tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post1366190550135303367..comments2024-02-06T10:31:24.491-07:00Comments on Watching the World Wake Up: What You Should Do TonightWatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-46234388245602850762009-10-02T22:06:06.934-06:002009-10-02T22:06:06.934-06:00What a great post. Sorry I missed it for so long....What a great post. Sorry I missed it for so long.<br /><br />Thanks for helping me with my "Is it Jupiter or Venus?" planet identification problem. I don't think I will ever confuse them again. Venus is always nearer the Sun.<br /><br />Other cool moon facts:<br />It is the perfect size and distance away to allow for a Solar eclipse occasionally, which, in turn are important in proving the theory of relativity by allowing the first viewing of "gravitational lensing"<br />http://www.firstscience.com/home/articles/big-theories/eclipse-that-changed-the-universe-einstein-s-theory-of-relativity-page-1-1_1214.html<br /><br />It apparently stabilizes the tilt of our planet due to its large size, leading to stable seasonal variations in light, and may have been critical to the evolution of life. (some debate this)<br /><br />I have also heard that without a large, massive Jupiter sucking up astronomic debris and such, life on earth would have been regularly wiped out in the course of it history, but apparently this is also debatable.<br /><br />Interesting article on the: "rare earth"<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Earth_hypothesisEnelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00967981896718833776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-77041787948193810602009-09-27T20:58:11.876-06:002009-09-27T20:58:11.876-06:00Watcher, thanks for taking the time to check out m...Watcher, thanks for taking the time to check out my blog. <br /><br />On the other subject, nobody needs a kid as an excuse to be seen anywhere. That's just conformist nonsense. I'm your age, Kevin; I have no kids and no plans to have any, and as far as I'm concerned, I'm the kid, and there's nothing strange about showing up at any concert if that's what you want to do. In fact, it's cool to see people who don't let age or public perception of age get in the way of doing what makes them happy.Laurel Kornfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02387883186244337619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-3989560917698145072009-09-27T20:42:54.869-06:002009-09-27T20:42:54.869-06:00mtb w- Angular momentum is hard to explain in a co...mtb w- Angular momentum is hard to explain in a comment. (I remember a good part of high school physics was spent on it…) But I’ll try this: Momentum in a closed system is always conserved. In a straight line- like balls on a pool table or bumper cars- this is intuitive. But angular momentum is also conserved, the classic example being a spinning figure skater who pulls in their arms, making them spin faster.<br /><br />When a skater slows their spin by extending their arms, they’re transferring angular momentum from their torso to their arms. The Earth, as I explained in the post, is slowing its spin, and its angular momentum is being transferred- and total angular momentum of the system thereby conserved- to the moon. Think of it like a skater’s arm extending. (Only the moon <i>also</i> spins, unlike a skaters arm/hand, so as it slows, it <i>also</i> extends the orbital distance to conserve angular momentum.) I don’t know if that helps or just makes it more confusing. Lame example, but best I could come up with at an intuitive level…Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-81021470436637993452009-09-26T09:59:18.872-06:002009-09-26T09:59:18.872-06:00Unfortunately, we've had too many clouds to se...Unfortunately, we've had too many clouds to see Jupiter but I tried anyway, thanks to your post. Tonight should be clearer, though.<br /><br />Anyways, I just couldn't get my simple mind to understand angular momentum. It seems like the moon would be pulled into a closer orbit by gravitational pull (by a much larger body with a greater gravitional pull), rather than further out, until an equilibrium is reached.<br /><br />mtb wAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-15504989548023815922009-09-25T09:55:41.809-06:002009-09-25T09:55:41.809-06:00Bob- Thanks for the film recommendation. I’ve neve...Bob- Thanks for the film recommendation. I’ve never seen it have added it to my list (and yes I was able to figure out U2’s lyrics- even without help from Phil.)<br /><br />KristenT- Thank you! Finally, 30 years after junior high, someone has explained STH to me. You made my week. I wish I had a “prize” or something to give you… Actually, that gives me an idea… hmm…Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-55009550314478423162009-09-24T18:59:46.191-06:002009-09-24T18:59:46.191-06:00thanks for the nod to northern ireland
i'm a c...thanks for the nod to northern ireland<br />i'm a child of the troubles myself, being born there in '68<br />the most poignant troubles inspired song for me being U2's "sunday bloody sunday" - please tell me you are at least aware of that<br /><br />if you want an easy immersion in to the troubles the film "bloody sunday" fits the bill<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(TV_film)<br /><br />so off to find jupiterbobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-44684468812344827232009-09-24T16:48:51.687-06:002009-09-24T16:48:51.687-06:00Watcher, here ya go on the Stairway thing:
