Top gallery of 2016: Eclipse over Indonesia

View larger. | March 9, 2016, total solar eclipse from Palu, Indonesia. Photo by Justin Ng of Singapore, who wrote: “Sun’s corona extends millions of kilometers into space and it is visible to the unaided eye during a total solar eclipse. During totality, temperature at my location dropped by 10 to 15 degrees Celsius and I was able to see planet Venus and Mercury when the area became dark. I took 12 different exposures during totality to cover as much dynamic range as possible and stacked them in Photoshop to produce this image.”

View larger. | Justin Ng at Amazing City Beach Resort in Palu, Indonesia created this photo mosaic of the March 9, 2016 total eclipse of the sun.

View larger. | Here’s one of the most famous of all eclipse phenomena – the legendary diamond ring effect – captured by Justin Ng of Singapore. It happens twice in a total eclipse … in the final moments before totality, and just as totality ends. You can also see a flare from the sun in this image, on its lefthand limb. Beautiful, Justin! Thank you for sharing with Earthsky.

View larger. | Hazarry Haji Ali Ahmad was in Palembang, Indonesia for the eclipse. He captured this image at totality with prominences, corona and diamond ring visible.

See the bright dots along the limb of the moon silhouette? They’re called Baily’s Beads. They happen as the rugged limb of the moon barely covers the sun … sunlight is shining between mountains and craters on the edge of the moon. Photo by Ronny Syamara in Palu, Indonesia on March 9, 2016.

Totality of March 9, 2016 total solar eclipse, from Jon Greif aboard the cruise ship MS Volendam in the Straits of Makassar, Indonesia.

The community website Slooh.com caught the March 9, 2016 eclipse from Indonesia. Great job by Tricia Ennis and the team!

Ingo Steller in Phuket, Thailand captured the partial eclipse and said: “By 7:15 a.m., the sunrise was being blocked by the mountain, and then the sun rose above the mountain and it was blocked by a cloud. Finally, at 7:20 a.m., the cloud thinned enough to see the sun. It was brilliant … Meanwhile none of the people on the beach had any idea what was happening and walkers were looking up and then at me as though I was nuts photographing the sun.”

A Kannan in Singapore caught the partial phases, too. He wrote: “The partial solar eclipse was observed in Singapore skies this morning covering about 85% of the sun from Earth.”

Jordan Lye Photography in Penang, Malaysia caught the partial phases of the eclipse. He wrote: “Where the sun just started to rise from the hill behind.”

Partial eclipse of March 9, 2016 through window shutters near Attapeu in southern Laos. Photo by Clinton Rivers. Thanks, Clinton!

It was a partial solar eclipse sunset from the Big Island of Hawaii on March 8, 2016, said Chris Tinker. Thanks, Chris!

Partial solar eclipse at sunset on March 8, 2016 as seen from Anchorage, Alaska, by Matt Skinner. Thank you, Matt!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/222iE9r

View larger. | March 9, 2016, total solar eclipse from Palu, Indonesia. Photo by Justin Ng of Singapore, who wrote: “Sun’s corona extends millions of kilometers into space and it is visible to the unaided eye during a total solar eclipse. During totality, temperature at my location dropped by 10 to 15 degrees Celsius and I was able to see planet Venus and Mercury when the area became dark. I took 12 different exposures during totality to cover as much dynamic range as possible and stacked them in Photoshop to produce this image.”

View larger. | Justin Ng at Amazing City Beach Resort in Palu, Indonesia created this photo mosaic of the March 9, 2016 total eclipse of the sun.

View larger. | Here’s one of the most famous of all eclipse phenomena – the legendary diamond ring effect – captured by Justin Ng of Singapore. It happens twice in a total eclipse … in the final moments before totality, and just as totality ends. You can also see a flare from the sun in this image, on its lefthand limb. Beautiful, Justin! Thank you for sharing with Earthsky.

View larger. | Hazarry Haji Ali Ahmad was in Palembang, Indonesia for the eclipse. He captured this image at totality with prominences, corona and diamond ring visible.

