Microwave Map of Entire Moon Revealed

The first complete microwave image of the Moon taken by Chinese lunar satellite Chang'E-1 has been revealed. Chang’E-1 is China’s first scientific mission to explore planetary bodies beyond Earth and the on-board Lunar Microwave Radiometer has made it possible for the first time to globally map the Moon in microwave frequencies. Radar observations of the Moon are unable to provide thermal information, and microwave observations taken from Earth cannot reach the far side of the moon. So Chang'E-1's (CE-1) orbit was conducted at an altitude of 200km (124 miles) and allowed it to observe every location of the moon with a nadir view and at high spatial resolution.

via www.gizmag.com

Published on Power of Data Visualization. Note: If you read this via Email or Feed-reader click Permalink below to download bigger image.

Twilight Zones

This chart shows the relationship between the angular elevation of the sun relative to the horizon and levels of twilight. The values are for the 24 hours between 1pm BST 12th August 2010 and 1pm BST 13th August 2010, and for the location Brighton in East Sussex (50.8° N 0.1° W). In equatorial regions, night and day breaks very much more quickly. In Brighton on this late summer day, sunset to full darkness took 2 hours and 22 minutes. By comparison, in Singapore (near the equator) the process took 1 hour 11 minutes.

A full listing of data for the two nights Dominic Alves tried to photograph Perseid meteors is at the foot of this description.

via Dominic Alves

Roberto Carlos Impossible Soccer goal "no fluke" - say Physicists

In 1997, Brazilian soccer player Roberto Carlos scored on a free kick that first went right, then curved sharply to the left in what looked like a physics-defying fluke. We’ve finally discovered the physics equation that shows it was no fluke.

Physicists have explained one of football's most spectacular goals.

Abstract. We discuss the trajectory of a fast revolving solid ball moving in a fluid of comparable density. As the ball slows down owing to drag, its trajectory follows an exponential spiral as long as the rotation speed remains constant: at the characteristic distance \mathcal{L} where the ball speed is significantly affected by the drag, the bending of the trajectory increases, surprisingly. Later, the rotation speed decreases, which makes the ball follow a second kind of spiral, also described in the paper. Finally, the use of these highly curved trajectories is shown to be relevant to sports. For more information visit New Journal of Physics website.
 
Here’s the original “impossible” kicks:



via www.bbc.co.uk