Space Duet, Friday Night on the Boardwalk and new poll question

A space duet on the flute with astronaut Cady Coleman on the space station and Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson.  They played together in celebration of "Yuri's Night", in honor of the first human space flight on April 12, 1961 of Yuri Gagarin.


This Friday (weather permitting) there will be an night observation session on the Lake Mohawk Boardwalk of Saturn and it's rings and also our Moon.  Time: 7:45-8:45.  Check this blog for updates on Friday.

New poll question:  Should Mr Worobetz shave off his beard before the end of the school year?

Periodic Table Activity: activity ES0501 classzone       http://periodic.lanl.gov/index.shtml

Weather on Earth and in Space: Feb 14-18

There was a rather large explosion on the Sun this weekend (Coronal Mass Ejection, CME) this could result in a aurora (northern nights) in the night sky.  The chances are small 20%,  but it is well worth the look over the next 2-3 nights. The news article
Daily Space Weather Reports:  http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SWN/index.html

The weeks weather should give us ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (45-50F) with little to no chance of snow.(see links to the right for daily weather in Sparta)

Geophysics: FIRST TEST of the 3rd marking period last day of the cycle starting on Wednesday.

Astronomy:  Astronomical Distance Activity

Geophysics next class and Rutgers Open House this Saturday

Geophysics: Bring your textbook to the next classes.  Please have section 22.1 pg.773-777 ( Earth's Atmosphere) read before class.
Rutger's Geology Open House: This Saturday (1/29) , rock-mineral sales, museum open. lectures...it's free!  http://geology.rutgers.edu/2010-OpenHouseflyer.pdf

Astronomy reading: exoplanets (nasa)

2010 Warmest year ever in the Northern Hemisphere

This should warm you up, NOAA's climate report for 2010 reported the planet's temperature (both land and sea) were tied with 2005 for the warmest ever.  In Northern Hemisphere the average temperature were the highest ever recorded in the past 120+ years.  NOAA's 2010 climate report

Sparta's Climate: The last two weeks in January are statistically the coldest in NW NJ. Also, the days are now getting longer by about a minute per day, this will increase as we head toward spring.

Geophysics activity site: www.classzone.com

Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight

There will be a total lunar eclipse tonight over Sussex County.  The eclipse of the Moon will begin at at 1:33 am (Tuesday morning) and end at 5:01am.  The Moon will be totally eclipsed by the Earth's shadow from 2:41am till 3:53.   Some other interesting facts: The afternoon have begun to get a little longer (about a minute each day or two) since the earliest sunset occurred two weeks ago on Dec 9th.
Astronomical winter begins today (Dec 21)
December's Sky Chart

Geophysics: Links for class

1.  Classzone.com site:  http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/navigation/home.cfm

2.  "Name that Rock": (answer questions 1-10 in your notebook): http://library.thinkquest.org/J002289/name.html

3. Rock "Scavenger Hunt" (questions 1-10 in your notebook    NOTE: go to bottom of page, then click on "Fun Activities" then find and click on Scavenger Hut) :  http://library.thinkquest.org/J002289/rocks.html
4. Site to help you with "Matching Rock Properties" section of the worksheets: http://geology.com/rocks/igneous-rocks.shtml

Drake's Equation: Is there life out there?

Use the link provided to calculate "your" probability of intelligent life else where in our galaxy. There is a short video to help you. video: youtube video The Calculator: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/origins/drake.html  

1. Right ascension / declination link: https://student.boyertownasd.org/UserFiles/pdetterline/Equatorial%20Star%20Maps%20website.pdf

2. Constellation and your zodiac sign article:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41062376/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Oldest Rocks in NJ Dated at 1.37 BILLION Years Old

This past week the state of New Jersey released information that the oldest rocks in NJ dated at 1.37 Billion years old. The geology of NJ rocks have never been dated to such a high degree. The rocks in Sparta seem to be dated at over 1 billion years old too.  For more information: http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0137.htm

How to find the Andromeda Galaxy ( 2 1/2 million light years away)

Use the star chart above and the link provided   ( how to find M31 ) to find the Andromeda Galaxy (also known as M-31) which is a large (200,000 light years across) spiral galaxy near our own.  That's if you consider ~ 2.5 million light-years away, close.  This is the most distant object you can see with a telescope. The link to identify satellites and the space station is located to the right of this page (heavens-above).

Geology and Astronomy Internet Lab Activities (moon landing sims)

Lab activity site: :http://www.classzone.com   type in "keyword block" the activity number in the upper left of your worksheet.

VIRTUAL EARTHQUAKE ACTIVITY:  Calculate the epicenter and the magnitude of an earthquake in the United States.   http://www.sciencecourseware.org/virtualearthquake/VQuakeExecute.html?x=153&y=55 

MAKE A EARTHQUAKE  (simulation) : Questions in notebook:   1.What type of building construction is the best in a major earthquake?  2. Which type of ground is the worse even in a "minor" earthquake?  3. What type of construction is the worse, even in a minor quake?  http://tlc.discovery.com/convergence/quakes/interactives/makeaquake.html

Rock and Mineral Identification Activity:  Place all answers in your notebook.

http://www.mcsdk12.org/curr/webquests/rocks/rockswebquest.htm 

LUNAR LANDER SIMULATIONS:
1) http://lander.dunnbypaul.net/
2) http://www.sebleedelisle.com/games/moonlander/

Friday Night Observations on the Boardwalk

There will be a night observation session on the Lake Mohawk boardwalk this Friday, Nov. 12 (weather permitting) from 5:30-6:30. We will observe the planet Jupiter and it's 4 large "moons" along with the first quarter Moon through an 8 inch telescope.  Also at 6:28 there will be a pass of the International Space Station.

