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I don't know many (any?) people that "believe" in the big bang theory. There are a lot of people that sort of accept it as a likely consequence of Einstein's theories, but there are competing theories that are becoming more credible as of late.

(0) Scientific theories aren't meant to be "believed"; they represent our best understanding of the present evidence. That science accepts this limitation on what it claims as knowledge is one of its great strengths.

(1) The Big Bang theory stands on its own, it is not a consequence of relativity (special or general) nor of any of Einstein's other theories.

(2) The expansion of the Universe is extremely well established back to when the universe was 0.002 percent its present age, and its mean temperature was equivalent to the surface of a star.

(3) There are no competing theories that are "more credible" than the Big Bang theory at this time. BB theory has evolved a bit, but all the new stuff fits nicely in the big bang/expanding universe paradigm.

(4) The recent WMAP measurement of the Cosmic Microwave Background matched the predictions of Big Bang theory to an exquisite precision not often seen in Science. It's a slam-dunk. In short, if you and the people you know do not accept the Big Bang theory based on current evidence, then I would guess that you have some (religious?) reason to want to "believe" in something else, or you are simply ignorant of the evidence.

Here is a cool NASA photo that shows the peak.

If you look really close, you can see the shuffleboard court on the aft promenade deck.

Check out Hypertext Help with LaTeX if you need a quick, online reference. Not so great if you actually need to learn LaTeX from scratch, however.

When it is this close to totality, one's thumb (or other opaque object) may be used to block out the solar disk and view the corona. Using a ball on a stick and sighting the Sun behind it will give one multiple seconds of corona viewing. I've used this technique to extend "totality effects" as much as 15 second beyond the official end of the eclipse. I have been told that using a green filter will further enhance the contrast of the corona and allow you to extend the corona viewing even longer.

Also when it is this close to total, you should be able to view the shadow bands. It is best to view then afterwards as the excitement of what the sun/moon are doing will occupy your attention. :-)

One cannot look for the shadow bands and extend the corona viewing time. Given the choice, I'd contentrate on the zone around the solar disk. Unlike long totality eclipses, short totality and near total annular eclipses give one a MUCH better view of photosphere / action near the edge of the solar disk. That alone would suggest skipping the shadow bands this time.

I would try and go as far west as possible so that the sun is as high above the horizon as possible. Of course one would want to be close to the center line ... which becomes critical on short annular events like this one.

Of course, a ''the deep annular-like conditions'' of the Venus transit do not permit one to do this. :-)

When it is this close to totality, one's thumb (or other opaque object) may be used to block out the solar disk and view the corona. Using a ball on a stick and sighting the Sun behind it will give one multiple seconds of corona viewing. I've used this technique to extend "totality effects" as much as 15 second beyond the official end of the eclipse. I have been told that using a green filter will further enhance the contrast of the corona and allow you to extend the corona viewing even longer.

Also when it is this close to total, you should be able to view the shadow bands. It is best to view then afterwards as the excitement of what the sun/moon are doing will occupy your attention. :-)

One cannot look for the shadow bands and extend the corona viewing time. Given the choice, I'd contentrate on the zone around the solar disk. Unlike long totality eclipses, short totality and near total annular eclipses give one a MUCH better view of photosphere / action near the edge of the solar disk. That alone would suggest skipping the shadow bands this time.

I would try and go as far west as possible so that the sun is as high above the horizon as possible. Of course one would want to be close to the center line ... which becomes critical on short annular events like this one.

Of course, a ''the deep annular-like conditions'' of the Venus transit do not permit one to do this. :-)

When it is this close to totality, one's thumb (or other opaque object) may be used to block out the solar disk and view the corona. Using a ball on a stick and sighting the Sun behind it will give one multiple seconds of corona viewing. I've used this technique to extend "totality effects" as much as 15 second beyond the official end of the eclipse. I have been told that using a green filter will further enhance the contrast of the corona and allow you to extend the corona viewing even longer.

