons to combine. They formed into neutral hydrogen atoms, which filled the early universe, allowing for light to travel through. The first galaxies turned on and reionized the neutral gas when the universe was half-billion to a billion years old. The universe has been reionized ever since.

Clouds of neutral hydrogen atoms absorbed certain radiation emitted by young galaxies before reionization including the Lyman-alpha line, a commonly used indicator of star formation. Thus, the absorption should make observation of EGS8p7 impossible.

Adi Zitrin, a NASA Hubble Postdoctoral Scholar in Astronomy said, “If you look at the galaxies in the early universe, there is a lot of neutral hydrogen that is not transparent to this emission. We expect that most of the radiation from this galaxy would be absorbed by hydrogen in the intervening space. Yet still we see the Lyman-alpha from this galaxy.”

Researchers theorize that the process of hydrogen reionization in the case of EGS8p7 was incoherent and patchy. The discovery of the farthest and oldest galaxy has scientists reconsidering approaches to studying the universe.

Zitrin continued, “We are currently calculating more thoroughly the exact chances of finding this galaxy and seeing this emission from it, and to understand whether we need to revise the timeline of reionization, which is the major key questions to answer in understanding our universe.”

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For more technology related news and reviews, check out Clapway Trends:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xizCTm2uyFg

Scientists Discover Farthest and Oldest Galaxy

Milky Way Map Shows That the Stars Are on the Move - http://clapway.com/2015/08/01/milky-way-map-shows-that-the-stars-are-on-the-move123/

The Draw of the Milky Way

Stargazing is often thought to be something lovers would do on a date or something of a hobby, but astronomers and scientists of all kinds make their careers out of it every day.

The beauty of the Milky Way is one that is otherworldly. That’s what makes the Milky Way so fascinating.

The Map of the Milky Way

Therefore it is no surprise that scientists put together a map of the Milky Way for observational purposes. However, a recent press release announced some new findings that the map of the Milky Way revealed. The map showed researchers that the stars are on the move in the Milky Way. From the information collected, about thirty percent of the stars in the Milky Way had moved from their original birth origin. Of course ever curious, the team went on to study the finding and later published the results in the Astrophysical Journal on the 29th of July, just a few days ago.

The findings

The very idea of stars being on the move is odd, but the stars are on the move.

They move like anything else in the universe, on an orbit. Although, the new findings suggest that it can change that quite drastically. To get a better idea of how the stars are on the move, they created a new map of the Milky Way which showed the aforementioned percent of stars that have moved. This goes to show you just how much the universe changes every day, even when you are not looking. However, why the stars are moving is still not easily answered, but the positioning of the stars could be attributed to a star getting closer or farther away from the center of the galaxy as it ages. But for those who are a fan of the spirals of the Milky Way, this could mean that it could potentially alter that appearance. More data still needs to be collected to get a better understanding of the finding. So the wait is on to see what else about why the stars are on the move reveals to us.

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Bring a little outer-space into your home with Space Scouts Summer Adventure!

Milky Way Map Shows That the Stars Are on the Move

A #MomentofSilence for these #UnsungHeroes of #space #exploration... - http://clapway.com/2015/07/23/5-stellar-people-that-have-sacrificed-their-lives-for-space-exploration/

Outer space is one of the most interesting places to learn about and there is still so much to learn. Some people take an interest in space at an early age and know that one day they will become astronauts. Even though, there are numerous setbacks and incidents that could occur, these passionate people are not deterred from their goal. Unfortunately, some of these ambitious people have met their demise during space exploration.

Here are five stellar people that have sacrificed their lives for space exploration:

1. Vladimir Komarov

2. Ellison Onizuka

3.Laurel B. Clark

4. Michael P. Anderson

5. Dick Scobee

Do you know anyone else that has lost their life for the sake of space exploration? Tell us in the comments.

