100GB of NASA space photos turned into epic 4K time-lapse
It took over 95,600 NASA photo files taken from the International Space Station and a month of meticulous photo editing to produce this epic high-definition time-lapse video.
The compilation work turned almost 110 Gigabytes of original material into some 40 minutes of raw footage in 4K resolution. Of those Dmitry Pisanko, a Russian photo blogger, selected four minutes of highlights.
Copy of sections of the original glass plates on which Pluto was discovered. The arrows show Pluto's movement against the background stars. Clyde Tombaugh discovered the icy world by blinking the plates back and forth on a machine called a blink comparator.
The science team on the American New Horizons mission to Pluto has released two colour views of the dwarf planet and its biggest moon, Charon.
They were made by combining pictures from the probe’s high-resolution, “black and white” camera, Lorri, and its lower-resolution, colour imager known as Ralph.
The difference in hue between Pluto and Charon is clear.
But what catches the eye are four dark spots on the 2,300km-wide dwarf planet.
Each spot is about 500km across. Quite why they should be so similar in size and spacing is not clear.
Their dominant placing is on the hemisphere that New Horizons will not see during its close flyby on 14 July.
However, there should be ample opportunity to study them in the days leading up to the encounter.
“It’s a real puzzle - we don’t know what the spots are, and we can’t wait to find out,” said New Horizons principal investigator, Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute.
“Also puzzling is the longstanding and dramatic difference in the colours and appearance of Pluto compared to its darker and greyer moon Charon.”
If, as scientists think, Pluto and Charon are the products of a collision between two primitive bodies in the early Solar System, one might expect them to look more similar.
New Horizon’s flyby data will hopefully provide the answer.
The US space agency (Nasa) mission is now closing in on Pluto and its five moons.
The moment of closest approach on the 14th will take place at 11:49 GMT, when the probe is just 12,500km above the surface.
It is moving too fast - at 13.7km/s - to go into orbit, and it will simply scream past the dwarf and its satellites, gathering as much data as it can.
No pictures will be sent back to Earth on the day itself; the spacecraft will be too busy executing its pre-programmed observation campaign.
Instead, the first images from the flyby should be presented on the following day, on 15 July.
Controllers have decided not to alter the course of the probe.
They had been looking for icy debris in the vicinity of Pluto that might pose a collision hazard, but could find nothing obvious.
New Horizons was commanded to make a thruster burn earlier this week, to speed it up ever so slightly.
This will ensure the spacecraft reaches a precise point in space and time to carry out the pre-programmed observation sequence.
The probe must spin around to take pictures of all the different targets, and if its navigation is off by even a small amount it will be looking in the wrong direction at the critical moment.
On Thursday, New Horizons was just under 15 million km from Pluto, but 4.7 billion km from Earth.
The vast distance to the probe's home world means a radio signal takes about 4.5 hours from sending to receipt.
Egypt sees sandstorm and earthquake on the same day
Egypt faced treacherous weather conditions Saturday as a sandstorm blanketed the north of the country and a magnitude-5.2 earthquake centered in the Sinai peninsula shook buildings more than 200 miles away in the capital, Cairo.
The epicenter of the quake was 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of the beachside town of Nuweiba in the Sinai, and about 75 kilometers (46 miles) south of Egypt's border with Israel, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Airports near Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh, along the Mediterranean coast, closed and diverted flights to Cairo due to poor visibility from the day's sandstorm, Civil Aviation Minister Hossam Kamel said in a statement. Visibility reached as low as 500 meters at the Burg al-Arab airport near Alexandria, he said.
Fierce winds whipped through the capital as many residents took cover from the sand by staying indoors. Others were seen braving the storm wearing surgical masks or covering their faces with clothing, as the wind sent rubbish and dust swirling.
At its peak, the sandstorm covered the capital in a thick orange cloud, dramatically reducing visibility.
