Comments on: Galapagos update

By: Didac

Didac — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:08:02 +0000

A pity you do not visit Chimborazo in mainland Ecuador, because at top of that mountain you are at the farthest point of Earth surface from the planetary mass center. And farthest from the center of Earth means closest to the stars

By: The Ill Tempered Klavier

The Ill Tempered Klavier — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:57:48 +0000

I had similar feelings when I got to visit OZ and Kiwi land a couple of years ago. Once I got to go outside at night and look up, there was Alpha Centauri and the cross and Orion was upside down and the clouds were over there and I could see all the parts of the ship and … and… and with mine own glazzies oh my brothers. I got shivers like I haven’t felt since (CENSORED).

By: ZorkFox

ZorkFox — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:36:35 +0000

Jealousy. I haz it. I had an opportunity to go on that cruise, but couldn’t foot the bill.

By: madge

madge — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:19:07 +0000

@ Thomas Siefert
I was right you guys are obsessed! And NO I didn’t need to “look it up” I am a long term “Twitcher” and NO that isn’t a anything to with pron

By: MDF

MDF — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:58:19 +0000

@Thomas Siefert:

You made me look it up! Good job!

By: Thomas Siefert

Thomas Siefert — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:05:22 +0000

@ madge:
We could have gone overboard with talking about other birds like Parus caeruleus.

By: madge

madge — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:49:28 +0000

C’mon you guys. First it was the astrologer chick in an earthquake and now the mere mention of boobies and you all go to pieces. SHEESH!

By: Don Snow

Don Snow — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:35:17 +0000

Hi, Phil and all…

Glad you’re enjoying your trip.

My one time at sea was from San Diego to the Samoan Sea. I was not an amatuer astronomer, then. But, my interest was the moon. We were sent to recover the Apollo 17. I remember the flying fish, too. I’d go up on the starboard signal bridge, where there was a 50x binocular. I’d look at the moon, trying to picture the astronauts, up there. Never mind, that was my trip. Now, I wish I’d found the Southern Cross.

This is about your trip. I would enjoy all that wildlife, fauna and flora.
Ya’ll be nice to the crew members, now. Grin.

Don

By: BigBob

BigBob — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:34:13 +0000

Now, how can I make enough dosh to get to the Kennedy Space Centre and do a Galapagos cruise and replace my kitchen all in 2009?

Here’s another non-skeptic word – lucky! Cruising around the Galapagos Islands with Wife and Little, under a sky like that! Is there a telescope on board?
You lucky, lucky, lucky man!
Bob (Big)

By: Lars

Lars — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:55:43 +0000

Well, the Big Bang was pretty magical (unexplained, possibly unexplainable, transcending all known natural laws, etc.) so I guess you can call its effects magical, too.

By: Naomi

Naomi — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:12:34 +0000

Thanks heaps, Phil, I’ve just spent the last twenty minutes reading about boobies XD

And ahh, Crux and the Pointers. I can see those every night just by looking up at my window ^_^ Alpha Centauri is probably my favourite star system, and it was the first star(s) I was taught how to identify.

(Incidentally – awesome sky outside right now! The nearly-full moon AND Jupiter almost directly overhead, Centaurus and Crux in the South-ish, and Vega in the North! Which is fun, as I’m currently rereading Contact for the ten millionth time XD)

By: John

John — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:47:43 +0000

Don’t forget that Omega Centauri, the most awesome globular cluster in our skies, is a naked-eye object on a dark night. As is the Coal Sack, a dust cloud just off the “bottom” of the Southern Cross.

By: The Alpha Centaurian

The Alpha Centaurian — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:47:47 +0000

Ahh, you beheld my dear home stars… I would be homesick if I had to gaze upon them every night. The very reason I live in the northern hemisphere… *tear*

By: Larian LeQuella

Larian LeQuella — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:01:27 +0000

I am so jealous of you on so many levels. I have been to Quito and Guayaquil in Ecuador, and enjoyed myself immensely, but it was on business so some activities were curtailed. And to be on a cruise populated by skeptics! Now that blows my mind. Yep, jealous!

By: Bigfoot

Bigfoot — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:48:23 +0000

Wow. Not president for two weeks and you’re off on a tropical island romp oggling boobies!

We expect great things from you Phil, but you might want to tone it down a bit for the first three months …

By: Magnus

Magnus — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:32:49 +0000

Came here for the bad boobie jokes, was not disappointed-

Mmmm, booby!

By: MachineElf

MachineElf — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:54:36 +0000

Phil wrote:

“As a skeptic, I hesitate to use some words when describing such things, but it’s hard to avoid the use of the word “magical”. Of course it isn’t really magical: it’s the natural world at work, with millions of years of time and many of the more vicious red-in-tooth-and-claw aspects invisible to us.”

Chill dude. You are allowed to say the word magic, without fearing a skeptical intervention. At least, I hope so.

By: Salad Is Slaughter - A Gluttonous Curmudgeon and “D” List Blogger » Vacation Idea

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:31:14 +0000

[...] Idea By frank at 12:52 pm I hadn’t thought about it before, but the Bad Astronomer’s description of the Galapagos has me thinking that this might be a cruise I want to take someday. [...]

By: Peter B

Peter B — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:04:30 +0000

Ah, that photo brings back memories of Julia Sweeney talking about blue-footed Booby babies in her “Letting Go og God” monologue at TAM 2…

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:50:09 +0000

My grandfather served his time there during WWII. He built a surfboard and a sailboat. He loved it. I jsut found this out when he is a wee bit too old to relate all the stories with gusto. He just laughs about it now. But man. To be there is sweetness. To be there 60 odd years ago would of been heaven.
Very jealous you got some dark skies. Lucky is not quite the right word but you know what I mean!
And like the others..nice booby…

By: Davidlpf

Davidlpf — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:47:09 +0000

You said you saw a booby, so George W was there.

By: kuhnigget

kuhnigget — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:29:28 +0000

Bloody seabird flavor!

By: Keydetpiper

Keydetpiper — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:15:00 +0000

What flavor of albatross did you see?

By: kirkslashspock

kirkslashspock — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:47:44 +0000

OMG is that a blue-footed boobie? Did you see any blue-footed boobie babies? Hopefully not getting their brains pecked out…

/tips hat to Julia Sweeney

By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum

Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:31:33 +0000

Phil:
I hope you brought your green laser with you so you can point out constellations to TLA!
If you didn’t bring binocs you can go up to the bridge and borrow a pair of theirs.
Have a good time!
Rich