Science | Observations in Astronomy

Is There Such A Thing As Too Clean?

In millennia past, there have been all kinds of plagues and pestilence. Mortality rates for human beings were shockingly high by today’s standards. Life expectancy throughout most of history was half of what it is in the modern world within the first world nations. There obviously were many factors in play but what were the most common denominators across the board? Sanitation and the cleanliness of available water were big influences in determining how disease flourished or dwindled throughout a society.

Methods like fermentation were groundbreaking in making hydration available. Particularly in lands that were not always privy to consistent moisture, storing water was essential for survival. But water can easily become dangerously contaminated when not stored properly and in ancient times, knowing how to store it properly was not information that was available. Beer, mead, wine, and other types of alcoholic beverages were made by fermenting sugars derived from grains or fruits and were essential to the survival of some societies, as they had a much longer shelf life than improperly stored water.

Waste management was a major issue as well. During the Industrial Revolution in America, there was much wealth and commerce in the epicenter of American culture at the time, New York City. Because of the massive population growth at the time from immigration, many shoddy tenements popped up with people crammed in from wall to wall. Without any proper system for waste disposal, disease rates skyrocketed and mortality rates went through the barely constructed roofs. When a proper sanitation system was instilled, the disease rates drastically dropped. Obviously, cleanliness was a major issue in preventing illness.

Many people, however, are arguing that we have taken it to an extreme today. Most people know that washing hands after using restroom facilities, before eating and preparing food, and whenever contact with an ill person has taken place increases one’s chances of remaining healthy. But with the rampant use of hand sanitizers by some, the argument is that our immune systems are not getting enough exposure to bacteria to fight infection. Slightly relaxing their standards may sustain optimum health.

How Dangerous are Asteroids to Earth?

Every so often, a news broadcast will mention the fact that an asteroid is passing close to the Earth. Sometimes the scientific details are unclear, and initially it may seem that there could be some danger. Over the last few years, the planet was lucky a couple of times despite close calls, but there is evidence that it was it was not so lucky in the past.

Wars, the economy, climate change and natural and human made disasters all fuel a sporadic debate on whether an apocalypse could happen. While a complete end to the world is improbable, disasters come and go. They can leave their mark, but for the most part, we weather them out, or in extreme cases, hopefully survive and recover from them.

A giant meteor is thought to have killed the dinosaurs, commonly believed to have happened 65 million years ago. It struck the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, geologists believe, and the shock wave swept across North America in minutes.

Even in modern times, massive earthquakes have struck California and Malaysia, and hurricanes have caused extensive devastation in Florida and Louisiana. This is nothing compared to what a large asteroid is capable of. There are millions of them in space. In our own solar system, an entire belt of asteroids lies between Mars and Jupiter, possibly containing millions of rocks.

Despite popular perceptions, however, this asteroid belt is not a solid conglomeration of rocks. They are spread apart and you could actually pass through the belt without ever seeing anything. Scientists have estimated it to have a total mass that is a fraction that of the moon. Most of the objects in this area are tiny, while only a tiny percentage of them are a few miles across. Ceres is the largest one; it is hundreds of miles across and is sometimes considered to be a mini planet.

While a few asteroids pass close to earth’s orbit, Scientists keep a close watch on the known objects that do. It is rare for anything large enough to pass by and be any cause for alarm.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Asteriods, Earth

What Alternate Methods Are There for Getting to Space?

Giant telescopes scan the sky from many different places, both on Earth and even from orbit. Astronauts have traveled into space for years, but the energy and fuel required to get there is still enormous. Launching a spacecraft is still the most dangerous part of any mission. Alternative methods available, including nuclear, have been proposed, but this poses an even greater safety concern.

Many ideas have been thought up about ways to launch things into space without using rockets. One of these is the space elevator, a theoretical structure that would be anchored to the Earth near the equator, to a distance where it could achieve geostationary orbit. The concept has been around since the late 1800’s and if built, it would be a feasible method of elevating cargo into space. For such a system to be possible, the materials would have to be extremely light and strong. Carbon nanotubes are theoretically strong enough to support this kind of structure.

Using a space gun is another way to possibly launch things into space. This has actually been done, as the Navy once used a 100 caliber gun to shoot an object to a suborbital distance. The velocity and angle an object reaches from a gun, however, are too great to achieve orbit just from the gun, and the speed too high for humans to be safely launched. Similarly, an electromagnetic catapult, with motors and a sequential firing of electromagnets, could achieve the same thing, but the distance would have to be hundreds of miles long.

Other ideas include a space fountain. This is a tower so tall it could not support its own weight, but would be held aloft by a stream of particles. Satellite payloads could be lifted and lowered by the streams of particles. It would not require the superstrong materials a space elevator would, but would need a lot of power to stay in place.

