NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day yesterday was this lovely image of the Sun’s analemma over Scotland during the past year. You can read more about it at the link. Also eye-catching is this video, courtesy of Daily Timewaster, showing four-year time-lapse footage of the explosion of star V838 Monocerotis between 2002 and 2006. Watch… Continue reading The Sun as a ribbon in the sky
Tag: Space
Sunday morning music
I’ve been working my trousers to the bone, editing and preparing the second and third volumes of my new “Cochrane’s Company” trilogy for publication in June and July respectively, and formatting the first volume for print publication. It’s an immense amount of work, not only to try to get their elements uniform across all three… Continue reading Sunday morning music
Teaser III
Here’s an excerpt from the third volume of the military science fiction trilogy I’m getting ready to publish. I put up a teaser from the first book a few months ago, followed by a teaser from the second book. Here’s an earlier version of the cover for the first volume, which will be further modified before publication.… Continue reading Teaser III
That’s a big plane . . .
Stratolaunch, the hybrid aircraft made up of two new fuselages and wings, plus six engines from old Boeing 747’s, is conducting taxi tests prior to its first flight later this year. It’s enormous, designed to hang a satellite launch rocket from beneath its center wing, and lift it to 30-40,000 feet before dropping it, to… Continue reading That’s a big plane . . .
Rockets, space and men: Moonbat Central strikes (out) again
Logic, rational thought and reasoning ability are conspicuous by their absence in this screed. Frittering away your life savings on a red sports car is so last century. Instead, today’s man who is grappling with the limitations of his mortality spends $90 million on a rocket to launch a $100,000 electric car, helmed by a… Continue reading Rockets, space and men: Moonbat Central strikes (out) again
Stand by for a “super blue blood moon”
I had no idea that such a combination was possible, but according to the Telegraph, it is. Falling on January 31, it will be the product of three different phenomena, each of which would be exciting enough on their own. Not only will it be a blue moon – the name given to the second… Continue reading Stand by for a “super blue blood moon”
Sixty years ago today, Sputnik amazed the world
On 4th October 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite, dubbed Sputnik 1, into orbit, thus beginning the Satellite Age. (The Space Age proper had begun some decades before, with the experiments of Robert Goddard and Wernher von Braun.) It caused an enormous stir throughout the world – even panic, in some quarters. Here’s… Continue reading Sixty years ago today, Sputnik amazed the world
Jupiter, up close and personal
Here’s a fun video: the sixth flypast of Jupiter by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which it completed last month. I don’t know why someone decided to include a creepy soundtrack with the video; it’s more than compelling enough without it! Oh, well – you can always mute the volume. Watch it in full-screen mode for best… Continue reading Jupiter, up close and personal
The last Apollo flight
Here’s a great video, using restored original footage, of the Apollo 17 flight to the moon – the last flight of the Apollo program. I remember this as it happened . . . the feelings of ‘end of an era’, the memories of the earlier Apollo flights, the wondering what would come next. Watch it… Continue reading The last Apollo flight
The Space Shuttle as you’ve never seen it before
This is a fascinating 45-minute compilation of launch and behind-the-scenes video clips from the 30-odd years of the Space Shuttle program. It’s well worth the time of aviation and space enthusiasts to watch it in full. I’m glad I made it to this country in time for the last decade or so of the Shuttle… Continue reading The Space Shuttle as you’ve never seen it before