Space probe makes 1st Venus fly-by on way to Mercury
BERLIN โ A spacecraft bound for Mercury swung by Venus on Thursday, using Earth's neighbor to adjust its course on the way to the solar systemโs smallest and innermost planet. The fly-by is the second of nine so-called planetary gravity assists that the spacecraft needs for its seven-year trip to Mercury. Mercuryโs extreme temperatures, the intense gravity pull of the sun and blistering solar radiation make for hellish conditions. BepiColombo will make one more fly-by of Venus and six of Mercury itself to slow down before its arrival in 2025. The last spacecraft to visit Mercury was NASAโs Messenger probe, which ended its mission in 2015 after a four-year orbit.
Man pleads guilty to stealing mercury from abandoned lab, selling and spilling it in 4 places across Houston, Spring
HOUSTON โ The man accused of spilling mercury in four separate locations in west Houston and Spring in December 2019 pleaded guilty to two charges and will face three years in prison. Christopher Melder, 19, was arrested and charged after he broke into an abandoned Houston lab and stole mercury late last year. He faced a burglary of a building charge and a felony hazardous waste charge and he pleaded guilty to both Friday. On Dec. 13, 2019, Melder broke into the GeoChem labs and stole mercury that he saw was labeled as such. Evidence showed he tried to sell it and spilled it in four locations, including gas stations in west Houston and at a hospital in Spring.
This Freddie Mercury Impersonator Dancing to 'I Want to Break Free' From His Balcony Will Make Your Day
A video that has recently gone viral shows Dรญaz Ballesta rocking one of Mercury's signature looks -- light wash denim jeans, a white tank top, mustache and all! -- and belting out "I Want to Break Free" from his balcony. The fact that his moves are on-point, and that his use of a vacuum is a nod to the official "I Want to Break Free" music video Queen released in 1984. Watch the original music video here......and then see Dรญaz Ballesta's epic quarantine interpretation in the video below! There was a time in the early days where our music was really pompous, very serious, and people thought, 'Oh god, what little bores,'" he recalled.
Investigators search abandoned lab where spilled mercury was stolen
HOUSTON โ Investigators on Friday searched the abandoned Houston lab from where a teen is accused of stealing mercury and then spilling it in several locations. Video from SKY 2 showed people in protective gear walking near the Geochem Laboratories building in west Houston. A couple of blue barrels were also seen sitting in front of a large truck. Investigators have said that Melder inadvertently spilled the chemical in several places in the process of trying to sell it, which resulted in a massive decontamination effort that included dozens of people and several businesses. Houston police would only confirm that Fridayโs investigation is connected to the spills.
Judge raises bond to $150K for man accused of spilling mercury
HOUSTON โ The man accused of spilling mercury in four separate locations in west Houston and Spring appeared in court Wednesday morning. In court Wednesday, a judge raised Melderโs bond to $150,000 for three charges, including burglary and unlawful disposal of hazardous material. In an exclusive interview with KPRC 2, Melder said he found the mercury at an abandoned lab, and he only knew what it was because it was labeled. โI sold it, but only made 40 bucks off of it.โAccording to Melder, he admitted to accidentally spilling the mercury on the same day he sold it. For more on the spills and what people can do if they may have been exposed to mercury, go to our previous KPRC 2 report.
Man accused of spilling mercury: I only made $40 off of it
Christopher Melder, the man accused of spilling mercury in four separate locations in west Houston and Spring, spoke to KPRC 2 exclusively from the Harris County Jail. Melder said he found the mercury at an abandoned lab. Melder claims he then took the mercury home, looked it up on YouTube and even played with it in his own hands. โI didnโt go far in school and didnโt know it was bad,โ he said, adding that he wasnโt trying to harm anybody. For more on the spills and what people can do if they may have been exposed to mercury, go to our previous KPRC 2 report.
Cars We Remember: The best and worst of 1950 decade car design
For whatever reason, and following wonderful years of car design from 1955 through 1957, most every manufacturer, in my opinion, added too much chrome, added unnecessary curb weight in an unattractive boxy design. Some of the best designs that decade, in my opinion, were the 1957 Chevy, 1957 Ford, 1956 Plymouth, 1953 Buick Skylark, 1956 Continental, 1956 Studebaker Hawk, 1956 Mercury, 1956 Chrysler 300 and 1956 Packard Caribbean. And after so many nice cars in 1957, car enthusiasts really looked forward to the 1958 model year with much gusto. The 1958 Ford was at least acceptable in looks, but still nowhere near the 1957 models in aesthetic approval. Even the Ford Thunderbird, which made great impressions as a two-seater sports car from โ55 through โ57, fell to the 1958 car design curse.
Mercury putting on rare show Monday, parading across the sun
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL โ Mercury is putting on a rare celestial show next week, parading across the sun in view of most of the world. Unlike its 2016 transit, Mercury will score a near bull's-eye this time, passing practically dead center in front of our star. Earthlings get treated to just 13 or 14 Mercury transits a century. Mercury is 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) in diameter, compared with the sun's 864,000 miles (1.4 million kilometers.) Although the trek will appear slow, Mercury will zoom across the sun at roughly 150,000 mph (241,000 kph).
Which otherwise-obscured planet will be visible during eclipse?
For those who will be witnessing totality during the Great American Eclipse on Monday, youโre in for a real treat: not only will you see the sun completely blocked by the new moon -- so long as itโs not cloudy -- but it will get eerily dark. Birds may become confused or stop flying. And if you know where to look, you may even be able to spot a hidden planet.