tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12386882863214716592024-02-07T15:29:01.308-05:00Cosmic StringsConnecting astronomy and space science to...well...just about everything.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-80977678050947123352014-05-23T11:06:00.000-04:002014-05-23T11:13:35.810-04:00COSMIC STRINGS ALERT: May Showers bring...um...Lots of Meteors? We Hope So!That's right, dear readers...we've got a new meteor shower on our hands. And we're hoping it's going to be a good one.<br />
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If you're already a meteor shower buff, you're familiar with the classics...the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseids">Perseids </a>in August...the Geminids in December...sometimes the Leonids in November can put on one heck of a show. But May is not usually a great time for meteors.<br />
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Hold on to your hat...we're hoping the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Camelopardalids#Meteor_shower_radiant">May Camelopardalids </a>will change all that.<br />
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If you're not a meteor shower buff, maybe you'd like a bit of an introduction. Allow me!<br />
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Most of us have seen, or heard of, a shooting star. Shooting stars have nothing to do with actual stars. A shooting star is really a piece of rock entering the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_atmosphere">Earth's atmosphere</a> from the vacuum of space. When it does, the air of the Earth rubs against the rock. As you might imagine, the rock heats up...and so does the air. The streak of light across the sky that we call a meteor or a shooting star is actually glowing, superheated air left behind as the rock whips by. If any part of the rock makes it to the ground, we call it a meteorite. Such rocks are amazing finds and tell us a great deal about our solar system.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8zX88xoBDE26zz_M4GviD2xbUdWeLEEnqZGBRFb9MLm4L7ZpPtkyG7odccQFsg1rsWjlO02S_ZYl8cqdhXckbBBxnbYEFlLiIp-09kgLYrwi4h0dFmUmAsednBuqB98SYnQ-zrMnVDg/s1600/20080930bolide_edin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8zX88xoBDE26zz_M4GviD2xbUdWeLEEnqZGBRFb9MLm4L7ZpPtkyG7odccQFsg1rsWjlO02S_ZYl8cqdhXckbBBxnbYEFlLiIp-09kgLYrwi4h0dFmUmAsednBuqB98SYnQ-zrMnVDg/s1600/20080930bolide_edin.jpg" height="323" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bright meteor streaks across the sky over Texas. This particular rock exploded, causing what is called a bolide - a very bright explosive flash. Image courtesy the Astronomy Picture of the Day.</td></tr>
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You can see a meteor on any clear night...if you're looking in the right place at the right time. About 10 tons of material hits the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/index.html">Earth's atmosphere</a> every day...but most of those rocks are the size of grains of sand. They are destroyed on their way in without producing a meteor. The ones we see are bigger...usually at least the size of a pea or larger. They can come from anywhere, moving in any direction. We call these <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid">sporadic meteors</a>, because they can come from anywhere, anytime.<br />
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A meteor shower on the other hand, is a regular, predictable bunch of meteors that all seem to come from the same part of the sky. This part of the sky is called the radiant of the shower...and the name of the meteor shower comes from the name of the constellation where the radiant is located. So the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/watchtheskies/#.U39i1naa88Y">August Perseids</a> seems to come from the constellation Perseus...the November Leonids seem to come from the constellation Leo...you get the idea. All these meteors seem to come from the same place and happen at the same time because the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth">Earth </a>is actually moving through a whole bunch of material left behind by the passage of a comet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6cbu_2_RzYDGqC_IzQYwH-n26C4swJW5ISNNAz7Bx28DYDznmagH12Lf9XFppKkHH5A4ld4fNeBiegYFG95gU-9OVkknqNcSiU82HbwEMgzwruDlkbFFXggKCVHILzJ9NlyzoPD8BTo/s1600/GeminidMeteorShower2012_JeffDai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6cbu_2_RzYDGqC_IzQYwH-n26C4swJW5ISNNAz7Bx28DYDznmagH12Lf9XFppKkHH5A4ld4fNeBiegYFG95gU-9OVkknqNcSiU82HbwEMgzwruDlkbFFXggKCVHILzJ9NlyzoPD8BTo/s1600/GeminidMeteorShower2012_JeffDai.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A composite image of the Geminid meteor shower showing numerous meteors coming from the same area of the sky. These meteors did not actually all happen at the same time - this is a digital composite of many photographs taken on the same night. Image courtesy of the Astronomy Picture of the Day.</td></tr>
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Comets have long tails produced when the heat of the Sun warms up the ice a comet is made of and turns it to gas. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet">Comets </a>can be pretty dusty, dirty objects...so when the ice gets turned to gas, all the dust and rock trapped in the ice is also released and left behind along the orbit of the comet. If the Earth passes through this cloud of crud left behind...bam, you get a meteor shower as all those bits slam into the <a href="http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/earth/atmosphere.html">Earth's atmosphere</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBk8ZnOZ1Re9wnurnWGqfQnqtiIxmY2rX1tEskCyFqVByXrJiV-O4M_0rAPPi9V7i_3Jr9fJIr1HBST1zNz0jyqDxZz2iKISCUu40DeP2IxsijS4TN1cF6jbY7LBlSamkHs7Uld98nv6k/s1600/McNaught2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBk8ZnOZ1Re9wnurnWGqfQnqtiIxmY2rX1tEskCyFqVByXrJiV-O4M_0rAPPi9V7i_3Jr9fJIr1HBST1zNz0jyqDxZz2iKISCUu40DeP2IxsijS4TN1cF6jbY7LBlSamkHs7Uld98nv6k/s1600/McNaught2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comet McNaught. Note the big, messy tail. All of that may be future meteor material. Image courtesy NASA.</td></tr>
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The comet debris that's causing all the fuss this May is a comet named 209P/LINEAR. It's not a bright comet, and you can't see it tonight. It orbits the Sun once about every 5 years, so it's shed lots of material over time. Scientists think we're about to pass through a particularly dense patch of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/209P/LINEAR">209P/LINEAR</a> material...TONIGHT!<br />
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That's right...tonight! Overnight tonight, we might just have a spectacular new meteor shower. Or...we might have a total dud. The only way to know is to be outside tonight watching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky">the sky</a>. There's a small chance this new shower might even be a meteor storm - when so many meteors streak across the sky at once that you can see multiple meteors every second! By comparison, a really good meteor shower produces a few tens of <a href="http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Meteors">meteors </a>per hour. So this could be the event of a lifetime!<br />
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Here's what to do to check out the May Camelopardalids:<br />
<ul>
<li>Go to bed early. The best time to be outside for the meteors will be 1 - 3 AM early Saturday morning (on the East Coast of the <a href="http://u.s/">U.S</a>.) so you'll want to be ready to be awake in the middle of the night.</li>
<li>Find the darkest sky you can. If nothing else, make sure your house lights are all off, and ask your neighbors to turn off any outside lights they have. The darker your sky, the more meteors you will see.</li>
<li>Put the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dipper">Big Dipper</a> to your back. The meteors will be coming from the constellation Camelopardalis the Giraffe, a very faint constellation in the Northern sky. They will get brighter as they move away from the Giraffe, so putting North to your back will likely give you a better chance to see some <a href="http://nineplanets.org/meteorites.html">meteors</a>.</li>
<li>Don't bother with a telescope or binoculars. Meteors are easiest to see with the unaided eye!</li>
<li>Dress as if it is 10-20 degrees cooler than it actually is. You'll get cold really fast just standing still looking up.</li>
<li>If you plan to watch a long time, bring a lawn chair out with you. Especially something that reclines, so you can look up without straining your neck or back.</li>
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Best of luck with your meteor viewing! If you see any good views, please let me know in the comments!<br />
Here's hoping for a massive meteor storm!<br />
Either way...<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-57191158116197921232014-05-05T11:15:00.000-04:002014-05-05T11:17:15.287-04:00Holy Planets, Batman!Quick, my young ward, run outside and view the planets!<br />
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No seriously! Get outside, soon! There are three planets currently gracing the early evening skies, and you do not want to miss this.<br />
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I've been waiting to post this because we've had a serious stretch of rainy weather here in Virginia, and it seemed cruel to write a post telling everybody about the amazing stuff they can't go outside and look at. But this past weekend was brilliant, and hopefully some nice weather is here for a little while. So let's talk planets.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter">Jupiter </a>has been shining bright in our evening sky for some months now. It's a dramatic, white star-like object high on the western side of the sky in the early evening. You can't miss it. It's the brightest thing out there, assuming the Moon is nowhere around. Grab a pair of binoculars or a small telescope for a real treat - a quick zoom-in will reveal the colorful cloud stripes on the planet and as many as 5 moons orbiting the giant world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoriSNL0wsC_Axk6rmG-_7XlqUbUojoCpjA3HxWPnUkt4VbZBeHh2zW4mY4UxIhjvejjbAiyLEdQvmfPgiIqq8H8gqUaYo1x9WDsIyJsTrPKYn5hft-tm-cnvfBdZIcjQp3yhv9nLVp5Y/s1600/jupiter_moons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoriSNL0wsC_Axk6rmG-_7XlqUbUojoCpjA3HxWPnUkt4VbZBeHh2zW4mY4UxIhjvejjbAiyLEdQvmfPgiIqq8H8gqUaYo1x9WDsIyJsTrPKYn5hft-tm-cnvfBdZIcjQp3yhv9nLVp5Y/s1600/jupiter_moons.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jupiter and its four largest moons as seen through a small telescope.</td></tr>
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Looking more south-southwesterly, you still have time to catch the orangey glow of Mars before it fades away into the distance. Mars made a close approach to us in April, and is now getting further and further away from us with each passing day. A good-sized telescope will reveal a mottled surface and possibly a bit of a polar cap on our tiny next door neighbor. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars">Mars </a>is only half the size of the Earth, so seeing any detail on the planet is difficult. With Mars being a bit closer now than it normally is to us, here's your best shot at seeing some Martian surface detail for a while...the next close approach will be in about two years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0s4SOJz_CMZ881H9LbWD0Eh6trzFvqil9uBXCdSvcJv2FQj6a1_CdvY16ogyvJz6bte3I_ezy6feR55MzGtpkt0CfAchBo-cPWaTTJ5iUdljzbN5p5bOkByjyFiUbHa51Ts9_66naU0M/s1600/Brent-MVI_9594-big111_1396549718_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0s4SOJz_CMZ881H9LbWD0Eh6trzFvqil9uBXCdSvcJv2FQj6a1_CdvY16ogyvJz6bte3I_ezy6feR55MzGtpkt0CfAchBo-cPWaTTJ5iUdljzbN5p5bOkByjyFiUbHa51Ts9_66naU0M/s1600/Brent-MVI_9594-big111_1396549718_lg.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mars as seen in a larger telescope during its close approach in April 2014.</td></tr>
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Finally, lower in the southwest you will find the golden glow of Saturn. Here's the big payoff for your binoculars or telescope - those oh-so-spectacular rings. If you are using binoculars, you'll need to hold them very steady - a tripod will be your best bet. Remember, you're looking at something about a billion miles away. But oh, that view is so worth it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTSQihwUDn_KCYGVuTaZ7iZ8bd37vVSNICldYxdlnLJb6oUXxo434fVVYE4C3MGFi9QJKsMQrkQVUypc-psPhAUFTIUOYabkrc4dkGnuaRx32nb1OexZUqG7AQxQDzTBd1m5-X9KaR9c/s1600/IxmTa2C.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTSQihwUDn_KCYGVuTaZ7iZ8bd37vVSNICldYxdlnLJb6oUXxo434fVVYE4C3MGFi9QJKsMQrkQVUypc-psPhAUFTIUOYabkrc4dkGnuaRx32nb1OexZUqG7AQxQDzTBd1m5-X9KaR9c/s1600/IxmTa2C.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturn as seen through a larger telescope.</td></tr>
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Don't have a telescope or binoculars? Not sure exactly where to look? No worries. Come on out to the <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/planetarium_pm.aspx">Virginia Living Museum on Saturday May 10</a> and we'll do the leg work for you. Our telescopes will be set up (weather permitting) and all you'll have to do is bend your eye to the eyepiece and stare. Trust me, you'll be glad you came! For more details on our monthly star party and laser light nights, please visit our website at www.thevlm.org. And if you can't make the star party, get out there and look up anyway. No matter which way you face, the universe has a lot to offer! Enjoy!<br />
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Until next time...<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
Kelly Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-85318967356513864332014-04-14T15:10:00.002-04:002014-04-14T15:10:55.834-04:00COSMIC STRINGS ALERT: Lunar Eclipse Overnight Tonight!Greetings folks!<br />
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Tonight you have the chance to see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon">Moon </a>slide through the Earth's shadow in what's known as a lunar eclipse. Because the shadow of the Earth does contain some light (namely, the light from all the sunrises and sunsets occurring around the world through the atmosphere), the <a href="http://moon.nasa.gov/home.cfm">Moon </a>takes on a fascinating reddish color. Therefore, lunar eclipses are sometimes referred to as "blood Moons." Don't worry...despite all the hype running around the internet, there's nothing scary, dangerous, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth">Earth</a>-shattering about tonight's eclipse.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsh4sNE5xxslfAMugwniiumM0LZo3Tev8AizKctuoTN2lvUUaFGqWHa-qMUtXUsRM15b1MMXX7XvYt7StyBr5Gxaf3ccDhsjW_fJPQfI13m7A4la_xHpSxxw4nprp_SvlAnq4hTCwu74/s1600/506482main_trio_eclipse_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsh4sNE5xxslfAMugwniiumM0LZo3Tev8AizKctuoTN2lvUUaFGqWHa-qMUtXUsRM15b1MMXX7XvYt7StyBr5Gxaf3ccDhsjW_fJPQfI13m7A4la_xHpSxxw4nprp_SvlAnq4hTCwu74/s1600/506482main_trio_eclipse_lg.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Moon in eclipse. Courtesy Fred Espenak and NASA.</td></tr>
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To see this wonderful event, get up around 2AM. That's when the Full Moon will begin dipping into the shadow of the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/">Earth</a>. It will take almost an hour for the Moon to move all the way into the shadow. Once the Moon is totally eclipsed, the color will become clear. It will be interesting to see how red the Moon looks...sometimes the light scattering into the shadow makes the <a href="http://www.google.com/moon/">Moon </a>an almost bright orange...sometimes it can turn the Moon a very deep red, almost brown color. It will all depend on the state of the Earth's atmosphere tonight - how much dust is in it, how much pollution, and other factors.<br />
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The eclipse will continue until sunrise, so depending on whether you have work or school on Tuesday (or still need to finish your taxes!), you might want to just watch a little while, and then head on back to bed.<br />
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This eclipse is the first of a tetrad, a group of four consecutive total lunar eclipses, over the next year and a half or so. So if you miss this one...stay tuned...maybe you can catch the next one!<br />
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Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-88183289795618156632014-04-09T16:03:00.001-04:002014-04-09T16:05:27.941-04:00Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc7BwXCyqiHQrcJ6x3TnS9Lz24xBDvNKrl2W_WXxJ6cQX6Nlhp-tzNhRBMI62UbZzcmrjJRsdjzPZqS7h2-y-XrESdQLIAEtt1mq6qvcYjciFDw377nq6EpVGLmmSubfSJ914Ma85CP8/s1600/Weapon_of_Choice_video.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc7BwXCyqiHQrcJ6x3TnS9Lz24xBDvNKrl2W_WXxJ6cQX6Nlhp-tzNhRBMI62UbZzcmrjJRsdjzPZqS7h2-y-XrESdQLIAEtt1mq6qvcYjciFDw377nq6EpVGLmmSubfSJ914Ma85CP8/s1600/Weapon_of_Choice_video.jpg" height="288" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guess what? We're playing a game. This image has something in common with the title...but what?</td></tr>
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Greetings!<br />
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We're in the middle of <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/special-events.aspx">Spring Break</a> here at the Virginia Living Museum, and that means lots of shows. It's also a time when lots of people visit the museum, so we're really keeping busy around here these days.<br />
