SCIENTIFIC EVENT -- CATCHING MY BREATH -- 2024

The moon eclipsing the sun last week was another refreshing respite for me, considering the continuing betrayal of our nation’s values by the emperor-like actions of our leader. 

This eclipse was also an event demonstrating the validity of scientific explanations of what was happening in our universe that no one denied -- unlike climate warming being denied despite the weather changes being experienced around our earth.    

Though Southern California experienced only a 60% eclipse I finally decided a week before the actual event that I wanted to view it after all since the sun would be easily visible from my own yard.    Contacting my local library for a free pair of safe viewing glasses, I learned they had dispensed them all two weeks earlier.  Internet web sites revealed the reputable safe brands were all sold out.   Los Angeles area TV news reported a couple stores had a few glasses left selling for ten dollars.  Family in another state learning my plight surprised me by sending glasses so I didn’t have to pursue some alternative viewing options.  

 

That morning our sky was overcast but finally cleared shortly before the eclipse time was to begin.   I sat down outdoors in my lawn chair, affixed my glasses, gazed directly at the sun as a portion slowly began to disappear from view ….. not from the side as I had anticipated, but from the sun’s curved top.    I confess to catching my breath ….. feeling a spark of emotional wonder on seeing the moon make its beginning intrusion over the sun’s edge.

After a few minutes I decided to retrieve a cup of coffee from indoors.  Once I stepped inside I was struck by how long my vision was taking adjusting to indoor darkness from the outdoor lighting.    Giving me pause, this caused me to alter my plan of sitting outside steadily gazing at the sun, preferring brief glances only periodically for the next however long – hour or so.  That was a wise choice I’ve subsequently learned.

So, I alternately viewed the live event outdoors with indoor viewing of television set network coverage, and NASA’S streaming video from the Internet on my laptop as the eclipse action sequentially moved across our continent.  The most dramatic totality view I observed was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with the Grand Tetons backdrop.  This isn't that particular view but a short time lapse one in the area.

During the event Instant Messages were exchanged with friends here nearer the Pacific Coast, family in the Midwest who also saw only a partial eclipse, plus another who had traveled from her east coast home to visit friends in South Carolina where they experienced the awe-inspiring full eclipse with accompanying darkness.

I will always be enchanted by the wonders of nature and the universe.  Next time, if I’m still around in 2024, I might just make an effort – with advance planning – to travel where I might see a full eclipse with that total daytime enveloping darkness. 

Such experienced totality this year was just over 2 minutes, but will have 4 ½ minute peaks in 2024. 

April 8, 2024 the path to view a total eclipse in the U.S. extends from Texas to Maine summarized in a CNN article link noting: 

“Cities like Austin, Texas, Dallas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Indianapolis; Toledo, Cleveland and Akron, Ohio; Buffalo and Rochester, New York; Montpelier, Vermont and Montreal will be directly in the path of totality.”

If you’re wondering whether you can safely use your 2017 eclipse glasses in 2024, the short answer is that it’s probably best to get a new pair, according to this article at Live Science.  They offer some excellent references with links providing additional information about safe further use of these glasses, also cautions including that even with the eclipse glasses, looking directly at the sun should never be for more than a few seconds which I had never heard mentioned before.        

“After the 2024 event, the next closest rounds of total solar eclipses over the U.S. will occur on March 30, 2033, Aug. 23, 2044, Aug. 12, 2045 and March 30, 2052”.

Thought I’d best include those future dates in case anyone wanted to view a total eclipse but might be inclined to delay.  I’m not sure how many of those dates, if any, I’ll still be around to experience – but can we ever be sure of anything?  

SPIRIT LIFTING 4th of JULY

Juno is in orbit around Jupiter!

What mysteries about earth's beginnings will we learn?

My spirit is lifted with renewed optimism for the future as I experience feelings of patriotism and pride from Independence Day 2016.    I welcome positive events that stimulate such reactions for me reinforcing that I  live in a great nation and am committed to my country continuing to be so.  These are a couple events prompting such views. 

