The next Earth?

Saturn, sixth planet from the Sun and one of the four gas giants. Saturn's main features include its density which is less then water, therefore is could float if it had a humongous bowl of water it could fit in and its rings. The rings are composed of mostly ice and rock. There are specks of dust and then there are pieces of rock the size of a four-story building amongst these rings. However, I am not here to tell you all about Saturn. This entry is about Saturn's largest moon. Titan. I know, you're dying to ask. Why are you writing about Titan if its just a moon? When you think moon, you probably imagine Earths moon, which is barren and full of rocks. Far from interesting. However, Titan is an entirely different story. Titan is a little larger then Earth's moon and a tad bit smaller then Earth itself. Titan can be closely compared to Earth, because of their many similar features. Titan, like Earth, has an atmosphere although it is made of nitrogen, methane and ethane. Titan also has weather patterns like wind, rain, and also has formations like rivers. It also has bodies of water unlike any other object or planet in space we have ever seen before.

Pictures have also been taken of clouds on Titan.
     Millions of years from now, the sun will heat up, and most likely cause Titans atmosphere to develop even further and resemble early Earth even more so. Humans may need to find a new home in the future, and it very well may be Titan.





< Titan: This is its natural color. It is orangish-yellow from organonitrogen particles.









< Cloud System: A picture of Titan
false colors shows a formation of
clouds within its atmosphere.











< Atmosphere: This false color picture
of Titan allows you to see its thick
atmosphere and the different formations
on the planet.

Want to Cuttle?

Probably one of the coolest creatures I have ever seen. The cuttlefish is the perfect mix between a squid, octopus and some extraterrestrial. This marine invertebrate has eight arms and two tentacles. It also has a stunning pair of eyes and an internal shell (kind of an oxymoron) called the cuttlebone. Hence the name "cuttlefish". This almost gelatinous cephalopod has no defense mechanism other then it's ink and ability to squeeze into tight crevices in coral. Oh, I almost forgot! It has the ability to camouflage. When I say camouflage I really mean it. They have pigments in their skin called chromatofores and another layer of reflective pigment allowing them to camouflage into almost any color. The cuttlefish also has the capability to change the texture of it's skin to adjust to it's surroundings. Unlike most animals who use camouflage, the cuttlefish can change color in the blink of an eye. However, the cuttlefish is colorblind. The answer to how it manipulates it's skin color without seeing colors is still unknown. If I could have one super power it would most definitely be the ability to camouflage like a cuttlefish. Kind of like this guy ^. Overall, they're awesome creatures of the sea. I must admit, they're pretty tasty too.  http://bushraismail.hubpages.com/hub/hot-butter-cuttlefish

 Check out the video in the link below of cuttlefish using their camouflage techniques.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IznlT8XkmkY

A leap of faith is all it takes

     Seconds feel like minutes as you step off the edge and begin your plummet. Not everyone desires the thrill of falling through the sky. However, Felix Baumgartner craves it. Felix is known for his insane jumps and free falls. He has done base jumps off of the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, the largest bridge in the world located in France, the tallest building in the world in Taiwan and into the Marmet Cave in Croatia.
     His next feat is to free fall from the stratosphere. Yes, falling at the speed of sound from 120,000 feet up. Sounds crazy, which it is. Nobody has ever attempted free falling from this high up. To date, the highest fall was in 1960 from 102,800 feet. This jump was done by Joseph Kittenger. Felix and Joseph have teamed up with Red Bull to achieve this extreme jump.
     The Red Bull team has been working for months on end to make it all come together. A capsule has been designed to house Felix on the climb to the stratosphere. This capsule is made  of fiberglass, and is insulated to keep Felix warm. The module has pads on the bottom made of thick aluminum honeycomb to prevent hard impact when it makes contact on land. Felix's suit is also very complex. His getup consists of a pressurized suit and helmet  equipped with oxygen regulators and heaters.
     Testing has been taking place for quite some time. Before the real jump is attempted, Felix must go through rigorous training and practice jumps. He successfully landed after jumping in his suit out of the capsule from 70,000 feet up and reaching speeds of 365 mph. There is still some time before the real jump can be done.