Is this alien communication? Mystery cosmic burst captured LIVE:Images reveal the size of stars, planets and moons in relation to our planet

 

 

 

Astronomer creates images to reveal the size of stars, planets and moons in relation to our planet Pictures were created by Lancashire-based amateur astronomer John Brady They show Earth’s size relative to the sun, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter In one image, North America is shown how it would look on the red planet Another reveals how tiny Earth is when placed next to the sun Earth would fit across the width of Saturn’s rings six times While Mars’ Olympus Mons would cover the state of Arizona It can be difficult to grasp just how vast the universe and its planets and stars are - especially in relation to Earth. But now one amateur astronomer has attempted to reveal the scale of objects in our galaxy by overlaying Earth’s continents, and our world itself, on celestial objects. One image reveals how Earth would fit across the width of Saturn’s rings six times over, while Mars’ Olympus Mons is also shown to be the same size as the state of Arizona. +8 The pictures were created by Lancashire-based amateur astronomer John Brady and show Earth’s size relative to the sun, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter. In his first image, he shows how a neutron star’s size compares to the north west of England, between Liverpool and Warrington (shown) The pictures were created by Lancashire-based amateur astronomer John Brady ‘The vast majority of objects out there in the universe are pretty big so it can be difficult sometimes to get your head round their actual size,’ explained Mr Brady on website Astronomy Central. ‘Here you’ll see how some space stuff out there compares to Earth stuff down here.’ In his first image, he shows how a neutron star’s size compares to the north west of England, between Liverpool and Warrington. WIDTH OF THE CELESTIAL OBJECTS Neutron star: 12 miles (20km) Olympus Mons: 374 miles (624km) Jupiter’s moon Io: 1,942 miles (3,636km) Mars: 4,220 miles (6,792km) Earth: 7,918 miles (12,742km) Saturn: 72,367 miles (116,464km) Jupiter: 88,846 miles (142,984km) Saturn’s rings: 175,000 miles (282,000km) The Sun: 864,950 miles (1,392,000km) But Mr Brady added that a neutron star, such as the one pictured, is 1.5 times the mass of the sun despite its relatively small size. ‘So dense in fact that just a teaspoon of it would weigh over a billion tonnes,’ continued Mr Brady. Another image, this time of North America, shows how the Martian volcano Olympus Mons would obscure the state of Arizona. Located in the Tharsis Montes region of Mars, Olympus Mons is the biggest volcano in the solar system. It is taller than three Mount Everest’s above sea level and is 374 miles (624 km) across. Jupiter’s moon Io, meanwhile, would cover almost the entirety of North America. ‘Looking like a cheese pizza’ according to Mr Brady it would fit snugly between San Francisco and Detroit. +8 This illustration shows how the Martian volcano Olympus Mons would obscure the state of Arizona. Located in the Tharsis Montes region of Mars, Olympus Mons is the biggest volcano in the solar system +8 Jupiter’s moon Io, meanwhile, would cover almost the entirety of North America. ‘Looking like a cheese pizza’ according to Mr Brady it would fit snugly between San Francisco and Detroit Io is the first of Jupiter’s four main Galilean moons and for this reason it is pushed and pulled by the planet’s intense gravity. This has made it the most volcanically active place in the solar system, including Earth, with hundreds of volcanoes known to be active on its surface. Mr Brady then shows how Mars, which is about half the size of our planet, would comfortably cover the whole of North America with plenty of room to spare. But in comparison to Jupiter North America would be dwarfed by a create margin; the continent appears as just a speck on the vast cloud bands of the gas giant. +8 Mr Brady then shows how Mars, which is about half the size of our planet, would comfortably cover the whole of North America with plenty of room to spare +8 But in comparison to Jupiter North America would be dwarfed by a great margin; the continent appears as just a speck on the vast cloud bands of the gas giant In fact our planet’s diameter is 11 times smaller than the gas giant, which has lightning bolts 1,000 times more powerful than those on our own. Zooming further our, Mr Brady then compares Earth to Saturn. Our planet would fit six times over into the width of the rings, which span a whopping 175,000 miles (282,000km) wide. And