A Useful Astronomical Accessory

I have a little 7 amp-hour 12-volt battery that I use to power a red neon light out in the observatory--the battery is a "jump starter" from Radio Shack. Turns out it's also useful for when your child plays in your car and leaves the headlights on and you find it dead the next morning on your way to work. Imagine, using a jump-start battery to start your car!

Voter I.D.

There's been a bunch of talk recently about requiring a government-issued photo I.D. along with a voter registration card at a polling place, and the various problems associated with doing so. I see a solution, and it's so simple I can't be the only person thinking this: 

Make the voter registration card a photo I.D. 

How hard can that be? Hell, my Sam's Club card has my picture on it, surely the State of Texas can figure it out. And you want to go one better? Engineer it in such a way that residents of a border state can use it as I.D. to leave and enter the country from their home state instead of a passport.

Fourth Saturn of the Year

First halfway decent seeing in weeks--3/5 according to CSC. Compare this one to the one I shot when Saturn was at opposition. The rings aren't nearly as bright as they were with the sun falling directly on them.

Sadly, This Describes My Job

Nation Demands Easier Instructions

WASHINGTON, DC-Decrying needlessly confusing directions for the use and assembly of countless products, citizens across the nation are organizing advocacy groups to demand that American manufacturers simplify the instructions they place on packaging.

No joke. I did a 4-page instruction for a pair of pliers.

The Furminator

This was after the second session; we're maybe a third of the way done.

A Sort of Small Bigness

Jenna Bush discussing her upcoming wedding on Larry King Live:

"[It will be] outdoors, very small wedding, you 'know, very small, all relatives, our families, really, kind of big," Jenna Bush said.

I guess she gets it from her dad.

A Modest Proposal

Now that spring is fully here, it's time to think about baseball.

Baseball has simple rules: Nine players, not ten. A grass field. A wooden bat. That's all.

So what the deuce is the deal with college baseball? They can't get even one of those things right. "The designated hitter digs in; here's the pitch--tink! It's a screaming grounder up the middle as it takes a fast hop off the artificial surface..."

So I hereby propose that college "baseball" be re-labeled as college "baseball-flavored sport," just like "chocolate" milk and American "cheese."

Messier Marathon: The Movie

Ralph Menga and Frank Boecker put together this wonderful video highlighting their Messier Marathon this year. That's a lot of shooting in one night--my hat's off to these two fellow Mac astronomers for giving it a go!

A Joke To Pass The Time

Until there's something more interesting to say, enjoy this funny bit:

A man goes to a shrink and says, "Doctor, my wife is unfaithful to me. Every evening, she goes to Larry's bar and picks up men. In fact, she sleeps with anybody who asks her! I'm going crazy. What do you think I should do?"

"Relax," says the doctor. "Take a deep breath and calm down. Now, tell me, exactly where is Larry's bar?"

100 Objects

The family & I took advantage of that great weather and went to Canyon of the Eagles an the Eagle Eye Observatory last night. This is the time of year for staying up late for a Messier Marathon, and I nearly made it. I managed to view 100 out of the 110, not a bad night's work. I really should have tried last month, but the weather wasn't cooperating, so there were a couple already below the horizon at sunset. I pooped out about 4:00 a.m., so I missed some early morning ones, but in between I saw a trove of goodies. I didn't make notes, but I recall the Sombrero Galaxy (M104), the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and Bode's & Cigar Galaxies (M81/82) as particularly stunning.

Something I Haven't Seen Nearly Enough Of

Guess where we're going tonight? =)

Just For Comparison, Part II

The Associated Press writes today, "Scientists plan to put one of the twin Mars rovers to sleep and limit the activities of the other robot to fulfill a NASA order to cut $4 million from the program's budget, mission team members said Monday."

The story continues, "Both rovers were originally planned for three-month missions at a cost of $820 million, but are now in their fourth year of exploration. It costs NASA about $20 million annually to keep the rovers running."

Remember that number: $20 million a year.

Meanwhile, MSNBC is reporting on the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's report on the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The Pentagon is spending about $6 billion a month on the war in Iraq, or about $200 million a day, according to the CBO."

Two. Hundred. Million. Dollars. A day.

That means in just under two and a half hours, the Pentagon has spent the entire annual budget for the Mars Exploration Rovers. What a waste.

What a senseless, stupid, fucking waste.

Just For Comparison

Project Apollo:
Cost (in 2006 dollars): $135 billion
Lives Lost: 3 (Apollo 1: Grissom, White & Chaffee)

Operation Iraqi Freedom:
Cost: $406 billion (White House estimate through 12/07)
Lives Lost: 3998 US Military fatalities (as of 3/17/08), 82,249 – 89,760 Iraqi civilian deaths (as of 2/16/08)

Montes Apenninus, Montes Caucasus & Montes Alpes

I didn't really set out to make this mosaic--it just sort of happened. Could have used one more frame on the southern end, but oh well. 12,500 frames total. 10" LX200 @ f/10.

Rima Hadley (Apollo 15) is just visible near the northern end of the Apennines. The rille in Vallis Alpes is almost there; I'm not convinced it's not a processing artifact.