Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, inspiration, NASA, science!, space on July 12, 2022| 2 Comments »
First Images from the James Webb Space Telescope | NASA
The dawn of a new era in astronomy has begun as the world gets its first look at the full capabilities of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope…
NASA has begun to roll out new images from the Webb Telescope. They are (insert understatement here) impressive. This is one example, of the Carina Nebula:
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Would you like to know more?
Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, inspiration, MarsPeserverance, moon, NASA, science, Thoughts on March 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Need to take a quick break, maybe get off the planet for a bit? Now’s a great time to visit the Moon!
Send your name to the Moon with NASA’s Artemis mission!
Add your name here to have it included on a flash drive that will fly aboard Artemis I.
You could even do a little public service and cleanup litter once you’re up there, because Space Junk Just Crashed Into the Far Side of the Moon at 5,800 MPH.
While we’re talking space, you can also check out the current Location Map for Perseverance Rover.
Because sometimes it’s nice to be reminded of the good that humans can do, too.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, JPL, Mars, MarsPeserverance, NASA, science, Thoughts on February 23, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, inspiration, NASA, science, Thoughts on December 28, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I accumulate a lot of random facts. Here’s one I found interesting: Spiders can’t spidey so well when they’re on drugs.
Just say no, spiders, just say no!*
* Unless you have a constant source of delicious insects supplied by your organization’s graduate students and no pressing engagements, in which case, you do you, spideys.
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Posted in Entertainment, Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, genre fiction, inspiration, learning@lunch, NASA, space exploration on October 12, 2021| 1 Comment »
What am I reading with lunch? How about a graphic novel about a woman, space, and a spunky little robot? App and interactivity are optional (but could be fun).
NASA – First Woman (read online, download PDF)
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Posted in Funny, Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, comics, Excel ate my brain, funny, NASA on April 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »
So I’ve spent most of today neck deep in Excel, working out some data processing issues and building an archive. My inner librarian was happy:)
That said, my brain is just about frazzled. So much code! This is about my level of humor/maturity at the moment:
He he.
Posted in Holidays, Reviews, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, history, NASA, Octavia Butler, perseverance, Terminator, Women's Day on March 8, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Today is International Women’s Day, and I’m feeling fine. If you’re interested in learning more about the sorts of women who are often shunned by history, check out this sampling of women who dared greatly:
Historical awesome:
And in a bit of modern-day awesome, NASA has named the Perseverance landing site after Octavia Butler. How cool is that?
Speaking of NASA:
Inspiration much? Yes, thanks!
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In related news, we finally watched Terminator: Dark Fate and enjoyed the heck out of it. I’ll admit to avoiding it, a bit. Lackluster reviews, messed-up timeline issues (which earlier movies were we supposed to ignore and which not? oy), plus the “Yeah, you’re not the threat. It’s your womb” series concept kept me from watching it sooner.
Now that I have, what did I think?
Let’s just say that the ladies kick ass.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #AnAnalemmaIsNotARodent, #summer101, #ThingsILike, NASA, nature, science, summer, Thoughts on June 21, 2019| Leave a Comment »
That’s right, today is the summer solstice. At 15:54 Universal Time (that’s 11:54 a.m. in my neck of the woods), summer officially starts in the northern hemisphere! For more on the analemma, or figure-eight described by the sun as it arcs across the sky (think the calendar Tom Hanks etched on a rock in Castaway, or check out this composite photo from NASA). And NatGeo has a nice, detailed piece on the solstice here: What is the summer solstice? The answer might surprise you.
What is summer? So many things, not least light, glorious light to do as you will. Or, you know, mess up bedtime;)
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.— Bed in Summer, Robert Louis Stevenson
Have a wonderful summer day!
Posted in Likes, Science!, tagged #ThingsILike, Annie Jump Cannon, astronomy, awesome, eclipse2017, NASA, nature, pinhole cameras, Rejected Princesses, science, Thoughts on August 21, 2017| Leave a Comment »
In honor of today’s eclipse, I’d like to spotlight this piece on Annie Jump Cannon from the funny and informative site Rejected Princesses. Their tag line?
“Women too Awesome, Awful, or Offbeat for Kids’ Movies.”
Hee hee! If you’re interested in quick, clever portraits of some of the most interesting women in history, Rejected Princesses is the site for you.
(Related aside: I’m also pretty sure that popular movies are selling our kids short.)
Why Annie Jump Cannon? Because she fell in love with the stars at a time when most women were only expected to fall in love with homemaking, and then she went and did something about it.
Born the same year President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, she attended college at a time when few women did, and then worked at the Harvard Observatory as a “computer.” (If you’ve seen Hidden Figures, you know what “computer” meant lo those many years ago. If you haven’t seen Hidden Figures, I highly recommend you do, stat!) She excelled at Harvard, classifying stars by the hundreds of thousands and building a spectrographic star classification system still in use today.
Ms. Cannon has been called The Queen of Modern Astronomy, but also brought a useful perspective to more terrestrial concerns. And while earthly challenges must continue to occupy our thoughts and energies, one quote in particular seems appropriate for our current times:
“In these days of great trouble and unrest, it is good to have something outside our own planet, something fine and distant and comforting to troubled minds. Let people look to the stars for comfort.”
If you don’t already have eclipse plans but you’re interested in a once-in-a-century astronomical event, NASA has a great site. They’ll help you enjoy the eclipse with everything from maps, safety, activities, DIY pinhole viewers, what to do if you don’t have a viewer but still want to see the event, and more.
Like most people I’ll be outside the path of totality, but we’ll still get 65% coverage. Well worth putting together a pinhole viewer… Oh look, here’s one I just happen to have, hacked together from a shoe box, legal paper, the sticky bits of reusable adhesive you find on the back of various packages, and a phone for easy photo taking:) I’ll cut the lid off to better control the distance between pinhole and paper, then hope for clear skies!
Eclipse: Who? What? Where? When? and How? is a good place to start, or check out the Eclipse Kit for all most of your eclipse party needs (beverage of choice not included:)
Have fun!
Posted in Likes, Science!, tagged #ThingsILike, awesome, creativity, inspiration, NASA, persistence, science, travel on March 23, 2017| Leave a Comment »
If the world feels a bit weighty this morning, grab a cup of something hot, sit back and enjoy Mars.
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