See the bright dots along the limb of the moon silhouette? They’re called Baily’s Beads. They happen as the rugged limb of the moon barely covers the sun … sunlight is shining between mountains and craters on the edge of the moon. Photo by Ronny Syamara in Palu, Indonesia on March 9, 2016.

Totality of March 9, 2016 total solar eclipse, from Jon Greif aboard the cruise ship MS Volendam in the Straits of Makassar, Indonesia.

The community website Slooh.com caught the March 9, 2016 eclipse from Indonesia. Great job by Tricia Ennis and the team!

Ingo Steller in Phuket, Thailand captured the partial eclipse and said: “By 7:15 a.m., the sunrise was being blocked by the mountain, and then the sun rose above the mountain and it was blocked by a cloud. Finally, at 7:20 a.m., the cloud thinned enough to see the sun. It was brilliant … Meanwhile none of the people on the beach had any idea what was happening and walkers were looking up and then at me as though I was nuts photographing the sun.”

A Kannan in Singapore caught the partial phases, too. He wrote: “The partial solar eclipse was observed in Singapore skies this morning covering about 85% of the sun from Earth.”

Jordan Lye Photography in Penang, Malaysia caught the partial phases of the eclipse. He wrote: “Where the sun just started to rise from the hill behind.”

Partial eclipse of March 9, 2016 through window shutters near Attapeu in southern Laos. Photo by Clinton Rivers. Thanks, Clinton!

It was a partial solar eclipse sunset from the Big Island of Hawaii on March 8, 2016, said Chris Tinker. Thanks, Chris!

Partial solar eclipse at sunset on March 8, 2016 as seen from Anchorage, Alaska, by Matt Skinner. Thank you, Matt!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/222iE9r

Sirius midnight culmination New Years Eve

Looking for information on the comet? Try this post.

Tonight – New Year’s Eve – look up for the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major. This star is up in the evening every year at this time, and – from all parts of Earth (except those far-southern realms in continuous daylight now) – Sirius is easy to identify. December 31 is a special night, the end of a calendar year. And it’s a special night for Sirius, too. This star’s official midnight culmination – when it’s highest in the sky at midnight – comes only once every year. And tonight’s the night.

Sirius will be out for most of the night. But before you look it, on the eve of the New Year, look for the waxing crescent moon beneath the planets Venus and Mars at nightfall.

Live by the moon! EarthSky moon calendar for 2017

This chart is for Saturday evening, just after sunset. Will you see the moon? Maybe. Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková will be right next to the moon on this date (try this other chart), but not visible to the eye. Likewise, Neptune requires optical aid.

This view of the moon and planets are special to this year, but Sirius’ presence as the New Year’s star is a yearly event. The New Year always begins with Sirius’ culmination at the midnight hour. It’s a fun sky event to watch for, if you happen to be outside at midnight on this night.

From the Northern Hemisphere … look toward the south, and you’ll easily notice Sirius shining there at around midnight.

From the Southern Hemisphere … look overhead or high in the north at around midnight.

This star is so bright that you might notice it twinkling fiercely, especially from northerly latitudes, where the star stays closer to the horizon.

You might even see it flashing different colors – just hints of colors from red to blue – like the celestial counterpart to an earthly diamond.

Not sure you’ve found Sirius? The 3 stars of Orion’s Belt always point to it. This photo comes from EarthSky Facebook friend Susan Jensen in Odessa, Washington.

By the way, by midnight, we mean the middle of the night, midway between sunset and sunrise.

The midnight culmination of Sirius by the clock may be off by as much as one-half hour or so, depending on how far east or west you live from the meridian that governs your time zone.

Transit (midnight culmination) times for Sirius in your sky

Bottom line: If you’re celebrating the New Year tonight, and you happen to gaze up at the sky, look for Sirius – and take a moment to celebrate the sky’s brightest star.

Looking for information on the comet? Try this post.

Donate: Your support means the world to us

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1B0cJDP

Looking for information on the comet? Try this post.

Tonight – New Year’s Eve – look up for the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major. This star is up in the evening every year at this time, and – from all parts of Earth (except those far-southern realms in continuous daylight now) – Sirius is easy to identify. December 31 is a special night, the end of a calendar year. And it’s a special night for Sirius, too. This star’s official midnight culmination – when it’s highest in the sky at midnight – comes only once every year. And tonight’s the night.