if our planet took the position of Saturn, the our planet sit in the middle 41,600 miles (66,900km) away from the rings. +8 Zooming further our, Mr Brady then compares Earth to Saturn. Our planet would fit six times over into the width of the rings, which span a whopping 175,000 miles (282,000km) wide +8 And if our planet took the position of Saturn, we would sit in the middle 41,600 miles (66,900km) away from the inner edge of the rings, which then extend much further into space Compared to the Sun, our planet appears even smaller. ‘At the Sun’s scale, Earth is now really starting to look puny,’ explains Mr Brady. ‘Across the Sun’s disk you could fit 109 Earths side by side, and to fill the Sun’s volume would take 1,300,000 Earths.’ He continues: ‘The Sun puts out more energy in one second than has ever been produced in all of human history, and loses four billion tonnes of material into space every second but has enough to last for another five billion years. ‘A solar flare, an explosion from the Sun’s surface caused when hugely powerful magnetic fields break apart under stress, can have the power of a billion Hiroshima bombs.’ All the images serve to show just how our planet compares to other objects in space. +8 Compared to the Sun, our planet is even more dwarfed. ‘At the Sun’s scale, Earth is now really starting to look puny,’ explains Mr Brady. ‘Across the Sun’s disk you could fit 109 Earths side by side, and to fill the Sun’s volume would take 1,300,000 Earths’

Is this alien communication? Mystery cosmic burst captured LIVE   we could be closer to understanding its meaning This is the first time a 'fast radio burst' has been captured in real-time These are cosmic chirps that last for only a thousandth of a second No one knows where these bursts come from, but possibilities range from black holes to alien communication and mergers of neutron stars The mystery light was captured by the Parkes telescope in Australia 'Identifying the origin is now only a matter of time,' scientists claim Astronomers have for the first time seen a 'fast radio burst' – a short, sharp flash of radio waves from an unknown source – tearing through space. The discovery brings scientists a step closer to understanding the strange 'alien' phenomenon, which astronomers worldwide are vying to explain. Lasting only milliseconds, the first such radio burst was discovered in 2007 by astronomers combing the Parkes telescope data archive for unrelated objects. Scroll down for video +3 Astronomers have for the first time seen a 'fast radio burst' – a short, sharp flash of radio waves from an unknown source – tearing through space. The discovery brings scientists a step closer to understanding the strange 'alien' phenomenon, which astronomers worldwide are vying to explain Exactly what may be causing these cosmic chirps represents a major new enigma. Possibilities range from evaporating black holes to alien communication and mergers of neutron stars. Six more bursts, apparently from outside our galaxy, have now been found with Parkes and a seventh with the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico. 'We're the first to catch one in real time,' said Emily Petroff, a PhD candidate co-supervised at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. 'These bursts were generally discovered weeks or months or even more than a decade after they happened.' Mystery cosmic burst captured by Parkes telescope +3 Lasting only milliseconds, the first such radio burst was discovered in 2007 by astronomers combing the Parkes telescope (pictured) data archive for unrelated objects Banking that she'd spot a 'live' burst, Ms Petroff had an international team were poised to make rapid follow-up observations, at wavelengths from radio to X-rays. After Parkes saw the burst go off the team swung into action on twelve telescopes around the world – in Australia, California, the Canary Islands, Chile, Germany, Hawai'i, and India – and in space. WHAT ARE FAST RADIO BURSTS? First discovered in 2007, 'fast radio bursts' continue to defy explanation. These cosmic chirps last for only a thousandth of a second. Possibilities of what causes them include a range of exotic astrophysical objects, such as evaporating black holes, mergers of neutron stars, or flares from magnetars - a type of neutron star with extremely powerful magnetic fields. 'Another possibility is that they are bursts much brighter than the giant pulses seen from some pulsars,' notes James Cordes, a professor of astronomy at Cornell University and co-author of the new study. So far seven more bursts, apparently from outside our galaxy, have now been found with Parkes telescope and a seventh with the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico. No optical, infrared, ultraviolet or X-ray counterpart showed up. 