Friday, July 27, 2012

Astronomy Fact or Fiction?



Why does the sky look blue?
Everyone knows about time, right? Scientists have to add extra minutes to the day to make the sun appear in the same position at high noon from earth’s perspective. But, did you know why the sky is blue?  No it’s not reflection of our oceans or water in the air. It has to do with the spectrum of light. Here are the details:

Solar System drift?
Most folks know that our galaxy is moving rapidly through space. Few of us consider the independent motion of our solar system which travels at its own rate and in its own slightly different direction relative to the other stars in the galaxy. (OK so it's a long link)

Did you know light travels slower through water than in the vacuum of space by 25%? To read about this and more, check out Bob Berman’s Strange Universe in the current September 2012 Issue of Astronomy Magazine. He sheds light on interesting facts you thought you knew, but didn't.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Animal Friends



The saddles and bridles got cleaned today. That keeps hard working horses comfortable. Now they're in their beds. The fish hide behind their rocks to sleep; and the piglet munches happily on her late night snack.

Animals have heart, a heart attached to their stomach. Can you blame them? They live in their corals, their cages, their tanks day in and day out, never demanding, never questioning, never complaining. But anytime a human walks by, a big horse's head hangs over the shoulder, a little piglet "weet, weets" for attention, and the clowns dance with delight.

Pets are living things dependent on care. They aren't just a diversion, an escape from boredom, or a therapeutic fix. They are a gift of God.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

More on The Pipe


Neither Reema nor Kraft had ever been drilled to evacuate when the alarms sounded. It wasn’t necessary. Telepathic instructions led them underground. They moved quickly and quietly along the triangular tubes to the underground city below the city. Trip stood at the final gate to check citizens. He smirked as they passed.
Reema spotted her mother and ran to greet her. Kraft joined the other cadets near the launch station. The noise of everyone’s thoughts was everywhere. “What entered the city?” “Did an animal survive the UV bombardment outside?” “Something left and came back; that’s all!” “It’s a false alarm.” “Where’s Jamen? I can’t find him.” The jumble of thoughts, some incoherent with fear, gave Kraft a headache. He raised his shield. The chief gathered the boys and made an announcement, “Police has been sent to the spaceport. Anything intelligent will have followed the spaceship that came in before dark.”
“What if the thing isn’t telepathic,” asked Trip, who had rejoined the group after the gates locked down. He glared at Kraft, whose shield was getting stronger.
“We can talk, if we must,” said Kraft in a matter of fact tone, “Science allows it when necessary, you know.”
  Reema rejoined the group. Overhearing the discussion she said, “I can talk too, if we need to.” She looked around at the other others. Many of them had already lost their ability to voice speak. They were jealous of her. They didn’t need to be. If she had her way, she’d open a special school to help them regain their animal voices.
The cadet master, who had learned long ago that the young people’s minds were more sensitive to telepathy, continued his instructions. “All cadets to the ship’s bay; we will mind group, in case whatever came in has no telepathic ability.”
Reema didn’t need to mind group. As they came closer to the spaceport, she could feel life. It was the same feeling she had when she and Kraft flew above the road on the way into the city.” She was confused, not because of the vagueness of the touch, but because the mind-lock was elusive. It shifted. Could there be more than one intelligence?
“Kraft,” she sent the call, guarding her mind against Trip. “Can you feel it?”
“Feel what,” he asked? He dared not look her way, seeing that Trip was already nosing in.
Like electronic mail, Reema shared her feeling. Krafts tendrils captured it and he instantly protected his thoughts. “There’s two,” he said, moving closer to her. “I don’t know why I didn’t feel this earlier. We’ve got to make first contact. You know adults! Just look at Trip, He’s almost of age.”
Trip ambled over. “Why’s your shield up,” he asked Kraft.
“Not feeling good,” Kraft answered. “Too much noise.”
Trip’s chin went up, “Ah, ha. Alright baby. You’re excused.”
Reema put her arm in Kraft’s and said, “”I’ll help him back to the apartment. You don’t need me anyway.”
“Course not,” answered Trip looking down his nose at the overweight girl.
 Reema sensed his disdain but ignored it. “I know another way into the bay,” she whispered to Kraft using language to keep Trip from breaking through Kraft’s thoughts.
Kraft hadn’t mastered total shielding yet. He was two years younger than Reema, and it would take another year for his abilities to reach full capacity. He followed her to sealed panel in the floor of the narrow triangular hall adjacent to the bay. It was a safety exit. No one took interest in their departure, and Reema touched the panel. It darkened a moment. “You first” she said, leaving her hand on the panel long enough to allow a fall through.
Kraft took the lead, and both children slipped through, landing squarely in front of Jiro and Sanaa. 

