9 Astronomy Milestones in 2009

This year provided plenty of cosmic eye-openers for astronomers and casual stargazers alike. Neighborhood planets such as Mercury and Jupiter received makeovers in both a scientific and literal sense. The discovery of water on the moon and Mars provided clues to the past, not to mention hints for the future of space exploration. And a class of newly-detected "Super-Earth" planets around alien stars may ultimately prove more habitable than Earth. Here are the stories that stood out:

9. Meteor Showers and Oddball Objects

Earth had a front row seat to a multitude of space objects in 2009, with stunning meteor showers, wayward space rocks buzzing the planet and weird lights in the sky – both natural and man-made.

Annual light shows such as the Leonid meteor shower continued to dazzle, but some space rocks came a bit too close for comfort. An asteroid exploded over Indonesia with the force of several Hiroshima bombs on Oct. 8, 2009, and became the biggest space rock to take aim at Earth in more than a decade.

Weird and wonderful manmade lights also joined the natural light displays this year. NASA launched an experimental rocket that briefly recreated eerie night-shining clouds in September. But the strangest display of all came from a spiraling shape that appeared above Norway in December and sparked massive speculation about extraterrestrials or rogue meteors – before Russia's defense ministry confirmed that a failed launch had sent a missile spiraling out of control.

8. Mercury, Unmasked

Planet Mercury received a major scientific makeover in 2009, when NASA's MESSENGER probe completed a third and final flyby in September 2009 that should help guide the spacecraft into a Mercury orbit in 2011.

A third encounter with Mercury not only helped map up to 98 percent of the planet's surface, but also showed that the surface contains high amounts of heavy metals such as iron and titanium. The surprise has forced scientists to rethink how the small planet evolved.

The latest close-up also revealed changing seasons on the planet closest to the sun. Such seasonal shifts take the form of varying chemical compositions in Mercury's thin atmosphere.

7. The Most Massive Black Hole

There's big, and then there's galactic big. A supermassive black hole became the reigning heavyweight champ this year with 6.4 billion times the mass of the sun, after astrophysicists revised earlier estimates of the monster's size by two or three times through computer modeling and telescope observations.

The behemoth sits at the heart of the giant galaxy M87, not unlike the massive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. Other black holes in nearby large galaxies may now also get a second look, so don't rule out a new black hole challenger in the coming years.

6. Year of the Space Telescope

A new generation of space telescopes launched in 2009, aimed at seeking out new worlds or unraveling long-standing mysteries of the cosmos. Perhaps none garnered more attention than NASA's planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft, which can detect distant worlds based on the tell-tale dip in light created by a planet as it crosses in front of Earth's view of the parent star.Other notable newcomers include Europe's Herschel and Planck space observatories, which took their first glimpses into the universe this year. Herschel represents the most powerful infrared space telescope ever launched into space, while Planck seeks to survey the "first light" from the universe that emerged shortly after the Big Bang.

Last but not least, NASA's WISE spacecraft launched in December with the goal of scanning the infrared sky 1 1/2 times during its mission lifetime.

These next-gen telescopes join an older crowd that includes NASA's Chandra and Europe's XMM Newton X-ray observatories, which both celebrated their 10th anniversaries this year.

5. Water Ice on Mars

Making the case for a once-wet Mars has never looked better than in 2009. Space rocks lent a helping hand to science by gouging out craters in the Martian surface that revealed almost 99 percent pure water ice near the surface – possible remnants of buried ice sheets that may cover almost half the planet.

An extensive map of the valleys crisscrossing the red planet points to a possible ocean in the planet's past, scientists say. NASA's intrepid Opportunity rover has also continued to provide a close-up view of evidence that water may have helped shape the Martian surface.

One of the biggest lingering questions going forward into 2010 is whether liquid water can still exist on the Martian surface. A string of globules attached the legs of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander represents possible but controversial evidence for liquid Martian water, according to NASA scientists who reviewed the mission's five-month stint from last year.

4. First Rocky Planet Around Alien Star

Two of the biggest exoplanet discoveries to date occurred in 2009, as planet hunters took first steps toward finding Earth-like planets outside our solar system. Both cases involved spotting distant worlds passing in front of their parent stars, rather than merely inferring the existence of planets based on the gravitational wobble that they cause in parent stars.