'That in itself rules out some possible candidates, such as long gamma-ray bursts and nearby supernovae,' said team member Dr Mansi Kasliwal of the Carnegie Institution in Pasadena, California. But short or low-energy gamma-ray bursts and giant flares from distant magnetars - the most magnetic stars in the universe - are still contenders, she added. So too are imploding neutron stars. One of the big unknowns of fast radio bursts is their distances. The characteristics of the radio signal – how it is 'smeared out' in frequency from travelling through space – indicate that the source of the new burst was up to 5.5 billion light-years away. 'That means it could have given off as much energy in a few milliseconds as the sun does in a day,' said team member Dr Daniele Malesani of the University of Copenhagen. The burst left another clue as to its identity, but a puzzling one. Parkes's real-time detection system captured its polarisation – something that had not been recorded for previous bursts. Polarisation can be thought of as the direction electromagnetic waves, such as light or radio waves, 'vibrate'. It can be linear or circular. The radio emission from the new fast radio burst was more than 20 per cent circularly polarised – which hints that there are strong magnetic fields near the source. Identifying the origin of the fast radio bursts is now only a matter of time. 'We've set the trap,' said Ms Petroff. 'Now we just have to wait for another burst to fall into it.' +3 The Parkes Observatory, also known informally as 'The Dish' is a radio telescope observatory, located north of the town of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia     Hubble's sharpest ever image of Andromeda shows more than 100 MILLION stars in detail - and reveals hints of an ancient collision The image shows a distance of 40,000 light-years across Andromeda - around a third of the galaxy It has 1.5 billion pixels, meaning you would need more than 600 HD TVs to display the whole image Image hints at an older wave of starbirth that had previously only been spotted in one area of the galaxy This suggests a collision with another galaxy may have battered Andromeda two billion years ago  Groups of blue stars in galaxy show locations of star clusters and star-forming regions in the spiral arms The sharpest and largest image ever taken of the Andromeda Galaxy - the nearest spiral galaxy to our Milky Way - has been revealed by astronomers. It shows more than 100 million stars and thousands of star clusters embedded in a section of the galaxy’s pancake-shaped disc stretching across over 40,000 light-years. The sweeping view, which reveals one third of our galactic neighbour, also suggests that the galaxy may have been battered by a collision with another galaxy two billion years ago. Click on the image to zoom in Benjamin Williams of the University of Washington in Seattle told Nature that the image hints at an older wave of starbirth that had previously only been spotted in one area of Andromerda. ‘No one would have guessed it was galaxy-wide’, he said, suggesting there may have been a major collision in the galaxy’s history. The panoramic image has 1.5 billion pixels — meaning you would need more than 600 HD television screens to display the whole image. It traces the galaxy from its central galactic bulge on the left, where stars are densely packed together, across lanes of stars and dust to the sparser outskirts of its outer disc on the right. The large groups of blue stars in the galaxy show the locations of star clusters and star-forming regions in the spiral arms, while the dark silhouettes of obscured regions trace out complex dust structures. Underlying the entire galaxy is a smooth distribution of cooler red stars that trace Andromeda's evolution over billions of years. Scroll down for the video +4 This image shows dust lanes, which are bands of interstellar dust, observed as a dark swath against the background of a brighter object. Other features, including stellar clusters, Milky Way stars, and star-forming regions are highlighted. The large groups of blue stars in the galaxy show the locations of star clusters and star-forming regions in the spiral arms +4 This image, captured by Hubble, is the largest and sharpest image ever taken of the Andromeda galaxy, otherwise known as M31. This is a cropped version of the full image and has 1.5 billion pixels. You would 600 HD television screens to display