Proposals also include building a ring around the Earth with elevators on each side, using a 1,200 mile long maglev system, or powering rockets using beams from the ground.

Filed Under: Observatory, Science Tagged With: Austronauts, Space

Decent Telescopes for Amateur Space Enthusiasts

You don’t have to be a professional astronomer to have the equipment available to get a closer peek at the stars. Of course, gigantic mountaintop observatories and space telescopes like Hubble can see billions of light years into space and the past, but there are consumer telescopes you can buy that will give you a pretty good view nonetheless.

For amateur astronomers and hobbyists, there are many telescopes available. For under $1,000, you can find a 6 inch scope that will enable you to see such things as globular clusters and some details of Mars. If you’re just starting out, you can even find starter telescopes for under $250. The main things to consider when making the purchase are the quality of the optics, and how smoothly the device’s mount operates so you can move it around easily.

One starter telescope has a 4.5 inch mirror. It is great for beginners but even the experts find it useful, because when you look through the lens on a clear night, you can see the moon’s craters and even cloud bands on Jupiter. A steady base and easy maneuverability also make it a good choice. For just about $100, one reflector telescope includes a tripod, altazimuth mount, focuser, finder scope and two eyepieces; a nice choice for backyard observation for the whole family.

While many amateur telescopes are great for use around the home, portable models are also available, including one that can feature a 16x or 30x eyepiece. Its streamlined, red design allows it to be carried around and it can even be placed in an overhead compartment of an airplane. With this, you can view the universe from anywhere; the only limit is where you are able to travel to enjoy the scope’s benefits.

There are so many kinds available to beginners, all you have to do is look online or visit a scientific retailer to get an idea of what is best for you. Even a simple scope may spark your interest in pursuing a life-long career or hobby.

Filed Under: Science, Telescopes Tagged With: Space, Telescopes

Astronomical Phenomena: Occultations – Almanacs, Books and Guides

With so many objects in space, one can move in front of the other from time to time, as seen from Earth. Eclipses have fascinated people throughout history, and folklore and religions have been influenced by them. A solar eclipse is amazing, and a lunar eclipse can spark hours of observing, but most people don’t think too much about occultations.

An occulation is very much like an eclipse, but an event is usually considered to be an eclipse when two objects similar in apparent size to one another are involved. The objects can be stars, planets, moons or any other entity, but it is the size as viewed from Earth that determines what we see. This eclipse-like event occurs when something large, like the Moon, obscures a star or other planet from view. The obscured objects have to be blocked by something that appears much larger than them.

Astronomical discoveries have been made just by observing occultations. The ring system of Uranus was discovered this way in the 1970’s. Stars that the planet passed over would dim and brighten several times before the planet moved over them. This led to speculation that there were rings, but this was confirmed when Voyager 2 passed by the planet. The space probe also found this to be the case with Neptune.

The Moon’s occultation of stars has led to discoveries such as binary stars, as one fades before the other. It sometimes passes stars right at its edge, which is a grazing occultation. When this happens, the star can actually disappear behind mountains and appear again through lunar valleys. Multiple observers who space themselves along a path have taken advantage of these events to profile the moons edge, which helps to detail the moons position, and also helped to map lunar topography before man ever went to the Moon.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Earth, Solar System

Developmental disabilities of today.

Developmental disabilities can be wide ranges of different difficult chronic impairments. These chronic conditions can be mental or physical and usually last through out the person’s whole life. These severe disabilities can start from birth up to the age range of 22. Autism is an example of a disability that is mental and starting from birth, while becoming blind could be an example of a physical disability starting at any age the accident or condition happens. The disabilities affect these peoples everyday life with problems such as independent living, mobility, self-help, learning, and mobility.

With a large amount of people today with these developmental disabilities there are a growing number of organizations dedicated to helping them. Some organizations want to help people with disabilities get jobs or careers that interest them and fits their disability. There are other committee’s who want to help adult people with disabilities have the freedom to choose who and where they live. These steps to help people with disabilities are kind. The goal is to integrate people with disabilities into the real everyday world instead of keeping them away and not challenging them.

Developmental disabilities are severe but that shouldn’t stop people with them from getting an education. In some cases special schools are necessary for teaching disabled persons. Some with mental disabilities may need classes that go at a slower pace. The schools that cater to these cases of mental disabilities also help teach the students how to deal with their disability at home and in public. In public learning how to make and keep friends and relationships is very important as well as common safety. The schools also teach the parents and care givers what to do and special care giving instructions. Even people with physical disabilities need special schools. The blind should learn brail and how to deal with their physical disability in the outside world.

