Saturday, August 18, 2007
An update
I see that Derek's not been posting for a couple of days. I'd like to assure everyone that he's doing ok. Last night he went to the Barcamp Vancouver and has gone again today. That's good news. It means to us that he has sufficient stamina to go through several hours of meeting and talking to people. Our niece is looking after the girls, and they've gone to a garage sale near our niece's home. We appreciate days like this.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Maybe there is life here, too?
Here's an image from the Galileo orbiter which circled Jupiter at the time. Europa is an ice-covered moon of Jupiter (in order of increasing distance from Jupiter: Io, EUROPA, Ganymede, Callisto)
. This picture shows a small area on Europa, bringing out the details of ridges, furrows, spots, all of which is much speculated about. The general consensus appears to be that there is an ocean of liquid water underneath all this, and that the observed phenomena relate to upwelling and gravitational warming of this ice ("squeezing" by Jupiter and those other moons). If there is water, is there a chance for some kind of "life"?
. This picture shows a small area on Europa, bringing out the details of ridges, furrows, spots, all of which is much speculated about. The general consensus appears to be that there is an ocean of liquid water underneath all this, and that the observed phenomena relate to upwelling and gravitational warming of this ice ("squeezing" by Jupiter and those other moons). If there is water, is there a chance for some kind of "life"?Original Caption Released with Image:
Reddish spots and shallow pits pepper the enigmatic ridged surface of Europa in this view combining information from images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft during two different orbits around Jupiter.
The spots and pits visible in this region of Europa's northern hemisphere are each about 10 kilometers (6 miles) across. The dark spots are called "lenticulae," the Latin term for freckles. Their similar sizes and spacing suggest that Europa's icy shell may be churning away like a lava lamp, with warmer ice moving upward from the bottom of the ice shell while colder ice near the surface sinks downward. Other evidence has shown that Europa likely has a deep melted ocean under its icy shell. Ruddy ice erupting onto the surface to form the lenticulae may hold clues to the composition of the ocean and to whether it could support life.
The image combines higher-resolution information obtained when Galileo flew near Europa on May 31, 1998, during the spacecraft's 15th orbit of Jupiter, with lower-resolution color information obtained on June 28, 1996, during Galileo's first orbit.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about Galileo and its discoveries is available on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov .
Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/University of Colorado
Reddish spots and shallow pits pepper the enigmatic ridged surface of Europa in this view combining information from images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft during two different orbits around Jupiter.
The spots and pits visible in this region of Europa's northern hemisphere are each about 10 kilometers (6 miles) across. The dark spots are called "lenticulae," the Latin term for freckles. Their similar sizes and spacing suggest that Europa's icy shell may be churning away like a lava lamp, with warmer ice moving upward from the bottom of the ice shell while colder ice near the surface sinks downward. Other evidence has shown that Europa likely has a deep melted ocean under its icy shell. Ruddy ice erupting onto the surface to form the lenticulae may hold clues to the composition of the ocean and to whether it could support life.
The image combines higher-resolution information obtained when Galileo flew near Europa on May 31, 1998, during the spacecraft's 15th orbit of Jupiter, with lower-resolution color information obtained on June 28, 1996, during Galileo's first orbit.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about Galileo and its discoveries is available on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov .
Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/University of Colorado
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Check things
At my age, it is prudent to check blood pressure. I've been doing this for some time, with an electronic BPM (Blood Pressure Monitor), which we've had for years. The Velcro, which holds the pressure cuff to your arm, is worn, so I decided to check the latest models on Consumer Reports website. This organization is not sponsored by any other organization; it tests consumer products by buying them as you and I would. Any major purchases we intend to make are first vetted by us here. So, when I looked for test results for BPMs, I found the top model. I went to our mall and looked for it, found the shelf on which it was supposed to sit at a pharmacy there. The shelf had the label of the correct model, but the BPM sitting there was a different model, by the same manufacturer. Since the people at the pharmacy did not have the model I wanted in stock, I decided to take the model I found.
Starting with this new BPM, I found that my blood pressure readings seemed to be about 20mmHg (20 mm of mercury) higher than on my old unit. This certainly caused me some concern. At that point I didn't know whether the old BPM had given me incorrect readings all along, or whether the new one was incorrect. This discrepancy persisted, so I made an appointment with our doctor. The intent was to compare the new machine with the doctor's BPM. Well, the result was that the new BPM read about 20 mmHg higher than the doctor's, too.
So, my advice, if you are doing something similar, go to your doctor and make sure the readings on your BPM matches the ones on his/hers to within a couple of points, or so. Take your BPM along with you, so you can compare them. Both you and your doctor may be making medication decisions based on the readings you are taking at home (to avoid the "white coat" syndrome). If these decisions are based on incorrect readings, the medical consequenses might be more serious than a blood pressure problem itself.