the whole image Space telescope zooms in on the Andromeda Galaxy WHEN THE MILKY WAY AND ANDROMEDA COLLIDE: STUNNING SIMULATION REVEAL THE FATE OF OUR GALAXY It’s widely accepted than in 5 billion years our Milky Way will collide with the nearby Andromeda galaxy - but what will happen when it does? In a new simulation revealed in September, scientists showed the intricate process that will take place, with the two central supermassive black holes merging into one. And the newly formed super-galaxy, dubbed ‘Milkomeda’, will also ultimately spell disaster for Earth as our planet is flung out into interstellar space. The simulation was created by a number of institutions led by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (Icrar) in Western Australia. In the simulation it can be seen how the two galaxies will interact as they approach each other. First, in a tentative meeting, they will ‘swoop’ past each other, possibly disrupting some of the orbits of stars in the arms of each spiral galaxy. Then, after separating, the two galaxies will accelerate towards each other again. As Andromeda is larger than the Milky Way, with one trillion stars in the former compared to about 300 billion in the latter, it will technically be the one ‘eating’ our galaxy. The Milky Way is also expected to ‘eat’ two nearby dwarf galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, at some point in the future. What happens when Andromeda and the Milky Way collide The Andromeda Galaxy is a large spiral galaxy - a galaxy type home to the majority of the stars in the universe – and the clarity of these observations will help astronomers to interpret the light from the many galaxies that have a similar structure but lie much farther away. Because the Andromeda Galaxy is only 2.5 million light-years from Earth it is a much bigger target on the sky than the galaxies Hubble routinely photographs that are billions of light-years away. Its full diameter on the night sky is six times that of the full moon. To capture the large portion of the galaxy seen here — over 40 000 light-years across — Hubble took 411 images which have been assembled into a mosaic image. This panorama is the product of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (Phat) programme. Images were obtained from viewing the galaxy in near-ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths, using the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard Hubble. This view shows the galaxy in its natural visible-light colour as photographed in red and blue filters. +4 This wide-field view shows the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31) along with its companions M32 (below centre) and NGC 205 (upper right). The extend of the new PHAT survey of Andromeda using the Hubble Space Telescope is shown by the irregularly shaped region and the main image presented here by the rectangle within it Hubble's HD panoramic view of the Andromeda Galaxy   +4 A compass image of Andromeda showing its position in the sky. The large box is the area that Hubble imaged. Because the Andromeda Galaxy is only 2.5 million light-years from Earth it is a much bigger target on the sky than the galaxies Hubble routinely photographs

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The struggle to feel beautiful in an airbrushed world

 

 

Sex siren, flapper, waif or bootylicious, how the shape of the ‘perfect’ body has changed over the last 100 years Women were inspired by Charles Dana Gibson's illustrations in 1910 Curves came into fashion in 1930s and 1940s Kate Moss personified the Waif of 1990s Today, Kim Kardashian and Beyonce champion curves and a big bottom Kim Kardashian's famous curves may adorn glossy magazine covers today but that would not have always been the case. Rewind 100 years and the perfect female figure was an altogether different story. Inspired by Greatist, FEMAIL has taken a look back over the past few generations to examine exactly how the female ideals have changed. +24 FEMAIL has taken a look back over the past few generations to examine exactly how the female ideals have changed, beginning with the 1910s Gibson Girl ideal inspired by the illustrations of Charles Dana Gibson From the Gibson Girl of the early 1900s to the Bootylicious Beyonce of today - via Heroin chic Kate Moss - just how much the most desired shape of the day has changed over the years may surprise you. In 1910, it was all about the Gibson Girl look: the pouty, curvy woman who personified beauty portrayed by the illustrations of Charles Dana Gibson. Her physique was tall and slender but with a buxom bosom and large