Sunsets, Stars, West, Wind
http://earthsky.org/space/this-date-in-science-sept-18-1977-voyager-1-earth-moon-photo
37 years ago today.
Voyager to Earth: “Hello World!” or more likely “Goodbye World!”
Voyager is still sending us postcards from the edge though.
http://io9.com/the-seven-wonders-of-the-solar-system-1600220388
Some suggestions for a superlative list of solar system wonders.
My list off the top of my head:
1. Saturn’s rings
2. Jupiter’s red spot
3. Mars’ Olympic Mons
4. Io
5. Titan
6. Uranus for being axially contrary
7. Oort cloud
Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon
Big solar storm heading toward Earth
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/11/tech/innovation/solar-storm/
Should be here Saturday. Keep a flashlight handy.
Cover reveal for my uncle’s first book. Available now (a bit early) from some retailers.
For once, I live in just about the best spot to observe a total solar eclipse. The center line for the eclipse coming in August 2017 is just a few miles north of where I live. That being said, the path of the eclipse cuts diagonally across the United States from Oregon to South Carolina.
Update Monday 9/1/2014: I forgot to include a link to the Astronomy magazine article that will take you to the interactive map shown above: Make Plans for the 2017 Eclipse with This Great Map. Continue reading “Less Than Three Years to Prepare”
Read by John Lee
Winner of the Pulitzer Price for General Nonfiction 1963
Thanks to Barbara, I now know more about the first month of World War I than all my previous half-century of accumulated, absorbed knowledge. Not only do I know more, but I understand the how. How Europe ended up in a terrible stalemate and war of attrition that lasted four more years. The why will have to wait until I can read her other history The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914.
On August 23rd, I attended a discussion of The Guns of August sponsored by the Kansas City Public Library, the Kansas City Star‘s FYI Book Club and hosted at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial. There were many attendees from all over the Kansas City metro area and we attempted to stay focused on Tuchman’s novel, not straying to far before or after. A great hour of discussion on an excellently researched and composed history of the outbreak of the Great War. Continue reading “Book Review: The Guns of August by Tuchman (4 Stars)”
I thought I’d use the European racing term more commonly known in the States as ‘passing’ to refer to the progress Venus has made in the predawn sky this past week.
Saturday morning I woke up way too early for a weekend, but remembered reading something about Venus and Jupiter getting closer together. Without reminding myself by actually looking the information up via Facebook or Twitter or Google, I threw on some clothes, grabbed the keys to one of the vehicles (didn’t care which one) and rushed outside. It was still very dark, just after five o’clock (Central time zone). I drove a block up a slight hill to my favorite eastern horizon viewing site (just to the east of Lansing City Hall) and waited … and waited … and waited. I finally used my smartphone (which I never leave home without) to check when Venus and Jupiter were supposed to rise (using Astronomy.com’s Tonight’s Sky mobile web page). Continue reading “Venus Overtakes Jupiter”
http://earthsky.org/tonight/closest-planetplanet-conjunction-before-sunrise-august-18
Set your alarms folks! This will be all kinds of cool tomorrow morning.
Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon
Google Just Added Maps For Mars And The Moon, And The Level Of Detail Is Stunning
I wonder how long before Mercury will be added to the list? Or perhaps the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon
It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.
