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Glass Microbiology

Luke Jerram is an artist who creates sculptures and installations, as well as live projects.  His most recent collection, entitled "Glass Microbiology" was recently purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  He has created glass replicas of the viruses HPV (human papillomavirus), HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and influenza in addition to the parasite that causes malaria, and an E. coli bacterium.  Scientists know what these microscopic organisms (yes, I'm going to choose to call a virus a living entity) and are widely discussed in the scientific world.  However, these pieces of art now bring this information to a wider group of people.  They're beautiful!

Luke Jerram's Glass Microbiology site: http://www.lukejerram.com/glass/

Article about his work: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276348/Glass-Microbiology-Luke-Jerrams-delicate-deadly-viruses-recreated-blown-glass.html#axzz2KBDwXso2

E. coli bacterium

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What are you doing on February 15th?  I know what the asteroid 2012 DA 14 will be doing - coming within 18,000 miles of Earth's surface.  It might sound far, but it's actually closer to us than the moon and some satellites. 

The asteroid is believed to be about 45 meters (~ 148 feet) in diameter, but will not be visible to the naked eye.

Check out its path and more information at NASA's Near Earth Object Program here: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news174.html

Many small objects come close to Earth every year.  To give you a flavor of what is really going on in space, here's an article from TIME magazine discussing this very topic: http://science.time.com/2013/02/05/duck-close-shave-with-an-asteroid-coming/

The asteroid Mathilde, taken by the

NEAR spacecract on 6/16/97