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During times like Spring Break and Summer, I get to talk to a lot of people about the sky. So few of us take the time to stop and look up in the evenings...and even fewer of us can do so multiple times in a month. Many folks don't realize that the sky is always changing above them! The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth">Earth</a>'s rotation carries stars and other celestial objects across the sky daily. While the stars are fixed compared to each other over the course of a human lifetime, planets move constantly through the solar system, changing their positions against the background stars. Compared to the stars, planets are moving at the speed of light! The galaxy rotates as well, carrying the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun">Sun </a>and the the entire solar system along with it in a grand motion that we humans never see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdaQDcgKrc-cOixfEkiGNYDZacvcvxcV71pTK9HG_oUQaABtHJ5y8MK3Nb0uVsoAn04t_08nL9oyAUcZJ8dIp2jC5JwxSW-McggixHZ0mo2tT4QpsYM61OpPqxGrbrSKtcv92lDFa6hw/s1600/Speed_Of_Sound_Video_Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdaQDcgKrc-cOixfEkiGNYDZacvcvxcV71pTK9HG_oUQaABtHJ5y8MK3Nb0uVsoAn04t_08nL9oyAUcZJ8dIp2jC5JwxSW-McggixHZ0mo2tT4QpsYM61OpPqxGrbrSKtcv92lDFa6hw/s1600/Speed_Of_Sound_Video_Pic.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another strange image that's somehow connected to something in the previous paragraph.</td></tr>
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Even for those folks familiar with their local sky can be startled by the experience of seeing the sky from a new location. Moving across the surface of the Earth also changes what you can see at night...especially if you change hemispheres! When you see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_%28Crosby,_Stills_and_Nash_song%29">Southern Cross</a> for the first time, it can be an amazing experience. Those stars, and many others, are never visible in the Northern Hemisphere, and can be seen only when venturing far to the south. An added bonus of visiting in South America or Australia? A view of the two companion galaxies to our own Milky Way - the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PIrPcL5hgmxElpYKw_U5DFFefEZ8KHn_TJ7oKVItbAlk4SroNXY_aQyhzIl7eRoF-WDbounKLaEf4_PtOclDiBeUSOfBp3hkGkbVR4zCBwPuAoj0T1iyuAF0wv8p-j77yxSm0OPUaGg/s1600/CSN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PIrPcL5hgmxElpYKw_U5DFFefEZ8KHn_TJ7oKVItbAlk4SroNXY_aQyhzIl7eRoF-WDbounKLaEf4_PtOclDiBeUSOfBp3hkGkbVR4zCBwPuAoj0T1iyuAF0wv8p-j77yxSm0OPUaGg/s1600/CSN.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did you figure it out yet? If you know who these guys are, and read the paragraph above carefully, you might make the connection!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Watching the sky can be romantic too. I remember sharing a lovely evening under the stars in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chincoteague_Bay">Chincoteague</a> with my husband, not too long after we were married. It was beautifully dark on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and we were staying at a lovely bed and breakfast for the weekend. We went out for a stroll on a delightfully warm and clear evening, and I remember smiling at my husband as the pale yellow Moon shone in his eyes. We often get requests for proposals to take place under the stars in the <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/planetarium.aspx">planetarium</a>, and we've even hosted a few weddings over the years!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwxuQolbwqpSoKXqBF17qUjidaKL43KJ6chWM6bTzlVWb4l6cac6OPdmnljgpD4ruGrDGMplE2BmxAEu4xcIT5rET1BoAbVfjut3j7Rr6nTgmIeJlIDwi6jgaMZQ_Y9HbXAjXNd3e9dk/s1600/Under_African_Skies.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwxuQolbwqpSoKXqBF17qUjidaKL43KJ6chWM6bTzlVWb4l6cac6OPdmnljgpD4ruGrDGMplE2BmxAEu4xcIT5rET1BoAbVfjut3j7Rr6nTgmIeJlIDwi6jgaMZQ_Y9HbXAjXNd3e9dk/s1600/Under_African_Skies.jpeg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same thing here - if you know who they are, you might put them together with some words above.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The sky is filled with extraordinary objects. A few times I've been asked what my favorite ones are...and that's a very tough question, because so many of them are incredible both scientifically and in terms of sheer beauty. I guess if I had to come up with a short list, I'd say <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy_Domine">Jupiter and Saturn, Oberon, Miranda and Titania</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmS8P7blEYb7i2bq1lZiOCre92A7iQEuWYMO8cnqltYalNrf7B1GLm8nhtrO4jTgCmWHeM9FJJJ7NjV84SWXVIn96PbrnuztsuhVvW6ZAcksOwOMehO3JfbK-CExncUOKsMIa9VC_C95Y/s1600/astronomy-domine-786917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmS8P7blEYb7i2bq1lZiOCre92A7iQEuWYMO8cnqltYalNrf7B1GLm8nhtrO4jTgCmWHeM9FJJJ7NjV84SWXVIn96PbrnuztsuhVvW6ZAcksOwOMehO3JfbK-CExncUOKsMIa9VC_C95Y/s1600/astronomy-domine-786917.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is a total red herring - I just like the picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Wondering what on Earth this post has been about? I've just taken you on a clandestine astronomical and musical journey. I adore music - rarely do I not have a tune in my head or playing somewhere about me. As I type, Duran Duran's Rio is playing in the laser show running in the planetarium. And my life is currently awash in the music from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_%282013_film%29">Disney's Frozen</a> - I have a 10 year old daughter, you see. But this post has quoted some of my favorite astronomical lyrics from five different songs. Did you spot any of them? The unusual pictures might give you a clue. Give another look-see over the text to see if you can find them, or scroll down to see them identified. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Back again in a couple of weeks! Until then...<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
Kelly<br />
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PS: Don't forget the star party at the museum this Saturday - Mars Madness! Mars will be making a close approach to Earth, and should look awesome in our telescopes. NASA will be on hand with fun activities and exhibits, and we'll have the usual slate of great shows in the planetarium. NASA exhibits are FREE and begin at 6pm in the Education Center. Observing is also FREE and begins at sunset (around 7:30pm). Check our website for the slate of shows in the planetarium - $6 or any 2 for $10. Members are always half price!<br />
<br />
Solutions:<br />
<br />
Halfway between the gutter and the stars... (title) from Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim<br />
Image 1: Christopher Walken in the video for Weapon of Choice<br />
Planets are moving at the speed of light... (paragraph 2) from Speed of Sound by Coldplay<br />
Image 2: Coldplay performing Speed of Sound from the video. <br />
When you see the Southern Cross for the first time... (paragraph 3) from Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills and Nash<br />
Image 3: Crosby, Stills and Nash in concert. <br />
The pale yellow Moon shone in his eyes... (paragraph 4) from Under African Skies by Paul Simon<br />
Image 4: Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo on stage.<br />
Jupiter and Saturn, Oberon, Miranda and Titania... (paragraph 5) from Astronomy Domine by Pink Floyd<br />
Image 5: Hubble Space Telescope image.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-1114540626308305702014-04-01T14:46:00.001-04:002014-04-01T14:46:52.509-04:00This is NOT an April Fool's joke!Really! I promise! This is a real post, and not a joke!<br />
<br />
I wanted to let you all know about a really cool event coming up in a couple weeks...and I'm giving you that much time to prepare, because, well...you might need it.<br />
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It's been a long, long time since we had a really awesome lunar eclipse event here at <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/">the museum</a>. I love our "Total Luna-See" parties...we have a great time, see the Moon turn an amazing color, and generally it's pretty much a party atmosphere all night long!<br />
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Sadly, we won't be doing that for the upcoming lunar eclipse. Why? Because the darn thing happens at 3AM! On a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuesday">Tuesday </a>morning!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLW1djfuvygX2K-qhhuG_ZBrAqmmjeo93pVmR3TjJnD6dDgg18C3a3aAJr3id8-uczCLqhDhZdr_7gf0l3ODuJVlgu8We6yEILs6yh0WftjmO_v03Ce6loyh7WQjMRS52kpUOOALUDXfU/s1600/LEDiagram1c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLW1djfuvygX2K-qhhuG_ZBrAqmmjeo93pVmR3TjJnD6dDgg18C3a3aAJr3id8-uczCLqhDhZdr_7gf0l3ODuJVlgu8We6yEILs6yh0WftjmO_v03Ce6loyh7WQjMRS52kpUOOALUDXfU/s1600/LEDiagram1c.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How we get lunar eclipses - the Earth must pass directly between the Sun and the Moon. Image by Fred Espenak. Courtesy NASA.</td></tr>
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Yep, that's right, on April 15th - the all-glorious Tax Day here in the U.S. - at the ungodly hour of about 2AM on the East Coast - the Full Moon will quietly begin sliding into the shadow of the Earth. Like most shadows, the Earth's shadow is not completely devoid of light - the atmosphere of the Earth scatters from red light from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunrise">the sunrises and sunsets happening around the world at the time</a> into the shadow, turning the Moon a beautiful reddish color. How reddish really depends on the state of the atmosphere. If the air is relatively clean and clear, the Moon will indeed appear an almost blackish-red. If there's a lot of dust or other pollutants in the air, a coppery or even orangey-red Moon could result.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6XLenh_17TnRg9VFkojSl_O8n06wXJ2dYRvmCGCEdwJLuCumofttnxRdZ0QmESJe0LGvPKejSWtlk6w7VWRV-_TwkSyiE1Oq7z75RQKu8d0jUC8ci6CQHg7TmWGRnSLvmihbiHI9Cbc/s1600/506482main_trio_eclipse_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6XLenh_17TnRg9VFkojSl_O8n06wXJ2dYRvmCGCEdwJLuCumofttnxRdZ0QmESJe0LGvPKejSWtlk6w7VWRV-_TwkSyiE1Oq7z75RQKu8d0jUC8ci6CQHg7TmWGRnSLvmihbiHI9Cbc/s1600/506482main_trio_eclipse_lg.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Moon during a lunar eclipse. The center image is the moment of total eclipse, showing the Moon an intense red color. The two side images are from a time when the Moon was not yet totally in the darkest part of the Earth's shadow. Images by Fred Espenak. Courtesy NASA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One thing's for sure, if you want to see what color the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon">Moon </a>turns this time around...you'll need to be a very dedicated astronomy buff. The eclipse will peak at around 3AM By around 5AM, the event will be coming to an end. So it means spending a long night outside...on a weekday. Before work. Or school. Or whatever else an average Tuesday on which your tax forms are due might bring you.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frustration"><b>*sigh*</b></a><br />
<br />
Soooo...maybe this won't be the best lunar eclipse to get outside to try to see. That's okay...we've got three more chances coming up over the next year and a half.<br />
<br />
The April 15th eclipse is the first of a tetrad - a group of four successive total lunar eclipses. Amazingly, all four will be at least somewhat visible in the <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/27mar_tetrad/">United States</a>! The next one in this series will be on October 8, 2014...and for the East Coast, will occur as the Moon is setting.<br />
<br />
Well, phooey.<br />
<br />
Maybe we'll have better luck in 2015. <br />
<br />
Again, I say - this is NOT an April Fool's joke! But if you'd like one, check <a href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html">this </a>out.<br />
<br />
Until next time...<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-17949493503308346982014-03-13T15:12:00.000-04:002014-03-13T15:12:47.407-04:00Follow the KISS PrincipleI so need to do that in my everyday life.<br />
<br />
Well, it's yet again been a month since I could sit down and write a post. Things have just been flat out crazy here! Between wacky weather swings (including more snow days than I could shake a stick at), tons of special events (we've seen Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, tons of the general public, teachers, and lots of school kids), and the production of two shows just finished today (come see the public show - <a href="https://www.thevlm.org/art-of-hubble.aspx">The Art of Hubble</a> - beginning this Saturday in the planetarium!)...well...let's just say I've run myself ragged. In fact, I'm so ragged, I've got a major back spasm going on...so yesterday was spent at the doctor. Hopefully, I'll be getting back to what passes for normal for me soon.<br />
<br />
But, in the spirit of the KISS Principle (<b>K</b>eep <b>I</b>t <b>S</b>imple, <b>S</b>tupid) I thought I'd just write a nice little post about what's going on up in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky">the sky</a> these days.<br />
<br />
The big news right now is still Jupiter. The king of the solar system is dominating the early evening skies, shining brightly in the constellation Gemini the Twins. Look for a brilliant white star-like object high in the south in the early evening. Trust me, you won't be able to miss it. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR2zQi3xpyvUBfzeW15-UmKgm5N-RgNBSj1GiZdE4u_TN-ZufqXxxBZoFejXPJkI8bA84gSlFfYebs7CjTGgVLrroXZIXz_hRaMqNk00c991q5YxkeIyoi-tcMECsn9dspEHPYawor5A/s1600/Jupiter_family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR2zQi3xpyvUBfzeW15-UmKgm5N-RgNBSj1GiZdE4u_TN-ZufqXxxBZoFejXPJkI8bA84gSlFfYebs7CjTGgVLrroXZIXz_hRaMqNk00c991q5YxkeIyoi-tcMECsn9dspEHPYawor5A/s1600/Jupiter_family.jpg" height="317" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jupiter - King of the Solar System - and its four largest moons. From left to right they are Io, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto. Image courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In the southeast, you'll see the Moon, on its way to being full in a few days. It will be the only thing in the sky brighter than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter">Jupiter</a>. The two will be separated by a fair bit, but will still be close enough to be a beautiful sight together in the evening sky. The Moon will move further and further to the left of Jupiter as the days go by...so get outside and see them soon.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzNWdOlI8jyya9mZ1AVZGLv8s88A9IrEHnf4lDzPntJcDqpH-H83kwPKsQ2cd0lFva3foL28IaaZR-d2ctF66yOAeMJgG1sRQMKjOWvRURDoNUwfGTqxwIE59-nCDF9FCj1gk2_GT53A/s1600/Moon-Phases-March-2014-Calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzNWdOlI8jyya9mZ1AVZGLv8s88A9IrEHnf4lDzPntJcDqpH-H83kwPKsQ2cd0lFva3foL28IaaZR-d2ctF66yOAeMJgG1sRQMKjOWvRURDoNUwfGTqxwIE59-nCDF9FCj1gk2_GT53A/s1600/Moon-Phases-March-2014-Calendar.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lunar calendar, in case you wanted to know the phase of the Moon every day this month. Available online for printing from http://www.calendar-printable.com/march/mar-2014-calendar.html</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The stars of winter haven't given up yet...even though Spring is just around the corner (although you couldn't tell that from the temperature around here today!). Orion still shines brightly in the south-southwest, just below and to the right of Jupiter. You'll easily be able to see the three stars of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion%27s_belt">Orion's famous belt,</a> even in fairly bright skies. Two stars above and two stars below the belt frame out this famous night sky hunter.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7I-iZhxnjsMy51Fkfr7qZy3RTbXURBeBwOVoKmNI5YeDGYKxr6gFdeLmM46Vqo96nFQbkkZNirEG5QBjavYPn45nBYX-SpkbZjjdgJZTigSXA2OMsnPghB8eaf4-ZxLNTWLDPOP9ELJM/s1600/orion_Large-e-mail-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7I-iZhxnjsMy51Fkfr7qZy3RTbXURBeBwOVoKmNI5YeDGYKxr6gFdeLmM46Vqo96nFQbkkZNirEG5QBjavYPn45nBYX-SpkbZjjdgJZTigSXA2OMsnPghB8eaf4-ZxLNTWLDPOP9ELJM/s1600/orion_Large-e-mail-view.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The constellation Orion as seen by a camera. You won't see the intense colors of the stars, but you might notice slight tinges of color. Note the fuzzy pink bit below the belt - that's the famous Orion Nebula Complex. Image from scienceblogs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Looking ahead, Mars is going to be more and more prominent in the coming month or so. It's approaching opposition, meaning it will be exactly opposite the Sun for us. It's also approaching Earth - meaning that Mars will be at its brightest in the month of April. Right now, the Red Planet rises late, and isn't well visible until after 1am. Next month will see it rising at sunset, and hopefully clearing the cluttered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon">horizons </a>around here by about 10pm. We'll be celebrating Mars next month at our monthly star party on April 12th - make plans to join us!<br />
<br />
Now that the major show production push is out of the way, I'm hoping that things will settle down a bit and I can get back to more regular postings. Tomorrow, by the way, is Pi day (3.14!) so enjoy some circle foods! And today...well...there's a special shout-out I need to send to a friend.<br />
<br />
This is your birthday message, on my blog<br />
This is your birthday message, on my blog<br />
Today is your birthday, so I'm writing you to say<br />
Happy happy birthday to you, on my blog!<br />
<br />
Happy birthday, John! Hope it's a great one.<br />
<br />
See you again...hopefully in two weeks!<br />
Until then,<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
Kelly <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-57958968121108392502014-02-13T14:57:00.000-05:002014-02-13T14:59:00.427-05:00It's A Hoax!<b>*gasp*</b> You'll never guess why I missed that last blog post! Aliens! They abducted me and took me away to their secret lair somewhere in North America and performed experiments on me! I can't believe I made it out alive!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LL4MzjDom1_GdyKq0zp6qA4LAjSDwR5K-VL0DAiY4Xs8rrexRGIq9C5HkUdgB1AU472qQx2xNwp895jhkuxOXU-EhRyUQG9YvmcO_uKv-bl_MBC9hcoL0FA2OVrgGkXhBbe7x2egenw/s1600/the-greys-aliens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LL4MzjDom1_GdyKq0zp6qA4LAjSDwR5K-VL0DAiY4Xs8rrexRGIq9C5HkUdgB1AU472qQx2xNwp895jhkuxOXU-EhRyUQG9YvmcO_uKv-bl_MBC9hcoL0FA2OVrgGkXhBbe7x2egenw/s1600/the-greys-aliens.jpg" height="230" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is SOOOOO NOT what happened. Image from the vast internets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Okay, that's not what happened. But after being gone for a month, I figured I owed you a good one.<br />
