Japanese artist Azuma Makoto recently ventured to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert (home of Burning Man) to launch a Japanese white pine bonsai into space. The artist also arranged a stunning bouquet with about 30 varieties of flowers from around the world and launched them into space as well. The project, entitled Exobiotanica, occurred on 15 July 2014.

To accomplish the feat Makoto collaborated with Sacramento-based JP Aerospace, a volunteer-based organization that constructs and sends vessels into orbit. The team used helium balloons to launch the plants and the bonsai reached a height of 91,800 ft (27.98 km), while the bouquet topped out at 87,000 ft (26.51 km).

[via The New York Times]

[Taken 20 July 1969] Earth Rise as Seen From Lunar Surface: This incredible image of the Earth rise was taken during lunar orbit by the Apollo 11 mission crew in July of 1969. The first manned lunar mission, Apollo 11 launched aboard a Saturn V launch vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The 3-man crew aboard the flight consisted of Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module pilot.

Carrying astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., the Lunar Module (LM) ‘Eagle’ was the first crewed vehicle to land on the Moon. Astronaut Collins piloted the Command Module in a parking orbit around the Moon. The LM landed on the moon’s surface in the region known as Mare Tranquilitatis (the Sea of Tranquility). The crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material which was returned to Earth for analysis. The surface exploration was concluded in 2.5 hours. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished. The Saturn V launch vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun.

In this beautiful sunrise capture, we see a river fog filling San Francisco Bay as parts of the Golden Gate Bridge peak out above the fog. The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait, the mile-wide, three-mile-long channel between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California, and the United States. It has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It opened in 1937 and had, until 1964, the longest suspension bridge main span in the world, at 4,200 feet (1,300 m).

The blue hour is the period of twilight each morning and evening when the sun is a significant distance below the horizon and the residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue hue. This effect is caused by the relative diffusability of short blue wavelengths of light versus the longer red wavelengths. During the blue “hour” (typically the period is about 40 minutes in length), red light passes straight into space while blue light is scattered in the atmosphere and therefore reaches the earth’s surface.

The human body is a biological marvel. Tasked to protect it is our immune system, which is responsible for detecting and neutralizing a wide variety of agents, known as pathogens, and distinguishing them from our own healthy tissue.

28 years ago, National Geographic Magazine published an article entitled, Our Immune System: The Wars Within. Written by Peter Jaret with photography by Lennart Nilsson for Boehringer Ingelheim, the article appeared in the June 1986 issue of National Geographic Magazine.

In April 2013, reddit user spukkingfaceship discovered the old issue and scanned some of the images and posted the gallery to Imgur where is has been viewed over 300,000 times.

Below you will find the images from the amazing gallery along with a brief description of what’s happening in each. You can see the original post on reddit here.

[via spukkingfaceship on reddit]

A macrophage (x18000), a human defense cell, seeking to engulf droplets of oil.

A major component of the immune system, a helper t-cell is under attack by Hiv/ AIDS (blue)

Latecomers in immune system evolution, B-cells, like this specimen covered with bacteria, produce armies of anti-bodies whose sole purpose is to attack a single kind of pathogen.

Malaria protozoa have multiplied in two cells in a culture dish of red blood cells. One has burst open releasing the parasites to infect other cells

First line of defense agains armies of dangerous microorganisms, skin tissue is able to mend itself rapidly after injury.

First step in phagocytosis, or “cell eating” a macrophage extends several pseudopods from its single-celled form to embrace a number of E-coli bacteria

Bacteria trapped within an extension of a macrophage membrane

Powerful chemicals inside the macrophage will breakdown and destroy the components of invading cells.

Like a vision from science fiction, a macrophage reaches out to ensnare bacteria with a cellular extension called a pseudopod.

One of mankind’s greatest inorganic threats, asbestos fibres are engulfed by a macrophage which will probably die from its indigestible meal.

Mutiny in the body is a constant occurrence, many believe, as healthy cells somehow escape the mechanisms that regulate cell growth and turn cancerous. Fortunately, antigens on their surfaces sometimes alter slightly, changing from self to non-self. Thus the cells become targets for Killer T-cells, like these surrounding this large cancer cell.

