WMAP - the Google Sky Edition!

Just wooowwwww.

Google Sky is getting better every day. Just brilliant.

Podcast work

Finally... The first (long) episode is out and the second (longish) episode is in the can.
For a total of 45 minutes of podcasts, I spent (apart from recording) more than 6 hours. I need to get more efficient in editing and altering audio files. This time mixing didn't take long, on the other hand, it wasn't particularly good either - there are level and automation problems.
Still... It's out. Yay!

I can't get no... Satisfaction!

Woke up an hour ago. Ate a chocolate chip muffin. Drank a mug of tea. Had a shower. Now drinking a cup of coffee. It's still only 09:30 on a Saturday morning - there's plenty of time but...

I am not satisfied.
I'm not getting any satisfaction from my day so far. It feels... Empty... Pointless...
As if I woke up just for the sake of it, there is no aim, nothing to achieve or aim for.

Oh well, I can spend the rest of the day reading my stack of Amazons and Asimovs...

Google Sky!

Completely out of the blue, Google releases the Sky. I downloaded it immediately, it's available on the Linux version of Google Earth and it's really good. Some pictures are not stitched up that nicely - you can see the background brightness difference where stitched but when you zoom in, you don't realise it. I was looking at Double Cluster, it was just sooo good.. Wow... Good work Google!

Arctic

First the Russians, now the Canadians.

Stay away from tne North Pole you bastards! It's mine! MINE! MIIIIIINEEEEE!!!!

This is madness. The only reason they can actualy bother to claim it is the ice sheet in the polar region melting rapidly. The main reason they want that piece of sea is because there's OIL and GAS in there and every one wants a share of it. And the only reason they can get to those green-house-generating stuff is because the green-house-generating stuff is melting the ice. It's a vicious circle. They should be staying away from those and spend the money on R&D.

Why are politicians so narrow minded and shallow?

Observation Notes 20070811

Good clear night with ocassional wispy cloud. No moon.
Perseids in action. Only saw a couple.

Observation between 11pm-1am BST

Equipment: EOS350D + 300mm + 55mm, 10x50 binoculars

Observation Companion: Very Thick "These are all like earth burning away, right" Brit

In no particular order....
Cassiopea: NGC 654, NGC663, M103, Stock 23, Stock 2

Perseids:
Double cluster (NGC884+NGC869), Mel 20, M44, Algol
Tried NGC1528 and NGC1545 but failed.

Andromeda: M31 (obviously). M31 is not a good binocular target, all you can see is the center (at least all -I- can see) and you never realise it's actually larger than the bloody moon! Damnit - that thing is a monster. I always do the wrong thing and crank up the magnification whereas it requires a low mag thing.

Hercules: M13 (also photographed this), M92

Lyra, Vega, Epsilon, M57, M56.

Cygnus: Albireo, M29, deneb, gamma, Tried M1-92 very hard but failed.

Sagitta: M71, H20. Also photographed this.

Vulpecula: Generic browsing and awesome Coat Hanger cluster (Collinder 399)

Corona Borealis: nothing in particular, beautiful thing.
Bootes: Again, lovely thing, was lost in the glare of the lamp posts.
Delphinus: cute little thing.
Ursa Majoris: Alcor-Mizar

Resolutions: I need to buy a 10" Dobsonian damn it, it's really worth it.
Useful document: Astronomy Atlas of the Stars (I need a better one but this is really worth it's money!)

Closepened

That's what it says on Black Book's door... I want one...

Walk plan?

Saw this on Mur's blog.

Walk and Run Plan
If you are a true beginner, and cannot run for 10 minutes, you should start out with a walk/run plan. Here’s a good one to start with (do each one three times a week):

1. Week 1: Walk for 10 minutes. Jog slowly for 1 minute, and then walk for 1 minute. Repeat these 1/1 intervals for 10 minutes, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.
2. Week 2: Walk for 10 minutes. Jog slowly for 2 minutes, and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat these 2/2 intervals for 10 minutes, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.
3. Week 3: Walk for 10 minutes. Jog slowly for 3 minutes, and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat these 3/2 intervals for 15 minutes, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.
4. Week 4: Walk for 10 minutes. Jog slowly for 5 minutes, and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat these 5/2 intervals for 20 minutes, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.



I want to try this but historically I've never been a runner. Even when I was at high school, I could never run far. I can walk a long time, I tend to have the stamina but not the power....
I am going to give this a go, also waking up early will help my general status.

Steampunk goodie

Hmm... they deleted the video. OK. that's how web 2.0 gets broken. Who cares.