“We are mosaics — pieces of light, love, history, stars — glued together with magic and music and words.”
— Anita Krizzan
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Posts Tagged ‘beauty’
Mosaics of Magic
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, beauty, creativity, humanity, magic, Thoughts on May 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Cloudy With A Chance of Meteors
Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, astronomy, beauty, inspiration, meteor shower, nature, space on December 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »
If you happen to live in a place that will have clear skies tonight (or tomorrow), rejoice! It is time for that highlight of the annual meteor shower cycle, the Geminids.
Geminids meteor shower: What to know, viewing tips – NPR
The Geminids, which are bright and have a yellow hue, are considered one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers, when at least 120 meteors are usually seen per hour during its peak, NASA says.
The Geminid meteor shower peaks in the middle of December, with the most activity this year expected late Friday and into early Saturday, according to NASA.
Alas, we expect snow and clouds here tonight, but I’m happy knowing that you, dear reader, might have a chance to see one of the most spectacular shows in the solar system.
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Slowly, and Then Fast
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, beauty, Canada, fall, fall foliage, home, inspiration, nature, poutine, Thoughts on September 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Canada is a global leader in many arenas: friendliness, humor, dishes featuring cheese, gravy and potatoes.
Come fall, it also leads the way in terms of natural beauty.
The leaves on the maple across the street are beginning to turn. Thanks in part to my father falling in love with the Appalachian mountains on a job interview, I’ve watched this dance most of my life. First the green fades into yellows and orange and reds, slowly and then fast, until every vista is filtered through a rainbow-colored lens.
The change depends on a number of factors such as precipitation and temperature, but check out this map for a prediction:
2023 Fall Foliage Map & Nationwide Peak Leaf Forecast
More on the map and how it was made:
See When Brilliant Fall Foliage Will Peak With This Interactive Map
According to the map, fall foliage season began on September 4 and will end on November 20.
For comparison, here’s the Farmers’ Almanac weighing in on dates by state: Fall Leaves: America’s Top Destinations.
When will peak fall happen for you? Soon, the trees whisper. Soon.
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Some Days, I Do Miss the West
Posted in Likes, tagged #PurpleMountainsMajesty, #ThingsILike, awesome, beauty, inspiration, New Mexico, Sierra Ladrones, US Interior on February 11, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Would you look at that. Purple mountains majesty, indeed.
God’s Own Strobe
Posted in Likes, Science!, tagged #ThingsILike, @Blitzortung_Org, @GHRCDAAC, awesome, beauty, community, crowdsourced data, fun, home, maps, science on May 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »
So I’m in my house one day last year as storm rolled in overhead. Dark clouds rained down, thunderous booms rumbled, and, off in the distance like God’s own strobe, lightning. I’m at my desk asking myself all the usual questions one does in such situations: Which direction is the storm tracking? Who pissed off the powers that be? Was that last strike closer? And that most critical question of the 21st century: will the power stay on long enough for me to meet my project deadline?
A little websploration later, and I discovered a very fun tool: Lightning Maps.
A project from Blitzortung.org, the site uses crowd-sourced data from a community of contributors with strike sensors:
“Blitzortung.org” is a lightning detection network for locating electromagnetic discharges in the atmosphere (lightning discharges) with VLF receivers based on the time of arrival (TOA) and time of group arrival (TOGA) method.
Lightning emits radio waves detectable from thousands of miles, if you have the right sensor. With more than 500 sensors, the network displays data from America, Europe and Oceania.
Think this is extra cool, have some skill with electronics and want to join in? Keep an eye on the Blitzortung forums to see when their next batch of sensors is available for purchase and deployment.
While the site makes it clear that the data are not suited for insurance or protection of life and property, it’s still a fun resource. I recommend it for anyone interested in a dynamic view of one of nature’s most dramatic forces.
Would you like to know more?
Check out how lightning works and the science of detection.
I prefer the beauty and simplicity of Lightning Maps but there are a number of alternatives. Visit Blitzortung.org for real-time and historical maps, or any of the alternative lightning maps at the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), the European Cooperation for Lightning Detection (EUCLID), and of course, NASA.
Next time a big storm comes through I plan to cuddle up with a bowl of popcorn and ooh-ahh over the latest lightning strikes… at least until the power goes out:)
Today’s Great Thing of the Day…
Posted in Likes, Science!, tagged awesome, beauty, Chris Hadfield, creativity, home, inspiration, ISS, space, wonder on May 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »
David Bowie’s Space Oddity, as sung by Commander Chris Hadfield on the International Space Station.
Hadfield is returning to Earth today after five months of service in space. Thank you, Commander.
May 13, 2013 Update: Permission to post this version of Bowie’s song was granted for one year. Sadly, that year ends today, but it was great to see.
November 4, 2014 Update: After some legal finagling a new agreement has been reached. It’s back!
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