hips; essentially an 'S' shaped body achieved by wearing a super-cinched corset. +24 By 1920, the flapper girl was well in fashion and a trim figure was all the rage +24 The housewife did not need a personal trainer to keep the surplus pounds at bay. In a world before vacuum cleaners and washing machines, housework kept her - and her legs - trim for her short-hemmed dresses By 1920, the flapper girl was well in fashion. Times were hard for the Twenties flapper girl. A quarter of a century before the creation of the egalitarian Welfare State, poverty meant many British adults and children never had enough to eat. The housewife did not need a personal trainer to keep the surplus pounds at bay. In a world before vacuum cleaners and washing machines, housework kept her trim. But while the majority of women had no problem keeping slim, it was the Twenties which saw the invention of dieting. Upper-class women who ate a richer diet and exercised less bought the new women's magazines which featured weight-loss diets designed to give you that fashionable, streamlined figure that worked so well with the iconic flapper dress. +24 Hemlines fell in 1930 and curves seeped their way back into fashion +24 With her curvier figure, Jean Harlow was the sex symbol of the 1930s Hemlines fell in 1930, when morale was low following the stock market crash. Curves seeped their way back into fashion and women dared to bare their shoulders. This slightly more voluptuous look was embraced by the media, which lead nicely into the screen queen era of the 1940s. The Forties woman was one inch larger all round than the Flapper simply because she was better nourished. The Forties laid the foundation for women becoming taller as the Government decreed that every child was entitled to one-third of a pint of milk a day, so promoting the growth of strong bones. This continued in schools until Margaret Thatcher scrapped it in the 1970s. +24 With their men off fighting, fashion changed in the Forties and the curvy feminine look to cheer returning heroes became the order of the day Again, it was their highly energetic lifestyle that kept Forties women slim. There was no petrol for cars, and people cycled or walked for miles every day. Girls thought little of walking ten miles home after a Saturday night dance. With their men off fighting, fashion changed. The curvy feminine look to cheer returning heroes became the order of the day, with fitted suits and belted flowery dresses to show off the waist, and the Flapper's flattening bodice giving way to the circle-stitched bra. Those ideals heightened in the Fifties, when weight gain tablets were promoted in magazines to help women fill out their curves. +24 In the Fifties, weight-gain tablets were promoted in magazines to help women fill out their curves This was a stark contrast to the 1960s, which ushered in a more much gaunt figure popularised by supermodels such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. Dresses shrunk to suit the favoured petite frame and women craved smaller busts and tinier hips. Many women embarked on diets to fulfill their goals and Weight Watchers was founded - and welcomed - in 1963. Back came the curves in 1970 - the era of the long, lean dancing queen. Farrah Fawcett was the poster girl of this decade and waspish frames were on their way out. +24 In the 1960s, dresses shrunk to suit the favoured petite frame as sported by Twiggy   The 1960s ushered in a more gaunt figure popularised by supermodels Twiggy, left, and Jean Shrimpton +24 Back came the curves in 1970 - the era of the long, lean dancing queen +24 The typical 70s look was embraced by (L-R) Kate Jackons, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith By the time the Eighties came along, the British woman was well on the way to an irretrievable pear-shape, with her hips measuring two inches more than her bust. Women idolised the 'supermodels' of the era - including leggy Elle MacPherson, Naomi Campbell, and Linda Evangelist. It was, of course, in the Eighties that exercise classes became fashionable, with women looking to Jane Fonda in a bid to achieve lithe, muscular bodies. Alas, despite huge numbers of videos sold and classes attended, the inches continued to increase. +24 By the Eighties, the British woman was on the way to a healthy figure with Elle MacPherson being the ideal   Women idolised the 'supermodels' of the era in the Eightees - including leggy Elle MacPherson, who became widely known as 'The Body' Then came the 1990s - and Kate Moss. The supermodel and pin-up of her time, became known as 'the waif' and she and fellow catwalk queens such