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Tuesday 27 December 2011
Monday 26 December 2011
Wednesday 14 December 2011
Astroblog: The Sky This Week - Thursday December 15 to Thursday December 22
Have a look at this very interesting blog.
Astroblog: The Sky This Week - Thursday December 15 to Thursday December 22:
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Astroblog: The Sky This Week - Thursday December 15 to Thursday December 22:
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Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The Sky This Week - Thursday December 15 to Thursday December 22
The Last Quarter Moon is Sunday December 18. Venus is easily visible in the western evening sky. Jupiter dominates the evening sky to the north once Venus has set. Mars is visible in the morning sky and is close to the star Regulus. Saturn is now visible in the morning sky near the star Spica. On the 17th and 18th the Waning Moon is near Mars and on the 20th it is near Saturn. Geminid Meteor Shower on the morning of the 15th.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am local daylight saving time on Tuesday December 20 showing Mars near Regulus and Saturn near Spica and the waning Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The Last Quarter Moon is Sunday December 18.
Mars is in the north-eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Leo. On the 17th and 18th the waning Moon is close to Mars.
Saturn is above the north- eastern horizon, not far from the bright star Spica. On the 20th the Moon forms an attractive triangle with Spica and Saturn.
Mercury appears low in the morning twilight. You will need a flt, clear eastern horizon to see it.
Evening sky on Saturday December 17 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus in Sagittarius. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)
Bright white Venus is readily visible in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for somewhat over an hour. Venus leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricornius by the end of the week, but does not pass any bright stars.
Jupiter was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on Saturday the 29th of October. However, Jupiter will be a great binocular and telescope object for many weeks to come. Jupiter is visible for most of the night, setting in the early morning.
Evening sky on Saturday December 17 looking north as seen from Adelaide at 10:00 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Jupiter. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. INSET: Jupiter and its Moons as seen at this time, Europa infront of Jupiter from around 22:00 ACDST (click to embiggen)
In the evening Jupiter is readily visible in the north-eastern sky, from about twilight.
Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars. For good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 9 pm - 1 am.
There are some good Jupiter Moon events, as on the evening of December 17. .
Although Jupiter is the most prominent now, there are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
The radiant of the Geminid meteor shower above the northern horizon as seen from Adelaide on the morning of December 15 at 3:00 pm ACDST, similar views will be seen from other sites at equivalent local times.
The Geminid Meteor shower is at its peak from the point of view of Australian's on the mornings of Wednesday 14 December (13 December UT) and Thursday 15 December. The best time to observe is between 1 and 4 am (daylight saving time, 12-3 am non-daylight saving time), with the highest rates between 2-3 am daylight saving time.
The Moon will unfortunately be just above the Geminid radiant, so only low meteor rates will be seen. In Australia we should see roughly a meteor every 6 minutes.
You can check predictions for you local site with the NASA meteor flux estimator (scroll down to 4 Geminids in the SHOWER box, make sure you have your location and date correct as well)..
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am local daylight saving time on Tuesday December 20 showing Mars near Regulus and Saturn near Spica and the waning Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The Last Quarter Moon is Sunday December 18.
Mars is in the north-eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Leo. On the 17th and 18th the waning Moon is close to Mars.
Saturn is above the north- eastern horizon, not far from the bright star Spica. On the 20th the Moon forms an attractive triangle with Spica and Saturn.
Mercury appears low in the morning twilight. You will need a flt, clear eastern horizon to see it.
Evening sky on Saturday December 17 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus in Sagittarius. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)Bright white Venus is readily visible in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for somewhat over an hour. Venus leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricornius by the end of the week, but does not pass any bright stars.
Jupiter was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on Saturday the 29th of October. However, Jupiter will be a great binocular and telescope object for many weeks to come. Jupiter is visible for most of the night, setting in the early morning.
Evening sky on Saturday December 17 looking north as seen from Adelaide at 10:00 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Jupiter. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. INSET: Jupiter and its Moons as seen at this time, Europa infront of Jupiter from around 22:00 ACDST (click to embiggen)In the evening Jupiter is readily visible in the north-eastern sky, from about twilight.
Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars. For good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 9 pm - 1 am.
There are some good Jupiter Moon events, as on the evening of December 17. .
