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Apollo 11 VR lets you travel back in time and experience the Moon landing

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Apollo 11 VR Oculus Rift

Being the first human to ever walk on the Moon is a one-time achievement that only Neil Armstrong can take credit for, but what if you could travel back in time and experience it for yourself? Although actual time travel is not possible (for now at least), UK-based company Immersive Education is trying to provide us with the next best thing. The company has put together a Kickstarter project that will take you back to 1969 and let you take part in the Apollo 11 mission. The Moon landing simulator comes in the form of an Oculus Rift virtual reality game that lets you play as none other than Neil Armstrong himself.

The Apollo 11 VR experience was compiled using actual NASA archive footage and audio from the ambitious mission that took Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the Moon. The project aims to recreate the entire historical journey, from the launch of the Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center all to way to the Moon landing and lunar exploration. The folks at Immersive Education have already created a demo of the Apollo 11 VR experience, but they need more funding in order to further improve it and make it as visually pleasing and historically accurate as possible. The demo can be found on the Kickstarter page and you can try it out now on your desktop monitor, although it’s even better if you try it out using an Oculus Rift DK2 virtual reality headset.

The project has a goal of €30, 000 with 29 days to go as of this writing. Thus far, almost 400 backers chipped in for the Apollo 11 VR experience and they gathered close to €8, 000. You only need to pledge  €10 in order to get the full experience once it’s done, which seems like a reasonable price. The developers predict that the game will be out sometime during July. In the meantime, make sure you check out a video of the demo below.

Although George has many hobbies, he likes nothing more than to play around with cameras and other photography equipment.

Engineering

Next-Generation “Invisibility Shields” are now available and more secure than before

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Previously confined to ancient myth and science fiction, invisibility cloaks have now become a tangible reality thanks to the efforts of a British start-up over the past four years.

Invisibility Shield Co. launched their inaugural product in 2022, garnering significant online attention and excitement. The corporation is currently seeking to introduce its most recent iteration of second-generation shields, which exhibit enhanced dimensions and stealth characteristics.

The shields do not necessitate any external energy source or magical abilities; rather, they employ optical illusions to create the perception of invisibility.

The panel exhibits a visual illusion of transparency, although it effectively presents a distorted perspective of its underlying contents. The device employs a meticulously designed lens array to effectively redirect the light that is reflected from the topic positioned behind it, moving it away from the observer positioned in front.

In order to divert light that is reflected from the background and the individual positioned behind, the shields employ lenses. According to Tristan Thompson, the designer of the shield, the vertical orientation of the lenses causes the light reflected from the person behind the shield to become more diffuse when spread out, compared to the light reflected from the wider background.

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The team’s second-generation invisibility shields are currently available for pre-order on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter, which aims to increase funding for the undertaking. Their initial versions were additionally supported through crowdfunding on Kickstarter, leading to the successful distribution of numerous invisibility shields worldwide.

The second-generation shields operate based on a similar fundamental principle, however, with several modifications included. Firstly, the lenses have been modified in terms of their shape and density in order to enhance resolution and optimize their performance for curved shields. It is worth noting that the previous iteration of the lenses was flat in design. According to Thompson, there has been a transition from a layered construction to the extrusion of each shield face from a single piece. This change has resulted in enhanced clarity compared to previous iterations, where layers of material were bonded together using an adhesive.

Currently, there are three distinct variations of invisibility shields being manufactured: the “Mini” variant, measuring 20 centimeters (8 inches) in height; the “Full Size” variant, measuring 91 centimeters (3 feet) in height; and the “Megashield” variant, measuring over 182 centimeters (6 feet) in height.

Notwithstanding their dimensions, the recently developed shields have been engineered to be compacted to a mere 1/30th of their original size, facilitating convenient portability for individuals.

Early riser The prices of the products are £54 (equivalent to around $68), £299 ($377), and £699 ($883), respectively, based on their different sizes. The delivery of these things is scheduled for the conclusion of 2024.

“The potential is boundless, but above all, these shields are highly enjoyable, providing an opportunity for play and excitement in their creation.” Our objective was to assess the extent to which we could advance this technology. A practical and functional invisibility shield that may be conveniently rolled up and slung over the shoulder.

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Astronomy

Unexpected! The Japanese Lunar Lander SLIM successfully endures its second night of intense lunar activity

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The reports regarding the downfall of Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) are highly overstated. The SLIM mission successfully executed a lunar landing in late January, showcasing a notable level of precision in landing on an unfamiliar celestial body. Regrettably, the touchdown was somewhat uneven, introducing complexities to the overall operation. However, it is evident that the technology was sufficiently robust to endure the significant decrease in temperature encountered during the harsh lunar night, not just once but twice!

