Meteorites are cool. The definition broadly refers to anything originating in outer space that ends up impacting the surface of the earth and surviving. When they enter the atmosphere these celestial bodies are exposed to a variety of significant factors. They are affected by friction, pressure and chemical reactions as they plummet toward our planet.

They burn up and become fireballs which we recognize as shooting stars. Some meteorites will burn away to nothing whereas others fare better. When these are spotted travelling through the atmosphere and then recovered after impact they are referred to a ‘falls’. The discovery of meteorites that have been on the planet for some time are called ‘finds’.

Categorizing meteorites is a fairly straightforward process at a base level. There are three categories that include stony meteorites, which are made up from silicate materials. Iron meteorites which are mostly composed of metallic elements. And stony-iron meteorites, which as you’d expect is a combination of both. [Read more…]

Many people wonder if they really need to invest in a professional photographer, whether it be for a wedding, a school photo, or a nice family portrait. Hiring a really good photographer is generally not cheap, but if you hire the right one the pictures are worth every penny.

While it is true that you can save a lot of money if you hire your cousin, who has been practicing with Photo Shop, it is also true that you can really tell the difference between a professional photographer, and an amateur.

Some of the things you gain with a professional photographer include: [Read more…]

According to a statistical study by Arnuad Cassan of the Paris Institute of Astrophysics, there are potentially 160 billion exoplanets in the Milky Way.

As of 2012, the Kepler satellite has discovered over 2000 exoplanets, including Kepler 20e and Kepler 20f, which are orbiting the Sun-like star Kepler 20. So the odds seem good for one of these worlds to have life on it.

Alien Planets

But what might an alien world look like? A distant ice world of glaciers and geysers? A desert land of subterranean colonies? We can make some good speculative guesses based on life on Earth. There are various external and internal factors that determine whether life can survive.

As with all homes, location is essential. You have to find the right kind of star. While there are billions of stars in the galaxy, only a fraction of them will be suitable for life. It needs to be in the correct spectral class range – a measure of the star’s temperature. It would have to have a lifespan of a few billion years to give time for life to evolve. [Read more…]

As humans, it’s our nature to covet the things that we don’t have. This is true for material possessions, of course, but some of the deepest longings we have are for good relationships. This is certainly true when it comes to marriage.

It’s the easiest thing in the world to look at a neighbor’s happy, healthy marriage and want what they have – especially if our own marriage has become a bit stagnant.

But it’s important to remember that our neighbor’s happy marriage did not come about by accident. He or she likely worked very hard at it, along with his or her spouse. And that’s ultimately good news. If good marriages come about through hard work, then there’s plenty of hope for you and me. [Read more…]

Most of us put all those years in with our employers in the hope of someday retiring in comfort. If you have a coworker who is seeing that dream to fruition, then it is only natural to want to honor the moment and share in the celebration by giving a token of your acknowledgement of all that hard work.

There are a number of great ways you can let a retiring coworker know that he/she is appreciated and will be missed. Check out this list of five fun and useful retirement gifts: [Read more…]