Frozen in action, killer T cells appear remarkably alive as they attack a cancer cell. Several of the normally round T-cells acquire the elongated shape of active fighters as they subject their target to chemical attack, breaking down the cell membrane.

After a cancer cell loses it’s cytoplasm, only a fibrous skeleton is left, here surrounding a T-cell.

Overzealous immune responses, allergic reactions plague humans who produce certain unnecessary antibodies.

A renegade immune system has ravaged a (surgically removed) femur of a 50-year-old women suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis. Most common of al the autoimmune disorders.

The common cold virus, constantly mutates to avoid detection. Just how totally viruses can overcome a healthy host is seen when an infected human cell ruptures, releasing a stream of new viruses (blue) into the system.

Grüner See (Green Lake) is a lake in Styria, Austria in a village named Tragöß. The lake is surrounded by the Hochschwab mountains and forests. The name “Green Lake” originated because of its emerald-green water which comes from the snowmelt from the karst mountains.

During the winter, the lake is only 1–2 meters deep and the surrounding area is used as a county park. However, during the spring, when the temperature rises and the snow melts, the basin of land below the mountains fills with water. The lake reaches its maximum depth of around 12 meters (40 ft) from mid-May to June. In July, the water begins to recede. The submerged park is a popular destination for divers to explore the unique environment. [source]

[12 December 2006] Backdropped by a colorful Earth, astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, Jr. (left) and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Christer Fuglesang, both STS-116 mission specialists, participate in the mission’s first of three planned sessions of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction resumes on the International Space Station. The landmasses depicted are the South Island (left) and North Island (right) of New Zealand.

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest human-made object ever to orbit the Earth. The station is so large that it could not be launched all at once — it is being built piecemeal with large sections added continually by flights of the Space Shuttle. To function, the ISS needs trusses to keep it rigid and to route electricity and liquid coolants. These trusses are huge, extending over 15 meters long, and with masses over 10,000 kilograms. Pictured above earlier this month, astronauts Robert L. Curbeam (USA) and Christer Fuglesang (Sweden) work to attach a new truss segment to the ISS and begin to upgrade the power grid. [source]

Selected from more than 18,000 entries, a photograph of a dramatic storm cloud, taken by Marko Korošec of Sezana, Slovenia, has been chosen as the grand-prize winner of the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. Korošec has won an eight-day National Geographic Expedition to Alaska’s Inside Passage for two aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion or the National Geographic Sea Bird. Shot near Julesburg, Colorado, the winning photo is titled “The Independence Day” because the spaceship-like cloud formation reminded Korosec of the 1996 movie.

“It’s such a beautiful structure created by Mother Nature and dangerous at the same time,” Korošec said. “I decided to submit this photo because it does look kind of surreal and gives a feeling of how small we are against nature.”

Agnieszka Traczewska of Krakow, Poland, placed second for her photo, “First Time.” She receives a five-day National Geographic Photography Workshop for one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The third-place photo, “Diver in Magic Kingdom,” was made by Marc Henauer of Geneva, Switzerland, and he wins a six-day cruise for two on a Maine windjammer schooner. Seven merit-prize winners will receive a print of their photo, matted and framed by the National Geographic Imaging Lab, a $200 gift certificate to B&H Photo and “The Art of Travel Photography” course on DVD from National Geographic and The Great Courses. All of the winning photos may be viewed online on the Traveler Photo Contest website.

This year’s contest received over 18,000 entries from photographers around the world. Contestants submitted photographs in four categories: Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place and Spontaneous Moments. Judging consisted of two rounds of evaluation based on creativity and photographic quality. Several of the judges will participate in a Google+ Hangout On Air on Aug. 4, 2014, at 11 a.m. EDT to share a behind-the-scenes look at the contest. They will be joined by some of the winners to discuss what makes an award-winning shot.

