Because Bill Nye explains the world better than even experiencing it yourself, here’s our childhood maestro of science explaining how we could possibly stop an asteroid from destroying Earth. Giant bombs, huge rockets and even freaking lasers probably can’t stop it. And even if they could stop it, we might not be able to build them. So, uh, yeah.
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When it comes to the smartwatch industry, you could say that this is still a young market which is relatively untapped, but finding the correct killer combination of hardware as well as software is the secret recipe that has yet to be discovered. Sure, Android has their champion in the form of the Pebble timepiece, and there are also whispers that Apple might come up with an iOS-powered iWatch. Still, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush, which is why the Meteor smartwatch by Kreyos is an interesting proposition. It is an Indiegogo project at the moment, and will play nice with Apple’s iOS, while boasting voice and gesture control support to boot.
The Meteor will feature a three-axis gyro, carry an accelerometer and other motion sensors which are capable of detecting things like wrist motion. The wrist motion detection can be customized so that you will be able to effect the right response with a movement which you are most comfortable with. Voice control would also come in handy during those moments when both of your hands are occupied.
[ Meteor smartwatch by Kreyos copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
NASA scientists have recorded what they say is the largest explosion ever seen on the Moon. A meteoroid roughly the size of a small boulder crashed into the moon, creating a large explosion that NASA says could have been seen with the naked eye. The meteoroid was said to have weighed around 90 pounds and was traveling at approximately 56,000 mph when it crashed into the moon.
To put the explosion into perspective here on Earth, the explosion was said to have the same amount of force as five tons of TNT. Of course, that’s not even close to what an atomic bomb can pull off, nor a typical large explosion like what’ve seen recently in Texas at the fertilizer planet. However, with the vacuum of space and no gravity to slow anything down, the explosions can be much larger on the moon.
This specific explosion, which happened around two months ago, was ten times brighter than anything that NASA has ever seen before. Meteor impacts on the Moon are nothing new, and they happen all the time, but this explosion was unique and it’s said to have made a crater over 20 meters (65 feet) across.
So how does an explosion happen on the Moon if there’s no oxygen to activate it? NASA says that lunar meteors don’t require oxygen or combustion to explode. Meteors hit the Moon surface with so much kinetic energy that NASA says even a small pebble can make a crater that’s a few feet wide. As for the flash of light from the meteor explosion, that’s from the “thermal glow of molten rock and hot vapors” during impact.
NASA created a specific program to identify how often lunar meteor strikes occur in 2005, and this was the largest explosion that the program has ever seen in its roughly nine years of being active. During that time, scientists have identified over 300 explosions, most which happened during meteor showers on Earth and were rather dim. The program is essentially studying the where, when, and how often of meteor strikes on the Moon to determine the best time and location for future spacewalks on the Moon, if NASA ever decides to go back.
VIA: Wired
SOURCE: NASA
NASA records largest explosion ever on the Moon is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
At around 8 o’clock tonight, a meteor that’s been described as “huuuuge green” and “very bright” and “blueish” and “glowing green” and “pretty big” and “very slow and bright green” was spotted across the east coast of the United States from NYC to DC to Baltimore to West Virginia to Boston and basically any big city where millions of people live. But unlike the Russian meteor that exploded over the sky, no one has a freaking picture of this American space rock. More »
Last month, a giant meteor exploded over Russia. Ground zero was the Ural city of Chelyabinsk, where 1500 people were injured and thousands of buildings were damaged. About half the city’s million people saw the meteor, but most of them didn’t know it was a meteor at all. More »
As we get to know more and more about how powerful the meteorite that exploded over Russia really was, something still gets lost in translation. This video makes it abundantly clear how strong the blast was. The footage is collected from different locations throughout the Chelyabinsk city and shows how it really felt on the ground. The boom is pretty freaking scary. More »
That little, white pixelated bean spinning around above might look more like a bad 80s video game than the near-messenger of quick and devastating apocalypse, but that’s what happens when you’re taking shots 74,000 miles away from your subject. What you’re seeing is, in fact, 2012 DA14 at a resolution of around 13 feet per pixel over an 8 hour period just as it was mercifully passing our beautiful space marble by on the evening of February 15. More »
Here’s your daily dose of crazy. A strange, gooey substance has been appearing all over the Somerset nature reserve that’s about a thousand miles away from Russia. The mysterious substances have been showing up ever since the meteor event in Russia a few days ago. Both the tourists of the reserve, as well as the workers there, have described the slimes resembling “something living”.
The strange, alien slimes are appearing all over the Somerset nature reserve in grass banks that are located away from the water’s edge. The slimey substances are each about 10 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter and all of them are translucent. The reserve’s team will continue to analyze the blobs for the next few days.
The local folklore says that previous sightings of the mysterious, alien slime dates all the way back to the 14th century, at least based on their records. Back in the 14th century, the strange slime always appeared shortly after a meteor shower. The locals at the time called the slime “star jelly”, “astral jelly”, or “astromyxin”.
For now, everything is still a mystery. Unlike the 14th century, our technology is much more advanced, and an analysis by scientists could give us a clear, and probably logical, answer to what this substance really is. But until we have those answers, it’s all just a guessing game. What are your theories on what this substance could be?
[via IBT]
Strange alien slime appears after meteor strike is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
As you all know, last Friday a massive meteor entered the atmosphere over the Chelyabinsk Region of Russia. The meteor was large enough that scientists believe significant chunks reached the surface of the Earth. The meteor also caused quite a fireball in the sky and several explosions that shattered glass and injured over 1000 citizens in the area.
Russian citizens in the area are now trying to make a little bit of money by selling fragments that they claim to be from the meteorite online. However, Russian police are having none of that and have stepped in and begun to confiscate supposed meteorite fragments listed online. Russian police officials say that they confiscated about 60g of a substance claimed to be meteorite fragments from a Chelyabinsk resident.
Russian police say that they will send the material to be analyzed to determine its composition and determine if it poses any health risks. Officials are asking people not to buy the meteorite fragments because they are being sold without permits or certification. Fragments have turned up online selling for 10,000 to 500,000 rubles (~$330 to $16,600 USD.)
[via Ria.ru]
After last week’s meteor fly-by in Russia, many people have been searching for fragments of the rock that eventually made its way onto the Earth’s surface. A larger chunk of the meteor landed in a frozen lake, leaving a 20-foot wide hole. It’s said that many people have discovered meteorite fragments and are now selling them online for a few dollars.
Most of the fragments discovered have only been small rocks, between the size of a pebble and a golf ball, and Russian scientists say that the meteor was probably no more than two feet in diameter after it entered the Earth’s atmosphere, but they say that a large chunk of it is probably in the lake that it crashed into. However, divers have yet to find any large fragments on the bottom of the lake.
In the meantime, Russians are putting their discovered fragments up for sale online, with A two-centimeter fragment selling for 500 ruble, which is approximately $16.60. However, there’s no telling if the fragments for sale are authentic. Geologists say that unclassified fragments can sell for around $0.50/gram, while slightly rare fragments can cost as much as $50/gram. However, extremely rare fragments of lunar and Martian meteorites can sell for over $1,000/gram.
NASA estimates that when the meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere, it weighed about 10,000 tons and was approximately 55 feet in diameter. NASA says that a meteor that big only strikes the Earth about once every one hundred years. The shock wave that was produced by the meteor ended up injuring over 1,000 residents, and it’s estimated that damages are over $33 million.
[via CTV]
Meteorite fragments found in Russia up for sale is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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