First, astronomers confirmed the first rocky world spotted in orbit around another star. Called CoRoT-7b, the planet represents the first known exoplanet with a density similar to that of Earth – even if the planetary surface seems less Earth-like with scorching temperatures soaring above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius).

A second rocky, water-rich world, named GJ 1214b, also became the first "Super-Earth" to have a confirmed atmosphere.

The growing handful of Super-Earths, or planets with masses between that of Earth and Neptune, now stand out among the hundreds of Jupiter-like gas giants detected in orbit around other stars. Some scientists believe that such Super-Earths could ultimately prove better than Earth at fostering the existence of life.

3. Hubble Telescope Peers Deeper Into the Universe

NASA's beloved Hubble Space Telescope survived deep-space surgery and emerged in better shape than ever in 2009. The 19-year-old telescope then celebrated its rebirth by spotting what might be the oldest, most distant galaxies ever discovered.

Hubble's new Wide Field Camera 3 peered into the infrared wavelengths – about twice as long and "redder" than visible light – to spot galaxies that formed 600 million years after the theoretical Big Bang, or roughly 13.1 billion years ago. If confirmed, the find may replace the current titleholders for earliest known galaxies and most distant object in the universe.

Records aside, Hubble also found time to scope out an unexpected impact on Jupiter.

2. Jupiter Under Fire

What an amateur astronomer first reported as a new dark spot on Jupiter turned out to be a huge planetary bruise the size of the Pacific Ocean, left by a wayward asteroid or comet in the summer of 2009. The massive cosmic impact easily rivaled another from 15 years ago, when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 walloped the king of the planets.

Astronomers estimated the culprit behind the impact as being no bigger than half a kilometer (0.3 miles) in size. Yet such a cosmic object would have contained thousands of times the energy of the Tunguska impact on Earth, which exploded over Siberia in 1908 and flattened an area as big as a city.

An impact of similar size on Earth would have likely proved catastrophic. But Earth observers can count their lucky stars this year and every year for Jupiter, which attracts dangerous space rocks with its massive size and gravitational pull.

1. Water on the moon

Perhaps no other space science revelation this year proved as significant as the discovery of water on the moon. A moon long described as a barren, dry environment now dangles the tantalizing possibility of lunar colonies, not to mention a launching point for more distant space exploration.

Scientists first confirmed the traces of water in the uppermost layers of the lunar surface, based on detections of either water or a hydroxyl group (oxygen and hydrogen chemically bonded) made by India's Chandrayaan-1, NASA's Cassini spacecraft and NASA's Deep Impact probe. But their findings, detailed in a paper that came out in the Sept. 25th issue of the journal Science, had only just scratched the surface.

Then NASA's LCROSS probe slammed into the lunar south pole in October, and everything changed once more. The plume of debris thrown up by the probe's impact revealed water ice, and lots of it. Such ice could either become drinking water for future astronauts and colonists, or could provide hydrogen for rocket fuel.

Knowing that water awaits humans on the moon provides a validation of sorts for NASA's goal of putting boots back on the lunar surface. And it may also provide a much-needed boost for new generations of scientists and space explorers to continue pushing into the unknown for 2010 and beyond.


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January's Firewood Came Early

I had originally planned to haul January's firewood up to the porch this coming Saturday. It got up to 20°F above zero this morning, and Saturday is supposed to be below zero again, so I decided to haul it up before the light snow arrived this afternoon. I carried all the splits that were left from December's wood into the house, then got busy hauling the next month's worth onto the porch. While I did that, I let the stove burn down and cool a little. Then I swept the chimney and pipe, shoveled the ashes out, and back to full burn before the house had a chance to cool. Just like I do it every month.


Some nice seasoned wood there. Burns great!


Piled these oddball pieces in the firepit for burning on more summer-like evenings. The markers are the only way I can tell exactly where the firepit is right now!


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Hackers unsuccessfully attack site

Hackers attacked the Bank of Wisconsin Dells and Community Bank of Portage Web site, but did not gain access to accounts, personal information or any money, according to the bank officials and Wisconsin Dells police.