Although Jupiter is the most prominent now, there are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
The radiant of the Geminid meteor shower above the northern horizon as seen from Adelaide on the morning of December 15 at 3:00 pm ACDST, similar views will be seen from other sites at equivalent local times.The Geminid Meteor shower is at its peak from the point of view of Australian's on the mornings of Wednesday 14 December (13 December UT) and Thursday 15 December. The best time to observe is between 1 and 4 am (daylight saving time, 12-3 am non-daylight saving time), with the highest rates between 2-3 am daylight saving time.
The Moon will unfortunately be just above the Geminid radiant, so only low meteor rates will be seen. In Australia we should see roughly a meteor every 6 minutes.
You can check predictions for you local site with the NASA meteor flux estimator (scroll down to 4 Geminids in the SHOWER box, make sure you have your location and date correct as well)..
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday 6 December 2011
The Show - No Agenda - With Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak
The Show - No Agenda - With Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak:
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Now this is a great show.
You can follow the podcast.
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Now this is a great show.
You can follow the podcast.
No Agenda Show for Sunday December 4th 2011 
Friday 18 November 2011
Elderflower Cordial: A Traditional, Easy Elderflower Cordial Recipe
Elderflower Cordial: A Traditional, Easy Elderflower Cordial Recipe:
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One of the most refreshing drinks for the summer is an Elderflower Cordial. An Elderflower Cordial Recipe is quick and easy to make and a great excuse for a long walk collecting flowers.
The Elderflower season is short, June to the latest, mid-July, if you live in the the north or Scotland. The heavily scented flowers make a wonderful, refreshing Elderflower Cordial which when stored in sterilized bottles will keep for months. If you are out collecting Elderflowers, a word of warning make sure you have permission to pick them and never pick flowers from trees on roadsides, they may be tainted with petrol fumes.
Once a bottle is opened store in the refrigerator.
Note To sterilize the bottles , rinse in the dishwasher, or place in a medium hot oven (300°F/150°C) until the bottles are warmed through but not red-hot.
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Elderflower Cordial - Elderflower Cordial Recipe
By
Photo © istock
One of the most refreshing drinks for the summer is an Elderflower Cordial. An Elderflower Cordial Recipe is quick and easy to make and a great excuse for a long walk collecting flowers.
The Elderflower season is short, June to the latest, mid-July, if you live in the the north or Scotland. The heavily scented flowers make a wonderful, refreshing Elderflower Cordial which when stored in sterilized bottles will keep for months. If you are out collecting Elderflowers, a word of warning make sure you have permission to pick them and never pick flowers from trees on roadsides, they may be tainted with petrol fumes.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Steeping of flowers: 48 hours
Total Time: 48 hours, 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ lbs /1k cane sugar
- 3 pints/1.5 liters boiling water
- 4 medium lemons, washed
- 30 large Elderflower heads, shake to remove any insects
- 2 oz/55g citric acid
Preparation:
- Place the sugar into a large saucepan/stockpot or a large Pyrex bowl. Pour the boiling water over and stir until all the sugar has dissolved and leave to cool.
- Grate the rind of the lemons with a fine grater, add to the sugar water. Slice the lemons into thick slices and add to the water. Add the citric acid and stir, then finally add the flower heads to the water and stir again.
- Cover with a clean cloth and leave to steep for 48 hours.
- Strain through clean fine muslin cloth into a clean bowl.
- Using a funnel, fill sterilized bottles (see note below). Seal and store in a cool, dark place (not the refrigerator).
Once a bottle is opened store in the refrigerator.
Note To sterilize the bottles , rinse in the dishwasher, or place in a medium hot oven (300°F/150°C) until the bottles are warmed through but not red-hot.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Sunday 6 November 2011
Asteroid 2005 YU55 - NASA - Multimedia - Video Gallery
NASA - Multimedia - Video Gallery:
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Asteroid 2005 YU55
Scientists will be tracking an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier as it flies by Earth on Nov. 8, 2011.
Friday 4 November 2011
Sunday 30 October 2011
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Monday 24 October 2011
Shonky products
Choice names year's most Shonky products - ABC Melbourne - Australian Broadcasting Corporation:
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Choice names year's most Shonky products
Consumer watchdog Choice has named and shamed the worst offenders in goods and services in its annual Shonky awards.
Eight lemons were acknowledged as the worst in retail for 2011, including the Go 4 Green electricity saving device that does not work, a bejewelled babies dummy found to be a choking hazard, and the Chery J1 car with roof racks that are only for show.
Weight-loss products also featured highly. SensaSlim got a lemon for its so-called slimming tongue spray, while Peachy Pink Shapewear was also highlighted as a shonk over claims its underwear - infused in green tea, peach and caffeine - helped fight cellulite.