Also when it is this close to total, you should be able to view the shadow bands. It is best to view then afterwards as the excitement of what the sun/moon are doing will occupy your attention. :-)

One cannot look for the shadow bands and extend the corona viewing time. Given the choice, I'd contentrate on the zone around the solar disk. Unlike long totality eclipses, short totality and near total annular eclipses give one a MUCH better view of photosphere / action near the edge of the solar disk. That alone would suggest skipping the shadow bands this time.

I would try and go as far west as possible so that the sun is as high above the horizon as possible. Of course one would want to be close to the center line ... which becomes critical on short annular events like this one.

Of course, a ''the deep annular-like conditions'' of the Venus transit do not permit one to do this. :-)

Other way around: swept for high speed, forward for low speed.

After a number of experiments in the late 60s and 70s (F-14, F-111, B-1, Tornado, MiG-23/37, Su-24), engineers seem to have decided that swing wings aren't worth the extra cost, weight, and maintenance. Computerized flight control systems that can handle the instability of swept wings at low speed have taken some of the reason for building a swing wing away. But maybe it's a fad that will come around again.

Now, if you want weird, check out the AD-1, which has a single wing that pivots on the fuselage like a pair of scissors; one wing goes forward when the other one pivots back.

This particular article is more about changing the cross-section of the wing than its planform.

The Wright Brothers called this Wing-Warping.

In 1901.

F-111 Mission Adaptive Wing (MAW). Flight test results here

No, not just changing the sweep as in a normal -111, -14, B-1, Mig-27 or Blackjack, but rather the shape of the wing changes as needed.

F-111 Mission Adaptive Wing (MAW). Flight test results here

No, not just changing the sweep as in a normal -111, -14, B-1, Mig-27 or Blackjack, but rather the shape of the wing changes as needed.

1998 was a wonderful eclipse.

I do not see every Eclipse. I'm trading the 08 Apr 2005 Solar Hybrid for the 8 June 2004 Venus transit for example.

Since you live in Ecuador, I would encourage/urge you to travel to the coast and see the Hybrid eclipse (part Annular / part Total). My calculations show that it will be very close to total along the center line in South America. It is worth while to see the Sun in annular mode once in a while.

1998 was a wonderful eclipse.

I do not see every Eclipse. I'm trading the 08 Apr 2005 Solar Hybrid for the 8 June 2004 Venus transit for example.

Since you live in Ecuador, I would encourage/urge you to travel to the coast and see the Hybrid eclipse (part Annular / part Total). My calculations show that it will be very close to total along the center line in South America. It is worth while to see the Sun in annular mode once in a while.

1998 was a wonderful eclipse.

I do not see every Eclipse. I'm trading the 08 Apr 2005 Solar Hybrid for the 8 June 2004 Venus transit for example.

Since you live in Ecuador, I would encourage/urge you to travel to the coast and see the Hybrid eclipse (part Annular / part Total). My calculations show that it will be very close to total along the center line in South America. It is worth while to see the Sun in annular mode once in a while.

It might be the same technology as the X3 system, but they also have incredible color correction tools.

As I understand it, when the rover takes a photograph, it first calibrates the color by photographing coloured spheres attached to itself. It then calibrates the spheres' colour (in the photo, not in reality, silly) to match that of neutral light, and not light filtered by the martian atmosphere.

Then it takes the photo, and either sends it back to Earth with colour data attached, or corrects it onboard. The first is more likely.

It also contains numerous instruments of its own for various tasks.

...accurate and public measurement of an extraterrestrial distance.

I doubt that the public project related to the 2004 transit is intended to obtain more accurate measurements than already exist, for the distances and timings associated with Venus.

