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Astronomy Picture of the Day: Henize 70: A Superbubble in the LMC

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Henize 70: A Superbubble in the LMC Massive stars profoundly affect their galactic environments. Churning and mixing interstellar clouds of gas and dust, stars -- most notably those upwards of tens of times the mass of our Sun -- leave their mark on the compositions and locations of future generations of stars . Dramatic evidence of this is illustrated in our neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), by the featured nebula, Henize 70 (also known as N70 and DEM301). Henize 70 is actually a luminous superbubble of interstellar gas about 300 light-years in diameter, blown by winds from hot, massive stars and supernova explosions , with its interior filled with tenuous hot and expanding gas. Because superbubble s can expand through an entire galaxy, they offer humanity a chance to explore the connection between the lifecycles of stars and the evolution of galaxies . Febru...

Daily Deal - .hack//G.U. Last Recode, 70% Off

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Today's Deal: Save 70% on .hack//G.U. Last Recode !* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://bit.ly/2Sh23mH"

Astronomy Picture of the Day: An Airglow Fan from Lake to Sky

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An Airglow Fan from Lake to Sky Why would the sky look like a giant fan? Airglow . The featured intermittent green glow appeared to rise from a lake through the arch of our Milky Way Galaxy , as captured during 2015 next to Bryce Canyon in Utah , USA. The unusual pattern was created by atmospheric gravity waves , ripples of alternating air pressure that can grow with height as the air thins, in this case about 90 kilometers up . Unlike auroras powered by collisions with energetic charged particles and seen at high latitudes, airglow is due to chemiluminescence , the production of light in a chemical reaction. More typically seen near the horizon, airglow keeps the night sky from ever being completely dark. February 03, 2019 via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2GlQRP5 Manage this Ap...

What will we name the solar system’s next planet?

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Space Even in space, bureaucracy exists. How will the International Astronomical Union name a ninth planet in our solar system? It decides the official names of stellar objects, but there’s no precedent for… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2WCDvne"

Astronomy Picture of the Day: LDN 1622: Dark Nebula in Orion

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LDN 1622: Dark Nebula in Orion The silhouette of an intriguing dark nebula inhabits this cosmic scene. Lynds' Dark Nebula ( LDN ) 1622 appears against a faint background of glowing hydrogen gas only easily seen in long telescopic exposures of the region. LDN 1622 lies near the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy, close on the sky to Barnard's Loop , a large cloud surrounding the rich complex of emission nebulae found in the Belt and Sword of Orion . But the obscuring dust of LDN 1622 is thought to be much closer than Orion's more famous nebulae, perhaps only 500 light-years away. At that distance, this 1 degree wide field of view would span less than 10 light-years. Its foreboding appe arance lends this dark expanse a popular name, the Boogeyman Nebula. February 02, 2019 via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2G6xF8R ...

Dota 2 Update - February 1st, 2019

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* Fixed an issue that caused players completing calibration games using Ranked Roles to not have the correct resulting calibrated MMR. Players who have already played calibration games with this behavior have have their MMR updated to reflect the correct values. via Steam RSS News Feed "http://bit.ly/2MJBK31"

Groundhog Day is all about woodchuck sex

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Animals Six more weeks of Tinder. Research into groundhog biology shows they have other priorities in early February than mingling with the people of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2UA2o17"

Long exposure photography is an easy way to make your photos stand out

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DIY Vancouver based photographer Sharon Tenenbaum shares her tips. This is how Sharon Tenenbaum bends reality to create art. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Sq2BGC"

Why measles is back, in five charts

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Health Both coasts are currently battling measles outbreaks. Too many people have forgotten what it's like to live in a time where everyone got the measles. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2RBCBny"

There's an 'empty trash bag' circling our planet

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Space Not drifting through the wind. There is a lot of space junk streaming around the Earth’s orbit, but few objects are quite as peculiar as one called A10bMLz. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2G5cxzN"

An 'acoustic fingerprint' should keep Alexa from waking during Amazon's Super Bowl ad

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Technology The same technique works for when Stephen Colbert gets mischievous. Here's how Amazon works to prevent your television from triggering Alexa. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2D6m4To"

Steam Client Update Released

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A new Steam client has been released and will be automatically downloaded. General Support using ipv6 for connections to download servers Fixed multiple issues in tracking Steam window and chat window position and size when adjusted by the user or automatically through DPI and screen size changes Fixed downloading unnecessary updates for games that self-update after initial install Fixed a crash related to SteamVR Desktop Overlay Added "Force Quit" button to the desktop client overlay, matching existing Big Picture functionality. Force-quitting a game can result in loss of unsaved data Added “Edit Controller Configuration”, which will open the current Steam Input configuration in a new window. Steam Input Allow the On-screen Keyboard to spawn on secondary monitors Fixed a bug that could require you to hit the “Summon On-screen Keyboard” button twice before it launched Fixed Mouse region bindings in windowed games running without the Big Picture Overlay F...

Gear to make better movies on your smartphone

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Gadgets Portable equipment to give your iPhone videos some professional polish. A list of super portable gear to take your smartphone movie making to the next level. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2RxpAuQ"

Daily Deal - Abandon Ship, 33% Off

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Today's Deal: Save 33% on Abandon Ship !* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Sunday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://bit.ly/2S6vbOh"

How autism myths came to fuel anti-vaccination movements

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Health A timeline leading to the 2019 measles outbreaks. Measles outbreaks across the country aren’t a fluke. Here’s how misguided fears about vaccines got us where we are. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2SjT1oF"

Free for a limited time on Steam: Kholat

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Kholat is free for a limited time on Steam!* The most terrifying journey of your life set in the beautiful winter scenery of the Ural Mountains. Uncover the horrific mystery behind the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Narrated by the famous Sean Bean. *Offer ends February 4 at 9AM Pacific Time. Add it to your account and own it permanently. via Steam RSS News Feed "http://bit.ly/2RZeQdU"