A smartphone app that has helped children rack up bills of hundreds of dollars is another standout among the winners.
A group Shonky also went to the Australian insurance industry for leaving tens of thousands of people high and dry after this year's disaster season.
The awards are presented by Choice to products and services it deems dodgy, deceitful or dangerous.
Choice campaigns director Christopher Zinn says his favourite among the eight products singled out this year is the Smurf Village smartphone app game.
"This is a free app that you can download, but it has what's called in-app purchases," he said.
"We've had parents whose kids have rung up bills of $800, $900 buying Smurfberries to play the game.
"Now there are warnings there, but you know what, four, five-year-olds don't really know what warnings are. They certainly don't care about mum's or dad's money.
"And one would have to ask why any game aimed at kids, be it Smurfs or otherwise, could require you to spend $110 on a wagonload of Smurfberries, which of course are just digital bits of fluff anyway.
"People are really being caught out by this one. We think it's shonky to abuse the licence of a character like a Smurf to get kids to rob their own parents, if you like."
Insurance revenge
Mr Zinn says there was a broad range of consumer detriment linked to the insurance industry in the wake of natural disasters in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria this year.
"The first one, of course, was that the people thought they were covered for floods but, aha, look on page 23 of the policy and they weren't covered for what they considered a flood but for what the insurance company considered a flood. And sometimes it was completely different," he said.
"The other one was refusal to accept claims. Other ones were English language which was abused and indecipherable. We actually had a Legal Aid [lawyer] in Queensland who was unable to understand the policies despite reading them and re-reading them."
Mr Zinn says a review of disaster insurance, due to be released soon, will hopefully rein in some of the abuses.
"There's also calls for insurance to be included in the unfair contracts legislation," he said.
"We think that's about time. What happened around floods with insurance really has been an appalling process.
"Hopefully the Shonky, in a small way, will be a little bit of a sense of revenge for all of those who felt very unfairly treated by their insurance company."
Mr Zinn says he does not feel bad labelling the whole industry as shonky.
"There were some exceptions. I mean Suncorp did have a generous definition of floods, and the RACV (Royal Automobile Club of Victoria) actually also did make ex-gratia payments in Victoria," he said.
"But I'm afraid the whole insurance industry has been really wanting.
"I'm afraid the whole industry, we don't like giving industry-wide ones, but the whole industry is in need of a massive reality check and this is one small part of it."
Cosmetic roof racks
Mr Zinn says the cosmetic roof racks on the Chery J1 car are hilarious, but also a safety issue.
"Chinese products, they can be very good, they can be very well priced. And there's a Chinese hatchback called the Chery J1, $12,000, it's the cheapest on the market," he said.
"It doesn't rate well in terms of the crash tests, but it actually has some roof racks.
"Very handy for putting a board on to go to the surf or some skis to go to the snow, except if you look at a sticker on the inside of the roof rails, it says 'Caution, do not use roof rails. For cosmetic purposes only'.
"Essentially if you put anything on these roof rails and drove down the road you'd find the contents and the rails scattered behind you.
"So I mean, apart from being hilarious, there is a product safety issue here."
Kindergarten science
Among the eight awards, two were related to weight-loss or body-shaping products.
Mr Zinn says he expects to see more and more of these products receiving shonky awards in the future.
"It's going to get more and more," he said.
"The obesity crisis such as what it is, there are no end of shonks and charlatans and spruikers who will say that they can save you weight.
"One of them is to do with shape wear, which actually is more like a corset in the old-fashioned language.
"Nothing exactly wrong with that except they claim all sorts of scientific reasons why infusions of peaches and green tea and caffeine actually in the fabric helps you lose weight.
"There's about as much science in that as there is in a kindergarten class.
"The other issue here is a product people might have heard called SensaSlim, which is a spray you put on your tongue said to lose weight as you sleep.
"It's been subject to ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) action. They tried to take action against our representatives legally, to shut down the Therapeutic Goods Association who are meant to be the regulators in this area. It's been a whole process of shonkydom.
"And I'm afraid weight loss is something that we're going to have to keep an increasing eye on because everyone' s trying to come up with products.
"You can pay big money to lose big weight, but unfortunately the weight loss doesn't seem to happen."
Shonky ridicule
Mr Zinn says he hopes the annual Shonky awards make a difference.