For all of the inner planets, even the best professional optical telescope measurements are already so much less accurate than modern non-optical measurements, such as radar-ranging and spacecraft measurements, that optical data (except for the outer planets) did not contribute at all to the final data-sets that went to make up the current best professional ephemerides. This JPL report, about the latest-but-one of the professional solar-system ephemerides, DE403, says that "all of the optical observations for the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars were omitted from the least-squares adjustments leading to DE403. Newer and more accurate data-types ... determine these orbits far more accurately (by one or two orders of magnitude) than do the optical data." The report for the current latest general ephemeris on public release DE405, here, says much the same.

The project for measuring the timing of the June Venus transit looks like mainly an exercise in public awareness and education. Maybe there is also an aim of historical reconstruction, for doing something like re-assessing the performance of the old astronomers who measured previous transits, in an age when optical telescopes still did provide the only serious measurements available.

-wb-

...accurate and public measurement of an extraterrestrial distance.

I doubt that the public project related to the 2004 transit is intended to obtain more accurate measurements than already exist, for the distances and timings associated with Venus.

For all of the inner planets, even the best professional optical telescope measurements are already so much less accurate than modern non-optical measurements, such as radar-ranging and spacecraft measurements, that optical data (except for the outer planets) did not contribute at all to the final data-sets that went to make up the current best professional ephemerides. This JPL report, about the latest-but-one of the professional solar-system ephemerides, DE403, says that "all of the optical observations for the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars were omitted from the least-squares adjustments leading to DE403. Newer and more accurate data-types ... determine these orbits far more accurately (by one or two orders of magnitude) than do the optical data." The report for the current latest general ephemeris on public release DE405, here, says much the same.

The project for measuring the timing of the June Venus transit looks like mainly an exercise in public awareness and education. Maybe there is also an aim of historical reconstruction, for doing something like re-assessing the performance of the old astronomers who measured previous transits, in an age when optical telescopes still did provide the only serious measurements available.

-wb-

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

1. Total Solar Eclipses
2. Planetary Transits
3. Naked-eye visible Supernovas

Not only do I get to see amazing astronomical events, while I am there I travel around and see wonderful and interesting parts of our own planet!

To pay for my vacations to these selected events, I have established travel investment funds (setup many years in advance) for:

• Total Solar Eclipses:
  • 29 March 2006 (Libya)
  • 01 Aug 2008 (Siberia or Mongolia)
  • 22 Jul 2009 (China or Pacific)
  • 11 Jul 2010 (Easter Island)
  • 13 Nov 2012 (high speed jet over the Pacific?)
• Planetary Transits:
  • Venus: 8 June 2004 (Italy)
  • Mercury: 8 Nov 2006 (TBD)
  • Venus: 6 June 2012 (TBD)

I also keep an emergency fund that allows me go anywhere in the world at a moments notice to see a Supernova bright enough seen with the naked eye. I had such a fund in place which allowed me to rush from California to Australia some 21 hours after the discovery of 1987A (24 Feb 1987).

Maybe next naked eye supernova viewable in my hemisphere. But if not, I have another supernova fund ready ...

I first learned about the Transit of Venus, in the early summer of 1970, during a Morrison Planetarium program of the California Academy of Science. At the age of 9 I decided that I wanted to see next transit.

I have waiting patiently for 34 years to make my transit observations. It is now only a few dozen days away!!!

Don't forget the Lunar eclipse on 4th of May!

Not quite as special but definitly more dramatic!

The speed of sound at 30,000 ft above sea level is about 678 MPH

So at top speed thats: 89% the speed of sound (damn near 90%)
And At cruising speed it's: 83%

Pretty Close.

If you go to the NASA page about the photo, it says " Following the two aircraft is an unmodified U.S. Navy F-5E used for baseline sonic boom measurements."

The Navy used to maintain several squadrons of F-5E's for use as aggressor aircraft in air combat training - think "Top Gun". Anyway, they've all been (IIRC) mothballed now, so when NASA called the Navy for a "stock" F-5E, for comparative purposes, the Navy probably just took that particular plane out of storage, got it flight-ready, and sent it on over - Warsaw Pact-paintjob and all...

