10 Incredible Facts About the Wonders of the Cosmos

10 Incredible Facts About the Wonders of the Cosmos

The universe is infinitely huge, with many secrets and amazing phenomena - Some beautiful, some frightening. I gathered up 10 fascinating facts about this incredible universe we find ourselves in, would you like to know what they are?

1. Asteroid “16 Psyche” – astronomers think it’s the metal core of a planet that never finished forming. This gigantic hunk of metal is actually a close neighbor, located between Mars & Jupiter. The metal-rich asteroid is considered one of the prime targets of future space-mining.

2. There’s a huge cloud of water, and when I say huge - I mean 140 trillion times (!) more water than all the water on earth. Not only that, this cloud of water actually surrounds a giant black hole that produces more energy than our sun, a thousand trillion times over. WOW.

3. Do you know what a “Rogue Planet” is? It’s a planet that left the orbit of its star and is now zooming through space. Some are small, the size of our moon, while others are bigger than earth itself. Scientists believe that during its formation, our solar system had 1 or more extra planets that were lost in that way.

4. Have you heard of the nebula called “The Pillars of Creation”? It’s a huge cloud of hydrogen & radiation, 7000 light-years away, which is constantly producing new “infant” stars. It’s unfathomably large, stretching for over 40 trillion kilometers (24 trillion miles) across. It is thought to have been created when a star went nova some 6000 years ago.

5. We all know that stars are giant burning balls of gas, but did you know that there is at-least 1 known frozen star? WISE 0855-0714 is a “Brown Dwarf” (A type of dying star) that has temperatures estimated to be about -13° Centigrade (8° Farenheit).

6. The binary-star system “Mira”, Composed of Mira A & Mira B (Mira A is a “Red Giant”, while Mira B is a “White  Dwarf”) – The name “Mira” comes from Latin, meaning “Astonishing” or “Wonderful”. It’s been observed and recorded as far back as ancient China, due to its unusual properties - It will disappear only to reappear some 332 days later. The reason for its disappearance is that as the 2 stars circle each other, the dimmer Mira B eclipses Mira A, making it look like it disappeared.

7. Pulsars – what are they? Well, Pulsars are “dead” stars that produce no more energy other than pulses of radiation. In the past, researchers thought that the rhythmic pulses were an attempt of communication by aliens, but once Pulsars were understood, the theory was quickly abandoned. Today, that same rhythmic pulse is used by our spaceships for navigation, kind of like a space-GPS.

8. Sometimes mentioned in Sci-Fi and science shows, “Quasars” are an interesting phenomenon? The word is a shortened version of “QUAsi-StellAr Radio Sources” and they actually are discs of matter, surrounding supermassive black holes in the center of galaxies. They’re considered to be the brightest objects in the universe, with over 200,000 known to exist. (Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser)

9. Ever heard the term “Magnetars”? Me neither, but it’s a real thing. They are actually neutron stars, 20 kilometers (10 miles) in diameter, that have such a strong magnetic field which is capable of crushing the star’s crust and cause “planetquakes” (that’s when a whole planet shakes!) If you were to be within 1000 kilometers (620 miles) from them – the magnetic field would vaporize you.

10. Here’s a scary one: “Galactic Cannibalism”. What it is, is when a big galaxy absorbs a smaller one into itself. We currently believe that this can happen to our galaxy (The Milky Way) in about 4 billion years, when it will collide with the Andromeda galaxy.

This is our universe, in all it's splendor and glory!

Top 10 Ways Oranges Keep You Healthy

Top 10 Ways Oranges Keep You Healthy

Oranges! They’re delicious, juicy and packed full of vitamins (A/B/C) & nutrients (Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium & more) as well as antioxidants & anti-inflammatory nutrients. You’ll be amazed to know that drinking a glass of its juice is more effective than taking a vitamin C supplement!

Here are 10 reasons why this miracle citrus fruit is so good for you: 1. Boost your immune system Like most citrus fruits, the Orange is packed full of vitamin C, which is much needed to keep your immune system running efficiently and boost the production of white blood cells, plus vitamin A, copper and folate – all essential for the immune system.

2. Lower your cholesterol Research shows that the flavanones in orange juice lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and improve the good-to-bad cholesterol ratio. Oranges also contain Pectin, it’s a soluble fiber that locks up bad cholesterol and expels it from the body.

3. Fight aging Rich in antioxidants, oranges earned their reputation of anti-aging fruit, as well as the fact that they contain beta-carotene which helps in repairing skin-damage.

4. Keep your eyes healthy Beta-carotene also is turned into vitamin A by the body and vitamin A is known to be vital to the function of our eyes. Along with it, the Orange contains carotenoids that help prevent chronic eye diseases.

5. Rejuvenate your skin The antioxidant properties of vitamin C helps fight sun-damage as well as environmental pollutants that can damage the skin. It also is a key ingredient in the production of collagen, which helps keep the skin tight and elastic. The citric acid in the peels lightens and brightens the skin and also opens up clogged pores, so making a face mask from them is also a good idea.

6. Cancer Prevention We mentioned antioxidants already, but did you know they also help fight free radicals which are a leading cause of cancer? Not only that, but you parents out there would like to learn that research shows that regularly giving orange-juice to children in the first 2 years of their life will reduce the possibility of the developing Leukemia.

7. Helps you lose weight Need a helping hand in losing weight? Eat more oranges. Rich in fiber – oranges keep you feeling full for longer, and thanks to the vitamin C the body can burn fat faster!

8. Healthier heart Being rich in antioxidants, folate and potassium, oranges are great for heart health. The antioxidants, particularly vitamin C, present in oranges protect the arteries from free radicals and prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Also, oranges have phytochemicals that prevent platelets from sticking together and strengthen blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the body’s cells. Folate, or vitamin B9, processes the amino acid homocysteine in the body.   High levels of homocysteine may cause a heart attack, irrespective of a person’s cholesterol levels. Potassium is another crucial nutrient for heart health as it plays a key role in heart functions and muscle contractions. Plus, research has found that the flavanone hesperidin present in the fruit and its juice contributes to vascular protective effects.

9. Helps prevent Arthritis According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking one glass of freshly squeezed orange juice daily can assist in reducing the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Vitamin C, Phytonutrients Zeaxanthin and Beta-Cryptoxanthin protect against oxidative damage that can result in inflammation.

10. Prevents you from getting Kidney stones Finally, vitamin C also helps increase the amount of citrate in your urine, which in turn reduces your likeliness of getting Calcium Oxalate kidney stones by reducing the crystallization of Uric Acid & Calcium Oxalate.

Don’t overdo it though, oranges are rich in sugar and acids, and can lead to tooth-decay and might upset your stomach if consumed in large quantities.

The Amazing Beauty of Kalimantan

The Amazing Beauty of Kalimantan

Suhari Minggu Ningsih is an amateur photographer with an amazing eye for beautiful scenery, and whose favorite landscape is the Kalimantan Island in Indonesia, known as "The city of a thousand rivers". It is far from a typical urban landscape, though. Instead it offers a water-side countryside, a beautiful mix of natural and simple human living. A place where most of the inhabitants spend their lives on the water, fishing and herding under a gorgeous, masterly painted by colorful sunsets.

Open Your Heart to Some Good Advice...

Open Your Heart to Some Good Advice...

It's not easy to listen to something, even if it's good advice. We are set in our ways, we know what we know, and we think how we think. It's hard to listen, harder to change. But when we do open our hearts to some good words of advice from those before us, we usually end up grateful for the new food for thought.