Science

“This Report is a major contribution to the debate..”

Pete Baker on September 29, 2009, 3:53 pm

| Readers 24

RTÉ reports some of the recommendations, and some of the criticisms of Invest NI, in the Independent Review of Economic Policy (IREP), chaired by the University of Ulster Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Barnett – full report here [pdf file]. In yesterday’s Belfast Telegraph David Gordon asked the question for the report to answer, “Are Invest NI really up to the job?” The Northern Ireland DETI Minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster has welcomed the publication and “[intends] to carry out a short …

Water, water, everywhere?

Pete Baker on September 26, 2009, 11:37 pm

| Readers 3

Astronomers are always keen to identify signs of water on exo-planets. And it turns out that, at least in our local neighbourhood, it’s everywhere! We knew about Mars, where even more evidence has been detected by Nasa, and about the Saturn moon Enceladus. Now we have confirmation of wide-spread water on the surface of the Moon – related Nasa press release [videos below the fold]. That should make LCROSS’ lunar impact interesting. And here’s an interesting hypothesus Scientists suspect the …

Saturn’s Rite of Spring

Pete Baker on September 23, 2009, 1:38 am

| Readers 6

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute. Nasa/Esa/Isa’s Cassini probe has been paying close attention to Saturn at Equinox – as the image left, a mosaic of 75 exposures, shows. There’s a much larger version here and, via the Professor, the Bad Astronomer has more. Here’s a JPL News video of what Cassini’s been watching at Saturn. 15 years to the next equinox. And here’s a medium sized version of the image. And a previous post on Saturn and Cassini. Pete Baker

European First for Northern Ireland..

Pete Baker on September 18, 2009, 3:57 pm

| Readers 0

From pig to human to pig. Not a problem as long as the mortality rate, or the Case Fatality Ratio, stays low.. which it seems to be doing. Pete Baker

Planck’s first light

Pete Baker on September 18, 2009, 3:02 am

| Readers 4

Credits: ESA, LFI & HFI Consortia. Background optical image: Axel Mellinger. ESA’s Herschel space telescope sent its first view back some months ago. Its companion microwave observatory, Planck, which was launched at the same time, has now achieved first light [BBC report]. From the ESA press release. The ‘first light’ survey, which began on 13 August, was a two-week period during which Planck surveyed the sky continuously. It was carried out to verify the stability of the instruments and the …

There are no snakes in Ireland..

Pete Baker on September 15, 2009, 8:09 pm

| Readers 2

Well, there are no native species.. A python measuring 10ft (3.08m) in length has been removed from the River Slaney. Update iol reports that the python was “believed to have been about 10-years-old and recently dead” and adds Dr Cathal Gallagher, Central Fisheries Board director of research, warned about keeping exotic and dangerous animals. “The real message from our point of view is that we have a lot of problems with invasive and non-native species,” he said. “Although this is …

Hubble’s back!

Pete Baker on September 12, 2009, 1:36 am

| Readers 1

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team. The Hubble Space Telescope celebrated 19 years in orbit this year and had another, final, refit. The new camera, Wide Field Camera 3, got a test run with the unexpected Great Black Spot [of Jupiter] but it’s now fully calibrated and Hubble has reopened for business. As this image of the Butterfly Nebula (NGC 6302) demonstrates. The BBC’s Spaceman blog has more. Pete Baker

“this spectacular event may have been witnessed by people all over the country”

Pete Baker on September 5, 2009, 1:18 am

| Readers 0

If you saw a “huge explosion in the skies” last night, and I didn’t, Astronomy Ireland would like to know. Apparently it occurred around 9pm and was visible in west Cork, Kerry, Cavan and as far north as Donegal. Just be thankful it wasn’t Apophis. Or even another Tunguska. [All hail Ogdy! – Ed] Indeed. But it may have looked something like this.. Pete Baker

Knowledge is, indeed, power

Pete Baker on September 1, 2009, 9:10 pm

| Readers 12

Will Crawley valiantly attempts to mediate between the President of the National Secular Society, Terry Sanderson, and Emperor Constantine Pope Benedict XVI. The dispute, such as it is, centres on a recent papal address. I think Will’s right that Terry Sanderson’s statement was an attempt to instigate a media driven furore, “aided and abetted by secret sects, satanic groups and New Age movements” no doubt, although I haven’t seen many takers yet.. But whatever Benedict had in mind with his …

Discovery in orbit at third attempt

Pete Baker on August 29, 2009, 4:17 pm

| Readers 0

While we wait for a return call from our “new bffs” on Gliese 581d, the twice delayed Space Shuttle Mission STS-128 finally got underway with another spectacular night-flight to refit the International Space Station. As part of the mission they’ll be preparing the station for a new balcony.. of sorts. Pete Baker

“Exactly 400 years ago today, on 25 August 1609..”

