5 Amazing Astronomy Videos: Rockets, the Sun, Stars, and Saturn

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Here's footage from the (amateur) Qu8k launch.  Personal tests of whether or not a videos is share-worthy:  My jaw has dropped / My eyes are bulging / Expletives.... check, check, and check.
"Qu8k Rocket Launch Highlights - On-board GoPro HD at 22+ miles above earth"
"Qu8k (pronounced "Quake") launched from the Black Rock Desert in Nevada to an altitude of 121,000' before returning safely to earth. Above 99% of the atmosphere, the sky turns black in the middle of the day and the curvature of the earth is clearly visible. The rocket motor produced 4,000 lbs of thrust for 8 seconds accelerating the vehicle to over Mach 3 at over 10,000'. After that, momentum carried the rocket skyward for another 84 seconds to a peak altitude of 121,000.'"



Video Credit: d3deville




Via NASA/Goddard's Flickr.  A different, but similar video to the popular one going around right now.
"Auntie Em! It’s a Twister!"
"...NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded this eruption on the sun's surface that looks much like the tornadoes that appear on Earth. This tornado, however, swirled a thousand times faster, with whirling gases reaching speeds of over 186,000 miles an hour -- compared to tornadoes on Earth that are closer to 100 miles per hour."



 Video Credit: NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center / SDO / AIA / NCAR



"Haunting Images from the Sun"
"In the last year, the sun has gone from its quietest period in years to the activity marking the beginning of solar cycle 24. SDO has captured every moment with a level of detail never-before possible."



Video Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA



 Off of Vimeo.  Quite impressive.


The Stars as Viewed from the International Space Station. from AJRCLIPS on Vimeo.



And finally, another gem from Vimeo.  Beautiful, this one evokes a lot of emotion, for me at least.
"This is the perfect opportunity for a Carl Sagan quote: 'Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.'  The footage in this little film was captured by the hardworking men and women at NASA and The European Space Agency with the Cassini Imaging Science System."


CASSINI MISSION from Chris Abbas on Vimeo.



Thanks to Camilla SDO on G+ / Joshywashington

   
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