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Space exploration is a really big dream that many youngsters discover early on. Space Scouts celebrates those kids:

 

5 Stellar People That Have Sacrificed Their Lives for Space Exploration

#Space lovers -- The fun doesn"t stop regarding and at #Pluto! - http://clapway.com/2015/07/22/party-on-pluto-5-cool-things-to-do-at-such-a-planet/

There’s a party on Pluto and everyone is invited! Grab your winter coat and let’s shoot off to the icy planet for some cold, shivering fun. Since Pluto is extremely relevant right now, here are 5 cool things to do on Pluto (if it were livable):

1. Get romantic on the ice skating rink.

2. Take a shot from the ice luge!

3.Try your hand at ice fishing.

4. Party in an Igloo!

5. Bust some heads playing ice hockey.

If Pluto were livable, what would you want to do?

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You might even lose weight there — also without going to the gym:

Party on Pluto! 5 Cool Things to Do at Such a Planet

Magnetosphere Looks Like Rolling Hills In Space - http://clapway.com/2015/07/11/magnetosphere-looks-like-rolling-hills-in-space678/

You those waves that you sometimes see in clouds? They look like the kind of waves surfers would love to surf. Or, they just look like rolling hills. Well, now they can be seen in space.

Who noticed the resemblance?

A paper was published back in May with Nature magazine, covering the idea of how solar wind plasma interacts with the magnetosphere, and how that can cause what is known as the Kelvin-Helmholtz waves. If you did not know, the magnetosphere is what helps protect us from solar winds and the like.

When solar plasma is released from the Sun and heads toward Earth, the magnetosphere is there as a defender, and dampens the wind around the planet, also forcing it to go around Earth without it affecting us too much. This time, however, it creates a rolling hill effect. Or, a wave effect, if you prefer.

Previous Knowledge of the rolling hills

What little is known about the waves was that they existed at the brink of the magnetosphere, but only show once in a blue moon on the scope. However, with this new surge, they reevaluated their thinking and estimated that the waves are more frequent about twenty percent of the time.

Also, the waves can come up pretty much at any time and in under any circumstances. The conclusions were taken from examining data from NASA’s ACE and THEMIS where the team on the study saw the rolling hills and measured them.

Other theories

However there are other suggestions for the cause of the waves. Another study that was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research fairly recently on the 26th of June suggested that the rolling hills are a result of a plume of plasma was extended toward the magnetosphere by the plasmasphere. This plume of plasma would make the magnetosphere thicker in a sense and thereby create waves, as other researchers have seen.

But whatever the theories researchers have about what exactly is causing the rolling hills effect, all parties agreed on one thing. Further research will be needed to understand space atmosphere and other potential threats, etc.

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Want your kids to be into space science like you? point them to the space scouts summer adventure!

Magnetosphere Looks Like Rolling Hills In Space

Too Big for Home: A Black Hole Story - http://clapway.com/2015/07/10/too-big-for-home-a-black-hole-story678/

Black hole outgrows its home galaxy

Space news has been pretty eventful lately but some new findings might take the weirdness of recent space events to a new level. The new piece of research that was published today in the Science journal may put a lot of what was known about black holes in a fog.

The story of the black hole being too large for home only 2 billion years after the Big Bang has many in the science community stupefied. Prior to this publication, the science world was led to believe that black holes and galaxies grew at the same time. However, this newly discovered black hole has outgrown the galaxy. Even more startling is the fact that the galaxy continues to grow despite the presence of the black hole’s enormity. An astrophysics professor from the group of researchers that was part of the study has stated that it was only meant to study less exciting things, not a completely never-before-seen phenomenon such as this black hole. The find surprised them and the rest of the science community.

this massive black hole is the largest one ever seen

To date, this black hole is the biggest one scientists have ever found. In comparison to our home star, the Sun, the solar mass of this monster is seven billion times as large. It’s basically the same as the ratio of the entire human population of Earth to you, one person.

What does this mean for us and for space science?

As mentioned previously, this new finding on the black hole earlier in galactic time has scientists scratching their head at the contradictory nature. It is contradictory because it means have to rethink what we know about the universe and the fact that the galaxy the black hole is in continues to grow despite it being there. It’s kind of like a stationary tornado is going on and a whole metropolitan city continuing to be built in the nearby vicinity, despite the threat.

A Jurassic Park quote seems appropriate here, the sentiment that “Life finds a way” being quite applicable to this new discovery.

