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DECEMBER

ABOUT USWe are students at AUC and we feel very passionate about space. We are not only discovering who we are in the world, but who we are in our universe.

AIM and MISSIONThis magazine is for space fans in college like us who want to understand more about our address in the universe.

CONTACTFor any questions or concerns, contact us at this e-mail:

eyad_amar@hotmail.com

Eyad KamarMostafa Talal

Maram AlShahawyAmira Abaza

BEYO

ND20

12

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It  is  this  fascina+ng  transforma+on  that  shows  just  

how  grand  and  awesome  the  galaxies  truly  are.  

While  skep+cs  will  doubt  as  to  how  changes  in  stars  

can  be  measured  by  man  if  they  occur  during  millions  

of  years,  it  is  the  result  of  technological  improvement  

and  study  that  we  have  come  to  know  this  much  

about  it.

BEYONDDecember 2012

#1 SPACE MAGAZINE FOR TEENS

A STAR’S LIFEStars can actually “die” and change form!

A  white  dwarf  star  is  a  star  that  consists  of  as  much  

ma@er  as  the  sun  but  in  a  size  reminiscent  of  the  

Earth.  Their  composi+on  is  mainly  carbon  and  oxygen.  

All  stars  less  massive  than  nearly  8  +mes  the  mass  of  

the  sun  will  in  +me  become  white  dwarfs.  An  

explana+on  of  the  process  of  how  white  dwarf  stars  

are  formed  is  found  on  the  White  Dwarf  Research  

Founda+on  Website:  "Normal  stars  fuse  hydrogen  into  

helium  un+l  the  hydrogen  deep  in  the  center  begins  to  

run  out.  For  very  massive  stars  this  may  take  only  a  

million  years  -­‐  but  for  stars  like  the  Sun  the  hydrogen  

lasts  for  10,000  million  years.  When  enough  helium  is  

produced  from  fusion,  it  begins  to  sink  to  the  middle  

of  the  star  and  release  some  heat  in  the  process.  This  

messes  up  the  internal  balance  of  the  star,  and  it  

begins  to  bloat  into  a  red  giant.  If  the  star  is  massive  

enough,  it  may  eventually  get  hot  enough  in  the  

center  to  fuse  the  helium  into  carbon  and  oxygen.  The  

star  then  enjoys  another  rela+vely  stable  period,  

though  much  shorter  this  +me.  The  carbon  and  

oxygen,  in  their  turn,  sink  to  the  middle.  If  the  star  

isn't  massive  enough  to  reach  the  temperature  

needed  to  burn  carbon  and  oxygen  into  heavier  

elements,  then  these  elements  will  simply  collect  in  

the  center  un+l  the  helium  fuel  runs  out.  In  the  end,  

you  have  a  carbon/oxygen  white  dwarf  star".  

Eyad KamarMostafa Talal

Maram AlShahawyAmira Abaza

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Moons of the Solar System (in order from top to bottom)

1) Mars’ Moon: Phobos- the larger moon of Mars. Its name is a reference to the greek god of fear. It was discovered in 1877.

Jupiter’s moons: Europa and Ganymede2) Europa- sixth closest moon of Jupiter,

and was discovered in 1610 by Galileo. It is made mainly of silicate rock and has an iron core. Its atmosphere contains oxygen and the planet itself is thought to contain water!

3) Ganymede- largest moon of the Solar System, with a diameter of approximately 5268 KM. It, alongside the rest of Jupiter's moons, was discovered by Galileo thereby earning them the name of the Galilean Moons

4) Saturn’s moon: Titan- Titan is the second largest moon of the Solar System after Ganymede and is the only moon known to have both a dense atmosphere and clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid. Its atmosphere is composed mostly of Nitrogen. Its surface is comparable to Earth's surface due to the presence of dunes, rivers and lakes and has season weather patterns.

Earth's Moon (Bottom right): It is the only natural satellite of the

Earth and is ranked fifth largest in the

Solar System. It was the sight of the

first human landing on a celestial body

other than the Earth. The moon's

gravitational pull with the Earth results

in the phenomena of ocean tides.

MOONS

Our Solar system has 240 known moons!

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The Big Blue MarbleThe  only  planet  known  to  support  life,  

Earth  is  constantly  changing,  shi7ing,  and  exposing  new  secrets  for  humans  to  marvel  at.  The  ques>on  that  everyone  might  think  of  at  some  >me  is  how  did  it  come  to  existence?  

There  are  several  theories  of  how  the  Earth  came  to  existence:

1. The  “Big  Bang”  theory:    MaFer  suddenly  exploded  and  formed  perfectly    func>oning  planets

2. 2.  “Intelligent  Design”  theory  includes  the  people  who  believe  that  the  universe  was  formed  by  a  higher  being,  or  at  least  didn't  occur  by  accident.  They  believe  that  God  has  created  Earth  with  a  purpose  of  making  us  worship  him  and  then  moving  to  the  a7er-­‐life.

