Beauty of Earth

Since day one, at least day one of human existence, we’ve looked to the stars and beyond, and in them we’ve found faith, dreams, inspiration, direction, and love. From our scriptures to NASA and from the moon to Mars, we’ve searched for answers about ourselves and things far greater. Unfortunately, with modern urbanization, and its corresponding light pollution, it has become increasingly difficult to enjoy space in all its glory.

This pollution is precisely why we’re thankful for the spectacular photos taken by such photographic astronomers as David Malin. He, along with Phaidon Press, has put out a book (Ancient Light: A Portrait of the Universe) that features a number of his black and white works and includes such cool things in space as star clusters, galaxies, nebulae, and much more.

For our purposes, we’ve gleaned five cool things in space from Malin’s book based on their proximity to Earth and their general popularity within human society (meaning you might have heard of the phenomenon).

5.Halley’s Comet

Distance from Earth: 0.000000474 light years (closest approach)

Many of us remember Halley’s Comet’s last approach in 1986, and if you were young at that time you may have yet another chance within your lifetime to see this phenomenon; the next scheduled passing is in 2061. Since Halley’s Comet’s first observation in 240 BC (and being recognized as a periodic comet -- arriving every 75 to 76 years -- in the 18th century), the ’86 passing was the least spectacular due to urban light pollution. In fact, the light pollution was so bad that many amateur astronomers were forced to travel to the southern hemisphere if they hoped to catch a glimpse of one of the most accessible cool things in space. Despite the handicaps provided by modern civilization for terrestrial-bound persons, space programs throughout the world literally reached for the sky as they sent a number of probes (nicknamed the Halley Armada) into space. These probes managed to capture the first images of Halley’s Comet’s nucleus and an ultraviolet space telescope helped Soviet scientists put together a model of Halley’s Comet.

What might surprise us the most is that while Halley’s Comet appears bright and shiny from our perspective on Earth, it’s actually black as coal and only reflects about 4% of the sun’s light. Another surprise is its small size; the nucleus of Halley’s Comet is only 15 kilometers long, 8 kilometers wide and about 8 kilometers thick, however, the coma stretches back about 100 kilometers.

4.The Helix Nebula

Distance from Earth: 700 light years

As the closest bright planetary nebulae to Earth, the Helix Nebula provides plenty of great photo ops from the Hubble telescope and other ground-based telescopes. The Helix Nebula, part of the Aquarius constellation, was first discovered around 1824 by Karl Ludwig Harding, but it wasn’t till about 2003 when this phenomenon received its “Eye of God” nickname. If this were truly the Eye of God, its proximity to us makes total sense since there aren’t many parents who don’t want to keep close tabs on their depraved children.

The Helix Nebula is named as such because, from our earthly position, it appears that we are looking down a helix, the shape of a cross-section of DNA. The Helix Nebula is a planetary nebula and its core will eventually become a white dwarf star. It’s also this central core that glows and causes the light show in the surrounding gases.

Distance from Earth: 7,000 light years

The Eagle Nebula is interesting not only because you can see its brightest star with a good pair of binoculars, but also because in 2007 scientists discovered evidence that led them to believe a nearby supernova destroyed the distinctive Pillars within the Eagle Nebula some 6,000 years ago; however, the light that will reveal the new shape won’t reach Earth for another 1,000 years.

Another interesting aspect of Eagle Nebula, which is part of the Serpens constellation and was discovered in 1745-’46 by Jean-Philip de Cheseaux, is the fact that there is a whole open cluster of bright blue stars being formed.

2.The Witch Head Nebula

Distance from Earth: 1,000 light years

The Witch Head Nebula, which looks like a right-facing profile of a witch, is located near what’s likely the most recognizable constellation to most people -- Orion. Although it’s officially a part of the Eridanus constellation, it is Orion’s Rigel star (located at the bottom right corner of Orion) that illuminates the Witch Head Nebula. The Witch Head Nebula appears blue due to the combination of Rigel’s blue color and the dust within the nebula’s cloud that reflects blue light better than red (it’s the same physical process that causes the Earth’s daytime sky to appear blue).

