Move suddenly, and bright spots blur your vision before you start to stagger and retch. This is Chajnantor, the most inhospitable portion of Chile's Atacama desert, and one of the world's most arid places.
Because Gliese 581 is only 1% as bright as the Sun, it exudes little warmth, and its habitable zone lies much closer. At this distance, planets get locked into strong gravitational pulls that tend to slow their rotation.
But why bother? Given that the night sky is full of bright galaxies, why do astronomers build telescopes manufactured to a billionth of a metre accuracy, just to see faint ones? The answer is about looking back in time.
To camouflage themselves, red-eyed tree frogs cover their blue sides with their back legs, tuck their bright orange feet under their belly, and keep their bulging red eyes shut.
To camouflage themselves, red-eyed tree frogs cover their blue sides with their back legs, tuck their bright orange feet under their belly, and keep their bulging red eyes shut.
To camouflage themselves, red-eyed tree frogs cover their blue sides with their back legs, tuck their bright orange feet under their belly, and keep their bulging red eyes shut.
Peter Coffin’s UFO roared its engine, spinning faster and faster, dipping lower and lower, its bright pink and blue and yellow lights whirling into a blur and illuminating the night sky.
Peter Coffin’s UFO roared its engine, spinning faster and faster, dipping lower and lower, its bright pink and blue and yellow lights whirling into a blur and illuminating the night sky.
Peter Coffin’s UFO roared its engine, spinning faster and faster, dipping lower and lower, its bright pink and blue and yellow lights whirling into a blur and illuminating the night sky.
A Norwegian town's bright idea is a shining example of ingenuity. Rjukan has installed a trio of giant mountain-top mirrors to illuminate the valley town's square during the cold, dark winter months.
A Norwegian town's bright idea is a shining example of ingenuity. Rjukan has installed a trio of giant mountain-top mirrors to illuminate the valley town's square during the cold, dark winter months.
A Norwegian town's bright idea is a shining example of ingenuity. Rjukan has installed a trio of giant mountain-top mirrors to illuminate the valley town's square during the cold, dark winter months.
A Norwegian town's bright idea is a shining example of ingenuity. Rjukan has installed a trio of giant mountain-top mirrors to illuminate the valley town's square during the cold, dark winter months.
A Norwegian town's bright idea is a shining example of ingenuity. Rjukan has installed a trio of giant mountain-top mirrors to illuminate the valley town's square during the cold, dark winter months.