Did you Know?Even though Earth’s gravitational pull is stronger than the moon, the moon’s gravity affects Earth a lot. It is what causes tides in our oceans!

W/O GRAVITY

Our Beautiful Earth

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Felix BaumgartnerIt takes something truly

memorable and spectacular to stand out in our current era. Most of the things that were dreams in the past (internet, space travel, 3D movies, etc.) have come true. Therefore it was a splendid surprise when on October 14, 2012 a certain Mr. Felix Baumgartner smashed the world record for skydiving to capture the hearts and imagination of the world. Felix was born on April 20, 1969 in Salzburg, Austria. One of his passions as a boy was fantasizing about flying and skydiving, which planted the seeds for his future exploits. He began pursuing his dream of skydiving at the age of 16. Later on he joined the Austrian military's demonstration and competition team which allowed him to hone his skills and add showmanship to his jumps. During the 90s he decided to try something different than normal skydiving: BASE jumping which involves parachuting from a fixed object or landform, thereby allowing him to display skills different than those used in regular skydiving. He accomplished several feats and won awards such as the 1997 world champion title for BASE jumping in West Virginia, USA as well as the 2004 BASE jump into Marmet Cave in Velebit National Parc, Croatia. He has 2 accomplishments that stand out above the rest though, the first being particularly memorable as he became the first person to skydive across the English Channel using a

specially made carbon fiber wing. This truly set him on the course for his defining accomplishment by setting the world record for skydiving 39 kilometers approximately, reaching an estimated speed of 1342 kmph, and setting a precedent as the first human to break the sound barrier without vehicular power. His performance truly inspired me, and it is hoped that it will lead to people to pursue their dreams more often.

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One of the most engrossing and beloved scientific and space discussion subjects is the possibility of life on Mars. This concept has infiltrated the popular consciousness of the public, inserted itself in pop culture and is a cornerstone of conversation. Almost annually, a movie, book or television show is released with Mars or Martians as a focal point or characteristic. Around the world, people believe optimistically that Martians are our distant cousins. Music is released with Mars-based lyrics and content, an example being David Bowie's single "Life on Mars?". However, people need to step up and do the research to properly form an opinion regarding Mars. An important component of life on Earth is water, which is obviously essential in metabolism. There are several conflicting reports regarding water on Mars, but the most common reasoning is that liquid water cannot exist on Mars in its current state due to its low atmospheric pressure and temperature. However, water ice exists which could lead to the possibility that water existed in ancient Mars, meaning

that there used to be life on Mars. However, this conundrum will require several decades of research and technological advancement until we reach the level needed to properly answer the question of life on Mars. The recent Curiosity Rover of 2012 is a step in the right direction and shows that NASA scientists are motivate to test their hypothesis about life on Mars. The Rover landed on Mars in August 5, 2012 and is currently collecting samples, taking videos and photographs and analyzing the planet to determine whether our hypothesis can be answered. This is an example of how to properly plan out your hypothesis and test it, we can only hope that the answer is found soon in the not too distant future.

LIFE ON MARSFact or Fiction?

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What is Pluto like?

Pluto is now a “dwarf planet” because it orbits the sun just like other planets, but it is smaller

VERRRRRY COLD!!!

PLUTO: WHY U NO PLANET?

It is probably covered with ice.

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Moon Conspiraciesf In  the  years  since  man  first  landed  on  

the  moon,  the  world  has  been  both  amazed  and  unconvinced  by  this  singular  act  of  daring  and  imagina:on.  People  have  commented  on  the  pictures  of  the  Apollo  landing,  with  

opinions  ranging  from  "this  is  one  of  humankind's  greatest  accomplishments"  to  "it's  all  fake  and  that's  what  they  want  you  to  

believe".  The  fact  is,  most  conspiracy  theories  about  the  moon  rest  on  one  assump:on:  that  it  was  all  staged  and  faked  so  that  the  US  won  

the  Space  Race  against  the  Soviet  Union  without  actually  landing  in  the  moon  due  to  its  expensive  costs.  These  skep:cs  apply  basic  cri:cal  thinking:  they  do  not  blindly  believe  

without  being  shown  empirical  evidence  and  proof.  However,  there  are  several  pieces  of  evidence  and  informa:on  that  prove  that  the  

moon  landing  was  real.  Had  the  conspirators  properly  researched  the  subject  and  applied  consistent  scien:fic  thinking,  they  would  have  

found  out  that  there  are  moon  rocks  taken  from  the  mission  back  to  Earth.  This  represents  

