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Explanation: Will our Sun look like this one day? The Helix Nebula is one of brightest and closest examples of a planetary nebula, a gas cloud created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star. The outer gasses of the star expelled into space appear from our vantage point as if we are looking down a helix. The remnant central stellar core, destined to become a white dwarf star, glows in light so energetic it causes the previously expelled gas to fluoresce. The Helix Nebula, given a technical designation of NGC 7293, lies about 700 light-years away towards...

<p>Delta II rocket carrying climate satellite blasts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base early Friday. Photo from NASA via AP.</p> <p>A Delta II rocket carried a climate satellite into orbit early Friday after launching from Vandenberg Air Force base.</p> <p>The satellite includes Aquarius, a large, disk-shaped instrument that will measure the salt content of the ocean surface by sensing the microwaves it emits.</p>

With the inaguration of Barack Hussein Obama Jr. as America’s next President, at a time when liberal Democrats now control both Houses of Congress, America has entered a new dimension – the 5th Dimension. This is the dawning of the age of Obama, oops, I mean Aquarius. Gone is the Era of Capitalism, the Evils of Bush. The Age of Contention and Confrontation is finally over. President Obama will bring a renewed sense of hope and change to America – and to the world. Peace will finally sweep the planet. Old enemies will now sit peaceably at the same table...