Friday, July 20, 2012

Annual Picnic and Star Party

If you wonder where the blog . . . the event at Moorpark College was the big draw that precluded the writing venue. Telescopes and how to use them was the topic, until someone mentioned binoculars, which are fabulous for seeing many of the deep sky fuzzies mentioned by VCAS president Hal Jandorf. As the sky darkened and parking lot lights went off, everyone headed to the observatory pad peppered with telescopes. Wouldn't it be . . . our cloud bait brought murky skies. The seeing was just sufficient for veteran Ventura County astronomers to aim and capture dim nebulae like the Lagoon and the Ring (the hard way) to the music of fancy (easy way) computerized scopes buzzing their way to their destinations.
Was it worth standing in the dark over our eyepieces for more than two hours? Lets put it this way: when you didn't notice it was already past ten thirty, it must have been good. At least from this amateur's perspective, it gave us the chance to re-discover how to match star maps with forgotten distant lights in the night sky. The summer Milky Way is full of them.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Our Lady of Mount Carmel



Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We parents dedicated all of our children to Mary, the Mother of God under this title. They were given brown scapulars to wear by our local parish priests. One of the children, Melanie, was dedicated on the July 16 feast day.

Mount Carmel is located in the Holy Land, and it is said that in the 1200’s hermits gathered there to engage in contemplative prayer. A new contemplative order was founded under the patronage of Mary. By the mid-thirteenth century an Englishman named Simon Stock was visited by Our Lady in Cambridge, England and given the brown scapular as a promise of salvation to anyone who dies wearing it. The scapular is draped over the shoulders and can be tucked under ordinary clothing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scapular

Stories of the efficacy of the scapular abound. This story from freebrownscapular.com relates one instance of grace given:
The Brown Scapular | A True Story
You will understand why the Devil works against those who promote the brown scapular when
you hear the true story of Venerable Francis Yepes. One day his Scapular fell off. As he
replaced it, the Devil howled, “Take off that habit which snatches so many souls from us! All
those clothed in it die piously and escape us!” Then and there Francis made the Devil admit
that there are three things which the demons are most afraid of: the Holy Name of Jesus; the
Holy Name of Mary and the Holy Scapular of Carmel.

Anatomically, the word scapular comes from the Latin medical term scapula, meaning shoulder blades. In religious circles, scapulars refer to the apron like cloth that is draped over the shoulder blades. The Order of St. Benedict used scapulars as part of their religious habit as early as the seventh century. The use of scapulars became part of the monastic tradition early on and included scapulars for the lay people attached to the order through confraternities. Members of third orders, canonical lay orders, were allowed to be buried in their full length scapulars. 

Among the many monastic orders using scapulars are Carmelites, Servites, Benedictines, Passionists, and Dominicans. The colors of scapulars match the color of each order’s full habit. The Benedictines wear black, the Dominicans wear white, and the Carmelites wear brown. The Carmelite scapular not only promises salvation, it also promises a speedy release from purgatory.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Purgatory

Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been related with Purgatory from centuries ago. In some cases, she is shown accompanied with angels and souls wearing Brown Scapulars, who plead for her mediation. In 1613, the Church forbade images of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel descending into purgatory to be made, due to errors being preached about certain priviliges ascoiated with the Brown Scapular ("the Sabbatine Privilege").[16]
That privilege appears in mentioned Decree of the Holy Office (1613), and later was inserted in its entirety (except for the words forbidding the painting of the pictures) into the list of the indulgences and privileges of the Confraternity of the Scapular of Mount Carmel.[17] Today, the Carmelites, while encouraging a belief in Mary's general aid and prayerful assistance for their souls beyond death, especilly her aid to those who devoutly wear the Brown Scapular, and commending devotion to Mary especially on Saturdays which are dedicated to her, do not focus on the Sabbatine Privilege.

