Blog Readers Show Support for NASA's Human Return to Moon

Water molecules have been declared by lunar scientists to be wide spread on the Moon's surface. Do you believe the scientific finding should impact American space policy and budgets in the future?

Seventy-two percent (72%) of the 251 blog poll respondents said: "US astronauts should proceed with plans for a lunar landing by 2020 by adding more money to the NASA budget."

Eighteen percent (18%) said: "The US should scrap a government lunar landing and leave it to the private commercial space launch sector to send commercial astronauts to the Moon regardless of how long it may take."

A mere combined eight percent (08%) said that the United States should pursue only robot probes to the Moon or that sending probes to the Moon was a waste of funds.

Safety Dance Hearings Set for Wednesday on Capitol Hill by Two House Subcommittees

Not one but two House Congressional Committees will holding simultaneous hearings Wednesday on ensuring the safety of human spaceflight according to various reports by Space News. The politics of safety of human-rating NASA and commercial launch vehicles and spacecraft will be examined with enlightened moments expected from several witnesses.

The House Committee on Science & Technology's Subcommittee on Space & Aeronautics will gather from 10:00AM - 12:00PM, Wednesday, December 2, 2009 in Room 2318 of the Rayburn Building. Meanwhile, at the same date and time, the House Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Aviation will be meeting in Room 2176 of the Rayburn Building. The hearing will be webcast for those unable to attend to hear the testimony of the listed witnesses as they dance under questioning.

While the matter of human astronaut safety is always important, some see the tactic of the hearings to speed the development of the Ares-1 booster to close the gap in American human spaceflight. While human safety should be a well-regulated issue, commercial astronauts should not be subject to NASA-like safety regulations. The states of Virginia, Florida, and Texas have already stated in public policy that individuals may assume certain risks associated with human spaceflight from those states.

dotAstronomy: first day impressions

a colleague of mine joked before i came to this dotAstronomy workshop, that it would be a bunch of science, technology, and astronomy dorks sitting in a room twittering to each other and the world. i chuckled and reluctantly agreed, but really, i had no idea:


the laptop to human ratio in the main conference room is very nearly 1! the mac to human ratio is only slightly less than one, and i'm guessing the iPhone to human ratio is quite high too, but cant be exactly one because i dont own one! i admit it, i'm not an iPerson. i kinda wish i had one though, because there are all sorts of great sessions this week on various applications.

anyway, the venue for the workshop is amazing! i have my own office:


but i'm a bit worried that the elevator has a "gravity" switch!?


they keep us properly loaded with coffee.


we heard a nice talk by chris lintott and arfon smith about the galaxy zoo.


and ironically, there is a constantly-morphing schedule of events on a white board in the coffee room. there is NO accurate digital version of this plan of events!


and riding bicycles with a group of astronomers back to the hotel was amusing; the rental bikes here in holland only have foot breaks. the process of locking the bikes was even more hilarious....

Waterloo and Misc

I'm still trying to catch up with photos I took during my travels. While downstate, I tried to go hiking as much as time would allow. Thanks to my friend, Marsha, we hiked the Waterloo Recreation 3 times. It had been years since I visited the Discovery Center there -- so we checked it out. Below are a few shots including a display about Beavers, the lake next to the Hickory Ridge hiking trail, and information about the Thunder Bay Amethyst mine -- which I didn't expect to see at a Michigan science center. I also threw in a photo I took in the walkway at Detroit Metro, on my way to the gate to fly to Vermont.

participate in dotAstronomy

if you would like to participate in this dotAstronomy technothon, you can follow the action LIVE from the dotAstronomy workshop thru UStream everyday this week: http://tinyurl.com/dotastrotv.

if youre interested, i give my talk friday morning at about 0845 UT.... quite early in the US, sorry!

you can also follow me on twitter for up to the second happenings... or follow @dotastronomy on twitter OR keep up with the #dotastro hashtag.

use the #dotastro hashtag on twitter to ask the speakers questions in real time!

jimmy fallon does neil young doing the fresh prince

thats right... this video shows jimmy fallon (impressively) singing as neil young singing the theme to the fresh prince of bel-air! hilarious!



i'd like to hear him do parents just dont understand.

Danish astrophysicist Anja Andersen Speaks of the Cosmos and the Importance of Science

color and posture

beautiful colors in this photo by lars daniel

Vast New Saturn Ring Explained

Sneak Peek Of New Adobe Photoshop CS5 Technologies

Adobe CS5 Is Expected To Begin Shipping From April 2010. Here Is A Video Which Shows What New Technologies Are Going To Introduce W/ The Adobe Photoshop Cs5.

