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The Easterbunny Comes to NGC 4725 

At first called “Easterbunny” by its discovery team, officially named Makemake is the second brightest dwarf planet of the Kuiper belt. The icy world appears twice in this astronomical image, based on data taken on June 29 and 30 of the bright spiral galaxy NGC 4725. Makemake is marked by short red lines, its position shifting across a homemade telescope’s field-of-view over two nights along a distant orbit. On those dates nearly coincident with the line-of-sight to the spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, Makemake was about 52.5 astronomical units or 7.3 light-hours away. NGC 4725 is over 100,000 light-years across and 41 million light-years distant. Makemake is now known to have at least one moon. NGC 4725 is a famous one-armed spiral galaxy.

Credit: Bob English

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The Migration of Anatomically Modern Humans

In paleoanthropology, the recent African origin of modern humans, frequently dubbed the “Out of Africa” theory, is the most widely accepted model describing the geographic origin and early migration of anatomically modern humans. The concept was speculative until the 1980s, when it was corroborated by a study of present-day mitochondrial DNA, combined with evidence based on physical anthropology of archaic specimens.

Genetic studies and fossil evidence show that archaic Homo sapiens evolved to anatomically modern humans solely in Africa, between 200,000 and 150,000 years ago, that members of one branch of Homo sapiens left Africa by between 125,000 and 60,000 years ago, and that over time these humans replaced earlier human populations such as Neanderthals and Homo erectus. The date of the earliest successful “out of Africa” migration (earliest migrants with living descendants) has generally been placed at 60,000 years ago as suggested by genetics, although migration out of the continent may have taken place as early as 125,000 years ago according to Arabian archaeology finds of tools in the region. Read More

How do you get STDs?

Someone asked us:

I’m kind of confused about STDs. How can you get them? Also, what happens if you have sex when you’re on your period?

STDs are passed from one person to another during sexual contact. So STDs don’t appear out of nowhere, someone has to give it to you (just like the common cold or the flu). Some STDs are caused by bacteria, so they can be cured with antibiotics (like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis).

Other STDs are caused by a virus, so they may clear up on their own, or they live in your body for life (like herpes, HIV, HPV, and hepatitis). No matter what kind of STD it is, you get them from someone else by having sex — oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, or genital skin-to-skin contact. Every STD is a little different, so some are most likely to be passed by vaginal sex (like HIV), and others can easily be passed by skin-to-skin contact (like herpes).

You can help prevent getting STDs by having safer sex. This means using condoms or Sheer Glyde dental dams (a latex sheet that covers your vulva or anus during oral sex) every time you have sex. But safer sex is just that - safer. It’s not 100%. So if you’re having any kind of sex, talk with a doctor or nurse about getting tested for STDs. You can get tested at your nearest Planned Parenthood health center.

To answer your second question, there’s nothing wrong with having sex on your period. In fact, it is perfectly normal to have sex on your period as long as both you and your partner are comfortable with it. (It’s also totally okay if you want to skip period sex.) But you can still pass STDs and get pregnant during your period, so use condoms along with another form of birth control every single time you have sex.  

-Taylor at Planned Parenthood

Stunning Jewellery Collection Pays Homage to the Solar System by Lauren Beacham

American artist Lauren Beacham left her job as a gallery director to dedicate her herself and artistry to her newfound passion as a jewelry designer. With a BFA in photography, Beacham transformed a creative outlet into a full-time job. As the studio continued to grow, her husband joined Yugen as a partner and business development director. A reflection of her otherworldly-inspired work, her independent boutique is named after the Japanese term, which is defined as an awareness of the universe that triggers emotional responses too deep and mysterious for words.

Impassioned by our galaxy, Beacham recreates our solar system in every piece of her jewelry. Composed or a variety of materials, including rhodium plated brass, glass, giclee, magnets and other tools, small images of the solar system are present in every charm. The inclusion of the phases of the moon, one of the biggest muse in art is carefully placed in charming bracelets. Its obscure and intriguing beauty is easily admired up close.

Overall Beacham caters to the nostalgic stargazer who is in love with mystery and beauty beyond grasp. She allows us to take fragments of stardust everywhere with us. The demand to be inspired and to dream is reflected in her work.  Romantic in nature, every detail causes a sense of lost nostalgia and chimera. You can find her entire collection in her Etsy shop.

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Western Australia From Above

Salty Wings it’s a collaborative project by two Australian photographers, @justjampal and @micgoetze that document the beautiful sights of Western Australia from above. You can see many more images and buy prints of your favorites here.

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