SpaceRip: Space, Science, Adventure

Looks like Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" as it ropes out. From Roger Hill: http://www.stormchase.net.

Natural beauty of a violent tornado. Roger Hill can't hold back his enthusiasm: http://www.stormchase.net.

3D map of the Martian surface from the Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Portraits of Mars from one of the greatest photographic collections ever, taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Highlights of Hubble discoveries in our solar system. From ESA's Hubblecast.

Hubble makes the first-ever discovery of organic molecules in another solar system. From ESA's Hubblecast.

Hubble scans the amazing structure of the legendary Vela supernova. From ESA's Hubblecast.

Hubble probes the strange "Jellyfish" galaxy in the Coma galaxy cluster. From ESA's Hubblecast.

How future telescope technology will take us back to the era of the first stars. ESA Hubblecast.

Pure cosmic love brings these amateur astronomers out onto the street to share the universe.

Violent birth and death of a primordial star. Visualization: National Center for Supercomputing Applications, http://avl.ncsa.uiuc.edu.

A black hole vents its rage in a powerful jet of radiation. Visualization: National Center for Supercomputing Applications, http://avl.ncsa.uiuc.edu.

A giant galaxy swallows up hundreds of smaller ones as the universe takes shape. Visualization: National Center for Supercomputing Applications, http://avl.ncsa.uiuc.edu.

Small galaxies swirl together in a simulation of our galaxy's birth. Visualization: National Center for Supercomputing Applications, http://avl.ncsa.uiuc.edu.

Dramatic flight through a realistic computer model of our galaxy. Visualization: National Center for Supercomputing Applications, http://avl.ncsa.uiuc.edu.

Two galaxies become entwined in a violent gravitational battle. Visualization: National Center for Supercomputing Applications, http://avl.ncsa.uiuc.edu.

Twin tornadoes spawned by a giant thunderstorm in a groundbreaking computer simulation. Visualization: National Center for Supercomputing Applications, http://avl.ncsa.uiuc.edu.

Hubble detects an extreme planet around a Milky Way star. ESA "Hubblecast" with Dr. Joe Liske.

What will it mean to civilization when astronauts begin playing their favorite game on the Moon?

A futuristic spacecraft concept based on beamed energy propulsion.

Bike in Tuscany, dive in Bonaire? How about a joy ride in orbit?

What the Cassini Spacecraft saw as it flew in close to Saturn's moon Enceladus. From NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Hubble Space Telescope reveals a black hole lurking among the bright lights of star cluster. ESA "Hubblecast" with Dr. Joe Liske.

The Black Hole Flight Simulator renders the Monster's violent internal anatomy, from Professor Andrew Hamilton.

A thick cloud of dust is gathering around the center of our galaxy. Here's what will happen in about 10 million years.

Mira is a red giant star with a mysterious comet-like tail. From the Spitzer Space Telescope.

NASA's slick preview of the challenges of breathing life back into the Hubble Space Telescope, in a mission scheduled for the first half of 2009.

Important NASA discovery of how hurricanes intensify.

Bad Astronomer Phil Plait looks back on some of his favorites from Hubble's early days.

How Saturn's rings evolved, from Bad Astronomer Phil Plait.

Breathtaking photographs of mankind's first steps on the moon.

Ground breaking early mission to Earth orbit.

Where you might go to find water and life on Mars, from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

Tracking the rise in sea levels, from NASA JPL.

Earth's stores of ice are now shrinking at an alarming rate.

Hubble did it again, from ESA's famous Hubblecast.

New views from the Mercury Messenger Spacecraft. BadAstronomy.com is the most popular astronomy blog in the solar system.

The flash of light from an exploding star has left a fascinating imprint on the cosmic landscape. From the Spitzer Space Telescope "Hidden Universe" series.

Do living microbes thrive in oceans thought to lie beneath the grooved surface of Jupiter's second moon? From NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Vast magnetic tentacles from the center of a distant galaxy.