On Dec. 11, the bank’s information technology director Christine Lee met with Dells police to report that a person or persons gained unauthorized access to the bank’s domain registration. Between Dec. 5 and Dec. 7, changes made to the domain redirected customers accessing dellsbank.com or commbankportage.com to a fictitious web page. The page stated that “your account has been created” and that the person could access the Web site by going to another link. The page contained areas in which to enter login information.

Lee said that on Dec. 7, the bank sent an e-mail to its Internet banking customers notifying them they had logged onto a fictitious Web site and needed to contact the bank to have their login information changed.

Because of security features the bank uses, at no time did the hackers have access to account holder information, Lee said.

Although no information was accessed or money stolen, the bank by law is required to notify the FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and an investigation is ongoing. Accessing the computer of a financial institution with intent to obtain money or information is a violation of federal laws.

Dells Police Chief Bret Anderson said the department’s resources for investigating computer crimes are limited, especially if the suspects doing the crimes are overseas or out of state.

In the e-mail to bank customers, the bank warned that customers should never enter login information into a Web site that looks suspicious.

The FDIC on its Web site, www.fdic.gov, says, “The Internet offers the potential for safe, convenient new ways to shop for financial services and conduct banking business, any day, any time. However, safe banking online involves making good choices – decisions that will help you avoid costly surprises or even scams.” The site also offers advice to consumers on Internet banking such as changing passwords regularly and checking the Web address before entering any personal data.

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Blue Moon

The full Moon casts its glow across the end-of-year sky the next couple of nights. Because it is the second full Moon this month, it is known as a Blue Moon. The actual time of the full Moon is 1:13 p.m. CST tomorrow.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Magellan Pipeline Company works to recover gasoline release

The failure of an underground pipe allowed an estimated 25,000 gallons of gasoline to flow into the ground and to the water table 20 feet beneath the Magellan Pipeline Company’s Wausau Terminal in Kronenwetter, state environmental officials report.

The company reported the release Dec. 4 when an inventory of gasoline came up short and immediately contacted state and local officials.

Investigators with the state Department of Health and Family Services and the Marathon County Health Department have determined there is no current risk to public health as the leak is underground. The residential neighborhood to the west of the Magellan facility is served by municipal water.

The broken line has since been repaired and the company has begun preliminary work for the investigation of the spill and the recovery of the gasoline. Groundwater samples have been collected from three perimeter wells on the west side of the property, in the direction of groundwater flow. Laboratory analysis shows the contamination has not reached the property boundary.

“Magellan has been responsive to this release,” said DNR hyrdogeologist Lisa Gutknecht. “They’ve started the required investigations. They have to clean it to Wisconsin groundwater standards.”

Company engineers drilled new wells in the immediate area of the spill where free gasoline is floating on groundwater and have begun pumping operations. Gasoline vapors present in the soil will be monitored to protect the health of company employees and customers using the terminal.

“Protecting the health of our employees and the public is our first priority,” said Scott

Benick, an environmental specialist for Magellan Pipeline. “We are working with the DNR and the public health departments to ensure that the environmental effects of this release are minimized and mitigated in a timely manner.”

Once the “free” gasoline is removed, the company will work with the DNR to determine the best technology to recover gas mixed with groundwater and soil.

The cleanup will be monitored by the state Department of Natural Resources.

Groundwater investigations have begun, Gutknecht said. It’s too early to predict what methods might be employed or how long the process will take but it could be years. Depending on the cleanup and recovery strategy, the company might need to obtain a surface water discharge permit or air emissions permit or both.

The important thing is to stabilize the underground gas plume so that it is no longer expanding and can be treated in place, Gutknecht said.

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Recent snowmobile fatalities prompt safety reminder

Heavy snowfall in many parts of Wisconsin have lured many residents and visitors to the open, snowmobile trails, with the vast majority returning home safely. Sadly, three snowmobilers were killed in separate incidents over the weekend.

