tingilinde

firefly season

In many parts of the East it is firefly season - in NJ we are at the richest part now.  Our development has so much spraying for things that probably don't need to be sprayed that the displays are on the lame side, but trips to "unimproved" regions can be spectacular.

A  piece in today's NY Times science section.

You can get involved helping a study at the Firefly Watch.

nice inexpensive telescopes to spark imaginations

The Galileoscope project is great.  A well designed and built $15 telescope that is roughly equivalent in size to the one Galileo shook the world with ...  but the optics are better.

If you have a kid who is curious about nature or if you want to donate a scope or three to schools in third world countries, now is the time.  They are having problems getting orders ...

So order early and often

really serious amateur astronomy

...  as well as the real thing.

The Hubble Legacy Archive is just what it sounds like and houses data that should be useful for decades to come.  Of course you need to know what you are doing, but many investigations are possible and real science will be done by the pros and even by serious amateurs. 

Here is a introductory video on the use of the archive.  More movies and a general discussion can be found in the FAQ.

firefly watch

Watching fireflies after sunset is a wonderful thing, but do you know the difference between photinus, pyractomena and phototurisflashes?  How about their flashing patterns?

Amateur science and fireflies!

Are they doing well or are they disappearing? 

sign up and be part of the study.  This is something the entire family can enjoy.

100 hours of astronomy

400 years since Galileo pointed his telescope skywards ... and an international event - the International Year of Astronomy.  The next few days will have some live streaming (thanks for the link Greg!) 

Streaming Video by Ustream.TV

discover the sky

It is getting warmer in much of the Northern Hemisphere and being out at night in the Spring is a good thing.  I've been strongly attracted to the night sky since I was a kid and learning a bit about astronomy is something I recommend.

There are a few nice planetarium programs that give you a sense of what you are looking at and are good training grounds for solo work.  I've been using Voyager from Carina Software for about 20 years and recommend their SkyGazer for anyone who is getting started.  The CD version is on sale for $40 and a download version for $30 until April 21

There are competitors, but I have experience with Carina and recommend their stuff - for the price of a book you can get a nice start into knowing what you are looking at. 

where biking works

Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark are often cited as examples where biking, particularly in urban areas, is practical transportation.  It clearly doesn't work in the US

Andreas Rohl, the bike program manager for Copenhagen, recently gave a talk at the US National Bike Summit.

Some points from his talk (thanks for sending these Ron)

36 percent of commuters in greater Copenhagen go by bike. About a third commute by car and another third use public transport.

750,000 people ride their bike daily in the city

55 percent of city dwellers use their bike to get to work

Some 30,000 cyclists hit the busiest streets in Copenhagen every day You don’t have to be a superhero to ride a bike in Copenhagen...It’s nothing special....To use a bike in Cophenhagen is a bit like brushing your teeth. It’s very natural.
 
The average bike trip is around four miles.
 
A quarter of families with two or more children have a cargo bike. 
 
Nobody in Copenhagen sees themselves as a cyclist.'
 
If a city gets above a certain level of cycling, it affects the absolute number of accidents...The whole city gets used to bicyclers.  The drivers, the bus drivers, everybody knows bicycles are everywhere. This has a positive effect on safety.
 
Why cycle? It’s the fastest and easiest way to get from a to b...It is by far the most efficient way mode of transport. 

 

falling in love

with science

It struck me that I needed to be an astronomer when I was about nine. That focus didn't change until high school, when I realized physics may be closer to my core interest. But kids who go into science fall in love. Most of your work and discipline is self-directed. If you are lucky you find a mentor.

Radiolab aired an old interview with E.O. Wilson on the spark of his passion... I caught it on my noon walk.

highly recommended!!!

storm tracking

Stormpulse

Neat - you can follow new and historical tracks. Data is from the National Hurricane Center

dark skies, saving money and fighting global warming

We've written about this often, but the waste of using lights to light the sky rather than the ground is insanely wasteful. The NY Times has an essay.

And there is the beauty of a really dark sky....