For More Info On Photoshop CS5 Technologies & Other Adobe CS5 Applications, Visit : CS5.Org
alsoread: Turning Off Adobe Auto Updater

Download Microsoft Office 2010 Beta 4 UR Mobile Device

Now You Can Download The Beta Version Of Microsoft Office Mobile 2010 For Your Windows Touch Device. Office Mobile 2010 Public Version Is Available For Download In Windows Phone Market Place.

View Some Screenshots Of Office Mobile 2010:
     


See What Microsoft Has To Say About This Product:

Description

Microsoft Office Mobile 2010 brings the powerful Microsoft Office 2010 tools you use every day at work, home, or school, to the screen of your Windows phone with rich interfaces especially designed for small devices. By installing this application, you agree that: * This Microsoft Office Mobile 2010 Beta will be disabled on April 5th, 2010. * Prior versions of Microsoft Office Mobile that were installed after the phone was purchased will be uninstalled. You will need to re-install that software according to the instructions of your original purchase. If Microsoft Office Mobile came pre-installed on your phone, it will not be affected. * The WINDOWS MARKETPLACE FOR MOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGREEMENT applies to your use of this beta application.

Features:

• View and edit your Microsoft® Office® documents with confidence.
• Stay connected to work from anywhere with SharePoint Workspace Mobile.
• Stay connected to work from anywhere with SharePoint Workspace Mobile.
• Use PowerPoint Mobile as a presentation aid.

Application Requirements: Touch

Released: 11/19/2009

Version: 1.1

Size: 4634 KB

 So Why Are You Waiting? Go And Download Now Itself.

alsoread: Read More On Office 2010

2010: Space Shuttle Program Odyssey Ends

With the STS-129 Atlantis space shuttle mission now back at the Kennedy Space Center from the final ISS flight of 2009, the space shuttle program is set to begin the final year of flight in 2010. Five flights are pending in the manifest with the International Space Station as the orbital destination. The final shuttle astronaut crews have been named and are in mission training. By the end of 2010, American astronauts will be Russian Soyuz-dependent for access to space. 

1. STS-130 Endeavour is scheduled to launch on February 4, 2010;
2. STS-131 Discovery is scheduled to launch on March 18, 2010;
3. STS-132 Atlantis is scheduled to launch May 14, 2010;
4. SRS-134 Endeavour is scheduled to launch on July 29, 2010;
5. STS-133 Discovery is scheduled to launch on September 16, 2010.

Take the 5-Minute Tour of the Space Station

Comparison B/W Nokia N97 & Nokia N97 Mini

Many Of Us Would Be Eager To Know What's The Difference Between The Two Brothers, The Big Brother Nokia N97 And The Younger One, Nokia N97 Mini.
So Here I'm Embedding A Video Which Will Show You The Difference B/w The Brothers.

alsoread: Nokia's Netbook

christmas cracker joke

last night was my astronomy department's christmas party (yeah, i know its still november). the tradition in the UK at a christmas dinner is to open a christmas cracker, which looks like a cardboard toilet paper roll wrapped in shiny paper! the cracker makes a loud 'crack' when you open it, and inside you find a paper hat to wear during the meal, a tiny toy you can play with until it inevitably breaks, and a joke or riddle or motto!

i received a joke in my cracker and surprisingly, it was pretty good!


Q: why did the scientist install a knocker on his door?






A: he wanted to win the No-bell prize!

ISS Expedition 21 Command Symbolizes European Equal Partnership in Space

European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne - the head of International Space Station Expedition 21 - speaks with Russia Today from orbit yesterday. De Winne has been the first European Commander of the space station. Americans and Russians having held the command post otherwise since inception. The Expedition 22 will be commanded by American astronaut Jeff Williams next month.

Enabling And Disabling System Restore In Windows 7 And Vista

Follow The Steps Below To Enable/Disable System Restore:

Read more »

2010: A Chinese Lunar Space Odyssey

The Chang'e-2 lunar orbiter will be launched to the Moon in October 2010 by the People's Republic of China, and its first lunar rover prior to the end of 2012, according to Ye Peijian, chief designer of the nation's first moon probe in a report by China Daily.

The scientist also said Chang'e-3, China's first lunar lander and rover, is scheduled to be launched on board a Long March 3B launch booster rocket from the Xichang space center in southwestern China prior to 2013. The first Chinese lunar landing mission in the Sinus Iridium (Bay of Rainbows) will explore the geological structure of the Moon in search of usable resources,  AP.

The ultimate goal of the Chinese project is to put a man on the Moon by 2020 and build a space base on the Earth's natural satellite by 2050. China has expressed interest in mining and extraction of helium 3 from the lunar surface.

Stowe Vermont -- Second Post

The day before I left Vermont, Kevin and Jericho had to work all day. I worked on the agate book research in the morning, and headed out hiking with their dog, Quincy, in the afternoon. There is a pass between the two mountain ranges located adjacent to the Stowe Ski resort. In the winter, the road is closed to "Smugglers Notch" so it provided a great opportunity to hike. We did a little hiking on some o the side trails, but they were icy and steep, so for the most part we stayed on the road. Even the road was steep!