Shuttle passes of NW New Jersey Tonight (@ 7:12pm) and this weekend

Tonight: Thursday the space station will come out of the SW (at 7:12) and head overhead passing the bright star Vega and then disappear (at 7:17) into the Earth's shadow just after it passes by the constellation Cassiopeia (see chart above).  For more information (times /directions and star charts) on tonight's pass and other passes the next few nights: click on the link: http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=41.033&lng=-74.639&loc=Sparta&alt=254&tz=EST   or click on Heavens Above link to the right of this site.

Shuttle's Toilet Requires Special Training

Summer 2010: tied for Warmest Ever !

The summer of 2010 tied for the warmest summer in the past 130 years. For more information: (Click Here)

Astronomical Calculator

Use this link to answer questions in Lab:

(astronomical calculator) 

Meteor Shower in the morning sky over NJ...Oct 18-20th for more information Click Here!

Project Echo 1960 (video)

A video of the first communication satellite and New Jersey's role  http://vodpod.com/watch/4188271-the-big-bounce-1960#

The Sunspots are Back

After about a year delay, the Sunspots are back!  For the latest /realtime images: (Click here) For Live Solar Images

60 Minutes: Report on Haiti

Warning: This video is rather dramatic, showing death and horrendous conditions.  The purpose of posting it is to give you an idea of the conditions after a major disaster and the people who try to help.  Watching this video is at your own discretion and NOT Required.

2000-2009 warmest decade in past 120 years !

The decade from 2000 to 2009 was the warmest in recorded history.

(Click) To Read Yahoo Article 
(Click) To read NOAA Report

NEXT TEST- Skin Cancer (reading)- NJ Climate

1) Link to article about the dangers of sun tanning and skin cancer.
CLICK for READING  
2) Practice test to be given in class this week

3) NEXT TEST: Monday 1/25:  Chapter 22.1 / 22,2 + ozone depletion and skin cancer.   
4) This week is "on average" the coldest in Sussex County, starting next week the average temperature begin to increase by 1-2 F per week till the warmest weeks in mid to late July.

Earliest Sunset This Week

The earliest sunset for the year will occur on Monday, December 7th at 4:29pm, The latest sunrise will occur on Jan 5th when the Sun comes up at  7:21am. The shortest amount of daylight (first day of Winter) will occur on December 21 this year.  By the way, the date the Earth is CLOSEST TO THE SUN this year is January 4th which is over 4 Million miles closer than we were in July!

NEWS: Global Temperatures and the "Earth Like" Planet

For those who still question if the Earth is warming, 

Temperature Trends 

NOAA: world wide data last 100yrs

NJ temperature data (trends) for the past century is posted at the bottom of this page

For those who believe (or heard) that there is another planet with trees and planet, the facts are there is not.  Planet "Corot 7B" ESS press release on Planet Corot 7B

Lunar Lander Simulator

Try your skill at landing the Lunar Modular ( LEM ) on the Moon before you run out of fuel.  This is a "upgrade" of an video game / "simulator"  from the early 1980s ( it cost 25 cents for a landing or two)

CLICK TO TRY TO LAND THE LEM ON THE MOON

President Obama and the White House "Star Party"

Shuttle's "Light Show" over NJ

The Space Shuttles pass over NW New Jersey last week provided a unusual light show. As the shuttle (followed closely by the space station that night) passed over it was in the process of dumping over 150 pounds of "waste water." The photo from space.com was taken of the event that night. I happen the see the pass from my driveway that night and did not know what it was till news stories about it came out a week later.

In Florida Waiting on the Shuttle

Lisa and I are in on Florida's east coast waiting on the shuttle launch. Yesterday's launch was canceled due to a lighting strike near the launch pad. Hopefully it goes off tonight at 7:19pm. You can follow the launch on the local papers great site FLORIDATODAY.COM. The photo I took was taken in August 2007 from across the river in Titusville. Today we will be a bit further down the coastline in Cocoa Beach.

My Tribute to New Jersey's Spacemen and Women

Comet Visible over New Jersey

For the next week or two a comet will be visible in the evening sky's over NJ. Look to the east after 7pm and next to the bright "star" which is the planet Saturn, comet Lulin should look like a greenish smug.
Binoculars will show a sort tail or "halo" around the comet Lulin which is about 38 million miles away. For more information go to skyandtelescope.com

3rd Quake Strikes Morris County !

A third small earthquake to strike Morris County in less than 3 weeks hit this morning. The quake occurred at 1:42 in the morning on Wednesday the 18th. The epicenter to this quake was located only about 1/4 of a mile east of CCM underneath Route 10. this was very close to the first quake on February 2nd.. For exact positions go to the USGS Web Site linked to the right on this page.

The magnitude of the quake was reported at 2.3.

An Astronomer in Love by Bruce Springsteen

On Bruce Springsteen's new CD, Working on a Dream, he writes a love song from an astronomer's point of view. Now that may be a first!

On track 6 of the album is, " This Life," which goes in part...A bang then stardust in your eyes, A billion years or just this night, Either way it'll be all right, A blackness then the light of a million stars..(it continues)...
At night at my telescope alone, This emptiness I've roamed, Searching for a home... A beauty in the neighborhood, This lonely planet never looked so good...(the song ends with the line)...This life, this life and then the next, I finger the hem of your dress, My universe at rest.

Well, in my point of view it beats lines like, "Ground control to Major Tom." Give it a listen.

Small Earthquake Hits NJ

A Small Earthquake struck Northern New Jersey on Monday Feb 2 at 10:34 pm. The Earthquake had an MM intensity of II-III . It was felt thoughtout most of NW New Jersey. The epicenter was just off Route 10 and Franklin Rd about two miles East from County College of Morris.