Archive for July, 2010
Mars Spectacular Hoax
by Tony on Jul.26, 2010, under outreach ideas
Is it August again already? Every year since 2003, when the event actually happened, our email boxes are filled with well meaning friends that pass along information about a spectacular viewing opportunity for mars. On August 27, 2003,
2003 was historic because the orbits of Mars and the Earth worked out to bring Mars historically close. But perihelic opposition happens every 2 years (which is why missions to Mars such as the MERs, Viking, and the upcoming MSL launch on odd years). The next one that will yeild similar viewing opportunitys (though not quite as good) will be at 2018 Jul 27 at 05:07 UTC
(full list of oppositions and how big Mars appears to us then)
Depending on the version of the email, it may also claim that Mars will appear as big as the moon. This wasn’t even true in 2003. The moon still appeared 500 times larger than Mars. Why? Mars is about twice the size of our moon but Mars was nearly 150 times farther away. If you put an baseball (the moon) 1 foot away and a soccer ball 150 feet away, the soccer ball is not going to appear to be the same size.
tree height image based on satellite data
by Tony on Jul.20, 2010, under outreach ideas
Scientists have produced a really cool map that details the height of the world’s forests.
41 years ago today….
by Tony on Jul.20, 2010, under manned spaceflight
… Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
The wikipedia article on the subject is pretty good and has been well vetted by nuts like me.
National Astronomy Night
by Tony on Jul.15, 2010, under outreach ideas
In DC, stop by the National Mall tonight for National Astronomy Night sponsored by the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday, July 15 (with a July 16 rain date). Telescopes, posters, and video equipment will be set up just northeast of the Washington Monument, between 14th and 15th Streets NW, and Madison Drive and Constitution Ave.
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NASA Image of the Day
Curiosity at 'Cumberland'
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity used its front left Hazard-Avoidance Camera for this image of the rover's arm over the drilling target "Cumberland" during the 275th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (May 15, 2013). The rover team plans to use Curiosity's drill to collect a powdered sample from the interior of the rock for analysis by laboratory instruments inside the rover. This is the mission's second rock-drilling target. The rover drove from its position beside the first drilling target, "John Klein," to its position beside Cumberland with drives of 121 inches (308 centimeters) on Sol 273 (May 13) and 26.6 inches (67.5 centimeters) on Sol 275. Curiosity's total odometry on Mars is now 2,385 feet (727 meters). Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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