Back at Ground Control

Display of the Rocketdyne Operations Support Center at California Science Center

Although I said a little while back that I would only be posting "Image of the Day" types of posts, the desire to share a bit more than a pretty picture occasionally gets the better of me. Since I have some time today, here are a few photos from my trip to the California Science Center to view the space shuttle, Endeavour.

It was an impressive exhibit. The various artifacts from the shuttle missions, diverse elements ranging from the "Space Potty" to the Space Shuttle Main Engines, presented a very engaging display of information. Merging the very human concerns of food and digestion with the highly technical elements of space flight, the exhibition was well grounded and very accessible.

The space shuttle Endeavour

But I was surprised by how wonderful it was to see the actual craft. It's a bit embarrassing to confess, but I got slightly choked up on seeing the Endeavour, feeling a bit of something similar to religious awe. Walking around and under, measuring by stride its length and width, viewing the tiles and surface texture, personally experiencing one of humankind's most remarkable constructs was shockingly vivid.

I'm curious to return again, perhaps sometime after the crowds of Summer. I wonder if this numinous sense of something "transcendent" will persist.

Vanishing Points

Corridor through the storage units

Another day, another post. ;-)

I don't have much to talk about today, being distracted by various matters, both good and bad. However, I do have a few photos to share, images that illustrate my fascination with perspective and distance, specifically within architectural forms. I just love those lines converging in the distance.

I think that my photographic skills are improving, especially in having cultivated a mindset that keeps me alert to interesting subjects, the ability to mentally compose a picture from the chaotic forms that surround me. This is a long learning process, but I'm feeling good about my progress. When starting this blog, taking photos was just part of "content creation" and, to my way of thinking, a mere complement to the writing.

Although my prose is definitely stronger than my images, photography has grown into more than a side effort, meant to showcase my words. It is no longer a necessary chore, but an exciting pastime.

A blue dumpster at the end of the parking alley.

On a slow day like this, when my mind is too tired to engage in critical thought or witty reviews, it is nice having a reservoir of photographs to prop up my daily production while maintaining the distinct feel of this blog.

It is said that a picture is worth a hundred words. So, these images really inflate my word count. ;-P

Space Age Nostalgia

The Jetsons first aired on September 23, 1962.

A couple things have turned my mind to the Space Age over the past few days.

First, today marks 50 years since The Jetsons premiered. Although the original run was just one season, I must have seen each episode multiple times as reruns. I never really loved the show, but it did capture my imagination with its bright mid-century futurism. Yeah, it was a cartoon, but the science fiction tropes of the setting authentically reflected optimistic views of future technology, such as the robotic maid and flying cars.

Well, with fifty years yet to go before we get to the Jetsons' time, we might have robotic servants, but I'm doubting that there will be floating cities and flying cars anytime soon. ;-)

Space Shuttle Endeavour flies over northern Redondo Beach

The second thing that brings up Space Age nostalgia took place last Friday. As the Endeavour flew around the Southland, it seemed to be a bittersweet celebration. The dreams of manned space flight feel so distant, from a different era. Of course, I have no fond memories of the Cold War and living under Mutually Assured Destruction, but the space program seemed like the bright and inspiring silver lining to the long nuclear standoff.

Finally, when Endeavour flew into view, I was so excited to wave goodbye to this old icon. Certainly, I enjoy looking at the images from our robot explorers on Mars or floating through space, but I really hope that a manned space program isn't too far away in the future.

Oh well, there's always our imagination in which to explore new worlds and fantastic situations. ;-)

Judy Jetson, dreaming of a bright future.

Let's listen to some music.

Lovejoy Lives!!!

The comet Lovejoy faced likely destruction when it entered the Sun's atmosphere (Image: NASA)


Over at Space.com, there's an interesting article about the comet Lovejoy's trip into the Sun's atmosphere. It traveled within 87,000 miles of the solar surface and withstood temperatures of up to 2 million degrees Fahrenheit!!!!!

It was a near certainty that the comet would be destroyed, but NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory filmed it escaping from the fiery inferno, zipping off into space. Lovejoy has definitely earned the title of "Sungrazer." ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Beyond the Crystal Spheres

Uranus Rings (1987) by David A. Hardy

In 1738, Sir William Herschel was born. His career in science was prestigious, including the discoveries of Uranus and infrared radiation, the coining of the word "asteroid", and the improvement of telescope technology. And he composed symphonic music as well!!!

Although I rarely cover "science" topics, I couldn't let Herschel's genius go uncelebrated. Too often, we spend our time celebrating "popular" figures, overlooking those individuals who may have been less glamorous but, nevertheless, contributed significant ideas or inventions to humanity. That's not to say that "media darlings" or celebrities are not important, but, instead, that a discerning society ought to give equal or greater interest and respect to those who labor in obscurity, as is appropriate to their contributions to society.

Our current Age of Information was founded upon the genius of prior scientists and thinkers. Herschel was one of these great men.

William Herschel's 40 ft. telescope, 1789

So, let's give thanks to Herschel and those innovative thinkers, famous or obscure, who have made our world a better place.

Songs of the Celestial Beings

The Planets orbit the Sun.


I know we've been celebrating a lot of music related birthdays recently, but I've got yet another one for you. Gustav Holst was born on this date in 1874. His most famous composition is the orchestral suite, The Planets.

This work has served as a source of inspiration for many 20th century orchestral composers, most notably John Williams and his score for the Star Wars movies. Although it was written without a direct programmatic element, the inherent sense of drama that the music conveys seems to tell a story, like a tone poem. This has made it a paradigm to which modern soundtrack composers turn when arranging an orchestral score.

Holst felt a great deal of ambivalence towards The Planets. He was of the impression that it overshadowed all of his other works. That's a valid complaint. However, I'd say it dominates his compositions because it is it is by far and away his strongest piece of music. Heck, it's one of the most powerful works of the standard Classical repertoire.

Mars (Photo by NASA, J. Bell, M. Wolff)

My favorite part of the work is Mars: the Bringer of War. It's a wonderfully dramatic and strong piece that captures the "warrior" vibe.

Triumph of Strife

Pluto, formerly the ninth planet of our solar system, was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.

It's been five years since the International Astronomical Union established the current planetary definition. These rules knocked Pluto from its planetary status and into the new category of dwarf planet. This was an extended debate that actually began in 1801 when Ceres was discovered and became the first asteroid. However, it was the discovery of the Eris, named after the Greek goddess of Strife, that set off the finalization of the great planet debate.

The end result was the controversial demotion of Pluto. So now the Solar System has eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) and five dwarf planets (Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris).



Artist's concept of the Pluto System (Credit: NASA, ESA and G. Bacon)


Of course, astronomers are still scanning the heavens. These numbers and definitions are best considered works in progress. ;-)

Enjoy!!!