Mapping the pull of gravity on Earth

This globe—the BBC has a spinnable version—shows you how the strength of gravitational pull differs in different places around the Earth. The yellow areas were where gravity is strongest. The blue spots is where it is weakest.


The picture you see here isn't meant to be a totally accurate representations, it's just meant to get across the simple idea of differences in gravity, separate from

Bank of America reviews documents amid

A team of up to 20 Bank of America Corp officials, led by the chief risk officer, Bruce Thompson, have been reviewing thousands of documents amid a threat that it may be a target of WikiLeaks, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

The director of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, previously said he had intended to "take down" a major U.S. bank and reveal an "ecosystem of corruption" from data from an

WikiLeaks Whales : Activists clash with hunting boat as US, Japan

Of Whales and WikiLeaks: Activists clash with hunting boat as US, Japan talks revealed

Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive 2011

Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive
Astronomy Picture of the Day 2011 Archives


Click Here for Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive 2009
Click Here for Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive 2010



2011 May 10: Gravity Probe B Confirms the Existence of Gravitomagnetism
2011 May 09: Wonder and Mystery above the Very Large Telescopes
2011 May 08: Shadow of a Martian Robot

One Million Galaxies

Are the nearest galaxies distributed randomly? A plot of over one million of the brightest "extended sources" detected by the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) shows that they are not. The vast majority of these infrared extended sources are galaxies. Visible above is an incredible tapestry of structure that provides limits on how the universe formed and evolved. Many galaxies are

Sideways Orion Over Snowy Ireland

Orion always comes up sideways ... and was caught in the act earlier this month by over a snowy landscape in Donegal, Ireland. To compose this serene picture, the photographer found a picturesque setting to the east, waited until after sunset, and then momentarily lit the foreground with a flashlight. The three bright stars in Orion's belt stand in a nearly vertical line above the snow

Decorating the Sky

Bright stars, clouds of dust and glowing nebulae decorate this cosmic scene, a skyscape just north of Orion's belt. Close to the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy, the wide field view spans about 5.5 degrees. Striking bluish M78, a reflection nebula, is at the left. M78's tint is due to dust preferentially reflecting the blue light of hot, young stars. In colourful contrast, the red sash of