astrobiologistdale

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"Eyeballs", In the Sky

So, what was that, “Human Eyeball Nebula”, thing, all about? I  guess it was, pretty, esoteric, at that, and I probably didn’t explain it very well. It was my way of alerting the viewer of ambiguous celestial forms to the probability, in such, cases, of ‘pareidolia’ – an instinctual ‘pattern recognition’ process, inherent, in all humans.  The typical example of pareidolia is ‘seeing animal…

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The Universe of Cygnus

If you’re familiar with the constellation,”Cygnus” (the ‘swan’; also called the “northern cross”), you’re probably familiar with the star representing the swan’s head, “Alberio”, if you own a telescope. With a telescope – surprise – Alberio turns out to be two stars: one, a reddish-orange, the other, a pale, blue, the two almost touching each other. A ‘double star’. This is a chance alignment of…

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BOOK REVIEW IN BRIEF: "The Universe In Time", by Paolo Maffei

I’ve never, really, considered this approach before…different, but commensurate with other descriptions. It’s by Paolo Maffei, of “Maffei-1” and, “Maffei-2”, galaxy, notoriety. This is the only book of its kind that I’ve ever come across. The ‘Time’ perspective knits, things, together – like, ‘your great, grandmother relaxing, and smiling, while knitting a quilt for you, from her…

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My First Experience With A Computer

This is the very, first, thing I ever typed onto/into a computer. It was a CBM (Commodore Business Machines), PET 2001 Series, in the Optical Lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, back, in 1979. I’ll never forget those words. I had no idea if the computer would even respond. Shakily, I typed in, “HELLO”. Nothing happened. Then, I realized it had an ENTER (RETURN), key and I pressed…

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3-D Stereo Galaxy Imaging

JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE DEEP FIELD IMAGE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE GALAXY IMAGE ASTEROID BOMBARDMENT OF THE EARTH MOON SYSTEM 3-D ‘Freeview’ or, ‘relaxed-focus’ technique, galaxy images.    The galaxy at left was originally imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope, and the image at right was originally done with the James Webb Space Telescope.    Best practice viewing technique (if you are holding…

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Relative Apparent Sizes of Celestial Objects

I was thinking about distance vs, apparent, ‘relative’, sizes (no, not, my aunt Alma – though, she was…), today, of celestial objects that are familiar to many. I (sloppily), put together this graphic to give you some idea. These are not ‘dead-accurate’ sizes; only a rough idea. All, but the Whirlpool, and, Pinwheel, galaxies, and the Crab nebula and Hercules Cluster are visible to the unaided…

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What Do You Do - When the Universe Doesn't Behave the Way You Want It To?

What do you do – when the Universe doesn’t, behave, as you like? We know the speed of light. We know that its speed is finite; that is, it is not instantaneously transmitted from source to receiver (observer).In short, it takes time, to travel from place, to place – that, ‘time’, depending on the distance traveled – just as it is, here on Earth. Our nearest celestial neighbor is the moon.…

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What Do You Do When The Universe Doesn't Work The Way You Like?

We know the speed of light. We know that its speed is finite; that is, it is not instantaneously transmitted from, source, to receiver (observer).In short, it takes time to travel, from, place to place – that, time, depending on the distance traveled – just as it is, here, on Earth. Our nearest celestial neighbor is the moon. Light, coming from the surface of the moon, takes, 1.25 seconds, to…

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What Do You Do When The Universe Doesn't Work The Way You Like?

In all areas of existence we use observation, and reasoning, to move through our daily lives. Why should the nature of observations made by astronomers (which, they call, ‘reporting’), be inherently, any different from the observations of anything, else – by, anyone, else? We know the speed of light. We know that its speed is finite; that is, it is not instantaneously transmitted from, source,…

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Brief, (early), Book Report

I’ve read only a few books in my life on theoretical physics, my first having been when I was nine years old: “Music Of the Spheres”, by Guy Murchie, given to me by a family friend, Harry S. Merson (Falmouth School Superintendent, back in the 1960’s.)  Mr. Merson, used to like to talk with me about ‘existential’ things, whenever we managed to get together. He told me that he had just finished…

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A Tale of the 'Star-chip'

You’ve probably run across some, seemingly, fantastic trivia, that goes something like this: “A teaspoon full of a particular kind of star would weigh several tons!”   Let’s take a 10oz. bag of potato chips. Open the bag and look in at the chips. The chips appear to have a total volume of about 2/3 of the volume of the open bag. The individual chip has a certain size and shape that dictates its…

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Supernova Remnants and the Elements

The origin of the elements. These are telescopic images of nebulous, supernovae remnants. They are the visual counterpart to the description of newly-created elements, created during catastrophic, supernovae events, being distributed through space. CRAB NEBULA Elements, from, hydrogen, through iron, (pre-supernova) – hydrogen, helium, carbon, oxygen, neon, magnesium, and iron, were forged…

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"Magic' - Is Superior To All Else

Oh, there’s something, wrong, here, alright… SOME, ‘GOD’ – WHO KNOWS “Or, that there’s something wrong with the assumption that distant light takes billions of years to reach us.” ‘Grasping-at-straws’, is the ‘database’ of these viewpoints, used, by Creationists, when it comes to the sciences – that’s, a given. Oh, should I NOT have said, that? I don’t see why I shouldnt; after, all, I’m only…

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Electric Guitars, and Physics, Go Together, Like, Chocolate and Peanut Butter

OK – only, indirectly – I admit. But working through problems that I run into with my double-locking string system on my guitar – Physics, creeps, up, frequently! A solution to the EVH® D-Tuna//™ set screw/Allen wrench, loss/search, thorn-in-the-side!   I got tired of dropping my hex wrenches, set screws, etc. – and only, sometimes, finding them again!    Here’s a consolidation of the parts…

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The 2025 Planetary Alignment?

The up-coming, ‘planetary alignment’, that’s the latest, social media, ‘rage’ – isn’t, what you think it is, anyway…(also, see my recent re-posting of an article on “Evolution”)     Here’s, the scoop: Like, so many other terms reserved for use by astronomers (like, “Big Bang”, and even, “theory”), when it leaks out into the general population, we see the expected result: mis-interpretation,…

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LARGE MODEL ROCKET SWING TEST

How to test your model rocket to prepare it for flight. MERCURY CAPSULE WITH REDSTONE BOOSTER This is an extremely important test to perform on any model rocket you design. Determining whether your rocket is ‘flight-stable’, using, the ‘weather-cock’ test, or, swing test. Your rocket should be fully, loaded, that is, with any payloads, and, the rocket engine in place. Find the COG (Center of…

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Exoplanets

Just a few visualizations, fer’, ‘ya…   First, the areas of our Milky Way galaxy that have been surveyed for ‘exoplanet systems’ (think: ‘Solar’ systems). NASA’s EYES ON EXOPLANETS Even though the field of view, shown, here, by the white superimposition onto the galaxy, is, as narrow, as it is- more than 3,000 ‘solar systems’* have been discovered, with more than 5,000 planets in them. We refer…