"We've had manufacturers come afterward and say one, we will stop making claims; others who've come and said 'what do we do to avoid getting a Shonky?'
"We had a meeting with a breakfast cereal company yesterday who are terrified they might be getting one, not on this occasion as it happens.
"But look we think it provides a disincentive for behaviour, be it in financial area or food or marketing, for people to pull a fast one.
"And we'll never know those things that never came to market because of fear of this sort of ridicule.
"I hope with consumers too, it actually gives them a little fun way to think of some of the questions they should ask, or some of the scrutiny they should bring to various claims that are made in terms of some of the products or services that are presented to them."
Friday 21 October 2011
Friday 14 October 2011
SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids:
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last night, Jupiter and the Moon gathered together only a few degrees apart for a bright and beautiful conjunction. Just in case the neighbors weren't paying attention, "Sasenka J." of Trondheim, Norway, offered some guidance:
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last night, Jupiter and the Moon gathered together only a few degrees apart for a bright and beautiful conjunction. Just in case the neighbors weren't paying attention, "Sasenka J." of Trondheim, Norway, offered some guidance:
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Tuesday 11 October 2011
SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids: "HUNTER'S MOON: There's a full Moon tonight and according to folklore it has a special name--the Hunter's Moon. It gets its name from Native American hunters who tracked and killed their prey by autumn moonlight, stockpiling food for the winter ahead. This year's Hunter's Moon is beautifully close to the planet Jupiter. [sky maps: Oct. 11, 12, 13]"
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Sunday 9 October 2011
Thursday 6 October 2011
Draconid Meteor Outburst - NASA Science
Draconid Meteor Outburst - NASA Science:
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Draconid Meteor Outburst
Oct. 4, 2011: On October 8th Earth is going to plow through a stream of dust from Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, and the result could be an outburst of Draconid meteors.
"We're predicting as many as 750 meteors per hour," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "The timing of the shower favors observers in the Middle East, north Africa and parts of Europe."
Every 6.6 years Comet Giacobini-Zinner swings through the inner solar system. With each visit, it lays down a narrow filament of dust, over time forming a network of filaments that Earth encounters every year in early October.
"Most years, we pass through gaps between filaments, maybe just grazing one or two as we go by," says Cooke. "Occasionally, though, we hit one nearly head on--and the fireworks begin."
2011 could be such a year. Forecasters at NASA and elsewhere agree that Earth is heading for three or more filaments on October 8th. Multiple encounters should produce a series of variable outbursts beginning around 1600 Universal Time (noon EDT) with the strongest activity between 1900 and 2100 UT (3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT).
Forecasters aren't sure how strong the display will be, mainly because the comet had a close encounter with Jupiter in the late 1880s. At that time, the giant planet's gravitational pull altered the comet's orbit and introduced some uncertainty into the location of filaments it has shed since then. Competing models place the filaments in slightly different spots; as a result, estimated meteor rates range from dozens to hundreds per hour.
Tuesday 4 October 2011
Saturday 24 September 2011
Monday 19 September 2011
Sunday 18 September 2011
Corkscrew Clouds from the You Yangs - looking toward Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay
Accepted with pleasure today.
A quick 50 km drive to the country and back.
Just 3 and a bit hours for the pleasure of sitting on a small rocky mountain to eat lunch.
My son Will and his partner Jess whisked me up and away from my plans to pack a box or two and to tidy home a bit.
They even provided some rice paper rolls, crackers and dip, yogurt and lemon lime and bitters. Delicious.
The sky even provided a few curly clouds.
I don't see these very often.
The You Yangs are a series of granite ridges that rise to 364m (Flinders Peak) above the Werribee Plain approximately 55km south west of Melbourne and 22km north east of Geelong, in Victoria, Australia. The main ridge runs roughly N-S for about 9 km, with a lower extension running for about 15 km to the west. Much of the southern parts of the ranges are protected by the You Yangs Regional Park.
Although only 364 m at their highest, they dominate the landscape and are clearly identifiable from nearby Geelong, Melbourne and beyond. Camping is not permitted in the You Yangs. The foothills to the north of the peaks are home to Ford Australia's proving ground.[1][2]
The You Yangs are also the home of a Geoglyph constructed by the Australian artist Andrew Rogers in recognition of the indigenous people of the area. It depicts Bunjil, a mythical creature to the local Wautharong Aborigines. The creature has a wing span of 100 metres and 1500 tonnes of rock was used to construct it,[3] and was unveiled in March 2006.[
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