In the Red Sea town of Dahab, 68 kilometers (42 miles) south of the epicenter of the quake in the Sinai peninsula, the tremor shook loose clouds of dust that enveloped nearby mountains, according to a witness. The quake appeared to startle local residents and tourists. It also shook the nearby Gaza strip. No serious damage was immediately reported from the earthquake in Egypt or in Gaza.
The Egyptian Ministry of Health said in a statement that there were no reports of deaths or injuries anywhere in Egypt due to the quake.
Israeli media reported that very mild aftershocks of the earthquake were felt in some places in the south of the country, but that no damage or injuries were caused.
The extreme weather conditions provided fodder for social media humor. Some wondered which of the 10 Biblical plagues would come next, while the popular Zamalek football club tweeted that it wasn't actually an earthquake--just preparation for their match tonight.
For every important event in our life it is useful to plan ahead and make needed preparations so that this occasion becomes an unforgettable event. Days are passing quickly as we are fast approaching the month of Ramadan. If you ask most Muslims about last Ramadan, they would tell you it feels very close, like only a few weeks or months ago. Are you waiting for Ramadan and looking forward to its start? Are you happy that Ramadan is nearly here, or are you worried about fasting in the summer? Have you prepared yet your plan and program for the best month of the year?
A Gift From Allah
The month of Ramadan is one of those important occasions that we witness once a year. It is a gift from God. It is a golden opportunity for Muslims to get closer to God by increasing good deeds. Ramadan is the month in which Muslims observe the obligatory fast which has been prescribed by God on those who believe in Him as it was prescribed on previous nations. {O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain piety.} (Al-Baqarah 2: 183) The above verse explains the main purpose of fasting. It is to attain taqwa (God-consciousness) which means that every Muslim must be watchful of everything. He must watch out every word he utters and every action he does. The literal manifestation of fasting is to abstain from food, drink and intimate relations from dawn to sunset. But the real meaning of fasting goes far beyond that. It is about avoiding gossip, backbiting, evil and idle talks, arrogance, lying, breaking promises, dishonesty, severing social ties, etc. Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said: "Whoever fails to leave off ruinous speech, and acting on it [during Ramadan], God does not need him to leave off eating and drinking." (Al-Bukhari) Fasting is an excellent training opportunity on self-restraint as the fast teaches patience and perseverance. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:
The Prophet describes the month of fasting as the month of patience because fasting teaches how to control one's inner self and its desires. Every Muslim should do his best to make the coming month of Ramadan a landmark event this year. Put a target for yourself, like for example having all your sins forgiven by Allah and that you will be saved from Hellfire. Ask yourself are you pleased with what you did last Ramadan? Will this Ramadan be the same as last year? Let this Ramadan be the beginning of real change. Make this Ramadan different from previous ones. Start to practice an act of worship that you never did before, or increase the acts of worship that you used to do before. If you used to read the Quran once during the month of Ramadan, this year read it twice. If you used to do Tarawih (Night prayers) alone, this year perform it in congregation. If you did not give charity, this year make it a daily habit to give to the needy what you can afford, even if it is a small amount. If you did not observe any voluntary fasting since last Ramadan, train yourself to observe fasting during the month of Sha`ban as the Prophet used to do. I would like to also warn of negative preparations for Ramadan which some people do by storing too much food and drink, as if Ramadan is the month for eating not a month for abstaining from food and drink from dawn to sunset. Fasting was prescribed two months before the obligation to fight to gain the rights of the oppressed. Those who are able to control their inner selves and their desires become stronger in the face of those who wrong them until they get back their rights. Early Muslims used to read the Quran a lot in Sha`ban in preparation for Ramadan. They also used to give out in charity in Sha`ban to help the poor and the needy observe fasting during Ramadan. They also used to pray to God to bless the months of Rajab, Sha`ban, and Ramadan. This means that every Muslim should make du`a a strong tool in making the best of Ramadan. Du`a should be recited before Ramadan that you witness this month, during Ramadan that God will accept your du`a for yourself and for others, and after Ramadan that God will accept your fasting and reward you abundantly for it.