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Want your kids to look at space with wonder (and occasional bemusement)? point them towards the space scouts summer adventure kit!

Too Big for Home: A Black Hole Story

3 Sustainability Lessons from The Pac Man Solution - http://clapway.com/2015/07/07/3-sustainability-lessons-from-the-pac-man-solution/

The Swiss are not big fans of littering and they are taking their environmental consciousness to the next level by cleaning up their spaces. After launching small satellites in space, their next plan of action is to take them out of orbit.

One reason for the launch of this project is the negative effect space trash may have on other satellites and astronauts. Also, EPFL wants to test a practical system for cleaning up space junk. The EPFL settled on what they call, the Pac Man solution. A satellite that would trap smaller satellites with a net and would then burn everything as it de-orbits.

The Swiss are making great strides in making the universe a cleaner space for future research. We should learn from their example and take steps to cleaning up our planet. Here are three sustainability lessons we can learn from the Pac Man solution:

Lesson #1: Plan for the Future

The EPFL is thinking about the impact space junk has on future satellite launches. You should be aware of your impact on the environment for the sake of your grandchildren, your great grandchildren, and so on. Everything we do to our planet could have long term affects that can be very scary for future generations. Picture chaotic natural disasters taking place everywhere. Don’t condemn your future family to such an awful fate!

Lesson #2: Clean Up Your Mess

Don’t litter, just don’t do it. It makes you look really lazy and rude. Put your trash where it goes and take responsibility for the things you leave behind. This is something you should have learned in elementary school but some people just couldn’t grasp the concept.

Lesson #3: Get Creative

The EPFL tossed out a lot of proposals for how to go about cleaning up space and eventually settled on the Pac Man solution. Get creative when recycling and don’t be afraid to reuse some of your junk. Turn your trash into something magnificent. Your trash can be your treasure.

Take a page from the Pac Man solution and clean up the planet. Be responsible, think about the future, and be creative when being environmental friendly. Like Captain Planet always said “the power is yours!”

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Nature in space and at home are way too beautiful to waste. For nature lovers, Atmoph brings nature to you!:

3 Sustainability Lessons from The Pac Man Solution

5 Things You Could Do with Your Own Personal Satellite - http://clapway.com/2015/07/06/5-things-you-could-do-with-your-own-personal-satellite/

On July 1, Rocket Lab announced it will be the first commercial company to build and operate an orbital launch site. New Zealand, specifically the Canterbury region, will be the home base for Rocket Lab’s new endeavor.

Rocket Lab plans to transport small satellites to Low Earth orbit. The satellites will be used for imaging and communication task such as weather monitoring, crop optimization, natural disaster management, search and rescue data, GPS, and internet from space.

New Zealand was picked because of its access to high inclination and sun-synchronous orbits, which is perfect for small satellites. This location has low air and sea traffic as well, which is important for frequent launch.

Launch frequency from this site makes Rocket Lab closer to its goal of making space commercially accessible and is needed to meet the demands of customers. The launch site is projected to be completed by the end of 2015 and will be at the affordable price of $4.9 million. What if you had $4.9 million to spend on a satellite just for your benefit? Here are five things you could do with your own personal satellite:

1. Boyfriend Tracker

Need to find a no good, cheating boyfriend? Maybe you want to find the guy from the park you really wanted to talk to but didn’t. With a personal satellite you can utilize GPS to track down your target, no matter the purpose.

2. Unlimited Data

Personally, I don’t have this problem because I am a Sprint customer but majority of my friends are always complaining about how they’ve used up all of their data for the month. Sucks to suck. But you could use your personal satellite to gain unlimited data. Be stress free when you are connecting with friends on social media for extended periods of time.

3. Become a Superhero

These small satellites have been used for search and rescue plans and natural disaster management. Why not become the superhero you’ve always wanted to be and save the day. Create your own costume, alias, and land your headline in the newspaper by saving victims of natural disasters.

4. Make Big Money

With your own personal satellite, you can become a pro at growing crops. By monitoring the weather and utilizing technology for crop optimization, you can make a lot of money by becoming a farmer.

