Notices by AkaSci 🛰️ (akasci@fosstodon.org), page 12

All major structures for the SLS core stage are manufactured at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

MAF is one of the largest manufacturing plants in the world with 43 environmentally controlled acres under one roof.
Employees: >4200
1961-1972: 1st stages of the Saturn rockets
1973-2010: Space Shuttle external fuel tanks and ISS modular parts.
Current: SLS stages

Starting with Artemis III, KSC will be used for final assembly.

https://www.nasa.gov/michoud-assembly-facility/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michoud_Assembly_Facility
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Here are some additional pics of the Pegasus barge which will ferry the SLS core stage from New Orleans to Florida.

The 310 feet long barge has no engines; tugboats or towing vessels move the barge.

The 3rd pic below illustrate how the SLS core stage will be seated inside the barge

https://www.nasa.gov/reference/nasas-barge-pegasus/
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18 years ago in August 2006, Pluto was demoted in status from Planet to Dwarf Planet, as the International Astronomical Union (IAU) revised the criteria for a full-sized planet:

A planet was defined as a celestial body that
1. is in orbit around the Sun.
2. has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape).
3. has “cleared the neighborhood” around its orbit.

Pluto fails to meet the 3rd criterion.

https://www.iau.org/static/resolutions/Resolution_GA26-5-6.pdf
https://www.iau.org/public/themes/pluto/
#Pluto
1/n

But nothing can beat this dazzling image of the "Penguin and Egg" interacting galaxies from 2013 by Hubble, taken in visible light using its WFC3 camera.

NGC 2936 (the Penguin) and the equally massive but more compact galaxy NGC 2937 (the Egg) were both discovered by German astronomer Albert Marth in 1864.

Eventually the galaxies will merge to form a single object, with their two populations of stars, gas and dust intermingling.

https://esahubble.org/images/heic1311a/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_2936
#Hubble
2/n

This IR image of interacting galaxies is featured on the 2nd anniversary of the Webb telescope.

The Penguin/Porpoise shaped galaxy NGC 2936 used to be spiral shaped, until it got distorted by interaction with the egg-shaped compact galaxy NGC 2937, 25-75 million years ago.

The pair, 100,000 ly apart, is known as Arp 142 and is ~343 million ly away.

The galactic interaction has led to a high star-formation rate of 100 to 200 stars per year in the Penguin.

https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/vivid-portrait-of-interacting-galaxies-marks-webbs-second-anniversary/

#JWST
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Our galaxy, the Milky Way, will also collide and merge with our neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, which is currently 2.5 million ly from Earth.

About 4 billion years from now, the two will collide; 2 billion years later, the two galaxies will merge to form a single galaxy.

Earth will be toast long before the collision as our Sun will evolve into a red giant. 🍞 ☀️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMNlt2FnHDg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_Galaxy#Collision_with_the_Milky_Way
3/n

Some planetary-scale gaslighting in this amateur puff-piece from the NYTimes on "Elon Musk’s Plan to Colonize Mars" -
- 1 million inhabitants in 20 years
- Cities, factories, farms
- Starship with 100 passengers on 9-month trip, with running track and movie theater (do the math)
- Thermonuclear explosions to warm the planet by creating artificial suns (what's he smoking?)
- Solar panels by Tesla
- The final piece of the puzzle - sperm by Musk!

Mission accomplished!

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/technology/elon-musk-spacex-mars.html
1/n

The puff-piece article at NYTimes states that Elon's vision for Mars has "propelled nearly every business endeavor he has undertaken on Earth."

The Boring Company - to burrow under Mars’s surface.
X - to help test how a citizen-led government that rules by consensus might work on Mars.
Cybertrucks - engineered for Mars inhabitants' driving pleasure.

Musk must take his followers to be fools. Well ...
🤦♂️
2/n

Hurricane Beryl has grown to a Cat 5 hurricane with wind speeds of 160 mph, defying past predictions.

The NOAA-P3 Hurricane Hunter aircraft, still in the storm, has measured a wind speed of 195 mph at about 500 m height.

It is expected to weaken gradually from this point onward, diminishing to 65 mph when it enters the Gulf waters late Friday.

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT2+shtml/020252.shtml
https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/recon/
#Beryl #Hurricane
17/n

Here are some new images from inside the eye of Hurricane Beryl from aboard the WP-3D Orion NOAA43 “Miss Piggy” Hurricane Hunter aircraft.

