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10 September 2008
Has the LHC Destroyed the Earth Yet?
In case you were wondering whether or not the Large Hadron Collider has destroyed the earth yet, check this website. In all seriousness folks, there’s no threat from the LHC. The earth gets bombarded all the time by cosmic ray particles with loads more energy than the LHC particles will have. So, if cosmic rays have not destroyed the earth, then there is no chance that the LHC will. Or, …
2 September 2008
How to Defrost Phoenix
Bad Astronomy brought this amusing Foxtrot comic to my attention (click for the whole thing). Now, to get to work on a proposal to use this to extend the Phoenix mission lifetime by periodically baking off any accumulated CO2 ice…
31 August 2008
Mars Rovers Twitter!
Following the lead of their younger, hipper cousin Phoenix, the Rovers now have their own Twitter page. Check it often to get the latest rover news!
20 August 2008
How to Look at Mars
There is so much Mars data out there that it hard to keep track of all of it! Thankfully there are some useful tools that let anyone look easily look at orbital data of anywhere on the planet. The first is a program called “jmars“. This java-based program distributed by Arizona State University lets you overlay all sorts of global datasets, from MOLA topography to THEMIS nighttime infrared maps to …
19 July 2008
New Results from the Hubble Kaleidoscope
According to the new data, the so-called asteroid “belt” is actually an asteroid squiggle; and Mars is only red “some of the time,” vacillating between purplish-blue, orange, and turquoise with specks of green as it moves along its six separate orbits around the sun. Click here for the full story, courtesy of the Onion.
16 July 2008
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Dearest readers, sometimes I see something on the internet so awesome that I feel that I must share it with you, despite the fact that it has nothing to do with Mars. This is one of those times. You need, NEED to set aside fifteen minutes and go watch the first episode of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Here’s why: it stars Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser) as the struggling super …
14 July 2008
Recipe for a Planet
So you have a big dinner party coming up, and you really want to impress your guests? Apple pie from scratch too difficult? (who has time to create the universe these days?) This recipe for a delicious Planet can be scaled to fit any crowd and the planet is as much a conversation piece as a culinary treat. Makes ~2-10 planets Serves: billions You will need: 1 Star (Population I …
12 July 2008
iPhone 3G Space and Science Apps
There really are too many cool apps for the new iPhone 3G to list, but here’s a sampling of some awesome scientific apps from Wired – check out the space section! My favorite is Star Map, which acts as a “pocket planetarium” by using the GPS feature of the phone to give you all the info on the night sky over your head! Now if only the data plan wasn’t …
4 July 2008
Happy 4th!
A little patriotism from Phoenix: And, from the edge of human exploration: It’s the USA’s spirit of exploration and innovation that has gotten us to these distant places, and let’s keep that spirit alive in the years to come!
2 July 2008
Spore
Have you heard of the game Spore? It is a computer game being released this fall and is the first game in quite a while that I am considering buying, despite the fact that I have no time to play games anymore. Here is an old video of an early version of the game: Here’s the gist of it (paraphrased from the wiki article): The game begins with a comet …