Friday, July 13, 2012

The Pipe, continued


Sanae’s fingers dug into Giro’s arm. She was scared. The two hardly noticed that they had broken through the transparent dome of the city. The perimeter’s gossamer touch was like running into a cobweb. The change in lighting eased Sanae's fright, though. The city glowed a bright silvery sheen, but she worried because it was deserted. There were no cars. There were no people, and the spaceship had disappeared. Yet, there was a barely audible hum that she could feel, as if the city were alive. “I wonder where the people are,” she said?
“Maybe there isn’t anybody. Maybe the inhabitants left this place long ago,” said Giro.
“What about the spaceship we saw earlier,” asked Sanae?
“It might run on automatic, like our space probes to Pluto,” said Jiro.
“Let’s hunt for it,” said Sanae, “There has to be a space port here, and the ship could help us get home.”  She looked up at the darkening sky above the city. The constellations were unfamiliar. Thy sky didn't at all look like the earth’s. It had turned dark so quickly she checked her watch again, but only minutes had passed, as if time stood still in this place.
Giro wasn’t paying attention. He gazed at the buildings with their triangular windows and sleek curves and angles. One building in the distance caught his interest and he started to walk toward it. Sanae followed wondering why the brightness of the city didn’t prevent a clear view of the now inky sky dotted with stars.
“Look,” Giro pointed excitedly. “There’s Venus.”
Sanae looked down the street and saw a bright star just above the buildings. “I wish I had my binocular. Then I’d know for sure,” she said. She pulled on Giro's shirt and said, “Let’s find our way back.” She disliked the silence.
“We have to find the space port,” said Giro. “If the space ship was manned, we’ll find whoever built it.”
The two speeded their steps, jogging down what looked like a main avenue. A blue light flashed in the distance, and when they got closer, they saw it was mounted above the entrance to a space walkway. The area was bathed in its blue light. A stair led to other lights geometrically arranged around a sealed door.
“This might be the spaceport,” said Giro.
“How will we open the door,” asked Sanae seeing it was seamless? The hum she’d felt earlier got louder and she turned her head to see from where the sound came. Behind her a space vehicle approached. Giro ducked as rapidly as she did. In the same instant, the door slid opened to receive the ship. Giro and Sanae raced in behind it.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

From the Divine Office



It has been written: Cling to the saints, for those who cling to them will be sanctified. There is a passage in scripture as well which states: With the innocent you will be innocent, and with the chosen you will be chosen also: likewise with the perverse you will deal perversely. Devote yourselves, then, to the innocent and the just; they are God's chosen ones.
                                                   *               *                *

On the Lord's day, when you have been gathered together, break bread and celebrate the Eucharist. But first confess your sins so that your offering may be pure. . .your sacrifice must not be defiled. In this regard the Lord has said: In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice. I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is great among the nations.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

The Color Purple


It has been mentioned before that stars have colors. Interestingly, one person’s perception of a star's color may differ from another's. Both physiological and psychological makeup determines this. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/rodcone.html

*Psychological color perception can result from suggestion. As you look through a telescope at a star, the scopes owner may say, “Look at that blue star on the right.” You will be predisposed to seeing blue.
*Atmospheric conditions can be another reason for seeing stars in varying hues. Pollution will mute or obliterate the true color of the star.
*Using different telescopes and at different magnifications will alter a star’s brightness and color.
*When stars are part of a system of stars such as double stars, the color of one companion can, by contrast, heighten the apparent color of the other.

