Extremo-Caturday (Extremophile Pt. 1)

So we figured out what was wrong with our internet. Our router died, it would turn on, lights blink for like a minute and then die. So we had to go get a new router. And now I am back to blogging. It is yet another Caturday, so what better time to go through some of the crazy lifeforms that exist on Earth. These extreme lifeforms are known as extremophiles, because they thrive in places that we may consider adverse conditions for life. They live in places that are extremely hot, cold, acidic, salty, radioactive, dark, dry, or have high pressures. Astrobiologists like to study these organisms because most places in the Universe seem to be adverse to life, and if these little critters can make it, then it gives hope that life may actually be abundant. It also lends support to the Rare Earth...

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Posted in astrobiology,Extremophiles,Life 14 comments

Minecraft!

Well, still having internet problems, going to have to call the ISP and deal with the dreaded customer service. UGH. In the mean time, using the cell phone as a mobile hotspot for short periods of time. It's a terribly slow connection, so I'm doing about all I can do. So, while I wait for the internet to get fixed, I am going to play a (un)healthy amount of Minecraft. I haven't played much recently with all the blogging and astronomy events, but it is an incredibly fun and addictive game. It's a nearly unlimited 3D world where you mine resources and build whatever you can imagine by day, and survive an onslaught of monsters at night. The game has been likened to LEGOs, with all the building and doing whatever you're capable of imagining. Some people even make complex things using a specialized...

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Posted in Computers,Minecraft,Technology,Video Games 15 comments

Note for 4/14/11

Well, I was hoping to have some shots from my telescope camera for you by now. Unfortunately there hasn't been a clear night yet since I got it. I have it all set up and ready to go though. Tonight looks like it might be clear enough, so I might give it a shot. Also, tonight I am giving my presentation at the Harford County Astronomical Society on Life in the Universe. I am a bit excited, but unsure of exactly how large a crowd this will be. This will probably be the largest single crowd I have addressed in awhile where I am the focus. It should go well, and hopefully someone will either record it or take pictures that will be put online. I don't have a lot of time for a major update today since I have to get ready. Kind of unfortunate, I also miss out on playing Frisbee and kickball with...

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Posted in Astrophotography,HCAS,personal 14 comments

NASA Selects Museums to House Retiring Space Shuttles

On Tuesday, April 12th, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden unveiled the winners in the bidding war to become a home to one of NASA's retiring space shuttles. This came on the the 30th anniversary of the first space shuttle flight, Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981; in addition to the 50th anniversary of space flight (the aforementioned Yuri's Night). The winners are: Atlantis will go to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Endeavour will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles Discovery will go to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.   Enterprise will go to the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum...

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Posted in Infographic,NASA,Smithsonian,Space News,Space Shuttle 27 comments

The 2012 'Doomsday' Prophecy

So this weeks topic was suggested a couple of weeks ago by the fantastically hilarious Thundercat832 (a word of warning on her blog, it's not exactly work safe.) She felt I could give a good take on the whole 2012 thing. So what will happen in 2012? Well, there will be earthquakes, volcanic eruption, hurricanes, typhoons, blizzards, floods, drought, disease, and several tons of space rock will rain down. Sounds like a pretty standard year to me, in fact, all of this stuff happens all of the time. It is tragic, but is the nature of living on an active and dynamic planet. Heck, without these processes, life might not have arisen in the first place...

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Posted in 2012,Astronomy,Debunk,Doomsday 30 comments

50 Years: Redux

 Earlier I had posted about the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first flight, known as Yuri's Night. Well, I also learned that a movie has been made, just premiered in fact, called First Orbit. It is a real time recreation of Yuri's 108 minute flight, using the original mission audio from Yuri's flight and shot from the ISS by ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli with a musical score by composer Philip Sheppard. The audio is subtitled in English and runs about 140 minutes. It is completely free and on Youtube (embedded below) and on their website: firstorbit.org. I just started watching it and I have to say, the high definition video really gives justice to this historic anniversary. I hope you take the time to enjoy...

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Posted in Space News,Spaceflight,Yuri Gagarin 18 comments

That New Blog Look

So, the template is up and working. I got it to a point where I am satisfied for now. It's called Blue Cosmos by Lasantha Bandara. There is still some tweaking to be done, but I'll continue to fiddle with it over the next couple days. What do you think? Love it, hate it, don't care?  Comment. Personally, since I am using blogger, I'd like to get to blogger bar back as a courtesy, but its no biggie. And I realize the title is two lines and all jammed together, I haven't figured that one out either yet. But, I figure I'll try replacing it with a banner soon enough. I also want to lessen some of padding space at the top of the page and between posts, it seems kind of far. As far as the widgets and gadgets though, they all look good. I like the bar going across the top of the body, the...

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Posted in Blogger,Technology,Template 18 comments

50 Years of Human Spaceflight!

Tomorrow night is Yuri's Night, a celebration of the first human spaceflight, made on April 12, 1961 by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. His flight took one orbit that lasted 108 minutes in his Vostok 1 spacecraft. He was the first person to leave the bonds of the Earth's gravity and the first to see the planet as a globe without borders. The celebration of this event has slowly been growing over the years, and hopefully you will join in too. You can find out more and event locations spanning the globe at yurisnight.net, and more on Yuri Gagarin on Wikipedia. "Circling the Earth in my orbital spaceship I marveled at the beauty of our planet....

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Posted in Spaceflight,Yuri Gagarin 14 comments

Curiosity For Mars

NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, is near completion. Part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Spacecraft, engineers have assembled and tested nearly all the rover's components at the Jet Propulsion Lab in California. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech In May and June the rover and other components of the spacecraft will be shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will be prepared for launch. The launch will have to take place somewhere between Nov. 25 and Dec. 18, 2011, when the spacecraft can most effectively reach Mars. The launch vehicle to be used is an Atlas V rocket, on which the spacecraft will be bolted to the top. Credit:...

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Posted in Curiosity,Mars,NASA,Rover 23 comments