as Jodie Kidd popularised the 'heroin chic' look, which was gaunt with hollow eyes. The look, thankfully, came to an end thanks to Gisele Bundchen, who promoted a healthy lifestyle and washboard abs. Britney Spears also jumped on the bandwagon and shocked the world when she revealed she completes 600 sit-ups a day to achieve her toned tummy. +24 The Nineties was the decade of 'the waif' popularised the 'heroin chic' look seen on Kate Moss   Then came the 1990s - and Kate Moss, left, and Jodie Kidd. The supermodels popularised the 'heroin chic' look, which was gaunt with hollow eyes By the year 2000, the pearshape became even more marked, with the average waistsize having ballooned four inches in 20 years. The wasp-waisted Twenties woman would be shocked at the dimensions of today's Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj, who champion the bigger is better mantra. +24 By the millennium, women strived for an athletic figure like Britney Spears   Gisele Bundchen, left, and Britney Spears, right, promoted a healthy lifestyle and washboard abs in the 2000s +24 Today, the Facebook generation look to body icons such as curvy, big bottomed Kim Kardashian   Today, it's all about the big behind, as championed by Kim Kardashian, left, and Nicki Minaj, right ://

The struggle to feel beautiful in an airbrushed world   From the Gibson Girl of 1910 to the Bootylicious Beyonce of today via Heroin chic Kate Moss, just how much the 'perfect' vision of the female figure has changed may surprise you.     Body Issue: Venus Williams is following in her sister's footsteps and posing nude for ESPN the Magazine's Body Issue +8 Brrrr: U.S. bobsled brake woman Aja Evans ditched her Team USA unitard to pose nude behind her sled +8 Surf's up: Hawaiian-born professional surfer Coco Ho traded her wet suit for her birthday suit for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue This year's issue features 22 athletes posing in their birthday suits, including five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka. 'We somehow manage to raise the bar each year,' ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com editor in chief Chad Millman said in an article announcing this year's issue. 'This year's collection of exceptional athletes and stunning photography showcases an array of sports and body types. It inhabits our mission to pay tribute to these athletes' bodies and all they are capable of,' he continued. +8 Baller: U.S. Women's Olympic Soccer star Megan Rapinoe even took off her gold medal for the magazine +8 Muddin': X-Games motor sports legend Travis Pastrana and his skateboarder wife Lyn-Z Pastrana get a little muddy during their photoshoot The often-controversial issue previously included beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh, who posed for the magazine while 8 months pregnant, and PGA great Gary Player, who disrobed for the publication at age 77.     More than 150 'normal' women of all shapes and sizes pose naked for project to embrace their bodies In a world where women are bombarded with Photoshopped images of supermodels in magazines and perfectly sculpted specimens on the runway, one photographer has made it his mission to glorify the natural beauty of the naked female body. Matt Blum, a Minneapolis based photographer, and his wife Katy launched 'The Nu Project' in 2005 and have captured more than 150 women in the buff in the comfort of their own homes. He asks women to volunteer for the project and shows up at their door, having never seen them before, for the nude photo shoot. The women are of all colors, shapes and sizes. Participants heard about the project through word of mouth or Craigslist. 'I believe that women are judged more harshly by appearance, and that’s why I’ve focused this project on women,' Blum said in a description of the project on his website. He hopes the experiences encourages women to embrace their shape and not feel ashamed at their bodies. All women must be 21 years of age to participate and sign a release before the shoot. 'From what I've experienced, 99 per cent of the women who've participated have told me that they saw themselves differently and that they felt more beautiful,' Blum said in a Reddit discussion on the project. 