* On December 18, at 10:25 p.m. in Oconto County, a 31 year old, male from Wisconsin was riding fourth in a group of snowmobiles when he failed to negotiate a curve on the snowmobile road route and collided with a tree. The group had reportedly just left an area tavern. Speed and alcohol appear to be contributing factors.
* On December 19, at 1:35 a.m. in Oneida County, a 20 year old, female from Illinois was following another snowmobiler when she failed to follow the snowmobile road route, striking a house. The victim had reportedly just left an area tavern. Speed and alcohol appear to be contributing factors.
* On December 19, at 6:24 p.m. in Crawford County, a 41 year old, male from Iowa was operating down a town road at a high rate of speed when he approached an intersection with a state highway. The victim braked hard causing the victim to eject from the snowmobile and land on the state highway where he was struck by a motor vehicle. Speed appears to be a contributing factor.

During the 2008-09 season, Wisconsin experienced 23 snowmobile fatalities; the main contributing factors involved in 70 percent of those fatalities were speed, alcohol and nighttime operation or over-riding your headlights.

“Snowmobiling is way to spend time with family and friends while exploring the beautiful Wisconsin scenery, but everyone needs to remember to operate with a safety mindset,” says Gary Eddy, Department of Natural Resources snowmobile administrator. “We want Wisconsin to have one of the lowest fatalities rates in North America. Right now, we have one of the highest.”

“Don’t operate at excessive speeds, stay on the right side of the trail, be extra cautious at night, and perhaps most importantly, avoid consuming alcohol. We ask that riders practice ‘Zero Alcohol,’ which is refraining from drinking alcohol before or during your ride. Snowmobile trails can be bumpy, uneven and icy. You need all your concentration and ability to make constant corrections and adjustments. When people mix alcohol with snowmobiling, they are really setting themselves up for a tragedy.”

Snowmobilers riding in a group need to keep enough distance between themselves to stop safely if they see a hazard, and to use extra caution on corners and hills, Eddy says. Stay alert while crossing roads. "People are getting careless while crossing roads; sometimes with disasterous results. Always come to a complete stop and look both ways before crossing a roadway; never try to beat a vehicle across the road and never allow someone to wave you across without checking traffic for yourself."

And all snowmobilers need to remember to travel at speeds commensurate with their skill, knowledge of the trail, and visibility conditions, particularly at night. A good group leader knows and operates within the ability level of the least experienced rider.

Snowmobile head lights shine out only to 200 feet, so snowmobilers need to travel at a slow enough speed to allow them time to react when their headlights illuminate a hazard. The DNR recommends snowmobilers do not exceed 45 miles per hour at night, under normal conditions, to avoid overriding their headlights.

State law sets a 55 mile per hour speed limit from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. Additional information about snowmobile safety tips, regulations and more is available on the snowmobile safety education pages of the DNR Web site.

“Nothing ruins a trip more than a crash or worse. Make a pact with the people you ride with to be safe and sober and return home safely,” Eddy said.
Snowmobilers turning age 25 require certification, rule pamphlet correction

People turning age 25 this January will need to graduate from a snowmobile safety course in order to operate a snowmobile in Wisconsin.

The Department of Natural Resources 2009 Wisconsin Snowmobile Law pamphlet incorrectly states that snowmobile safety certification is required for people at least age 12 and those born after December 31, 1985. The correct date of birth listed should be December 31, 1984. An internet course is available to people age 16 and older at: www.snowmobile-ed.com/wi

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The Sun Rose This Morning Over a Winter Wonderland

I only call it a Winter Wonderland because there was just enough snow to make it pretty, but not enough to shovel my roof off or plow!


A stack of firewood, lightly decorated.


Almost like a white tunnel.


Delicately hanging in the balance, until the first breeze.


Even though it was a little cold and nippley, it was too nice of a morning to pass on my normal exercise routine.


The beginning of another stack.


The wind started to blow and the Winter Wonderland began to fall apart.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Indiana shooting of whooping crane raises worries

Authorities in Indiana are investigating the shooting death of an endangered female whooping crane that produced the only chick hatched in the wild in the eastern United States since birds were reintroduced in 2001.

The shooting took place between Nov. 28 and Dec. 1, when a tracker from the International Crane Foundation discovered the dead crane near the Illinois border in Vermillion County.