<br />
What really happened is far more mundane, but does lead to an interesting point. Actually, two things kept me away from the computer for an extended period of time. Thing number one: the various and sundry snowpocalypse (snowmageddon?) events taking place here in Virginia over the past couple of weeks.<br />
<br />
January saw not only the so-called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_North_American_cold_wave">Polar Vortex</a> come through our area, but another round of even deeper snow as well. And yesterday a weird, sloppy, wintry mess cascaded over again, sending me home early before I could log in to write. Three snow events in the space of a month in what is usually a maybe-one-good-snowfall-a-year kind of area. What gives?<br />
<br />
Many people claim that the existence of such wintry weather completely negates the idea of global warming. Not so...in fact, the weirdness and intensity of the weather we're seeing is, in fact, evidence of changes to our global climate. See, there's the difference. There's weather - whatever is going on now in the atmosphere - and there's climate - what the environment is like over a wide area averaged over time. Weather and climate are not the same thing. Just because the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate">climate </a>of a desert is warm and dry does not mean it never rains there.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZq3lAPXmfe35eSv-oJd_-9oUYehwFr3eslO_bLBpWtTAqe8nQCaplUEk-INMBL76hFfqX3jM42B0VoK2NQ1V-wIZS9IfLX7cnpLiEx2CVB5tkpm4Q3rbBLWxs1C546TXB1MINm-eAR1w/s1600/dn11639-2_808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZq3lAPXmfe35eSv-oJd_-9oUYehwFr3eslO_bLBpWtTAqe8nQCaplUEk-INMBL76hFfqX3jM42B0VoK2NQ1V-wIZS9IfLX7cnpLiEx2CVB5tkpm4Q3rbBLWxs1C546TXB1MINm-eAR1w/s1600/dn11639-2_808.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A graph showing the departure from a standard global temperature averaged over one year (blue data) and averaged over 5 years (red line). Such graphs are not always clear in what they are trying to tell us about our global climate. This one, in fact, comes from a group attempting to deny the existence of climate change. Image from New Scientist.</td></tr>
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<br />
Global climate change is a real thing, and it existed long before humans came along. The climate of the Earth has changed dramatically over the millennia of our planet's existence. Glacial periods dominated by very cool global temperatures and expanses of ice covering much of the planet, followed by warm interglacial periods where, at some times, even the poles lacked major ice coverage. Change will happen, whether we contribute to it or not. But contribute to it we do, also whether we like it or not. Simply by existing on the surface of the planet, life contributes to the Earth's ever-changing climate.<br />
<br />
But we humans are getting good at changing things rapidly without being exactly sure of what we're doing. No reputable scientist disputes the idea of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming">human-driven change to the global climate</a> - the evidence for it is too strong. No, the real question is, have we set in motion something that will end up biting us in the tail? Will the climate change so much, so fast, that we humans won't be able to adapt? The planet will be fine - it has dealt with great changes before. But can we?<br />
<br />
The unsettled weather we are seeing is likely being at least somewhat driven by the average rise in global temperatures in the past many years. Raising the temperature of something adds energy to it. When there's more energy in the atmosphere, that energy is going move things around in different, more extreme ways - including in wintry ways. Just because the weather is cold doesn't mean global warming isn't real. If you want more detail on why scientists know that global climate change is real, check out <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy.html">Phil Plait's wonderful blog, Bad Astronomy</a>. He's a wealth of information on the subject.<br />
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The other thing that kept me from writing was a nasty cold I picked up that migrated down into my lungs and became bronchitis. And this even after I got my flu shot. Why? Because the virus that causes the flu and the virus (or possibly even bacteria, in the case of the bronchial infection) that causes colds are not the same. We can vaccinate against the flu...but the rhinoviruses that cause colds...not so much. And no, I'm in no danger from the flu vaccine itself. Vaccines are quite safe, and there's no credible link between vaccines and autism. Again, Phil Plait can point you towards tons of evidence that says yes, you should get your flu shot.<br />
<br />
Well, now that I'm finally mostly better and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter">winter weather</a> is at least somewhat abated, I need to get back to work. I've got to go move Jimmy Hoffa from under the planetarium projector, and I really wish I could remember where I put that flag I got from the set where they filmed the moon landings...<br />
<br />
Just kidding.<br />
<br />
Back again in two weeks (assuming we're not buried in a snowtastrophe)...<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
Kelly<br />
<br />
<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-7059970339403867682014-01-16T14:18:00.000-05:002014-01-16T14:23:03.427-05:00Mr. Mojo RisingYou know, maybe I should just go ahead and say that I'll update this every other Thursday. Wednesday just seems to have some kind of bad mojo about it that makes getting an update done impossible.<br />
<br />
However...it was worth the delay, because boy do I have some cool stuff to tell you about.<br />
<br />
Yesterday I attended a regional Math & Science meeting held at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Langley_Research_Center">NASA Langely.</a> The first part of the morning was devoted to touring around. Now, I've worked with folks from NASA Langley for years, and I figured I'd seen most everything cool there at least once.<br />
<br />
Man, was I wrong!<br />
<br />
First, we went to see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Transonic_Facility">National Transonic Facility</a>. This extraordinary wind tunnel is one of only two in the world that can effectively scale the "air" in the wind tunnel to match the scale of the model. This can be critical in testing models of aircraft and even submarines where the forces created by the movement of air or water around the vehicle can translate into huge changes in performance of the craft or fuel consumption of the vehicle. They've tested many, many type of craft in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_tunnel">tunnel</a>, and it's an amazing process. We got to walk all around the facility with Scott (our guide), and even stood directly under part of the tunnel itself. We also got to play a little with liquid nitrogen, which is always fun. The most amazing tidbits I carried away from our tour:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>When it was constructed, the <a href="http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/atp/facilities/ntf/">NTF </a>wind tunnel used up ALL of the stainless steel available in the U.S. at the time. ALL OF IT. They had to buy more from Japan to finish the tunnel!</li>
<li>The thickness of the tunnel's stainless steel ranges from 6" down to only 1". One inch of stainless steel may sound like a lot, but it's nothing when you consider the tunnel is essentially a giant pressure vessel that can be pumped up to 120 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pounds_per_square_inch">psi</a>! (That's almost 9 times normal air pressure!)</li>
<li>To scale the "air" in the tunnel appropriately, sometimes they use liquid nitrogen instead of air. When that supercold material is used, the entire tunnel can contract 8-10"! Therefore, the tunnel is fixed in only 2 places...the other stability points have to be flexible to allow for this expansion and contraction, or the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/orgs/aeronautics/windtunnels/index.html">tunnel </a>would rip itself apart!</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWZ6w_qKBjglMcMTMmhdczUOkUw0EHqLl-WkZDYkpPHNbOVspYP0BTAQDbG2PAsiobbSLoajf_sjXfpwgdHbzoCqEOrUhQx1_QkOqQvnio56SYVbBC0JRkQpWqh_yBgfYBY1THK77_Zk/s1600/182232main_rn_bwb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWZ6w_qKBjglMcMTMmhdczUOkUw0EHqLl-WkZDYkpPHNbOVspYP0BTAQDbG2PAsiobbSLoajf_sjXfpwgdHbzoCqEOrUhQx1_QkOqQvnio56SYVbBC0JRkQpWqh_yBgfYBY1THK77_Zk/s1600/182232main_rn_bwb1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A blended wing-body aircraft model is set up for tests in the NTF's unique wind tunnel. Even the models have to be made to exact specifications or the testing can damage them! Image courtesy NASA.</td></tr>
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Our second way cool stop used to be known as the Lunar Landing Research Facility. Under that name, it was where the Apollo astronauts came to learn to land the LEM. They used a system of pulleys to simulate 1/6th gravity and gave Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and all the rest of the Apollo team the chance get a feel for what it would be like to set the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Lunar_Module">LEM </a>down on the Moon! Incredible! The facility is now a National Historic Landmark, and would be incredible to visit, just because of that. Heck, I stood on the same spot where the astronauts were learning to settle down on the Moon!<br />
<br />
Today, the facility has been repurposed as the Landing Impact Research Facility...and its new mission is just as awesome as its old one! They now use the massive rig and newly-added <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Landing_Research_Facility">hyrdo-impact basin</a> (it's NOT a pool!) to perform crash tests of a variety of air- and space- craft! We even got to see the body of a helicopter that had been used for crash testing! You can see videos of tests performed at the LandIR Facility on NASA Langley's You Tube channel. Talk about some guys with serious mojo! Martin and Justin have what must be one of the coolest jobs <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth">ON THE PLANET</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaq-uPDB96vhea_dkAW0gkCrvu67PUKNjg-Pvr0lpNH7p45TmI7cWV6sY20lXl4owchUyndooyxKD_qKcn_zsLIwRJ8i023_0c7mXoMqf_0zF8gz9jpso_obm3tW52Gw-l5oI4Y_Snr5E/s1600/729271000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaq-uPDB96vhea_dkAW0gkCrvu67PUKNjg-Pvr0lpNH7p45TmI7cWV6sY20lXl4owchUyndooyxKD_qKcn_zsLIwRJ8i023_0c7mXoMqf_0zF8gz9jpso_obm3tW52Gw-l5oI4Y_Snr5E/s1600/729271000.jpg" height="261" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new Orion space capsule is tossed into the hydro-impact basin at the LandIR Facility. What a fun job - dropping and breaking things for science! Image courtesy NASA.</td></tr>
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<br />
If all that wasn't enough, we got treated to an incredible spectacle while talking with the guys at the LandIR Facility. Overhead, low and loud, was an F-22 fighter jet performing the most incredible aerobatic stunts I've ever seen! Turns out these guys have to re-certify every year to be able to perform at airshows, and this guy happened to be doing his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_show">re-certification</a> just as we were touring around. Now that pilot definitely had some wicked mojo rising, let me tell you...his plane looked suspended in mid-air, rolling and pitching and yawing in ways that made me queasy just watching him! It was an amazing spectacle!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdyZvWJ3g9xA3ZP0V29D7icmAdmPRM_XYE3VF_0H8bKfdInjyPOhng9380FrYzXJKUP4TtuLM5KGuyBxSsS3it0tQuyJ8z0wx5JxZf0nTjZqD5f0oJtntPU2B1uyGDcACHGy5sRRG6pY/s1600/1_FW_F-22_Raptor_participates_in_Red_Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdyZvWJ3g9xA3ZP0V29D7icmAdmPRM_XYE3VF_0H8bKfdInjyPOhng9380FrYzXJKUP4TtuLM5KGuyBxSsS3it0tQuyJ8z0wx5JxZf0nTjZqD5f0oJtntPU2B1uyGDcACHGy5sRRG6pY/s1600/1_FW_F-22_Raptor_participates_in_Red_Flag.jpg" height="257" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The F-22 Raptor. Wicked cool at aerobatics too. Image courtesy Wikipedia</td></tr>
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So...I guess what I'm trying to say is, if there's a NASA center near you - get on a tour! You'll never know what amazing things might be right there in your backyard unless you take the time to check them out!<br />
<br />
More mojo in two weeks...<br />
Until then...carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-49798949313429162962014-01-02T12:27:00.000-05:002014-01-02T12:30:27.130-05:00I am very sorry, sir, I am behind my time...It's only once a year, sir, it shall not be repeated. I was making rather merry yesterday, sir.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMp9HsVG3OmmFmGTrQ5UF1yewh7sXQsn1b45bRxu8Qfewf1_55d0QByToNS_tt-BDMALsAzyZo2q1ST4dVW3X9QDrWGFYc0YVtu1HJvriFUA-bbwN7bMloZtVk3YR38q577X26TSQUYYA/s1600/1984-xmas-cratchit-raise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMp9HsVG3OmmFmGTrQ5UF1yewh7sXQsn1b45bRxu8Qfewf1_55d0QByToNS_tt-BDMALsAzyZo2q1ST4dVW3X9QDrWGFYc0YVtu1HJvriFUA-bbwN7bMloZtVk3YR38q577X26TSQUYYA/s400/1984-xmas-cratchit-raise.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Cratchit from Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott. One of my favorite versions of the classic Christmas tale. </td></tr>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014">Happy New Year</a>! Like Bob Cratchit, I am behind my time (by a day) and was making rather merry yesterday. And in the process of welcoming 2014, I discovered something amazing.<br />
<br />
For many years I have extolled the virtues of getting away from people to enjoy the sky. Well, more specifically, people's lights. The city is a terrible place to do astronomy...few stars can be seen, and finding a spot with open sky can prove challenging to say the least. So I often recommend that folks go somewhere else to see the stars. Areas with little population (Casper Mountain in Wyoming has astounding skies!), the desert southwest of the United States (my Dad, who loved to hike the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon">Grand Canyon</a>, bought a tent with a special skylight in it for stargazing...he said the sky from down in the canyon was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen), out on the water far away from shore (but not on most cruise ships, which are lit up like bonfires), and other such far away destinations have been my suggestion to people looking to see more of the sky than they usually do.<br />
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Or, you could drive about an hour west of Richmond. No, really!<br />
<br />
We generally spend <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Eve">New Year's Eve</a> in a cabin at Bear Creek Lake State Park. It's wonderful to get away from it all (there's no cell service or internet out there either!) and just enjoy some time with family and friends. Most years, the sky has been cloudy...especially if I go through the trouble of packing my telescope. This year, I said the heck with it, and left it home.<br />
<br />
On <a href="http://www.space.com/24121-new-years-eve-nasa-astronauts.html">New Year's Eve</a> night we went out to build a fire and make s'mores (always a hit with the kids). My friend suddenly said "Hey, look at the Milky Way!"<br />
<br />
I looked up and almost fell over.<br />
<br />
The sky was cold and clear and the air unmoving. It was deep black, and spangled everywhere with stars so bright they seemed to leap out of the sky at me. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter">Jupiter </a>shone like a beacon...for a moment, I was disoriented...I thought it was Venus, it seemed so bright to me! As my eyes adjusted, I could see more and more faint stars playing in the background of the sky...and indeed, the lovely swath of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way">Milky Way</a>, arcing high above us. I wasted no time bemoaning my lack of a telescope - I simply took my daughter aside and we looked for constellations. We spotted a couple of satellites and caught a few meteors in the bargain. It was breathtaking, delightful, dizzying, and altogether awesome.<br />
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So here's my recommendation to you for a new year's resolution - make a reservation and stay at a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Park">State or National Park</a> near you sometime this year. You probably won't have to even travel very far! Many parks offer traditional camping (bring your own tent) or cabins for rent (very reasonably priced, and come with all the comforts of home like heat, AC, and indoor plumbing!). Some even have yurts (I hear they can be tons of fun!). You can make reservations online at <a href="http://www.reserveamerica.com/">Reserve America</a>. It's great way to get some time away, bond with family and friends, explore your local area, and rediscover the sky. Trust me, you'll love it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LgFgouh0V63GY-gRX7V0wK6j3b4qCvny894GVGu8RBKLkIxt120YevDO0259ZU_tmlQucHfpLuagVdOr271wjVuSYlsY9RXnXnQ-ZHsUjseRO7buGpe_OOGd6QAwh7jWOpnmry4udak/s1600/15.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LgFgouh0V63GY-gRX7V0wK6j3b4qCvny894GVGu8RBKLkIxt120YevDO0259ZU_tmlQucHfpLuagVdOr271wjVuSYlsY9RXnXnQ-ZHsUjseRO7buGpe_OOGd6QAwh7jWOpnmry4udak/s400/15.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the cabins at Bear Creek Lake State Park in Virginia. Yes, it's as awesome as it looks. Image by Tracey Shaffer courtesy Reserve America.</td></tr>
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Here's hoping that 2014 is truly a stellar year for us all.<br />
See you in two weeks, and until then...<br />
Carpe Noctem!<br />