After the hike, I walked around downtown. It is a quaint village wherein most of the buildings are between 100 and 200 years old. Don't look for any chain stores or fast food places in Stowe -- they don't exist. My daughter-in-law works in Marketing at the Green Mountain Inn. When you drive around Stowe, it is clear that it is a tourist-related town. There are inns and bed and breakfast establishments everywhere, but very few motels. Vermont is also known for its covered bridges. The one pictured is right downtown.






The last morning, we went on my fifth hike in 4 days. We hiked up the Peek-a-boo trail. A few minutes after we left the car, we saw a large moose in the trail, around 80 feet in front of us. There was a curve in the trail, so we didn't get a great view through the trees -- but he was big! Since we had the dog with us and you have to be careful with moose anyway, we stopped until he sauntered off. Here is the view from the top of the trail. At the top, there were swings and benches, which provides hikers a nice way to enjoy the view.




The final shot I took at the airport in Burlington, located around 40 miles west of Stowe. You can see the profile of a face. The highest point to the left is the highest point in Vermont: the chin. To the right of that is the nose and the forehead. The view from the airport doesn't allow you to see the profile as well as you can from Stowe, but you can still make it out. All in all, it was a great first trip to Vermont, and a terrific visit with Kevin, Jericho, and Quincy.

dotAstronomy

i'm off to the netherlands on sunday to attend the .Astronomy conference, which just had a press release today! the point of this conference is to explore in interaction between astronomy and the internet. citizens are now able to participate in real science, through projects like galaxy zoo, astronomers are more connected than ever by online databases and networked services, and public outreach possibilities have broadened with projects like sixty symbols.


i'll be presenting a short talk about my participation in the sixty symbols video series. if any of you have opinions or feedback about the series, please let me know in the comments!

i dont really know what to expect from this conference, but i'm excited to find out and learn about a lot of new technologies astronomers are developing to take advantage of the world wide web of information and communication!

Case for Life on Mars: Biomarkers Found in the ALH84001 Martian Meteorite Again

New chemical and fossil evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars carried to Earth by the famous Allan Hills 84001 meteorite is now withstanding the test of time through utilzation of more highly advanced High Resolution Electron Microscopy confirms the remains of life —in the form of fossils—of bacteria-like lifeforms.

After having first burst into global mass media awarness with a press conference by President Bill Clinton in 1996 announcing the ancient life form from Mars, the Allan Hills 84001 meteorite encounted opposing theories among astrobiology scientists. But the new and more detailed data on magnetite crystals and carbonate discs now available largely counter a wide range of opposing theories on the ancient fossil bacteria-like lifeforms.

SpaceFlightNow has a detailed article on the new paper and other publications coming from the original NASA science team that advanced the ancient life theory on Mars contained within the Alan Hills 84001 meteorite.

In 1976 there was debate as to life on Mars as well and more than three decades later, scientists have concluded there was once and may still be large amounts of Mars water. 

smart turkeys

in honor of thanksgiving celebrations in the US...


thanks, lara!

Cassini Records Saturian Aurora

Dr. Andy Ingersoll, professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology, describes the aurora of the planet Saturn and the similarity with the aurora of Earth in this newly released NASA JPL video. 22nd Century human settlers are going to enjoy life in the Saturian moon system for resources to the many wonderus views of the new worlds.

Know More On Google Chrome OS

Google Chrome OS Team Has Produced A New Video Which Gives Some Overviews On The Upcoming Chrome Operating System.

Watch It...

Google Chrome OS Demo....

Google Says That Their OS Will Start Within Seconds.... That Would Be Interesting To See. But I'm Confused That, Will It Remain Just A BROWSER????

alsoread: Google Chrome TV AD..

Space Community Coming to 'Plymouth Rock' Human Outerspace Mission for Thanksgiving

Over three years ago the buzz of a new human mission destination began to bubble within planetary science circles across the nation; and more recently, the buzz is growing into a clammier by some in space policy circles to take humans to a new destination: near earth asteroids (NEO's). The mission is now dubbed "Plymouth Rock," as space science journalist Leonard David reports. NASA's leadership may have been briefed just this week prior to the Thanksgiving holiday on key aspects of such a proposed Orion Mayflower-like mission.

Yesterday Space Frontier Foundation co-founder Rick Tumlinson noted in an e-Mail that: "when it comes to the Moon vs. NEOs we want it all. But right now the cultural 'permission to spend' tax dollars is not favourable to the Moon. An NEO mission plays into several factors that do work in the current climate."