There are 105 birds living in the eastern U.S., with most of the cranes spending the spring, summer and fall in or near the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin.

This is the third shooting of a whooping crane in the eastern U.S. since 2001.

The loss of the 7-year-old female is especially troubling, experts say, because she and her partner have hatched three chicks in the wild - the most of any pair in the eastern flock.

Two of their chicks were killed by predators before they could fly. The third, born in 2006, was the first hatched in the wild.

"Anytime you lose a bird, it's always tragic," said Joan Garland of the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo. "But in this case it's doubly so."

Biologists are trying to determine why cranes have had trouble reproducing in the eastern U.S. A separate, larger wild flock flies between Texas and northern Canada.

Some possibilities for the troubles in the east: Black flies are harassing parents while nesting, some adults are inattentive parents, and some birds might not be getting suitable nutrition.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of at least $2,500 to people who provide information leading to a conviction in the case.

There are about 500 whooping cranes in the world.

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The Good Thing About Freezing Rain...

...is that it stops the snow from drifting. Unfortunately, this part of the trail had already drifted before it started raining. Stuck!














Snoopy has a little trouble with the crust on the snow.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Kansas dad somehow lifts car off 6-year-old girl

A Kansas mother is praising a neighbor as "Superman" after her 6-year-old daughter told her he somehow found the strength to lift a car off her. The girl escaped with minor injuries after she and neighbor Nick Harris said she was pinned under the vehicle.

"He really is Superman," Kristen Hough, the child's mother, said Friday of Harris, the man she said saved her daughter, Ashlyn.

Harris, 32, said he doesn't know how he managed to lift the Mercury sedan off the child. The 5-foot-7, 185-pound Harris said he tried later that day to lift other cars and couldn't.

"But somehow, adrenaline, hand of God, whatever you want to call it, I don't know how I did it," he said.

Harris was dropping off his 8-year-old daughter at school last week when he saw a driver backing her car out of a driveway and over the child, Harris said.

"I didn't even think. I ran over there as fast as I could, grabbed the rear end of the car and lifted and pushed as hard as I could to get the tire off the child," he said.

He realized the little girl was Ashlyn, a friend of his daughter's. Harris carried the screaming first-grader to the sidewalk and was going to get his phone to call 911, but Ashlyn said she wanted him to stay with her.

He told people nearby to get the child's mother, who lives a block away.

There were no witnesses to confirm what happened. But Ottawa police Lt. Adam Weingartner said, "I don't have anything to dispute it."

Hough said Ashlyn told her Harris lifted the car off her, Weingartner said.

Weingartner, the first officer at the scene, said Harris "was amped up pretty good. The first words out of his mouth were, 'I lifted the car off the girl.'"

He said it appeared Ashlyn wasn't pinned under the car long enough to be seriously hurt, Weingartner said.

Hough said her daughter was released from the hospital that afternoon with a concussion and some scrapes.

"She is my little walking miracle right now," Hough said. "He truly is a superhero in the family's eyes."

Harris also visited Ashlyn later that day and was greeted with a big hug.

"I don't consider myself a hero at all," Harris said. "To me, it was payment enough when she gave me that huge hug and said, 'Thanks, Superman.'"

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Polaris Industries Recalls Certain ATVs Due to Crash Hazard

Name of Product: 2009-2010 Polaris All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
Units: About 8,500
Manufacturer: Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn.
Hazard: The front suspension ball joint stem can separate from the steering knuckle and cause the rider to lose steering control, posing a risk of injury or death to riders.
Incidents/Injuries: Polaris has received 19 reports of incidents involving the recalled ATVs. No injuries have been reported.
Description: This recall involves model year 2009 and 2010 Polaris Sportsman ATVs (models listed below) with certain VIN numbers. The ATVs were manufactured between January and August 2009. The VIN number and manufacture date are located on the right front of the ATV on the frame rail next to the front shock.
Model Year Model Name
2009 Sportsman XP 550
2009 Sportsman XP 550 EPS
2010 Sportsman 550
2010 Sportsman X2 550
2010 Sportsman Touring 550
2009/2010 Sportsman XP 850
2009/2010 Sportsman XP 850 EPS
2010 Sportsman Touring 850

Sold at: Polaris dealers nationwide from February 2009 through November 2009 for between $7,500 and $10,800.
Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled ATVs and contact their local Polaris dealer to determine if your model and VIN number are included in this recall and to schedule a free repair. Polaris is directly contacting registered owners about the recall.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Polaris toll-free at (888) 704-5290 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.polarisindustries.com.

