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An Adaptable Species: Part 1 of 4 Episode 11: The Immortals, Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey

Charon from a different angle

via reddit

NGC 6995.

Credit: Paul Andrew

Delicate Nature and Animal Embroidery by Emillie Ferris 

UK artist Emillie Ferris composes stunning embroidery illustrations of wildlife and nature into pendants and oval frames. Depicting delicate animals, such as butterflies, deers and rabbits, Ferris’ choice of wildlife subjects exist in the realms of an ethereal forest.

Her embroidery technique displays meticulous talent and detail to color, shape, as well as the texture of fur, which stands out against a clean off-white background. You can find more of her dainty designs at her Etsy shop!

The NASA “Worm” Logo

Just like many organizations, the style and logos can change over time. You are probably most familiar with our “meatball” logo. No, unfortunately this does not refer to the delicious food. This logo (below) is our most popular symbol, and dates back to 1959.

But, we’ve also had other insignia that represented our organization throughout the years.

The “worm” logo (below) was used by the agency from 1975 until 1992. The organization wanted to create a more “modern” logo, which resulted in the unique type style of the “worm” logo.

Even though this logo was retired in 1992, the Graphics Standards Manual is still available online HERE.

You can also read up about the emblems, logos and insignia used by NASA throughout the years in a new e-Book available for free HERE.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space:http://nasa.tumblr.com

Our Flying Observatory Goes to New Zealand!

Our flying observatory, called SOFIA, carries a 100-inch telescope inside a Boeing 747SP aircraft. Scientists onboard study the life cycle of stars, planets (including Pluto’s atmosphere), the area around black holes and complex molecules in space. 

Heading South

Once each year our flying observatory, SOFIA, its team and instruments travel to the Southern Hemisphere to Christchurch, New Zealand. From there the team studies stars and other objects that cannot be seen while flying in the Northern Hemisphere.

What We Study

We often study star formation in our Milky Way Galaxy. But from the Southern Hemisphere we can also study the lifecycle of stars in two other galaxies called the Magellanic Clouds. The Magallenic Clouds have different materials in them, which changes how stars form in these galaxies. Scientists are studying these differences to better understand how the first stars in our universe formed.  

Home Away from Home

The observatory and its team use the National Science Foundation’s U.S. Antarctic Program facility at Christchurch International Airport. The Antarctic program’s off-season is June and July, so it’s an ideal time for us to use these facilities.

Another Blast of Winter

The Southern Hemisphere’s seasons are opposite from our own. When we are operating from Christchurch in June and July, it’s winter. This means that the nights are very long – ideal for our nighttime observing flights, which last approximately 10 hours.

Light Show

These observations often bring us so far south that the team onboard can see the Southern Lights, also called the Aurora Australis. This is the Southern Hemisphere equivalent of the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, visible near the North Pole. Auroras are caused by particles from space hitting the atmosphere near Earth’s magnetic poles. Our scientists onboard SOFIA don’t study the aurora, but they do enjoy the view.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com