APOD 2.7

Living on Earth for so long I have become accustomed to something that is very vital to survival. Nobody really things each day a bout gravity and how it shapes the lives of each living thing on earth. Without gravity life wouldn't be possible because everyone would float away. Each planet has gravity which affects the solar system in different ways. The amount of gravity per planet is different on different factors such as size density and other things. This picture was taken from the GRACE and CHAMP satellites. A current research facility in Potsdam, Germany is examining the gravitational field of Earth. This is a very neat photo based on the Gravitational field and shows that the gravity differs in one area from the next. This is a very interesting discovery and is not currently known why that happens. The picture is also called the Potsdam Gravity potato. 

Sources for John Herschel Research

Cannon, Walter F. "Herschel, John (1792–1871)." Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. Donald M. Borchert. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2006. 339-340. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.

John Frederick William Herschel." Science and Its Times. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. Vol. 5: 1800 to 1899. Detroit: Gale, 2000. 496. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.

Barlow, Nadine G. "Herschel Family." Space Sciences. Ed. Pat Dasch. Vol. 2: Planetary Science and Astronomy. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2002. 66. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.

Herschel, John Frederick William." Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Vol. 6. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008. 323-328. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.

APOD 2.6

When traveling in intergalactic space make sure to be cautious around the Orion Molecular cloud complex inside the Horsehead Nebula. This is where the flame nebula is located at. The flame nebula is not exactly a big billowing fire. It is more of gas and dust that are reflecting off the star Alnitak which is located on the right side of the screen as a big glowing blue ball. The light from the star energize the electrons inside the hydrogen gas in the flame nebula and then glows when the electrons and ionized hydrogen gas recombine. This picture was taken in infrared light. Its very interesting how little things in the solar system can create such beauty. 

APOD 2.5

This appears to be a  beautiful picture of what almost looks like a seahorse in a crystal clear ocean. But in reality it is located near the tarantula nebula. The large dark gassy cloud is all dust. This is called a large Magellanic cloud. A star cluster is currently being formed , already named by NASA as NGC 2074. The center of the star cluster is visible where the head of the "seahorse" would be located at. This picture was taken from the Hubble Telescope in honor of Hubble's 100,000th trip around the earth. If the dust cloud is in the way of this beautiful view, do not fret, in a few million years the winds and light will wear it away.