Marian Murdoch Photography and Nature Articles

Jeni, Part Three

2011-03-09T13:48:00.001-08:00

Jeni, Part Two

2011-03-09T13:46:00.001-08:00

Jeni, Part One

2011-03-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

Javelina - The Collared Peccary

2011-03-01T17:58:00.000-08:00

The name javelina (pronounced ha-va-LEE-na) is Spanish for spear and one look at this creature’s tusks will make you understand why it was given such a name. Resembling a pig, the javelina weighs 30-60 pounds. They can’t see very well, but make up for it with their excellent hearing. They go by other names such as the collared peccary (Pecary is a Brazilian native word meaning “many paths through the woods”), Tayaussa and the Musk Hog. The latter is understandable once you get close to the javelina. You can usually smell them before you even see them, thanks to powerful musk glands on top of their rumps. As a desert dweller, their favorite diet is prickly pears, cactus fruit, which is very high in water content. Due to their poor eyesight, they locate their food with their sensitive snout. Their digestive systems are highly evolved to take care of the large cellulose matter.

Though they look like pigs, they have been given a classification of their own, due to anatomical differences, most notably three toes on the hind feet (pigs have four) and downward curved tusks. Javelinas look “top heavy”. Their heads are large compared to their bodies and slim legs. They have bristly fur, a band of hair from head to tail, and a white collar around their necks.

Active in the cooler parts of the day, dusk and dawn, they travel in groups led by a dominant male who takes care of most of the breeding duties. When a female javelina is about to give birth, she leaves the group because the young may be eaten by the other members.

The javelina faces many dangers in the desert. Water is scarce and the heat is high. They can’t cool off by panting, so they avoid the heat of the day and bed down in the shade near a water source. Their enemies include coyotes, bobcats, pumas, jaguars and humans. It is big business in Arizona to hunt for the javelina and their skins adorn many homes. They can run 35 kmph / 21 mph and can be quite vicious when cornered.

Texas A&M-Kingsville has the javelina as their mascot.

Humans find the javelina to be a pest, but quite often forget that this tough little creature was here long before we encroached on their territory.

Declawing

2011-02-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

I did a little man-on-the-street poll at work today and realized that 90% of those I asked didn’t realize what is involved in declawing a cat. Most thought just the claws were removed. If it were only that easy.

First, I want you to do something for me. While barefoot, stand up and take a few steps forward, but keep your toes up off the floor. Notice the unusual pressure points put on your other foot parts. If you continued to walk this way, you’d experience back and joint pains. Now hold up your hand and look at the part of your fingers where the nails grow. Bend your fingers, noticing the joints. Sit for a few minutes until you get an itch. Try to scratch it with your knuckle. Tomorrow, when you wake up and go into the bathroom to get ready, don’t use that comb or brush. Confused? You should be. You’ve just been declawed.

Now, the info:
Declawing is such a misinforming term. True, the claws are removed, but also part of the toe is actually AMPUTATED: “Contrary to most people’s understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person’s finger at the last joint of each finger.” Source

You know how humans get phantom pains after an amputation? How even a simple injury or surgery can turn into arthritis later in life? No one knows if a cat experiences these things. They can’t tell us. But why should they even have to?

Lake Mead, Boulder Dam Panorama

2011-02-28T13:31:00.000-08:00

Below is a panorama from 7 photographs I took of the upper part of the dam. Above, is the view from the new traffic span that you can see in the background of the panorama photo. Click on the image to get a larger view.

Little Things to Help the Environment

2011-02-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

Many think that helping the Earth takes a lot of time, effort and money. This isn’t true. There are many simple ways you can make an impact on a daily basis. Here are 20 of them to help you get started:

1. Recycle. It’s very easy to toss that soda can into the regular trash, but it only takes a couple of extra steps to put it into a recycle bin.

2. Cut up 6-pack rings. The rings, used to hold beer and soda, cause drownings and can strangle birds, seals and other creatures.

3. Insulate and vent your attic. In the summer, an unvented attic can become incredibly hot, requiring more energy to cool your home. In the winter, an uninsulated attic requires more heat.

4. Recycle your motor oil. All gas stations are required to take your used oil. Do Not dump your oil. It ends up polluting the ground water.

5. Build a wildlife refuge in your backyard. It can be something as simple as leaving a pile of twigs on the ground to something as elaborate as a butterfly garden. For more information on how to set up a wildlife refuge, google The National Wildlife Federation. My old house in NY was certified as a backyard sanctuary and so is my new one in WA!

6. Help eliminate pesticides. Use natural methods such as a strong stream of water to get rid of pests on your flowers. A solution of soap and water also works to create a barrier against infestation. Buy organically grown produce from local sources.

7. Replace your lawn (or a part of it) with drought resistant ground cover. If you must have a lawn, water in the early morning to prevent evaporation.

8. Plant native plants. They are more adapted to handle the climate in your area and will thrive on less water. Xeriscaping (landscaping in a water smart way) is becoming very popular. Learn more at RecycleMore.org.

9. Don’t buy styrofoam. It is one hundred percent NON biodegradable. In the ocean, the little pellets from styrofoam break off and are eaten by marine animals. Landfills are full of styrofoam, which will never break down.

10. Read labels. That can of household cleaner has instructions on how best to dispose of it. Follow those instructions and prevent ground water contamination.

11. Evaluate your trash. Are you throwing away half of what you eat? Buy only what you can use.

12. Plant a tree! The trees of the world are being cut down at a tremendous rate. The fewer trees, the less oxygen we have to breathe. Trees provide shade, requiring less energy to cool a house. Trees also help combat the greenhouse effect by consuming carbon dioxide.

13. Institute a paper recycling plan at work. Make sure the lights are off when you leave for the evening. Bring a coffee cup to work instead of using disposable cups.

14. Use rechargable batteries. Alkaline batteries are one percent mercury, a toxic material. If you must use them, find a place to recycle them.

15. Keep your car in good working order. Don’t haul more than you need (it wastes gas), make sure your tires are properly inflated, and keep your filters clean.

16. Turn off the water. It can waste 5 gallons of water EACH TIME you brush your teeth if you let it run while you brush!! It climbs to 10 gallons if you leave it on while you shave. Washing dishes? 30 gallons. Washing your car? 150 gallons (use a hose with a shut-off valve)! Turn off the water and save.

17. Clean or replace your air conditioner filters often.

18. Wait until you have a full load before using the dishwasher.

19. Use a warm wash and cold rinse in your washing machine to save energy.

20. Stop junk mail. If you do get junk mail, recycle it!

All it takes to begin to help the Earth is a simple bend at the waist. Pick up trash when you see it. Heck, you’ve just included a little exercise in the deed. Get out and experience nature. When you fall in love with a beach, it is easier to keep it clean. If you have any tips or questions, please add a comment.

Pelican in Flight

2011-02-22T22:03:00.001-08:00

Click to see the larger image.

Animal Congregations - A Murder of Crows?

2011-02-22T17:45:00.000-08:00

MAMMALS

Apes - A shrewdness
Asses - A pace
Badgers - A cete
Bats - A colony
Bears - A sloth, sleuth
Buffalo - A gang, an obstinacy
Cats - A clowder, a pounce
Kittens…A kindle, litter, an intrigue
Cattle - A drove, herd
Deer - A herd, bevy (refers to roe deer)
Dogs (young)- A litter
Dogs (wild) - pack
Dogs (curs) - cowardice
Dogs (hounds) - cry, mute, kennel, pack
Elephants - A herd
Elk - A gang
Ferrets - A business
Fox - A leash, skulk, earth
Giraffes - A tower
Goats - A tribe, trip
Gorillas - A band
Hippo - A bloat
Horses (colts) - A team, harras, rag
Horses (single owner) - stud
Horses (ponies) - string
Hyenas - A cackle
Kangaroos - A troop
Leopards - A leap
Lions - A pride
Moles - A labor
Monkeys - A troop, barrel
Mules - A pack, span, barren
Otters - A romp
Oxen - A team, yoke
Pigs (young) - A drift, drove, litter
Pigs (swine) - sounder
Pigs (hogs) - team, passel
Pigs (boars) - singular
Porcupines - A prickle
Rabbits (domestic) - A colony, warren, nest, herd
Rabbits (hares) - A down, husk
Rabbits (young) - litter
Rhino - A crash
Seals - A pod, herd
Sheep - A drove, flock, herd
Squirrels - A dray, scurry
Tigers - A streak
Whales - A pod, gam, herd
Wolves - A pack, rout or route (when in movement)

REPTILES

Crocodiles - A bask
Frogs - An army
Toads - A knot
Turtles - A bale, nest
Snakes - A nest

FISH

Fish - A draft, nest, school, shoal
Bass - A shoal
Herring - An army
Sharks - A shiver
Trout - A hover

INVERTEBRATES

Ants - A colony
Bees - A grist, hive, swarm Caterpillars - An army
Clams - A bed
Cockroaches - An intrusion
Flies - A business
Gnats - A cloud, horde
Grasshoppers - A cloud
Hornets - A nest
Jellyfish - A smack
Locusts - A plague
Oysters - A bed

BIRDS

Birds (in air) - A flight
Birds (on ground) - volary, brace
Bitterns - A sedge
Buzzards - A wake
Bobolinks - A chain
Chicks - A brood; clutch
Coots - A cover
Cormorants - A gulp
Cranes - A sedge
Crows - A murder, horde
Dotterel - A trip
Doves - A dule
Doves (turtle) - pitying
Ducks (in air) - A brace, flock
Ducks (on water) - raft
Eagles - A convocation
Finches - A charm
Flamingos - A stand
Geese - A flock, gaggle
Geese - (flying) - skein
Grouse - A pack
Gulls - A colony
Hawks- A cast, kettle, boil
Herons - A sedge, a siege
Jays - A party, scold
Lapwings - A deceit
Larks - An exaltation
Mallards - A sord, brace
Magpies - A tiding, gulp, murder, charm
Martins - A richness
Nightingales - A watch
Owls - A parliament
Parrots - A company
Partridge - A covey
Peacocks - A muster, an ostentation
Penguins - A colony
Pheasant - A nest, nide, nye, bouquet
Plovers - A congregation, wing
Ptarmigans - A covey
Rooks - A building
Quail - A bevy, covey
Ravens - An unkindness
Snipe - A walk, a wisp
Sparrows - A host
Starlings - A murmuration
Storks - A mustering
Swallows - A flight
Swans - A bevy, wedge
Teal - A spring
Turkeys - A rafter, gang
Widgeons - A company
Woodcocks - A fall
Woodpeckers - A descent

Stateline - Nevada

2011-02-20T21:37:00.001-08:00

What is an Aurora?

2011-02-20T17:42:00.000-08:00

Aurorae (plural of aurora) occur when the Sun emits charged particles which are then trapped by the Earth’s magnetic field. Those particles interact with upper atmosphere atoms, smashing together, which excites molecules of gas. Energy is radiated in the form of the beautiful colors you see when observing an aurora. Did you know that each individual sees an aurora differently depending on their eyesight?

Most aurorae are green (from oxygen atoms) or red (nitrogen), though sometimes violet can also be seen (caused when the rays extend high up and are hit by direct sunlight).

If you live in a Southern region, chances are poor that you’ll get to see an aurora. I live in Las Vegas, so unless I make a trek northward, I’m not seeing one anytime soon.

Aurorae come in different forms, including arcs, bands, coronas, glows, patches, rays, and veils. It is no coincidence that aurora activity peaks after a solar flare. When the sun is active, expect to see more aurora. Why does the aurora change and move? It all depends on solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field.

Want to photograph an aurora? If so, use fast film (ISO 400). An aurora changes rapidly and slow film just wouldn’t cut it. A recommended setting would be 30 seconds at f/1.8 but experiment with many different settings. Write down what you do so that you can repeat it in the future. If you take a great aurora shot, I’d love to see it! More information on photographing aurora can be found if you visit Dick Hutchinson’s SHOOTING THE AURORA BOREALIS website. http://www.ptialaska.net/~hutch/aurora.html

Folklore is full of aurora tales. In Finland, they call it revontulet which means foxfire (there is an old tale about a fox who started fires with his tail).

