As early as 1500, Leonardo da Vinci attempted to understand why the sky was blue. He kept a notebook that documented sunlight passing through wood smoke, and appears to have grasped light scattering phenomena. The sky appears blue because shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more effectively by atmospheric particles than longer red wavelengths. Sunlight As…
Dead satellites and rocket bodies that linger in low Earth orbit can present risks of collision to active satellites. As the ship flies around a planet to use gravity as an aid, something goes awry, deviating from its intended path and striking instead a collision course with that planet – not ideal. Mechanics NASA engineers…
The Nile River is one of Africa’s longest rivers and runs through Egypt, creating fertile valleys across arid landscapes while shaping human civilization along its journey. For millennia, Egypt has been sustained by the Nile’s northward course and annual floods, while their impact has had far reaching implications throughout world history. It is the longest…
Tigers are one of the world’s most beautiful and captivating big cats, yet one of its most threatened species. Tigers have so much more to offer than just unique stripe patterns and an intimidating roar; here are 10 incredible facts about tigers that you might not know! Here are 10 amazing facts about them. 1….
These towering models captivate students, space enthusiasts and dreamers alike. They provide the ideal visual aids to bring complex physics and astronomy concepts alive. This contractor’s model depicts a proposed spacecraft design that rotates to simulate gravity, helping a crew adjust to Mars’ 1/3 Earth gravity after their long voyage and lessen the negative side…
Mars has long been an alluring target for space scientists since the advent of modern space exploration. Due to its close proximity with Earth, just a modest amount of rocket fuel will get a probe there. Mariner 9, the inaugural spacecraft to orbit Mars, returned 7,329 images and other data in 1971 – this led…
Egypt is best-known for its ancient pyramids and temples, Nile River cruises and bustling cities; however, Egypt also features vast landscapes filled with vibrant wildlife that boast an incredible diversity of life forms. Your may have heard that Napoleon used a cannon to blow away the nose of the Sphinx out of frustration that there…
Rocket Lab will launch their Venus Life Finder probe aboard their Electron rocket. Their multipurpose spacecraft will be smaller and less expensive than NASA’s current Venus probes. VERITAS will be the first medium-class mission since Magellan in the 1990s to explore Venus. It will produce exquisite maps of this distant world. Sputnik 7 The spacecraft’s…
Southeast and Mid-Atlantic residents have seen early blooming daffodils and forsythia blooming unseasonably early this spring. Frogs have begun singing, while new grass has sprouted. Now is the time to shake off that winter blues and begin looking for signs that spring is around the corner! Below are a few early indicators and tick them…