1.The Horsehead Nebula

Distance from Earth: 1,500 light years

Another space phenomenon found in the Orion constellation (to the right of the left-most star in Orion’s belt) is the Horsehead Nebula. First seen in 1888, the Horsehead Nebula is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex and is a dark cloud of swirling dust that blocks the light from the bright red emission nebula behind it. Bringing the Horsehead Nebula down to Earth, South Park’s character, “Biggest Douche in the universe,” was from this randomly formed cloud.

Monkeys

Monkeys are the most used animal for human entertainment, they are trained to perform tricks for passers by on streets in nearly every country in the world. Most of these performing monkey's are being treated well for their acts but some are not. Monkey's are more entertaining in the wild, to see a monkey in its natural habitat is one of the worlds greatest wonders. To watch them performing in the streets to earn some profiteer some money is cruel. Monkey's adapt to their surroundings and if they are taken out of the trees and brought to the busy streets to perform, they do adapt. They will learn that they must perform for food, in the wild all they have to do for food is pick it up. These people strip the monkey from the monkey and program its brain to dance for food. Monkey's are usually a placid animal but they are unpredictable in behaviour, they can become dangerous when you least expect it. Most of the monkey's that perform end up losing the plot and turn vicious and could attack at any time.

Bears

The mighty Bear is one of the worlds biggest animals, they are a lot more dangerous than the monkey. These animals are kept in cages and on a chain and some never see the sight of freedom ever. All bears kept in such poor conditions go crazy they turn inwards. To see a bear that has turned inside itself is the most heart breaking things you could see in your life. Their handlers whip and beat them if they do not perform, the bear doesn't get angry because mentally the bear has given up on life knowing that there is nothing left but to perform. This activity has been banished from the Eastern world but is still being used as a method of entertainment in India, China and other countries with little or no animal rights.

Snakes

Cobras are the most likely snake to be used for human entertainment all over Asia. The snake charmers take the snakes and make them perform for money. In parts of Asia this is a trade passed down from generation to generation. Snakes are blind, they don't see like we do they work off heat patterns, the snake charmers fool the snake by agitating it waving their hands around its head until it strikes, or spits its venom. These snakes are suppose to use these skills for hunting not performing. They also use these snakes for fighting each other and they take bets on which type of snake will beat the other. Most species of snakes are used for this type of entertainment. The fights always end up in a fight to the death. In the wild they learn to keep their distance from each other to live in harmony. In an instance like this they are put in a ring with no escape one dies and one leaves the ring until the next time it is used for the same purpose.

Cocks

Cock fights are well known all around the world and there are cock rings in every country. Profiteers take bets on which cock will prevail, most of these fights are to the death, if they don't die in the fight they will have to be killed afterwards because of the wounds they sustain from the winner of the battle. Cocks are a farm animal and they will fight each other to rule the roost, but on a farm there is plenty of room for the smaller cock to evade the bigger one, and keep out of its way. In the ring surrounded by humans that are cheering the fight, there is no where for the loser to run to, it is caged by the people that would gladly see the stronger one finish the losing one off.

Dogs

The loyal friend of man is being used for dog fighting rackets, just as the cock they take bets on the winner. The dog fights are more vicious, they rare the dog to be angry and vicious, and throw it into a ring with another like trained dog. The wounds suffered in these fights are truly horrific and usually result in the dog being put down. People stand and watch as the two dogs rip and tear lumps off each other, I don't know how a human could just sit back and watch something that is so cruel. These dogs are trained their whole lives for the sole purpose of fighting and they know no different. Even when these dogs are rescued from their trainers they will have to be put down anyway because of their temperament.

Horses

Horses are used in every country of the world for entertainment, horses run that's what they love doing. Weight restrictions and such laws have been passed to ensure cruelty is not being imposed, but there are fatalities in horse racing and if a horse breaks its leg it has to be destroyed. The jockey on the horses back often whips the horse to complete a race at full speed, some times the horse exhausts it efforts and the jockey still whips it to get the last bit of energy out of it. In the wild or in the fields the horse will simply just stop when it gets to tired, it does not have such a luxury in the height of a race, where the jockey and trainer want to push it to earn maximum profits.