'I got into this work because I didn't like the amount of nude photography that was either focused on a) perfect bodies or b) making women look extremely average just to prove that everyone is average.' Scroll down for video Beauty: Photographer Matt Blum and his wife Katy joined forces to photograph naked women in their element At ease: He asks women to volunteer for the project and shows up at their door, having never seen them before, for the nude photo shoot Embrace yourself: The Minneapolis based photographer, launched 'The Nu Project' in 2005 and have captured more than 150 women in the buff in the comfort of their own homes Calm: The women are of all colors, shapes and sizes. Participants heard about the project through word of mouth or Craigslist No regrets: 99 per cent of the women who've participated told the photographer that the photo shoot made them feel differently and that they felt more beautiful Acceptance: The photographer said he started the project because he didn't like the amount of nude photography that was either focused on making a women's body look perfect Happy: This woman exuded calm and confidence posing for the photographer Celebrate: The photographer wanted to allow women to experience the natural beauty of their bodies At home: The photographer captured women in the comfort of their own homes At 16 her gangly beauty saw her become the face of the 1960s. Fifty years on, Twiggy’s still very much in fashion. At 65, the model and Marks & Spencer designer has been named as the latest ambassador for L’Oreal.This time her enviable blonde locks will be the focus of the adverts for the brand’s Professionnel line of hair products. Here she charts her hairstyle history: 1965: A mousey bob, aged 15. A mousey bob, aged 15 'I was so young and so green back then, a teenage schoolgirl from Neasden, and it’s reflected in my naturally mousey brown hair. 'I had grown up in a really ordinary, happy, working-class home, the daughter of a carpenter, in the suburbs of London and I was very, very unsophisticated. 'I never sought the kind of fame that I eventually attracted. 'I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. 'I was a Mod girl and you had to have that kind of bobbed hairstyle then. 'Actually, that shade is a brilliant one for going any other colour, and this look is my jumping-off moment — a blank canvas for what came next.' +15 1966: The look that launched me 'Don’t I look young! This was the haircut that launched my career and was done by legendary hairdresser Leonard of Mayfair, in February 1966, for a shoot to test out my look. 'I was a bit shocked initially, as I didn’t know what he was going to do — and I’m not sure he did either. 'Thank goodness I took the plunge! 'It all took seven-and-a-half hours. Leonard would cut a bit then send me upstairs to see Daniel Galvin for colour, then Leonard would cut more. 'It got shorter and shorter! This period of my life was such a unique time. 'I was this funny, skinny little thing with eyelashes and long legs, who had grown up hating how I looked. 'It wasn’t fashionable to be skinny at that time, but suddenly I was being told I was beautiful, having my picture taken by famous photographers and earning lots of money. 'I thought the world had gone raving mad.' +15 1971: Flapper girl 'I had just started growing it long when I was signed up by director Ken Russell for my first film role, in The Boy Friend. 'Ken insisted I have my hair cut short again and we had a big argument. 'But in the end I had to admit he was right; for a Twenties movie, the short style worked, and moved, perfectly. 'I retired from full-time modelling at this point. 'I could have continued, but I enjoyed acting better and the film won me two Golden Globes: most promising newcomer and best actress in a musical or comedy.' +15 1972: Biba Blonde 'I’m very blonde here, modelling for Biba. 'I began colouring my hair in my teens while still at school. 'I have vivid memories of buying bottles of dye and my hair got into a pretty grim condition as a result. 'By the time Daniel Galvin got his hands on my hair in 1966, it was in a terrible state. 'He completely changed the way I thought about treating my hair and taught me the need to see a professional. 'Now I wouldn’t dream of doing highlights myself.' +15 1977: In Farrah's footsteps 'All those layers and big tumbling curls — very Farrah Fawcett. 'This promo shot was for a TV show I made with Bruce Forsyth. 'It was also the year I married my first husband, American actor Michael Witney, with whom I had a daughter, Carly.' +15 1980: So long it's just perfect 'This is my hair at its longest, and I loved it this way. 'I’ve always had a thing about long hair — I think it’s beautiful. 'But as a child, my mother would cut it short. 'Our neighbour said that long hair made you dizzy and I think shorter hair was easier for my mum to manage. 'Although my first very short cut is what everyone remembers, I only ever wanted to grow it out. 