Science & Universe

Jupiter, Moon Earthshine and Venus, Aligned in Capuchos

Alignment between Jupiter, Crescent Moon and Venus, captured from Capuchos village, in Almada, Portugal. Jupiter is the bright star in the left upper corner. Venus is the bright star near the yellow/orange sky, and the cloudy band. Near the horizon is visible the city of Lisbon.

"WOBBLY MAGNETIC RECONNECTION SPEEDS UP ELECTRONS"

Scientists have discovered a missing piece in the puzzle of where high-energy particles in Earth's magnetosphere come from. Using data from ESA's Cluster mission, they found that magnetic reconnection can accelerate electrons to very high energies - as long as reconnection happens at a variable pace rather than steadily. The result will improve predictions of space weather, studies of fusion plasma, and the understanding of astrophysical environments affected by magnetic fields.

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Saleen S7 Twin Turbo

                Saleen S7 Twin Turbo

Vehicle Type      :- production car, two-door Coupe

Configuration     :- Mid Engine

Engine                :- Twin-Turbo V8

Capacity             :- 7000 cc

Torque                :-700 lb-ft at 4800 rmp

Horsepower        :- 750 bhp at 6300 rpm

Transmission      :- 6-s Speed Manual

Length                :- 188.8 inches

Width                  :- 78.4 inches

Height                 :- 41.0 inches

Weight                :- 2950 lbs

Wheelbase         :- 106.3 inches

0-60mph             :- 3.2 sec

0-100mph           :- 6.2 sec

Top speed          :- 248 mph

Price                   :- $555,000    

In 1983, a racing driver named Stave Saleen established Saleen Autospor. Being a race driver and an enthusiast, just a year after their formation, they had already come up with their first creation, the Saleen Mustang. The group has been successful in producing high-quality cars and their racing version.

The latest model produced by Saleen is the 2010 S281. It doesn’t  only brag of its beautiful design  but also of its high-power engine.

However, it is the S7 that Saleen’s bread and butter. It is a high performance race car which features the powerful Twin-Turbo  V8 engine with a capacity of 7000 cc.

 

The engine delivers an output power of 750 bhp at 6300 rpm and 700 lb-ft torque at 4800 rpm. The saleen S7 reaches the speed of 60 mph in 3.2 second and 100 mph speed in about 6.2 second. The Saleen S7 features 6-speed Manual transmission.

The body of the Saleen S7 is made of aluminum and carbon fiber, which reduces weight. The Saleen S7 features aluminum dampers and stabilizer bars at the front and rear. This super car, priced at $550,000, can reach a top speed of 248 mph. The powerful super car has a 19-inch alloy wheels at the front and 20-inch allow wheels at the back.

The wheels are wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires and the wheels features the 15-inch vented discs at the front and 14-inch vented discs at the rear.

INTERIOR

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What you think???

Most of the Universe is dark. The protons, neutrons and electrons that make up the stars, planets and us represent only a small fraction of the mass and energy of the Universe. The rest is dark and mysterious. X-rays can help reveal the secrets of this darkness. X-ray astrophysics is crucial to our understanding not only of the Universe we see, but the quest to determine the physics of everything.

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LAMBORGHINI REVENTON

Vehicle Type    :- two doors coupe, production car (limited to 20)

Price                :- 1,000,000 Euros

Configuration    :- Mid engine/ AWD

Engine              :- V12

Displacement    :- 6496 cc

Transmission     :- E-Gear / 6-speed manual

Horsepower     :- 650 bhp  at 8000 rpm

Torque             :- 487 lb-ft at 6000 rpm

Width               :- 81.0 in

Length              :- 185.0 in

Height              :- 44.7 in

Weight             :- 3670 lbs

0-60 mph         :- 3.3 secs

Top Speed       :- 211 mph

BUYING an exclusive car is no big deal these days if you have the right kind of money, but if you have to select from just 20 cars, is the height of exclusiveness. That is just what the Lamborghini Reventon was. Based on the normal LP 640, limited to a production run of  20 and priced at one million euro, all 20 cars were snapped up even before the cars were made.

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., or Lamborghini for short, is an automotive manufacturer based in Sant’Agata Bolognese, a small commune in central Italy. It was founded by the manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963,and has changed ownership many times since then. Lamborghini cars always make perfect rivals for any race track finish line.

      

The Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, with its gloss primer grey paint, upgraded V12 engine, and optional  transparent engine cover, garnered oohs and aahs when it made its debut in the 2006 Geneva Motor Show.

The Reventon was the most outrageous Lamborghini ever 

made.It production was limited to 20 models and it was sold out before the cars were even made. It has the most power Lamborghini engine and it is the fastest Lamborghini out there. It has a powerful 640 bhp V12 engine which enable accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 secs and reach a top speed of 211 mph. The car resembles the Murcielago with its acute and obtuse angles.

INTERIOR

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Bugatti Veyron

Bugatti Veyron

     

Assembly         :-  Molsheim, Alsace, France.