Kelly Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-10388783614231504152013-12-18T14:20:00.000-05:002013-12-18T14:20:43.679-05:00What's In a Name?<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xena">Xena</a>. 2003 UB<span style="font-size: xx-small;">313</span>. Eris.<br />
<br />
These names all refer to the same astronomical body - a dwarf planet located out near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xena">Pluto</a>. "Xena" was the nickname given to the little world by its discoverer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_E._Brown">Mike Brown</a>. 2003 UB<span style="font-size: xx-small;">313</span> was its official designation until an official name, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eris_%28dwarf_planet%29">Eris</a>, was given to it in 2006. Okay, well...technically, the body's official official name is <a href="http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level1/eris.html">136199 Eris</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYgz82P-mFXpad-7UW1OLSywwqYMq0DnzFqfHqclrO_T5HXhnNG3jA8JgsGSahCUSFcku-nV9r9VOraTmj2iGp03aIam6RtjKzfdDt5HX_4uB5bQjzmgkI8682XAur_8hb-hnz_XAK_k/s1600/Eris_and_dysnomia2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYgz82P-mFXpad-7UW1OLSywwqYMq0DnzFqfHqclrO_T5HXhnNG3jA8JgsGSahCUSFcku-nV9r9VOraTmj2iGp03aIam6RtjKzfdDt5HX_4uB5bQjzmgkI8682XAur_8hb-hnz_XAK_k/s400/Eris_and_dysnomia2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eris and its moon Dysnomia, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. Courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
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Why all the fuss over <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name">a name</a>?<br />
<br />
In the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical">astronomical </a>community, names are important things. For many of the same reasons they are important beyond the <a href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html">astronomical community</a> too. We need names to know what we're talking about. If everyone had a different set of names for all the different objects in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_system">solar system</a>, well, it would make doing a <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/vaskies.aspx">live planetarium show</a> a lot tougher, let me tell you. Scientists around the world need a consistent set of names for things so they can share information with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science">colleagues around the world</a>. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4402/ch4.htm">Names </a>can also be used to honor different groups of people as well. We like a certain consistency in that. For example, all of the features on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus">Venus </a>are named for women. Mostly goddess from various mythologies around the world, but also for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famous_Women">famous women</a>, and even some just commonly used women's names. Of course, any convention just begs for exceptions. <a href="http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Venus">Venus </a>has three - all features that were named before the naming convention was put into use. Two regions on Venus, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Regio">Alpha Regio</a> and Beta Regio, are simply named for the first two letters in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language">Greek </a>alphabet. There is only one feature on Venus named for a man - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell_Montes">Maxwell Montes</a>, named for physicist James Clerk Maxwell.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeoNDQOY7H2zhyrMUHajDM9Zi9akEp3WHPewgNKuYiCplIoqsISf7PEBaUV3oWXktxRQlfxt_fRXP7ruO4xPSqmSvxq34u026-Ku_hr63VojYgQjXBe28fsX1RVOf-kKZ-b3fiIQ14GA/s1600/477px-Maxwell_Montes_of_planet_Venus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeoNDQOY7H2zhyrMUHajDM9Zi9akEp3WHPewgNKuYiCplIoqsISf7PEBaUV3oWXktxRQlfxt_fRXP7ruO4xPSqmSvxq34u026-Ku_hr63VojYgQjXBe28fsX1RVOf-kKZ-b3fiIQ14GA/s400/477px-Maxwell_Montes_of_planet_Venus.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A radar image of Maxwell Montes on Venus - the only feature there named for a man. Courtesy Wikipedia</td></tr>
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<a href="http://science.nasa.gov/">Scientists </a>are by nature organizers...we like to sort things into categories and name them all the same. For example, the naming convention for moons of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus">Uranus </a>is to name them for Shakespearean sprites and fairies. Thus the planet has moons like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puck_%28A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream%29">Puck</a>, Oberon, Titania, and Ariel. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31AotZ6aApeStSUE1AvGkgdz9-EeFSHEO4Ht3DNgIMFvOX4BRECVpgf5rWrm9yZwXCVmgoZc7i2YbCNNfxqqfB7jcknSTtsOyKwguXgxQWLYCkHgsB5HMEMdAjyVZmzfqwT6HnxV4e0c/s1600/800px-Uranus_moons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31AotZ6aApeStSUE1AvGkgdz9-EeFSHEO4Ht3DNgIMFvOX4BRECVpgf5rWrm9yZwXCVmgoZc7i2YbCNNfxqqfB7jcknSTtsOyKwguXgxQWLYCkHgsB5HMEMdAjyVZmzfqwT6HnxV4e0c/s400/800px-Uranus_moons.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uranus and its 6 largest moons - from left to right, Puck, Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon. Courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who">who </a>comes up with all this?<br />
<br />
The governing body for astronomical science, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU">International Astronomical Union (IAU)</a>, puts together all the rules and regulations for how to <a href="http://www.behindthename.com/">name </a>things, and gives official approval to the names of new objects. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nomenclature">IAU's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN) </a>handles things within our solar system. Names can be submitted to the <a href="http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/">WGPSN</a>, and then they recommend them for approval by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_acronyms">General Assembly</a> or reject them. A name is not official until it has been approved by the General Assembly.<br />
<br />
In general, the working rules for submitting a name to the <a href="http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/Members">WGPSN </a>are:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Nomenclature is a tool and the first consideration should be to make it simple, clear, and unambiguous.</li>
<li>Features whose longest dimension is less than 100 meters are not
assigned official names unless they have exceptional scientific
interest.</li>
<li>The number of names chosen for each body should be kept to a
minimum, and their placement governed by the requirements of the
scientific community.</li>
<li>Duplication of the same name on two or more bodies is to be avoided.</li>
<li>Individual names chosen for each body should be expressed in the
language of origin. Transliteration for various alphabets should be
given, but there will be no translation from one language to another.</li>
<li>Where possible, the themes established in early solar system nomenclature should be used and expanded on.</li>
<li>Solar system nomenclature should be international in its choice of
names. Recommendations submitted to the IAU national committees will be
considered, but final selection of the names is the responsibility of
the International Astronomical Union. The WGPSN strongly supports
equitable selection of names from ethnic groups/countries on each map;
however, a higher percentage of names from the country planning a
landing is allowed on landing site maps.</li>
<li>No names having political, military or religious significance may be
used, except for names of political figures prior to the 19th century.
(Note: Apparently this only goes for religions that are widely practiced
today, since gods and goddesses of ancient religions are obviously
acceptable to the IAU.)</li>
<li>Commemoration of persons on planetary bodies should not be a goal in
itself but should be reserved for persons of high and enduring
international standing. Persons being so honored must have been deceased
for at least three years.</li>
<li>When more than one spelling of a name is extant, the spelling
preferred by the person, or used in an authoritative reference, should
be used. Diacritical marks are a necessary part of a name and will be
used.</li>
<li>Ring and ring-gap nomenclature and names for newly discovered
satellites are developed in joint deliberation between WGPSN and IAU
Commission 20. Names will not be assigned to satellites until their
orbital elements are reasonably well known or definite features have
been identified on them.</li>
</ol>
Pretty intense, just to give something out there a name, huh?<br />
<br />
The IAU has come under fire for a very big renaming - the recelassification of <a href="http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Pluto">Pluto </a>as a dwarf planet. The IAU is also responsible for the definitions of things...like the word "planet." It's a work in progress, and many people think the IAU's definition of planet is still not right. <a href="http://nineplanets.org/pluto.html">Pluto </a>got moved into the dwarf planet category because the IAU defined a planet as having cleared its orbital area of similarly-sized bodies. Pluto has several other objects of similar size (some of which are now dwarf planets, too) orbiting nearby, so it couldn't pass that part of the definition. This same definition also places a requirement on a planet that it orbits the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun">Sun</a>. That might seem like a no-brainer...until we remember that many other stars besides the Sun have big worlds going around them too. Are these worlds not planets, simply because they orbit around another star? Clearly, the definition of planet still needs a bit of tweaking. <br />
<br />
But that's why the IAU is there...and that's what science is all about. As our understanding grows and changes, so also must our definitions, names and descriptions. It's all part of the messy process of learning we call science.<br />
<br />
When I first started working in the astronomy group at the <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/">Virginia Living Museum</a>, I was young, and still working on my Ph.D. The guys in the astronomy group called me "Astrogirl" - a nickname I still frequently use. But I've been with the museum over 20 years now, volunteer to Astronomy Curator, and I'm probably getting a bit old for a nickname that prominently features the word "girl." I think I might move up to a new one, bestowed upon me by one of the herpetologists here at the museum.<br />
<br />
More from the cosmos in two weeks...until then...<br />
Carpe Noctem!<br />
Kelly, The Sky DoctorKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-83122826435682375922013-12-06T15:46:00.000-05:002013-12-06T15:47:38.720-05:00COSMIC STRINGS ALERT: Comet Lovejoy!HAHAHAHAHAHA! We have a comet after all...somewhat.<br />
<br />
So <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_ISON">Comet ISON</a> did not survive its close brush with the Sun. And on solar approach, it didn't really get bright enough for us to see in our sky until it was much too close to our Sun. So...phooey.<br />
<br />
However, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2013_R1">Comet Lovejoy</a>, one of several by that name (the official name of this one is C/2013 R1)...a much less touted comet...is also currently in our sky. It too, is approaching the Sun, with perihelion coming on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_day">Christmas Day</a>. The big difference here is...this comet might actually be visible in our sky!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/comets/lovejoy-2013.html">Comet Lovejoy</a> is currently a magnitude 4 object in the constellation Corona Borealis. That puts the comet above the threshold for naked eye visibility. You'll want a dark sky location to get the best view - anywhere that you can get away from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pollution">bright sources of light</a> will work. And of course, the best time to see the comet is in the wee small hours before dawn.<br />
<br />
But still! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet">It's a comet!</a> HA!<br />
<br />
Comet Lovejoy has already made its closest approach to Earth. But as it draws closer to the Sun, its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_magnitude">brightness</a> may continue to increase, meaning that the comet may be on a path to looking better and better in our early morning skies. Since Lovejoy will only get about as close to the Sun as Mercury, it might even survive and continue to put on a good show into the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014">new year</a>. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />
This finder chart will help you locate Comet Lovejoy in the morning sky:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGG8gjKaPQiyBl9czWESoWeRoeJSMeI2k_xOAfS1BP5X42K6OjS2zbd9pF5OvRxVwhKoyojD_J41L4vCXj3M5p-c4kqrlAY-9Dy7sESH5lukfqMVu563qrlprYuKI0S2zFfM6TzBjE5I/s1600/skymapLovejoy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGG8gjKaPQiyBl9czWESoWeRoeJSMeI2k_xOAfS1BP5X42K6OjS2zbd9pF5OvRxVwhKoyojD_J41L4vCXj3M5p-c4kqrlAY-9Dy7sESH5lukfqMVu563qrlprYuKI0S2zFfM6TzBjE5I/s400/skymapLovejoy.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finder chart for Comet Lovejoy. Courtesy spaceweather.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Note that the chart shows three comets in this region...the only one you will be able to see is <a href="http://earthsky.org/space/how-to-see-comet-lovejoy-c2013-r1-charts-photos">Comet Lovejoy</a>. At least a pair of binoculars will be needed to see either ISON or Linear X1. Lovejoy has a decidedly <a href="http://spaceweather.com/">greenish appearance</a> and should be nicely visible from a dark location.<br />
<br />
Best of luck seeing the comet! If things continue to improve, we'll do a comet-watching event, so stay tuned for more details.<br />
<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-23019480958732062442013-12-04T16:43:00.000-05:002013-12-04T16:43:21.493-05:00Comet ISON Post-Mortem*sigh*<br />
<br />
No, it's not the holiday blues...it's the lack of a comet.<br />
<br />
Sadly, it looks like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_ISON">Comet ISON</a> did not fare too well in its first ever (and probably last ever!) trip around the Sun. The comet was brightening dramatically as it approached the Sun, but then even before perihelion (it's point of closest approach to the Sun) the comet suddenly dropped in brightness...not usually a good sign. It often heralds a <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/ison/#.Up-grieMmSo">breakup of the object</a>.<br />
<br />
Thanksgiving Day saw ISON directly behind the Sun from our view at perihelion...and then, it came back! But sadly it was much, much dimmer than when it rounded the Sun, and then it proceeded to continue to dim rapidly. Whatever is left of <a href="http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/isons-ghost-comet-of-the-century-is-now-ex-comet-131202.htm">Comet ISON</a> will not be bright enough to put on any kind of display in our skies this December.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXvL8aTEaBOP8avcGtdH6plSaHvNFyHExcxEeOdYA0DDbP76YpbuMpOXgOXgKks7eFo2ewufosBrV2VTYqCvovH2bfj11yPZA4mcv_kidL_0KEyDEuXFDOVNwq5tAaTcTmmXiHuItQGM/s1600/ison_anim.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXvL8aTEaBOP8avcGtdH6plSaHvNFyHExcxEeOdYA0DDbP76YpbuMpOXgOXgKks7eFo2ewufosBrV2VTYqCvovH2bfj11yPZA4mcv_kidL_0KEyDEuXFDOVNwq5tAaTcTmmXiHuItQGM/s400/ison_anim.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A movie of Comet ISON plunging toward the Sun and then emerging, much diminished, on the other side. Courtesy NASA and the SOHO Spacecraft.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Ah well. It was exciting to hope for...but it wasn't meant to be.<br />
<br />
We've got holiday fun to cheer us up though - <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/starofwonder.aspx"><i>Star of Wonder: Mystery of the Christmas Star</i></a> and <i>Laser Holidays</i> are back in the planetarium for the rest of this year. And of course, the December Star Party (December 14) will feature not only those two shows, but also a free concert by the <a href="http://www.music.use-salvationarmy.org/pubs/">United States Salvation Army Brass Band</a>. And hopefully the skies will be crisp and clear so we can enjoy the natural celestial show as well.<br />
<br />
Still, a nice bright naked-eye comet would have been a wonderful early Christmas present. Maybe if we're lucky, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geminids">Geminid meteor shower</a> will consent to give us a few good meteors on December 14th, despite the nearly Full Moon. Come join us and find out!<br />
<br />
More from the world of astronomy in two weeks...until then...<br />
Carpe Noctem!<br />
Kelly<br />