'Finally, here, I felt I’d achieved it — but it took me seven years to reach that stage.' +15 1982: Curls For Diana’s Dress Designer 'My hair is very romantic here, with ringlets, which matches the tone of the outfit, by David and Elizabeth Emanuel. 'It was just a year after they’d designed Diana’s wedding dress. 'In the Eighties, the best way to get this look was to sleep in prickly, plastic curlers, so I was delighted when they invented foam ones. 'Here, I was about to open a show on Broadway, My One And Only, for which I was nominated for a Tony award.' +15 1986: Beach blonde in Paradise 'Goodness, weren’t those shorts really short! 'This was a candid shot taken while I was appearing in a film with Robin Williams called Club Paradise — I was 35 at the time. 'My hair is quite long still but I had succumbed to another cut. 'With long hair, you still need it trimmed regularly to cut off the split ends. 'I look quite Californian with this beach-blonde hair shade and deep tan. 'I was going back and forth to Los Angeles for work a lot, so caught the sun a lot.' +15 1989: Big Hair For a big night 'Just look at the back-combing and hairspray — so Eighties! 'This was at the royal film premiere of Madame Souzatska in London and I had it specially styled at the hairdresser. 'The previous year I had married Leigh Lawson when I was 39. 'We were in this film together, and Shirley MacLaine also starred. 'Leigh’s been the most amazing father to Carly. 'It would have been nice if we’d had kids of our own, but it never happened. 'Anyway, I acquired a stepson, Ace, now 38, which was lovely. And Carly, now 36, and Ace get on fabulously.' +15 1997: Off-stage and feeling natural 'This is the real me and it’s very natural. 'You can see how straight my hair is without styling. 'I wish I had a curl — you always want what you don’t have. 'This picture was taken after I’d just come off stage while appearing in the Noel Coward play Blithe Spirit in Chichester.' +15 1999: Feathering my face for TV 'I’ve undergone a big reinvention of my hair here for my new TV show, with a shorter, layered cut feathered round the face. 'By now a fringe is a staple part of my hairdo, too. 'The look worked for my role presenting on OK! TV. 'I also had a stint on ITV’s This Morning in 2001, after Richard and Judy left.' +15 2006: Soft and warm - and about to be spotted by M&S 'It’s very short again here, and a really soft, warm style. 'This was taken while I was presenting America’s Next Top Model, which I did from 2003 to 2007. 'Not long after I became the face of a Marks & Spencer campaign. 'M&S only happened because I went into a pub in Southwold with my husband Leigh — me in my woolly hat and anorak, aged 57 — and was spotted by executive Steve Sharp.' +15 2008: Almost 60 and loving the long, tousled look 'My long hair is back — blonde, tousled and quite edgy — in this shoot with Brian Aris for a women’s magazine. 'I don’t think age should be a barrier to long hair; I still love having long locks as much as ever. 'But then I feel comfortable with the way my looks change with age. ' I’ve never been tempted by Botox; I hate that frozen look and I do worry about where it goes — after all, it’s poison. 'I have a facial a couple of times a year and like to get my nails wrapped as a treat to myself. ' I do like to get eight-and-a-half hours sleep and do Pilates to stay supple, too.' +15 2010: A fashion-friendly style 'Fashion should be stylish and fun': Twiggy's M&S collection 'I’ve stayed a pale blonde for a few years now, and I think it suits my face, giving it some light and lift. 'I’m at the British Fashion Awards here and am a big advocate of our homegrown designers. 'I love Stella McCartney clothes but also wear a lot of High Street stuff, and I adore designing my range for Marks & Spencer. 'I’ve never really had my hair any shorter than this, not since The Boy Friend, and I wouldn’t like to, though that’s a personal thing: I like to have a bit of hair around my face.' +15 2015: Bright and bold at 65 'This is a strong, bold look for someone of my age — styled for the new L’Oreal Professionel campaign — but I really like it. 'My daughter Carly said: "It looks very modern, Mum," and that’s always a good thing to hear. 'They made the highlights very bright and very easy to see, then styled the hair absolutely straight. 'I was a bit nervous but love the results, thankfully! 'They have used the Majirel High Lift, a highlighting technique that Daniel Galvin first used on me back in 1966. 'It is amazing to be working with Daniel again. 'He is the person who initiated natural-looking highlights and he’s still at the top of his game.'