Predecessor      :-  Bugatti EB 110

Body style(s)   :-  Standard: 2- door coupe

Variant              :- targa top

Engine(s)           :- Standard: 

                   8.0 LW 16 quad- turbocharged  1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp)

Super sport        :-  1,200 metric horsepower (883 kW; 1,184 bhp)

Transmission(s)   :- 7-speed  DSG sequential

Wheelbase           :- 2,710 mm (106.7 in)

Length                  :- 4,462 mm (175.7 in)

Width                    :- 1,998 mm (78.7 in)

Height                   :- 1,159 mm  (45.6 in)

Kerb weight          :- 1,888 kg (4,162 lb)

Designer               :- Jozef Kaban                                          

When the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 was launched a few years ago, it created a worldwide sensation. With 16 cylinders oozing pure power, here is the faster car on Earth capable of hitting a top speed of 407 Km/hour. It was also a unique and stunning design from VW, owners of Bugatti.

Bugatti was founded by Ettore Bugatti, who was an Italian refugee depicted as an odd genius in Molsheim, France. The original corporation is celebrated for manufacturing a number of the most elite  automobiles in the world, as well as a numbers of the quickest.

Bugatti’s original brand name did not succeed with the coming of the Second World War, like a lot of high-end marques at the time. At present, the name is possessed by the Volkswagen Group, which has restored  it for the limited manufacture elite sports cars.

It carries on the name of racing driver Pierre Veyron, who, while racing for the original Bugatti car manufacturer, won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939. It has the fastest acceleration speed, reaching 60 mph in 2.6 seconds.

Endowed with W16 engine-16 cylinders in 4 banks  of 4 cylinders fed by four turbochargers, a dual clutch DSG computer-controlled manual transmission, the Veyron has a  length is 4462 mm (175.8 in) a  wide of 1998 mm (78.7 in) and height of 1206 mm (47.5 in). Counting a sum of 10 radiators, for the engine cooling system, for transmission oil, a heat exchanger  for the air to liquid inter coolers, for engine oil etc., the car has a power  to weight ratio  of 529 bhp/ tonne.

This super car can reach 200 and 300 km/h in 7.3 and respectively  16.7 seconds, being  the      quickest-accelerating production car in history. If we count the fact that the  top speed Bugatti  Veyron is 407.5 km/h, a speed limited electronically to prevent tire damage (it can run even faster) we can understand why this spectacular car must consume 40.4 L/100 km (4.82 mpg) when it’s running at top speed and in city driving 24.1 L/100 km.

The Bugatti Veyron costs atleast of $1,700,000. Not many can afford it and still fewer can drive it. Many new designs has been released since 2006,the color might have changed, but the speed and power remain the same.

 Bugatti Veyron Interior

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

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Mercedes Bens SLR

Mercedes Bens SLR

Layout              :- Front Engine, RWD

Transmission   :- 5 speed High Torque-Capable Automatic

Brakes             :- Carbon Fiber/ Ceramic Brake Disc

Engine Type    :- Supercharged V8

Displacement  :- 5.5 liters

Horsepower     :- 650 bhp

Torque             :- 605 lb-ft

Body type        :- 2 Door,  2 Seat Roadster

Wheels             :- Lightweight 19- inch Forged Aluminium

Material           :- Aluminum Frame, Carbon Fiber Body

Performance    :- 0-100 km/h (0.62mph)   3.7 seconds

Top speed        :-208 mph

0-200 km/h (0.125 mph)   :- 10.6 seconds

THE all-new Mercedes-Benz SLR Mclaren Roadster 722 S opens up a whole new world of open-top driving. This two seated cabriolet surpasses the exiting benchmark among the super sports car- the  SLR McLaren Roadster. This endows both models with a high degree safety and extreme torsion stiffness to increase power; the new SLR Mclaren Roadster 722 S features a more dynamic suspension tuning and improved aerodynamics.

The new  SLR Mclaren Roadster 722 S limited to only 150 vehicles. Amazing  dimensions in open-top driving are in this  new Mercedes-Benz SLR Mclaren Roadster 722 S. The Roadster has an output of 478 KW/650 hp, acceleration from 0-60 mph under 3.7 seconds and top speed of 208 mph. The roadster has a exemplary energy absorption and a higher level of occupant safety, plus a torsional rigidity that is unseen in an open-top car. 

Interior

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EXOTIC WHEELS

EXOTIC  WHEELS

Only a very few people can look the other way when a flashy sports cars goes past on the road. They grab your attention with their sleek lines, mesmerizing colour schemes and almost musical exhaust notes.  A sports car may not be very practical, but ordinary cars cannot even  get close to their sheer appeal. Well, some so-called sports cars even  four doors, a la Porsche Panamera. These cars evoke a sense of exhilaration and a feeling of contentment. The adrenaline rushes when you  just see one, leave alone driving one. 

And if you have to ask the price, or even the fuel  consumption, just forget it. These  cars are not for the faint hearted and the ‘shallow pocketed’. With some cars costing more than one million euro, only an  exclusive club of rich people can afford to open  the cheque book to order one. These thrills do not come cheap and running them is not an easy affair either. But then, they are priceless, almost.

All other can only afford to admire them, perhaps even dream about them. These cars are extremely rare or non-existent in Sri Lanka , so seeing them in the metal here is out of the question. You would be a bit  more lucky abroad. But they do not fail to impress us even through still picture. From the timeless appeal of an Alfa Romeo 8c to the sophisticated lines of a Mercedes McLaren SLR, these exotic wheels drive our imagination wild. Some cars  have limited production runs, so the prices   too have  hit the stratosphere.

The daily News Wisdom Series brings you a selection of exquisite   Exotic Wheels that will make your heart beat faster, just like their engines. So take your pick, start your engines, floor the  throttle and drive your way to motoring heaven.  

  

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