Ever wonder what an aurora looks like from space? The Paintings in the Sky http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/auroras/fromspace.html website has some amazing images taken from the space shuttle.

When you see an aurora, you lose all rational thought as to the cause of the event. The beauty of that moving sky captures you and holds you…as you hold your breath, not wanting it to end.

Chuckwalla

2011-02-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

Chuckwalla (also called chuckawalla and Sauromalus)

The largest non-venomous lizard (about a foot and a half in length) in the United States, this is my absolute favorite desert creature. The chuckwalla is a plump lizard with loose folds of skin and a short stubby tail, they kind of look like a bean bag with legs and head. They live in the southwestern United States. When threatened, they run into a crack, hole or groups of rocks and inflate their lungs 4 times the normal size, wedging themselves nicely so that they cannot be pulled out! I actually got to see this in action once when I lived in the desert. They can deliver a painful bite, but they’d much rather run and hide. They mark their territories by way of a liquid passed through pores on their thighs.

Hibernating during the winter, they wake to breed in the spring, though they will not do so if food is scarce. 3-16 eggs will be laid in a burrow during the summer. They are plant eaters, and will go out of their way for yellow flowers. To aid digestion, the chuckwalla must be exposed to very hot temperatures during the day (about 100 degrees). They can change the color of their skin from light to dark to regulate the way the heat is absorbed. They don’t drink, since they get all their moisture from the plants they eat. This moisture is stored in special lymph glands to be used during dry spells.

The Mojave Indians found their tail to be a delicacy. Sold more and more in the pet trade, chuckwalla numbers have been slowly declining. Loss of habitat and drought conditions are also contributing factors. Thankfully, export from the United States has finally been banned. In some states, they are listed as a “sensitive species.” Of alarming concern is the status of the population found on a couple of islands in the Sea of Cortez. The chuckwalla numbers there have been almost destroyed by black market pet trading, where a single lizard can fetch $500 or more. The government is working with native people on the islands to teach them conservation methods and captive breeding programs, in the hope that the numbers can one day increase. I’ll be holding my breath.

Full Moon Swirls

2011-02-18T08:21:00.001-08:00

Clouds from the Ferry

2011-02-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

This was taken from the Seattle/Bremerton Ferry.

South China Tiger - The Next Extinction?

2011-02-16T17:38:00.000-08:00

“There are tigers in China?”

This was a comment I heard recently from a friend as I explained the plight of these beautiful creatures. That lack of knowledge is one of the reasons their numbers continue to decline. It is estimated that there are fewer than 100 individuals left on Earth, including those in captivity. The destruction of their native habitat has resulted in isolated pockets of habitat, not enough to ensure a diverse flow of the gene pool.

Human intervention is needed if the South China tiger is to survive. The first step was listing them under First Level Protection according to the Law for Protection of Wildlife of People’s Republic of China. The next step is the reforestation of their homeland, not an easy task in a country already bursting at the seams. In 1998, a major project was begun to re-establish the tiger population in the Meihua Mountain Reserve, a place almost devoid of the human presence.

Unfortunately, trade in tiger skins and organs (for medicine) continues despite the Law for Protection. With the increased demand for “holistic” medicines, tiger bone sales have gone through the roof, selling to 26 countries. Their whiskers are used in potions, and even their feces have a medicinal use. A ban on the trade of such items is needed, as well as stiffer penalties for poaching, or all we will have left of this magnificent animal will be their skins hanging on the wall.

It is estimated that, if their situation does not improve quickly, they will be extinct in less than 10 years.

Feeding chicken feces to cows. What’s in YOUR Whopper?

2011-02-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

Since the publicity of mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), we’ve all become informed about the practice of feeding cow parts (usually from sick specimens) to cows. But did you know they also eat chicken feces? That’s right, chicken poop. All the wonderful debris that is found at the bottom of chicken houses is swept up (feathers, feces, etc) and mixed into cattle feed. And…to further confuse the matter, the chickens could have been fed…cow parts! Yep. See number 2, below.Here are some more sobering facts:

1. The “Advanced Meat Recovery System” (the machines that rend meat from bones) has been show to have a 35 percent chance of including central nervous system tissue in the final product (”Mother Earth News Magazine”, April 2004). This is the same tissue responsible for mad cow disease. This meat is used in making hot dogs, frankfurters, sausage, etc.
2. It is legal in the U.S. to feed elk, deer, cows, and sheep to pigs, chickens, turkeys, and fish and then to feed those animals back to cows and sheep. I guess the ban on feeding cows to cows doesn’t apply if they are filtered through another animal first???
3. It is legal for the blood of cows and sheep to be fed to other cows and sheep. This is traditionally being fed to young cows in a “milk replacement.” Is your stomach turning over yet?
4. The USDA says that the muscle tissue of cows is fine to eat, as it doesn’t contain any nervous system tissue. However, all of the victims of mad cow disease reported that they had never eaten any “brain material.”

I have flirted over the years with vegetarianism and am currently still eating meat. That all might change now…

Eurasian Hoopoe

2011-02-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

Owning one of the best scientific names (Upupa epops…pronounced OOO papa EE pops) the Eurasian hoopoe is also the proud holder of the award for the smelliest nest in the world, built of feces. They also emit a strong musky oil which they can eject when they are alarmed. The hoopoe have a beautiful striped crest atop their heads that rises when they sense danger, and their backs are also striped. The beauty of this bird is evident when you examine the number of postage stamps that have been created in its honor:
Hoopoe Stamps http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/9600100.htm

Nesting in holes in walls and trees, the female lays her eggs (5-8 of them) and the male feeds her until the young are hatched. They eat insects and larvae, poking around grasses with their curved bills and can be found throughout Europe, Africa, India and Asia.

The hoopoe was loved by the Egyptians and is found in their mythology adorning the sceptre of the god Horus, symbolizing happiness. They also created a heiroglyph based on the bird’s crest. Moslems forbid the eating of the bird due to it’s odor and the fact that it eats worms. The legend in Islam shows that the hoopoe smells foul because it carries the dead on its head, which is why it is forbidden to kill one. The hoopoe is mentioned twice in the Torah. Research has shown that when the Torah mentions a bird called the dukhifat, it is the hoopoe. The Torah lists it as one of the birds forbidden to eat. Other legends tell tales of magic and recommended using parts of the hoopoe to aid memory. My favorite legend tells that the hoopoe originally had a crest of gold, but because they kept being killed for it, they asked King Solomon for crests of feathers.

Poulsbo, WA

2011-02-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

Splash in a splash

2011-02-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to capture this for ages! I love photographing water!

How to Buy a Telescope

2011-02-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

“I was so disappointed. I saw nothing through the telescope that looked anything like what they showed on the box.” -George B.

George’s experience isn’t uncommon. Hundreds of parents groan and regret the purchase of a Christmas telescope after finding out it doesn’t live up to their expectations. On the box of one brand of telescope, I saw the following claims: “Reveal the polar ice caps on Mars or the cloud belts on Jupiter. See the rings of Saturn.” Displayed were full color photos of galaxies and planets, detailed enough to make you grab your wallet and rush to the checkout line. What they don’t tell you is that Saturn will be smaller than the size of the eraser on a pencil and Mars’ polar ice caps will be a small smudge on a slightly larger smudge. As for the cloud belts on Jupiter, if you learn the art of averted viewing (looking slightly to the side of the object you want to see), you may be able to make out those clouds on that very small disk. Galaxies will be faint black and white smudges, as will nebulae. The photos of galaxies on the box were taken with digital cameras over a long period of time and enhanced with a computer.

I once purchased a telescope for the sole purpose of astrophotography (taking pictures of deep space objects). I purchased an adapter to attach the telescope to my camera, only to find out that the telescope I had purchased, according to the company (after a long phone debate) “didn’t have enough inward travel to take photos.” Why, then, did they even sell me the adapter when I purchased the telescope? Why did they show a photo of the moon on their website, with a caption below it, stating it was taken with that very telescope? The answer: there is no regulation on what they can and can’t say when advertising telescopes. Many astronomy clubs are fighting to establish rules, but it is a losing battle. Money talks, and small clubs just don’t have the funding to fight the large companies.

Before you buy:

Are you familiar with the night sky? If not, you may want to spend a small amount of money first on a nice pair of binoculars and spend some time learning your way around up there. This is especially important because, with a telescope, you are only seeing a small portion of the sky, and it can get a bit confusing if you aren’t familiar with the area.

What scope to buy:

Once you are ready to buy a telescope, a good idea is to go to a star party. Many cities have star parties, which are gatherings of astronomy fans, sometimes as often as once a month. Many bring their telescopes and, if you ask politely, will let you look through them. This is a good way to see the different models and styles that are available, and to ask questions. You might also consider joining a local club.

So, how do you go about buying a telescope that suits your needs? First, decide what its use will be. Will it be a beginner scope, just a step above binoculars, to get you started learning the universe? Do you want to take photos with the telescope? Do you live in a light polluted city and need to carry it with you to a darker location? All these come into play when purchasing your scope. With telescopes, “you get what you pay for” is certainly true. The small Christmas scopes you see popping up in department stores around the holidays will be good for seeing the craters on the moon and star clusters. You will be able to see the wonderful blues and reds of some stars. When I first started out, I could spend hours just gazing at the moon. If that’s all you want, then a small, inexpensive scope will suit you just fine. For anything else, you are going to need to spend some money.

There are three basic types of telescopes:

Reflectors

These scopes will get you more aperature for you money, but they can be large and bulky. Reflectors have the eyepiece at the side of the scope. They use mirrors instead of lenses, so they are cheaper to make.

1. Newtonians - these reflectors have two mirrors, allowing for large aperatures. However, the sharpness of the image is degraded slightly, especially with “fast Newtonians” (focal lengths of f/4 or f/5). They also require occasional recollimation, which isn’t too hard, but is just another chore you will have to do. These scopes are open on the end and dust can get in. They are fantastic for observing deep space objects.

2. Cassegrain - these scopes have tried to solve some of the Newtonian problems. A convex mirror is used, instead of a flat one, changing the focal length and allowing the Cassegrains to be built more compact.

Refractors

These are usually the kinds of scopes most people think of when they think of telescopes, with a lens at one end and the eyepiece at the other. A refractor will turn images upside down, something you will eventually get used to, but you can buy lenses that correct this. However, the more lenses you use, the more loss of light, so it’s probably best to just adjust to it yourself. Advantages of the refractor is that they require little maintenence, dust won’t gather in an open tube like it can with the reflector, and they aren’t disturbed as much by outside temperatures. They produce very sharp images, but are more expensive than the reflectors. The image quality makes them very good for photography.

Catadioptric Telescopes

These use a combination of mirrors and lenses.

1. Schmidt-Cassegrain - the use of a huge “corrector plate” in front of the opening eliminates dust and air turbulence. Very compact, they are becoming the most popular, especially for people who have to travel to get to dark skies.

2. Maksutov-Cassegrain - another “corrector plate” scope, but heavier. These are favored by photographers.

3. Klevsov-Cassegrain - uses a secondary mirror with a lens and concave mirror which has been coated on the back. I have never seen one, nor know of anyone who owns one, since they are quite rare. They are also open in the front, allowing dust and air turbulance to cause problems.

4. Catadioptric Newtonian - these “short tube Newtonians” are becoming very popular due to their lower prices. They are just priced over a regular Netwonian. The front is open, again allowing dust to enter.

Once you have purchased your telescope:

1. Remember, a child’s attention can be short, especially standing outside when it’s really cold while staring at a little blur. Mix fun activities, like trying to find the crater the astronauts landed in, with more intellectual pursuits such as finding a double star.

2. Keep the scope in a safe place, maybe even purchase a case for it. Sometimes even the smallest bump can send it out of alignment.

3. If it came with a lens cover, use it!

4. Don’t use the tripod to tie up the dog. The dog WILL pull over the scope, making it nothing more than a very heavy paperweight.

5. Cool temperatures are prime viewing times, but remember to dress for the weather.

6. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: DO NOT ****EVER**** LOOK INTO THE SUN WITH YOUR TELESCOPE. Blindness and scope damage will occur. If you do use a solar filter, make sure it is on SECURELY. Many accidents have happened when the filter fell off, exposing the viewer’s tender eyes to the sun.

Hood Canal

2011-02-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

This is part of my drive along the Hood Canal every day.