Starting with this new BPM, I found that my blood pressure readings seemed to be about 20mmHg (20 mm of mercury) higher than on my old unit. This certainly caused me some concern. At that point I didn't know whether the old BPM had given me incorrect readings all along, or whether the new one was incorrect. This discrepancy persisted, so I made an appointment with our doctor. The intent was to compare the new machine with the doctor's BPM. Well, the result was that the new BPM read about 20 mmHg higher than the doctor's, too.
So, my advice, if you are doing something similar, go to your doctor and make sure the readings on your BPM matches the ones on his/hers to within a couple of points, or so. Take your BPM along with you, so you can compare them. Both you and your doctor may be making medication decisions based on the readings you are taking at home (to avoid the "white coat" syndrome). If these decisions are based on incorrect readings, the medical consequenses might be more serious than a blood pressure problem itself.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Nice day
Because it's such a nice day today, we sat on the back porch this morning, had breakfast, and had a nice talk with Derek, Airdrie, and the girls. Derek is having a good day. He has gained some more weight, but is still fairly limited in the kind of food he can take. None-the-less, things are looking up. His blood sugars are in very good shape. He had another CT scan yesterday, but doesn't know the results yet.
We have friends who phoned from Europe this morning; they have relatives who are dealing with cancer as well - it's also three steps forward and two steps back for them in their recovery. So, yes, it's frustrating for everyone concerned, but fighting cancer is a real, biological war and the battle lines move constantly. It involves family and friends, too; I think that's what makes us human. We are thankful to all of you for your support.
We have friends who phoned from Europe this morning; they have relatives who are dealing with cancer as well - it's also three steps forward and two steps back for them in their recovery. So, yes, it's frustrating for everyone concerned, but fighting cancer is a real, biological war and the battle lines move constantly. It involves family and friends, too; I think that's what makes us human. We are thankful to all of you for your support.
Monday, August 13, 2007
The Perseids
Yesterday, I looked for the "falling stars" I talked about in the previous post. I saw a couple of bright ones around 10:30pm, one of them through binoculars. That one did not seem to be part of the Perseids; it came from a different direction. However, it was quite bright, and I could see it break up into several smaller pieces just as it finished. That happens when the heat buildup inside gets high enough to explode the original meteor.
Unfortunately, a broken cloud cover drifted in around 10:45pm, so I probably missed more of the Perseids. I went into the house at that time. Though I woke up a couple of times during the night and the sky had cleared again, I didn't see any more Perseids during the few minutes I looked out the Window at those times.
Perhaps other people had more luck. According to predictions, there should have been a fair number visible this year.
Unfortunately, a broken cloud cover drifted in around 10:45pm, so I probably missed more of the Perseids. I went into the house at that time. Though I woke up a couple of times during the night and the sky had cleared again, I didn't see any more Perseids during the few minutes I looked out the Window at those times.
Perhaps other people had more luck. According to predictions, there should have been a fair number visible this year.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Falling stars
For those of you interested in seeing a phenomenon in the sky without the need for a telescope or binoculars:
This weekend we have the annual re-appearance of the Perseid Meteor Shower. What we should see (barring cloudy skies and too much light pollution from surrounding lights) is the "burning up" in the Earth's atmosphere of tiny particles which Earth encounters every year in its orbit around the Sun. The "debris" which the Earth encounters at this time each year is shed by a comet which also orbits the Sun, named Swift-Tuttle (the discoverers). If you are located away from the big cities, and have a clear sky, you might see a "falling star" once a minute, or so. In the cities, you'll only see the brighter ones, but there is always a possibility of a really bright "fireball". The maximum "rate" is expected on Sunday night, into Monday morning.
Look towards the north-east when the sky gets dark. Here are two images of the same area generated by the "Starry Night" computer program simulating the view at about 11:15pm. The Perseus constellation is pictured just below centre in each image. The lines connecting the stars are imaginary, they don't exist in reality. Click on the pictures for a larger view:
As you would see the sky away from the city.
Shown with annotation.
The frequency of falling stars will increase after midnight, when the Earth's rotation carries you you around to a more "head-on" direction. This is the direction into which the Earth is heading on its way around the Sun.
The Perseids get their name from the constellation from which they appear to come, called the "radiant". This purely a perspective effect; the stars which comprise this constellation are infinitely farther away than this comet-debris, which originates in the solar system. As the night progresses, this radiant moves higher and higher into the sky, due to the Earth's rotation.
Good luck, and clear skies!
This weekend we have the annual re-appearance of the Perseid Meteor Shower. What we should see (barring cloudy skies and too much light pollution from surrounding lights) is the "burning up" in the Earth's atmosphere of tiny particles which Earth encounters every year in its orbit around the Sun. The "debris" which the Earth encounters at this time each year is shed by a comet which also orbits the Sun, named Swift-Tuttle (the discoverers). If you are located away from the big cities, and have a clear sky, you might see a "falling star" once a minute, or so. In the cities, you'll only see the brighter ones, but there is always a possibility of a really bright "fireball". The maximum "rate" is expected on Sunday night, into Monday morning.