When I quit Wells Fargo 26 years ago I was a mid-level grunt coder ("Senior Programmer") with 5 years' experience and my salary was 26k. Adjusted for inflation, that's 79k today. You guys are throwing the same old numbers around - a quarter-century later..! Now I live in the boonies and work when someone begs me and charge 'em $60/hr. and everybody's happy. Really.

<a href="http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/transi t/venus0412.html">(Source.)</a>

According to that website, this will be visible in parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is pretty light on detail, but according to this site parts of it will be visible from Australia and the eastern parts of North and South America.

...and a matter of peronal taste, but I think the XB-70A Valkyrie was sweeter than either Concorde or the SR-71.

Ha! But you didn't catch the fact that Buzz's last name was Aldrin, and not lightyear.

(clue... the parent actually knew that Neil Young wasn't actually the first guy on the moon.)

I'm not a climatologist but I, at one time, had acces to them. They disagreed with what you said. In fact, from a link in what I linked to (here) they seem to disagree with that also.

From what I was told, and have read elsewhere, temperatures around cities and such have increased alot - the issue is more with where the land based temperature stations are. In fact, as is stated in said link, there is still much argument as to which is more accurate.

http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/MSU/msusci.html

For the July portion, parts with no data are quite far north- they claim that they sample 90% of Earth's land area during July and 65% during January. I'm somewhat surprised that they show data averages for the Andes regions of southern Chile and Argentina in the middle of the winter- how many non-snowy days in any of 18 years was considered enough to give them a data point and thus show up as part of the "90%"? It looks like the coldest average temp for which they could obtain data was around freezing (medium blue, 270-275 range) which probably is related to snow cover. I suspect those areas actually averaged cooler than that but the only times they could get a reading was on occasions when the temperature had been unseasonably warm for long enough to melt the snow...

Plus, how do you figure averages if the locations able to be sampled change over time? Did they only use the areas for which they had complete data? A partial data set from which you can only get readings if the temperature has been above average is a troublesome one to justify the use of. This could skew the results either way... real warming might make more of the cooler land testable and thus make the average temperature of the available observations decrease, or vice versa.

I suspect they've thought this through a fair bit, but until they address these issues it's hard to judge the validity of their results.

Here shows some stallite atmospheric data that shows a cooling trend.

So, which one to believe is the "true" measure of our global climate?

Bad reporting - or selective reporting.

Satallites are also used to measure atmospheric temperature, not land. NASA shows a temerature decrease over the globe in that data.

When I worked at a Oak Ridge National Labs I talked to the weather people from time to time (usually when they were running codes on our clusters) and they almost all universally pointed this out. Real scientists look at all the trends and are still arguing which is the most important to look at.

Even then, I agree with a few otehr posters here - it is mostly irrelevent. Emissions and such affect my health regardles of warming/colling or not. They need to be reduced - real reduction - not just shoving the emissions from an automobile to the power factory, allowing older plant to pollute at thier current level while being upgraded, all sorts of things. Many people who really care about the environment get their news from places that are poltical and use the environment because so many are emotional about it (thus allowing emotion to override reason).

Stupid shit like a bunch of the deadlock we have now. For example, old coal plants do not have to be upgraded as long as they aren't touched (grandfathered in). Old plants are ineffecient and pollute. Once touched they have to immediatly conform to new standards - they can not do this immediatly and are therefore not allowed to be touched. Since the newer plants run cheaper, power companies genereally want to do this, building new plants to replace the old are too expensive. Anytime legislation is proposed to do this it is recieved as "Allowing more pollution" and no support for it.

Similar thing until a few years ago with the EPA and sewer. A local town had an insufficient sewage system, sewage was leaking into the pristine river running through town. In order to contain the sewage it needed to be upgraded, in order to upgrade the sewage it had to be contained. The EPA people (from the mid 80's to 2000) had no problem with this, nor did the "environmentalist" around here because you couldn't "relax" sewage emissions. So a clean river will now take 50-60 years or more before someone will touch it because a bunch of people were more worried about how they felt about environment than actually about the environment.