Bulldog

2011-02-05T16:42:00.001-08:00

Expressions? Bulldogs have them in spades!

What's a Riblet?

2011-02-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

It started as a light-hearted conversation in our work’s lunchroom. A couple of employees had purchased the riblet meal from Applebee’s restaurant. As they ate, they started examining the bones. These weren’t your ordinary rib-shaped bones. No, these were circular and flat, like fifty cent pieces. The more we examined the bones, the more confused we became over their origin. Where on a pig would these odd bones reside? Were my coworkers really eating pork? Were the bones really from a pig?My curiosity got the best of me and when I got home I did an internet search. It appeared that we weren’t the only ones wondering what these bones were. Comments ran from the mere curious (”they have these weird circular/plate like bones that make me wonder what part of the cow they come from exactly…I don’t think it’s the ribs…??”) to the obsessive (”*Ugh*…Applebee’s mystery meat. If anyone knows, can you please share? It’s gonna bug me until I find out.”)

I continued my search, widening it to include hog farmers and such, but nothing shed much light on this mystery. So, I decided to go straight to the source and e-mailed Applebee’s. I asked them to please be specific in their answer, as we are anatomists and very curious.

Applebee’s replied in less than a week:

“Dear Valued Guest,
Thank you for your email. We’re glad you enjoy the riblets. The riblets are
feather bones located beneath the tenderloin between the 14th rib and the chine
bone. Please let us know if we can help you with anything else.”

Okay……so, let’s decipher that. From another internet search, I learned that “feather bones are cut from the spine of the hog. Sometimes they are referred to as riblets. The meat is fairly lean and is of the same texture as the back ribs, but there is higher bone to meat ratio on these cuts when compared to a true rib.” The chine bone is the backbone (thoracic spine). The 14th rib is the bottom rib of the pig’s ribcage.

So…now we know. I think…

Prayer Candles

2010-07-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

I so love the tone to this image, I just had to share. This was taken inside of a Seattle Cathedral.

Mystie and Daniel's Engagement

2010-07-18T18:12:00.001-07:00

Mystie

2010-07-18T18:05:00.001-07:00

Ruth and Donald

2010-07-18T17:51:00.001-07:00

Cowboys

2010-07-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

Nichole's Fall Engagement

2010-07-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Funny Filmstrip

2010-07-06T16:05:00.001-07:00

Once in a while, I'll just let the kids get out all their crazy faces ahead of time. Of course, the camera will still be on. I wouldn't miss these for the world.

Mystie

2010-07-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

Julia's Penny

2010-07-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

When Julia came in for her photo shoot, she had found a penny in the parking lot and it was all she could talk about, so I used that moment to create the image below. After we took the "penny picture" she was all set to begin the normal session.

Prior children sessions

2010-07-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

William

2010-07-02T06:15:00.001-07:00

Kari and Ray's Wedding

2010-07-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

Portrait Shoot with Denise

2010-07-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Denise is from Model Mayhem and a wonderful fresh, new model, willing to work hard for the right photo.

Valerie and Robert's Wedding

2010-07-01T17:27:00.001-07:00

Squirrels

2010-06-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

The name “squirrel” comes from the Greek “skiouros” which means “he who sits in the shadow of his tail.” (Don’t you just LOVE things like that??) Fossil records have traced the squirrel back over 50 million years ago. With over 300 species of squirrels or squirrel-like animals throughout the world, it is a wonder that mankind hasn’t gone entirely bonkers fending them off. The typical squirrel has the brain the size of a walnut, which seems small until you consider the size of their heads (big brains for figuring out how to get to that feeder!).

The anatomy of a squirrel is amazing. A tree squirrel actually has sweat glands on the bottoms of its feet and when it is excited, it can leave sweaty palm prints behind. The sweat contains a scent that a squirrel uses to mark its territory or to help it find its secret stash of nuts in the winter. Before burying a nut, the squirrel will crack it with its teeth and then clean it off with its hands or rub it on their face to mark the nut with its own “perfume of squirrel.” It uses its tails for communication, balance, warmth, shade, and to keep the rain off of its head. Squirrels run fast for their size. A state trouper once clocked a gray squirrel at 20mph (hey, I don’t make these things up!).

Did you know that squirrels can swim? They know how to dogpaddle, and they use their tails as a rudder.The mating ritual of the squirrel is a noisy, high paced affair. A female will mate only once with an individual male, thereby eliminating inbreeding. Once the act is over, the male takes off, leaving the female to do all the work. She will build a nest of sticks and leaves, lined with fur or some other soft material, high up in a tree. The nest is called a “drey”. If the drey gets infested with ticks or fleas, the squirrel will build a new nest. When the infants are born, they are hairless and defenseless. In about 2 weeks, the infants are ready to venture out on their own. An urban squirrel has an unfortunate lifespan of less than a year due to automobiles, but in the woods, far away from cars, they can live up to 20 years.

You’d think that the largest population of squirrels would be in some national forest, but it is, in fact, Washington D.C.’s Lafayette Park across from the White House that has that claim to fame.

Some think that a squirrel might make a good pet, but this is a mistake. For one thing, it is illegal in most states. With their need to chew, run and jump, they can do extensive damage to a house, not to mention the painful bites they can give a human.

If you want to feed the squirrels, reconsider raw peanuts. There is evidence that raw peanuts are harmful to squirrels. Did you know that the peanut isn’t really a nut at all? It’s a bean. Why would you want to feed your squirrels beans, anyway? Filberts are a much better option. Peanuts contain a trypsin inhibitor (a substance that inhibits or prevents the pancreas from producing trypsin, an enzyme essential for the absorption of protein by the intestine). Controversy over this issue is still raging. The agreement, so far, is that it is okay to feed them peanuts ocassionally, but not as a steady diet.

3 species of squirrels are currently endangered. They are: The Delmarva Fox Squirrel, the Mount Graham Red Squirrel, and the Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel.

California scientists recently used infrared cameras to observe squirrels interacting with snakes. When a squirrel was presented with a venomous snake, their tails heated up by at least 2 degrees Celsius. Snakes have built-in infrared sensors of their own (in pits below their eyes) and it is theorized that the hot tail is a warning system that tells the snake to back off, though others believe it is a distraction so that the snake bites the tail, rather than the squirrel’s body. When presented with a non-venomous snake, the squirrel’s tail temperature only rose 0.2 degrees Celsius, indicating that the squirrel can make a distiction between different species of snakes.

To make this story even more fun, the scientist (Aaron Rundus) is working on building a robotic squirrel. Aaron intends to test snake reactions to different temperatures of squirrel tails. Science can be so much fun!

So, the next time you see a squirrel, don’t think about it as a bird feeder raiding machine. Instead, marvel at its heated tail, sweaty feet, big brain, and swimming talent. Perhaps it might inspire you to throw a little bird seed, or a filbert, in its direction.

Camel

2010-06-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the chance to ride a camel? If you aren´t flung to the ground as you are tipped forward, and then backward as the camel rises to his feet, you will be shaken and stirred when he begins to walk. You are perched high up on a hump, and rock back and forth with nothing to grab.
The camel was originally valued in its homeland for not only providing a ride for weary travelers across the desert, but also providing shade with its body and fuel from it’s droppings. The camel’s body temperature can reach a blistering 105 degrees but the heat doesn’t seem to bother the animal. In fact, they hardly sweat, which helps them conserve water. Speaking of water, it is a common falacy that the hump is where moisture is stored. The hump is actually a huge supply of fat that the camel uses when food is scarce. If the camel goes for a really long time without eating, using only the stores in his hump, the hump will shrink until it is just floppy skin. So, where is the water stored??? The camel can drink over 20 gallons in 10 minutes, and a lot of that fluid is stored in the camels bloodstream!

There are so many “special features” on the camel! His feet are spongy and spread out as he takes a step, so that he won’t sink in the sand! His long eyelashes keep flying sand out of sensitive eyes, but if that doesn’t work he has a third eyelid that’s transparent so that he can see and still keep his eyes sand-free. He has very good hearing and can close his nostrils. During mating, the male camel uses a fleshy frog-like inflatable soft palate to attract the female. They have thick skin on their backs to protect them from the sun, but thin skin on their bellies to help keep them cool. Large callused areas keep their knees safe from the burning sand.

Fossils indicate that the camel actually originated in…North America!

There is a very special event that took place in 2003 that involves camels. Called the “Friendship Caravan”, it consisted of a caravan of 40 - 50 dromedary camels escorted by Arabian horses, from coast-to-coast across America. It set out from Los Angeles, create a memorial halt at the Pentagon, and end up in New York City with a solemn visit to Ground Zero.

The camel is not considered a wild animal now, but rather it is listed as domesticated. If you’ve ever been spit in the face by a camel, you may dispute this.

Animals in Space

2010-04-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

Many animals were sacrificed to assure space flight was safe for humans. The larger creatures were given names, but the countless mice, frogs, tortoises, rats, insects, eggs, fish, and newts will forever remain nameless, heroes nonetheless. Here are some of their stories:

DOGS (all Russian):

Laika, a stray mutt, was the first dog in space. The U.S.S.R. placed the three-year-old female Siberian mix into a capsule and sent it into orbit. Some claim she lived for days during the flight, but others say that she was dead within hours from the stress and overheating. Laika meant “barker” in Russian. She also went by Kudryavka (Little Curly). The Americans nicknamed her Muttnik. The capsule was never meant to be safely recovered, and it burned up on re-entry into our atmosphere. A statue of Laika can be found in Star City. Her statue was placed peeking out behind statues of other fallen Cosmonauts.
Bars (Panther) and Lisichka (Little Fox)- died when the capsule exploded during launch.
Belka (Squirrel) and Strelka (Little Arrow) - survived one day in orbit and were safely returned to Earth. Strelka went on to have puppies, one of which was presented to Caroline Kennedy. Both dogs, when they died, were placed in the Memorial Museum of Astronautics in Moscow.
Pchelka (Little Bee) and Mushka (Little Fly) - died when the capsule re-entered the atmosphere at too steep of an angle.
Damka (Little Lady) and Krasavka (Beauty) - the upper rocket stage failed but the dogs returned safely.
Chernushka (Blackie) - Blackie travelled with mice and a guinea pig. All returned safely after one orbit.
Zvezdochka (Little Star) - another successful mission of one orbit. Also onboard: a wooden mannequin.
Verterok or Veterok (Little Wind) and Ugolyok or Ugolek (Little Piece of Coal) - the winners of the longest space flight taken by a dog! They spent 22 days in orbit.

MONKEYS:

Albert I, II, III, and IV: (U.S. 1949) Parachutes kept failing and the V-2 rockets kept crashing. All perished.
Yorick: (U.S. 1951) Survived a test in an Aerobee rocket, shooting him 45 miles up (technically not into space).
Patricia and Mike: (U.S. 1952) The two Phillipine monkeys flew to 36 miles and were subjected to the 2,000-mile-per-hour acceleration of the Aerobee rocket. They both survived and spent the rest of their lives at a zoo in Washington, D.C.
Gordo: (U.S. 1958) The squirrel monkey died when the Jupiter AM-13’s flotation device failed.
Able (female rhesus monkey) and Baker (male squirrel monkey): (U.S. 1959) As was the routine at the time, sensors were surgically implanted in the monkeys to monitor their vital signs. The monkeys survived their 300 mile height and 10,000 mile per hour trip, becoming weightless for 9 minutes. However, Able died from complications when the sensors were removed.
Sam and Miss Sam: (U.S. 1959 and 1960) Both rhesus monkeys survived their Mercury capsule trips. When Sam came back down to Earth in 1959, it is reported that he gave Miss Sam a big hug.
Ham (chimpanzee): (U.S. 1961) Ham had been trained to perform tasks and was sent up in a Mercury capsule to test the theory that monkeys could function in space. Problems arose, and Ham was subjected to a longer weightless period than planned. The capsule also flew severely off course. Ham, however, did as he was told perfectly. Because of the capsule was so off course, it didn’t land anywhere near the rescue ships. The capsule capsized and water poured in. Just before it totally submerged, Navy helicopter pilots lifted the craft out of the water. Ham survived the ordeal and was retired in 1963 to the zoo.
Enos (chimpanzee): (U.S. 1961) Enos’ successful Mercury capsule flight paved the way for John Glenn’s launch in 1962.
Bonnie (male pig-tailed monkey): (U.S. 1969) Bonnie was supposed to remain in Biosatellite 3 (a satellite designed to test biologic organisms reactions to space) for a month, but he quickly lost body fluids after only 8 days and was brought back down. He died soon after.