Pete Baker on August 26, 2009, 1:39 am

| Readers 12

Google has marked the date with a special logo. It’s the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s demonstration of his improved 8-powered version of the telescope to the Venetian Senate. And the improvements continue, as predicted by one of Those [Royal Society] Guys. The telescope was my nomination for greatest human innovation, and the Guardian’s Science blog has an interesting related post. Although the Galileo Project points out that Thomas Harriot was also using a telescope to observe the skies. Meanwhile, …

“These successes depend on acts of altruism.”

Pete Baker on August 24, 2009, 2:00 am

| Readers 7

In the Sunday Times, Liam Clarke has a considered article on the recent [ongoing?] campaign by BBC NI’s Stephen Nolan to affect a clinical decision in the case of a 19 year old with alcohol related liver failure. From the Sunday Times article One of the most compelling moments on the Nolan show came when a caller asked Stephen Nolan if he carried a donor card himself. “No, I don’t,” the presenter replied. Asked if that made him a hypocrite, …

“I do not intervene, I am merely a politician.”

Pete Baker on August 21, 2009, 1:29 am

| Readers 5

Northern Ireland Health Minister Michael McGimpsey is resisting media and political pressure on him to interfere with a clinical decision made in line with existing NHS guidelines. Needless to say, the self-styled “biggest show in the country” was involved again. I didn’t hear the whole discussion this morning [mp3 file], but I thought I’d remind the presenter concerned of his comments after a previous attempt to interfere with a clinical decision, in 2006, as transcribed at the time “Decisions are …

“It just went. Vanished.”

Pete Baker on August 19, 2009, 3:31 am

| Readers 1

You do know that the tinfoil doesn’t work, right? Just checking. The UK National Archive have released more files relating to Unidentified Flying Objects – they are what it says on the tin – to add to those files previously released. Selected highlights here [pdf file]. BBC NI picks out some local examples and there are other examples from wider afield. And the Guardian’s Science Weekly podcast ponders “Are we all Martians?” Meanwhile, Nasa’s Stardust scientists believe they have identified …

“Just remember to keep it clean..”

Pete Baker on August 16, 2009, 1:18 am

| Readers 3

[Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.] I pointed to Earth’s old scars recently but Nasa’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) HiRISE camera has taken this stunning colour enhanced image of the Victoria Crater in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars – the crater’s a mere 730m across. If you look to the left of the crater in the larger image [2Mb jpeg] you can see the tracks of Mars rover Opportunity. Earlier wondrous MRO images and video here. Meanwhile, the Cassini team in …

Ulster Museum to re-open on 22 October

Pete Baker on August 14, 2009, 6:03 pm

| Readers 1

After an extended and expensive, and controversial, renovation it’s been announced that the Ulster Museum will re-open on 22 October – 80 years on from the original building’s official opening in 1929. Let’s hope they remember about the items on temporary public display elsewhere. And any other borrowed items.. Pete Baker

Asteroid Impact Craters on Earth

Pete Baker on August 13, 2009, 7:08 pm

| Readers 115

Via the Professor. Wired has some stunning images of Earth’s old scars – “Asteroid Impact Craters on Earth as Seen from Space”. Including the approximately 290 million years old pair of impact craters that form Clearwater Lakes, Quebec. The larger crater measures 22 miles across. Image: NASA. And A related New Scientist report. And, also in Canada, here’s a photo of the eroded remains of the 43-mile wide Manicouagan Crater formed approximately 210 million years ago by the impact of …

The Perseids are here!

Pete Baker on August 12, 2009, 10:18 pm

| Readers 0

If, like me, cloud cover prevented any sightings of the annual Perseids meteor shower last night there’s another chance to see them tonight – although the weather’s not looking any more promising at the minute. Astronomy Ireland have their Perseids Watch underway too. But in the worse case scenario you can, as the Guardian notes, follow the Perseids meteor watch on Twitter, organised by the Newbury Astronomical Society and the International Year of Astronomy 2009, where there will be, and …

“The Perseids are coming.”

Pete Baker on August 9, 2009, 10:35 pm

| Readers 1

Last year’s Perseids shower was a bit of a washout, as I recall – although David Moore of Astronomy.ie reported seeing 115 meteors in just over 2 hours. So fingers crossed for this year’s show, even with the Moon hanging around. The Perseids are due to peak on 12th August but as the Nasa press release says, “the show is already getting underway.” SpaceWeather, as usual, has more – including the International Meteor Organization’s activity profile. To help find Perseus …

“Now, enjoy the rest of the weekend.”

Pete Baker on August 8, 2009, 6:40 pm

| Readers 4

“Breda O’Brien is on leave” says the Irish Times. Indeed. Yes, design. The impulse behind conspiracy theories is the same as that behind belief in astrology, numerology, Feng Shui and, well, God. All these things allow us to imagine that some structure (either malign or benevolent) orders our terrifyingly unaccommodating cosmos. I’ve got news for you. There’s no pattern. Nobody is behind the curtain. People are cruel and stupid. We’re all going to die. Indeed, the universe itself will eventually …