Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Summer Monsoons in Arizona


I was in Tucson and southwest where I captured some pics (see below). Someday lightning shots .

2007 was my 2nd year down to Tucson during July to visit my (former business partner and ) friends. My main intent was for me to photograph and videotape 14 different types of hummingbirds near the Sierra Vista area. I had a grand time doing that for 2 days. Gosh I love those little birds!!

BTW it is called Beatty's Ranch and they have reasonable rates for their bungalows. Very nice owners. If you all are down that way try it out but check ahead beforehand for availability. Nice restaurants nearby in Sierra Vista (Asian, Italian and more).

When you are in around the Tucson to Phoenix to Scottsdale you can also try the following (as I did);

First get a AAA book if you have one or borrow one for Arizona. I also purchased and used the Frommer book for Arizona.

* The Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson with fabulous flora and fauna. (I can't believe of all that I saw I missed the gila monster which I've always wanted to see!). A must!
* The Kitt Peak telescope obervatory buildings and telescopes ( I liked it - hey I do astronomy too!)
* go for night walks (check locally) or at the Desert Museum
* Kartchner Caverns state park (south of Tucson) - I have spelunked in many area of the USA and someday I will go there
* Southeastern Bird Observatory (south of Tucson)
* Make sure you try one of the fabulous restaurants (Poca Cosa in Tucson is one I want to go to but 2 years straight they were shut down for a few weeks when I was there). I had one of the best meals at the J-Bar (very reasonable this time of the year!) with their pecan encrusted chicken, lamb appetizers and the incredible chocolate jalapeno sundae!

Don't ever try to go across streams in streets etc that are started by rains and monsoons. Last year they had a dramatic rescue on live TV of a woman who did this and her car had water all the way to the roof before she knew it. She was standing on the roof of the car and a helicopter airlifted her off before car went down the river.

N and west after the hummingbirds, I was trying to find another hummingbird havenin Patagonia. I had taken pictures from afar of a rainstorm a couple hours before. Finally I found the place and was rounding the bend to go over the streambed to the place. This is what it looked like.

The water had risen from nothing and a drybed to feet! So I could not see the hummingbirds at that place that day (it was across the road) as I had to get back to Tucson. But this was an eye opener about Monsoons!
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Latest earthquake and video

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2008/ci14383980/

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Fireflies- magnificent and ingenous insects

Fireflies are nocturnal members of the beetle family Lampyridae. They fly wherever they want in curved path through the air producing their cold, green light from a biochemical reaction between oxygen and luciferin.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luciferin

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Phoenix Mars Lander shows Sun in Arctic Midnight

It's the Midnight Sun on Mars. Phoenix Mars Lander shows Sun in Arctic Midnight in this panorama landscape. More about the mission and the lander and photos at

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Here comes (Hurricane) Dolly

They do their work in a day or two and then leave. No doubt about it. Hurricanes, essentially huge heat engines, can cause a lot of destruction. The latest is Hurricane Dolly.
http://news.aol.com/article/texas-mexico-brace-for-likely-hurricane/90241?icid=100214839x1206085210x1200324243

4th Plutoid object found named after Polynesian God

Makemake (pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh) is one of the largest objects known in the outer Solar System and is just slightly smaller and dimmer than Pluto,
http://www.iau.org/public_press/news/release/iau0806/

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Status and photos of Alaskan volcanic eruption

For more info you can visit the Alaskan Volcano Observatory's website by clicking here ----> http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Okmok.php

This photo really shows how thin, Saturn's rings truly are

Those marvelous rings of Saturn really area quite thin. See how much so by looking at this photo from the Cassini spacecraft.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
7/20/2008 (if not this date go to this link/website and then go to archives which is below the page)

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Noctilucent clouds are heading further south

Are these strange clouds the result of volcanic eruptions, global warming or something else. Find out further information about these strange clouds

http://www.spaceweather.com/
7/19/2008 (if not this date go to this link/website and then go to archives which is below the page)
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/19feb_nlc.htm

Pillars of Creation astronomical image

One of the most photogenic astronomical photos is the Pillars of Creation. I have a huge photo of the framed on our house's wall for display. This is smaller version of this famous photo but stunning in itself. Read more

7/19/2008 (if not this date go to this link/website and then go to archives which is below the page)

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

New Object almost size of Pluto found

As you know Pluto has been demoted from Planet status. It is considered too small to be a "real" planet like the others one in our solar system. Besides being small, is has a different orbit and actually revolves around its moons.

