Unusual early tornadoes slams New Mexicus see video

I am a stormchaser. I have videotapes 4 tornadoes since 2001and hope to see some this year. Read the latest news of this early tornado. Then find the following information

EOAS1
Students will
(1) Find information about the new and old tornado Fujita scale. Compare the ratings. See if you can estimate what you think the severity of this Clovis storms was by comparing the rating levels.
(2) Follow up : find the Safir Hurricane scale and compare the damage and speeds of the hurricane levels to the tornado scale.
(3) What is the Richter scale? How does this rating help understand earthquakes?
(4) What is the Mohr scale and how does the scale help understand rocks and minerals?

***
Tornadoes Slam Buildings in Southwest
New Mexico Towns Begin Clean-Up After Twisters

By FELICIA FONSECA
AP
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (March 24) - When she awoke Saturday, Andrea McLaren found that a stretch of the eastern New Mexico city she calls home had been obliterated by a tornado that flattened houses, snapped telephone poles and even heaved a trailer through a bowling alley
shows twisters in Clovis, New Mexico, part of a storm that damaged homes and other buildings.

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/tornadoes-slam-buildings-in-southwest/20070324161209990001

EARTHQUAKES hit Japan

Students
(1) will understand how Earthquakes are created
(2) understand how sound waves topple buildings
(3) how tidal waves are generated and why they can cause damage

Aftershocks Shake Japan a Day After Quake

By SHIZUO KANBAYASHI
AP
KANAZAWA, Japan (March 25) - Aftershocks shook a rural area of coastal central Japan Monday, a day after a powerful earthquake killed at least one person and injured 170 others as it toppled buildings, triggered landslides and generated a small tsunami along the coast.
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/aftershocks-shake-japan-a-day-after/20070324212609990001

Many saw Comet Hale Bopp in 1997 but did you know it's size?

Many people saw Comet Hale Bopp in 1997 but did you know the size of its nucleus' (center) size compared to other comets?

E.O.A.S. Educational objective for this activity: Comet Nucleus size comparisons
E.O.A.S. (Earth, Oceans, Atmosphere and Space) Blog -<http://eoas-dreric1kansas.blogspot.com/>

Science standard:Astronomy/ Earth-Space Science
(1) Students will learn about the astronomical objects in our solar system (comets)
(2) Compare it with fractions and size by drawing or using silly putty or clay
(3) Present their findings to other group.

Most comet nucleus are 3- 5 miles in diameter. Hal Bopp , one of the brightest ones in recent memory appeared in our skies in 1997, was very large.

Observations of this comet with the Hubble space telescope,, was instead 19-25 miles (30-40 kilometers).
The comet or asteroid that struck the Earth 65 million years ago, possibly causing the extinction of the dinosaurs, was probably about 6 to 9 miles (10 to 15 kilometers) across.)
The fact that is was so big and detected earlier in 1995, let scientists to survey the comet much earlier and learn further about its evolution as it came closer to the earth in 1997 when it put on it's great show.
More information at
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1997/08/

The ancients thought the Sun was a big lump of coal

The ancients thought the Sun was a big lump of coal. If that was the case , it would have burnt up in 5000 years. We now know that the dynamics of the sun's generation of the heat and light is much more complicated.
Did you know it takes thousands of years for the heat to come up from the center to go out from the Sun where we see it 9.5 minutes later on earth?

Now here is some of the latest.

Twisted Solution to Sun's Mystery Heat
By Jeanna Bryner“Theorists suggested that twisted, tangled magnetic fields might exist,” said study presenter Leon Golub, senior astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “With the XRT, we can see them clearly for the first time.”
Staff Writer
posted: 21 March 2007
01:16 pm ET
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070321_solarb_update.html

Sea floor records ancient Earth discovered

The crustal plates of our earth's continents lie on top of more molten layer. During the 1900's , there was evidence that the plates of the continents moved apart after being all together in one big plate called Pangea. The upwelling from volcanic action, pushed the continents apart where we have the present day configuration. A theory by the geologist Wegner theorized that happened over the many millions of years but many , even many scientisits, were skeptical. But as more evidence piled up , it became accepted.
I was so interested about the evidence that I did a study in my undergraduate years. It was entitled "The palentological (and biological ) evidence of Continental Drift."
Now here is some currents new evidence.