the  most  tangible  evidence  of  the  expedi:on,  and  according  to  an  ar:cle  on  NASA  Science  Online  "The  Great  Moon  Hoax"  by  Dr.  Tony  Philips,  841  pounds  of  moon  rock  were  brought  

back  to  Earth.  The  composi:on  of  these  rocks  is  unlike  any  rocks  found  on  Earth,  mainly  due  to  the  near  absence  of  water  trapped  in  their  

crystal  structure  and  absence  of  common  Earth  substances  such  as  clay  materials.  This  irrefutably  proves  that  these  Moon  rocks  come  

from  the  moon,  and  that  the  moon  landing  was  not  staged,  with  video  evidence  further  proof.  This  is  an  example  of  proper  thinking;  it  is  ok  to  doubt  something,  but  it  is  not  ok  to  be  

oblivious  to  empirical  evidence.

Maecenas aliquam maecenas Sociis mauris in integer, a dolor netus non dui aliquet, sagittis felis sodales, dolor sociis mauris, vel eu libero cras. Interdum at. Eget habitasse elementum est, ipsum purus pede class. Sodales nulla ante auctor excepturi wisi, dolor eros condimentum dis, sodales lacus nunc, at. In orci ligula suscipit.

MAN ON MOON

July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind

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• The density of Saturn is extremely

low, so low in fact that if you put it

in water (in theory) it would float.

• The moon is moving increasingly

away from the Earth each year. It

is expected that it will take a long

time before the moon reaches

Venus

• Footprints on the moon will never

be removed due to the absence of

wind on the moon. The footsteps

of astronauts will remain for

millions of years to come.

• Sound cannot travel in outer

space due to space being a

vacuum, therefore if a person was

besides you and you shouted at

him no sound would be heard.

• The Sun and Moon's gravity

causes the phenomenon of high

and low tides, due to

the gravitational pull

towards the oceans.

• Pluto is no longer

considered a

planet, it is now a

dwarf planet

• Earth has 10 million species of life

• Mars has the largest mountain in

the solar system, Olympus Mons

• Mars is 95 percent carbon dioxide

• Mercury has no atmosphere

• To find out how much you would

weigh on Venus, multiply your

weight by 0.91

• On day on Venus is 234 Earth

days

•Jupiter has no solid surface you

could stand on, its all gas

• The red spot on Jupiter is a

massive storm

• Jupiter has rings but they are less

obvious than Saturn's

• Saturn's rings are made of ice,

rock, and dust bits (not solid)

• Uranus's blue color comes from

the methane it contains

SPACE FUN FACTSAsk the right questions

Astronomy

The study of space and the physical universe as a whole.

Observing the stars and planets for timekeeping and navigation. This is a science (can be tested).

ASTROLOGYTHE STUDY OF THE MOVEMENT OF STARS AND HOW THE AFFECT HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THE NATURAL WORLD. THIS IS A NON-SCIENCE (CANNOT BE TESTED)!

Astronomy VS. Astrology

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Scientific Space Quotes

• "Astronomy compels the soul to

look upwards and leads us from

this world to another."

Plato (424BC-347BC)

• "All civilizations become either

spacefaring or extinct."

Carl Sagan (1934-1996)

• "In the beginning the Universe

was created. This has made a lot

of people very angry and been

widely regarded as a bad move."

Douglas Adams (1952-2001)

• "It's a good thing the guy in

charge of naming galaxies was

into chocolate bars and not

Chinese food. Otherwise, the

Milky Way might have been

named Moo Goo Gui Pan, and

who wants to have to learn about

that ?"

Paul Paternoster

• "Remember this: once the human

race is established on more than

one planet and especially, in more

than one solar system, there is no

way now imaginable to kill off the

human race."

Robert Heinlein(1907-1988)

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Mail UsWe want to hear your opinion about the universe and human discoveries. Send it to us and you might win a trip to NASA!

References"Felix

Baumgartner." Redbull.co.uk. Red Bull, n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. <http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Profile/Felix-Baumgartner -021242964685433>.

De La Torre, Naomi. "Cosmic

Conversation: 7 Fun Facts

about Outer Space." She

Knows Daily Delights. N.p., 6

Mar. 2011. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.

<http://

dailydelights.sheknows.com/

articles/823831/7-fun-facts-

about-outer -space>.

"Space Fun Facts." Squidoo.

N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.

"SpaceFacts." ScienceKids.N.p.,

n.d.Web.3Dec.2012.<http://

www.sciencekids.co.nz/s

ciencefacts/space.html>.

"Top 10 Cool Facts about

Space." Listverse. N.p., 13 Nov.

2007. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.

<http://listverse.com/2007/11/13/

top-10-cool-facts-about-space/>.