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Science

Cool and Interesting Facts About the Andromeda Galaxy

May 13, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

For centuries it was believed that Andromeda is part of our Milky Way. It was only in the early 20th century when it was discovered that Andromeda was in fact, a separate galaxy. Scientists now know that it is the largest and brightest galaxy in the sky. It is also the most remote object visible to the naked eye. Andromeda is the most nearest galaxy to our Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way contains our planet earth and the rest of the solar system.

The Andromeda Galaxy
Author: Kees Scherer/Flickr

Andromeda is spiral shaped and one of the most massive galaxies in our part of the universe.

In moderately dark skies the galaxy is visible as an elongated, hazy patch, slightly brighter in the center, and fading away on the edges until it blends into the sky’s background.

Andromeda gets its name from the Andromeda Constellation. The galaxy is located near one of the edges of this constellation and hence it was named the Andromeda Galaxy. The word Andromeda is actually a name from Greek mythology. According to Greek legends, Andromeda was a Princess and the daughter of King Cepheus and his Queen Cassiopeia.

The Andromeda Constellation. The object labelled M31 is the Andromeda Galaxy, located at one of the constellation’s edges.
Author: Keilana (derived from work of Roberto Mura) / (CC BY-SA 3.0)

This Galaxy was first described in 964 by Abdul Rahman Sufi, a Muslim astronomer from Persia. Abdul Rahman mentioned the galaxy in his book called the “Book of Fixed Stars”. He described the Andromeda as a “nebulous smear”.

The Andromeda is also known as the Messier 31 or M31. The name comes from Charles Messier, a French astronomer who documented the Galaxy in his catalog called “Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters”, published in 1771. The number 31 actually signifies that it was the 31st object on Messier’s list of astronomical objects.

Occasionally, it is also known as the NGC 224. This designation came from the New General Catalogue (NGC), a detailed list of astronomical objects documented by British astronomer, John Louis Emil Dreyer in 1888.

The first ever photograph of the Andromeda Galaxy

Up until the early 20th century, astronomers believed, Andromeda was a part of the Milky Way. This theory was proven wrong in 1920 when American astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble determined conclusively that Andromeda was not part of the Milky Way, and a separate galaxy far away from the Milky Way.

The first photograph of the galaxy was taken in 1887 by Issac Roberts, a Welsh astronomer

The total mass of the Andromeda is estimated to be about 1.8×1042kg making it one of the biggest galaxies in our local part of the universe.

Andromeda observed in the night sky.
Author: Joshua Tree / (CC BY 2.0)

Andromeda is gigantic. Scientists estimate the total number of stars in the galaxy to be around 1 trillion. This is about twice the number of stars estimated to be in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Andromeda Galaxy is at a distance of 2.2 million light years away from earth and hence the most remote object one can observe with the naked eye. This means that if we observe the Andromeda with our eye at any particular time, the bright light coming from the galaxy and reaching our eyes is actually 2.2 million years old. So, what we observe of Andromeda at any given moment with our eye actually happened or took place 2.2 million years ago. Amazing, isn’t it?

Scientists say that Andromeda was formed about 10 billion years ago from the collision and merger of smaller galaxies.

Colorful rings inside the Galaxy
Courtesy: ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/B. Schulz (NHSC)

Andromeda Galaxy has a diameter of about 220,000 light-years, which means if someone travels at the speed of light, it would take 220,000 years for them to travel from one edge of the galaxy to another.

Astronomers believe that the Andromeda has at least 2 Spiral Arms. Spiral arms are areas in a galaxy with strong star formation and are called spiral because of the spiral shape they take on, due to the galaxy rotating on its own axis.

Andromeda is also enveloped in a massive halo of gas and it is estimated that the halo contains half the mass of the stars in the Andromeda itself. Halos are giant spheres encircling a galaxy. They may contain old stars, hot gases or even dark matter. Halos play an important part in star formation in galaxies, controlling the rate at which new stars form.