5. Out Weather the Weatherman

I know you get tired of the weatherman being completely wrong about the weather, too. You forget to bring your umbrella or rain jacket because he didn’t say it would rain. With your own personal satellite, you can be your own weatherperson and know what to expect everyday. Put that weatherman out of business!

What would you do with a satellite all to yourself?

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Start your morning with the right tools with SensorWake:

5 Things You Could Do with Your Own Personal Satellite

"Being alone in space takes peace and quiet to a whole different level, I would suspect." - http://clapway.com/2015/07/01/3-things-you-could-accomplish-if-you-were-in-space-for-803-days/

A new record was set for the most time spent in space by a human being. Russian cosmonaut, Gennady Padalka, has spent a total of 803 days in space. Padalka is currently on his fifth trip into space and once he returns, on September 11, he will have spent 877 days in space.

During his time in outer space, he conducted experiments and went on numerous space walks. His days spent in space were not consecutive but envision what you could do in solitude for two years and four months, uninterrupted. Here are three things you could accomplish if you were in space for 803 days:

1. Practice Eccentric Skills

You will have so much free time to practice cool things you wouldn’t be able to do with the force of gravity surrounding you. You can become a Mortal Kombat character and work on your bicycle kicks. You can move on from your kiddie cartwheels and progress to full on back flips. And if you are one of those disgusting people that want to try to catching their spit in their mouth, you can do that too. But I don’t recommend it.

2. Catch Up On Your Reading

I don’t know about you, but I love reading. I’ve spent entire weekends doing nothing but drowning myself in a good book. Recently, I’ve been too busy to sit and read, or do anything fun, so I would jump at the chance to catch up on my favorite romance novel. You could teach yourself a new language and come back to earth more intelligent than you left. If I were in space for 803 days, reading would definitely be at the top of my list.

3. Self-Reflection

Being alone in space takes peace and quiet to a whole different level, I would suspect. The time you have secluded, without distractions can be used for self-reflection. You can learn new things about yourself and appreciate the characteristics you considered flaws. A lot of people don’t get the chance to reflect but with your time in space, you have a ton of chances.

In reality, you may never get the chance for complete isolation but you should definitely take a step back from the world. Continue to develop your skills and learn something new everyday. And when you think you’ve run out of things to learn, just think, what could I accomplish if I were in space for 803 days?

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Definitely bring a notebook with you on this long, isolated journey. Moleskine has one for this very occasion:

3 Things You Could Accomplish If You Were in Space For 803 Days

The story behind the constellation among the brightest of stars... - http://clapway.com/2015/06/28/stargazing-101-cassiopeia-the-queen/

My mother loved to tell me the story of Cassiopeia the Queen. She shared with me the following version, the story her mother told her.

The Mythology

Cassiopeia was a famous queen who was very proud of her beauty. She constantly boasted that she and her daughter, Andromeda, were more beautiful than all the sea-nymphs. The nymphs didn’t like hearing this so they complained to Poseidon, god of the sea, who told Cassiopeia if she kept up with her ways that he would punish her and her land.

He threatened to create a monster to destroy them both. Her king took Poseidon at his word and sought out an oracle to tell him what to do. The oracle advised him to extend Andromeda as an offering to the monster. Only this act would appease the sea god, the oracle warned. The king took his daughter to the cliffs and chained her up. The gods favored Andromeda that day because traveling along the coast at that moment was Perseus. He spotted the princess and immediately fell in love. He told the king that he would slay the beast in return for Andromeda’s hand in marriage. The king agreed and Perseus kept his word. He defeated the monster and married the princess. Poseidon was not happy that Cassiopeia didn’t learn her lesson so he took her, and placed her in the stars as punishment for her pretentiousness. The constellation in the sky looks like an upside-down chair and it is said that she hangs from her throne for dear life.