Physiological color sense depends on cones in the eye, centrally placed in the retina. However the eye’s ability to adjust to the dark takes time. http://www.aoa.org/x5352.xml
Other factors such as the pupil’s contractibility, spectral sensitivity, and photochromatic intervals affect night color vision, not to mention the retina’s central blind spot.

So where does the color purple come in. Several impressive star systems have purple stars. Of course, some observers see these stars as blue stars, or colors ranging from blue to purple.  

Here are my visual favorites:
 File:NewAlbireo.jpg
This colorful double star, Albireo, 385 light years from Earth, is one of the most beautiful in northern skies. (It is also the official star of the University of California—because its blue and gold hues closely resemble Cal Berkeley's school colors.) Some double stars are line-of-sight coincidences but many, like Alberio, are true siblings that formed together and continue to orbit around their common center of gravity. This photo was taken digitally through an 18-inch telescope, projecting the image through the telescope's eyepiece to increase the apparent separation of the stars. (by Timothy Ferris)

Eta Cassiopeia holds greater interest than a telescopic view. It’s the stuff of Trekkie movies.
The Eta Cassiopeia star system is heavily studied by NASA, because Cassiopeia A is so similar to the sun, it could possibly be orbited by terrestrial planets like earth. 

A similar double star with an orange main star and a purple companion is Epsilon Bootes.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epsilon_Bo%C3%B6tis

All the images of these three stars systems can be viewed in the link located directly below the title of this blog entry.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The Pipe, continued


 (this belongs to Friday entries)           

            Did you feel that,” thought Reema? She hit the lever that slowed the spaceship. Her mind reached out to the void below but she only sensed emptiness outside the craft.
            “Life can’t exist outside the city,” Kraft answered her thoughts.
“I’m sure there was something.” Not wanting Kraft to question her unproven guesses, she shielded her thoughts from him.
Kraft reached for the ship's controls and turned it slowly. He flew the ship low along the road in the direction from which they had come straining his mind to pick up any life form. Reema's closed mind didn't bother him. He respected her privacy. When nothing from below touched the fine tendrils between his black curls, he informed Reema, “I’m turning back to the city. We’re due in.”
The ship slipped through the city's invisible protective barrier and docked in their shimmering silver world. Trip, an older unfriendly cadet, met them with a snicker. “So how was your flight?”
“Boring, as always. Nothing out there,” Kraft didn’t shield his thoughts from Trip, who had seniority. He just stared out at the city streets through the viewing triangles while Trip groped his mind. The city seemed busy today.
“I felt something,” a few strands of Reema’s hair vibrated. Because her violet hair was long and flowing, the telepathic tendrils weren’t noticeable.  She stood next to Kraft her hands stuffed in the pockets of her silver jumpsuit.
Trip instantly shifted his thoughts to Reema, and she could feel him trying to penetrate her shield. “Whatever it was is coming to the city,” she informed without lowering her shield. She didn’t trust Trip. He was too nosey, so she went on, “If it’s intelligent, we’ll be able to see its thoughts.”
Defeated, Trip shrugged his bulky shoulders. Kraft had obviously not sensed what Reema did; and Reema wasn’t allowing him access to her thoughts. “Lunch is getting cold. Your parents expect you,” his thoughts echoed as he left the docking station.
“What do you think it was,” asked Kraft when they were alone.
“I’m not sure, maybe a life form,” answered Reema, switching to normal language now that Trip had left. Trip always insisted on total telepathic immersion. She didn’t agree. She thought that using telepathy only would become empty, like the world outside the city. Her parents often warned her that if she didn’t use her voice, she would lose the ability of regular speech. “You might need it someday,” they would say, as if her parents believed in extra terrestrials.
Kraft ran his hand through his curls, He thought out, “If the alarms go off, we’ll know whether you saw something important.”  The skin of the invisible dome would send out a telepathic alarm if its perimeter was breached. According to the history, it had happened once long ago, but nobody believed it. “It’s a legend,” they’d say.
A searing high pitched sound pierced Kraft’s thoughts. He grabbed his head trying to stop the pain. Reema put her hands to her ears, but it was useless because the sound was telepathic. The two looked at each other and knew . . . “A breach!”