Andromeda’s spirals can be seen quite clearly in this photo
Courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Andromeda’s halo is invisible and dark. It can’t be seen when observing the galaxy. Scientists were only able to discover the halo after observing bright objects in the galaxy behind the halo and observing changes in light patterns due to the halo. This halo is believed to contain gases and an abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.

Although, the galaxy is so huge and bright that it can be seen anytime of the year, the best time to get a good view is during autumn nights, when the sky is dark and clear.

The Andromeda Galaxy is approaching the Milky Way at a speed of 110km/s. Scientists believe that our Milky Way and the Andromeda will collide after 4 billion years. Imagine that!

Andromeda Galaxy
Author: Stephen Rahn/Flickr

Moreover, the Andromeda also has 14 dwarf or satellite galaxies. These galaxies are heavily influenced by interactions with their nearby parent galaxies and are constantly orbiting around them. M32 and M110 are Andromeda’s most prominent satellite galaxies.

The Andromeda is estimated to have at least 35 black-holes, one of which is at the core or nuclei of the Galaxy. This black-hole at the center has a mass of about 2×1038 kg, which is at least 100 million times more than the mass of our Sun.

At least 450-460 globular clusters orbit the Andromeda. Globular clusters are spherical clusters of mostly old stars that orbit their nearby larger galaxy. The spherical shape of these clusters is due to gravity binding them together. Typically, these are found in the outer regions of a galaxy, specifically the halo region.

Andromeda Galaxy
Author: Michael S Adler / (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Although it’s the largest galaxy in our part of the universe, the Andromeda Galaxy contains less dark matter than our Milky Way.

For now much of what we know about the Andromeda is still a mystery. Scientists still have a lot to discover about this galaxy which is so much similar to our Milky Way. Some say the Andromeda may even have planets like our Milky Way. And who knows, maybe these yet to be discovered planets support life like our Earth does. If this were true, maybe one day we’ll get to meet some friendly or not so friendly aliens who might actually even look like us and have the same DNA as humans.

A deep image of the Galaxy
Author: Giuseppe Donatiello/Flickr

10 Interesting Facts About Lunar Eclipse

May 11, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Lunar Eclipse is an astronomical event which happens when the Moon passes behind the shadow of the Earth. The Sun always creates this shadow around the earth. This is a very rare occasion when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon are all exactly lined up and the Moon passes behind this shadow.

Lunar Eclipse
Author: Bannuclicks / (CC BY-SA 4.0)

When the Moon goes through the umbral shadow of the Earth then a lunar eclipse is very easy to see, and viewed from any place of the earth at night.

The moon has a speed of about one kilometer/second through the shadow. Thus, a lunar eclipse has a total of almost 3 hours plus 40 minutes and approximately 107 minutes.

A lunar eclipse may be seen from anywhere at night on the Earth.

A selenehelion is also called selenelion that is occurring, when the eclipsed Moon as well as the Sun is observed at similar time just after sunrise or before sunset.

A lunar eclipse occurs only at the time of the full moon and may occur less than 3 times in one year.

A lunar eclipse is viewed from all hemispheres and at the same time, it is seen by everyone who has full moon sight. A lunar eclipse time may span in many hours due to local time zones.

Another type of lunar Eclipse is Penumbral Lunar Eclipse which is occurring after passing through the shadow of penumbral shadow. These events are subtle as well as slight to observe therefore these are only for academic interest.

Partial Lunar Eclipse is another type of lunar eclipse which happens only when one portion of the moon passes against the umbral shadow of Earth. These can also be viewed from an unaided eye.

When the full moon passes through the umbral shadow of the earth then Total Lunar Eclipse occurs. A myth is famous in Egyptian that the eclipse is like a sow which swallows the moon for a small time.

Cool Facts About Mars

May 1, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Mars is a planet just like our earth, however a dead one,well at least for now.Mars is probably the most known planet ever because of its extreme similarity to Earth.Scientists have discovered frozen ice on mars now, and are hopeful that life on Mars may exist or may have existed once a long time ago.

Mars is named after the Roman God of war.

Mars is the second smallest planet in the solar system.

It is also called the red planet because the iron oxide present on its surface gives it a red color.