Per Ji...Watcher, here ya go on the Stairway thing:<br /><br />Per Jimmy Page: "My hand was writing out the words, 'There's a lady is sure [sic], all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven'. I just sat there and looked at them and almost leapt out of my seat." Plant's own explanation of the lyrics was that it "was some cynical aside about a woman getting everything she wanted all the time without giving back any thought or consideration. The first line begins with that cynical sweep of the hand ... and it softened up after that."<br /><br />I don't have the correct equipment for stargazing at my house, so will miss out on Jupiter's moons. As a consolation, though, I get to see Venus shining high in the sky every morning until the sun peeks over the edge of the horizon. I love watching Venus fade out into the brightening light of sunrise.<br /><br />Great info on tidal-locking, I did not know how that all worked!! :)KristenThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01187723351100391708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-16084185265362184412009-09-24T16:08:02.325-06:002009-09-24T16:08:02.325-06:00We'll have to set up at the park next door to ...We'll have to set up at the park next door to accommodate numbers like that, but we want to be outside anyway, right? RSVP via the email on my blog or Rachel's so we can get a count. We still have some peaches and of course lots of chocolate.Ski Bike Junkiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12295969126174565599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-11482742156350091382009-09-24T14:38:12.066-06:002009-09-24T14:38:12.066-06:00Kevin- What a wonderful idea. I’ll have to start ...Kevin- What a wonderful idea. I’ll have to start steering my kids’ musical tastes to provide me with future “event-cover”! No, unfortunately I won’t be at the Rancid show tonight- I can’t figure out what their songs are about... :^) Actually tonight is a <a href="http://watchingtheworldwakeup.blogspot.com/2008/11/how-night-riding-is-like-hotel-sex.html" rel="nofollow">night-riding</a> night.<br /><br />Laurel- I checked out <a href="http://laurele.livejournal.com/" rel="nofollow">your blog</a>- good luck in your quest!<br /><br />SBJ-It’s the latter: The moon is tidally locked to the Earth. The phases we see are just the portion of the moon’s surface where it’s currently daytime. The moon’s day is 1 month long, and there’s no “dark” side, just a side we don’t see (and a classic PF album.)<br /><br />Your house should be an excellent Jupiter-viewing spot. In tomorrow’s post I’m including detailed directions to your house and telling people to show up around 8PM. Yesterday 378 people read this blog, so tell <a href="http://kitchenaddiction.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Rachel</a> we should be good with about 50 or so <a href="http://kitchenaddiction.blogspot.com/2009/08/pie-night.html" rel="nofollow">pies</a>.Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-81685329657404442712009-09-24T12:10:59.588-06:002009-09-24T12:10:59.588-06:00So first of all, I'm pretty sure "Dark Si...So first of all, I'm pretty sure "Dark Side of the Moon" is not in fact about the dark side of the moon at all. But I have no idea what it's about. <br /><br />That being said, I'm a little confused about this tidal locking thing. I was always under the impression the moon only ever showed one side to the sun, being, therefore, though heretofore I never knew the term, tidally locked with the sun. As a result, there was a light and dark side of the moon, and the relative portions of each are what determined the phases of the moon as observed here on earth. <br /><br />Is this the case, or is the moon tidally locked to earth, and we always see the same side, which has varying amounts of light on it depending on it's position relative to the sun? <br /><br />BTW, loved that you showed my house on the diagram.Ski Bike Junkiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12295969126174565599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-86653899500889945062009-09-24T10:59:31.451-06:002009-09-24T10:59:31.451-06:00Kudos to you for still considering Pluto, Haumea, ...Kudos to you for still considering Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, Eris, and Sedna as planets. Ceres is a planet too since it orbits the Sun and is spherical due to being in hydrostatic equilibrium.<br /><br />I wouldn't even give the IAU position the legitimacy of being called "official," as its planet definition was adopted by only four percent of its membership and was rejected by hundreds of professional astronomers in a formal petition led by New Horizons PI Dr. Alan Stern.Laurel Kornfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02387883186244337619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-18633900020916329112009-09-24T09:18:55.224-06:002009-09-24T09:18:55.224-06:00Jupiter is one of two planets I can identify (no p...Jupiter is one of two planets I can identify (no points for guessing the other) and it's usually the first 'start' we spot at night, since the sun is washing Venus out right now. So my 6-year-old daughter is now in the habit of chanting 'Jupiter light, Jupiter bright, first Jupiter I see tonight...' which cracks me up every time.<br /><br />Tonight, though, is booked - Rancid show at In The Venue and I get to take my 13-year-old. It's fantastic having a teenage kid as an excuse - at least I'm not the weird 40-year-old guy at the back of the show, I'm just some dad.<br /><br />See you there?Kevin Vigorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03367849895489512489noreply@blogger.com