Look towards the north-east when the sky gets dark. Here are two images of the same area generated by the "Starry Night" computer program simulating the view at about 11:15pm. The Perseus constellation is pictured just below centre in each image. The lines connecting the stars are imaginary, they don't exist in reality. Click on the pictures for a larger view:
As you would see the sky away from the city.
Shown with annotation.
The frequency of falling stars will increase after midnight, when the Earth's rotation carries you you around to a more "head-on" direction. This is the direction into which the Earth is heading on its way around the Sun.
The Perseids get their name from the constellation from which they appear to come, called the "radiant". This purely a perspective effect; the stars which comprise this constellation are infinitely farther away than this comet-debris, which originates in the solar system. As the night progresses, this radiant moves higher and higher into the sky, due to the Earth's rotation.
Good luck, and clear skies!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Out of this world
Last night, Hilkka and I attended a presentation by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Vancouver Centre . Eric Dunn, a well-known popularizer of Astronomy and long-time member, gave us a talk about the latest developments in Solar System exploration. Much of our present knowledge comes from the technical marvels called "orbiters" - vehicles sent from Earth to "circle" or pass by other planets, their "moons", or to probe comets, asteroids, etc., all part of our solar system.
Because the difficulty of reaching some of the planets, we have varying amounts of knowledge about them. Also, several of them (i.e. the "gas giants" Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) have no solid surfaces that we know of, or are too inhospitable likely ever to support a human presence (Venus, or Jupiter's moon Io, for example). Therefore, more detailed exploration efforts are currently directed to those places where human beings could survive. The most likely of these is the planet Mars.
Now, getting there is not accomplished without some better technology than is currently available. As a first step, plans are being made to land people on our Moon again. From 1969 to 1972 the USA landed people on the Moon and returned them to Earth, but, incredibly, there is no "hardware" on hand right now to do this again - for instance, no spaceworthy "Saturn" rockets (the biggest rockets ever built) exist. There are a lot of extras that need to go along, most importantly a "return vehicle". All these require prodigious amounts of energy (fuel, meaning really big rockets) to lift out of Earth's "gravity well". At the moment, this kind of spacecraft is not available.
This means, of course, that we also cannot get to, and return from Mars right now. None-the-less, to land people on Mars, you need to know as much as possible about it beforehand. To this end, there have been many "robot" explorers sent there. Some of these orbit Mars, probing it with a variety of cameras and sensors; a couple are actually on Mars' surface - the spectacularly successful "rovers", Spirit and Opportunity. You can see pictures and related information here: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20070503a.html
The talk by Eric mentioned other worlds as well. Perhaps the most successful planetary explorer ever is the Cassini orbiter which has taken a multitude of pictures and transmitted to Earth a huge amount of information about Saturn, many of its moons (we know of about 60 at last count) and the environment out there. For instance, I showed a picture of a "backlit" Saturn on an earlier post, which Cassini sent.
There are many other images at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/index.html
Every now and then, one needs to get away from one's problems and concerns. I find my "getaway" in the fields of Astronomy and space exploration. If you're interested in some of this, link to http://www.nasa.gov/, or http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/, and do some "link-hopping".
Because the difficulty of reaching some of the planets, we have varying amounts of knowledge about them. Also, several of them (i.e. the "gas giants" Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) have no solid surfaces that we know of, or are too inhospitable likely ever to support a human presence (Venus, or Jupiter's moon Io, for example). Therefore, more detailed exploration efforts are currently directed to those places where human beings could survive. The most likely of these is the planet Mars.
Now, getting there is not accomplished without some better technology than is currently available. As a first step, plans are being made to land people on our Moon again. From 1969 to 1972 the USA landed people on the Moon and returned them to Earth, but, incredibly, there is no "hardware" on hand right now to do this again - for instance, no spaceworthy "Saturn" rockets (the biggest rockets ever built) exist. There are a lot of extras that need to go along, most importantly a "return vehicle". All these require prodigious amounts of energy (fuel, meaning really big rockets) to lift out of Earth's "gravity well". At the moment, this kind of spacecraft is not available.
This means, of course, that we also cannot get to, and return from Mars right now. None-the-less, to land people on Mars, you need to know as much as possible about it beforehand. To this end, there have been many "robot" explorers sent there. Some of these orbit Mars, probing it with a variety of cameras and sensors; a couple are actually on Mars' surface - the spectacularly successful "rovers", Spirit and Opportunity. You can see pictures and related information here: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20070503a.html
The talk by Eric mentioned other worlds as well. Perhaps the most successful planetary explorer ever is the Cassini orbiter which has taken a multitude of pictures and transmitted to Earth a huge amount of information about Saturn, many of its moons (we know of about 60 at last count) and the environment out there. For instance, I showed a picture of a "backlit" Saturn on an earlier post, which Cassini sent.