While on storm chasing expeditions in the Tornado Alley in USA I have encountered many photogenic supercell storms. This photograph was taken while we were approaching the storm near Julesburg, Colorado on My 28th, 2013. The storm was tornado warned for more than one hour, but stayed an LP storm through all its cycles and never produced a tornado, just occasional brief funnels, large hail and some rain. Location: Julesburg, Colorado, USA

Mea Shearim, ultra Orthodox district of Jerusalem. Newly married, Aaron and Rivkeh after the wedding ceremony are to stay together for the very first time, alone. Their marriage was arranged by families. 18 years old candidates confirmed the choice in result of the one meeting only. Since then until the wedding day they were prohibited to meet or even talk. Location: Mea Shearim, Jerusalem, Israel

Green Lake (Grüner See) is located Tragöss Austria. In spring snowmelt raises the lake level about 10 meters. This phenomenon, which lasts only a few weeks covering the hiking trails, meadows, trees. The result is magical to watch diving landscapes. Location: Grüner See at Tragöss – Austria

This photo, taken at the ‘end of the world’ swing in Banos, Ecuador, captures a man on the swing overlooking an erupting Mt. Tungurahua. The eruption took place on February 1st, 2014. Minutes after the photo was taken, we had to evacuate the area because of an incoming ash cloud. Location: Banos, Ecuador

This photo was captured at noon, 25.12.2013, from the castle which is located on the edge of the small town and is the perfect viewpoint for the panorama of the almost intact historical town. The fog and mist suffused and gave the town a sense of mystery. Location: Český Krumlov, South Bohemian, Czech Republic

This photo, of Moussa Macher, our Touareg guide, was taken at the summit of Tin-Merzouga, the largest dune (or erg) in the Tadrat region of the Sahara desert in southern Algeria. Moussa rested while waiting for us to finish our 45 minute struggle to the top. It only took 10 minutes of rolling, running and jumping to get to get back down. The Tadrat is part of the Tassili N’Ajjer National Park World Heritage Area, famous for its red sand, and engravings and rock paintings of cattle, elephants, giraffes and rhinos that lived there when the climate was milder. Location: Summit of Tin-Merzouga, Tadrat, Tassili N’Ajjer National Park, Algeria

Taken during “The Mayana Soora Thiruvizha” festival takes place every March in the small village of Kaveripattinam, the day after Mahashivarathiri (The great night of Shiva). The festival is devoted to Angalamman, a fierce guardian deity worshipped widely in Southern India. Location: Kaveripattinam, Tamilnadu, India

While exploring Burough Market in London, I was delighted to come across four lovely young women dressed in vintage white dresses, eating ice cream as the local shopkeeper looked on. Are they brides? Or bridesmaids. I don’t know, but they are obviously enjoying a very special day. Location: Burough Market, London, England

On arrival at Jonathan’s Lodge our horses took to celebrating liberation from their heavy burdens. With the backdrop of “The Devil’s Knuckles” and the afternoons glow how could i not take advantage of these magnificent creatures rejoicing in the afternoons glow . This was the end of the first of a three day horse back ride through Bushman’s Nek, up the Drakensberg escarpment and into Lesothos’ Sehlabathebe National Park. Location: Jonathans Lodge, Qachas Nek, Sehlabathebe National Park, Lesotho

Young Monk finds a perfect light source to read his book inside of his pagoda – Old Bagan, Burma Location: Old Bagan

In a tweet last month, astronaut Buzz Aldrin informed the world that he was responsible for taking the first ever selfie in space during the Gemini 12 mission in 1966. The mission took place from November 11-15 lasting 3 days, 22 hours and 34 minutes. The two-man crew included Aldrin and James Lovell Jr.

The mission was Aldrin’s first spaceflight. He would later become the second person to ever walk on the moon after Neil Armstrong on 21 July 1969.

Click here to see an interview with CNN about the memorable moment.

The Rose of Jericho (Selaginella lepidophylla) is a species of desert moss that has the amazing ability to ‘resurrect’ itself after bouts of extreme dehydration lasting months or even years. After just a few hours of exposure to moisture the plants burst to life, uncurling from a tight ball of dry leaves to a green flower-like shape. Videographer Sean Steininger shot this timelapse of several plants as he exposed them to water. (via Cause, Science!)

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