The Spitzer Space Telescope delivers a stunning view into the star forming region, the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud.

Powerful jets erupt from stars at the moment of birth. From the Spitzer Space Telescope "Hidden Universe" series.

The twin Voyager spacecraft opened our eyes and minds to the incredibly complex realm of the outer planets. From NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Destruction and mayhem at the hands and jaws of a monster robot.

Who ever imagined Mars could be this colorful and dynamic? Spacecraft and rovers are now poring over its surface and sending back one of the greatest photographic collections ever. BadAstronomy.com is the most popular astronomy blog in the solar system.

Alien planets beware! When a super-massive black hole goes postal, it can really destroy the neighborhood. BadAstronomy.com is the most popular astronomy blog in the solar system.

Those stately galaxies we've long admired are not exactly what we thought they were. Some are cosmic predators that draw their neighbors in then slice them up. BadAstronomy.com is the most popular astronomy blog in the solar system.

A magnificent gallery of colliding galaxies has been released to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope. ESA "Hubblecast" with Dr. Joe Liske.

The Sun continuously sheds its skin, blowing a ferocious wind of charged particles directly at planet Earth. From time to time, solar storms slam into Earth, spawning colorful auroras and wreaking havoc on satellite communications. Even as our increasing use of satellites has made us more vulnerable to solar storms, a new breed of "space weathermen" is learning how to predict them and warn us before they hit. SCIENCE BULLETINS are a production of the American Museum of Natural History… http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/

In January 2004, two NASA rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, landed on Mars and began to explore the planet's surface. Their mission: To probe the exotic Martian geology for signs of water past or present. NASA scientists explain the challenges of this historic Mars mission and how evidence of water could bolster the chances that life once existed on Mars. SCIENCE BULLETINS are a production of the American Museum of Natural History… http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/

Titanic collisions mark the history of our Solar System. You can see evidence in such places as Arizona's 50,000-year-old meteor crater. Is Earth due for another major blast? Meet the professional and amateur astronomers who may be the first to know: at a near-earth asteroid detection facility in New Mexico called LINEAR, and the Smithsonian's Minor Planet Center, where near-earth objects are tracked for possible hits and misses. SCIENCE BULLETINS are a production of the American Museum of Natural History… http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/

Each day radiation from deep space bathes our TV sets and radios in a faint static whisper. The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is the oldest, most distant signal beaming through the universe, carrying with it information about the origins and ultimate fate of the cosmos. Meet the scientists who are studying it at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station. They are taking advantage of the long cold winters, dry conditions, and ceaseless sky, to probe this remarkable signal. SCIENCE BULLETINS are a production of the American Museum of Natural History… http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/

Is there another Earth somewhere outside our Solar System? Astronomers have pondered the question for centuries, but only in recent years have they actually found planets orbiting distant stars. Now, with new "extrasolar" planets being discovered almost daily, scientists are confidently training their telescopes on the biggest mystery of all: Is there life beyond Earth? SCIENCE BULLETINS are a production of the American Museum of Natural History… http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/

Taking a census of all the luminous objects in one-quarter of the visible cosmos is a hefty accounting job: it takes a specially-built telescope on task every clear night for eight years, wielding one of the biggest digital cameras on the planet. Over a hundred million stars and galaxies have been tallied so far. Meet the scientists who are set on divining the origins of the Universe from this unprecedented store of data. SCIENCE BULLETINS are a production of the American Museum of Natural History... http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org.

In recent years, scientists have begun using satellite technology to study earthquakes from space. By monitoring the tiniest movements of the Earth's crust, they are zeroing in on places where strain is building up and the crust will most likely snap. These efforts could help California residents protect the areas at greatest risk before the next big quake strikes. SCIENCE BULLETINS are a production of the American Museum of Natural History… http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/

This Award-winning video explores the emerging new field of gravitational wave astronomy and how it’s opening a whole new window on the universe. The exquisitely sensitive instruments of the immense gravity wave experiment called LIGO may take us into the deepest reaches of time, and catch the first murmurs of the universe in formation. Einstein's Messengers is a compelling, thought-provoking production about the drama of the scientific quest.