Sea floor records ancient Earth
A sliver of four billion year old seafloor shows the earliest known evidence of plate tectonics on Earth.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6479289.stm

Whale fossil is found in vineyard
A five million-year-old whale skeleton is uncovered beneath one of Tuscany's most famed vineyards.
The biggest whale fossil ever discovered in Italy has been found in one of the country's finest vineyards. The skeleton appears to be complete and, for the last month, palaeontologists from the University of Florence have been carefully digging around the terraces to extract it in one piece.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6482859.stm

Oregon's new fossil find

Jurassic Crocodile Unearthed in Oregon
By Jeanna Bryner
LiveScience

(March 22) -- The fossil of an ancient amphibious reptile with a crocodile's body and a fish's tail has been unearthed in Oregon. Scientists believe the creature's remains were transported by geologic processes nearly 5,000 miles away from where it originally died more than 100 million years ago.

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/jurassic-crocodile-unearthed-in-oregon/20070322094109990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

eclipse sighting: partial eclipse of the sun pic and more on spaceweather

eclipse sighting: partial eclipse of the sun pic and more on spaceweather
3/22/2007
http://spaceweather.com
Credit & Copyright: Joerg Schoppmeyer
Goa Silhouettes
Explanation: "On Monday, March 19, shortly before the equinox, locations in Asia and the Arctic were favoured by the New Moon's shadow during a partial solar eclipse. Although the view from Goa, India found the eclipsed Sun near the horizon, photographer Joerg Schoppmeyer was still able to capture this lovely image, combining celestial with terrestrial silhouettes. The next eclipse season will begin in late August this year, featuring a total lunar eclipse on August 28, and another partial solar eclipse on September 11. Compared to the March 19th eclipse, the September 11th eclipse will be seen on the other side of our fair planet, from parts of South America and Antarctica."

I was chasing the same day as the stormchaser in Angry Planet

On this day,May 29 2004, I was out near Missouri and caught two tornadoes on video including the big Dearborn tornado that had fatalities. I don't know of anyone else who caught this tornado on video except myself and channel 9 KCMO TV Johnny Rowlins.

Here is more about George's chase that day on May 29 2004,
http://www.stormchaser.ca/Tornadoes/2004_05_29/2004_05_29.html

http://www.stormchaser.ca/

more about the episodes
Angry Planet Television Series
Canada's Outdoor Life Network

Featuring Storm Chaser George Kourounis
and Angry Planet- look for the upcoming episodes on this website
http://www.stormchaser.ca/angryplanet.html

the green flash

Spaceweather.com is an interesting site.
It has a lot of pictures and informatio which you can see everyday.
There are archives of the recent Comet McNaught photos (although I don't understand why some of the pictures get chosen), weather and much more.

Sometimes there are weather related phenomenon like the
green flash
which I have never been able to catch.

anyone ever seen a green flash? I tried in South Africa and other places.
goto spaceweather.com
look around and then find the archives
look for the following date below to see this information (then after look around for dates and photos and more in the past)

spaceweather 2/23/2007
TRIPLE GREEN FLASH: "It was the biggest green flash I've ever seen," says Mila Zinkova of San Francisco who took this picture of the setting sun on Dec. 29Make that three green flashes: "I think we have here three separate flashes that happened to be visible together," says green flash specialist Andy Young. Ordinary green flashes rely on a mirage to magnify tiny differences in the atmospheric refraction of red and green light. In this case, temperature gradients above the water produced a complex mirage and, not one, but three flashes. "Very interesting!"

Mars cave entrances and possible life in frozen seas

'Cave entrances' spotted on Mars



Nasa release on the topography of the south polar region of Mars


Nasa's Odyssey spacecraft is beginning to find some possible reasons to think there may be more opportunities for life on Mars now or in the past. spacecraft have spotted what they think may be seven caves on the surface of Mars.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6461201.stm


Frozen sea may harbour Mars life
Elysium's frozen sea may be one of the best places to look for life
A frozen sea found on Mars is one of the most promising places to look for life on the Red Planet, scientists say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6310173.stm

Lakes on Saturn's moon Titan

Lakes on Titan, water on Mars?
March 14, 2007 5:33 AM PDT

see picture on website

The Cassini orbiter has recently found evidence of giant lakes on Saturn's mysterious moon, Titan. Plus, new photos from the high-resolution camera orbiting Mars show evidence of water erosion and give a new, animated look at the Mars rovers.
Scientists believe that several dark features near Titan's north pole are lakes that are most likely filled with liquid gases, ethane or methane.
The two gases are the primary components of what Earthlings call natural gas. One lake appears to be bigger than the largest of the Great Lakes on Earth, Lake Superior.
Credit: NASA/JPL/GSFC
http://news.com.com/2300-11397_3-6167043.html?tag=st.gall

Rare collasol Squid Could Be Largest Ever Hooked

Few of these mysterious creatures have ever been seen. The latest was captured. Read pn.