SPIDERS:

Arabella (orb weaving garden spider): (U.S. 1973) Arabella was sent into space for 59 days as part of a student’s science experiment. The student wanted to see if the spider would be able to weave a web in space. Arabella performed well, and wove a traditional orb web after some practice.

CATS:

Felix: (France 1963) Felix was recovered safely after a 120 mile altitude ride.

Today, animals are seldom taken into space, since computer models can do the same job without the risk of injury or death. However, some conditions warrant animal research, and the safety of the animal is top priority (claims NASA).

Sir Isaac Newton

2010-02-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

Born in 1642, Isaac Newton was the founder of many brilliant discoveries and formulas. Among them:

* Sunlight can be split into a spectrum.
* Discovery of why planets orbit the sun.
* The three laws of motion.
* The formula for gravity.
* The motion of the tides.

His discoveries helped future scientists figure out the movement of every object in the Universe and detect unknown stars and planets.

Isaac Newton struggled with math at first and almost gave up. Eventually, he fell in love with it, and developed his own theories as he learned. He studied math, astronomy, optics, light and color. The latter was the basis for his first nervous breakdown in 1678 when he got into an arguement about it with the English Jesuits in Liege. As a result, he became almost a hermit for a number of years. When he came out of seclusion, he was again in a scientific frenzy of work, producing more than a man twice his age. This all came to an abrupt stop with his second nervous breakdown in 1693. Theories abound as to the causes of his breakdowns. Everything from personal problems to poisoning from experiments have been mentioned. Today, scientists believe it was undiagnosed depression. Newton took a position at the Royal Mint in 1696, becoming Master in a year. In 1703 he was elected president of the Royal Society and was re-elected each year until his death. During his days as President he became involved in a heated controversy between himself and Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz as to which one had invented calculus. Because he was President of the Society, Newton arranged for an “impartial” committee to put an end to the debate.

“Plato is my friend, Aristotle is my friend, but my best friend is truth.”
-Isaac Newton

African Lion

2010-02-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder why a lion has a mane? So do researchers. Currently they have no real conclusion, but the theory is that it is used to attract a female, much the same way peacocks flaunt their tail feathers. The darker the mane, the more studly he appears to the female! The original theory, that the mane protects them from attacks, has all but been found to be false.

The average male lion weighs over 400 pounds, while the female is usually 100 pounds lighter. The cubs are born spotted, which helps camouflage them from predators.

Including grunts, roars, and groans, the lion has nine distinct sounds, plus it can purr. The females do most of the hunting, but the males occasionally participate in group hunts. Only a quarter of the attacks are successful. The African Lion prefers medium sized prey, but have been known to steal food from other predators, including carrion. They have specially adapted tongues, which are covered with horny projections which allow them to hold onto their food easily. Males will usually eat an average of about 15 pounds of meat and sleep for 20 hours a day.

They live in groups called “prides” which consist of 5-7 females and 2 males. When young males reach the age of 3, they are driven out of the pride, which is probably natures way of preventing too much inbreeding. If an entire litter of cubs dies, the female will soon mate again. The young males may one day return to the pride to challenge the leader in what is usually a bloody battle. If he wins, he drives off or kills the young of the previous leader, then starts his own family with the females. The African Lion is not listed as endangered, though it’s Asian counterpart is in serious trouble (only 500 are thought to be left in the wild).

The lion is found throughout our mythology and folklore. The mouse that pulls the thorn from the lion’s paw, and thus becomes his friend is a great story. The lion that is found in one of Hercules’ labors was one of his greatest challenges. The chimaera, a monster in Greek mythology, with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a snake is truly frightening. There is even a Native American tale that explains the bald eagle’s baldness as a result of an encounter with a lion (though this may have originally been a mountain lion, the legend has grown to depict the African lion instead). We even have a lion over our heads in the form of the constellation Leo.

With conservation and education, perhaps our children will know the lion, not just its stories.

Pacific Loon

2010-02-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

The black and white checkered back, the elegant curve of the neck, the white band around its neck, the red eyes…they all come together to make a beautiful bird. Such a breathtaking site! Diving with barely a ripple under the water, calling out with its haunting song…what could ruin the image of this magnificent bird? When it’s out of water, of course! The loon’s legs are positioned on its body so far toward its rear, that when the poor bird is out of water it has to scoot around on its belly! Talk about an image breaker! But wait, there’s more! The loon becomes airborne almost with sheer will, sometimes taking 100 feet to achieve liftoff. And the landings are pretty much landings in name only. They more or less crash where they want to land.

It is in the water that the loon truly is in it’s element. With oxygen stored in the muscles for long dives, and bones that aren’t hollow like most birds, the loon achieves a “specific gravity” similar to water, enabling it to move almost as easily as we do through air.

I have never heard the call of a loon in the wild. Five different calls have been recognized, including the famous “laugh of the loon”. Ever hear the expression “crazy as a loon”? The sound can only be described as a the laugh of the insane.

Mating occurs with the male planting his feet on the female’s shoulders and wrapping his neck around hers. I’m still trying to picture that, and can’t quite figure out the logistics. They live in the Northern United States and Canada, with their migratory routes following both coasts. The Common Loon eats mostly fish and shellfish, hunting in shallow, clear waters, but they have been known to dive over 90 feet. Loss of habitat is the key reason the loon populations continue to decline. Also contributing is pollution of the waters, since it needs to see their prey to catch them. Guess they’ll soon have to settle for one of their less appetizing prey…leeches.

Native Americans have many legends about the loon. Some claim it’s mournful song means death. It may be, if we don’t listen, learn, and protect this amazing bird.

Dan Quayle's Quotes about Space

2010-02-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

Dan Quayle constantly spoke on areas he knew nothing about. The subject of space exploration was no exception…
“[Americans will soon observe the 20th anniversary of] Neil Armstrong and Buzz Lukens’ walk on the moon.”
Buzz Lukens was a sex offender/Congressman. Buzz Aldrin was the astronaut.

“…Buzz Lukens took that fateful step…”
Dan Quayle continued to confuse sex offender/Congressman Buzz Lukens with astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

“Space is the next frontier to be explored. And we’re going to explore. Think of all the things we rely upon in space today: communications from… Japan, detection of potential ballistic missile attacks. Ballistic missiles are still here. Other nations do have ballistic missiles. How do you think we were able to detect some of the Scud missiles and things like that? Space, reconnaissance, weather, communications — you name it. We use space a lot today.”

“For NASA, space is still a high priority.”
Um…I think that’s in the job description…

“[It's] time for the human race to enter the solar system.”
Where are we now??

“Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts.”
While addressing the 20th anniversary of the moon landing.

“Mars is essentially in the same orbit… Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe.”
Let’s send him out the airlock first, then!

Eastern Hellbender

2010-02-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of things scary about New York, but I never thought there could be such a thing as a two foot salamander traipsing about in the river drainages!!

With their short little legs, beady eyes, and wrinkled skin, they cannot be called cute or cuddly. Like most New Yorkers, the hellbender becomes active after dark, seeking food and/or courtship. Misconceptions about its nature are common (much like NYers). Caught by fishermen, they are killed in the mistaken assumption that they are poisonous. They eat crayfish and small fish and like to hide under rocks. This is one New Yorker who doesn’t mind “swimmin’ with th’ fishes.”

(Actually, the Eastern Hellbender is found from NY to Georgia)

Pollution of waterways is the major concern for this slimy, spotted creature who breathes through his skin and has no eyelids.

The next time you’re in a really nice trout stream, watch out…the hellbender is there….watching…..

Shortened Telomeres - the extinction of mankind?

2010-02-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

Large scale extinctions, like the dinosaurs, account for only 4% of the disappearance of animals from the earth. The rest die off quietly, without meteors or other major events to hurry them along. What causes these silent extinctions has puzzled scientists for generations. Now, there may be an answer. At the end of the chromosomes of every species (except bacteria and algae) are small protective caps called telomeres. When a cell dies, it tries to replicate these caps, but as a species goes on, the caps grow shorter and shorter, resulting in genetic abnormalities, such as cancer and immunodeficiency (think AIDS). This shortening, they theorize, will eventually cause the collapse of the species. More study is necessary at this point, and the new genetic mapping projects will be extremely helpful, but one can’t help but wonder about the future of our own species. Will we be able to genetically alter our destiny in the lab, artificially lengthening the telomeres, or will our species crash and burn, like so many before?

San Joachin kit fox

2010-02-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

San Joachin kit fox (vulpes macrotis mutica)

This little guy is the smallest fox in North America, barely tipping the scales at 5 pounds. Living primarily in California (after being transplanted there years ago), the nocturnal kit fox has huge ears that look like they can pick up all satellite transmissions, alien and terrestrial! These ears are actually used to cool them in the hot desert environment.

They live in dens, with elaborate tunnels and multiple entrances, though they sometimes will choose to stay in abandoned pipes, mines, etc. The entrances to their dens are very small, thus enabling them to escape capture by large predators.

Their numbers are dwindling, though, due to extremely low birth survival rates, eating rodents that have been poisoned, destruction of their habitat, road kill, and drowning. Kit foxes are beginning to wander into towns, surviving on handouts, though some of the stories I’ve read make me doubt the good this is doing for the fox. Some well-meaning humans are giving them things like candy, pastries, and other equally non-nutritious foods. Their more customary diet includes small mammals (mice), lizards, birds, insects, and fish. I read that biologists say they must eat about 6 ounces of meat a night.

They mate in early winter, and give birth in March to 3-6 pups. In the two months that the parents feed the pups, they bring the pups the equivalent weight in meat of one super model (100 pounds). They are listed as Endangered (as of 1967!!) and their numbers continue to fluctuate. Estimates have their numbers at a mind-numbingly small 7,000 individuals. The San Joachin Kit Fox is under the care of the Endangered Species Recovery Program.

The History of Space Exploration - Sputnik to Challenger

2010-02-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

Here in the U.S., we tend to be very “Americancentric”, which isn’t fair to the countries who have made great strides before us. Below, I will only show achievements that are the first of their kind, not, for example, the “first U.S. landing”.