<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-71058066303159761792013-11-20T15:02:00.000-05:002013-11-20T15:02:42.817-05:00Time for an Update!Hello! As I write this, we astronomy folks here at the <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/">VLM </a>are preparing to leave on a big trip to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRAO">National Radio Astronomy Observatory</a> in Green Bank, WV. We're taking two busloads of high school students on an overnight trip to learn about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_astronomy">radio astronomy</a>, and even get to operate one of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_telescope">radio dishes</a>! It should be a blast. But before we go, I wanted to quickly update you about the latest in <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/astronomy/">astronomical news.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAVEN">MAVEN </a>has successfully launched! It went up beautifully on November 18th as planned and is now on its way to Mars. It should arrive at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars">Red Planet</a> on September 22, 2014. Watch for more news about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacecraft">spacecraft </a>then!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDwP1N_oDM47e3ujntugXwetdgcjY_JuBYrWIMakRy45vH9L6Z92pOF3YqQN3SNPrvGIgR0ok4R2DMohE2VU99sNElM93AfCsv6Za-GQxxt4nJoL-Ap4VOv0onlNRFU40MOVltR_BASU/s1600/MAVEN_Mission_Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDwP1N_oDM47e3ujntugXwetdgcjY_JuBYrWIMakRy45vH9L6Z92pOF3YqQN3SNPrvGIgR0ok4R2DMohE2VU99sNElM93AfCsv6Za-GQxxt4nJoL-Ap4VOv0onlNRFU40MOVltR_BASU/s400/MAVEN_Mission_Logo.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The MAVEN mission patch. Courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Speaking of watching things...<a href="http://spaceweather.com/">Comet ISON</a> is starting to get good! The comet now sits at magnitude 4.0, bright enough to be seen by the unaided eye! <a href="http://www.heavens-above.com/comet.aspx?cid=C%2F2012%20S1&lat=37.071885&lng=-76.478872&loc=Virginia+Living+Museum&alt=0&tz=EST&cul=en-GB">Unfortunately, it also sits very close to the Sun</a>. So we will still need to wait until it passes by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun">Sun </a>and swings around for our best view. Hopefully, the comet will survive its close pass by <a href="http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Sun">the Sun</a> and emerge as a brilliant object for us to enjoy throughout December. Stay tuned for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_ISON">more information</a>!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-DTQEFusImqIJspuhBMSzcq264uOAvLXkeZFgknLnX1FsFzOyuOMvezihGjYAKK-ozv2F5tME6a88jBEFymhveH0i5iR3IUiWLM875abf_xx12DbtPQCayKwSloKzwKEMk0OiR89ksY/s1600/Astrohita--IAA-CSIC--UHU-20131120-Cometa-ISON-AstroHita_1384951337_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-DTQEFusImqIJspuhBMSzcq264uOAvLXkeZFgknLnX1FsFzOyuOMvezihGjYAKK-ozv2F5tME6a88jBEFymhveH0i5iR3IUiWLM875abf_xx12DbtPQCayKwSloKzwKEMk0OiR89ksY/s400/Astrohita--IAA-CSIC--UHU-20131120-Cometa-ISON-AstroHita_1384951337_lg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comet ISON post-outburst. The comet is increasing in brightness almost daily as it nears its close approach to the Sun on Thanksgiving Day. We should be able to see it in our December skies, if it survives.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Finally, keep your eye on the news for the telescopes in <a href="http://www.wvresearch.org/archives/5215">Green Bank, WV</a>. There's a danger that within 5 years, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Science_Foundation">NSF</a> will eliminate funding for the major instrument there - the Green Bank Telescope. It's primarily used for active astronomical research, but the facility surrounding the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bank_Telescope">GBT </a>allows students like the high schoolers we're bringing there tomorrow to get experience using real-world scientific research equipment. Hopefully, the <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/">NSF </a>will change its thinking about this amazing facility only 4 hours from Hampton Roads.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoiJPiM19THqa6NCYUnorTUU2XdQuejvzrNW3m8shXCijuWP7xFwgTUgUy1GtvnURxPO6zxAON9qK0EDLTGP75drz2HNhjTrdUUESoTexaPg2uLPpzEhbX1HCYdCPogvS0zT57xJlrHg/s1600/NRAO-telescope-Greenbank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoiJPiM19THqa6NCYUnorTUU2XdQuejvzrNW3m8shXCijuWP7xFwgTUgUy1GtvnURxPO6zxAON9qK0EDLTGP75drz2HNhjTrdUUESoTexaPg2uLPpzEhbX1HCYdCPogvS0zT57xJlrHg/s400/NRAO-telescope-Greenbank.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The GBT at the NRAO facility in Green Bank, WV. Open to visitors, its well worth stopping by if you are going to be in the Wild and Wonderful state next door!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Oh! I almost forgot! Happy 15th birthday to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISS">International Space Station</a>! Today marks the 15th anniversary of the first launch involved in constructing the now <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/">massive station</a>, currently home to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_38">Expedition 38 </a>crew of 6 astronauts. I hope they get to have cake today!<br />
<br />
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I'll see you in two weeks!<br />
Carpe noctem,<br />
Kelly<br />
<br />
<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-74626812148455237962013-11-06T16:53:00.000-05:002013-11-06T16:54:57.656-05:00Seeing RedLook out <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars">Mars</a>, here we come (again)!<br />
<br />
Yep, we're about to launch another spacecraft to <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/main/#.Unq3mFOMmSo">Mars</a>. It's exciting! Hopefully, on November 18th, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAVEN">Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN</a> (MAVEN) spacecraft will liftoff from Cape Canaveral and begin the 10-month journey to the <a href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/">Red Planet</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11HnaH8fB5Yo4TiJU8I-YenKInNgVr7GKUv8DAgkzgT1ZYXTr5xHMjaInlFWfD9TofANizXNOO2MnQnugnDT9eQfA_hOYLHssom4IHoCqqnHVk-RqFKT8pb5TYQOMf8z8fhHxuGco9E4/s1600/Artist_concept_of_MAVEN_spacecraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11HnaH8fB5Yo4TiJU8I-YenKInNgVr7GKUv8DAgkzgT1ZYXTr5xHMjaInlFWfD9TofANizXNOO2MnQnugnDT9eQfA_hOYLHssom4IHoCqqnHVk-RqFKT8pb5TYQOMf8z8fhHxuGco9E4/s400/Artist_concept_of_MAVEN_spacecraft.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An artist's concept of the MAVEN spacecraft at Mars. Courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We've learned a great deal about the chilly little world next door over the years. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_%28space_exploration%29">Rovers </a>aplenty have driven its surface - two of which, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_%28rover%29">Curiosity </a>and Opportunity, are still active. We've discovered an abundance of evidence that shows that water once flowed freely across the surface of <a href="http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Mars">Mars</a>...it may have formed rivers, lakes, even oceans.<br />
<br />
If that is so, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Mars">atmosphere of Mars</a> must once have been thicker, for the current thin atmosphere of Mars does not allow water to remain on the surface in liquid form for very long. Where did this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere">atmosphere </a>go? What happened to all the water? On a more global scale - how has the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Mars">global climate of Mars</a> evolved over the millennia? And what does that teach us about global climate change here on the Earth? The <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/main/#.Unq4gVOMmSo">MAVEN</a> mission will be headed to <a href="http://nineplanets.org/mars.html">Mars </a>to help us answer these questions.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWye5LSLleKUlkoNT7_dNFXld0ITAY4MbzIP3J80XC8k6aCtbCZKHti5oOy8l4J7x760GS2Hge4WX09Tvc1UW2Z7bmZAW_yqz-o3ptq0Wd5eLAFRc_ueOtozEiY4745OA6g3_2a4FSeEw/s1600/Mars_atmosphere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWye5LSLleKUlkoNT7_dNFXld0ITAY4MbzIP3J80XC8k6aCtbCZKHti5oOy8l4J7x760GS2Hge4WX09Tvc1UW2Z7bmZAW_yqz-o3ptq0Wd5eLAFRc_ueOtozEiY4745OA6g3_2a4FSeEw/s400/Mars_atmosphere.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The reddish-orange atmosphere of Mars is visible above the surface in this image from Viking. Note the Galle "Smiley Face" Crater towards the center-left of the image. Courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/11/martian-atmosphere-maven-prepares-launch/">MAVEN </a>will be an orbiter, remaining above the planet to inspect its atmosphere and how it changes over an extended period of time. It's four primary mission objectives are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Determine the role that loss of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatiles">volatiles </a>to space from the Mars atmosphere has played through time.</li>
<li>Determine the current state of the upper atmosphere, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionosphere">ionosphere</a>, and interactions with the solar wind.</li>
<li>Determine the current rates of escape of neutral gases and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ions">ions </a>to space and the processes controlling them. </li>
<li>Determine the ratios of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stable_isotopes">stable isotopes</a> in the Martian atmosphere.</li>
</ul>
This data will help us understand a lot about how <a href="http://www.google.com/mars/">Mars </a>has changed over the long history of the solar system. It's also important data to have as we continue to consider the possibility of sending humans to explore the surface of the <a href="http://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html">Red Planet</a>. <br />
<br />
We're going to <a href="http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/mars-article/">Mars </a>now because Mars is making its way closer to us. In April of next year, Mars will once again make a close approach to Earth, meaning that travel time from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Earth_from_Mars">Earth to Mars</a> is shorter now. If problems force a delay in launching <a href="http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/">MAVEN </a>beyond December 7, scientists will have to wait until 2016 before they can try again. So hopefully, all systems will be go on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_18">November 18</a> for a great launch! You can watch the launch activities online at <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#.Unq52VOMmSo">NASA-TV</a>. And before we know it, even more exciting data will be coming our way from the <a href="http://mars.tv/">Red Planet!</a><br />
<br />
More from the universe in two weeks!<br />
Until then,<br />
Carpe Noctem!<br />
Kelly Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-91111727105811919412013-10-24T14:29:00.001-04:002013-10-24T14:29:42.029-04:00C'mon, Get Happy!And if you're not humming a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partridge_Family">Partridge Family</a> song right now...well...you're younger than I am.<br />
<br />
Fall has finally arrived, and I am indeed happy. I know the official start of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall">Fall </a>was over a month ago, but the weather hasn't really caught up with the fact here until today. It is brisk and sunny outside, and now the season for good observing can truly get underway.<br />
<br />
Apparently the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun">Sun </a>is happy about it as well, since it seems to have decided to put on a show celebrating the change of weather patterns. Check it out:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm-BJGhyphenhyphenzFbmCu1h8IWBNx8dgvvdhDPuJTJoeGeWL69uGHzwg6pGSr-IF6VbuBE3C7RnJiSAbfa2vmtvvFchpnGzXhjUWz5tAbKQdwyPeyJM7m1yMtPt7zQCVzNcmiIiLHEqBAUxC7w4/s1600/hmi4096_blank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm-BJGhyphenhyphenzFbmCu1h8IWBNx8dgvvdhDPuJTJoeGeWL69uGHzwg6pGSr-IF6VbuBE3C7RnJiSAbfa2vmtvvFchpnGzXhjUWz5tAbKQdwyPeyJM7m1yMtPt7zQCVzNcmiIiLHEqBAUxC7w4/s400/hmi4096_blank.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sun on October 24, 2013. Courtesy Spaceweather.com.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Every 11 years, the Sun enters a period of maximum activity. 2013 is supposed to be a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_maximum">Solar Max</a> year, but things on the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/">Sun </a>haven't exactly been popping. In fact, this is one of the weaker solar maximums we've seen in recent history. But some scientists are forecasting a tick up in activity as we approach the new year, and they may be right. Those lovely dark areas you see on the face of the Sun are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspots">sunspots</a>, and the more spots there are, the more active the solar surface is. <a href="http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/SunspotCycle.shtml">Sunspots </a>are caused when the magnetic field of the Sun breaks through the surface and allows heat to be funneled away, cooling a small region of the surface. "Cooling" is relative, by the way - the surface of a <a href="http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/sunspots/">sunspot </a>is still a toasty 7,000-8,000 degrees Fahrenheit. But that is substantially cooler than the average 10,000 degrees of the bright solar surface! Oh, and when I say a "small region" of the surface...keep in mind, all those spots you can see on the <a href="http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/sun-article/">Sun </a>are bigger than the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth">Earth </a>in diameter. <br />
<br />
Here we're seeing the Sun in white light, or the kind of light we normally see. If we look in a different wavelength...say, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet">ultraviolet</a>...the sunspot regions show amazing amounts of activity.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDfuOcPQFVy535d29Okee0K6uPuxTBl339u0aA5z3IJInHcCOyYl1fi2nAYXfICr5Z_quPXAJy5wKhpodt6E8BHWBIjQuh4FtIHTz43LZqB13-S34jKnE0fHehBspg6GJ1yKFhvzSkvg/s1600/redsun_strip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDfuOcPQFVy535d29Okee0K6uPuxTBl339u0aA5z3IJInHcCOyYl1fi2nAYXfICr5Z_quPXAJy5wKhpodt6E8BHWBIjQuh4FtIHTz43LZqB13-S34jKnE0fHehBspg6GJ1yKFhvzSkvg/s400/redsun_strip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bright sunspot region AR1877 snaps off a solar flare. Photo by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Courtesy Spaceweather.com.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The inset image is a single frame from a movie taken by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Dynamics_Observatory">SDO </a>of a solar flare that exploded out from one of the sunspot regions. The Sun is an incredibly active body, and it is quite amazing to observe. To safeguard your eyesight, however, always take proper precautions before viewing the Sun:<br />
<br />
To safely view the Sun, use:<br />
<ul>
<li>an ENDCAP solar filter on a telescope</li>
<li>Arc welder's glass #14</li>
<li>Solar Eclipse glasses</li>
</ul>
NEVER use the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Eyepiece solar filters (they can overheat and break)</li>
<li>Shades of arc welder's glass other than #14 (not enough protection!)</li>
<li>Regular or prescription sunglasses (even if they block UV, that is not enough protection!)</li>
<li>Exposed film</li>
<li>Viewing the Sun low to the horizon when it appears red (this is NEVER safe!)</li>
</ul>
As long as your eyes are properly protected, viewing the Sun can be a fabulous experience. Depending on what kind of filter you use, you may be able to see sunspots, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_prominence">prominences</a>, flares or other types of activity on the Sun's surface. And these things may change or move right before your very eyes! Our Sun is an active, exciting star, and it's worth taking a look at. <br />
<br />
And right now, the Sun is giving us a whole lotta lovin'. Enjoy!<br />
Until next time...<br />
Carpe Diem! :D (and Noctem too!)<br />
Kelly<br />
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-33657331750820051692013-10-09T15:30:00.000-04:002013-10-09T15:32:06.983-04:00Politics - The Art of the PossibleThe titular phrase of this post references a saying by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck">Prince Otto von Bismarck</a>, Germany's fabled Iron Chancellor. It's also a wonderful song in the musical "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evita_%28musical%29">Evita</a>." It's also something I wish our Congress would get around to remembering.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics">Politics</a>, at its best, should be a way of blending together various viewpoints to bring about compromises that please the vast majority of the people involved...in our case, us, through our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elected_representatives">elected representatives</a>. Sadly, right now, our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress">Congress </a>is behaving like a toddler who's been told he has to eat his Brussels sprouts - mouth tight shut, eyes closed, head in the air, and <a href="http://www.parentdish.co.uk/kids/sulking-children/#!slide=aol_1006392">completely refusing to listen</a>. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://digitaldeconstruction.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/sigh.jpg">*sigh*</a><br />
<br />
I've seen numbers estimating the number of <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/29/questions-and-answers-about-the-shutdown/2888419/">people affected by the government shutdown</a> at around 800,000. Sorry, I think that's a gross <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimation">underestimation</a>. Though I guess it depends on how you define "affected." My guess is they are thinking only of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Federal_Workers_of_America">federal workers</a> furloughed. But the shutdown <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trickle-down_economics">trickles down</a> into everything. Here's a case in point.<br />
<br />
This Saturday, here at the <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/">Virginia Living Museum</a>, we are hosting our monthly Star Party and Laser Light Night. We were planning on a big event, in celebration of <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/planetarium_pm.aspx">International Observe the Moon Night</a>, which is also Saturday October 12. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_langley">NASA Langley</a> planned to join us, with some awesome exhibits about current missions to the Moon and what we hope to do in the future. The <a href="http://www.heritageofamericaband.af.mil/ensembles/BandEnsembleBio.asp?EnsembleID=45">Blue Aces Air Force Band</a> was also going to come out to play some great music on the lawn and get everyone in a great mood for the evening.<br />