NASA scientists at Jet Propulsion Lab shared on the internet their ecstatic reactions to the Juno spacecraft's successful precise movement into orbit around Jupiter after a five year journey from Earth.  I viewed NASA's live streaming video of this event July 4th night simultaneously with PBS's program Capitol Fourth orchestral patriotic music playing and spectacular colorful visions of  fireworks filling my television screen.   

One NASA scientist observed  how Italian Astronomer Galileo in 1610 first observed moons moving around Jupiter.  This was just one of his many discoveries but one with profound implications for scientific study. 

This Guardian link features a video of the NASA scientists event mentioned above.

Hope everyone had a special 4th.

SO CAL DRY - HOT AIR - NASA's ET 94 ENDEAVOUR

----El Nino has been pretty much a bust where I live in Southern California.  We've  received very little rain despite the weather expectations.   All we have is the rest of Grey May, then June Gloom to anticipate as the clouds overhead, though sometimes dark, float past to release any moisture in downpours elsewhere -- sometimes threatening flooding and/or mudslides. 

We can be grateful Northern California mountains did build up a snow pack almost normal for the season, but they'll need the same or more each year to come.  At least this year there will be snow to melt providing some portion of our Southern California usual water allocation.  Our city residents continue to convert landscapes to sustainable vegetation -- most of us voluntarily using water with care.  Meanwhile our city's legal efforts to acquire our water rights continue despite the company's unwillingness to sell them back to us.

----The political candidate onslaught has begun.  They've all previously been in Southern California numerous times in recent months and weeks, but now comes the big push.

Early afternoon I noticed two young men carrying clipboards coming through the neighborhood, but they turned away from my door when I directed their attention to my window sticker "No Solicitations - No Knock Registry" sign.  Now I wonder if they were soliciting for business, if they were promoting a candidate or if maybe they were after signatures on another of many circulating petitions.

----Later I tuned in to early afternoon TV news to learn Bill Clinton was expected in about fifteen minutes at a nearby community high school in Pomona as he campaigns for wife Hillary.  

----Heading south from here on one of our freeways into Orange County (known conservative stronghold ala Big John Wayne country) in the next few days Bernie Sanders (he's been in San Diego) will speak in Irvine at an outdoor amphitheater where I've enjoyed listening to the Pacific Symphony Orchestra concerts.

----Another day Donald Trump will be expressing himself in nearby Anaheim, also home to Goofy at Disneyland.

----A week or so ago Madeleine Albright was a speaker at one of our Claremont Colleges - Scripps - where she encountered protests to her appearance by some drowning out her voice.  Her months earlier comments calling for women to vote based on gender caused Scripps women students, especially, to let her know their adverse reaction.  There was some concern after a while that she wasn't being given an opportunity to be heard. 

I expect some individuals, both men and women, may gender vote, but I think most of us are wise enough to also consider additional more significant criteria.  I find it troublesome that there seems to be an increasing intolerance by many for listening to the views of those who differ from their own.

----ET 94 - external fuel tank -- is being united with NASA's Endeavour space shuttle at Los Angeles California Science Center Exposition Park.   Here's the tank arriving in L.A. after a trip through the Panama Canal from New Orleans:



Fuel tanks for all other shuttles launched disintegrated after being jettisoned.  Never launched, this tank is the only one remaining intact in the world.   This orange monster is reported to be fourteen stories high when in vertical position for take-off with the shuttle.  Today in horizontal position the tubular-looking tank was transported through streets where some light poles had to be temporarily taken down, though no trees trimmed as needed for the shuttle for safe passage.  Turning corners was a challenging maneuver, but despite the slow speed the tank arrived safely at the Science Center earlier than expected.



Shuttle Endeavour took a spectacular flight over L.A. in 2012 when it arrived in Los Angeles.  The flight flew over many special areas including east toward where I live, but here's one view over the famed Hollywood sign:

.

A spectator filled trip followed with transportation through the streets where it now rests at the Science Center as can be seen in this Los Angeles time lapse YouTube video:.