For a captioned version of the show, visit

http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_disp.cfm?med_id=58443

Lighthearted video reports on the cutting edge of science, from the National Science Foundation. For more info on these stories and to see them with captions, visit http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsmedia/kidvid/index.jsp

Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided incredible images in unprecedented detail to astronomers, and made an astonishing array of discoveries — from nearby objects in the solar system to the most distant galaxies at limits of the observable universe. Here, the best and most exciting Hubble images are woven into an engaging story of cosmic exploration, bringing the wonders of the universe to audiences everywhere. HUBBLE Vision 2 is a fascinating tour of the cosmos — from Earth orbit.

For more information on the program visit... http://www.lochnessproductions.com.

Oasis in Space takes the viewer on a beautifully rendered CG exploration of our solar system, in a search of a cosmic lifeblood… water. Travel throughout the solar system and beyond, and discovery the uniqueness of Planet Earth. Originally created as an ultra-high resolution full-dome digital planetarium program.

Narrated by Liam Neeson. There’s a place from which nothing escapes, where time and space literally come to end. Black holes exert their sway over the cosmos … and our imaginations. In this dramatic show, zip through other worldly wormholes, experience the creation of the Milky Way Galaxy, and see how the violent death of a star gives birth to a black hole. Mathematical equations, cutting-edge science, and Einstein’s theories provide the most complete picture yet of this mysterious phenomenon. Can you feel the pull? For more information and teachers' guides visit... http://www.spitzinc.com/fulldome_shows/show_blackholes.html

The universe is continually molded by powerful events that can create new worlds and obliterate old ones in a flash visible across all time and space. This episode examines violent events that shape the landscape of galaxies. In suspense-filled sequences, astronomers peer into the heart of a black hole and discover the most distant supernovas (exploding stars) ever seen.

In one of this century's greatest discoveries, science has concluded that the universe is rapidly expanding. The first hour goes behind the scenes as a group of young astronomers use the Hubble Space Telescope to peer deeper into the universe than ever before. Using powerful new telescopes, a new breed of astronomers transports viewers back to the very dawn of time.

Since the time of Aristotle, humans have wondered, "Are we alone?" This hour tracks the accelerating search for planets and the presence of life beyond the solar system. Acclaimed planet hunters Geoff Marcy and Paul Butler examine what they believe is a previously undiscovered solar system and identify planets that appear cool enough to support water and possibly life.

Roger and Caryn Hill chase storms all year round. They are literally addicted to the adrenaline rush of driving toward a raging tornado, escaping a destructive hail storm or getting blasted by a "rear flank downdraft" (aka "RFD"). Join them as Nature delivers storms that are outrageously beautiful and incredibly destructive. Visit Roger and Caryn on http://www.stormchase.net/

Reed Timmer and his fellow Meteorology graduate students from Oklahoma don’t get much studying done when storm season rolls around. They take to the roads of Tornado Alley, tracking the birth of storms thousands of miles away… and in a series of totally crazy moves, getting incredibly close to Nature’s most violent windstorms. Through all the screaming and screeching tires, the team reaches tornado heaven, and returns with some of the most dramatic tornado footage ever captured. The complete chases are available on DVD via http://www.tornadovideos.net.

Reed Timmer and his fellow graduate students don’t get much studying done when storm season rolls around. They take to the roads of Tornado Alley, tracking the birth of storms thousands of miles away… and in a series of totally crazy moves, get incredibly close to Nature’s most violent windstorms. The complete chases are available on DVD via http://www.tornadovideos.net.

What scientists hope to see when a new instrument is installed in Hubble. From NASA