<br />
Sadly, because of the government shutdown, neither of those things can happen. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA </a>is effectively closed (except for essential ongoing mission operations) and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Air_Force">Air Force</a> can't really say that having a band play a local event is essential either. But it is going to affect us, as many people who might have come out to enjoy these things will now stay home. We're not federally funded here at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Living_Museum">VLM</a>...but we're affected, nonetheless.<br />
<br />
On the good side, we'll still be here, doing our regular Star Party thing! We're hoping to have some extra help on hand viewing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon">Moon </a>(assuming the weather cooperates!) from the good folks of the Langley Skywatchers and the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vpas/info">Virginia Peninsula Astronomy Stargazers</a>. And there will be the usual slate of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetarium">planetarium </a>and laser shows to enjoy (ticket purchase required for shows - stargazing is FREE!). I hope we'll see some of you here for the fun!<br />
<br />
In other news, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_ISON"> Comet ISON</a> is improving, and may soon be visible to the unaided eye! It is a wonderful target for backyard telescopes at this time, and is beginning to show color! Check it out...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajWBiXFEx-yvEGaFH9zydKZnK5JuLEv8bvQHau0gZ4b2dpVqOkF2w3lP4by6sgESt8HWVjuzNEGpiNdFmr2Oo6_hqpGC4D1ag4j8eRtMq_MAdysSzvsvCbEMe2jGCjpcJk0nBGbyebrY/s1600/Michael-JAcger-2012s120131005lut320web_1380957687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajWBiXFEx-yvEGaFH9zydKZnK5JuLEv8bvQHau0gZ4b2dpVqOkF2w3lP4by6sgESt8HWVjuzNEGpiNdFmr2Oo6_hqpGC4D1ag4j8eRtMq_MAdysSzvsvCbEMe2jGCjpcJk0nBGbyebrY/s400/Michael-JAcger-2012s120131005lut320web_1380957687.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comet ISON as photographed by Michael Jaeger of Weissenkirchen Austria. The greenish glow is caused by cyanogen and carbon in the comet's coma. Courtesy Spaceweather.com </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Look for <a href="http://www.heavens-above.com/comet.aspx?cid=C%2F2012%20S1&lat=37.071885&lng=-76.478872&loc=Virginia+Living+Museum&alt=0&tz=EST">ISON </a>in the early morning, just before sunrise. You'll need a telescope, as it is not yet visible to the unaided eye. <a href="http://www.heavens-above.com/comet.aspx?cid=C%2F2012%20S1&lat=37.071885&lng=-76.478872&loc=Virginia+Living+Museum&alt=0&tz=EST">Mars </a>will serve as a wonderful guide to finding the comet over the next few days.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xRF3Ob3Ld14J_ANi1cxoXkUfVEuDXl9fLIB7OZZVgBjLW4RRcPtYmj88f0rwzR2V1CbIAy43l4dZ5WTthQhezNNLqOtAgg_wgjzZBTcYFOBQYMEHyHJqWqlSXfbRKAMuIUxdfWDGd-g/s1600/skymap.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xRF3Ob3Ld14J_ANi1cxoXkUfVEuDXl9fLIB7OZZVgBjLW4RRcPtYmj88f0rwzR2V1CbIAy43l4dZ5WTthQhezNNLqOtAgg_wgjzZBTcYFOBQYMEHyHJqWqlSXfbRKAMuIUxdfWDGd-g/s400/skymap.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finder chart for Comet ISON on October 9, 2013. Courtesy Spaceweather.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Enjoy! Hopefully by next month we will be enjoying a naked-eye comet and a reopened government.<br />
Until next time,<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-60273002642595649462013-09-25T16:58:00.000-04:002013-09-25T16:58:40.737-04:00From the King of Planets to a Nobel Prize WinnerDoes anyone out there besides me remember a wonderful television series called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connections_%28TV_series%29"><i>Connections</i></a>?<br />
<br />
It was hosted by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Burke_%28science_historian%29">James Burke</a>, produced by the BBC and ran on PBS back in the late 70s and early 80s. The mid-80s saw a similar program, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Universe_Changed"><i>The Day the Universe Changed</i></a>, also on PBS and hosted by Burke. In the mid- to late 90s cable TV got into the act with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TLC_%28TV_channel%29">TLC </a>(back when it could honestly claim the name The Learning Channel) running two follow-on series: <i>Connections2</i> and <i>Connections3</i>. I never liked those as much, but I adored the original series and <a href="http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/universe-changed/"><i>Universe</i></a>. James Burke is, even today, one of the more brilliant science historians the planet has ever seen. His approach to the history of science is simple and at once astonishing. In short, he takes a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation">"six degrees of separation"</a> approach - everything is interconnected. He rejects the linear approach - one discovery leading in simple direct line to a final conclusion - and shows you the massive web of interconnectedness that is all of human history - science, art, politics, music, anything and everything. It was a mind-blowing experience to watch any episode of any of <a href="http://k-web.org/">James Burke's</a> shows, and I credit him with propelling me forward to not only study science, but to attempt as best I can to teach it to others and help them see its connection to their daily lives.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zdSspcUdyC5g1cXJLD6PujHbuMH8TbJQkUOjj1swSNfjnyKmurJGuVE8NNknh-fjib53lFAmKAVMtad6ybCgl73s_9l5q4XnnGG7emvYbkndVfSrjYEgJiLgM9KbEFBcvcCxaT_4mKU/s1600/James_Burke_(historian).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zdSspcUdyC5g1cXJLD6PujHbuMH8TbJQkUOjj1swSNfjnyKmurJGuVE8NNknh-fjib53lFAmKAVMtad6ybCgl73s_9l5q4XnnGG7emvYbkndVfSrjYEgJiLgM9KbEFBcvcCxaT_4mKU/s400/James_Burke_(historian).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Burke, wizard of science history. Courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I really must get some of those shows on DVD.<br />
<br />
If ever the opportunity presents itself (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix">Netflix</a>, perhaps?) watch them.<br />
<br />
But, actually, you can sort of engage in a poor man's version of <a href="http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/james-burke-connections/"><i>Connections </i></a>right now. Wikipedia allows one to spend hours discovering ever more bizarre connections between things you never thought had a single thing to do with one another. I call it a poor man's <i>Connections </i>because it lacks the vision and brilliance and wonderfully dry humor Mr. Burke brings to his programs. But it is fun to get lost in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia">Wikipedia </a>nonetheless.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite episodes of <i>Connections</i>, "Eat, Drink and be Merry..." explains how a plastic credit card leads us to landing a man on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon">Moon</a>. I'll not reproduce that for you here (go find the episode and watch it!) but I will share an interesting little journey I took through <a href="http://www.wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia </a>earlier today (the inspiration for this post).<br />
<br />
I started on the Wikipedia entry for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter">Jupiter</a>, the largest planet in the solar system. I went there looking for a specific piece of information (which I now cannot for the life of me remember) but I quickly got absorbed in just reading. And don't look shocked - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA </a>has enough tech geeks that police Wikipedia's space science entries - they are usually quite accurate.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlne6w32UIQT1Ob1XavnXVbexK3b8_3BGUUijNCgOPU4a3IihZNzonGt3xsOYt6MtzOznoXGD7ajVOFYp2ouVkhXVwwN7P5p_JQ26gX6vNXzcF-AgTT_aAmnngsHkLPGtA9dMhDMymqDI/s1600/Jupiter_by_Cassini-Huygens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlne6w32UIQT1Ob1XavnXVbexK3b8_3BGUUijNCgOPU4a3IihZNzonGt3xsOYt6MtzOznoXGD7ajVOFYp2ouVkhXVwwN7P5p_JQ26gX6vNXzcF-AgTT_aAmnngsHkLPGtA9dMhDMymqDI/s400/Jupiter_by_Cassini-Huygens.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jupiter, king of the planets. Read on to find out what this has to do with the Nobel Prize. Image by Cassini. Courtesy NASA and Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Anyway, I soon jumped from Jupiter the planet to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_%28mythology%29">Jupiter the Roman god</a>. I've always been fascinated by mythology (mostly Greek, but Roman works too) and so that was a natural leap for me. From there I discovered that many of Jupiter's functions were focused on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitoline_Hill">Capitoline </a>- and I clicked.<br />
<br />
The Capitoline is one of the seven hills of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome">Rome</a>. Its ancient ruins are largely buried under medieval and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance">Renaissance </a>palaces surrounding a piazza... *click*<br />
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A piazza is simply the Italian name for a city square. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inigo_Jones">Inigo Jones</a> brought the style to London in the building of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covent_Garden">Covent Garden</a> under the patronage of Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford... *click* (okay, another predictable one for me...I confess to be a total <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglophile">anglophile </a>and I love reading about British nobility)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Russell,_4th_Earl_of_Bedford">The 4th Earl of Bedford</a> not only championed the building of Covent Garden with its piazza and Church of St. Paul, he was also the man who pioneered the project to drain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fens">The Fens of Cambridgeshire</a>... *click*<br />
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The Fens, or <a href="http://www.visitcambridgeshirefens.org/">the Fenland</a>, is an enormous area of marshland, now largely drained thanks to efforts of our friend Francis Russell. They are so called because they are true fens -possessing an alkaline water chemistry... *click* (I clicked here because usually alkaline water is not so good for plant growth...curiosity got me...)<br />
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An <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkali">alkali </a>is a basic or ionic salt of an alkaline earth metal... *click* (curiosity again...I'd never heard the term <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_earth_metal">alkaline earth metal</a> before...or if I had I dumped out of my brain with the rest of what I ever learned about chemistry!)<br />
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The alkaline earth metals are all elements in a particular column of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_table">periodic table</a>, usually called the group 2 elements (aha! <i>That </i>I know!). These elements are beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium">radium</a>... *click* (everybody likes radioactive stuff!)<br />
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Radium is a highly radioactive element discovered, in the form of radium chloride (a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_%28chemistry%29">salt</a>! see above) in 1898 by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie">Marie Curie</a>...(hey wait! I know her!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1903/marie-curie-bio.html">Marie Curie</a>, is of course, known to any girl who goes into the sciences. She was a Polish physicist and chemist, the first woman to ever win a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize">Nobel Prize</a>, the only woman ever to win in two fields (physics and chemistry), and still the only person of either gender to win in multiple sciences (the other three multi-Nobel winners received theirs in only one science category).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinY07Bt_stkkFsMv6YS_1IluxC2ko1XvaAatSLTc0FTYqQOHpE6BLcQa0NhRmje_qw_oHpvwHxFCECsnJymyQHmDZA3_v1ZwQHsvR__eiWVh42n06BhRN4nAqAM9Aul9srvQOX80gWbdw/s1600/Marie_Curie_c1920.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinY07Bt_stkkFsMv6YS_1IluxC2ko1XvaAatSLTc0FTYqQOHpE6BLcQa0NhRmje_qw_oHpvwHxFCECsnJymyQHmDZA3_v1ZwQHsvR__eiWVh42n06BhRN4nAqAM9Aul9srvQOX80gWbdw/s400/Marie_Curie_c1920.png" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marie Curie, a giant in the fields of physics and chemistry by anyone's standards. And forever connected to the planet Jupiter. Image courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So there you go. If anyone ever asks you what the Nobel Prize has to do with the planet Jupiter, you can now tell them.<br />
<br />
Okay, silly, but a fun way to spend an afternoon.<br />
More in two weeks...<br />
Until then, carpe noctem!<br />
Kelly <br />
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<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-91685862777132336802013-09-11T16:10:00.000-04:002013-09-11T16:10:09.987-04:00RemembranceGreetings, friends.<br />
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Forgive me, but today, as a native New Yorker, I find it difficult to write a substantive post. So I shall share with you instead two photographs.<br />
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This is how I will always remember the World Trade Center:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFvwRKWIFnBW1M2cl7WG-Now2I7U4Y4FcKFbWBcHvvBvLxfBTApCjeZqigtaTyMdVjT6lbV9-NeTDIYUa1oIMMnopVgNROlW9bx4FBxQXjx5ZH_-Yk2SOCdQvhczoT47USzj_-SBlj2c/s1600/World_Trade_Center,_New_York_City_-_aerial_view_(March_2001).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFvwRKWIFnBW1M2cl7WG-Now2I7U4Y4FcKFbWBcHvvBvLxfBTApCjeZqigtaTyMdVjT6lbV9-NeTDIYUa1oIMMnopVgNROlW9bx4FBxQXjx5ZH_-Yk2SOCdQvhczoT47USzj_-SBlj2c/s400/World_Trade_Center,_New_York_City_-_aerial_view_(March_2001).jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The World Trade Center on March 1, 2001. Courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
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And this is our home. The only one we have. Here's hoping we can find a way to live in it together.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKkLGZB_1lJlzvS2-d_A7drYpwIXcm-_rFBJ_evPQ9lplIDyPs4hMgjL70U4bva_anoyLcjMMDSwX5zRnvVsn0Hnd7Fs0XcXjeYeY27XRVcUwvHBgNPjBEIHvmnt9BzgF2WStX8cMFkA/s1600/The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKkLGZB_1lJlzvS2-d_A7drYpwIXcm-_rFBJ_evPQ9lplIDyPs4hMgjL70U4bva_anoyLcjMMDSwX5zRnvVsn0Hnd7Fs0XcXjeYeY27XRVcUwvHBgNPjBEIHvmnt9BzgF2WStX8cMFkA/s400/The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Earth as photographed by the astronauts of Apollo 17. Courtesy NASA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you are in the area, please do come join us at the Virginia Living Museum this Saturday for our monthly <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/planetarium_pm.aspx">Star Party and Laser Light Night</a>. We're hoping for fine weather so we can really enjoy the sky.<br />
<br />
Until next time,<br />
Carpe Noctem,<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-31127475011573896062013-08-28T17:37:00.000-04:002013-08-28T17:37:40.318-04:00Hey there, LADEE!Okay, the title works much better if you think of saying it with a nice Irish accent.<br />
<br />
We're going back to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon">Moon</a>! Okay, it's with a robot right now, but hey, let's take what we can get! LADEE, or the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, will launch from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallops_Island_Flight_Facility">Wallops Island Flight Facility</a> here in Virginia on September 6th. That means we should have a great view of the launch...as will much of the east coast of the United States, in fact.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6HCIqfq84dXicZswZ__PtSuSJpLmNSXfx8y7s6dXCYOMSptIPRRFrgEMKo7Gh9AkptuPuhFdl9Jw-q90NWRjdJ96O-vvEiagfXU7C9s9OAM85PzZJVMbMaYiXHb1HEcRglPkO-5znI4/s1600/LADEE_w_flare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6HCIqfq84dXicZswZ__PtSuSJpLmNSXfx8y7s6dXCYOMSptIPRRFrgEMKo7Gh9AkptuPuhFdl9Jw-q90NWRjdJ96O-vvEiagfXU7C9s9OAM85PzZJVMbMaYiXHb1HEcRglPkO-5znI4/s400/LADEE_w_flare.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The LADEE Spacecraft. Courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
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<br />
Wait a minute...<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_atmosphere">Lunar Atmosphere</a>? Yes, lunar atmosphere. Most of the time, when we talk about the Moon, we say it has no atmosphere. That's because for all practical purposes, it doesn't. There's certainly nothing like air that we could breathe. And yet, there are some tenuous gases around the <a href="http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Moon">Moon</a>...and I do mean tenuous. The pressure of the "lunar atmosphere" is less than one hundred trillionth of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_pressure">Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level</a>. You don't get more tenuous than that! It seems to mostly be comprised of argon, helium, sodium, potassium and hydrogen, most of which probably comes from outgassing from the <a href="http://www.google.com/moon/">Moon </a>itself. But we'd like to know more about this "atmosphere," where it comes from, and what effect it may have on any future (and perhaps permanent) missions to the Moon.<br />
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And then there's dust. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust">Dust </a>is tricky stuff in space. It can make for some real problems. The Moon's surface is covered in dust - lunar regolith is essentially dust-sized particulates and they can get everywhere. A major challenge for any equipment working in the lunar environment is how to deal with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_dust">lunar dust</a>. The more we know about it, the better we can plan to handle the dust as we eventually head back to the <a href="http://nineplanets.org/luna.html">Moon</a>, hopefully, to stay.<br />