Tigers

Tigers are being used in the circus to perform tricks for their food. These are often trained from a young age and they live their life traveling from one town to the next. They are kept in cages and like prisoners in a jail they get out once or twice to walk around and exercises and the they are back in their cages until it is time to perform. Tigers are natives of jungles and here they come and go as they please, climb trees and hunt for their food. These animals have never seen freedom or know what it is like to be an actual tiger, their brain has been altered to be a performer instead of the tiger, if this was done to a person it would be a crime.

Elephants

Elephants are used as tools in India, they do a lot of construction work for the Indian people but they are treated as elephants would be in the wild. They are given the same rights as an Indian worker would be and they do not have cages to keep them in an area. Elephants are pretty smart and they will form a friendship with humans as long as they are being treated right. In the circus they do not have these privileges, they may be confined to a small patch of land and they travel for miles in the back of a truck

Dolphins

Dolphins are native to the seas of the world and you wouldn't expect to see them anywhere else in the world. They are being used for human entertainment in aqua parks across the globe, these parks are for one purpose only to generate profit for their owners. Here you pay a fee to see dolphins perform tricks for treats, they have a cage of water keeping them from the freedom of the open sea. Dolphins in the wild live in family groups of up to 50 individuals, to keep a dolphin by itself in captivity could mentally destroy the animal, that is why they keep them in twos or threes in these parks. Most of these dolphins have been plucked from the ocean and put in these parks for entertainment, the dolphins that have been born in captivity will never know what it is like to experience the ocean currents or to follow a boat or jump along in front of a ship.

Killer Whales

You wouldn't think that whales would be held in captivity because of their sheer size, well in America they have built a big enough tank to hold two against their will. Instead of hunting at the Artic Circle with their other whale buddies they are in Florida performing tricks in a huge fish tank for the public. These whales are as smart as the dolphin and elephant, but yet they are reduced to performing tricks for food. Keeping any of these animals in captivation is against Gods will, this doesn't matter what God you believe in or whether you believe in one or not. It is wrong by any stretch of an imagination and should be stopped.

Almost one third of the 800 species of birds found in the US are "endangered, threatened or in significant decline", a report has concluded.

Described as the most comprehensive assessment of its kind, the study listed habitat loss and invasive species as being the main threats.

But where conservation measures had been taken, some bird populations had shown signs of recovery, it added.

The US State of Birds report was commissioned by President Bush in 2007.

It was compiled by a partnership of organisations, including the US Geological Survey and the American Bird Conservancy, from three long-running bird censuses stretching back 40 years.

Habitat concerns

"Habitats such as those in Hawaii are on the verge of losing entire suites of unique bird species," warned David Pashley, American Bird Conservancy's vice president.

As a result of the encroachment of human activities, nearly all of the bird species on the Hawaiian Islands were in danger of extinction unless urgent conservation measures were implemented.

"In addition to habitat loss, birds also face many other man-made threats, such as pesticides, predation by cats, and collisions with windows, towers and buildings," Dr Pashley added.

The report also found that at least 39% of ocean bird species were declining, and about half were of "conservation concern".

It also highlighted that half of coastal migrating shorebirds had declined, "indicating stress in coastal habitats besieged by development, disturbance and dwindling food supplies".

The researchers said it indicated deteriorating conditions and that effective "management policies and sustainable fishing regulations were essential".

But the report also presented evidence that populations of birds recovered quickly when conservation measures were taken.

The data revealed "dramatic increases" in wetlands species, such as pelicans, herons, egrets, ospreys and ducks.

"These results emphasise that investment in wetlands conservation has paid huge dividends," observed Kenneth Rosenberg, director of conservation science at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

"Now we need to invest similarly in other neglected habitats where birds are undergoing the steepest declines."