On most environmental issues one of my favortie political statements is rarely truer: "You can not reason someone out of and idea that they didn't use reason to achieve"

MSU - 1970s era air temperature

• http://ghrc.msfc.nasa.gov:5721/sensor_documents/ms u_instrument.html

• http://amsu.cira.colostate.edu/
• http://aqua.nasa.gov/AMSU3.html

• http://www.ipo.noaa.gov/Technology/atms_summary.ht ml

• http://ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov/uso/readme/ssmt1.html (about the only decent information that's left about it)

• http://xenon.aerojet.com/Weapon_Systems/Earth_Sens ing/SSMIS/
• http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/IMAGES/ssmisdoc.htm
• http://www.metoffice.com/research/interproj/nwpsaf /ssmi/ssmis_ug_moud001_v2.pdf (PDF gets pretty technical but lots of good info)

• http://www.ipo.noaa.gov/Technology/cmis_summary.ht ml

All of the above are what are known as microwave sounders or radiometers. They look at radiation in specific bands in the microwave region of the spectrum (based on oxygen absorption lines) to infer air temperatures.

It looks like the study in the article was using MODIS and TOVS data. TOVS consists of some of the above instruments - MSU and AMSU in particular for this application. MODIS is another sensor that doesn't look at the microwave region of the spectrum, so it's out of my area of expertise. Look at the website for more info on that if you're interested. :)

MSU - 1970s era air temperature

• http://ghrc.msfc.nasa.gov:5721/sensor_documents/ms u_instrument.html

• http://amsu.cira.colostate.edu/
• http://aqua.nasa.gov/AMSU3.html

• http://www.ipo.noaa.gov/Technology/atms_summary.ht ml

• http://ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov/uso/readme/ssmt1.html (about the only decent information that's left about it)

• http://xenon.aerojet.com/Weapon_Systems/Earth_Sens ing/SSMIS/
• http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/IMAGES/ssmisdoc.htm
• http://www.metoffice.com/research/interproj/nwpsaf /ssmi/ssmis_ug_moud001_v2.pdf (PDF gets pretty technical but lots of good info)

• http://www.ipo.noaa.gov/Technology/cmis_summary.ht ml

All of the above are what are known as microwave sounders or radiometers. They look at radiation in specific bands in the microwave region of the spectrum (based on oxygen absorption lines) to infer air temperatures.

It looks like the study in the article was using MODIS and TOVS data. TOVS consists of some of the above instruments - MSU and AMSU in particular for this application. MODIS is another sensor that doesn't look at the microwave region of the spectrum, so it's out of my area of expertise. Look at the website for more info on that if you're interested. :)

MSU - 1970s era air temperature

• http://ghrc.msfc.nasa.gov:5721/sensor_documents/ms u_instrument.html

• http://amsu.cira.colostate.edu/
• http://aqua.nasa.gov/AMSU3.html

• http://www.ipo.noaa.gov/Technology/atms_summary.ht ml

• http://ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov/uso/readme/ssmt1.html (about the only decent information that's left about it)

• http://xenon.aerojet.com/Weapon_Systems/Earth_Sens ing/SSMIS/
• http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/IMAGES/ssmisdoc.htm
• http://www.metoffice.com/research/interproj/nwpsaf /ssmi/ssmis_ug_moud001_v2.pdf (PDF gets pretty technical but lots of good info)

• http://www.ipo.noaa.gov/Technology/cmis_summary.ht ml

All of the above are what are known as microwave sounders or radiometers. They look at radiation in specific bands in the microwave region of the spectrum (based on oxygen absorption lines) to infer air temperatures.