October 4, 1957 - Sputnik 1 (U.S.S.R.) launches. Status: success.
November 3, 1957 - Sputnik 2 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first dog in space, Laika. The poor pooch died only hours into the trip from stress and overheating. Status: success.
January 31, 1958 - Explorer 1 (U.S.). Achievement: Discovered Earth’s radiation belt.
March 5, 1958 - Explorer 2 (U.S.) Achievement: None. Failed to achieve orbit.
March 17, 1958 - Vanguard 1 satellite (U.S.) Achievement: transmitted for 3 years.
May 15, 1958 - Sputnik 3 (U.S.S.R.)
October 11, 1958 - Pioneer 1 (U.S.) Achievement: launched the IGY space probe.
January 2, 1959 - Luna 1 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first solar satellite
March 3, 1959 - Pioneer 4 (U.S.)
September 12, 1959 - Luna 2 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first man-made object on the moon
October 4, 1959 - Luna 3 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: obtained photos of the far side of the moon
April 1, 1960 - Tiros 1 (U.S.) Achievement: First weather satellite.
August 18, 1960 - Discoverer XIV (U.S.) spy satellite
April 12, 1961 - Vostok 1 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Yuri A. Gargarin becomes the first man in space.
May 5, 1961 - Mercury Freedom 7 (U.S.)
August 6, 1961 - Vostok 2 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first day-long space flight.
February 20, 1962 - Mercury Friendship 7 (U.S.)
May 24, 1962 - Mercury Aurora 7 (U.S.)
July 10, 1962 - Telstar 1 (U.S.) Achievement: satellite transmits first transatlantic telecast.
December 14, 1962 - U.S. Mariner 2 (U.S.) Achievement: first to fly past Venus.
June 16, 1963 - Vostok 6 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Valentia Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space (orbits 48 times).
July 31, 1964 - U.S. Ranger 7 (U.S.) Achievement: first close-range Moon photos.
March 8, 1965 - Soviet Voskhod 2 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Alexei A. Leonov becomes the first to walk in space.
March 23, 1965 - Gemini 3 (U.S.)
March 24, 1965 - Ranger 9 (U.S.) Achievement: spectacular Moon photos.
June 3, 1965 - Gemini 4 (U.S.)
July 14, 1965 - Mariner 4 (U.S.) Achievement: first close-range images about Mars.
November 16, 1965 - Venus 3 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first craft to impact Venus
December 4, 1965 - Gemini 7 (U.S.) Achievement: Makes 206 Earth orbits
December 15, 1965 - Gemini 6 and 7: Achievement: Gemini 6 rendezvous with Gemini 7.
February 3, 1966 - Luna 9, (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first spacecraft to “soft-land” on the Moon.
March 1, 1966 - Venera 3 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first spacecraft to reach another planet (Venus).
March, 1966 - Luna 10 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
August 14, 1966 - Lunar Orbiter 1 (U.S.) Achievement: enters first picture of the Earth from the Moon.
April 23, 1967 - Soyuz 1 (U.S.S.R.) Failure: Vladimir M. Komarov becomes the first human fatality.
October 18, 1967 - Venera 4 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: sends data about the composition of Venus.
September 15, 1968 - Zond 5 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first spacecraft to orbit the Moon and return.
October 11, 1968 - Apollo 7 (U.S.) Achievement: one Earth orbit.
December 21, 1968 - Apollo 8 (U.S.) Achievement: first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
January, 1969 - Soyuz 4 and 5 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: spaceship docking, transfer Cosmonauts between ships.
July 20, 1969 - Apollo 11 (U.S.) Achievement: Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, Jr. become the first to make a soft landing and walk on the Moon.
July 31, 1969 - Mariner 6 (U.S.) Achievement: high-resolution images of
August 5, 1969 - Mariner 7 (U.S.) Achievement: more high-res images of Mars
April 11, 1970 - Apollo 13 (U.S.) Failure: an explosion in the oxygen tanks forces the crew, James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr. and Fred W. Haise, Jr., to return.
September 12, 1970 - Luna 16 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first lunar soil samples
November 17, 1970 - Luna 17 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first automatic robot to travel on the Moon
December 15, 1970 - Venera 7 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first probe to soft-land on Venus.
January 31, 1971 - Apollo 14 (U.S.) Achievement: first use of a two-wheeled cart to collect samples. Shepard becomes the first man to hit a golf ball on the Moon.
April 19, 1971 - Salyut 1 space station (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first space station.
May 30, 1971 - Mariner 9 (U.S.) Achievement: first spacecraft to survey Mars from orbit.
June 6, 1971 - Soyuz 11 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Cosmonauts G.T. Dobrovolsky, V.N. Volkov, and V.I. Patsayev enter Salyut 1 and which becomes the first manned station. Failure: All die, however, when they try to return to Earth.
July 30, 1971 - Apollo 15 (U.S.) Achievement: first moon rover.
November 13, 1971 - Mariner 9 (U.S.) Achievement: first spacecraft to orbit Mars.
March 2, 1972 - Pioneer 10 (U.S.) Achievement: first close-up images of Jupiter.
July 15, 1972 - Pioneer 10 (U.S.) Achievement: first to travel through the asteroid belt.
April 5, 1973 - Pioneer 11 (U.S.) Achievement: discovers new rings on Saturn.
May 14, 1973 - Skylab (U.S.)
May 25, 1973 - Skylab 2 (U.S.) Achievement: repairs damage to Skylab.
November 3, 1973 - Mariner 10 (U.S.) Achievement: first dual-planet mission. Photographs Venus and Mercury.
June 24, 1974 - Salyut 3 (U.S.S.R.) space station (military)
December 26, 1974 - Salyut 4 (U.S.S.R.) space station (civilian
July, 1975 - Apollo 18 (U.S.) and Soyuz 19 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first international spacecraft rendezvous.
October, 1975 - Venera 9 and 10 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first pictures of Venus.
June 22, 1976 - Salyut 5 (U.S.S.R.) space station (military)
July 20, 1976 - Viking 1 (U.S.)
September 3, 1976 - Viking 2 (U.S.) Achievement: discovery of water frost on Mars.
August 1977 - Voyagers 1 and 2 (U.S.) Mission: Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980.
September 29, 1977 - Salyut 6 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: First international crew
September 1, 1979 - Pioneer 11 (U.S.) Achievement: first close-up photographs of Saturn.
April 12, 1981 - Space Shuttle Columbia (U.S.)
March 1, 1982 - Venera 13 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first soil samples of Venus.
April 19, 1982 - Salyut 7 (U.S.S.R.) space station.
April 4, 1983 - Space shuttle Challenger (U.S.)
October 10, 1983 - Venera 15 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first high-res images of the Venus polar area.
November 28, 1983 - Space shuttle Columbia (U.S.) Achievement: puts Spacelab-1 into orbit.
February 3, 1984 - Space shuttle Challenger STS-14B (U.S.) Bruce McCandless becomes the first to take an untethered space walk in space.
July 17, 1984 - Soyuz-T 12 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Svetlana Savitskaya becomes the first woman to walk in space.
August 30, 1984 - Space shuttle Discovery (U.S.) Achievement: maiden voyage
October 5, 1984 - Space Shuttle Challenger STS-41G (U.S.) Achievement: first crew with two women aboard
December, 1984 - Vega 1 and 2 (U.S.S.R./International) Achievement: dropped probes to test the atmosphere on Venus.
January 8, 1985 - The Sakigake probe (Japan) Achievement: first interplanetary probe.
April 29, 1985 - Space Shuttle Challenger STS-51B (U.S.) Achievement: carries Spacelab-3 into orbit.
July 2, 1985 - Giotto spacecraft (European Space Agency - ESA) Mission: comet exploration.
October 3, 1985 - Space Shuttle Atlantis (U.S.) Achievement: maiden voyage.
October 1985 - Spacelab D1 Achievement: the first joint German/ESA mission
January 28, 1986 - Space shuttle Challenger STS-51L (U.S.) Failure: explodes shortly after liftoff, killing all onboard.

After the Challenger disaster, many started to question the necessity of the space program. Years later, the space program still struggles to regain the glory of the past.

My Favorite Sky Objects

2010-02-15T17:31:00.001-08:00

Aries - The Ram
Fun Facts:

1. Aries contains the galaxies NGC 697, NGC 772, NGC 972, and NGC 1156.
2. In greek mythology, this constellation represents the ram that carried Phrixus and Helle to escape their stepmother Ino. When they reached safety, Phrixus killed the ram (such gratitude!) and hung its fleece on a tree. The fleece turned to gold and became a quest for Jason and the Argonauts.
3. Meteor showers that pass through Aries are the May Arietids, Autumn Arietids, Delta Arietids, Epsilon Arietids, Daytime-Arietids, and the Aries-Triangulids.
4. The brightest star in Aries is Hamal, at a magnitude of 2.0.
5. It is best visible in December.

Cancer - The Crab
Fun Facts
1. Cancer is named after the crab who tried to stop Hercules from defeating the Hydra. The brave little crustacean was squashed for its efforts.
2. In the 1970’s there was an unsuccessful movement to change the name of this constellation, and thus the zodiac sign, since many felt the name Cancer reminded them of the disease process.
3. Cancer hides Praesepe (M44 or The Beehive Cluster) and M67 (one of the oldest clusters, around 10 billion years old).
4. Meteor showers that pass through Cancer include the Delta Cancrids.
5. Its brightest star is Al Tarf, at a magnitude of 3.5.
6. It is best viewed in March.
Cassiopeia - The Queen
This was the second constellation that I learned as a child.

Fun Facts:
1. In 1572, Tycho Brahe observed a supernova in Cassiopeia.
2. Cassiopeia A is the location of the second strongest radio source (after the sun).
3. Cassiopeia literally means “The Queen”. It represent the legendary queen of Ethiopia (the mother of Andromeda).
4. The Persied meteor shower passes through Cassiopeia every year.
5. It’s brightest star, Shedir, is a magnitude 2.23
6. If we were to observe the Sun from Alpha Centauri, it would appear to be in Cassiopeia.

Cassiopeia can be seen year round, usually low in the northern horizon. The best time to view it is in November
Gemini - The Twins
Fun Facts:

1. Gemini is best seen in February.
2. Zeus, the Greek king of the gods, once again seduces a maiden, this time in the form of a swan. From their pairing, two sons are born from an egg. The sons, Castor and Pollux, make up two of the stars of this constellation.
3. In 1930, the planet Pluto was discovered in Gemini.
4. On the western edge of this constellation lies M35, an open cluster of 5th magnitude.
Leo - The Lion
Fun Facts:
1. The legends of Hercules provides us with yet another great constellation. Leo, the lion, is named after the Nemean Lion which Hercules had to kill during his labours.
2. The Egyptians worship the lion because the sun was said to have been in this constellation during the time of the well-needed floods of the Nile.
3. Meteor showers that pass through Leo are the Leonids.
4. Leo’s brightest star is Regulus, at a magnitude 1.4.
5. Leo is best viewed in April.
6. Many galaxies can be found in Leo. Most notably M65, M66, M95, M96.
7. Wolf 359, one of the nearest stars to Earth’s solar system (7.7 light-years), is in Leo.

Orion - The Great Hunter
This was the first constellation I learned. It was easy to spot the three stars in a row that make up Orion’s belt. As an adult, I learned that Orion also holds a nebula, the fuzzy object close to the hunter’s “sword”.
Fun Facts:
1. Orion stands next to Canis Major and Canis Minor, his two hunting dogs.
2. He is also near Taurus the Bull (his enemy) and Lepus the Hare, (his prey).
3. Meteor showers that pass through Orion include the Orionids and the Chi Orionids.
4. Orion’s brightest star is Rigel, with a magnitude of 0.12.
5. At Orion’s right shoulder, sits Betelgeuse, a red star, larger than the orbit of Venus. Betelgeuse means “armpit” (really!!). The ancient Sumerians thought Orion looked more like a sheep, and Betelgeuse fell at the sheep’s armpit.
6. Bellatrix (”warrior woman”) is at Orion’s left shoulder.
7. The stars Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka form his belt.
8. His right knee is Saiph.
9. The large white star at his left knee is Rigel, one of the brightest stars in the sky.

Orion is very useful when trying to locate other constellations. Travel straight along his shoulders and see what you run into? Try the same thing from his belt.

Taurus - The Bull
Fun Facts:

1. Taurus holds one of the few first magnitude stars, Aldebaran, a fiery red star, which sits in the middle of this constellation.
2. Just to the east you’ll find the beautiful Pleiades.
3. The Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant, resides in Taurus. The explosion was seen on July 4, 1054. It was so bright it could be seen during the daytime! Chinese texts and Native American pottery depict the event.
4. Zeus, the ruler of the Greek gods, loved to change form to seduce lovely maidens. Taurus, the bull, is the form he took when he wooed Europa, a Phoenician princess.
The Pleiades
Located in the constellation Taurus, the Pleiades are an open cluster of luminous blue and white stars.
Fun Facts:
1. The Vikings considered them to be the goddess Freya’s hens.
2. Native Americans tested their vision by the number of stars they could see in the cluster. In our polluted cities, you are lucky if you can see five or six, but in a dark site you’ll see about 10. In reality, the Pleiades contain hundreds of stars, most too faint to see with the naked eye.
3. In Japan, they are knows as the Subaru. In fact, the Subaru car company uses the Pleiades as their logo.
4. The cluster is only expected to survive another 250 million years and is one of the younger clusters at an age of 100 million years.