Mars has the second highest mountain of the solar system with height of about 22 km(3 times taller than Mt. Everest).

Mars has two known moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are small and irregularly shaped.

Mars has polar caps like Earth, but they contain frozen Carbon Dioxide instead of water.

Scientists believe Mars had water once and maybe a blue sky too, but it is unlikely that it had grass,trees and plants like Earth has now.

Mars is approximately half the size of Earth.

It is home to Valles Marineris, one of the largest canyons of the solar system.It has a length of 4000 km and a depth of up to 7 km.It was caused when volcanoes erupting around it tore up the land, leaving a huge valley.

The Sun appears about half the size on Mars as it does from Earth.

Mars has seasons like earth.The seasons are about twice those of Earth’s.

One year on Mars is 687 days long.

The total mass of mars is only 10% the mass of earth.

The surface of Mars is too cold for water to exist as liquid.

Facts About Sheri McCoy: American Scientist and Business Executive

February 24, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Born in Massachusetts USA, Sheri McCoy is an American scientist and business executive. She is one of the most influential woman of the 21st century.

Sherilyn S. McCoy (2014)

Some Interesting Facts about Ms. McCoy:

  • Sherilyn Sheri McCoy was born in 1959 in the city of Quincy, Massachusetts.
  • She has a Bachelors degree in Textile Chemistry. In addition to this she also has a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering and a Masters degree in Business Administration.
  • In 2011, Fortune Magazine listed her as the 10th most powerful woman in business.
  • In 2012, Forbes named her the 39th most powerful woman in the world.
  • McCoy joined the Johnson & Johnson Company in 1982 where she worked for 30 years.
  • She worked in the R&D department of the company. Her department dealt with research and development of woman health products. She eventually became the head of Johnson & Johnson’s research division.
  • During her time at the company she occupied several executive positions.
  • She became the Vice Chairman of the company in 2010.
  • McCoy resigned from the company in 2012 after she was superseded by a junior executive who was appointed CEO of the company instead of McCoy.
  • She was appointed CEO of Avon Products in 2012.
  • Sheri remained the CEO of Avon from 2012-2017.
  • In 2018, she was elected to the board of directors of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
  • Sheri McCoy has 5 patents to her name, registered in The United States and Europe.
  • She is married and has 3 sons.

Abu Nasr Al-Farabi: Facts and Information

February 20, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

One of the earliest Islamic philosophers who brought the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle to the attention of the Muslim world was Abu Nasr Al-Farabi. An outstanding linguist and scientist, Al-Farabi not only translated the works of Aristotle and Plato from the original Greek, he also contributed his own thoughts and beliefs to these works. Nicknamed Mallim-e-Sani, which means “Second Master” or “Second Teacher” many future Islamic philosophers including Avicenna were influenced by his teachings.

Al-Farabi
PD-old-70

His Early Life:

Al-Farabi began his education at Farab and continued it at Bukhara before moving to Baghdad to complete his higher studies. During this period in his life he mastered several languages.He also became knowledgeable in a wide variety of subjects including technology. His major subjects were philosophy,logic and sociology for which he became known later in life as an encyclopedist.

His Contributions and Achievements:

Al-Farabi was the first philosopher to separate philosophy from technology. Both Muslim and Christian philosophers dating back to the Middle Ages were influenced by his views. He was a strong believer that the world was created by a Supreme Being who was able to exercise balanced intelligence and he firmly believed all human beings possess this immortal rational facility, they just have to be taught how to develop it. His ultimate goal was to achieve this. He was far more dedicated to political theory than any other Islamic philosopher.

In the later stages of his life Al-Farabi set down the qualities he believed a ruler should possess. He felt the ruler should have the right attitude to rule and maintain the high standards expected of a ruler.
Central to his political philosophy was the concept that people who co-operate to find contentment gain ultimate happiness.

