While I’m excited that Facebook has taken an interest in astronomy today, I’m also a bit irked by its announcement about seeing Mars with the naked eye. First, Facebook doesn’t explain why it made this announcement. Mars is at opposition tonight; it will be at its closest to Earth. Second, when Mars is in the … Continue reading Facebook Notices and Tonight’s Mars Opposition
Tag: Mars
There’s a Carbon Leaf song that’s an especial favorite of mine — “Blue Ridge Laughing” from Ether-Electrified Porch Music has this magnificent line: “Space brings back boyish wonder.” I cite it from time to time, especially on clear nights when you can see clear into infinity, such as here or especially here: The sky tonight … Continue reading Space Brings Back Boyish Wonder
Some random links that caught my fancy today. Islamic clerics in the United Arab Emirites have issued a fatwa against humans traveling to Mars. The reason? They consider it a suicide mission, and the Qu’ran prohibits suicide, therefore anyone who travels to Mars is committing suicide. A cellist wants HBO to rerecord the Game of … Continue reading Link Roundup
There’s a link that’s making the rounds on my Facebook and Twitter timelines — io9 has an article about a message recorded by Carl Sagan to future Mars explorers. I shared the link on my Facebook wall. This is the comment I appended to it: Carl Sagan did a lot when I was very small … Continue reading On Carl Sagan’s Message to Martian Explorers
On Saturday, I built the Tripod Invader, one of the sets from the new LEGO Alien Conquest theme which is based loosely on H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds and alien invasion B-movies of the 1950s. When I wrote about the set yesterday, I mentioned that I was thinking of modifying the Tripod Invader … Continue reading On Contemplating the Martian War Machine
So I’ve watched last night’s Doctor Who, “The Waters of Mars.” It’s slickly made. The effects work was especially nice. Graeme Harper acquitted himself well behind the camera. I loved the mention of the Ice Warriors. I thought it was incredibly boring. The plot is rather linear. The Doctor arrives at Bowie Base One on … Continue reading On “The Waters of Mars”
My friend Todd has recently been on a Christmas Carol watch-a-thon. He wanted suggestions, and last night I said, “Surely you’re watching Blackadder’s Christmas Carol; I watch it every year on Christmas Day.” It hadn’t occurred to him, to watch, not the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge, but the corruption of Ebenezer Blackadder. Hopefully, it’s in … Continue reading On Christmas Traditions
Astronomers have rated an asteroid as having a 1 in 75 chance of striking Mars on January 30, 2008. The asteroid, known as 2007 WD5, was discovered in late November and is similar in size to the Tunguska object that hit remote central Siberia in 1908, unleashing energy equivalent to a 15-megaton nuclear bomb that … Continue reading On Angering the Red Planet
Last night, wrapping presents, I watched that classic film — Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. For those unfamiliar with the film, it’s the story of Kimar, leader of the Martians, and his plan to kidnap Santa Claus and bring him to Mars in order to make the Martian children happy, but along the way two … Continue reading On Christmas Viewing
Mars may have liquid water after all. Striking images taken by NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft suggest the presence of liquid water on the Martian surface, a tantalizing find for scientists wondering if the Red Planet might harbor life. The orbiting U.S. spacecraft enabled scientists to detect changes in the walls of two craters in … Continue reading On Martian Water
I came across this remarkable astronomical photograph today–a conjunction of Earth and Jupiter as seen from Mars. Jupiter, as seen from Mars, presents a disc, and quite a large one–no mere point of light, Jupiter, no. Earth, on the other hand, shows phases, much as the Moon, Venus, and Mercury show phases when seen from … Continue reading On Seeing Things From Mars
Two noteworthy events around the Solar System these past few days. First, Voyager 1 has passed into interstellar space. I remember as a child watching television and seeing the Voyager photos of Jupiter and Saturn. News bulletins interrupting afternoon programming. That was a great time to be alive, to be young, to have dreams. And … Continue reading On the Solar System