A Star is Born! And comes the planets.

Today, we learn Alma and how stars are born.

First let's meet Alma:

Atacama Large Millimeter Array

Alma is the largest and most expensive Array on Earth. 

Now with 66 arrays up to 15 kilometers apart, 

using sub meter wave lengths

Alma takes the finest detailed pictures ever of a new-born star, Hl Tau

450 Light Years away

Unlike other telescopes, ALMA uses longer wavelengths which fall between radio and infrared waves.

Normal telescopes can't pierce the cloud of dust to see what's inside, but Alma can

And here is what she saw:

A big dart board.

Kidding

The planetary disc of a new born star system.

By the tracks in the circular disk, we can tell planets are being created as they cut paths in the field of rocks and dust, picking up material and adding it to itself, growing in density with every rotation around the new sun.

What Alma has taught us is that planet creation occurs much faster than we had previously known.

Silly things to do in Space

 Recently, our space efforts have had some problems. So I decided we need to return to the happier, and sillier days when Space was fun.

Here are a few of things we've done while in space: 1) We play with yoyos

You'll also get some of the worst dating advice from a guy scratching himself.

2) Now you might be one of the many people who gets to ride the vomit comet.  Here's one of the original flights back when people weren't too concerned about animal cruelty.

Now we use animals who can sign waivers

3) But, of course, my favorite is Captain Hadfield's singing of Ground Control.

And for those of you who are terrified of actual space ships after our recent blow ups, maybe a trip by balloon will be more your style:

On second thought, I'll stick to the singing...

Ground control from Major Tong....

This is ground control to Major Tong
The balloon has gone to heaven
And you've been left behind

Falling, with nothing to stop you
Don't even try to sing that to the original tune

For the record, I am aware I present a selective memory concerning the 'good old days' of safe space travel. The truth is space travel is highly dangerous and things will go wrong. But I strongly believe we need to persist in this endeavor. Not so we can play yoyos, float cats, and test the stomachs of college grads and sing songs, but because some of us really need to leave this planet before it goes into its next million year freeze cycle.