Sirius will be out for most of the night. But before you look it, on the eve of the New Year, look for the waxing crescent moon beneath the planets Venus and Mars at nightfall.

Live by the moon! EarthSky moon calendar for 2017

This chart is for Saturday evening, just after sunset. Will you see the moon? Maybe. Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková will be right next to the moon on this date (try this other chart), but not visible to the eye. Likewise, Neptune requires optical aid.

This view of the moon and planets are special to this year, but Sirius’ presence as the New Year’s star is a yearly event. The New Year always begins with Sirius’ culmination at the midnight hour. It’s a fun sky event to watch for, if you happen to be outside at midnight on this night.

From the Northern Hemisphere … look toward the south, and you’ll easily notice Sirius shining there at around midnight.

From the Southern Hemisphere … look overhead or high in the north at around midnight.

This star is so bright that you might notice it twinkling fiercely, especially from northerly latitudes, where the star stays closer to the horizon.

You might even see it flashing different colors – just hints of colors from red to blue – like the celestial counterpart to an earthly diamond.

Not sure you’ve found Sirius? The 3 stars of Orion’s Belt always point to it. This photo comes from EarthSky Facebook friend Susan Jensen in Odessa, Washington.

By the way, by midnight, we mean the middle of the night, midway between sunset and sunrise.

The midnight culmination of Sirius by the clock may be off by as much as one-half hour or so, depending on how far east or west you live from the meridian that governs your time zone.

Transit (midnight culmination) times for Sirius in your sky

Bottom line: If you’re celebrating the New Year tonight, and you happen to gaze up at the sky, look for Sirius – and take a moment to celebrate the sky’s brightest star.

Looking for information on the comet? Try this post.

Donate: Your support means the world to us

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1B0cJDP

Friday Cephalopod: Like gold, with tentacles [Pharyngula]

Monterey Bay Aquarium

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/2iOnCJE

Monterey Bay Aquarium

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/2iOnCJE

Experimenting with Virtual Reality Science

With cardboard viewers and phone apps, students can explore the science behind virtual reality.

from Science Buddies Blog http://ift.tt/2iNvfMH

With cardboard viewers and phone apps, students can explore the science behind virtual reality.

from Science Buddies Blog http://ift.tt/2iNvfMH

Climate change and the Great Lakes [Stoat]

The latest vandalism from the Dork Side is censoring the concept of “climate change” from a Wisconsin governmental website (Snopes; see-also Sou and of course half your fb and Twitter feed). As Sou points out this minor vandalism seems to have over-excited certain sections of the denialist crowd, which is to be expected: they need a constant stream of news, and are on edge waiting for Trump to do something thrilling. This latest episode has no obvious connection to Trump, and indeed has no clear author. So you don’t have to go elsewhere, a present-day snapshot is this and an older pre-vandalism version is that. It is kinda interesting that there is a just-pre-vandalism snapshot; methinks whoever was ordered to do it made sure that the damage would be visible.

The page is now so absurdly anodyne (As it has done throughout the centuries, the earth is going through a change. The reasons for this change at this particular time in the earth’s long history are being debated and researched by academic entities outside the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources…) that it might as well not exist. Naturally, the “dangerous” links from the page have also been purged. One internal link to the even-more dangerous http://ift.tt/1pUOLVq has been disappeared entirely and is now a 404. But predictably enough the thing it was a springboard to – http://ift.tt/2fMvQ4r – still exists. So, the reach of the vandals is still narrow.

The damage has been done (perhaps deliberately, by those who had no choice but to do it) incompetently; although the phrase “climate change” has been scrubbed from the page – indeed, the word “climate” has been scrubbed – the page URL is still “…/climatechange.html”, and the link to it from http://ift.tt/2hxo1eA is still under the text “Climate change and the Great Lakes”.