The Facts

You might recognize this name from a 2001 movie starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, Serendipity. It’s definitely a chick flick, one of my favorites actually, so you may or may not have actually seen it. For whatever reason, the small scene between the two discussing her Cassiopeia shaped freckles became very popular. You can see the queen at night against a backdrop of the Milky Way. The middle star of the “w” shape of the stars is known as Gamma Cassiopeia and it is about 15 times the size of the Sun. This star, along with another of the constellation, Rho Cassiopeia, is destined to become a supernova eventually. Cassiopeia has produced two of these in the past. She is also home to one of the largest collection of young stars in the galaxy, right behind Orion’s in size.

What little girl doesn’t love a good old fashion love story with a happy ending for the princess? Growing up, I would always make my mom tell me the one about Cassiopeia. We’d go out in our front yard where she had made a pallet of blankets and she’d point out the constellation to me while telling me the story. This was a thing we did often with my mother. This is how we heard all the different stories. What’s your favorite constellation? Tell me below!

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For more space related adventures, check out Space Scouts:

 

Stargazing 101: Cassiopeia the Queen

What are we looking for up there? - http://clapway.com/2015/06/22/3-things-we-look-for-when-we-look-up-at-the-sky-and-beyond/

In 1999, treasure hunters found a beautifully crafted, 3600 year old Nebra Sky Disc. Although found with other artifacts such as swords and axes, the Nebra Sky Disc stood out as evidence of science and art. It is also the earliest illustration of space. The disc tells the story of how people were amazed by the stars, the moon, and the sun.

Mapping out the universe was our ancestors’ way of seeking meaning in the lives they lived. The Nebra Sky Disc is a great example of how even in early times, outer space was a place to seek answers. Since then, people have used outer space for a variety of reasons. Here are the things we look for when we look up at the sky and beyond:

1. A Confidant

It doesn’t just happen in movies, people look up at the sky and confess some of their darkest secrets. They make wishes for selfish reasons or for the betterment of others. Religious people from all around the world talk to their god and hope that their prayers will be answered.

I’m not sure if it’s because no one is there to disagree or shame their opinions but people have found sanity from talking to the open space.

2. Knowledge and Resources

As long as we have more to discover, there will be more people who want to discover it. Astronomers are working hard at finding out what is really going on in outer space. They go further than just looking up at the sky. Astronomers break down barriers.

Outer space can provide us with more knowledge for medical advancements or provide us with renewable resources for sustainability. Who knows what more deep space has to offer?

3. Freedom to Imagine

The fact that there is so much we don’t know about outer space allows us to be creative and use our imaginations. Writers dream up different technological developments that may be found further in the galaxy. Television producers and make-up artists show us what they think alien species look like. We are free to release our minds when we look up at the sky. We are able to form our own opinions about the universe.

No matter how much we learn about space, we will continually seek it for answers. Although it doesn’t talk back, it gives us a chance to think by embracing its silence. We will always want it to give us answers to our problems. We will use it to satisfy our creative itch and easily step outside the box. We will look into the sky for a sense of clarity.

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A love of space does tend to start quite young, anyway. The makers of Space Scouts Summer Adventure seem to think so:

3 Things We Look For When We Look Up At The Sky And Beyond

"According to the cinematic geniuses of our time, you either travel through space at light speed or you are transported (short cut style) to another part of the universe." - http://clapway.com/2015/06/22/3-of-the-most-interesting-black-holes-in-space/

 

When I was younger, my mom had a tradition of always taking us out into the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night to watch meteor showers, comets, and anything else you can see in the sky with the naked eye. At a young age, I knew all about the constellations and about other galaxies in the universe. You could definitely say I was a space nerd. It always reminded me how tiny and insignificant my life is compared to the vastness of the universe. It’s really a beautiful thing. However, there was one thing that always terrified me. Black holes. Not the kind that you consider your dryer to be when you come out with less socks and you put in. I’m talking planet-swallowing black holes randomly placed in outer space. For the space explorer such as myself, I’m going to tell you about three of the most interesting black holes that I’ve found in my research and how a new theory might change your perspective on them.

1. Middleweight Black Hole

An Australian telescope observed bursts of super hot gas, which inevitably lead to the discovery of the first middleweight black hole. Before it was discovered, supermassive black holes and stellar mass black holes were the only two types thought to exist. These types of black holes have been a constant mystery to astronomers for many years. The most recent discovery of one, an intermediate-mass black hole, is said to be approximately 290 million light-years from Earth. It is described as being 20,000 “solar masses” in size.