Tumlinson seeks to make five points:

1. G.W. Bush put his stamp on the Moon (and blew it). Just as Nixon hated the idea that Apollo was a legacy of Kennedy, so too Obama will want something that is uniquely his historically.

2. Obama needs something inspiring to help rally the imagination of a new generation that sees Apollo and the Moon as some sort of black and white newsreel from the dawn of time.

3. NEO's play well into the planetary survival ethic sweeping the new generations and allow a cultural marketing narrative regarding saving the Earth.

4. Given the gravity well issues, it is far easier and cheaper to do than going down into the Moon's and coming back up again - which NASA can't afford. It literally is more about long trip times, the ability to maneuver in micro G and handling materials/samples/contaminants.

5. NASA doesn't have to justify it in terms of how it really fits a Mars scenario other than one that is visit only oriented. In other words, a Lunar outpost scenario requires ongoing financial support, all kinds of mental (for NASA) gymnastics about how to create long term viability and crosses into that nasty (for NASA) area of how to deal with a private sector hand off/legacy.

SO, there you have it. Such a mission will certainly give meaning to the so-called "flexiable path" and give rise to the Ares-V heavy-lift that this Blogger endorsed some time ago. Just-in-time [JIT] for Thanksgiving Holiday, the Old and New space communities are arriving at Plymouth Rock! :-) [see vid]

STS-129 Undocked from ISS Today; Possible Tandum Sighting in Early Evening Skies

The Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-129 has undocked from the International Space Station this morning following three successful spacewalks and delivering long-term supplies to the orbital lab. Millions along the eastern United States have the opportunity to see the space shuttle and space station flying across the skies in the early evening this day in an unsual tandum double flyby spaceflight. For specific times in your location click Satellite Flybys and enter your US zip code. Clear skies!

Stowe, VT--First Post

In between the art shows down state, I used a free airline ticket to go to Stowe, Vermont to visit my son, Kevin, and his wife, Jericho. During my corporate careers and various hiking trips, I have been to 40 states. Now it is 41: it was my first trip to Vermont.



From what Kevin says, there are only 800,000 people or so who live in the state. In some ways, it reminds me of the Upper Peninsula, except that there is a lot more elevation change. The highest point in the U.P. is near Baraga: it is only 1,900 feet or so. The highest point in Vermont is near 5,000 feet in elevation.

In the 4 days I was there, I went on 5 hikes. The most rigorous was on a glorious Tuesday afternoon. It was sunny and in the upper 50s -- perfect for hiking. Although the hike was only 3 miles long, a good part of that required that we scramble over boulders or climb up log slide like steepness. This hike was in the C.C. Putnam State Forest, and took you up to the Stowe Pinnacle. It is a rock outcropping overlooking the valley in which Stowe is located. The first photo was taken at the top, which gave us a great view looking over the valley. There is then a shot of the 4 of us, including Quincy. The two ice photos show how the ground sometimes squeezes the water out to form intricate crystals. They were 1-4 inches long and truly nature's art.






One of the other hikes was in the Smugglers Notch State Park. We walked back to see Bingham Falls.

'Blue Origin' Astronaut Flights in 2012?

The Blue Origin spacecraft is being readied for spaceflight with perhaps private astronauts flying in 2012 from the private Texas spaceport, according to the private space firm's web site update with inquiries being directed to Dr. Alan Stern, Blue Origin's advisor for Research and Education Mission applications: astern@blueorigin.com. The Blue Origin space launch firm is owned by Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos.

CosmicLog journalist Alan Boyles reported more on the impending suborbital launch effort.

luke skywalker can't spell

from college humor

Mason, MI Gem and Mineral Show

I am finally back from travelling -- at least for a week and a half! This last trip, I went to the UofM - Purdue football game (terrible second half!), visited with friends and relatives all over southern Michigan, dropped off custom agate product orders, spent time at the UofM library doing research for the next agate book, sold art at the Saline and Grand Rapids shows, visited my son and daughter-in-law in Vermont, and met with a book publisher. Thanks to everyone who shared their time, helped me in the booth, and offered their hospitality. In the next few days, I'll catch up with the photos and stories on this blog.



This post has photos from the Mason Show, which took place the weekend of October 24th. This is the first time I exhibited at this show. I'll definately go back. First, here are a few photos of my booth -- which is the largest I have had yet for any show. It must have been 40 feet by 20 feet! If any of you are interested in purchasing one of the 3 lamps shown, I'll offer a blog special of 10% off the regular price.

















I didn't get much time to walk around at the Mason show. I took a few photos, but forgor to write down the names of the people who sponsored the displays. First, is a photo of a neat display of cabachons. There were several displays of Michigan fossils, including the next photo. I enjoyed the datalite specimens, and included here the information sign about datalite. Then, there is a picture of one of my favorite agates in the world: a coyamito agate from Northern Mexico.