2010 The Carnival of Space #135

Happy New Year to all! Have you broken your New Years resolution yet? My resolution for 2010 is to keep breathing and I just couldn't live with my self if I broke it... It is my honor to host the very first Carnival of Space for 2010. If the blogs sent in are any indication of what is to come this year, we are in store for a great time. A carnival is a collection of blogs from all over the internet that you can find in just one site. We have a lot of entries for the carnival and every one of them has something good to offer. Let the carnival begin!

Once in a Blue Moon we get to see a lunar eclipse. Now that statement is true on so many levels and if you take a stroll over to Cumbrian sky you can see why. Stuart Atkinson wants to share a partial lunar eclipse with us on the eve of a New Year from his perch in the United Kingdom. For those of us that are clueless as to what a Blue Moon is exactly, It is the second full moon within a month. December had a full Moon on the 2nd and again on the 31st.

Stuart was not the only one taking a peek at that lunar eclipse. On the other side of the world in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Teoh Hui Chieh was also taking some snapshots of this wonderful event. Wander over to My Dark sky for a look at some great pictures. Please make sure you click the moon for a nice composite shot.

Speaking of moons, we have a fascinating look at the chemical composition of Io. If you are a geologist or just like volcanoes in general there is probably no better place to be than Io. Io is Jupiter's little hot head moon and volcanoes abound there. With the help of the Galileo spacecraft some sense is being made of the data and we now are closer to knowing what it is that Io is made of. Head on over and see Jason Perry at the Gish Bar Times for the details.

So far the moons seem to out number us here at the Carnival this week and to prove it we have Paul Scott Anderson giving us a tease about the Titan Mare Explorer. Wow! Life on Titan. That will be something if we find that. Right this way to Planetaria

I think we need to get away from the moon thing and there is no one better qualified than the always entertaining Phil Plait. His Bad Astronomy blog contemplates the timeless question, which is warmer the Sun or a human. Now I know this seems like an easy question to answer. but there is a truth about scientists and accountants you need to remember and that is If you give a set of numbers to any one of the two they can pretty much make it add up to what ever they want. As Paris Hilton would say: Some people are hotter than others. That's right I somehow got Paris in a science blog. Who would have bet that would happen? Get right over to Bad Astronomy and find out the Real answer.

21st Century Waves waxes about lessons learned from the Panama canal and how they relate to human space travel. Dr. Bruce Cordell has 10 lessons from which to learn from. There are some fine parallels to be gleaned.

Senior Editor Nancy Atkinson of Universe Today has a resolution for 2010; That is to find the wreck of the Mars Polar Lander. If you have conquered Where's Waldo and you think Eye spy is a piece of cake then you might want to take this task on. There are high resolution images for you to scour as well as instructions as to how and what to look for. Lost for 10 years is long enough. Wander on over to Universe Today and get your search on. As for me? I can't even find my car keys when I need them.

I always thought I was into the whole Sunspot thing until I read about the Spacewriter's Dad Now that guy is into the whole solar thing from plotting minimums to maximums and drawing all not some of the sun spots for 11 years straight. I am officially unworthy to carry that man's solar scope. You need to read this story about a remarkable man and his passion for the Sun. This way if you please to the Spacewriter


Time draws near for the end of the shuttle missions with just 5 left and all to be flown this year. What better way to celebrate a successful program of 134 missions than with a patch created by one of NASA's own. From the Desk of Collect Space we can see the 85 entries for this last mission patch. The entries vary from High Tech productions to Crayon and everything in between. Picking the 15 finalists will be a daunting task. Walk on over to Collect Space and take it all in. This is a great piece about a great group of folks.

Over at MSNBC Science editor Alan Boyle has a real basket of goodies for you to peruse. They range from the ballet of Saturn's moons which is mesmerizing to say the least to views of Enceladus and its water ice geysers spewing into space. I have to say the picture of the flying yam Prometheus looks good enough to eat. Swing on over to the MSNBC Cosmic Log and get treated to some great stuff. Are you just on pins and needles waiting to learn Na'vi? Alan has some great advice on how to go about it. Get the full scoop Here

---

WETA / Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. In the film "Avatar," Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) teaches the Na'vi language to Jake
(Sam Worthington), a "dreamwalker" who is mind-linked to a human controller.


Have we found Dark matter? well something is going on in the disused iron mine in Minnesota Brian Wang takes a look at the possible detection of Dark matter and if this is the real deal we have just taken a huge step forward. Go on over to Next Big Future and see what is cooking and if you like that blog piece then take a peak at this one. This is about a thruster that just might be the ticket for trips to Mars. Run over here and check out Next big Future


Last year was a great year for the world of astronomy. The International Year of Astronomy (IYA) was in full swing from day one of 2009. I started my blog in 2009 thanks to IYA and the many good people here in Cincinnati that nudged me in that direction. Well Way Down under Steve Nerlich of the ever popular Cheap Astronomy was starting the podcast game. He is a hoot to listen to. This week's offering is dedicated to his efforts in 2009, IYA and his name dropping abilities! You go Steve! By all means make your way to Cheap Astronomy and listen in!

Last but not least, Steve's Astro-corner serves up the International Year of Astronomy in review. I could not possibly mention every event that went on. That would be a novel sized post. I did try to hit some high points. I hope you got a chance to take a look up in the heavens this past year. I am ready for 2010 to begin and carry the momentum of IYA forward and into the future. Thanks for stopping by. Until next week... Oh by the way thanks Galileo you got us really rolling 400 years ago!