2. Rotating Black Holes

These bad boys are exactly as their name depicts them. To give you an idea of how fast they spin, the fastest one scientists have found is in the constellation of Aquila that spins more than 950 times per second.

3. Rogue Black Holes

We call a black hole “rogue” when it gets knocked out of their original location, usually due to galaxy collision. The first known one of these space ninjas is said to be approximately 600 million times the size of the sun. It is believed that in our galaxy alone, there could be hundreds of rogue black holes roaming around.

They are the age-old natural nemesis in space: Black holes. Infamous for what dangers might lurk within them, or on the other side of them. They are one of space exploration’s greatest mysteries, and a topic that I have always been curious about. NASA has dedicated resources specifically to the exploration of black holes. They come in all different shapes and sizes, a very different thought from the original idea that there were only the three general sizes; small, medium, and large. So the big question is always: what happens if we get sucked in?

According to the cinematic geniuses of our time, you either travel through space at light speed or you are transported (short cut style) to another part of the universe. As cool as both of these ideas sound, it’s very unlikely. Recently, a paper was presented in a space conference in Paris that suggested looking at black holes from a completely different perspective; not that looking at them in any perspective was easy in the first place!

A professor at Ohio State University, Samir Mathur, has dubbed black holes “Fuzzballs,” and claims that what happens when you get close to one is not like what happens in the movies. He says that the surface of the hole destroys your body (if you were floating through space and got close to one) and basically makes a hologram of it and it is forever stuck in the outer layer of the “Fuzzball.” He has dubbed them so because he thinks that they are a thin, fuzzy layer of space, which differs from the typical sooth layer that we all know and love. I think naming them something so cute sounding definitely takes away from the menacing fact that they could make a hologram of our lifeless bodies forever to be embedded in space.

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Tailored for children, Space Scouts Summer Adventure is your start to a most interesting summer for:

 

3 of the Most Interesting Black Holes in Space

3 Supernovae Explode In Space - http://clapway.com/2015/06/06/3-supernovae-explode-in-space-123/

According to images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope, 3 supernovae that were originally discovered several years ago have exploded in space, after they had been flung from their home galaxies millions or even billions of years prior.

A large majority of supernovae can be discovered inside galaxies surrounded by hundreds of billions of stars, one of which may just explode per century per galaxy.

 

What can these isolated stars tell us?

These isolated supernovae were discovered in between galaxies, and the rarity of these supernovae give us a key clue as to what lives in the expansive space in the middle of galaxies. These findings will also be able to assist astronomers in comprehending exactly how galaxy clusters first originally came together and how they evolved throughout the universe’s history.

The existence of the isolated pockets made study leader Melissa Graham think of the star Thrial – a fictional star which is located a million light years away from any other star, in the fictional novel Against a Dark Background penned by author Ian Banks.

Graham’s findings

Planets that are surrounding these intracluster stars saw their demise by the explosions. However, they would have left a night sky completely devoid of shining stars, Graham says. “We have provided the best evidence yet that intracluster stars truly do explode as Type Ia supernovae,” Graham said, going on to say that hostless supernovae can lead us to the population of other intracluster stars.

In addition, Graham and her colleagues stumbled upon a 4th exploding star, found by CFHT. This star apparently was inside of a red, round region that may be a galaxy small in size or a globular cluster. If it is indeed true that the supernova is part of the globular cluster, it would be the first time a supernova has exploded within the confines of these pocket-sized, compact clusters consisting of less than one million stars. All 4 supernovae were in galaxy clusters that were nearly a billion light years from Earth.

Other kinds of explosions

A Type II supernova explosion involves a star which has 9 times the solar mass, at the very least. When the star’s fuel is close to disappearing, the star will flare up and burst due to the core collapse. Types 1b and 1c involve the same type of star. A more lethal kind of explosion is the hypernova, which has an energy 50 times more powerful than other supernovas, and can result in a black hole.

3 Supernovae Explode In Space