Environmental Graffiti

Who Knew Missile Defense Could Be So Pretty?

Decoy flares are infrared countermeasures used to protect aircraft from being detected by infrared homing missiles, i.e. those that detect heat sources like a jet engine. Like a plane’s guardian angels, the flares create false heat targets that confuse the guidance system of an enemy aircraft’s infrared missiles. Apart from being a simple and effective defense mechanism, they’re also surprisingly beautiful. No wonder they have been nicknamed angel wings.

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10 Most Incredible Solar Flares Captured In Pictures

Solar flares are like the Sun's equivalents of Earth's natural hazards, though of course they occur on a much larger scale. It would be nice to say such phenomena have minimal impact on the environment or life on Earth, but solar flares do strongly influence our local space weather – and who knows what a biggie could do? While we wait for the answer, don your protective glasses and prepare for some dazzling images of solar eruptions.

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The Violence of the Sun: From Monster Flares to Solar Quakes

Image from NASA. Not our sun, but you get the point. I know – who would have thought that a ball of gas so hot we can measure, but not yet properly fathom, be put off by its fusion-powered viciousness?  The sun is having a bad week, [...]

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