Filed Under: Science Tagged With: Developmental disabilities, Developmental disability, Disabled

Space Food on Modern Space Flights

: Image via Wikipedia

A trip into space can be the most memorable moment of a lifetime. For astronauts, it is hard work, but the view can never be underappreciated, as well as the fun of being in zero gravity. As for food, that is another story.

Astronauts now have more of a choice in the foods they can choose, unlike early space missions like Mercury and Apollo. Because there is limited room to store things, foods must be stored in compact containers that are flexible. This aids in storage as well as in compressing the material for the trash.

The most interesting thing about space food is the food itself, which has to be rehydrated to be eaten. This is easy for things like chicken soup, but meals like chicken and rice, scrambled eggs, shrimp and cereals can also be prepared just by adding water to them. Many drinks, similarly, are stored as a powder, like tea, orange juice and lemonade, in a package that connects to a water dispenser to obtain the proper mixture.

Not all food that goes aboard the space shuttle is prepared this way. Some things such as nuts and cookies are put into pouches that just have to be cut open to use. Fresh foods like fruits and vegetables can be stored in their natural state, but can spoil on long missions. The shuttle has a module where astronauts can use its water dispenser and oven to prepare all the food they eat.

The most popular food items for astronauts are flour tortillas! Regular bread can crumble and takes up much more space, so these issues were eliminated when they started using tortillas in the 1980’s. Not only are they easier to eat, but they provide something to do during break time – tortillas also make for great Frisbees in microgravity.

The many foods that are eaten in space can be precooked and do not require refrigeration. They are prepared by adding water and by heating if necessary. Astronauts select their own food from a menu several months before the flight.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science Tagged With: Space, Space exploration, Space Shuttle

How Astronomical Calculations Were Made before the Computer Age – Almanacs, Books and Guides

With so many stars, planets, moons and other objects in space moving at different speeds, angles and distances, you would think it would take nothing less than a supercomputer to track everything. Recent discoveries show that this may not be the case, as ancient civilizations were able to track stars with relatively precise accuracy. The Egyptians built openings into structures where light from the Sun or other stars would shine in at certain times of the day or year.

Even more fascinating is the discovery made in a shipwreck near Greece, not far from the island of Crete. A device determined to be a mechanical analog computer is one of the oldest geared devices ever found. Called the Antikythera mechanism, it features different gears that were actually used before 100 BC. It has over 30 differential gears and someone could use a crank to calculate the position of the sun or Moon. The machine could also track other planets as well.

All of the gears operating together work similar to old clocks. The whole system could add or subtract angular velocities as well as compute lunar cycles by subtracting the movement of the Sun from that observed of the Moon. The structure of the device included an outer ring marked with the days of a 365-day calendar years, while an inner dial had zodiac symbols with delineations for degrees. The outer ring could also be moved to account for leap years.

The Antikythera mechanism also had components that indicated the rising and setting of specific stars and could track the positions of Venus and Mars. It was capable of even more and is an example of the things that complex mechanical systems are capable of. Even without miniaturized circuits and powerful computers, driving huge telescopes and observatories, astronomical observations could still be made thousands of years ago.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Planet, Solar System

The Tides: Surface Water Levels and the Influence of the Moon – Almanacs, Books and Guides

Like all objects in space, the Moon has gravity. Many people wonder at the fact that a distant sphere in the sky can affect things on the land they live on. It does, especially if you live near the ocean. Twice a day, the water reaches high levels and drops to minimum ones, mostly leaving people to watch and see where the water is, where it is going, and where it has been based on the texture of the sand.

The pull of the Moon’s gravity affects the oceans on a regular and predicable basis. The tides change times regularly each day as well, as they occur about 50 minutes later from one day to the next for the most part. Twice a month, when the Moon is full, and when it is dark during a New Moon, the tide is exceptionally high and lower than usual. Sometimes this exposes different parts of the sea floor and beach goers can find interesting shells and sea life that they don’t ordinarily see.

Aside from being the subject of interest from travelers and people relaxing on the beach, the tide can affect thing such as shipping, as shallower water in shipping lanes can be a hazard to large cargo ships, freighters, and tankers. In some places, boat captains must be aware of the tide schedule so they can safely time their entry and exit into harbors.

The tide can also affect fishing. The water depth can be a factor for some fish, but when the tide creates currents, the flow of the water can determine where the best places to fish are, and what kinds of fish are easier to catch.

Tidal flow can even affect how pollution moves through the water. When input into computer models, tide data can help predict how pollutants might advance and what areas they might or might not affect.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Planets, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Moon, Solar System, Tide