Science – Page 3 – Random Connections

Comet Pawn Stars

March 14, 2013 Tom No Comments

This evening David Moffett of the Furman University Physics Department was hosting a viewing of Comet Pan-STARRS on campus. Laura and I decided to head up and see if we could spot it. Of course, I came overloaded with cameras, telescopes, and binoculars. I wasn’t going to miss out on a photographic opportunity. When we … Read More “Comet Pawn Stars” »

Amazing Water Experiment

March 13, 2013 Tom No Comments

Science

A friend on Facebook shared this with me this afternoon… [Raises his hand and puts on his best Sheldon Cooper impression and says, “Pick me! Pick me! I know the answer!”, then launches into an overly long, round-about explanation of the video…] When I was a young teacher I visited Discovery Place in Charlotte. They … Read More “Amazing Water Experiment” »

A Night on Bald Mountain

December 15, 2012January 21, 2020 Tom 2 Comments

Miscellaneous, Photography, Science

For my birthday this year I decided to take a vacation day from work. Most people would take this as an opportunity to sleep in. I’ve always been of the mind that if I have a day off, I really don’t want to waste any of it, and usually would like to get an early start.

This year I got an earlier start than usual. This night is the peak of the Geminid meteor shower. My plan was to head up to Bald Rock in the South Carolina foothills and watch the meteors, then catch the morning sun rising over the Piedmont. I had my bike all set up with everything I could find on Bike Hint. I was hoping to replicate this photo…

…which was taken in January of 2007.

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Curiosity Touches Down

August 6, 2012 Tom No Comments

Science

I’ll just let this speak for itself… Cool. Very Cool. This is one happy science geek.

There’s a little black spot on the sun today…

June 6, 2012 Tom No Comments

Science

Yesterday evening Laura and I headed to to Furman to observe the transit of Venus, as the planet made its way across the surface of the sun. This astronomical event happens every 120 years, and occurs in pairs, separated by 8 years. The last transit was in 2004, and the next one won’t be until 2117.

It didn’t look like the weather was going to cooperate. Heavy clouds obscured the sun, but there were enough breaks to make at least a momentary observation a possibility. So, we made our way down to the central quad area of the Townes Science Center at Furman, where Dr. David Moffat had two telescopes set up, and where others were gathering.

Godspeed, Atlantis

July 9, 2011 Tom No Comments

Science

The space shuttle Atlantis lifted off Friday morning for the last ever space shuttle flight. NASA is ending the 30 year program and all the remaining orbiters are being parceled out to museums. It is a sad, sad day.

We had hoped to actually see this launch. Be coincidence we were going to be in Florida the day of the of the launch, and we thought about leaving early on Thursday evening so that we could at least be in viewing range, even if it was just from a rest area on I-95.

Alas, that was not to be. The weather didn’t look like it was going to cooperate, and there was only a 30% chance that it would go up. Also, I’d had a particularly rough day at work, and was still dealing with work issues when I got home Thursday evening. Between those two, we decided to leave early Friday morning. If it launched, so be it.

Brood 19

May 12, 2011January 28, 2024 Tom No Comments

Local, Science

Our outings lately have sounded like something from a season of the X-File. A couple of weeks ago we went in search of Blue Ghosts, and last night we went in search of Brood XIX of the thirteen-year cicadas.

I had heard these insects last Saturday on my kayaking trip on Lake Greenwood. The noise was amazing and was constant. It sounded more like the phasers from the original Star Trek series.

Hearing me talk about them, and hearing and reading about them on the news, both Laura and her mother wanted to find these things. So, late yesterday afternoon before it got dark we went in search of them.

In Search of Blue Ghosts

April 28, 2011 Tom 8 Comments

Local, Science

Wednesday evening is normally our night to watch Ghost Hunters. This evening, however, we decided to hunt for our own ghosts. Specifically, we were after the elusive Blue Ghost Firefly, Phausis reticulata.

Blue ghost fireflies only glow during mating season, and are only found in isolated areas in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Both the males and females give off a constant bluish glow, unlike the fireflies in our area, which pulse on a regular basis. The males hover about head-height off of the forest floor, while the pale, wingless females glow along the bottom of the forest. The effect is mesmerizing, as these bluish orbs float through the woods.

The fireflies have a very limited range. They are found in undisturbed forested areas, often in the Smokey Mountains and in Dupont State Forest in North Carolina.

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Super Harvest Moon

September 23, 2010 Tom No Comments

Photography, Science

Last night we got to witness a rare astronomical event. We were able to view a “Super” Harvest Moon. This happens when the full moon falls on the same night as the autumnal equinox. The sun sets at just about the same time that the moon rises, and does so in a nearly precise east-west … Read More “Super Harvest Moon” »

Telling Time in Google Earth, Part 2

May 6, 2010 Tom 1 Comment

Geocaching and Maps, Science

Yesterday I presented readers with a problem – Can you tell the approximate time of day an image was created in Google Earth? Using the image above of Cherrydale Shopping Center in Greenville, I pointed out some clues and some strategies for making a guess. Here’s another, sure-fire way of figuring out the problem…