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Books & Reading, Current Affairs, Memories & History, Pleasures, Science & Health

Southern Cross: Crux constellation, stars and mythology | Space.com

By Vicky Stein, Published November 03, 2022

four bright stars in the sky filled with smaller stars and a vast cloud in the lower part of the image known as the Coalsack Nebula. (Image credit: ESO/Y. Beletsky)

The Southern Cross is an asterism made up of the most visible stars in the constellation Crux. 

The iconic group of stars is visible mainly from the Southern Hemisphere. Because of its orientation in the night sky, the Southern Cross has historically served as an essential navigational guide: two of its major stars form a line that points to the South Pole. The Southern Cross is also featured in the flags of several Southern Hemisphere countries.

Crux is the smallest of the 88 official constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) (opens in new tab). The Southern Cross is not the entire region of the sky that makes up Crux, but rather just the four (or five) stars that make its iconic cross shape: That’s what makes it an asterism. 

Source: Southern Cross: Crux constellation, stars and mythology | Space

Current Affairs, Pleasures, Science & Health

Beaver Blood Moon lunar eclipse: The ultimate guide | Space

By Jamie Carter, published 4 days ago

A Blood Moon total lunar eclipse will occur on November 8, 2022 and will look similar to this view of one from July 2018. Here’s everything you need to know about the event. (Image credit: ESA/CESAR–M.Castillo)

The second total lunar eclipse of 2022 will turn the moon a reddish-copper color for 85 minutes on Nov. 8, 2022, though what you’ll see during this safe naked-eye event will depend on your location on the planet.

Often colloquially called a Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse, happens as the full moon (in this case November’s full Beaver Moon) moves into the deep umbral shadow of the Earth and receives only light first filtered by Earth’s atmosphere, will be visible from North America and parts of South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Source: Beaver Blood Moon lunar eclipse: The ultimate guide | Space

Film & Movies, Television

You can now get the first four ‘Star Trek’ films in 4K ultra HD and save 15% at Walmart | Space

These four Star Trek films have never looked so good.

By Alexander Cox, 1 day ago

You can get the first four ‘Star Trek’ films in 4K ultra HD and save 15% at Walmart

Just in time for Star Trek Day, Paramount Home Entertainment has launched a special 4K ultra HD/Blu-ray bundle of the franchise’s first four movies to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the first-ever Trek episode on TV on Sept. 8, 1966.

The bundle, called “Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection, launched on Tuesday (Sept. 7) and contains ultra HD 4K and Blu-ray discs of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (both theatrical and director’s cut), “Star Trek III: The Search For Spock” and “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.”

Normally available for $90.99, you can get the new bundle for $77.48 — that’s 15% off — at Walmart, but we’re not sure how long this deal will last.

Source: You can now get the first four ‘Star Trek’ films in 4K ultra HD and save 15% at Walmart | Space

Books & Reading, Memories & History, Science & Health

Did a comet strike 13,000 years ago change human civilization as we know it? | Space

By Chelsea Gohd 4 days ago

This archaeological site in Arizona in the U.S. shows evidence of an impact from a comet. (Image credit: Comet Research Group)

Could a devastating comet impact in Earth’s distant past have forever changed human civilization?

Scientists think that a cluster of comet shards may have smashed into Earth’s surface 13,000 years ago, in the most catastrophic impact since the Chicxulub event killed off Earth’s large dinosaurs about 66 million years ago.

In a new study, a team led by Martin Sweatman, a scientist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, investigated the impact and how it could have shaped the origins of human societies on Earth. While the first Homo sapiens emerged between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, much farther in the past than this impact, the researchers found that this comet crash actually coincided with significant changes in how human societies self-organized.

Source: Did a comet strike 13,000 years ago change human civilization as we know it? | Space

Film & Movies, Science & Health, Web & Technology

‘Super Flower Blood Moon’ webcasts: How to watch the supermoon eclipse of 2021 online | Space

By Hanneke Weitering – Editor about 17 hours ago

The full moon on Wednesday (May 26) will be something to behold, as the only total lunar eclipse of 2021 arrives together with the year’s biggest “supermoon.”

Video link: https://www.space.com/super-flower-blood-moon-2021-webcasts?jwsource=cl

Skywatchers in much of the world will have a chance to see a slightly larger-than-average full moon temporarily appear red during the so-called “Super Flower Blood Moon.”

But for those in parts of the world where the eclipse isn’t visible — or where clouds foil the view — there will be several free webcasts showing live views of the eclipse online.

Weather permitting, the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles plans to stream live views of the Super Flower Blood Moon on Wednesday (May 26) beginning at 4:45 a.m. EDT (0845 GMT) — just two minutes before the penumbral phase of the lunar eclipse begins. The broadcast will end at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT), shortly after the last partial phase of the eclipse has ended.

Editor’s note: See article link below for many online sites showing the eclipse for free…

Source: ‘Super Flower Blood Moon’ webcasts: How to watch the supermoon eclipse of 2021 online | Space

Books & Reading, Film & Movies

Director Neil Burger’s ‘Voyagers’ launches a colony ship to the stars | Space

The long-haul spaceship of director Neil Burger’s “Voyagers.” (Image credit: Lionsgate)

By Jeff Spry, 3 days ago

Writer-director Neil Burger is well known for his provocative cinematic projects, most notably 2006’s period-set magician movie “The Illusionist,” 2011’s psychological thriller “Limitless,” and a trio of “Divergent” films adapted from author Veronica Roth’s young adult sci-fi novels.

Now Burger has his eyes fixed on the stars with his new science fiction adventure flick, “Voyagers,” which revolves around the perils inside a generation spaceship carrying 30 home-grown candidates on a one-way mission to settle an exoplanet 86 years from Earth.

Source: Director Neil Burger’s ‘Voyagers’ launches a colony ship to the stars | Space