Upon landing on January 19, SLIM’s disadvantaged position rendered it incapable of utilizing its solar panels for power generation. Although the position was regrettable, it is worth noting that SLIM was making progress in the correct direction. As the Moon underwent orbital motion around the Earth, the Sun initiated its illumination on the inclined surface where the solar panels were situated, thereby supplying the necessary energy.

The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) announced in late February that SLIM had successfully endured its inaugural lunar night. Now, it has been reported that the robust inclined lander has once again achieved this feat, although its future remains unknown.

The previous evening, #SLIM informed us that the spacecraft had successfully crossed the lunar night for the second time. According to Jaxa’s report on the SLIM Twitter account, due to the bright sun and the equipment’s high temperature, we only captured a few images of the typical scenery using the navigation camera.

Based on the collected data, it has been observed that certain temperature sensors and unused battery cells are experiencing malfunctions. However, the bulk of functionalities that were operational during the initial lunar night were observed to persist even after the subsequent lunar night.

We can hope that SLIM will make it through a third night because good things tend to happen in groups of three. Whether it does or not, it has far exceeded our expectations. A smart lander for investigating the moon is what SLIM stands for. The point of it was to show that it is possible to land very precisely on another world. The goal was to soft-land just 330 feet (100 meters) from a certain target spot. From what we know now, it looks like it landed only 55 meters (180 feet) from where it was supposed to.

The moon’s night may have missed SLIM, but it did kill Odysseus, which also landed on its side. It’s not a new trend that all the cool people who live on the moon are doing this. This is proof of how hard it is to soft-land anywhere, even on the moon. Odysseus was the first US lander to land on the Moon in 50 years. It was also the first private lander that didn’t crash-land on the moon’s surface. It was owned by intuitive machines, which said it did not wake up a few days ago.

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Astronomy

The upcoming Total Solar Eclipse next month may feature uncommon vibrant pink streamers

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There exists a rationale for individuals actively seeking out solar eclipses across the globe, as it is evident that this occurrence is not a universally seen phenomenon. However, it is important to note that every solar eclipse exhibits unique characteristics. In the case of the April 8 North American complete solar eclipse, it is anticipated that several additional elements would be present, such as a profusion of red, pink, and potentially white streamers and loops.

The forthcoming solar eclipse will have a longer duration than the majority of others and will take place during a period when multiple planets, and potentially a comet, are present in the sky, enhancing the overall spectacle. Nevertheless, the most notable characteristic of this eclipse is its proximity to the solar maximum, which coincides with the peak likelihood of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

Solar storms are unpredictable, typically occurring over a week in advance. Therefore, it is now uncertain whether there will be any activity when the sun is obscured by the moon, which presents an opportunity to observe its corona. Nevertheless, it is evident from statistical data that the probability is significantly greater at present compared to the previous complete solar eclipse in the United States in 2017, where solar activity experienced a fall from a peak that was far lower than the current one.

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The phenomenon of solar maximum is a consequence of the 22-year periodicity of the Sun’s magnetic field, wherein two distinct maxima manifest approximately 11 years apart. Currently, the magnetic field is entangled, resulting in the formation of sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that give rise to auroras.

Prominences can be observed at the Sun’s periphery even during periods of low solar activity, either through the use of hydrogen alpha filters or when the Moon obstructs a significant portion of the Sun’s light. Nevertheless, on this occasion, they ought to be somewhat longer and more plentiful, resembling streamers directed away from the Sun, frequently exhibiting hues of red and pink. If a flare is properly timed, it is possible to observe its upward movement from the Sun. Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are infrequent; however, they can remain visible for extended periods. Even if they happen before to the eclipse, they can still be observed.

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There were a lot of nice prominences during the 2023 solar eclipse that happened off the coast of Australia. And the eclipse was a lot shorter than it is now. The sun was also not as busy at that time.

There have been prominences that were as long as the sun’s width. Most prominences are longer than the Earth’s diameter. Most of the time, one end is attached to the sun, making it look like a streamer. But sometimes it looks like an arch, with both ends attached to sunspot regions.

Some people don’t know what causes prominences, but they are made up of hydrogen and helium, just like the sun, and magnetic fields hold them up against gravity. Rarer coronal loops can look like a curved prominence, but they are much hotter.

Since prominences go through the hydrogen alpha transition, they give off light in the red part of the spectrum. When mixed with white light from normal heat emissions, though, it can make things look pink.

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All of these phenomena are distinct from the typical occurrences of eclipses, such as the Diamond Ring effect, which is triggered by a thin slither of unobstructed Sun, and Baily’s Beads, which become apparent when valleys between lunar highlands permit the passage of sunlight.

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