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Orlando Science Center: Month of astronomy events
Thu, 03 May 2012 12:53:53 -0700
Orlando Science Center is expanding its Astronomy Day event, sprinkling events over select weekends through June 2. Activities will include SunWatch sessions, where visitors will peer at the sun through the Crosby Observatory telescope; four NASA speakers; “Orlando by Night,” a live planetarium show in the Dr. Phillips CineDome; the “Science on a Sphere” exhibit and the Kinesthetic [...]
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Big Picture Science: Antivaxxers (and updates) | Bad Astronomy
Tue, 15 May 2012 10:56:32 -0700
I do a roughly monthly segment with astronomer Seth Shostak on Big Picture Science, a radio show/podcast done by The SETI Institute. This month, Seth and I talked about the American Airlines dustup when they were planning to run an interview with reality-impaired antivaxxer Meryl Dorey . This story is a great victory for reality, and I’ve already written about the back story . Never forget: this ...
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Your last chance to see Venus for the next few weeks | Bad Astronomy
Sat, 26 May 2012 07:00:45 -0700
As I usually do when I go outside at twilight, I glanced over to the west to look for Venus… and it was much lower toward the horizon than I was expecting. I shouldn’t have been surprised; in two weeks it’s due for a close encounter with the Sun. On June 5/6, it’ll pass directly between us and the Sun in an event called a transit. I’ll have more info on that later, though you can read up about ...
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xkcd is the very model of a modern major science grad | Bad Astronomy
Mon, 07 May 2012 08:15:24 -0700
Hmmmm… the astronomer in today’s xkcd comic looks familiar, even as a stick figure. At least he didn’t draw me as a zombie . But I’m no Feynman. And hey, together with SMBC I think this makes me king of the four-letter comics. I mean, um. Well. [N.B. And yes, it really is me, I got word from The Man himself. Funny how a minimalist drawing with some context invokes recognition; I've been getting ...
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Australia hails surprise super-telescope decision
Fri, 25 May 2012 19:47:25 -0700
Australia has hailed a surprise decision giving it a role in a radio telescope project aimed at revolutionising astronomy, vowing to draw on its decades of experience in space science.
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California Science Center Names New Wing for Space Shuttle Endeavour
Wed, 23 May 2012 09:38:37 -0700
When NASA's space shuttle Endeavour lands at the California Science Center in Los Angeles this fall, it will be displayed in a temporary exhibit, and later a new museum facility named for an entrepreneur, explorer and philanthropist.
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Update: the Dragon capsule as seen by the ISS | Bad Astronomy
Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:45 -0700
Just a quick update: a new series of pictures of the Dragon capsule as seen by astronauts aboard the International Space Station has just been released, and they’re way cool. Here’s one: [Click to embiggen.] Earlier today , Dragon passed just 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the station, performing a series of tasks to make sure it was ready to dock with ISS tomorrow. I’m sure the folks at SpaceX ...
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Government of Canada Investments Promote Science and Engineering to Canada's Youth
Thu, 17 May 2012 09:00:00 -0700
CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND-- - Science centres, museums and other organizations across Canada have received funding to engage young Canadians in a number of leading-edge initiatives-including ...
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Saturn, surreally | Bad Astronomy
Wed, 23 May 2012 06:31:02 -0700
Take 7+ years of Saturn observations by the Cassini spacecraft, stitch a whole lot of them together into short, film-noir-like segments, and add a Beethoven soundtrack. What do you get? Awesomeness . The video was put together by Nahum Chazarra , who says on Twitter he’s a "Geology student, science lover". There’s literally too much in this to describe! Moons, rings, the planet itself… but I ...
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Small asteroid to buzz Earth on May 28 | Bad Astronomy
Fri, 25 May 2012 11:15:45 -0700
Asteroid 2012 KP 24 , a smallish rock about 25 meters (80 feet) across, will pass pretty close to the Earth on May 28, buzzing us at a distance of about 30,000 kilometers (18,000 miles) 51,000 kilometers (32,000 miles) [Note: the numbers at JPL have updated, making the pass a bit farther out than the numbers I originally used]. That’s close as passes go, but still a clean miss. Closest approach ...
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