Sources for Astronomer Biography Q2

 

"Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille." Science and Its Times. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. Vol. 4: 1700 to 1799. Detroit: Gale, 2000. 365. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.

 

"Nicolas Louis De Lacaille (French Astronomer)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.

 

"Nicholas Louis De Lacaille (1713-62)." Nicholas Louis De Lacaille (1713-62). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.

APOD 2.6

This photograph was taken in 2009 above Tromso Norway, featuring a stunning display of the so-called "Northern Lights" or Aurora Borealis. It also captures a flash of the fireball from a meteor during the Geminid Meteor Shower, which occurs on a regular yearly basis.

APOD 2.5

This photograph was taken in Valle de la Luma, in the vast Chilean Atacam Desert. Along the horizon, lights from San Pedro are visible. The Atacama Desert is an ideal location for astronomical observation due to the lack of light pollution. Four nearby galaxies are visible in this photograph; from left to right they are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, the central bulge of our own Milky Way Galaxy, and the Andromeda Galaxy.

APOD 2.4

Photographed here is one of Jupiter's four Galilean moons, Europa. This moon is covered in ice, and is believed to have an ocean of water just underneath the surface. Europa continues to be a place of definite interest for astronomers and scientists looking for evidence of extraterrestrial life.

APOD 2.3

Aside from its stunning beauty, I chose this photograph because my most recent posts have been limited to aurorae or galaxies. This photograph features the Cat's Eye Nebula, the remnants of a dying central star similar to our own sun. This photograph was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, featuring a star whose cosmic eye is over half a light year across. Our sun will go through this stupendous phase in approximately 5 billion years.  

APOD 2.2

This photograph features a stunning aurora over the summit of the Austnesfjorden fjord in Northern Norway. This was taken earlier in the year, in early March, on a beautiful clear night. The high amounts of aurorae recently is due to the increased amount of solar surface activity during its 11 year magnetic cycle.

APOD 2.1

This photograph was taken over the Devil's Tower in Northeastern Wyoming. The primary feature of this picture of course is our Milky Way Galaxy. Throughout the galaxy, there are many Nebulae with spooky names, creating a fun Halloween effect on the photo. Many star clusters as well as the dwarf planet Pluto are also seen.