Comments on: The Prodigal Sun

By: Buzz Parsec

Buzz Parsec — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 07:38:00 +0000

At one point during Thursday’s spacewalk, the astronauts were discussing the aurora below them. Fugelsang, who is from Stockholm, said he had never seen one before (I think due to light pollution, but it was hard to hear everything they said.) Then one of them (Curbeam, I think) mentioned seeing a meteor below him. I think they were discussing the Geminid shower, but I’m not sure if he saw it as he spoke, or earlier in the EVA or on a previous EVA. I think the sun rose at that point and they went back to work…

By: Gary Ansorge

Gary Ansorge — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 03:37:43 +0000

Dang, I keep forgetting I have a Digital camera now. My daughter sent me the same type my son uses on his scuba dives. It’s a Canon SD600, 6 MegaPixel camera. I guess I need a tripod and to learn to use the time delay. Maybe if I succeed in getting some cool night sky pics they can be posted somewhere? Something else I need to learn about,,,

Gary 7

By: PsyberDave

PsyberDave — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:34:57 +0000

Here’s a picture of last Thursday’s aurora as seen in Iowa (thanks to NASA’s picture of the day).

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061218.html

By: JMG3Y

JMG3Y — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 00:14:44 +0000

Another excellent real time source of sun information, intended primarily for radio use, is Propagation. The site continually aggregates information from several sources and updates the extensive page text and graphs.

By: Erekose

Erekose — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 19:37:57 +0000

Does anyone know if any pictures were taken in the southern hemisphere? I went out to look myself, but it was overcast in eastern Australia. Oh well, one day I’ll get to see one.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 06:29:36 +0000

“Hiccup”? Ooops, I told my boyt hat the sun had farted. He is at the age where a coronal mass ejection is better explained as a sun-fart.

By: antaresrichard

antaresrichard — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 01:26:45 +0000

Squiddies and octopi have a lot of hanging and dangling things… Could chads be among them? I think I’ll go out an’ get squiffy!

By: Kaptain K

Kaptain K — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 00:17:30 +0000

FWIW, BABBlog has gained one vote. Was 229 behind, now 228. GO BA!

By: gopher65

gopher65 — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 00:11:35 +0000

I ask again: will phil have to appear in front of those 800 people naked? Can we have a public poll on this question:)?

*votes yes*

By: Melusine

Melusine — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 00:02:07 +0000

One of those photographers in the Spaceweather gallery is Mike Hollingshead whose tornado images have travelled across the Web. He posted a page of the auroras in Nebraska – one down the page is especially notable as he captured a Geminid meteor streak above the colorful aurora. Very pretty. You can see his aurora images here. (Plus he has great tornado and lightning pics, too.)

As far as the web log contest…well, as a voter I’m willing to concede that Pharyngula came out #1. But the silver lining is that a blog with the tagline, “Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal” won. As an atheist, I especially appreciate PZ Myers’s ruminations on all things biological and then some (as well as the quality of most of his commenters). I haven’t figured out how he posts so prolifically, reads so much, and manages to be a professor, father, etc. as well. I think he really might be an octopus.

But, The Naked Astronomer is still our hero. (-8~

(Oh, and at least Little Green Footballs didn’t win after all.)

By: SpikeNut

SpikeNut — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 23:59:28 +0000

Nuts! Proof positive that it really was our sky brightness that was keeping us from seeing the aurorae. Those are neat pictures!

By: dustbubble

dustbubble — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 23:57:40 +0000

i’m sorry, i was going to vote for you, but when when you showed us dr.evil’s cute transgenic kittens i couldn’t resist. Me Want!
Now i’m in thrall to the molluscmeister. aaaaiieee!

By: Sticks

Sticks — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 23:03:19 +0000

BA Whistling in the dark again

Squiddy beat us

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 22:18:45 +0000

If the winner ever posts conservative-flavoured editorials, you should sue for a recount, pronto.

By: Dean Baird

Dean Baird — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 21:14:28 +0000

Oops! Sorry about that run-on link! My bad!

By: Dean Baird

Dean Baird — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 21:13:30 +0000

Well, you can pencil your concession speech now. If you don't need it, you can do what Danny Partridge once did to an unneeded speech: erase it (so you can use the paper another day). Or was that Keith?

By: Grand Lunar

Grand Lunar — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 20:58:16 +0000

Cool to see them aurorae. Too bad I couldn’t see any of them, or the Geminids.

As for the voting thing Phil, I say hope for the best, but expect the worst.