But all this brings me back to what I said earlier: where will you get your information from about Global Warming? Probably not from a site about the Great Lakes. Indeed, hopefully not from such a place. It will – weakly – affect your perception (I’m trying to see it from the viewpoint of a hypothetical intelligent unbiased person looking around them and trying to work out what’s what) of the general state of belief in the world around you. But only weakly; and anyone actually interested would inevitably find the obvious sources – IPCC or wiki – and have the truth available.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/2iNQX73

The latest vandalism from the Dork Side is censoring the concept of “climate change” from a Wisconsin governmental website (Snopes; see-also Sou and of course half your fb and Twitter feed). As Sou points out this minor vandalism seems to have over-excited certain sections of the denialist crowd, which is to be expected: they need a constant stream of news, and are on edge waiting for Trump to do something thrilling. This latest episode has no obvious connection to Trump, and indeed has no clear author. So you don’t have to go elsewhere, a present-day snapshot is this and an older pre-vandalism version is that. It is kinda interesting that there is a just-pre-vandalism snapshot; methinks whoever was ordered to do it made sure that the damage would be visible.

The page is now so absurdly anodyne (As it has done throughout the centuries, the earth is going through a change. The reasons for this change at this particular time in the earth’s long history are being debated and researched by academic entities outside the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources…) that it might as well not exist. Naturally, the “dangerous” links from the page have also been purged. One internal link to the even-more dangerous http://ift.tt/1pUOLVq has been disappeared entirely and is now a 404. But predictably enough the thing it was a springboard to – http://ift.tt/2fMvQ4r – still exists. So, the reach of the vandals is still narrow.

The damage has been done (perhaps deliberately, by those who had no choice but to do it) incompetently; although the phrase “climate change” has been scrubbed from the page – indeed, the word “climate” has been scrubbed – the page URL is still “…/climatechange.html”, and the link to it from http://ift.tt/2hxo1eA is still under the text “Climate change and the Great Lakes”.

But all this brings me back to what I said earlier: where will you get your information from about Global Warming? Probably not from a site about the Great Lakes. Indeed, hopefully not from such a place. It will – weakly – affect your perception (I’m trying to see it from the viewpoint of a hypothetical intelligent unbiased person looking around them and trying to work out what’s what) of the general state of belief in the world around you. But only weakly; and anyone actually interested would inevitably find the obvious sources – IPCC or wiki – and have the truth available.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/2iNQX73

This Year in EPA Science

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Our EPA researchers were hard at work in 2016—so to highlight that effort, we’ve put together a list of the ten most popular blogs from this year.

1. Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Health
   We took a giant leap forward in our understanding of the relationship between air pollution and heart disease with the publication of results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Air Pollution Study(MESA Air) in the leading medical journal The Lancet. Learn more about the study and its implications in the blog EPA’s MESA Air Study Confirms that Air Pollution Contributes to the #1 Cause of Death in the U.S.

2. Olive Oil and Fish Oil: Possible Protectors against Air Pollution
   Ever wondered what’s so healthy about taking fish oil tablets? EPA scientist Dr. Samantha J. Snow is investigating one of the potential benefits. Her research looks at how these oils in the diet might change the body’s reaction to ozone, a common outdoor air pollutant. Read more about her research in the blog Olive Oil and Fish Oil: Possible Protectors against Air Pollution.

3. Goats Help EPA Protect Pollinators
   EPA’s research facility in Narragansett, Rhode Island enlisted the help of a highly skilled landscaping team to create a more pollinator-friendly habitat on the premises: a herd of goats! Learn more about ‘goatscaping’ in the blog It’s a Lawn Mower! It’s a Weed Whacker! No…it’s a Herd of Goats!

4. Sunscreen and Sun Safety: Just One Piece of the Story
   It’s not surprising that sunscreens are detected in pool water—after all, some is bound to wash off when we take a dip—but certain sunscreens have also been widely detected in our ecosystems and in our wastewater. So how is our sunscreen ending up in our environment and what are the impacts? Find out in the blog Sunscreen and Sun Safety: Just One Piece of the Story.