Suggestions and Useful Tips For Ramadan
It is said that: “Rajab is the month of planting seeds, Sha`ban is the month of watering the seeds, and Ramadan is the harvest season”. Therefore, think of what you want to harvest in Ramadan and start planting it and taking care of it in Rajab and Sha`ban. A famous du`a of Prophet Muhammad: "Oh Allah give us the blessings of the month of Rajab and Sha`ban and allow us to reach Ramadan." (Ahmad) During Sha`ban remind yourself and your family of the virtues of fasting. Have at least a weekly session with your wife/husband and kids to talk about the significance of fasting. Get a booklet on fasting and read it with your children to make them love fasting. Focus on the virtues of Ramadan, that it is the month during which the Quran was revealed and that this month has the Night of Power which is better than a thousand months. Always remember that in Ramadan rewards are multiplied, the gates of heaven are opened, the gates of hell are shut, and sins are forgiven. Be sure of God’s mercy on Muslims who observe fasting faithfully and avoid committing sins completely. To make Ramadan the best month of the year, remember the following: Strengthen your faith during this month by confirming your belief in the unity of Allah.
Have the intention of pleasing Allah with all your acts of worship. Keep away from the things that nullify your faith. Follow the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad. Feed the poor and the needy. Feel the gift of giving in Ramadan. Before going out for `Eid prayer, make sure to pay Zakat al-Fitr. Perform the daily prayers at their fixed times and in congregation as much as you can. Attend theTarawih prayers constantly and perform extra prayers. Rediscover the power of prayer in Ramadan and concentrate much while praying. Leave this worldly life behind your back once you raise your hands and sayAllahu Akbar (God is the greatest). Visit your family members and relatives. Observe i`tikaf (retreat in the mosque) during the last ten days of Ramadan, if you can. Make the Quran your companion in Ramadan and have the intention to finish reading it at least once. Have the intention to offer sincere repentance to Allah. Have the intention to refine your manners and the way you treat others. Make any dawah effort during Ramadan if you can, like distributing Ramadan-related dawah materials (CDs, booklets, videos, PDF files, etc.). If you have the financial means, make iftar for new Muslims in your community to help them integrate with their fellow Muslims. You can also invite non-Muslims to such events to get to know them and introduce Islam to them through fasting. Make iftar meals and gifts for orphans and marginalized children to make Ramadan a happy occasion for them. Prepare your du`a (supplication) list. Write down the du`a (supplication) that you want to recite throughout the month. You can ask Allah for anything and everything. Choose the proper times and occasions of offering the du`a. The best supplication is during prostration, while offering the late night prayer, in the last days of Ramadan, and during Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power). Prioritize your list of supplications. Observe the etiquette of making supplication. Start your supplication with praising Allah and sending peace and blessings to the Prophet Muhammad. Face the qiblah (direction) and raise your hands. Be sure that Allah will never let your hands empty when you pray to Him. Do not forget the oppressed people, the people of Syria, and Muslims in Burma (Myanmar). We pray to Allah to allow us to live till next Ramadan, and make it the best Ramadan ever.
رمضان 2015 مش هتقدر تبطل قرف من القنوات غير انة بقى مستفز كل سنة اكتر عن الى قبلة مليارات تتصرف علشان تلهى الناس و دة هدفة الظاهرى هو الترفية .
لكن شهر رمضان الكريم بقى هو هدفهم من السنة الى السنة الى بعدة استفزاز اكبر و اكبر لية رمضان بالذات !!