There are many other images at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/index.html
Every now and then, one needs to get away from one's problems and concerns. I find my "getaway" in the fields of Astronomy and space exploration. If you're interested in some of this, link to http://www.nasa.gov/, or http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/, and do some "link-hopping".
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Little things mean a lot
As you've probably read on Derek's blog, things are progressing slowly, but steadily. We're pleased that he's gained some weight - it'll help with his continuing fight against his cancer.
We live next to each other in a duplex, with connecting balconies. This arrangement makes it possible visit on short notice, and with no effort. So, it is easy for Derek and/or his family to come over. Last night Derek came to visit us, to our great pleasure. Also, Marina, Dereks' older daughter, likes to come over in the evening for some "quiet time", as she calls it, and, as grandparents, we consider this to be a real compliment from her. Many times both Marina and Lauren, Dereks' younger daughter, are here for a visit, and we can take them at any time Derek or Airdrie (or both) need some time for themselves or when they need to do other things. Sometimes Marina and Lauren sleep over; it's a wonderful thing that we have Dereks' "clan" so close. This kind of thing (all the family under one roof) used to be normal; nowadays families are often spread all over the globe, and I think something goes missing when that happens. In any case, our situation is certainly of help to Derek in his current bout with his illness.
"Little" things indeed.
We live next to each other in a duplex, with connecting balconies. This arrangement makes it possible visit on short notice, and with no effort. So, it is easy for Derek and/or his family to come over. Last night Derek came to visit us, to our great pleasure. Also, Marina, Dereks' older daughter, likes to come over in the evening for some "quiet time", as she calls it, and, as grandparents, we consider this to be a real compliment from her. Many times both Marina and Lauren, Dereks' younger daughter, are here for a visit, and we can take them at any time Derek or Airdrie (or both) need some time for themselves or when they need to do other things. Sometimes Marina and Lauren sleep over; it's a wonderful thing that we have Dereks' "clan" so close. This kind of thing (all the family under one roof) used to be normal; nowadays families are often spread all over the globe, and I think something goes missing when that happens. In any case, our situation is certainly of help to Derek in his current bout with his illness.
"Little" things indeed.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Out some more
Late in the afternoon yesterday Derek phoned us from our neighbourhood mall. He had had a meal by that time and he and family had spent a couple of hours there. The wheelchair came in handy, apparently.
It's good to know that he's able to get away from the house for more than a few minutes.
It's good to know that he's able to get away from the house for more than a few minutes.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Get away
Don't fly me to the Moon - fly on Mars instead:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/gallery/video/movies/ThemisFlybyMusic.mpg
This is a movie of a simulated flight over Mariner Valley on Mars, based on data collected by Mars orbiter instrumentation. Download time is over a minute for a hi-speed connection.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/gallery/video/movies/ThemisFlybyMusic.mpg
This is a movie of a simulated flight over Mariner Valley on Mars, based on data collected by Mars orbiter instrumentation. Download time is over a minute for a hi-speed connection.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Not much to report
We haven't talked to Derek in a couple of days, but he's taking it easy, from what Airdrie and our granddaughters tell us. As mentioned before, it's a slow and gradual recovery for Derek.
We have guests from Europe ourselves for a couple of days, so we're showing them the Vancouver sites - the weather is beautiful.
We have guests from Europe ourselves for a couple of days, so we're showing them the Vancouver sites - the weather is beautiful.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Cloud ring
We live in a house with "northern exposure" and have a beautiful view of the "North Shore Mountains". My wife and I never get tired of the ever-changing scenery - even though we have lived here for 36 years. Many a morning and evening we sit in our living room to watch the play of light at sunrise and sunset.
The pictures shown above were taken on the evening of Aug 4, 2007. From our point of view, the sun has already set, but it is still illuminating these clouds from below. Here's another one:
This sunset picture was taken earlier this year, also from our front window.
If you're interested in some more "view" shots, Here's the link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mimiandpapa/sets/72157594393515729/
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Dereks' evening out
I'm sure most of you who read this blog do so because, when Derek is temporarily incapacitated in his fight with the cancer, I post information here. So it is with some degree of pleasure that I point you back to his blog (http://www.penmachine.com/), because Derek is blogging more regularly again. It is also good to know that more substantial food, and an occasional drink (http://www.penmachine.com/2007/08/know-your-limit), do go down well with him, even though he has to watch the interactions between drink and medication. He can use all the calories he can get.
When adversity strikes, you really learn for whom you care and what is important.
When adversity strikes, you really learn for whom you care and what is important.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)