Kelly Whitt's Blog
Posted by Kelly Whitt
It has been a while since I'd been classifying galaxies at the Galaxy Zoo. I got an e-mail from them today, thanking me for participating and telling me that they were putting up a Thank You page that would include the names of those who have helped. But you had to go to the web site and sign your name up to be sure it would be displayed.
So, because I apparently have an ego of someone who enjoys seeing her name in print and because I really do enjoy being a part of the classifying process, I headed back to the site to sign my name in and identify some galaxies while I was there.
It only took about three galaxies before I was once again sucked back into the addiction. It's nearly impossible to stop because you never know what that next picture will hold. Will it be a blue swirling spiral galaxy or a conglomeration of ellipticals or something entirely new? It's also impossible not to be awed after classifying galaxy after galaxy after galaxy with the incredible expanse of our universe.
And now, as a thank you to YOU for reading my blogs this year, I'd like to share with you my newest favorite image from the galaxy zoo. Happy Holidays!
Posted by Kelly Whitt
Everyone knows the first words spoken by Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969, when he stepped foot onto the moon. After saying, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind," he said, "Good luck, Mr. Gorsky," or so the story goes.
The name Gorsky sounds Russian, and some believed he was sending a message to a Soviet cosmonaut. Alas, there was no cosmonaut by the name of Gorsky.
Eventually the "truth" came out that when Neil Armstrong was a kid, he was playing in his yard and his ball went over the fence into his neighbor's yard. As he crept over the fence and neared his ball for retrieval, he heard an angry woman's voice inside the house. Mrs. Gorsky was yelling, "Sex?! You want sex?! You'll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"
It's a funny story, but unfortunately it is not true. Neil Armstrong uttered no such words as "Good luck, Mr. Gorsky" while on the moon.
The second thing Neil Armstrong said on the moon was, in fact, this: "Yes, the surface is fine and powdery. I can kick it up loosely with my toe. It does adhere in fine layers, like powdered charcoal, to the sole and sides of my boots. I only go in a small fraction of an inch, maybe an eighth of an inch, but I can see the footprints of my boots and the treads in the fine, sandy particles."
Not as humorous, but interesting nonetheless.
Posted by Kelly Whitt
My friend who has a long commute every day told me how he loves to read bumper stickers simply because it gives him something to do. He says that after he reads the bumper sticker he likes to guess what the person driving is going to look like. Read the following bumper stickers I found online and see if you can picture them on your car or if another drive could picture you driving a car with that bumper sticker on it!
- Honk if you think sound travels in a vacuum
- I'd rather be reading Carl Sagan
- UFO Chase Vehicle
- The pointed-oval fish shape turned into a spaceship with the name Spock or Kirk inside it.
- In the Beginning there was nothing. It then exploded.
- If this is blue, you're going too fast
- Astronomers do it in the dark
- Black Holes Suck
- Black Holes Are Out of Sight
- A Day without Fusion is like a Day without Sunshine
- Free Trip Around the Sun
Posted by Kelly Whitt
The first thing to think of if you are buying for an astronomy enthusiast is are they an amateur observer or armchair astronomer? In the first category, they have a telescope or otherwise spend time outdoors looking at the heavens. In the second category they enjoy reading magazines and books about astronomy and watching the Science Channel and other shows. Some people will fit both categories.
For an observer, a book or calendar that has the upcoming observing highlights is a must. Also cnosider what will make them more comfortable while they are outdoors: perhaps a warm pair of gloves or a comfortable, portable seat. Accessories are another good category: colored filters, a solar filter, or something of this nature, assuming you know what kind of telescope they use.
For armchair astronomers, you can renew their magazine subscription or find new and bestselling astronomy books at Amazon.com. Try browsing the astronomy section and look for what would spark the interest of your recipient, whether it be space travel, historical stories, or the future of the universe.
If your astronomy lover has a sense of humor, there is always the tried-and-true option of a humorous t-shirt or bumper sticker. Who wouldn't want a bumper sticker with a goofy-looking alien on it that says, "Trust me, Pluto might be small but it's a lot better than Uranus!"
Posted by Kelly Whitt
I just got in from looking for Comet Holmes. I could still see the faint lighter patch of sky compared to the background in a telescope, binoculars, and with the naked eye, but the view is dismal in each.
Comet Holmes has expanded and so the source of light has spread out so much as to make it nearly impossible to see once again. It has been just barely over a month since the comet burst into life. The last time it had an outburst it had a second outburst a few months later ... maybe we can hope that happens again. For more on Comet Holmes, read the discovery article.
My son wanted to come out and look through the telescope with me tonight. I never turn him down if he asks. Unfortunately clouds constantly crossing the eyepiece and the house blocking a good portion of the sky made our view limited. After a pathetic view of Holmes (I could detect it, he could not) I flung the telescope on the only other target that was free - the Pleiades. Yes, the Pleiades are best viewed with something smaller than a telescope, but we had an airplane coincidentally line up with the cluster, giving us a bonus view. But the cold soon chased us in.