غير شرب الخمر و الحشيش و العلاقات الجنسية الشاذة فى المسلسلات رمضان فا طبعا احسن شد الفيشة التلفزيون خالص دامغك من غسيل المخ الى بيحصل دلوقتى و من اربع سنين فاتو لكل العرب من وقت الربيع العربى
عموما اسيبكم مع الارقام الى ترعب بجد ان ممثل ياخد مليارات و العالم و الدكتور مش معة مليون حتى واحد!!
لماذا لا يحترم الإعلام العربي رمضان؟؟؟
دكتور مصطفى محمود
لماذا يتحول رمضان إلى شهر ترفيهى بدلا من شهر روحاني؟ .. لست شيخا ولا داعية … ولكني أفهم الآن لماذا كانت والدتى تدير التلفاز ليواجه الحائط طوال شهر رمضان … كنت طفلا صغيرا ناقما على أمي التى منعتني واخوتى من مشاهدة فوازير بينما يتابعها كل أصدقائي .. ولم يشف غليلى إجابة والدتي المقتضبة “رمضان شهر عبادة مش فوازير”. لم أكن أفهم منطق أمى الذي كنت كطفل أعتبره تشددا فى الدين لا فائدة منه .. فكيف سيؤثر مشاهدة طفل صغير لفوازير على شهر رمضان؟ من منكم سيدير جهاز التلفاز ليواجه
الحائط في رمضان
مرت السنوات وأخذتني دوامة الحياة وغطى ضجيج معارك الدراسة والعمل على همسة سؤالي الطفولى حتى أراد الله أن تأتيني الإجابة على هذا السؤال من رجل مسن غير متعلم فى الركن الآخر من الكرة الأرضية … كان ذلك الرجل هو عامل أمريكي فى محطة بنزين اعتدت دخولها لشراء قهوة أثناء ملء السيارة بالوقود فى طريق عملى … و فى اليوم الذي يسبق يوم الكريسماس دخلت لشراء القهوة كعادتى فإذا بى أجد ذلك الرجل منهمكا فى وضع أقفال على ثلاجة الخمور… وعندما عاد للـ (كاشير) لمحاسبتي على القهوة سألته وكنت حديث عهد بقوانين أمريكا : “لماذا تضع أقفالا على هذه الثلاجة؟؟” .. فأجابنى :”هذه ثلاجة الخمور وقوانين الولاية تمنع بيع الخمور فى ليلة ويوم الكريسماس يوم ميلاد المسيح”… نظرت إليه مندهشا قائلا : أليست أمريكا دولة علمانية .. لماذا تتدخل الدولة فى شئ مثل ذلك؟ .. فقال الرجل :”الإحترام.. يجب على الجميع احترام ميلاد المسيح وعدم شرب الخمر فى ذلك اليوم حتى وإن لم تكن متدينا .. إذا فقد المجتمع الاحترام فقدنا كل شئ”.
الاحترام … (الاحترام) ظلت هذه الكلمة تدور فى عقلى لايام وأيام بعد هذه الليلة … فالخمر غير محرم عند كثير من المذاهب المسيحية فى أمريكا .. ولكن المسألة ليست مسألة حلال أو حرام .. انها مسألة احترام … فهم ينظرون للكريسماس كضيف يزورهم كل سنة ليذكرهم بميلاد المسيح عليه السلام .. وليس من الاحترام السكر فى معية ذلك الضيف … فلتسكر ولتعربد فى يوم آخر إذا كان ذلك أسلوب حياتك … أنت حر … ولكن فى هذا اليوم سيحترم الجميع هذا الضيف وستضع الدولة قانونا
55 مسلسلاً سيتم عرضها في رمضان يدعو إلى الوقوف عند هذه الظاهرة التي أصبحت تؤرق الكثيرين، متسائلين في الوقت نفسه من الهدف وراء هذه المسلسلات في رمضان بالذات. وقالوا إن 31 مسلسل مصري، و13 شامي، و11 خليجي صرف عليها مليار و375 مليون، وهي مبالغ كان ينبغي أن تستغل في بناء المستشفيات والمجمعات السكنية، وفيما ينفع الناس.
