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THIS YEAR MARKS the ‘International Year of Light’, according to the United Nations. To mark this, NASA is celebrating the work of its Chandra X-Ray Observatory.
Chandra “explores the universe in x-rays, a high-energy form of light”, explains NASA. This work can help scientists understand stars, galaxies, and other objects better. For the average Joe, that also means some rather spectacular and colourful photographs.
To celebrate the Year of Light, Chandra has released some incredible images of our universe.
Interestingly, you don’t have to be a high-falutin’ scientist to discover a supernova. As NASA explains:
You do not have to be a scientist, or even have a telescope, to hunt for supernovas. For example, in 2008 a teenager discovered a supernova. Then in January 2011, a 10-year-old girl from Canada discovered a supernova while looking at night sky images on her computer. The images, taken by an amateur astronomer, just happened to include a supernova. With some practice and the right equipment, you could find the next supernova!
Here’s more info and some tips on how to find a supernova.
Crab Nebula
This nebula was first spotted in 1054 AD by Chinese astronomers, but it wasn’t a ‘new star’, as they thought – it was a supernova explosion. According to NASA:
At the centre of the Crab Nebula is an extremely dense, rapidly rotating neutron star left behind by the explosion. The neutron star, also known as a pulsar, is spewing out a blizzard of high-energy particles
Horsehead Nebula
You can see immediately how this stunning supernova got its name. This nebula is found within the Orion Nebula, and, says NASA “The dark molecular cloud, roughly 1,500 light years distant, is visible only because its obscuring dust is silhouetted against another, brighter nebula.”
Cassiopeia A
The light from this supernova first reached Earth in around 1667AD, but NASA says no records remain from that time to say if astronomers spotted it. In 1947, the remnants of the supernova were discovered thanks to its “powerful radio emission”.
Supernova Remnant 3C58
This is the remnant of a supernova that was first recorded in 1181AD, by Chinese and Japanese astronomers, says NASA. At the centre of this remnant is a rapidly spinning neutron star.
Supernova Remnant G292.0+1.8
This is one of three supernova remnants in the Milky Way that contains large amounts of oxygen. Why are these of interest? Explains NASA: “ because they are one of the primary sources of the heavy elements (that is, everything other than hydrogen and helium) necessary to form planets and people.” Those bright colours show a debris field with elements like magnesium and silicon.
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Ticketmaster seriously stressed me out this morning! Considering they pretty much have a monopoly on tickets for big events, you think they’d have a better put together website.
I know right, how can you be in a Virtual Queue!!!!
It had me in a Queue that started at 10 minutes. 10 minutes later it was at 11 minutes..
Same, complete BS, if ticketmasters system can’t handle that many requests they’d seriously want to consider changing it.
but the system did work, it didn’t go down. Virtual Queue’s are very common in the software world! Thats coming from a software developer, that was in the queue, and didnt get a ticket :(
I hate ticketmaster. Hate them hate them hate them. I haven’t missed a U2 tour since I first saw them live in 1993. First time for everything I suppose. I went from 4 minutes to 29 minutes to 31 minutes to 3 minutes and then I was kicked off. Complete and utter shambles. And what was with the illegible catchpas? Stinks of a total scam. No doubt the tickets are already up on ticketmaster’s “sister” sites for ridiculous prices. F**k off, ticketmaster. You’re not fit for purpose.
Hopefully some will turn up for you hog.
Thanks for that jane. Hope so.
I hate Ticketmaster.
Few years ago I bought 4 tickets off TM on the Saturday morning of the Croke Park gig (last minute release of held back tickets). Travelled up to the gig only to find out the tickets sold to me were instead for the Sunday.. At the desk TM said our only option was to buy 4 more there and then which I did.
At the turnstyle 2 of my new 4 tickets were rejected b/c they said someone had already used them.
I was livid, we missed half the gig sorting it out and it cost me 100s of euro on wasted tickets.
I hate Ticketmaster.
tickets already on eBay, some joke. Some over €1000
Check out DoneDeal Hog, tickets selling there seem to be reasonable enough
Thanks so much, joan. I’ll definitely check that out. :)
Love them or loathe them, they’re selling power is phenomenal
I’d imagine they could sell out several weeks in the Point.
“They’re”?
Seriously?
I was first offered tickets for€900 then I was given the option to look for seated tier. I love U2 live. I loath ticket master!
What did the tickets cost per person ?
As you could only get two tickets per transaction it’s €450 per ticket which to me sounds a bit wrong as the most expensive is €185
There were premium tickets on a different link which I suspect was clicked on by mistake
Joke of a website, offered tickets and then when I select buy it cuts out. Happened to several others as well I know. Employ some performance testers as well for your joke of a site.
Happened to me before, rang customer service and they had to sell me vip tickets (as it sold out) for the same price as the tickets I was offered.
I’m delighted to hear that you need to bring the credit/debit card used to buy the tickets along with you on the night.
Hopefully that will dent sucmbag ticket touts from ripping off fans!
The touts have been replaced with seatwave.ie
That’s true Barry, but it still doesn’t get around having to have the same credit card used to buy the tickets with you on the night. And no the credit card used to buy off of sound wave won’t work, has to of been used off the official site
Only applicable to standing tickets.
I stand corrected so Peter, thanks.
But the sooner its brought in here what some concerts do in the UK the better. You have to pre-register before you can buy them with a passport style photo which is then printed onto your tickets so only the person who bought them can use them.
I’ve heard of SeatWave before but didn’t realise they were a TicketMaster company? What a piss take, surely that shouldn’t be allowed by a regulator if they had any balls?
