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Thanks to Thomas Gill of North Central College, I have enhanced my previous entry with a few photos.
Two for the Egoboo File
Nov. 11th, 2009 06:30 pm(Yes, I do actually have an Egoboo File. It's in the basement.)
Gary Westfahl of the University of California at Riverside, a science fiction critic whose work I have often admired, quoted our 1977 filksong "Home on Lagrange" in his 1996 book Islands in the Sky: The Space Station Theme in Science Fiction Literature. This I learned because there is a new paperback edition, which has been swallowed by Google Books.
Our parody is offered as evidence that stories of space stations often invoke the American frontier. Read the relevant passage here.
We originally wrote it to poke fun at the grandiose proclamations of prophets advocating space colonies. The title pun (about Lagrange points in celestial mechanics) motivated us more than the connection between a cowboy song and the space-type frontier. But the song does express a manifest-destiny approach to the wide-open spaces, so I can't disagree that it's relevant...
Turning to another bit of egoboo, yesterday at North Central College's Oesterle Library I participated in an event celebrating 400 years since Galileo first turned his telescope to the heavens; you can read about it in today's Daily Herald. A new NASA image combining views of the Milky Way's center from three different space telescopes was unveiled.
( More photos behind cut )
Photos by Thomas Gill, courtesy of North Central College.
The affair was a great success. About 70 people showed up to hear about astronomy on a Tuesday afternoon. The Oesterle's Emily Prather-Rodgers was mistress of ceremonies. Three faculty members, Richard Wilders, Michael de Brauw, and John Zenchak, gave fine talks about Galileo and his work. Visitors examined the library's first edition of Galileo's Dialogo and peered through a modern copy of his first telescope. My job was to give context to the Milky Way picture and explain a little about the objects it reveals. I had a grand time.
Gary Westfahl of the University of California at Riverside, a science fiction critic whose work I have often admired, quoted our 1977 filksong "Home on Lagrange" in his 1996 book Islands in the Sky: The Space Station Theme in Science Fiction Literature. This I learned because there is a new paperback edition, which has been swallowed by Google Books.
Our parody is offered as evidence that stories of space stations often invoke the American frontier. Read the relevant passage here.
We originally wrote it to poke fun at the grandiose proclamations of prophets advocating space colonies. The title pun (about Lagrange points in celestial mechanics) motivated us more than the connection between a cowboy song and the space-type frontier. But the song does express a manifest-destiny approach to the wide-open spaces, so I can't disagree that it's relevant...
Turning to another bit of egoboo, yesterday at North Central College's Oesterle Library I participated in an event celebrating 400 years since Galileo first turned his telescope to the heavens; you can read about it in today's Daily Herald. A new NASA image combining views of the Milky Way's center from three different space telescopes was unveiled.
( More photos behind cut )
Photos by Thomas Gill, courtesy of North Central College.
The affair was a great success. About 70 people showed up to hear about astronomy on a Tuesday afternoon. The Oesterle's Emily Prather-Rodgers was mistress of ceremonies. Three faculty members, Richard Wilders, Michael de Brauw, and John Zenchak, gave fine talks about Galileo and his work. Visitors examined the library's first edition of Galileo's Dialogo and peered through a modern copy of his first telescope. My job was to give context to the Milky Way picture and explain a little about the objects it reveals. I had a grand time.
I'll be speaking next Tuesday at North Central College in downtown Naperville, Illinois. As part of the International Year of Astronomy celebrations, NASA has encouraged institutions across the U.S. to hold "unveilings" of a new image of our galaxy's center. Here's the press release for the event. Quoting a portion:
Oesterle Library displays new Milky Way images, rare Galileo book
The public is invited to North Central College’s Oesterle Library Nov. 10 to view two stunning, large-scale, multi-wavelength images showing the core of the Milky Way Galaxy as viewed by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra Space Telescope and the Spitzer X-Ray Observatory.
North Central College is one of only 11 cultural and scientific sites in Illinois and 152 nationwide authorized by NASA to unveil the images as part of the International Year of Astronomy celebration.
The free event will take place from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the College’s Oesterle Library, 320 E. School St. Following the unveiling, the mural-size images will be on permanent display in Oesterle Library. The first image is 3 feet high by 6 feet wide, and the second image is 4 feet high by 3 feet wide.
[Read More]
I'll discuss the new image and the science behind it. There will also be talks about Galileo and his telescope, and you can see the Oesterle Library's first edition of Galileo's book Dialogo (or Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems). If you're nearby at noontime Tuesday, come by and see us.
Oesterle Library displays new Milky Way images, rare Galileo book
The public is invited to North Central College’s Oesterle Library Nov. 10 to view two stunning, large-scale, multi-wavelength images showing the core of the Milky Way Galaxy as viewed by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra Space Telescope and the Spitzer X-Ray Observatory.
North Central College is one of only 11 cultural and scientific sites in Illinois and 152 nationwide authorized by NASA to unveil the images as part of the International Year of Astronomy celebration.
The free event will take place from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the College’s Oesterle Library, 320 E. School St. Following the unveiling, the mural-size images will be on permanent display in Oesterle Library. The first image is 3 feet high by 6 feet wide, and the second image is 4 feet high by 3 feet wide.
[Read More]
I'll discuss the new image and the science behind it. There will also be talks about Galileo and his telescope, and you can see the Oesterle Library's first edition of Galileo's book Dialogo (or Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems). If you're nearby at noontime Tuesday, come by and see us.
Saving Hubble: Boffins Weigh In
Jul. 19th, 2004 10:08 amThe NASA administrator is unwilling to launch the previously-scheduled repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. But he did ask a blue-ribbon committee to look at it, and also evaluate a possible robotic repair mission.
Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope is a brief 10-page letter offering the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences committee that studied the problem.
A thicker report will be along in the fall.
Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope is a brief 10-page letter offering the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences committee that studied the problem.
A thicker report will be along in the fall.