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Dust may also be the answer to an enduring mystery that came out of the Apollo missions. Apollo astronauts reported seeing mysterious <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepuscular_rays">glows and rays</a> above the lunar surface. These could have been caused by sodium ions...or they could have been caused by sunlight shining on dust in the lunar atmosphere. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LADEE">LADEE</a> will be seeking the answer to this enduring mystery.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_vbc7ngk5tg5ikykZWgx_zn8vgNugHtGOCMVE_NytWrtZgGb6bDvf8UYtcomIM-Y3NuyN74kTg5yXaETqxdNxhSjTAMNwZD0dVBcrcmVhuXxl41fHtCkDwUSeYtHrPCG8hELA8xSrVY/s1600/Apollo_17_twilight_ray_sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_vbc7ngk5tg5ikykZWgx_zn8vgNugHtGOCMVE_NytWrtZgGb6bDvf8UYtcomIM-Y3NuyN74kTg5yXaETqxdNxhSjTAMNwZD0dVBcrcmVhuXxl41fHtCkDwUSeYtHrPCG8hELA8xSrVY/s400/Apollo_17_twilight_ray_sketch.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sketch made by Apollo astronauts showing the glows and rays observed above the Moon. Courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Watch my blog for more information on when and where to look for LADEE's launch as we get closer to T minus zero. If all goes well, on September 6, Virginia will be host to an amazing sight - and the start of a 3 to 9 month exploration of more mysteries of the Moon.<br />
<br />
Until then,<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-63443920212963229682013-08-18T12:57:00.000-04:002013-08-18T12:57:35.372-04:00COSMIC STRINGS ALERT: Nova Delphini 2013Woohoo! We got us a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova">nova</a>!<br />
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A nova is a small, usually white dwarf star which brightens significantly because a companion star dumps material onto it. When this new material becomes hot and dense enough - WHAM! Nuclear fusion suddenly begins again, making the once-dead little star come to life and produce a whole heck of a lot of energy all at once. A white dwarf can go nova repeatedly - as often as the supply of fuel is replenished to sufficient levels by its companion.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55KPemSWOSVg0XAqZ0kADoQoFDNSw1VIMqEHofWsZDIUAUdKvM4Z0FSrMgYjH1-K2owAjzltmVp-NzoYQ64Nryo4fHfK60KYdoMcmmk1k0tmAF4oK5nv26WmJ3cb75LD5HaUwiLHk_9c/s1600/Nova_Delphini_2013_in_night_sky-_It_is_marked_in_the_image_2013-08-18_14-49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55KPemSWOSVg0XAqZ0kADoQoFDNSw1VIMqEHofWsZDIUAUdKvM4Z0FSrMgYjH1-K2owAjzltmVp-NzoYQ64Nryo4fHfK60KYdoMcmmk1k0tmAF4oK5nv26WmJ3cb75LD5HaUwiLHk_9c/s400/Nova_Delphini_2013_in_night_sky-_It_is_marked_in_the_image_2013-08-18_14-49.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nova Delphini 2013. Image courtesy Wikipedia.</td></tr>
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That appears to have a happened to a star in the constellation Delphinus the Dolphin. The once-invisible star has brightened dramatically over the last few days - and it is now at just about the limit of vision for the average skies in our area. If the sky around where you are is relatively dark and uncluttered at night, you should be able to pick out a faint "new" star in Delphinus.<br />
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"New" is in fact the Latin translation of nova. Early astronomers thought that what they were seeing was a new star bursting into life. Today we know this is not the case, but the name persists. And in one sense, it is a "new" star, since normally this little white dwarf cannot be seen with the human eye at all.<br />
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This uptick in brightness may only last for a few days, and fortunately for us, the nova is well-placed in our evening skies for viewing. Don't miss your chance to see this beautiful object! Once the sky is nice and dark, head outside to check out the area near the Summer Triangle for the nova. The chart below will help you locate it. Bring out a pair of binoculars or a telescope to help you, as even at this new brightness, the nova may be just on the edge of your vision.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuIWH4U7Z9FuD4nro_klrbXuU-kB8XSvIW3l9UYvF2FpWk2yKzViY9aDxHrQrNEv-n-dY5AFbb893ArmuNj68eJNPVM_zbdQgfoWeXXbI8AJOb6KJRRaoN6vJWuaQTEURI-sOfxypDSk/s1600/Nova-Del-stellarium-580x513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuIWH4U7Z9FuD4nro_klrbXuU-kB8XSvIW3l9UYvF2FpWk2yKzViY9aDxHrQrNEv-n-dY5AFbb893ArmuNj68eJNPVM_zbdQgfoWeXXbI8AJOb6KJRRaoN6vJWuaQTEURI-sOfxypDSk/s400/Nova-Del-stellarium-580x513.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A guide to finding Nova Delphini 2013. Image from Universe Today, created in Stellarium.</td></tr>
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Best of luck! If you see it, leave me a message in the comments!<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-8259260477402152932013-08-14T09:33:00.000-04:002013-08-14T09:33:47.498-04:00No Stars Over NashvilleHowdy y'all!<br />
<br />
Okay so after another missed post by the automatic poster, I give up. And that's how I find myself sitting in a hotel room in Nashville, writing this entry.<br />
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I'll be on the road most of this month, actually. Having a school-age child, this is our chance to go on vacation before the school year begins again. So far, I've spent a week in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and now I'm in the middle of a week in Nashville.<br />
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I grew up in New York City, where a night filled with stars meant you were either seeing a Broadway show or you were in the Hayden Planetarium in Manhattan. I can remember being a kid and being so excited for summer and the return of the Summer Triangle - three bright stars that I could pretty reliably find in evening sky. I knew the Big Dipper and Orion only from my many visits to the Hayden. The Moon was a well-known friend, of course, and I could spot planets, but frequently couldn't tell which was which.<br />
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Since moving to Virginia, where the skies are much darker, even with as much growth as there's been in the Hampton Roads area, I've naturally come to know as much about the real sky as I do in the planetarium. The real sky is different from the planetarium sky of course, because the real sky is...real! It's big! And things twinkle! And you can see satellites and meteors and all sorts of stuff that's kind of hard (and often distracting) to simulate in the planetarium environment.<br />
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Whenever I travel, I try to take some time to check out the local skies, wherever I am. Chadds Ford was a nice place to stargaze, once I drove away from the main roads. I didn't take long to find an area with pretty much no lights at all and beautifully dark skies. Wilmington, Delaware is the nearest major city, and the sky glow from it was largely unnoticeable thanks to some nearer object shielding me. Sky glow, the excess light thrown up into the sky by artificial lighting used by people, is the stargazer's great nemesis. It washes out the sky, and obscures from our view much of what we should be able to see. So many of us now live near cities that most people, at least here in the United States, have never seen the Milky Way, the beautiful cloudy band of light that stretches across our sky every evening. It's our view of our galaxy as seen from the inside, and it's amazing. I got to see it in Chadds Ford, thanks to a clear night and a fairly open area with no streetlights.<br />
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Here in Nashville, I'm not so lucky. Nashville is Music City USA, and it's a busy, fun, and exciting place. But with all that comes the inevitable light pollution problem that so many have. I've seen the Moon here thus far, but that's it. The next two nights are supposed to be cooler and clearer than the sky has been so far - I'm hoping to spot a little more in the sky tonight.<br />
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Light pollution is a problem that can be solved - and so easily! It even saves us money! All we need to do is make sure the lights we need for safety and security and fun are shielded - that is, they are protected so no light is wasted by shining up into the sky. After all, light that shines up just lights us birds and airplanes and the sky, so why bother spending money on that?<br />
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Later this month, I'll be in Grenloch, New Jersey. My folks live there, and I know those skies pretty well. Sadly, the Garden State is losing its sky as rapidly as it loses its rural areas. Here's hoping that someday we can reclaim those skies. It isn't too late.<br />
<br />
Wherever you go this summer, may the skies above be clear and light pollution free!<br />
Until next time,<br />
Carpe noctem (and yee-hah!),<br />
Kelly<br />
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PS: Hey! Don' forget the annual Perseid meteor shower is underway! We're officially past the peak, but you should still be able to see meteors in the evening any time after the Sun goes down. The darker your sky, the more you will be able to see. Just get outside and look! No telescope or binoculars needed!Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-62181406173619909702013-07-17T08:46:00.002-04:002013-07-17T08:47:58.115-04:00I'm Sorry I'm Confused...Well, hello!<br />
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Sorry about the lack of a post two weeks ago...I wrote one, but for some reason Blogger never posted it. I've gotten so used to this thing working so well, I never thought to check to see if the scheduled post properly popped up! I'll have to be more diligent with this thing in future.<br />
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I am smack dab in the middle of summer camps this week. I'm currently teaching rising first and second graders about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planets">planets </a>- and it's TONS of fun! I love working with kids...they always seem to know way more than I think they will. It's awesome.<br />
<br />
Anyway, since I've got planets on the brain, I thought I'd share a few tidbits about planets that my kids know...but maybe some of our grownups out there don't! Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Did you know...<br />
<br />
...Mercury has a thin "borrowed" atmosphere of solar wind surrounding it. The gases streaming away from the Sun will wrap around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_%28planet%29">Mercury </a>for a little while before continuing their journey through space. It's not a very nice hug, however...the impact of the gaseous material can blast sodium ions off the surface of the planet!<br />
<br />
...Venus rotates backward. Something quite traumatic must have happened to our neighbor in its early history, as the planet appears to have been tipped completely over by a massive impact. This same event massively slowed Venus' rotation as well, leaving it with a day which is longer than its year!<br />
<br />
...<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth">Earth </a>has been visited by spacecraft more times than any other planet. Indeed, the majority of the spacecraft launched by the various space agencies around the world have been placed in orbit around our home planet for a wide variety of purposes, including scientific study.<br />
<br />
...Mars is only half the diameter of Earth. The much-maligned Red Planet - long considered the home of aliens bent on taking over the Earth to gain its vast supply of precious water - actually boasts several geologic superlatives despite its small size. Mars is home to one of the largest canyons in the solar system (the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valles_Marineris">Valles Marineris</a> - large enough to stretch from New York City to Los Angeles if placed here on Earth!) as well as the largest volcano in the solar system (Olympus Mons - standing two and a half times the height of Mt. Everest and with a base as large as the state of Virginia!).<br />
<br />
...Jupiter has the longest-lived cyclonic storm ever seen. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is actually a storm that has been raging in the atmosphere of the giant planet for more than 400 years - at a minimum! Galileo Galilei first noted the presence of the storm in 1609 when he observed the giant planet through his simple telescope...but of course, since he was the first person ever to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter">Jupiter </a>in that way, we have no idea how long the storm had been there before he saw it. The Great Red Spot continues to fascinate amateur and professional astronomers alike to this day.<br />
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...Saturn has such a low density that you could float it in a bathtub...if you could find one big enough! Though the second largest planet in the solar system, Saturn is less dense than water. So if we could get enough water together, Saturn could float in it.<br />
<br />
...<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus">Uranus </a>rotates on its side! Like Venus, it appears this planet also suffered a major whack early on...resulting in an orbital tilt of 98 degrees. So the moons and rings of Uranus appear vertically around the planet, rather than the horizontal aspect we might expect.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcKifjHhAPQnh5gC5mCLfnZN-HYuZmcY9P5XsG5az8mSSC7QpCGs1D5XMt2WyEtTY55QYRWM5rufDtJr96yPqO-VNNgeuHqAba0O2jQecCN0TWezjx9Q2xLgB888zb_xKej6Nt4JYUSM/s1600/uranus-nasa310599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcKifjHhAPQnh5gC5mCLfnZN-HYuZmcY9P5XsG5az8mSSC7QpCGs1D5XMt2WyEtTY55QYRWM5rufDtJr96yPqO-VNNgeuHqAba0O2jQecCN0TWezjx9Q2xLgB888zb_xKej6Nt4JYUSM/s1600/uranus-nasa310599.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uranus - the Sideways Planet! Courtesy NASA.</td></tr>
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<br />
...Neptune used to have an enormous hurricane too...but now it's gone! When seen by the Voyager spacecraft in 1989, Neptune boasted the Great Dark Spot, an atmospheric storm of some kind that appeared as a darker blue splotch on the planet. In 1995, Hubble was aimed at the 8th planet, hoping to get a another look at the dark spot - but it was nowhere to be seen. Unlike Jupiter, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune">Neptune</a>'s storms seem to be short-lived things.<br />
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And we really can't finish out a post about planets without mentioning the dwarf planets! There are officially five dwarf planets in the solar system these days - Ceres, the largest of the asteroids, and 4 Kuiper Belt objects - Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.<br />
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Pluto now boasts five moons of its own - and they all finally have official names! Recently, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Astronomical_Union">International Astronomical Union</a> officially named the two moons discovered in 2011 and 2012...so Pluto is now attended by Charon, Hydra, Nix, Kerberos, and Styx. Not bad for the premiere dwarf planet of the solar system!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXA8zC7AeeC_AevAXtaXSkObEtT3VX2mcqtp8A5ytB2Xb-k8TCRpLpJxi3Rn9u1lrbvTHmJav8O-DF7LFva77YlmSIVjQf2rzo5WWYB_SzIcm7__8mEZrg-g_OtWaDpDZFfAqVkO-zQw/s1600/image_1192e-kerberos-styx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXA8zC7AeeC_AevAXtaXSkObEtT3VX2mcqtp8A5ytB2Xb-k8TCRpLpJxi3Rn9u1lrbvTHmJav8O-DF7LFva77YlmSIVjQf2rzo5WWYB_SzIcm7__8mEZrg-g_OtWaDpDZFfAqVkO-zQw/s320/image_1192e-kerberos-styx.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pluto, now a virtual mini solar system of its own. Courtesy NASA.</td></tr>
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Well, that's about all I have time for just now. Hope you discovered a little something new about the solar system in which you live! See you in two weeks...assuming Blogger doesn't go crazy on me again.<br />
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Until then...Carpe Noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-4344528656589548652013-06-19T15:04:00.000-04:002013-06-19T15:04:00.601-04:00And Now for Something Completely Different......<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_Now_for_Something_Completely_Different">a man with a tape recorder up his nose</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LlRhoDsZIj8-mxvPsEziDMbTASV1KjquG5XrBQ58X_Q0FeGgIKdTR4bOq-i8EOoVPYnB54LIGTzNDalIKQhUhqWhsZkhB5jcrI2KFUSuHrMaN4quq_ylhzW68m8mMjJ-UgCImPXFv0Q/s1600/taperecorder_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LlRhoDsZIj8-mxvPsEziDMbTASV1KjquG5XrBQ58X_Q0FeGgIKdTR4bOq-i8EOoVPYnB54LIGTzNDalIKQhUhqWhsZkhB5jcrI2KFUSuHrMaN4quq_ylhzW68m8mMjJ-UgCImPXFv0Q/s400/taperecorder_poster.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monty Python's Michael Palin as The Man with a Tape Recorder Up his Nose</td></tr>
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I absolutely love <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python">Monty Python</a>. I can't help it. I'm one of those bizarre people who finds British humor positively hysterical. Human beings seem to come in two flavors: those that flip for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_humor">British humor,</a> and those that can't stand it. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatross_%28Monty_Python_sketch%29">And you don't get wafers with either variety</a>.<br />
