Archives for August 2007
The Alpha Aurigid Meteor Shower
Published on 29 Aug 2007 at 12:27 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under meteors, skywatching.
Earlier this month, the Earth passed through a swarm of meteoroids shed by Comet Swift-Tuttle, giving rise to the Perseid Meteor Shower. Comets are a mixture of ice, rock, and dust. As they swing by the Sun, the ices melt (sublimate) and act to cause the comet to shed some of the solid […]
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Some Eclipse Photos
Published on 28 Aug 2007 at 6:05 am.
7 Comments.
Filed under astrophotography, eclipses.
The following sequence of photos were taken this morning using a Pentax K110 digital SLR and a 300mm lens. I cropped them and uploaded them. If you look carefully, you’ll see that the quality isn’t all that great. All of the photos are a bit fuzzy. While some of the blame […]
Cool phone photos
Published on 27 Aug 2007 at 2:28 pm.
6 Comments.
Filed under amusement.
I notice some of the ad Google’s Adsense puts up on my page are for NASA ring tones. Well, that doesn’t really interest me. I sort of like my phone to sound like a phone so that I know that it is ringing and not some other sound (there are sometimes lots of […]
Lunar Eclipse, August 28
Published on 26 Aug 2007 at 1:09 am.
8 Comments.
Filed under astronomy, moon, observing.
The annual email urban legend about Mars has been making its way around the internet again. And, of course, as I said a few weeks ago, it is still wrong. But, there is going to be something interesting going on Monday night, and that is that the Moon is about to be full. […]
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The Four Score Meme
Published on 25 Aug 2007 at 7:58 am.
3 Comments.
Filed under blogging.
Seeking Solace tagged me for this meme, so here’s my response.
Four jobs that I have had in my life:
Professor
Lab Assistant
Librarian
Salesman
Four places that I have lived:
Houston, TX
Dallas, TX
Nashville, TN
Durham, NC
Four favorite foods:
Anything TexMex
Italian
More TexMex
Popsicles
Four places that I’d rather be:
Colorado
In bed
Anywhere with my girlfriend
Anyplace away from the college for a while
Four movies I can watch over […]
Textbook Woes
Published on 24 Aug 2007 at 5:03 pm.
4 Comments.
Filed under college teaching.
About a year ago, I had a rant about textbooks. Now, it is time for another one. But, first let me go on about general irritations on campus this week.
This week has been spent in meetings all week. I turned in grades for the summer term on Friday, one week ago. […]
Alien Eyes
Published on 22 Aug 2007 at 7:23 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under amateur astronomy.
Yesterday I had an eye exam. My eyes require a bit different exam than most people every two to three years. This involves, among other things, extra strong eye drops that dilate my pupils. I can’t drive afterwards, so my girlfriend drove me to the appointment. But, she couldn’t hardly look […]