Virgo - The Virgin
Fun Facts:

1. Virgo is the largest constellation.
2. Spica, the most prominent star in Virgo, represents an ear of wheat in the goddess’s hand.
3. The star, 70 Virginis, located in Virgo, is an extrasolar planetary system with one confirmed planet. This planet is 6.6 times the mass of Jupiter!
4. This constellation is full of galaxies, hence the name The Virgo Cluster: M49, M58, M59, M60, M61, M84, M86, M87, and M90.
5. The mythology of Virgo is uncertain. Every prominent goddess has been associated with this constellation.
6. Meteor showers that pass through Virgo are: Virginids and the Mu Virginids
7. Virgo is best seen during May

Moon Facts

2010-02-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

Who hasn’t gazed up at the Moon and wondered about it. How did it get there, what is it made of, why can’t we ever see the other side? The Moon is about 25 percent the size of Earth, spinning around on its axis once every 720 hours. Because it spins at the same speed it orbits the Earth, we never get to see the other side of the Moon (called its “dark side”). It seems to shine with its own light, but the Moon really doesn’t produce any illumination of its own. What you see is the reflection of sunlight as it bounces off of the Moon’s surface. With a gravity 17 percent of Earth’s, you could jump up 13 feet high (4 meters) or more on the Moon! The craters you see are the result of meteorite impacts that occurred early in the Moon’s history. The dark “seas” are actually lava flows formed by ancient volcanoes. About 4.5 billion years ago, a huge rock (about the size of Mars) smashed into the Earth. The resulting debris eventually formed the Moon.
The Moon has an iron/nickel core, similar to Earth’s, but smaller. The temperature on the Moon can range from -250F to +250F. The lunar atmosphere, what little there is of it, is comprised of Helium, Neon, Hydrogen, Argon, Methane, Ammonia, and Carbon Dioxide. These were measured by the Apollo mission teams during night conditions. Measuring the amounts during daytime was difficult, due to (according to NASA) “heating and outgassing of Apollo surface experiments”. Once in a while, a small moonquake will shake the Moon, causing gas to escape from the fissures that are formed. Some scientists believe we should call the Moon a planet, since it is more like a planet than a Moon. Pluto’s moon, Charon, is also in that same category, and some call Pluto and Charon a “double planet system.” Did you know that there are trees here on Earth that grew from seeds taken on a Moon mission? During the Apollo 14 mission, astronaut Stuart Roosa took a bunch of seeds with him. When the mission was over, the seeds were germinated on Earth and planeted across the country. The trees that grew from them are referred to as “Moon Trees.”

Think the Moon is our only satellite? That may not be true. Scientists have found an asteroid that is possibly orbiting our Earth! They have named this 5 km rock Cruithne, and its orbit takes 770 years. Another fun fact is that the moon is actually egg shaped, with one of its ends pointing at us, so that it appears round.

The Moon is slowly moving away from us, as it steals some of our energy. When it formed, it is estimated that it was only 22,530 km away from the Earth! Today, the Moon is over twenty times that! What will happen to the tides, and the Earth, when the Moon is so far away that it looks like a star to the naked eye?

Quahog

2010-02-15T17:30:00.000-08:00

Quahog (pronounce KWA-hog)

No, it’s not a made-up word to give you more points in Scrabble. The Quahog is a mollusk found buried in sandy areas in the North Atlantic ocean. They also go by the names hard shell, steamer, or cherrystone clams. Northern American Indians used them for food, ornamentation, and currency. It is rumored that the quahog helped the pilgrims fight off starvation during the lean times. The Northern Quahog has a purple-tinted shell and eats plankton.

The hunt for a quahog can be a pleasant experience. You wade up to your waist, digging around with your toes until you feel the clam. After many disappointments of pulling up nothing but rocks, you eventually get the feel for it and get to bring home dinner.

Due to commercial overfishing, their numbers are diminishing close to the coast. Some populations may not rebound for decades because the quahog have a very slow reproductive rate. If allowed to mature, quahogs can live over 200 years! Now that’s an OLD clam!

Pileated Woodpecker

2010-02-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

Do you have any pine trees in your area? Do they have decaying cavities in them? Well, perhaps you have one of the largest woodpeckers in North America, the pileated woodpecker, living inside! They like to nest in such spots and will peck away at the hole so that the sap will flow, making for a really sticky entrance, which keeps predators away. Trees used for roosting may have as many as 16 exits to allow quick escape. It has been found that the male woodpecker does 3 times the work as the female when it comes to making the nest. (YAY!) They very seldom use an old nest again, though they may use the hole for roosting. It usually takes 3-6 weeks to make a suitable nest. Both parents feed the youngsters. A lot of their excavated holes are abandoned, only half finished, providing homes for many other species, especially tree-nesting ducks.

They eat insects, seeds, fruits, and sometimes sap from the trees. Their favorite food is carpenter ants, and they can be found sitting around on the forest floor searching for those yummy insects.

With their bright red caps, white streaks, and long necks, they are hard to miss. The male even has a bright red mustache to complete his dapper look. Most photos of the pileated woodpecker show them sitting on a tree, but if you are lucky, you will get to see it in flight. They are white under their wings, edged in black. Beautiful.

The pileated woodpecker has been removed from the status of endangered species, but you’ll still count yourself lucky to see one.

Nicholaus Copernicus - astronomer

2010-02-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

Copernicus went to the University of Krakow, where he studied many subjects, including astronomy. Astronomy, however, in those days, was used mainly for navigation at sea, setting holy days, and calculating a person’s horoscope. He completed four years of study, but never earned a degree. His uncle, in charge of young Nicholaus after his father’s death, decided that the child would have a career with the Church, and thus sent Copernicus to the University of Bologna, where he studied Canon law. In his spare time, he also studied Greek, math, and astronomy. He began renting a room from his astronomy professor and even assisted him in his observations of the heavens.
In 1500, Copernicus journeyed to Rome and stayed to lecture the local scholars. Still without a degree, he convinced his uncle, and the Church, to allow him to finish his law degree as well as obtaining education in medicine. Astronomy was considered a big part of medicine, since a person’s health was believed to be influenced by the stars, so Copernicus was allowed to continue his astonomy education as well. He eventually obtained his doctorate in law, but never received one in medicine.

His astronomy study was put on hold for over five years as he floundered here and there as a canon and physician. After the death of his maternal uncle, Copernicus became a canon in the Ermland Chapter at Frauenburg. This gave him a lot of free time to study his growing love of the sky. He wrote a small, hand-written book, which he gave to his friends. This book, the “Little Commentary” spelled out his theories, radical ideas at the time:

1. There is no one centre in the universe.
2. The Earth’s centre is not the centre of the universe.
3. The centre of the universe is near the sun.
4. The distance from the Earth to the sun is imperceptible compared with the distance to the stars.
5. The rotation of the Earth accounts for the apparent daily rotation of the stars.
6. The apparent annual cycle of movements of the sun is caused by the Earth revolving round it.
7. The apparent retrograde motion of the planets is caused by the motion of the Earth from which one observes.

His formal theories were not published for many years as war and unrest forced Copernicus into service for his country. His manuscript was published only shortly before his death. Controversy raged amongst the scholars, and it was not until the 17th century that his ideas were fully accepted. He received the final copy of his book while on dying in his bed. He died shortly thereafter of a cereberal hemorrhage May 24, 1543.

Astronomy vs Astrology - What's the Difference

2010-02-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

Astronomy and Astrology are linked at the hip, each constantly being confused and mistaken for each other. Astronomy, in fact, got its start in Astrology. The study of the moon and stars were key elements in figuring out astrologic charts for the planting of crops, sailing of ships, and curing of diseases. While studying the heavens, more objects were spotted and a curiosity grew. What is that object? Why is it in one part of the sky today, but another part later in the evening? The study of Astronomy was born. Early astronomers supplemented their income by practicing Astrology for the wealthy. Any astronomer who scoffs at Astrology is actually forgetting the birthplace of his beloved science.

Today, the term Astronomy is reserved for the scientific study of the Universe. Astrology is the belief that the heavens control our lives. Astrology spans many cultures and can be broken down into Western astrology, Chinese astrology, Jyotish (Vedic astrology) and Kabbalistic astrology. Even skeptics of Astrology agree that certain human rhythms are controlled by the influence of astronomical objects, most notably the Moon. Our internal body clock is controlled by a circadian rhythm, which has ties to the light/dark cycle of our day. Without the daily sun/moon cycle, our bodies would suffer a number of problems including sleep disfunction and mood disorders!

How to Live With an Artist

2010-02-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

Be sensitive to their need for praise. When shown a piece, talk about what you like about it, not about any flaws you may perceive. The wrong word can cause an artist to spiral into depression, ignoring their work for days, months, or even years out of fear of further criticism.
Artists are prone to depression, so be prepared to be there for them if they need to vent. However, some require some time alone, but watch that it doesn’t become overwhelming.
Give them some space. Oftentimes, the creative process requires contemplation and isolation. Don’t take it personally. Use this time to do something of your own that wouldn’t interest the artist. Later, discuss your private adventures over dinner. Show an interest, even if you can’t see what is happening behind the closed door to their office or studio.
Get used to stares by strangers while with the artist. An artist sees the world differently than most of the general public. They will gawk for hours at the shimmer of light upon a building or how the wind gently moves a fold of fabric.
Learn to read their body language and moods. Interrupting a creative thought can be disastrous to a work in progress so watch for signs that indicate a break in their thoughts before attempting to communicate.
Don’t ask to see an unfinished piece of work. If the artist wants to show you, they will show you. The creative process is very private. If they do show you an unfinished piece, consider yourself honored that they felt they could trust you enough not to make a sarcastic or negative comment.
Get used to a mess. It is a rare artist who is concerned with keeping a neat space. The concern of an artist is the finished product, not the debris they leave behind. Even their non-work spaces can suffer from clutter. Whatever you do, do not move anything of theirs. Artists know where their things are, and if the objects are moved, it can cause frustration and alarm.
Most artists don’t care about finances. As long as they are fed and warm and have a place to work, they are happy. Sometimes they are clueless as to how much something costs, or the general health of their financial situation. A gentle reminder from time to time may be necessary to keep them within budget.

Animals of the Wetlands

2009-02-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

“How about if we say when it’s wet, it’s wet?”

– ex-Vice President Dan Quayle, when asked to define “wetlands”.

Dan Quayle is the perfect example of someone who needs to learn a bit more about wetlands. With only six percent of the Earth’s surface covered in wetlands, the loss of even a small wetland area can be an ecologic disaster. For years, due to the human need to expand our territories, wetlands were filled in, making way for shopping malls, roads, and homes. Many animals depend on wetlands for their very survival and if something isn’t done soon, we may see more extinctions.

Animals that depend on wetlands include dragonflies, many other types of flies (mayfly, stonefly), water bugs (water scorpion, water strider), diving beetles, crayfish, snails, leeches, fish, snakes, turtles, and frogs. Some may look at that list and say “eh…what do we need those for.” The animals listed are all part of a delicate balance. Some of them eat decaying matter, keeping the water clean. Others are prey for larger animals, such as birds. Wetlands also provide nesting sites and safe retreats for local and migratory animals.

If loss of animal life is not enough of an incentive to save the wetlands, consider these other benefits:

1. Flood control. Areas where wetlands have been filled in are frequently flooded, the water having no place to go or drain.

2. Groundwater replenishment and water purification. Wetlands are natural filters of groundwater, removing impurities. Wetlands store 97 percent of the world’s unfrozen fresh water!!

3. Agricultural value. Wetlands can be used to grow rice (half the world’s population eats rice) and raise fish commercially.

Threats to the wetlands include Timber Harvesting, Peat Mining, and Urban Growth. Pollution from nearby manufacturing plants (caused by runoff and airborne particles) are causing massive problems. Abnormal algae growth, poisons absorbed through a frog’s delicate skin, and mutations are all being seen.

With the threat of West Nile virus, many would say, “what do we need wetlands for, they’re only good for producing mosquitoes.” How innocent a thought… and how dangerous to so many.

“It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.”

– ex-Vice President Dan Quayle

Hopefully, no one listened to him…

What is an Asteroid?