Al-Farabi wrote a number of books on early Muslim sociology and one of his most notable books is ‘Kitab al-Musiqa’ (The Book of Music). It is a theoretical study on Persian music although in the Western world it appeared as a book on Arab music. He also invented several musical instruments and contributed his knowledge to musical notes.A talented musician himself he could make his audience laugh or cry when playing his instrument. He also a wrote a pamphlet named the ‘Meanings of the Intellect’. The subject of this pamphlet was music therapy. Al-Farabi stressed about the therapeutic effects music has on the soul.

Al-Farabi in Later Life

All through his life he traveled a lot, picking up different experiences on the way and he is still remembered in a number of countries for the valuable contributions he made to science and philosophy. He was a bachelor and faced many hardships in his life but that never stopped his dedication to work and he is known to have been one of the most popular scientists in history. Many mourned his death at the age of 80 in Damascus in 339AH/950 AD.

10 Facts Abu Nasr Al-Farabi Will be Remembered For.

  • One of the earliest Islamic intellectuals to teach the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle to the Muslim world.
  • A great example to philosophers and intellectuals and admired by both Muslim and Christian philosophers
  • An outstanding linguist and an encyclopedist in his work.
  • The first philosopher to separate philosophy from technology.
  • More dedicated to political theory than any other Islamic philosopher.
  • A firm believer that the concept of happiness is achieved by people who co-operate to gain contentment.
  • Always stressed the importance of knowledge in his work.
  • An expert in music,he also invented several musical instruments.
  • A talented musician himself he could make people laugh or cry when he played his instrument.
  • An avid traveler he was mourned around the world when he died in Damascus aged 80.

Mary Ward(Scientist): Facts and Info

February 14, 2019 By admin 2 Comments

Mary Ward 

Mary Ward, also known as Mary King, was a scientist from Ireland. She’s mostly known for being the first person ever, to be killed in an automobile accident. Mary was born into a highly educated family and as a result this influenced her desire to learn and study things. Mary lived in a time when science was dominated by men and women weren’t too welcome in scientific circles.Despite this, Mary remained strong and was able to overcome such barriers to become a successful scientist.

Facts about Mary Ward:

  • Mary was born on 27th April 1827 outside Fabane,Ireland.
  • Her birth name was Mary King but after getting married, she took her husband’s surname and renamed herself Mary Ward.
  • Mary didn’t receive any formal education and taught herself at home.
  • She had a hobby of drawing and studying insects. Mary also loved to observe insect specimens under a magnifying glass. One day, this caught the attention of astronomer James South who was so impressed by this that he persuaded Mary’s father to buy her a microscope.
  • Mary became passionate about Microscopy and taught herself everything about the subject.
  • She also made her own microscope slides out of ivory, as glass was not so common at that time.
  • Mary also prepared her own insect specimens that she would observe under the microscope.
  • She even prepared microscope specimens for physicist David Brewster on his request.
  • Mary wrote to scientists asking them for papers they had published. She was also able to meet many scientists because of her cousin William Parsons, after he was made President of the Royal Society in 1848. Parsons was an astronomer and had built a telescope, which at the time was the biggest one in the world.
  • Mary also worked with Parsons on his telescope. She provided him with sketches for each stage of the telescope construction.
  • Mary was 1 of only 3 women to be on the mailing list of the Royal Astronomical Society.
  • The other two women were Queen Victoria and Mary Somerville, a scientist.
  • She married on 6th December 1854 and had 8 children.
  • Mary is also the great grandmother of Doctor Who actress, Lalla Ward.
  • Mary also wrote and illustrated a few books.
  • Her first book was “Sketches with Microscope” which, she at first thought no one would publish because of her being a woman. But it got published in 1858.

Death:

Unfortunately, Mary was the victim of a car accident on 31 August 1869 and became the first person ever to be killed by an automobile. She was travelling in a steam powered car, built by her cousin Parsons’s sons. Mary fell under the wheels when the car went on a bend and jolted. She was severely injured and was bleeding from the face and lips and her neck was also broken.A minute later she died.

Let’s not remember her for this. Instead we should remember her for the great scientist and woman she was. And let her be an inspiration for us.

Mary’s Sketches taken from her book , A World of Wonders, Revealed by the Microscope (1857)

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