It looks like the study in the article was using MODIS and TOVS data. TOVS consists of some of the above instruments - MSU and AMSU in particular for this application. MODIS is another sensor that doesn't look at the microwave region of the spectrum, so it's out of my area of expertise. Look at the website for more info on that if you're interested. :)

MSU - 1970s era air temperature

• http://ghrc.msfc.nasa.gov:5721/sensor_documents/ms u_instrument.html

• http://amsu.cira.colostate.edu/
• http://aqua.nasa.gov/AMSU3.html

• http://www.ipo.noaa.gov/Technology/atms_summary.ht ml

• http://ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov/uso/readme/ssmt1.html (about the only decent information that's left about it)

• http://xenon.aerojet.com/Weapon_Systems/Earth_Sens ing/SSMIS/
• http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/IMAGES/ssmisdoc.htm
• http://www.metoffice.com/research/interproj/nwpsaf /ssmi/ssmis_ug_moud001_v2.pdf (PDF gets pretty technical but lots of good info)

• http://www.ipo.noaa.gov/Technology/cmis_summary.ht ml

All of the above are what are known as microwave sounders or radiometers. They look at radiation in specific bands in the microwave region of the spectrum (based on oxygen absorption lines) to infer air temperatures.

It looks like the study in the article was using MODIS and TOVS data. TOVS consists of some of the above instruments - MSU and AMSU in particular for this application. MODIS is another sensor that doesn't look at the microwave region of the spectrum, so it's out of my area of expertise. Look at the website for more info on that if you're interested. :)

This makes you wonder what specification of hardware gets used in spacefaring vehicles/structures.

Register article
High resolution image

In answer to your question, and according to the Register, free-floating laptops restrained only by thin ethernet cable and BNC connectors. Of course the URL would seem to indicate that the pic is in actual fact the shuttle rather than the ISS, but why let the facts get in the way of a good story!

Additionally, even given that gyros were being used for their angular inertia, a gyro kicks at right-angles to the twist applied to it (take the cross product of the spin axis and the axis of the applied rotation), so they're not very useful out in space in this regard. On the ground, it is the point of contact with the ground that provides a fulcrum to lend the gyro stability.

Here is a case in point: The NASA Gravity Probe. You can clearly see here how the 'scopes are being used as a point of reference. Naturally, this is a highly specialised use, but it is indicative.

Gyros are pretty damn critical, or else this wouldn't be news.

The REAL first dutchman in space was Lodewijk van der Berg (Nasa's BIO on him).
Wubbo Ockels was second, and Kuipers, who is now up there, is the third.

Cooper
--
I don't need a pass to pass this pass!
- Groo The Wanderer -

The REAL first dutchman in space was Lodewijk van der Berg (Nasa's BIO on him).
Wubbo Ockels was second, and Kuipers, who is now up there, is the third.

Cooper
--
I don't need a pass to pass this pass!
- Groo The Wanderer -

If you're wondering how a gyroscope works and what it does:

How stuff works has a nice article.

Nasa's also got a page about how they're used in space shuttles

I thought I was the only one who used English measurements for measurements longer than 1 inch, and Metric (millimeters, centimeters) for smaller than 1 inch of length.

Nope, you're in good company even NASA does it.

oh... wait....

I have seen numerous theories on the climate subject.

The following viewpoints have been presented over the past 30 years:

- Global Cooling. We will freeze to death shortly.
- Global Warming. We will warm up the earth and either melt or be drowned.
- Climate Change. The earth will have rapidly chaging temperatures resulting in the destruction of humankind.
- "Run out of oxygen" theory. We'll ruin the atmosphere to the point we can't breathe it.
- Nothing. All of the above are bunk.

Which is true? All these viewpoints have been presented at one time or another, and, up to now, none of them (including the last one) have been true.

Is this just another Waaahhhhhmbulance to ignore, or does this article have revolutionary proof that is worth my effort to read?

I'm willing to understand that science changes over time. But to have various scientists publicizing all possible viewpoints as the truth over the past 30 years is too much for me to handle.