2009-02-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

What is an asteroid?
Movies such as Armageddon create fear in our minds that the world is going to end soon due to a collision by an asteroid. But what are these lethal objects? Here are some asteroid facts:

1. They are usually composed of an iron-nickel material
2. Some asteroids can have other asteroids in orbit around them, such as Ida and its moon Dactyl!
3. Asteroids are not smooth. They are marred by impact craters and dust.
4. Asteroids that orbit the sun are called “Near-Earth Asteroids”.
5. Recently, the public was sent into a panic when scientists reported that, in 2028 and 2030, the Earth would be struck by an asteroid. However, after further analysis, they blushingly admitted the asteroids would miss Earth by several million miles. The Torino Scale was developed to alert the public and to cut down on the panic by misinformation (see more about the scale, below)
6. On January 1, 1801, Giuseppe Piazzi discovered the first asteroid.
7. The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts flew through the asteroid belt without being hit by asteroids.
8. The asteroid belt occurs between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
9. It is thought that, had it not been for the gravitational pull of Jupiter, the asteroid belt would have formed another planet.
10. Large asteroids are called planetoids.
11. A Chicago fire theory is that asteroids caused the fires, not a lantern that was tipped over by a cow.
12. Asteroid KY26 is the fastest known spinning object in the solar system, completely rotating every 10.7 minutes. It was recently discovered that this asteroid contains 1 million gallons of water! You would not want to try to stand on this asteroid, though, because its gravity would not keep you from being flung off into space.

The Torino Scale:
The scale is broken down into colors, each color having a further division.
0 (white) - The likelihood of a collision is zero, or well below the chance that a random object of the same size will strike the earth within the next few decades. This designation also applies to any small object that, in the event of a collision, is unlikely to reach the Earth’s surface intact.
1 (green) - The chance of collison is extremely unlikely, about the same as a random object of the same size striking earth within the next few decades.
2 (yellow) - A somewhat close, but not unusual encounter. Collision is very likely.
3 (yellow) -A close encounter, with 1% or greater chance of a collision capable of causing localized destruction
4 (yellow) - A close encounter, with 1% or greater chance of a collision capable of causing regional devastation.
5 (orange) - A close encounter, with a significant threat of a collision capable of causing regional devastation.
6 (orange) - A close encounter, with a significant threat of a collision capable of causing global catastrophe.
7 (orange) - A close encounter, with an extremely significant threat of a collision capable of causing global catastrophe.
8 (red) - A collision capable of causing localized destruction. Such events occur somewhere on Earth between once per 50 years and once per 1,000 years.
9 (red) - A collision capable of causing regional devastation. Such events occur between once per 1,000 years and once per 100,000 years.
10 (red) - A collision capable of causing global climatic catastrophe. Such events occur once every 100,000 years or less often.

What is a Centaur

2009-02-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

Somewhere between a comet and an asteroid in composition, Centaurs are objects whose orbits around the Sun cause them to pass by one of our planets, usually Jupiter or Neptune. Very unstable, due to their interactions with the large planets, their orbits can change with every pass. Chiron, once classified as an asteroid, was reclassified as a Centaur, but now may also be considered to be a comet since the discovery that it has a small coma. Chiron may one day crash into a planet, or be totally ejected out of our solar system. Centaurs most likely originated from the Kuiper belt.

A sub-classification, Red Centaurs, are Centaurs that have an unusual red coloring, possibly from organic surface particles. Once such Red Centaur is Pholus, which orbits from Saturn to past Neptune.

The name Centaur comes from the mythological half-man, half-horse figure.

There are currently nine Centaurs orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune, but many more are probably just waiting to be discovered. Should one of these large objects become a comet and pass into Earth’s orbit, its debris trail could have a dramatic impact on the climate and pose a danger to our civilization.

What is a Constellation?

2009-02-15T17:37:00.000-08:00

A constellation is a group of stars related to each other in a visible configuration. Humans find shapes in all kinds of things (clouds, for instance), so it’s not surprising that we have picked out some shapes in the night sky. Long ago, it was thought that the gods resided up there, and a lot of the constellations have a basis in mythology. However, if you were anyplace other than the Earth, the constellations would not look the same, since we are viewing them on a 2D plane, whereas the stars are in a 3D position. Also, different cultures have different constellations. Orion, for instance, was thought by the Sumarians to be a sheep, not a man.

The Big Dipper is called an asterism, which means it is not an official constellation. In fact, it is just a part of the constellation Ursa Major. The same goes for The Teapot in Sagettarius.

According to the International Astronomical Union, there are 88 official constellations. The first 12 on the list are the 12 signs of the Zodiac:

Aries, the ram
Taurus, the bull
Gemini, the twins
Cancer, the crab
Leo, the lion
Virgo, the virgin
Libra, the scales
Scorpius (also called Scorpio), the scorpion
Sagittarius, the archer
Capricornus (also called Capricorn), the sea goat
Aquarius, the water carrier
Pisces, the fish

Next, are the constellations named by Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer:

Andromeda
Aquila, the eagle
Ara, the altar
Argo Navis, the ship of the argonauts, since divided into Carina, Puppis and Vela
Auriga, the charioteer
Boötes, the herdsman
Canis Major, the greater dog
Canis Minor, the lesser dog
Cassiopeia, the Queen
Centaurus, the centaur
Cepheus
Cetus, the whale
Corona Australis, the southern crown
Corona Borealis, the northern crown
Corvus, the raven
Crater, the cup
Cygnus, the swan
Delphinus, the dolphin
Draco, the dragon
Equuleus, the little horse
Eridanus, the river
Hercules, the hero
Hydra, the sea monster
Lepus, the hare
Lupus, the wolf
Lyra, the lyre
Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer
Orion, the hunter
Pegasus, the winged horse
Perseus
Piscis Austrinus, the southern fish
Sagitta, the arrow
Serpens, the serpent
Triangulum, the triangle
Ursa Major, the greater bear
Ursa Minor, the lesser bear

As European explores journeyed to areas where they could see the southern sky, they added to the list even more. Also, the gaps between the Ptolemy and the Greek sky were filled:

Antlia, the pump
Apus, the bird of paradise
Caelum, the chisel
Camelopardalis, the giraffe
Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs
Chamaeleon, the lizard
Circinus, the drawing compasses
Columba, the dove
Coma Berenices (traditional asterism), Berenice’s hair
Crux, the cross
Dorado, the swordfish
Fornax, the furnace
Grus, the crane
Horologium, the clock
Hydrus, the water snake
Indus, the Indian
Lacerta, the lizard
Leo Minor, the lesser lion
Lynx, the wild cat
Mensa, (originally Mons Mensae) table mountain
Microscopium, the microscope
Monoceros, the unicorn
Musca, the fly
Norma, the square
Octans, the octant
Pavo, the peacock
Phoenix, the flame bird of myth
Pictor, (originally Equuleus Pictoris) the painter’s easel
Pyxis, the compass
Reticulum, the reticle
Sculptor, the artistic man
Scutum, the shield
Sextans, the sextant
Telescopium, the telescope
Triangulum Australe, the southern triangle
Tucana, the toucan
Volans (originally Piscis Volans) the flying fish
Vulpecula (originally Vulpecula Cum Ansere) the fox with the goose

Finally, the asterisms, the group of stars that didn’t make the cut. Usually it is because they are a part of an already named constellation:

Big Dipper in Ursa Major
Little Dipper in Ursa Minor
Teapot in Sagittarius
Orion’s belt
Summer Triangle (Deneb, Altair, and Vega, or ? Cygni, Aquilae, and Lyrae)
Great Square of Pegasus
Urn in Aquarius
Sickle in Leo
Coma Berenices, once an asterism, is now officially a constellation

Beautiful Birds V

2009-02-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Birds IV

2009-02-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Birds III

2009-02-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Birds II

2009-02-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Birds

2009-02-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

Dusky Seaside Sparrow - Extinct

2008-02-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

First listed as endangerd in 1967 and finally declared extinct in 1987, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow had a limited range of the east coast of Florida, particularly the island of Merritt. It’s habitat was very specific and elevation related. Many habitat tragedies contributed to the decline and eventual extinction of the sparrow, most notably flooding and damaging highway planning.

Predation was caused by introduced species including the pig frog (whatever THAT is!) and the boat-tailed grackle. The Dusky Seaside Sparrow also fell to DDT and the transformation of their salt marshes to fresh water mosquito control areas. Most of the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s efforts to protect the sparrow were considered too little, too late. A captive breeding program was initiated, but for some reason they only had males, not a good thing if you want to breed an animal. Attempt to cross breed them with other species of sparrows proved futile.

It is the most recent bird extinction in North America and the event captured the hearts and souls of Americans, who wrotes songs, poems and books dedicated to the little black and white sparrow.

At Walt Disney World, the last male, named “Orange Band” died on June 18, 1987. A mere 20 years after being placed on the endangered list, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow ceased to exist. Though their song is now silent, you can hear a recording of one at:

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/ornithology/sounds.htm

Listen to the sound and grieve for the Dusky Seaside Sparrow. Nature trusted that it could live in a limited habitat. Nature did not count on man.

Important Dates in Astronomy

2008-02-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

Important Dates in the History of Astronomy
(most early years are approximate)