This new object, is about the size of Pluto and orbits near it. Amazing it has not been found before. Read more

7/16/2008 (if not this date go to this link/website and then go to archives which is below the page)

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Mars rocks glide mysteriously across surface

Like rocks that mysteriously glide across desert surfaces, these Martian rocks have some how skittered across the Martian surface. Read more about what may be causing this
Get some 3D glasses and look at the path
7/13/2008 (if not read archives)
http://www.spaceweather.com/

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Hurricanes are like big heat engines that cause destruction

Watch the latest comments and information on how this current hurricane is doing


http://www.weather.com/multimedia/videoplayer.html?clip=6584&from=newslinker2

Hurricanes are like big heat engines that cause destruction

Watch the latest comments and information on how this current hurricane is doing


http://www.weather.com/multimedia/videoplayer.html?clip=6584&from=newslinker2

Noctilucent clouds

These mysterious  electric blue clouds started showing up in the US summer in  Canada and northern parts of Europe. Scientists still don't know how they form.They are 45 and 54 miles (75 and 90 kilometers high but if you  are in  the right high latitude area, they supposedly easy to see.
 This year they are now being observed in Vermont, Wyoming and Michigan. Be on the look out for them and post if you see them.
http://www.spaceweather.com/

more information
http://www.answers.com/topic/noctilucent-cloud?cat=technology

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Heavenly and man made fireworks 7/4/08



Also before that in the West a crepuscular shadow ray angles out from the setting sun near the moon.

Fireworforks on July 4, 2008 at Louisburg , KS near Kansas City, USA. They literally go off  a hundred feet across the road from our Observatory. Taken with my Rebel Canon camera at f/6.5 about

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Gallery website of interesting Mars Rover information

Photos, information and more about the faithful Mars rover and their discoveries

marsrover gallery
http://www.space.com/marsrover/

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Tunguska 100 years later:A space crime scene Astronomy CSI?

Astronomy CSI -A space crime scene ? On this anniversary was the object that hit Siberia on June 30, 1908, an alien spaceship, a black hole, a comet, a porous type asteroid? Tunguska explosion was 1,000 times more powerful than the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima but many scientists still are undecided on what caused it. The latest information hinted that it was a body 10 times that of the Titanic but now say it might have been smaller. Simulations seem to suggest a lesser explosion created the devastation as well. Now there are other theories but no defintive answers. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,373608,00.html

Tunguska 100 years later:A space crime scene Astronomy CSI?

A space crime scene Astronomy CSI? Was the object that hit Siberia in 1908, an alien spaceship, a black hole, a comet, a porous type asteroid on June 30, 1908 on this anniversary? Tunguska explosion was 1,000 times more powerful than the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima but many scientists still are undecided on what caused it. The latest information hinted that it was a body 10 times that of the Titanic but now say it might have been smaller. Simulations seem to suggest a lesser explosion created the devastation as well. Now there are other theories but no defintive answers.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,373608,00.html

Tunguska 100 years later:A space crime scene Astronomy CSI?

A space crime scene Astronomy CSI? Was the object that hit Siberia in 1908, an alien spaceship, a black hole, a comet, a porous type asteroid on June 30, 1908 on this anniversary? Tunguska explosion was 1,000 times more powerful than the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima but many scientists still are undecided on what caused it. The latest information hinted that it was a body 10 times that of the Titanic but now say it might have been smaller. Simulations seem to suggest a lesser explosion created the devastation as well. Now there are other theories but no defintive answers.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,373608,00.html