Science

[harrygunner]

Lunar photos from the 60's recovered at "McMoon's", near the NASA Ames Research Center. Always like to see images of the far side of the Moon.

http://www.wired.com/2014/04/lost-lunar-photos-recovered-by-great-feats-of-hackerdom-developed-at-a-mcdonalds/

Within the eons of our existence, we are the ones with images of so many places in our solar system.

I can't count the number of times I've passed the Ames Research Center, seeing the huge 'Hanger One' while driving on the 101 Freeway in California. Never stopped to take a tour. It will feel funny entering California unable to CCW as I did for a decade and a half when I lived there. But a tour of that facility would be a nice reminder of how wonderful our universe is.

(Thought I'd make the title general enough for any science related posts.)

[The_Shadow]

Very cool...

[harrygunner]

We had a partial eclipse yesterday. I wasn't sure how I was going to see it.  Then, I tested my coated lens binoculars. They made a perfect image on a flat surface.

I held them in my hand, covering up one lens with that hand and pointed the large opening toward the sun and the eyepiece toward a smooth white board.

I adjusted the focus to cast the image onto the smooth surface (NOT my retina!) and saw a clear image of the moon's shadow on the sun Earth. Even more amazing to me, was how the sunspot AR 2192 was clearly visible.

There will be a total eclipse in three years and this is a safe way to view it.

Anyone else had a chance to see it? It's been quite a year. Saw both lunar eclipses, now this!

Edited to change where the Moon's shadow was cast. 


 

[The_Shadow]

Shadow on the Moon?    Not yet!

Shadow was mooning?    Oops!

I watched it on the NASA live feed on the web, it was easy viewing with "Third Rock from the Sun Radio Station" music in the background.

I've used the pinhole projection on a poster in the past and binoculars like you did as well.  Even used welders dark glass to view...

[harrygunner]

moon's shadow on the sun.

You're right. I wasn't thinking when I wrote that.   

[sqlbullet]

We had the welders helmet out.  Best way for kids.

[harrygunner]

Great you had a chance to show kids the event. I found a couple of adults who were truly excited at seeing the images. Smart phones came out to take photos.

Felt bad at the realization I couldn't approach a couple of kids passing by my place on their way home, to show them. I'm still new here after escaping California.  I grew up in a place where kids pretty much belonged to the neighborhood. No longer the case.

[harrygunner]

Apparently, they smell bad. Remnants of organic processes?

http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space-probe-rosetta-gets-a-whiff-of-comet-67p-and-thats-what-is-smells-like-pee/story-fnjwlcze-1227102621070

I want to be around when life off the Earth is confirmed by us. Based on the compounds sensed by this probe, it would be interesting if comets and asteroids act as conveyers of life.

[The_Shadow]

That's very interesting, I will want to see more about the landing and studies!  It is very neat science! 

[The_Shadow]

Antares rocket explodes on liftoff from Wallops Island into fireball during launch.
http://www.space.com/27551-orbital-sciences-rocket-explosion-photos.html?adbid=10152424256571466&adbpl=fb&adbpr=17610706465&cmpid=514630_20141029_34597217

[harrygunner]

Antares rocket explodes on liftoff

Has to be tough, emotionally on the engineers and scientists. Glad no lives were lost.

As an aside, during my time as a physics prof, I consulted on a cool satellite navigation project. I provided mathematical analysis and computer modeling.

In space projects, you get to do all the cool things one learns in engineering and science, at the highest level.

This explosion is a setback, but lessons will be learned.

[harrygunner]

The movie "Interstellar" had Kip Thorne (a theoretical physicist) as a technical adviser.
   
The astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson applauds the movie getting the science right.  http://www.thewrap.com/interstellar-gets-reviewed-by-neil-degrasse-tyson-no-film-opinions-just-scientific-rights-or-wrongs/
   
I'm going to see it. But, may not be viewed as much as it should in America since, well, it has science in it.
   
BTW, a writer for "Interstellar" is involved in HBO's creation of a series based on Isaac Asimov's "Foundation".

Series as a PDF file:
http://www.angelfire.com/un/corosus/books/Asimov_the_foundation.pdf

Old radio enactment of the Foundation Trilogy:
https://archive.org/details/IsaacAsimov-TheFoundationTrilogy

When I was a kid, without exaggeration, I read enough Sci-Fi (not fantasy) books to fill a 10x10x10 room. Sadly, those classic paperbacks did not survive my leaving my childhood home.