4000 B.C. - The oldest astronomical observation ever recorded (Egypt and Central America)
3000 B.C. - The first written materials on astronomy (Egypt, China, Mesopotamia and Central America)
2697 B.C. - The oldest preserved relation on the Sun eclipse (China)
2000 B.C. - The first solar-lunar calendars in Egypt and Mesopotamia
2000 B.C. - Stonehenge Sanctuary (England)
2000 B.C. - Constellations first drawn up by the ancient astronomers
6th Century B.C. - Pythagoras and Thales of Miletus speculate that the Earth is a sphere.
4th century B.C. - Geocentric model of the universe originated
585 B.C. - May 28th, Thales predicts the solar eclipse
490 B.C. - September 9th, Date of the full moon that prohibited Sparta from helping Athens battle the Persians in the battle of Marathon
330 B.C. - Aristotle’s “On Heavens”
280 B.C. - Aristrachus of Samos suggests that the Earth revolves about the Sun (heliocentric concept of the Universe). He also provides the first estimations on Earth-Sun distance
240 B.C. - Eratosthenes calculates the size of the Earth, Sun, and Moon
130 B.C. - Hipparchus developes the first star catalog and charts
45 B.C. - The introduction of Julian calendar to the Roman Empire upon the advice of the Greek astronomer Sosigenes
140 - Ptolemy suggests the geocentric theory of the Universe
813 - Al Mamon founds the Bagdad school of astronomy.
903 - Al-Sufi draws up his star catalogue
1054 - Chinese astronomers observe supernova in Taurus. The remnants of this supernova will become known as M1, the Crab Nebula
1543 - Copernicus publishes “De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium” which provides mathematical evidence for the heliocentric theory of the Universe
1572 - Tycho Brahe discoveres a supernova in the constellation Cassiopeia
1576 - Tycho Brahe founds the observatory at Uraniborg
1582 - October 15, Pope Gregory XIII introduces the Gregorian calendar.
1595 - David Fabricius discovers the long-period variable star in the constellation Cetus, named Mira Ceti.
1600 - February 17, Giordano Bruno is charged with blasphemy, immoral conduct, and heresy for challenging the origin and structure of the universe and is burned at the stake in Campo dei Fiori
1603 - Johann Bayer publishes his star catalogue, “Uranometria”. He introduces the “Bayer designation system” of assigning Greek letters to stars.
1604 - Kepler discovers supernova in Ophiuchus.
1608 - Lippershey invents the first telescope.
1609 - Galileo first uses the telescope for astronomical purposes and discovers four Jovian moons, the Moon craters, and the Milky Way.
1609 - The first two of Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motions are announced.
1611 - Galileo, Scheiner, and Fabricius observe sunspots.
1612 - Peiresc discovers the Orion Nebula (M42).
1619 - Kepler publishes the “Third Law of Planetary Motion” in his “Harmonice Mundi” (Harmony of the World).
1631 - Kepler predicts the Transit of Mercury which is observed by Gassendi.
1632 - Galileo publishes his “Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems”
1633 - Galileo is forced to recant his theories during the Inquisition or face death.
1639 - Jeremiah Horrocks observes the transit of Venus
1647 - Hevelius publishes the map of the Moon.
1656 - Huyghens discovers the nature of Saturns rings and Titan
1656 - Foundation of the Copenhagen Observatory.
1659 - Huyghen observes markings on the planet Mars.
1666 - Cassini observes the polar caps on Mars.
1668 - Newton builds the first reflecting telescope.
1669 - Montanari discovers the variable nature of Algol.
1671 - Foundation of Paris Observatory.
1675 - Foundation of Greenwich Observatory.
1675 - Romer measures the velocity of light.
1675 - Cassini discovers the main division in Saturn’s rings.
1683 - Cassini observes the zodiacal light.
1687 - Sir Issac Newton publishes his revolutionary “Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica” establishing the theory of universal gravition
1705 - Halley predicts the return of Halley’s Comet in 1758.
1725 - Flamsteed publishes his star catalogue. He introduces star numbering in each constellation.
1728 - Halley discovers star motion.
1728 - James Bradley proposes the theory of the aberration of the fixed stars, including the aberration of light.
1729 - Chester More Hall proposes the principle of the achromatic refractor.
1744 - The six-tailed Cheseaux comet is observed.
1750 - Thomas Wright speculates about the origin of the solar system. As do we all.
1755 - Immanuel Kant proposes the hypothesis of the origin of celestial bodies
1758 - Palitzsch observes Halley’s comet return previously predicted (see 1705).
1761 - Lomonosov discovers the atmosphere of Venus.
1767 - The foundation of the Nautical Almanac.
1781 - Charles Messier, searching for the comets, discovers a bunch of deep sky objects (galaxies, nebula, and star clusters) which he compiles in his catalogue.
1781 - Herschel discovers Uranus.
1784 - Goodricke discovers the variable nature of Delta Cephei.
1789 - Herschel erected a telescope at Slough with a 48-in (1.22-m) mirror and a focal length of 40 ft (12.2 m). Using it, he resolved stars in different nebulas.
1796 - Laplace proposes the “Nebular Hypothesis” of the origin of the solar system based on the theory of stellar evolution.
1801 - Piazzi discovers the first planetoid, Ceres.
1802 - Herschel announces the discovery of binary star systems.
1802 - Wollaston observes dark lines in the solar spectrum.
1803 - Fall of meteorites at L’Aigle. In the early afternoon, thousands of meteorites rained down upon the small town. Luckily, no one was hurt. At the time, the very existence of meteors was hotly debated. This put to rest those thoughts.
1803 - The explanation of the nature of meteorites is established.
1811 - Olber proposes the theory of comet tails.
1814 - Fraunhofer provides description of the solar spectrum.
1818 - Pons discovers the predicted return of Encke’s Comet.
1826 - Discovery of Biela’s Comet
1833 - The Leonids great meteor shower.
1834 - Bessel infers that the irregularity of proper motion of Sirius is due to the presence of its invisible companion.
1837 - Beer and Madler publish the first accurate map of the moon.
1838 - Bessel determines the distance of star, 61 Cygni. This was the first determination of star distance.
1839 - Draper takes the first photograph of the Moon.
1842 - Discovery of Doppler’s Principle
1843 - Schwabe describes the sunspot cycle.
1845 - Observation of the breakup of Biela’s Comet.
1846 - Johann Gottfried Galle discovers the planet Neptune. It is based on its position calculated by the French astronomer Joseph Leverrier.
1851 - Foucault provides evidence for the rotation movement of the Earth by suspending a pendulum on a long wire from the dome of the Pantheon in Paris.
1858 - Appearance of Donati’s Comet.
1859 - Kirchoff provides the interpretation of the dark lines in the star spectra.
1859 - Argelander publishes “Bonner Durchmusterung” (BD)- the catalog of over 300,000 stars.
1862 - Clark discovers Sirius B based on calculations by Bessel.
1860 - The beginning of spectral analysis of stars. (Huggins identifies elements in the spectra of Betelgeuse and Aldebaran).
1865 - Jules Verne publishes the story “From the Earth to the Moon”.
1867 - Description of Wolf-Rayet stars.
1868 - Jansen and Lockyer observe solar prominences.
1872 - The Bieliid meteor shower.
1877 - Hall discovers Martian satellites, Phobos and Deimos.
1877 - Schiaparelli observes the Martian canals.
1878 - The Great Red Spot on Jupiter becomes prominent.
1890 - Lockyer announces his theory of stellar evolution.
1890 - Vogel discovers spectroscopic binaries.
1894 - Percival Lowell founds the Flagstaff Observatory in Arizona.
1896 - The erection of a 33-inch refractor at Meudon.
1897 - The foundation of Yerkes Observatory.
1900 - Chaberlin and Moulton propose theory of the Solar System origin.
1901 - Appearance of Nova Persei.
1905 - Mount Wilson Observatory established exclusively for the study of the sun.
1905 - Einstein proposes the basis of the “Theory of Relativity”.
1908 - Hertzsprung describes giant and dwarf stars.
1908 - Leavitt discovers the relationship period - absolute magnitude for Cepheids.
1908 - 60 inch reflector erected at Mount Wilson.
1908 - 1908 A mysterious explosion rocked Central Siberia. Forest was destroyed for 70 miles. A shock wave and blinding light followed and then black sooty rain. People 40 miles away were “flash burned” and their silverware melted. There was no crater. What caused this? No one knows. Some speculate that it was an early atomic test, while others say it was a meteor.
1911 - Hertzsprung and Russell discover the relationship between the star spectral type and star absolute magnitude.
1914 - Goddard begins experiments with rockets.
1915 - Adams discovers White Dwarfs.
1916 - Eddington proposes the first premises of the theory of intrinsic star structure.
1916 - Einstein proposes his general “Theory of Relativity”.
1917 - Completion of the 100-inch Hooker reflector at Mount Wilson.
1918 - Shapley provides the first model of the Galaxy structure.
1918 - Cannon publishes the fundamental catalogue star spectra.
1919 - Barnard publishes the catalogue of dark nebulas.
1920 - Slipher announces discovery of Red Shifts in the spectra of galaxies.
1920 - The first direct measurement of star diameter using interpherometer.
1923 - Hubble proves that the galaxies lie beyond the Milky Way.
1926 - Goddard fires the first liquid fuel rocket.
1927 - Oort proves that the center of the galaxy lies in the direction of the Sagittarius.
1929 - Edwin Powell Hubble discovers that galaxies move away from each other.
1930 - Tombaugh discovers Pluto based on Lowell’s predictions.
1931 - Jansky discovers cosmic radio waves.
1937 - Reber constructs the first radio telescope.
1937 - Gamow proposes the first theory of stellar evolution.
1942 - Strand speculates that 61 Cygni is attended by a planet.
1944 - Van de Hulst suggests that interstellar hydrogen must emit radio waves at 21.1 cm.
1946 - Bay obtains the first radar images of the Moon.
1947 - Ambarcumian discovers star associations.
1949 - The completion of the Hale 200-inch reflector at Mount Palomar.
1951 - Ewen and Purcell discover the 21.1 cm hydrogen radio waves, originally predicted by van de Hulst.
1951 - Determination of the spiral structure of our galaxy.
1955 - Completion of the 250-foot radio telescope at Jodrell Bank.
1957 - October 4, The first artificial satellite launched by the Russians.
1958 - The first American satellite launched.
1959 - The Russian Luniks satellites: Lunik I passes the Moon; Lunik II lands on the Moon.
1959 - Radio location of the Sun.
1961 - April 12, Russian astronaut, Yuri Gargarin, becomes the first man in space.
1962 - First American orbital flight by John Glenn.
1962 - Planetary probes: Mars I (Russia) and Mariner II (USA)
1962 - Discovery of the first galactic source of X-ray radiation.
1963 - Van de Kamp reports a planet associated with Bernard’s Star.
1963 - Discovery of the first quasar (3C 273).
1964 - Close range pictures of the Moon from USA’s Ranger VII.
1965 - Penzias and Wilson discover cosmic fossil radiation, providing direct evidence of the Big Bang Theory.
1966 - First soft landing on the Moon (Luna 9 - Russia and Surveyor I - USA).
1966 - Russian probe lands on Venus.
1967 - Discovery of pulsar.
1968 - First manned flight around the Moon. Apollo 8. Astronauts: Borman, Lovell, and Anders.
1969 - February 8, a huge explosion rocked the town of Allende, Mexico. A meteor had exploded with great force in the atmosphere and rained down thousands of chunks to the Chihuahuan desert. More than 3 tons of fragments were collected.
1969 - September 28, more meteorites, this time in Murchison, Australia. The fragments from those collected provided the first evidence that amino acids exist elsewhere in the solar system!
1969 - July 20, First man on the Moon. Apollo 11. Astronauts: Armstrong and Aldrin.
1970 - Satellite Uhuru scans the sky in the X-ray range.
1970 - First successful soft landing on Venus (Venera 7, Russia).
1971 - Final testing of 236-inch Soviet reflector.
1971 - First probes in orbit around Mars and first soft landing on Mars (Mars 3, Russia).
1971 - First manned mechanical vehicle on the Moon (Apollo 15, USA).
1972 - Satellite Copernicus conducts spectroscopic ultraviolet observations of stars and interstellar matter with high resolution.
1972 - The first observations in gamma radiation range.
1972 - Launch of the probe Pioneer 10, it’s intended destination: Jupiter
1973 - Very first images of Jupiter. Pioneer 10 (USA).
1974 - First image of Mercury’s surface. Mariner 10 (USA).
1975 - Completion of the 6-meter telescope in Zielenczukskaja (USSR).
1976 - Soft landing of Viking space probes on Mars (USA).
1977 - Discovery of Uranus rings.
1978 - Discovery of Pluto’s moon.
1978 - New data on celestrial objects collected by satellite Einstein (X-ray).
1980 - First images of Saturn and its rings. Voyager 1 (USA).
1983 - Satellite IRAS scans the sky in infrared radiation.
1983 - Samples of a meteorite taken from the antarctic showed gases identical to those found on Mars. This is just too cool! The gas had been captured in small crystals and were compared to the gases collected in the 1970’s by the Viking spacecraft. Can you imagine the excitement of the scientists when they realized that this chunk of space debris had come from Mars??
1986 - January 24, Voyager 2 approaches the planet Urananus.
1986 - January 28, Space shuttle Challenger disaster
1986 - March, Space probes Vega 1, Vega 2, and Giotto pass near Halley’s Comet.
1987 - February 23, Supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud visible to naked eye, as a result of explosion of blue supergiant Sanduleak 69 deg. 202.
1989 - May 4, Magellan mission to radar map the surface Venus.
1989 - August 24, Voyager 2 approaches the planet Neptune.
1989 - September 12, Pluto at perihelion.
1989 - November 18, NASA launches Cosmic Background Explorer satelite.
1990 - April 24, The space shuttle Discovery puts the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit .
1990 - December 5, The first picture taken with Keck Telescope in Hawaii is published in Los Angeles Times.
1990 - December 7, Galileo approaches the planet Earth on the way from Venus to Jupiter. It becomes the first interplanetary spacecraft that has ever visited the Earth.
1991 - February 7, Debris of Russian Salyut 7 crashes through the atmosphere over Argentina.
1991 - April 5, The launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO)
1991 - July, A total eclipse of the Sun, visible from Hawaii and Mexico. Suddenly, astronomy is a marketable tourist commodity.
1991 - October, The spacecraft Galileo passes the asteroid Gaspra.
1992 - April, The Hubble Space Telescope photographs the hottests star ever recorded (temp. 360,000 degrees Fehrenheit). They were found in the Large Magellanic Cloud
1992 - April 24, The data received from satelite COBE proves the existence of temperature fluctuations in the background radiation which is a strong evidence supporting the Big Bang theory. This evidence is referred to as “The Holy Grail” of Astronomy.
1992 - September 16, The discovery of the first object orbiting the Sun beyond the planet Pluto.
1992 - September 25, NASA launches the Mars Observer spacecraft.
1992 - October 31, The Vatican announces that the Catholic Church erred in condemning Galileo’s beliefs. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!
1993 - January 31, The Gamma Ray Observatory detects the brightest burst of gamma rays ever recorded - the Super Bowl Burst.
1993 - March 28, Outburst of supernova in the M81 galaxy in Ursa Major.
1993 - August 21, NASA loses contact with Mars Observer three days before its planned entry into Mars’ atmosphere.
1993 - December, Astronauts of the space shuttle Endeavour correct the defects in the Hubble Space Telescope, improving the images.
1994 - July 20, Comet Shoemaker-Levy crashes into Jupiter. This is considered by many, the most spectacular event in the history of astronomy. Of course, they didn’t live in 1803 or forgot about 1969 (see above).
1995 - December 7, Galileo reaches the planet Jupiter.