Recent years have seen other not just large but humongous objects being propelled through L.A. streets as I wrote about several years ago here in The Giant Megalith. 

Only auto motorcades on the streets are in our future as best we know now in Southern California  -- at least until our June 7th Presidential primary election.   A couple candidates, at least, will return later to raise money.   Then, we'll also see how important our state's voters are considered to be after the July Democratic and Republican national conventions.

Update:
This is a spectacular visual of Endeavour, the Los Angeles surrounding area, pilot audio noting points of interest, occasional radio chatter with control tower.  A special thrill for small plane enthusiasts though this is no small plane.









   

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration came into being during my lifetime.  Now after many decades their mission has significantly changed.   NASA's memory book for 2012 becomes especially meaningful as we begin the new year of 2013.  Future manned space flight is evolving into the commercial realm while the future of scientific space exploration will have NASA focusing on unmanned flights from our shores.

My interest in the possibilities of space exploration began as a young woman with NASA's forerunner, Project Vanguard, which initiated unmanned space flights.  The potential space travel  prospects became much more real and personal to me when a family member became involved in that Project, eventually manning the Quito, Ecuador, S.A. tracking station, one of several strategically placed around the world. 

Subsequent years NASA formed, then developed manned space flight.   The nation's interest increased as did mine.  I was especially attracted by the fact that two prominent astronauts, John Glenn, later Neil Armstrong, were from my then home state of Ohio -- communities nearby my own.  I remember well the tension, anxiety for their safety and the excitement viewing all televised space launches -- then astronauts returning  in capsules to the ocean initially, eventually in shuttles to earth.

There were tragic losses of astronauts lives reminding us of the dangers associated with travel into this new space frontier.   Our astronauts have been daring courageous explorers supported by many vital capable technical scientists whose names with which we have little familiarity.  Unlike our nations early explorers who could venture across our unknown lands relatively independently, space exploration success depends on teams of  highly trained knowledgeable individuals able to work together as a unit  dedicated to a unified goal.   

Many years later in 2012 the final space shuttle, Endeavour, has been retired with much nostalgia and fanfare to Southern California.  We've been privileged to live in exciting times that future generations will learn about as history.   I look forward with great curiosity to the future, as 2013 begins. 

Happy New Year wishes to you !

 

NEIL ARMSTRONG AND THE MOON

Our earth's moon has had romanticized symbolism for much of my life -- intriguing stories, thoughtful poetry, artistic drawings, spectacular photography.  Most memorable to me have been many moon lyric references and popular mood-creating musical melodies that conjure vivid visual pictures in my mind. 

Those similarly affected sometimes spoke in awe of the moon's beauty, or half-seriously talked of whether or not the moon might be made of green cheese.  A popular television show, now considered a classic, featured a character who elicited uproarious audience laughter when he would become angry, frustratingly raising his fist toward his antagonist, and saying "to the moon."

"To the Moon" acquired much more serious connotation when in 1969 the United States Apollo Program launched a spacecraft with three astronauts aboard to land on the moon. 

I vividly recall the excitement building up to that event.....
-- the anxious feelings that the launch be successful
-- wanting the flight to be without flaws
-- and the descent toward the moon be controlled
-- wishing the landing would be smooth and safe
-- desiring the astronaut would be able to disembark from the spacecraft without incident
-- hoping the astronaut's actual steps onto the moon's surface would be solid
-- the excitement of actually seeing the event live on my television screen

-- Eagle Commander Astronaut Neil Armstrong standing, walking, running on the moon

-- saying those thrilling spine-tingling memorable words:

                 "...one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!"



"Neil Armstrong presents a Google moon video together with original footage taken from the Eagle module during his landing 20 July 1969. Captured from a webcast from the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Hearing on NASA Human Spaceflight 22 Sep 2011."   10 mins.  Courtesy of YouTube.




Neil Armstrong, an Ohioan, highly respected throughout the world, died Saturday 8/25/12 at age 82 due to sudden unexpected complications following heart bypass surgery.     

RIP