Keyword: sun

NASA's images of the sun show so much more detail & texture -- and they can see those not only because they have million dollar equipment and put it into space. These details also are visible to mere mortals -- once you focus onto very narrow bands of light with appropriate filters & technique.

Of all the astronomical phenomena, a TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE surely has to be the scariest of all to ancient people. What horrible powers must be at work when they can take away our sunlight. Of course today's explanation of standing in the moon's shadow is far less threatening (and not as imaginative as a dragon swalling the sun), solar eclipses still remain especially fascinating.

In “The Four Seasons,” Vay-Hah-Ess wrote: Ernest went with his parents and several playmates to the nearest village, on a warm summer day; and they remained there the entire day. All around them they saw green cornfields and meadows, decorated with thousand fold flowers; also pastures in which young lambs were dancing, and wanton foals were skipping about.—They ate cherries and other summer fruit, and enjoyed themselves right well during the whole day. “Is it not true,” asked his father, on…

The long winter [seemingly endless autumn in much of Europe] of 2013-14 has yielded to spring. As if to shatter any lingering doubts about the seasonal regime change that has now taken place, the booming cannon of a thunderstorm reverberated across the now colorful landscape earlier today. Spring comes bearing two powerful messages. Through its remarkable transition, sometimes in the face of fierce Arctic counterattacks from retreating winter, it speaks eloquently of renewal and resilience.…

[UPDATE 2013/12/20] Predicting the position of the Sun & Moon isn't all that difficult with a bevy of apps & websites to help you. Predicting satellite positions, incl ISS, is more specialized. Several tools of the SOFTWARE TOOLCHEST come in handy and I will have to add some new ones for this task. Once you know WHEN & WHERE it will happen, the next task is to figure out HOW. Especially when you aim to shoot a transit in front of the Sun, extra precaution is needed.

As a matter of fact the optimist is quite optimistic. Nearly always he sees the good part of things. A thunderstorm e.g. is fantastic and interesting rather than irritating or frightening. Getting wet to the core because of bad timing of a bycicle tour (through the rain), makes him laugh rather than shouting curses to the wheathergod. The solution of friends problems is just a matter of different approach and really difficult ones just need some talk to friends, a handful of good will and time t…