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Perhaps my favorite thing about <a href="http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=13681+Monty+Python">Monty Python</a>, however, is the fact that the members of the troupe are very well educated and inject that into their brilliant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedy">comedy</a>. There's something wonderful about that. I mean, how else does one conceive of a comedy bit where a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Brian">Roman centurion vehemently corrects a Jewish ne'er-do-well on the grammar of his Latin graffiti?</a> Romans you go the house? It's still one of my favorite bits from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079470/">Life of Brian.</a><br />
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Astronomy is not neglected by the Pythons either. If you've ever see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_The_Meaning_of_Life">The Meaning of Life</a>, you'll certainly remember <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Galaxy_Song">The Galaxy Song,</a> a jaunty little ditty written and sung by Eric Idle to convince an ordinary British housewife to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_donation">donate her organs</a> (and right now please). The words are as follows:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Gnfs60EUTbs-7Q5KJqNvcfLMRNfXt6WQBmFIQhhIqWQVCCUdf3Pe4gql3Cx3sRO0R-2uhfSGu8q4waGWJX7cU9dUbHOoRnR4_5M4M4gvu9-7npkcGBgaRJwt6ydfowf-TgEKSuuMWW0/s1600/monty-python-galaxy-song-cbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Gnfs60EUTbs-7Q5KJqNvcfLMRNfXt6WQBmFIQhhIqWQVCCUdf3Pe4gql3Cx3sRO0R-2uhfSGu8q4waGWJX7cU9dUbHOoRnR4_5M4M4gvu9-7npkcGBgaRJwt6ydfowf-TgEKSuuMWW0/s400/monty-python-galaxy-song-cbs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monty Python's Terry Jones as Mrs. Brown and Eric Idle performing "The Galaxy Song" in "The Meaning of Life"</td></tr>
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Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving<br />And revolving at nine hundred miles an hour,<br />That's orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it's reckoned,<br />A sun that is the source of all our power.<br />The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see<br />Are moving at a million miles a day<br />In an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour,<br />Of the galaxy we call the 'Milky Way'.<br />Our galaxy itself contains a hundred billion stars.<br />It's a hundred thousand light years side to side.<br />It bulges in the middle, sixteen thousand light years thick,<br />But out by us, it's just three thousand light years wide.<br />We're thirty thousand light years from galactic central point.<br />We go 'round every two hundred million years,<br />And our galaxy is only one of millions of billions<br />In this amazing and expanding universe.<br /><br />The universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding<br />In all of the directions it can whizz<br />As fast as it can go, at the speed of light, you know,<br />Twelve million miles a minute, and that's the fastest speed there is.<br />So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure,<br />How amazingly unlikely is your birth,<br />And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,<br />'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth.<br />
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It's a brilliant song, all the more so because it's pretty much 100% accurate. We'll forgive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Idle">Eric </a>the use of the word "revolving" when he really meant "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotation">rotating</a>"...after all, it's a very common mistake. But beyond that one slip in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexicon">lexicon</a>, the song is spot on. <br />
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Our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth">Earth </a>really does rotate, on average, at 900 miles per hour. Think about that. Right now, as you sit reading this, you are IN MOTION at almost 1000 mph. And that's just the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2403.html">Earth</a>'s rotation. Our revolution around the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun">Sun</a>, at 19 miles a second, clocks in at over 68,000 mph. Comparatively, the entire solar system trundles along at only 40,000 mph as it moves around the center of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way_galaxy">Milky Way galaxy</a>.<br />
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A second error, if you want to call it that, occurs here. We now believe that <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GLAST/science/milky_way_galaxy.html">our galaxy</a> probably contains 200 billion stars...but of course, it depends a little on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomers">who you ask</a>. 100 billion as an estimate back when the song was written would be perfectly acceptable. All of the other measures concerning <a href="http://www.space.com/19915-milky-way-galaxy.html">our galaxy</a> are quite correct.<br />
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So the next time someone complains about you just sitting on the couch, watching TV, you can explain to them just how fast you're really moving when you do that. No wonder you need to sit down!<br />
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Until next time,<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-63391118577045089442013-06-05T15:51:00.000-04:002013-06-05T15:51:24.593-04:00Woohoo! It's Time to Star Party!Greetings, astronomy fans!<br />
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Ah, the <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/planetarium_pm.aspx">summer star party</a>. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it?<br />
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Actually, we're really excited about our summer star parties. We'll have time in the early part of the evening to view the Sun, which is pretty awesome right about now. We're in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_maximum">solar maximum</a>, so there's almost always something cool to see. And by cool, we mean about 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the rough temperature of the average <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspot">sunspot</a>, a cool, dark region on the solar surface. I know, it doesn't exactly sound cool...but with the rest of the solar surface hovering around 10,000 degrees, suddenly 8,000 doesn't sound so <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28Michael_Jackson_song%29">bad</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tPWC3cepgdBm7GL_9t_dgKe5fnC0byB6qYLNnYhSb5rY4tNbJ_KopGh8hZRcK0JrvBAmnJp9ixfVoyk6B0DD24kbv-D9FwkTnlNEEGYamlbsOeW7fdia0mSavt9GDKINiSgpTS7o9TA/s1600/hmi4096_blank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tPWC3cepgdBm7GL_9t_dgKe5fnC0byB6qYLNnYhSb5rY4tNbJ_KopGh8hZRcK0JrvBAmnJp9ixfVoyk6B0DD24kbv-D9FwkTnlNEEGYamlbsOeW7fdia0mSavt9GDKINiSgpTS7o9TA/s400/hmi4096_blank.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sun today, June 5, 2013. Image courtesy NASA and Spaceweather.com</td></tr>
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Once the Sun sets, we'll be treated to some wonderful sights in the evening sky. Saturn is prominent right now, and looking awesome. At a recent overnight event at the museum, we saw <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn%27s_moons">4 moons</a> (out of Saturn's many dozens), Cassini's division (a large gap in the ring system), and even some faint banding in the clouds of the giant planet (yellow and white clouds generally don't make for great <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_%28vision%29">contrast</a>, so when you can see them, it's quite lovely). Saturn is truly a sight to behold in a telescope, and well worth the wait for the darkness of night. Beyond <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn">Saturn</a>, expect to see some beautiful double stars, like Alberio, in the head of Cygnus the Swan...and perhaps a nebula or two, like the the Ring Nebula in Lyra the Harp.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KigLdDNUjG-WDN31DGu7Q1L-2GunZBDD_X0KcEo-YGRW19vusQlk1WTN7eikxzHmeSw1xlmmO2Ch9BM8d3VQK7jE74VGK6nHHpToBLWgUmOsY_H8hqmcPRjK1ZMGIN1ppfXvwYepvOk/s1600/Saturn-2-June-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KigLdDNUjG-WDN31DGu7Q1L-2GunZBDD_X0KcEo-YGRW19vusQlk1WTN7eikxzHmeSw1xlmmO2Ch9BM8d3VQK7jE74VGK6nHHpToBLWgUmOsY_H8hqmcPRjK1ZMGIN1ppfXvwYepvOk/s400/Saturn-2-June-2013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still from a video of Saturn shot June 2, 2013. Image by Dash One using Raspberry Pi.</td></tr>
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While you're waiting for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-sky_movement">darkening </a>sky to reveal it's secrets, we've got a special treat for you. The United States Air Force Heritage Combo, the Blue Aces, will be rockin' it out in the Conservation Garden from 6-8pm (if the weather is inclement, they'll move into the <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/">lobby of the main museum building</a>). Trust me, you're going to enjoy that! And did I mention that everything we've talked about so far is free? No really, <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/special-events.aspx">FREE</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmadm2EtGubgAYgaj3QJbLgFNFAkCA8DgItbCtcytkRKXtmr18HSyhyphenhyphenf1B7YZ-OOyUPSOy8f4o_wfOFizOB5JqaIOnzrYZdR8LWuJwgIh-G66OojJRl5DLzgHggOsGGWLGgcHnNTx0tTA/s1600/121107-F-KM766-001-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmadm2EtGubgAYgaj3QJbLgFNFAkCA8DgItbCtcytkRKXtmr18HSyhyphenhyphenf1B7YZ-OOyUPSOy8f4o_wfOFizOB5JqaIOnzrYZdR8LWuJwgIh-G66OojJRl5DLzgHggOsGGWLGgcHnNTx0tTA/s400/121107-F-KM766-001-web.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blue Aces.</td></tr>
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Beyond the freebies, you can support the Virginia Living Museum and see some amazing stuff this Saturday night. Only during the three evening star parties of summer can you visit our stunning summer exhibit, <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/Bodies_Revealed.aspx">Bodies Revealed</a>, without paying admission to the museum as well. Stand alone tickets to Bodies Revealed will be available for $15 for adults and $12 for kids. Members, of course, are only $7. The exhibit is an incredible journey through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human">human body</a> - you won't want to miss it.<br />
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Also available is an expanded slate of shows in the Abbitt Planetarium! At 5:30pm, you can see Microcosm, our show about the parallel developments of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_exploration">space exploration</a> and medical technology that will also propel you into a possible future where human beings can go inside the human body to cures diseases. At 6:30pm, take a break and rock on with <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/laser-pop.aspx">Laser Pop</a>, featuring pop music across the decades. At 7:30pm, catch a preview of the evening sky with Virginia Skies, a live sky talk with one of our staff astronomers. At 8:30pm, the rock and roll goes on with <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/laser-vinyl.aspx">Laser Vinyl</a>, a mix of classic rock hits you won't want to miss. Rounding out the night is a Pink Floyd double feature - The Wall at 10pm and The Vision Bell at 11:30pm. The Wall features selections from that classic album, while <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/Vision-Bell.aspx">The Vision Bell</a> is a fabulous mix of old and new Pink Floyd favorites inspired by the release of The Division Bell. It's a double header you won't want to miss. Shows in the <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/planetariumfaq.aspx">planetarium </a>are $6 each, or catch a double feature (any two shows on the same night) for $10. Members are always half price!<br />
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Besides all this fun, the <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/WildThingsStore.aspx">Wild Things Museum Store</a> and the Wild Side Cafe will be open for your shopping and eating pleasure! Plus enjoy the beautiful gardens as the Sun goes down and the evening cools off. All in all, our summer star parties should be a blast! Our first one is this <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/calendar.aspx">Saturday, June 8</a>, and will be your only chance to see the Blue Aces. Come out and join us!<br />
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Until next time,<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238688286321471659.post-9160645335343132392013-05-22T18:23:00.000-04:002013-05-22T18:23:06.437-04:00WOAH...Look at the time!Holy moly, has it been two weeks already!?!<br />
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Okay, well I'm going to make this quick, as we are in our busiest season here at the Virginia Living Museum. Summer is a-comin'...and we are all working like crazy to be ready!<br />
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So...here's a primer on what you'll find here if you come visit this summer!<br />
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The big news is our big exhibition - Bodies Revealed - a fascinating exhibition of specially preserved human specimens of the kind usually reserved for medical students. The exhibit will take you on an incredible journey through the various systems of the body, plus allow you to see exactly what happens to a body afflicted with various kinds of diseases. It is truly incredible - the human body is a marvel to behold, and this exhibit really brings out the incredible complexity of our inner workings. The exhibit opens to the public on Saturday - members only can visit on Friday!<br />
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In the Abbitt Planetarium, you can explore the inside of the body with a fanciful look into the future of medicine with <i><b>Microcosm </b></i>- a fantastic voyage into the body as only a fulldome theater can bring it to you. The show makes an excellent companion to the Bodies Revealed exhibit and will be offered at 11:30am and 2:30pm every day beginning on Friday.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GhNrX1TuWz0AXTGyZe1iWQXbSZXEPchMj25_uOSvn6RWP21QKA4m0C-pGJSDFyF6t_5y5Vre_N3pqxsJjCA9nzZzTFfRa5anEreevypXj4raI4k_Cs58bXuW6pLtb7InwZQpYcb4hRg/s1600/Microcosm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GhNrX1TuWz0AXTGyZe1iWQXbSZXEPchMj25_uOSvn6RWP21QKA4m0C-pGJSDFyF6t_5y5Vre_N3pqxsJjCA9nzZzTFfRa5anEreevypXj4raI4k_Cs58bXuW6pLtb7InwZQpYcb4hRg/s400/Microcosm.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journey inside the human body with Microcosm. We'll also explore the parallel history of astronomical and medical advancements.</td></tr>
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For those with a more historical bend, we'll also be featuring a program to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg address later this year. Before he was president, Abraham Lincoln was a well respected lawyer. In his most famous case, he successfully defended a man against a murder charge by introducing scientific evidence about the Moon. For many years, historians have argued over whether Lincoln actually had science on his side, or whether he faked his "evidence" to free his client. Discover the answer with our new program <i><b>Abraham Lincoln: The Case of the Missing Moon</b></i>, showing every day at 12:30pm beginning this Friday.<br />
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If you're hoping to learn about what's going on in the evening skies, you'll really enjoy our <i><b>Virginia Skies </b></i>program. This live discussion of the current evening skies will be shown every day at 1:30pm, starting this Friday. One of our staff astronomers will take you on journey through the current constellations, planets, and other celestial objects appearing in your night sky. Don't forget to bring your questions!<br />
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Finally, if you're looking to just kick back, relax, and rock out for summer, we've got you covered at our 3:30pm laser show. Beginning this Friday and running through June 30, enjoy an eclectic mix of movie tunes, rock and pop with <i><b>Laser Mania</b></i>. Celebrate our magnificent country all through the month of July with <i><b>Spirit of America</b></i>. From August 1 through Labor Day weekend, get dancy with a wild selection of electronic dance music in <i><b>ElectroLaze</b></i>. All our laser shows feature amazing laser light splashed all over our 30 foot dome to accompany excellent music selections. You can check out playlists for our shows on <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/">our website.</a><br />
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Of course, summer also brings summer camps, and we are really excited about our offerings this year. We do classes for kids having completed kindergarten up through grade 5 - and each week is packed full of incredible science, fun, games, activities and planetarium shows! We do have a few spaces remaining in some of our camps - check <a href="http://www.thevlm.org/">online </a>for current openings, or call (757) 595-9135 and our lovely ladies in reservations will help you out. <br />
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Well, the unofficial start of summer is this weekend, and I plan to spend it with friends and family. I'm really looking forward to checking out the new Star Trek movie! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUlzBuG8YW1wLK0mXM6a80YptroFu2kjalL04mQdlTFJx_xsyUh7mIfjtdBQtvAfc-PRvnANjvrDrEKZNuvNaykuMJNOobXVu_Yid1f653DissyK86YM_lq-rntZjpeA6nRIeN2oLaDU/s1600/Star_Trek_Into_Darkness_35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUlzBuG8YW1wLK0mXM6a80YptroFu2kjalL04mQdlTFJx_xsyUh7mIfjtdBQtvAfc-PRvnANjvrDrEKZNuvNaykuMJNOobXVu_Yid1f653DissyK86YM_lq-rntZjpeA6nRIeN2oLaDU/s400/Star_Trek_Into_Darkness_35.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah, the reboot of Star Trek. I confess I much enjoyed the first one, despite my best efforts.</td></tr>
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All right, my time is up! Back to work.<br />
Until two more weeks have passed...live long and prosper!<br />
Carpe noctem!<br />
KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09255957738751583664noreply@blogger.com0