Wind speeds have increased overnight to 165 mph. Beryl is expected to weaken gradually from this point onward, diminishing to 65 mph when it enters the Gulf waters late Friday, but after striking Jamaica on Wednesday.

📸: Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Doremus, NOAA Corps
#Beryl #Hurricane
18/n

Hurricane Beryl - the track so far, which matches forecasts very well, and the track over the next 5 days.

Current wind speeds = 120 mph.

Now expected to cross the Yucatan Peninsula south of Cancun and make landfall again in Mexico, Monday morning, ~50 miles south of Brownsville, Texas, as a Cat 1 hurricane with wind speeds around 75 mph.

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
#Beryl #Hurricane
22/n

A serene looking Hurricane Beryl photographed by astronauts aboard the International Space Station from 423 km above on July 1, when Beryl was swirling off the coast of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea.

More pics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/albums/72157657768950605/
#Beryl #Hurricane #ISS
21/n

Hurricane Beryl's eye is currently located right on top of the southern coastline of Jamaica.

Wind speeds = 140 mph.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Jamaica.

https://rammb-slider.cira.colostate.edu/?sat=goes-16&sec=full_disk&x=10500&y=7740&z=3&angle=0&im=12&ts=1&st=0&et=0&speed=130&motion=loop&maps%5Bborders%5D=silver&p%5B0%5D=band_13&opacity%5B0%5D=1&pause=20240703200021&slider=-1&hide_controls=0&mouse_draw=0&follow_feature=0&follow_hide=0&s=rammb-slider&draw_color=FFD700&draw_width=6
#Beryl #Hurricane
20/n

Some terrifying and heartbreaking scenes from Carriacou, Grenada, after it was ravaged by Hurricane Beryl.

Let's remember that each of those destroyed structures belongs to a family or a business or a community. Imagine if this were to happen to your home and community.

Hurricanes are bad enough, but when they are fueled by the forces of Climate Change, the results are catastrophic.

Let's pray that Beryl causes less damage in Jamaica today..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-raESMVS9LM

#Beryl #Hurricane
19/n

Hurricane Beryl is regrouping after it lost its strength and shape yesterday as it crossed the Yucatan Peninsula.

It is expected to consolidate today. Conditions are more favorable for strengthening tomorrow.

The predicted track has shifted eastward with landfall now north of Corpus Christi, with wind speeds of 90 mph. This also means that Beryl will spend more time over water, giving it more time to strengthen.

Now is the time to make preparations.

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml
#Beryl
25/n

Hurricane Beryl has weakened to 65 mph winds as it crossed the Yucatan Peninsula today.

It is expected to regroup and strengthen over the gulf waters over the next 2 days. The predicted track has shifted eastward with landfall further north in Texas than previous guidance, with wind speeds of 90 mph near Cat 2. This also means that Beryl will spend more time over water, giving it more time to strengthen.

Folks in south Texas should prepare for the worst.

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
#Beryl
24/n

Hurricane Beryl is now grinding over the Yucatan Peninsula, south of Cancun, with wind speeds of 110 mph.

The predicted track in the gulf waters has shifted north a bit; Beryl is now expected to make landfall Monday morning near the southern tip of Texas, close to Boca Choca, as a Cat 1 hurricane with wind speeds around 85 mph. There is a good chance that Beryl will strengthen further over the warm waters of the Gulf. It will dump heavy rain in Texas.

nhc.noaa.gov/
#Beryl #Hurricane
23/n

Winds will diminish gradually in the next 24 hours as Hurricane Beryl travels over land.

The potential for heavy rainfall, flash floods and power outages extends into Arkansas and Missouri.

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml
#Beryl
28/n

There is a pattern here with republican leaders and hurricanes.

Rep. Eric Swalwell -
"My family in Texas are about to be slammed by #HurricaneBeryl. And shocker!..Governor @GregAbbott_TX is out of the country. Sound familiar, @tedcruz? My God. Who the hell are these leaders? And why aren’t they held to account?"

#Beryl
27/n

Hurricane Beryl is back to hurricane status with 75 mph winds, after spending most of the day trying to regroup.

Further strengthening is expected tonight over the warm waters of the Gulf before making landfall early morning.

Beryl's track has nudged closer to Houston 🙁

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml
#Beryl
26/n