5. The Northeast Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program
   As incidences of cyanobacteria bloom continue to increase, EPA strives to create and improve methods for bloom prediction, monitoring, and management. The Northeast Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program will help generate region-wide data on bloom frequencies, cyanobacteria concentrations, and spatial distribution through three coordinated projects. To learn more about the program read the blog The Northeast Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program: One Program, Three Opportunities for You To Get Involved.
6. Air Research Centers
   EPA is funding three university-based Air, Climate and Energy Research Centers through the Science to Achieve Results program. The centers will tackle pressing air quality issues for many communities across the U.S. still overburdened by air pollution. Read more about the new centers in the blog Air Quality Awareness: A New Generation of Research.
   
   
7. Underwater Science
   Did you know that EPA has a team of scientists that work underwater? The EPA scientific diving program helps Superfund sites go from contaminated to clean – and keeps them that way! Read about what it’s like to be on the EPA Dive team in the blog Over 30 years of Wyckoff Superfund Site Diving Science.
8. Compete to Improve Arsenic Sensing in Water
   The Arsenic Sensor Prize Competition is seeking innovative ways to improve arsenic sensing in water. Led by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, EPA experts helped in the prize competition’s design and development.  Read more about the Competition in the blog We’re Sensing a Change in Water Monitoring: Introducing the Arsenic Sensor Prize Competition.
9. A Trip Back in Time
   This year at EPA’s Robert S Kerr Environmental Research Center, a cornerstone box was dusted off and unsealed in honor of the lab’s 50^th anniversary. The time capsule included artifacts representing the Center’s major milestones and key accomplishments in the last 50 years. Read more about the event in the blog Another Trip Back in Time: Kerr Lab Time Capsule Reopened in Honor of 50th Anniversary.
10. Women’s History Month
    The 2016 theme for Women’s History Month was Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government. Here at EPA, there are quite a few women scientists and engineers who truly are helping us achieve a more perfect union. We asked some of them to share a few words about what inspired them to pursue a career in science. Read what they said in the blog Women’s History Month: Honoring EPA Women in Science.

That’s all for this year. We are looking forward to all the science that 2017 will bring. Happy New Year!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a writer on the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2hA1KQA

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Our EPA researchers were hard at work in 2016—so to highlight that effort, we’ve put together a list of the ten most popular blogs from this year.

1. Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Health
   We took a giant leap forward in our understanding of the relationship between air pollution and heart disease with the publication of results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Air Pollution Study(MESA Air) in the leading medical journal The Lancet. Learn more about the study and its implications in the blog EPA’s MESA Air Study Confirms that Air Pollution Contributes to the #1 Cause of Death in the U.S.

2. Olive Oil and Fish Oil: Possible Protectors against Air Pollution
   Ever wondered what’s so healthy about taking fish oil tablets? EPA scientist Dr. Samantha J. Snow is investigating one of the potential benefits. Her research looks at how these oils in the diet might change the body’s reaction to ozone, a common outdoor air pollutant. Read more about her research in the blog Olive Oil and Fish Oil: Possible Protectors against Air Pollution.

3. Goats Help EPA Protect Pollinators
   EPA’s research facility in Narragansett, Rhode Island enlisted the help of a highly skilled landscaping team to create a more pollinator-friendly habitat on the premises: a herd of goats! Learn more about ‘goatscaping’ in the blog It’s a Lawn Mower! It’s a Weed Whacker! No…it’s a Herd of Goats!

4. Sunscreen and Sun Safety: Just One Piece of the Story
   It’s not surprising that sunscreens are detected in pool water—after all, some is bound to wash off when we take a dip—but certain sunscreens have also been widely detected in our ecosystems and in our wastewater. So how is our sunscreen ending up in our environment and what are the impacts? Find out in the blog Sunscreen and Sun Safety: Just One Piece of the Story.

5. The Northeast Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program
   As incidences of cyanobacteria bloom continue to increase, EPA strives to create and improve methods for bloom prediction, monitoring, and management. The Northeast Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program will help generate region-wide data on bloom frequencies, cyanobacteria concentrations, and spatial distribution through three coordinated projects. To learn more about the program read the blog The Northeast Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program: One Program, Three Opportunities for You To Get Involved.
6. Air Research Centers
   EPA is funding three university-based Air, Climate and Energy Research Centers through the Science to Achieve Results program. The centers will tackle pressing air quality issues for many communities across the U.S. still overburdened by air pollution. Read more about the new centers in the blog Air Quality Awareness: A New Generation of Research.
   
