Mickey Gubas' Blog

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Morocco’s Other Coast Emerges as a Destination by ELAINE GLUSAC

By ELAINE GLUSAC

Morocco’s west coast, a blustery stretch of North Africa, testifies to its colonial past and trading heritage in a series of historic forts and emerging ports.

Published: January 2, 2016 at 07:00PM

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Monday, December 28, 2015

Maritime ‘Repo Men’: A Last Resort for Stolen Ships by IAN URBINA

By IAN URBINA

Thousands of boats are stolen each year, and some are recovered using alcohol, prostitutes, witch doctors and other forms of guile.

Published: December 28, 2015 at 07:00PM

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New England Lobstermen Still Fishing Thanks to Mild Winter by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Many New England lobstermen are still fishing deep into December this year because of unseasonably warm weather and an abundance of the critters, and Maine’s beloved scallops are a little harder to come by as a result.

Published: December 28, 2015 at 05:19AM

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Sunday, December 27, 2015

Doomed Star Eta Carinae

Eta Carinae may be about to explode. But no one knows when – it may be next year, it may be one million years from now. Eta Carinae’s mass – about 100 times greater than our Sun – makes it an excellent candidate for a full blown supernova. Historical records do show that about 150 years ago Eta Carinae underwent an unusual outburst that made it one of the brightest stars in the southern sky. Eta Carinae, in the Keyhole Nebula, is the only star currently thought to emit natural LASER light. This featured image, taken in 1996, brought out new details in the unusual nebula that surrounds this rogue star. Now clearly visible are two distinct lobes, a hot central region, and strange radial streaks. The lobes are filled with lanes of gas and dust which absorb the blue and ultraviolet light emitted near the center. The streaks remain unexplained. via NASA http://ift.tt/1On0iH4

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Saturday, December 26, 2015

Southern Craters and Galaxies

The Henbury craters in the Northern Territory, Australia, planet Earth, are the scars of an impact over 4,000 years old. When an ancient meteorite fragmented into dozens of pieces, the largest made the 180 meter diameter crater whose weathered walls and floor are lit in the foreground of this southern hemisphere nightscape. The vertical panoramic view follows our magnificent Milky Way galaxy stretching above horizon, its rich central starfields cut by obscuring dust clouds. A glance along the galactic plane also reveals Alpha and Beta Centauri and the stars of the Southern Cross. Captured in the region’s spectacular, dark skies, the Small Magellanic Cloud, satellite of the Milky Way, is the bright galaxy to the left. Not the lights of a nearby town, the visible glow on the horizon below it is the Large Magellanic Cloud rising. via NASA http://ift.tt/1OrZQgI