Dubai (AFP) - The Saudi-led coalition bombing rebels in Yemen has been using US-supplied cluster munitions in its air campaign, Human Rights Watch said Sunday, warning of the long-term dangers to civilians.
The widely banned bombs contain dozens of submunitions, which sometimes do not explode, becoming de facto landmines that can kill or maim long after they were dropped.
Washington defended its transfers of cluster munitions, saying they were subjected to stringent requirements.
"Recipients of such transfers must commit that cluster munitions will only be used against clearly defined military targets and will not be used where civilians are known to be present or in areas normally inhabited by civilians," a US Defense Department official told AFP.
"This is obviously a critical element of the policy."
HRW said it had gathered photographs, video and other evidence indicating that cluster munitions had been used in coalition air strikes against the Huthi rebel stronghold of Saada province in Yemen's northern mountains in recent weeks.
It said that analysis of satellite imagery suggested that the weapons had landed on a cultivated plateau, within 600 metres (yards) of populated areas.
يقول الله سبحانه وتعالى: يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الرَّاجِفَةُ (6) تَتْبَعُهَا الرَّادِفَةُ (7)
سورة النازعات
1 ـ ( ونفخ في الصور فصعق من في السموات ومن في الارض الا من شا اللّه ثم نفخ فيه اخرى فاذا هم قيام ينظرون ) الزمر ـ68. 2 ـ ( ويوم ينفخ في الصور ففزع من في السموات ومن في الارض الا من شا اللّه وكل اتوه داخرين الا من شا اللّه ) النمل ـ87. 3 ـ ( ونفخ في الصور فاذا هم من الاجداث الى ربهم ينسلون ) يس ـ51. 4 ـ ( فـاذا نـفخ في الصور نفخة واحدة وحملت الارض والجبال فدكتا دكة واحدة ) الحاقة ـ13 ـ14. 5 ـ ( فاذا نفخ في الصور فلا انساب بينهم يومئذ ولا يتسائلون ) المؤمنون ـ101. 6 ـ ( ونفخ في الصور فجمعناهم جمعا ) الكهف ـ99. 7 ـ ( يوم ينفخ في الصور ونحشر المجرمين يؤمئذ زرفا ) طه ـ102. 8 ـ ( يوم ينفخ في الصور فتاتون افواجا ) النبا ـ18. 9 ـ ( قوله الحق وله الملك يوم ينفخ في الصور ) انعام ـ73. 10 ـ ( ونفخ في الصور ذلك يوم الوعيد ) ق ـ20. 11 ـ ( ان كانت الا صيحة واحدة فاذا هم جميع لدينا محضرون ) يس ـ53. 12 ـ ( ما ينظرون الا صيحة واحدة تاخذهم وهم يخصمون ) يس ـ49. 13 ـ ( وما ينظر هؤلا الا صيحة واحدة مالها من فواق ) ص ـ15. 14 ـ ( يوم يسمعون الصيحة بالحق ذلك يوم الخروج ) ق ـ42. 15 ـ ( فاذا نقر في الناقور # فذلك يومئذ يوم عسير ) المدثر ـ8 ـ9. 16 ـ ( فاذا جات الصاخة # يوم يفر المر من اخيه ) عبس 33ـ ـ34. 17 ـ ( القارعة مالقارعة # وما ادارك مالقارعة # يوم يكون الناس كالفراش المبثوث ) القارعة ـ1 ـ4. 18 ـ ( فانما هي زجرة واحدة فاذا هم ينظرون ) الصافات ـ19.
VIDEO clips from around the world, including Australia, have captured an evil sounding ‘trumpet’ noise coming from the sky — but no one can explain exactly what it is.
A number of people have filmed the bizarre sound over the past 10 years with the latest coming from Germany.
In the clip, shot last month, a young child can be seen frozen with fear after the strange sound boomed from the sky.
