NASA's robotic spacecraft, Cassini, just ended a journey of 20 years exploring the physical structure and what makes up Saturn and its moons. Cassini was launched on October 15, 1997 to take advantage of the gravitational boost from a flyby of Jupiter. Seven years after the launch, the robotic spacecraft was in orbit around Saturn. The mission of Cassini stretched beyond the original four-year plan, sending back multitudes of striking photographs, solving some mysteries and upending prevailing notions about the solar system with completely unexpected discoveries. The lander was equipped with instruments to identify molecules in the air, measure the winds and haze, and take pictures on the way down. On Friday, September 15, 2017 the probe vanished into Saturn's atmosphere.
Expanding what we know about alien planets as well as the universe helps create conclusions on what happens on Earth. Scientist have been constructing space travels to live on new planets. Cassini landed on one of Saturn's moons, Titan and recorded that it is a world shaped by active geological processes with rivers, lakes and rain, revealing a similar Earthlike world. Thomas H. Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science explains "It hasn't just changed what we know about Saturn, but how we think about the world." Learning about the similar structures about Saturn's moon may be a possibility traveling to.
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The four hundred and fifty two year old "Ancient City" of St. Augustine has been affected by many weather changes. last October Hurricane Matthew caused destruction and flooding in St. Augustine causing residents to replace and rebuild. The city is now cleaning up after the resent hit of Hurricane Irma, which poured more water causing flooding and more damage to homes and businesses rebuilding and recovering from last years attack. The destruction of Hurricane Irma has left neighborhoods in a sense of deja vu. People struggled to recover across Florida from Hurricane Irma. There has been eight deaths and dozens of people and boats remain unaccounted for. Since last years struggle against Hurricane Matthew, St. Augustine was more prepared with more taping, caulking, foams, and making doors watertight. St. Augustine is building new ways to help with new threats. They have started installing valves to keep seawater from flowing up into storm water drains, which helps prevent sunny day flooding. The importance of learning more about Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma can help improve and protect buildings as well as people in the future.
Hurricane Irma, a category five hurricane, has up to one hundred and eighty five miles per hour winds. It has already hit Puerto Rico and is heading for the Caribbean islands of Barbuda, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands as well as the United States Virgin Islands. It is expected to downgrade to a category four hurricane before it hits Miami, Florida; however it remains as one of the most powerful hurricanes. Irma formed just a few days after the tropical Hurricane Harvey hit the state of Texas. A category one hurricane, Jose, is traveling behind Irma, with Katia forming in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Irma has kept winds of one hundred and eighty five miles per hour for twenty four hours. The people of Florida have been directed to evacuate.
Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 tropical storm with winds of 130 miles per hour has killed at least ten people and has caused many more injured. It strengthened into a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico fueled by a combination of factors including the warm water in the gulf and lack of wind in the upper atmosphere. Hurricane Harvey is stretching along the state's Gulf Coast from Corpus Christi to Houston and inland to Austin and San Antonio. The "500 year flood" created more than thirty inches of rain, but the flooding is only expected to intensify as rains continue. It is predicted in some areas to reach fifty inches of rainfall. Roads are turning into raging rivers and houses are flooding to the brim. Since Houston did not order evacuations before the storm, residents are trapped in flooding homes.
Hurricane Harvey is important because thousands of people are loosing their homes. It is also changing the landscape of the coast and displacing wildlife, alligators, snakes, and other bayou wildlife. The deep sea is the planet's largest habitat. Throughout the explorations into the darkness of the sea, bioluminescence has been discovered in more than five hundred types of creatures that can be found as deep as two miles. Bioluminescence is the biochemical emission of light by living organisms such as fireflies and deep sea fishes. The colors vary from pale greens, blues, reds, and blue-greens which travel far in seawater. The creatures use the emitted light to lure, intimidate, stun, mislead, and find mates. The living lights emanates when oxygen and luciferase combines which prompts a chemical reaction. The luciferin molecules absorb energy and then releases it as light. Some creatures that use bioluminescence are the vampire squid, Beroe forskalu (a comb jelly), and an Atolla (a jellyfish). The vampire squid can cloak itself in a glowing blue cloud, the Beroe forskalu can produce waves of light, and the Atolla shines bright blue when threatened.
The bioluminescence is interesting because it is a chemical reaction that creates light. Can humans recreate this process? Discovering more about the deep sea and the chemical reaction that lights its darkness can help humans create the biochemical emission that maybe can be used to illuminate bedrooms without electricity. |
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March 2018
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