Clear skies and great seeing too!


SteveT

The International Year of Astronomy Success

The year 2009 will go down in history as one of the most successful years for astronomy. This is due to the efforts of International Year of Astronomy (IYA) program. The mission for the IYA was: The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, highlighted by the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei. The aim of IYA is to stimulate worldwide interest, especially among youth, in astronomy and science under the central theme: "The Universe: Yours to Discover". Boy! did they ever...

I do not always throw a bunch of figures at you but this world wide experience warrants it so hang with me for a bit. the most impressive figures for the IYA2009 have come from the national activities that have brought hundreds of thousands of people together in many countries for astronomy-themed events. For example, more than 400 000 people gathered for the Sunrise Event on New Year’s Day in Busan City, South Korea. The 2009 Brazilian Olympiad of Astronomy and Astronautics saw more than 750 000 students participate from 32, 500 schools. In Paraguay, the IYA2009 launch featured a concert with more than 1600 musicians and an audience of over 15 000. In Norway, every student from grades 5-11 will soon receive a free astronomy kit, including a Galileoscope and an educational guide. For the first time in postal service history, and in just six months, more than 70 postal agencies around the world have issued over 140 new stamps inspired by astronomy.

In April, the highly anticipated 100 Hours of Astronomy extravaganza kicked off. This planet-wide celebration involved over 100 countries and thousands of events, with more than two million people taking part in observing events. Widely regarded as an outstanding success, 100 Hours of Astronomy brought people from all seven continents together with the help of a live 24-hour webcast called “Around the World in 80 Telescopes”. This groundbreaking broadcast was watched by over 150 000 individuals. The Hundred hours kicked off the event at My Home Observatory in Cincinnati Ohio. Home to the oldest Continuously used telescope The 12" Merz und Mahler (1842) You need to step up to this scope in your lifetime. I feel very fortunate to be associated with this scope even in a small way. Lord Rosse scope is another that brings goose bumps to me.


160,000 Galileoscopes, Low cost telescopes that actually do a better job than Galileo's telescope were gobbled up by the public. I did a meteor presentation in August and had the honor and privilege to put one of these beauties together for a Scout leader. They wanted to have something to take out in the field and show their scouts the wonders of the night sky. I just had to help this lady out! I was impressed with the scope and for 20 dollars US? Galilean Nights was a complete success in October with with meteor watches to star parties to even Food and Stars party in Australia! Just like the 100 hours of Astronomy, Hundreds of thousands were reached and shown a good time

On the internet side of things,The Cosmic Diary Cornerstone project continues to flourish. Professional scientists are blogging about their lives and work, giving the public an insight into what it is really like to be a researcher. Since its launch on 1 January 2009, the Cosmic Diary has recruited over 60 professional astronomers from 28 countries. There have been well over 1000 blog posts, attracting more than 100 000 visitors. In fact I started my Blog site dedicated to the IYA. I have enjoyed every minute of the experience.

IYA was right up my alley because I speak to thousands of people every year about astronomy through presentations at the Fernald Nature Preserve (pictured), to schools, to Star parties, to you name it. I look forward to another great year in astronomy. My resolution this year is to increase the visibility of astronomy and the sciences. We have so many things happening in astronomy. New discoveries of exoplanets on nearly a daily basis, Seeing to the center of our galaxy, I could go on for a week on new discoveries logged this year. My question for you is: What are you going to do to share the beauty of the night skies with your kids or fellow Man? Your mission is to get out and do something! until then...

Clear skies and great seeing too!

Steve T

Does the Jolly Old Elf Navigate By the Stars?

It is the Christmas season and time to ponder the important things of life, like Peace on Earth and good will toward Man and probably the most important of all on this night... Does Santa use a GPS or is he Old school and uses the stars to navigate by? I have come to the conclusion that St.Nick still navigates by the stars and here is why I think that ...

Number 1 on my list is battery life. Santa has just about 4 hours or so to get it all done using a GPS. That man has got to be loaded to the Gills with Magic if he can deliver all the toys all over the world in less than 4 hours. The sleigh has no battery So I am guessing it is all about the battery located inside the GPS. With those facts laid out, the GPS is looking a little thin.

The stars have been around for many billions of years. Man has navigated by them during the Day (our Sun) and at night using the North star (Polaris) or Crux (Southern Cross) way on down south. Man would then know his position on Earth and get out his trusty map and compass and the world was his. This is a tried and true method and I believe It is still used today by Father Christmas.

Gentleman his is something for the defense of our honor when lost. When my wife says :Honey just stop and ask for directions... I always say Hey Santa never asks for directions. With That I take my leave on this glorious eve. I thank you all for having a look at my Blog from time to time. I hope I have put some information in your head, provoked a thought or two and put laughter in your heart. Merry Christmas to all and a Joyous New Year full of discovery!

Clear skies and great seeing too!

Steve T

Does the Jolly Old Elf Navigate By the Stars?

It is Christmas eve and it is a time to ponder the important things in life, like Peace on Earth and good will toward Manand probably the most important of all on this night... Does Santa use a GPS or is he Old school and uses the stars to navigate by? I have come to the conclusion that St.Nick navigates by the stars and here is why I think that ...

Number 1 on my list is battery life. Santa has just about 4 hours or so to get it all done using a GPS. That man has got to be loaded to the Gills with Magic if he can deliver all the toys all over the world in less than 4 hours. the slegh has no battery So I am guessing it is all about the internal battery