Rare Squid Could Be Largest Ever Hooked
Massive Catch Has Rings the Size of Truck Tires

By RAY LILLEY
AP
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Feb. 22) - A fishing crew has caught a colossal squid that could weigh a half-ton and prove to be the biggest specimen ever landed, a fisheries official said Thursday.
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/rare-squid-could-be-largest-ever-hooked/20070222102309990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

More surprises in soil of Mars

Once thought to be a dead planet with no water,it seems the history of the planet keeps giving new surprises all the time

NASA Mars Rover Churns Up Questions With Sulfur-Rich Soil

Some bright Martian soil containing lots of sulfur and a trace of water intrigues researchers who are
studying information provided by NASA's Spirit rover.

Halfway around Mars, Opportunity is exploring clockwise around "Victoria Crater," a bowl about
800 meters (half a mile) across. Cliff-like promontories alternate with more gradually sloped alcoves
around the scalloped rim. The impact that dug the crater exposed layers that had been buried.

"The images are breathtaking," said Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell University, principal investigator
for the rovers. "Every promontory we've seen has the kinds of layering expected for ancient wind-
blown sand deposits."

The layers consist of sulfate-rich sandstone similar to other bedrock Opportunity has been finding in
Mars' Meridiani region for more than three years. The minerals come from a wet period in the
region's ancient past. While exploring Victoria's rim with Opportunity, researchers have been on the
lookout for rocks that might have been tossed out from layers deeper and older than the sulfates.

"We found one group of cobbles that were clearly more resistant to erosion than the sulfate blocks
thrown out onto the rim," Squyres said. "We checked the composition of one that we called Santa
Catarina. Our suspicion now is that Santa Catarina is a piece of a meteorite." That would be the fifth
meteorite found by the rovers.


http://www.nnseek.com/e/fa.fictionofphilosophy/nasa_mars_rover_churns_up_questions_with_sulfur_rich_43860023t.html

20-things-you-didnt-know

Discover has some interesting facts and information to think about aliens, bees, rats and more. Check it out.

http://discovermagazine.com/columns/20-things-you-didnt-know

When Voyager spacecraft fire took photos of the moon of Jupiter Io

When Voyager spacecraft fire took photos of the moon of Jupiter Io, edgewise, a woman engineer discovered a strange like plum coming from the surface. That's when it was found Io had active volcanoes, the 2nd known erupting volcanoes at that time in the solar system. Here is more.

NASA Science News for March 9, 2007

When New Horizons flew past Jupiter on Feb. 28th, the spacecraft photographed a volcanic eruption on Io that amazed even longtime experts in the field.

The must-see photo is featured in today's story from Science@NASA.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/09mar_alienvolcano.htm?list731500

Dr. Eric Flescher (kcstarguy@aol.com), Olathe, KS: E.O.A.S. (Earth, Oceans, Atmosphere and Space) Blog -

Suspected meteorite crashes through bedroom window Illinois

Seems like a few meteorites have pelted us later. Here is the latest with picture.

Suspected meteorite crashes through bedroom window Illinois
POSTED: 12:14 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/03/07/meteorite.hits.home.ap/index.html

Suspected meteorite crashes through bedroom window Illinois

Seems like a few meteorites have pelted us later. Here is the latest with picture.

Suspected meteorite crashes through bedroom window Illinois
POSTED: 12:14 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/03/07/meteorite.hits.home.ap/index.html

Dark lunar eclipse Sat photos and more

Saturdays eclipse in Kansas was seen when the moon rose after totality was finished. Here is one picture of it. The moon was a white-yellow but the shadow was bathed in a very dark color until some other eclipses where it is reddish or orange. I took this long range shot over the prarie with my cannon rebel xt.

This one below is a videoclip from my camcorder.

As I was watching the eclipse and the shadow recede, I took a nice video of the eclipse. Here is one of the videoclips with a more close up view. You can see the slight color difference and the features on the moon. The edge of the shadow is interesting.

Not everyone will see all or parts of tonights lunar eclipse- look at this chart

Not everyone will see all or parts of tonights lunar eclipse- look at this chart
The timing


Many people will be watching if you watch the moon at the right time. Take a look. Comments send them to me.
Dr.Eric

Tornadoes Hit Alabama, Killing at Least 18

Tornadoes Hit Alabama, Killing at Least 18

By BOB JOHNSON
AP
ENTERPRISE, Ala. (March 1) - Apparent tornadoes killed at least 18 people in Alabama on Thursday, including fifteen at a high school where students were trapped under a collapsed roof, state officials said. State Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Yasamie Richardson said eight fatalities "are in relation to the high school but whether they are all students or some students and teachers we're not sure."
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/tornadoes-hit-alabama-killing-at-least/20070301131909990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

giant-sinkhole-swallows-homes

I heard of these sinkholes in Florida and other places. But this one is huge and killed two boys.