   
7. Underwater Science
   Did you know that EPA has a team of scientists that work underwater? The EPA scientific diving program helps Superfund sites go from contaminated to clean – and keeps them that way! Read about what it’s like to be on the EPA Dive team in the blog Over 30 years of Wyckoff Superfund Site Diving Science.
8. Compete to Improve Arsenic Sensing in Water
   The Arsenic Sensor Prize Competition is seeking innovative ways to improve arsenic sensing in water. Led by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, EPA experts helped in the prize competition’s design and development.  Read more about the Competition in the blog We’re Sensing a Change in Water Monitoring: Introducing the Arsenic Sensor Prize Competition.
9. A Trip Back in Time
   This year at EPA’s Robert S Kerr Environmental Research Center, a cornerstone box was dusted off and unsealed in honor of the lab’s 50^th anniversary. The time capsule included artifacts representing the Center’s major milestones and key accomplishments in the last 50 years. Read more about the event in the blog Another Trip Back in Time: Kerr Lab Time Capsule Reopened in Honor of 50th Anniversary.
10. Women’s History Month
    The 2016 theme for Women’s History Month was Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government. Here at EPA, there are quite a few women scientists and engineers who truly are helping us achieve a more perfect union. We asked some of them to share a few words about what inspired them to pursue a career in science. Read what they said in the blog Women’s History Month: Honoring EPA Women in Science.

That’s all for this year. We are looking forward to all the science that 2017 will bring. Happy New Year!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a writer on the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2hA1KQA

How Many Fundamental Constants Does It Take To Define Our Universe? (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]

“The joy of life consists in the exercise of one’s energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means simply to die. The eternal mistake of mankind is to set up an attainable ideal.” -Aleister Crowley

As we learn more and more about the Universe, we’d like to describe it as simply as possible. While we have thousands or even millions of chemical configurations, they arise from less than 100 different atoms. Atoms themselves are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. The great hope of unification and for fans of elegance in general is that all of the Universe can be derived from as simple a formulation as possible.

The particles and antiparticles of the Standard Model. Image credit: E. Siegel.

But with the zoo of particles we have today, the gravitational, strong, weak and electromagnetic forces plus the way everything interacts, it takes a larger number of fundamental constants than we might like to reproduce our Universe. And even at that, they don’t give everything! Without a surefire path to the matter/antimatter asymmetry, dark matter, or a lack of strong CP-violation, among others, there are likely even more constants than the ones we know we need.

The ultramassive, merging dynamical galaxy cluster Abell 370, with gravitational mass (mostly dark matter) inferred in blue. Image credit: NASA, ESA, D. Harvey (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), R. Massey (Durham University, UK), the Hubble SM4 ERO Team and ST-ECF.

Come see what the bare minimum is — in terms of constants — to give us the Universe we have as we know it to be today.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/2hwGV56

“The joy of life consists in the exercise of one’s energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means simply to die. The eternal mistake of mankind is to set up an attainable ideal.” -Aleister Crowley

As we learn more and more about the Universe, we’d like to describe it as simply as possible. While we have thousands or even millions of chemical configurations, they arise from less than 100 different atoms. Atoms themselves are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. The great hope of unification and for fans of elegance in general is that all of the Universe can be derived from as simple a formulation as possible.

The particles and antiparticles of the Standard Model. Image credit: E. Siegel.

But with the zoo of particles we have today, the gravitational, strong, weak and electromagnetic forces plus the way everything interacts, it takes a larger number of fundamental constants than we might like to reproduce our Universe. And even at that, they don’t give everything! Without a surefire path to the matter/antimatter asymmetry, dark matter, or a lack of strong CP-violation, among others, there are likely even more constants than the ones we know we need.

The ultramassive, merging dynamical galaxy cluster Abell 370, with gravitational mass (mostly dark matter) inferred in blue. Image credit: NASA, ESA, D. Harvey (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), R. Massey (Durham University, UK), the Hubble SM4 ERO Team and ST-ECF.

Come see what the bare minimum is — in terms of constants — to give us the Universe we have as we know it to be today.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/2hwGV56