Seems like I had it easy, managed to back out of two tiered seats (standing was better value in hindsight) and still manage to get in on time for standing tickets on Saturday night, was on the site bang on 9am though. Stay hopeful those who didn’t get theirs, theres a few days gap in the middle of the week that could be your saviour yet.
Totally agree, the prices are crazy from Seatwave, an official Ticketmaster Company, what a joke, the touts would be cheaper !!
Queued up overnight at the 3 arena. Got my 2 tickets.
My waiting time went down to less than 1 minute AAAAAND IT’S GONE… WTF?!
No joy getting tickets this morning. Gutted!!!!
im in the same boat! im sure they will add extra dates
Not to worry, the usual “Due to phenomenal demand extra dates have been announced” headline will be rolled out in due course.
I thought that it would be easy.
The U2 stories on this site had the vast majority of posters giving out about U2 and claiming that they wouldn’t go if they were paid to.
Spent 45mins trying to get tickets on Ticket master and nothing.
Goes to show that those moaners that posted comments on this site are actually not representative of Ireland as a whole.
Who’d have thought?
qued at 3 arena arrived at 850 tickets in hand at 920 no drama only 170 people showed up
Absolutely love U2-brilliant live-sadly no joy.devastated
Ticketmaster are such a pack of knobs.
“We’re experiencing high demand” – yes, you’re Ticketmaster. You should be equipped to deal with this, FFS.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/60352061/U2.jpg
Then when they’re all sold out, you get the chance to buy a ticket from one of their “affiliates” – which is just them acting as scalpers and doubling the price of a ticket.
Queued up overnight at the 3 arena. Got my 2 tickets no problem.
Seriously!!!! Who goes to U2 concerts????
No wonder the country is in shite.
Already up on Ebay for 1k.
I wish the IRA would shoot these touts.
Har har.
I’m already sorted.I just don’t think that’s right.
People seem to have plenty of cash. It’s really great! Things on the up
hi bono
Wouldn’t be my cup of tea as a group but you sound rightly miserable if you begrudge someone a night at a concert.
If it was up to you would you of made people have proof of an up to date paid water bill before they can buy tickets?
Not really, 3arena is fairly small for a big band like U2. They would sell out Croker for a week if they had the chance but the former is a better venue for sound.
No! I’m just jealous! I’d have loved to have gone but fair play to those lucky people who’ve got their tickets
U2 are the FF of music. They just won’t go away.
As long as they keep writing songs like Every Breaking Wave then I hope they stick around.
ugh
There’s always more released closer to the dates , possible extra show too if demand is there
Got offered the platinum tickets at 480 euro each. Eh get to f*** bono egde and friends your greed sickens me.
that’s nuts, you could fly to one of the other European concerts & get a ticket for less than that!!
How many tix are on “premium reseller” tout gougers sites like Ticketba$tards own Seatwave?
Got a seated ticket this morning after less than ten minutes on the website.
Delighted!
haha, that’s my tweet above with pic, stuck in queuing system which said 3 mins or less for 45 mins!! I logged on at 9am on the dot, after 45 mins & having to go to work, I had to give up, no ticket :( praying they announce another date or two! ;)
Hope so too Fíona. Best of luck!
I’ve attended U2 gigs in Ireland and other countries and have found that they don’t put anywhere near the effort or expense into their Irish concerts as they do their overseas concerts.
Irish concerts are just bog standard concerts with the band on stage singing. Concerts they do in other countries have all sorts of pyrotechnics and novel on-stage themed devices.
The zootv tour in Australia, for instance, had two cars suspended above the stage and used for lighting. 52 trucks were needed to haul tonnes of equipment from venue to venue. Celebrities were prank called mid-concert. A lot of preparation and effort.
In Ireland they didn’t even bother to show up on time.
You’re completely mistaken. Each show they have done in Ireland has had the exact same set up as in other countries. These new shows do have a slightly altered set up but this is only because there is no indoor venue that would fit the normal set up. These shows will be unique from all others on this tour purely because of the greater intimacy as a result of the smaller venue.
Preperation is key to an event like this,especially a u2 gig,got 2 standing tickets for the last night by 9.03 and 2 tickets for the first night in the pre sale, can’t wait :)
how much more prepared can you be by being online before 9am & then being stuck in a virtual queue which said 3 mins or less, for 45 MINS…and still nothing!?? I was as prepared as you can be!
Like that myself on at nine looked for standing for 5 mins wait then was told not available. Only one word for ticketmaster bxxxxxxs
Tickets are still for sale on Ticketmaster so how can they say it’s sold out? What they mean is the handful of cheap tickets sold out, but there are still tickets there for sale from €400 for two up to €2000 for every day. You can search for them now. And of course there are any amount of tickets on the Seatwave website for ten times the face value. Seatwave, a Ticketmaster company. https://www.seatwave.ie/checkout?tsgId=15078173&qty=2 These tickets are re-sale, but there is a booking fee of €139 added on top of the ticket price (who knows what for), processing through the same Ticketmaster booking system…sold out?????
‘Booking u2 tickets on ticketmaster is like watching ur team in the champions league final while booking ryanair flights, heart was going 90′ as I was in work this morning, my little brother got on the laptop on a mission to get us tickets, fresh from a night-shift he managed to stay awake long enough to send my that text when he got 2 tickets
This is a link on ticketmaster website https://www.seatwave.ie/checkout?tsgId=15083810&qty=2 touts
That’s shocking
Try eBay and done deal later for tickets-jacked up prices though!!
Meh
bid me
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