giant-sinkhole-swallows-homes
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/giant-sinkhole-swallows-homes-killing/20070223114509990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

Meteors Fire in the Sky :History Channel: 2/18/2007

Meteors Fire in the Sky :History Channel: 2/18/2007

If you collect Meteorites, watch meteor showers or wonder about comets and asteroids hitting the earth you need to watch on the History channel. Again it was on last night (my wife told me it was coming later that night ) but this time I saw it was not posted in the paper. So I waited . Once again I watched the whole thing and took notes this time and videotaping
**
*Asteroid impact killing dinosaur debate
* Bob Haag the Meteorite Guy
* The info about the so called meteorite object in Mecca that Moslems revere (interesting the video showed the metal enclosure but not the meteorite object that the Moslems can peer into and touch. It is said to be an object from the days of the first man Adam and was once white but since has darkened to black with all the sins and touchings by Moslems)
* First known witnessed fall and recovery of meteorite in Eisensheim in France in 1492 (yes the date Columbus went to America). Fireball seen by 12 year old and recovered after it hit in field.
* Cape York huge meteorite transported from Greenland (340 tons) most of which is still at the Hayden Planetarium in NYC
****
* Notes on Tunguska 1908
* Meteor crater in AZ (the impact turned the iron into iron gas that made the crater(
* The astronomical impact of planetary scientist Shoemaker on defining AZ crater as an impact crater, laying the foundation of other impact craters while searching in Germany for an impact that took place 15 million years ago
* finding the impact deposit of Iridium from Asteroid impact, significance and the Yucatan smoking gun crater where the asteroid hit that caused the demise of the dinosaurs
* Asteroid Eros photos, touchdown

and more
Well done, informative, great visuals, video and more
History, science and much more

**
Dr. Eric Flescher (kcstarguy@aol.com), Olathe, KS: E.O.A.S. (Earth, Oceans, Atmosphere and Space) Blog -http://eoas-dreric1kansas.blogspot.com/

U.N. Urged to Take On Asteroid Threat

Oh great. With all that is going on in the world , I have to start worrying about this (now?)

Updated:2007-02-18 18:01:41
U.N. Urged to Take On Asteroid Threat

By Irene Klotz
Reuters
SAN FRANCISCO (Feb. 18) - An asteroid may come uncomfortably close to Earth in 2036 and the United Nations should assume responsibility for a space mission to deflect it, a group of astronauts, engineers and scientists said on Saturday

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/un-urged-to-take-on-asteroid-threat/20070218175909990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

asteroid may come uncomfortably close to Earth in 2036

Oh great. With all that is going on in the world , I have to start worrying about this.

Updated:2007-02-18 18:01:41
U.N. Urged to Take On Asteroid Threat

By Irene Klotz
Reuters
SAN FRANCISCO (Feb. 18) - An asteroid may come uncomfortably close to Earth in 2036 and the United Nations should assume responsibility for a space mission to deflect it, a group of astronauts, engineers and scientists said on Saturday

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/un-urged-to-take-on-asteroid-threat/20070218175909990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

2007 February 19 nova photo

A Nova is a star that exhausts its hydrogen fuel supply in its inner depths, begins to "feed on it self" creating higher density elements and finally exploded with the energy of millions of suns. This transformation actually created other elements, spews gas and more into outer space and sometimes destroys what is near by. It also creates a brilliant star like object many more times brighter then the magnitude of the star before. Here is the latest about a bright nova in the dawn sky which you can see now.

2007 February 19
Astronomy Picture of the Day
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
peaked at magnitude 3.9 on Friday the 16th.

AAVSO Special Notice #33
V1280 Scorpii = Nova Scorpii 2007
(February 7, 2007)
IAUC 8803 announces a new nova in Scorpius, independently discovered by Y. Nakamura and Y. Sakurai. The position is 16:57:40.91 -32:20:36.4 J2000 and the unfiltered magnitude is about 8.3 (T. Krajci, 2007-02-06). Spectra indicate blue color, no emission blueward of 540nm, but Halpha emission with P-Cyg profile. Report observations to the AAVSO as: 9999+99 V1280 Sco. Please be sure to indicate what you used for comparison stars. Thank you for your astronomical efforts and contributions! This special notice was compiled by: Arne A. Henden
http://www.aavso.org/publications/specialnotice/33.shtml

finder chart
http://skytonight.com/observing/home/Nova-Sco-2007.html
before dawn in scorpio


Dr. Eric Flescher (kcstarguy@aol.com), Olathe, KS: E.O.A.S. (Earth, Oceans, Atmosphere and Space) Blog -<http://eoas-dreric1kansas.blogspot.com/