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Northern Cross

Look to the northwest this evening for the Northern Cross, a grouping of stars that's also known as Cygnus, the swan. The cross appears to stand upright as it sets, as though it were anchored to the horizon.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Santa's Sleigh: Researcher Explains Science Behind St. Nick's Christmas Magic

Santa skeptics have long considered St. Nick’s ability to deliver toys to the world’s good girls and boys in the course of one night a scientific impossibility. But new research shows that Santa is able to make his appointed rounds through the pioneering use of cutting-edge science and technology.

“Santa is using technologies that we are not yet able to recreate in our own labs,” explains North Carolina State University’s Dr. Larry Silverberg, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering who just completed a six month visiting-scholar program at Santa’s Workshop-North Pole Labs (SW-NPL). “As the first scholar to participate in the SW-NPL program, I learned that we have a long way to go to catch up with Santa in fields ranging from aerodynamics and thermodynamics to materials science.”

For example, Silverberg says that Santa’s sleigh is far more advanced than any modern form of air transportation (see graphic). “The truss of the sleigh, including the runners, are made of a honeycombed titanium alloy that is very lightweight and 10 to 20 times stronger than anything we can make today,” Silverberg says. The truss can also morph, Silverberg adds, altering its shape slightly to improve its aerodynamics and “allowing it to cut through the air more efficiently. The runners on the sleigh, for example, have some flexure. This allows them to tuck in to be more aerodynamic during flight, and then spread out to provide stability for landing on various surfaces - such as steeply pitched roofs.”

The sleigh is equipped with state of the art electronics, including laser sensors that can detect upcoming thermals and wind conditions to find the optimal path. “This makes the flight smoother and more energy efficient,” Silverberg says. “Efficiency is key, because a lot of the ongoing research at SW-NPL focuses on whether magic is a renewable resource.” The focus on efficiency and a smooth ride has also led to the development of a nanostructured “skin” for the sleigh that is porous and contains its own low-pressure system, which holds the air flowing around the airborne sled onto the body, reducing drag by as much as 90 percent.

A key finding from Silverberg’s visit to the North Pole is that Santa uses a reversible thermodynamic processor - a sort of nano-toymaker known as the “magic sack” - that creates toys for good girls and boys on site, significantly cutting down on the overall weight of the sleigh. The magic sack uses carbon-based soot from chimneys, together with other local materials, to make the toys. The magic sack works by applying high-precision electromagnetic fields to reverse thermodynamic processes previously thought to be irreversible.

The sleigh is driven by Santa’s well-known team of reindeer, which is equipped with side-mounted jetpacks. The reindeer and jetpacks, which are powered by cold fusion, “are arrayed in such a way as to create a stable reindeer-sleigh system,” Silverberg says. “The sleigh’s reins are used to not only direct the heads of the reindeer, but to direct the orientation of the jetpacks for precision flight.”

Silverberg explains that the sleigh is also equipped to make use of so-called “relativity clouds” to help ensure Santa and his reindeer can travel approximately 200 million square miles, making stops in some 80 million homes, in one night. “Based on his advanced knowledge of the theory of relativity, Santa recognizes that time can be stretched like a rubber band, space can be squeezed like an orange and light can be bent,” Silverberg says. “Relativity clouds are controllable domains - rips in time - that allow him months to deliver presents while only a few minutes pass on Earth. The presents are truly delivered in a wink of an eye.”

Silverberg says the experience was “an eye-opener. I appreciate the opportunity Santa has given me to visit his sleighport and work alongside the elves at SW-NPL. It was a unique learning experience and a tremendous honor.” He notes that the principles of cold fusion are still a closely guarded secret.

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It Was A Long Way To Carry Wood, In The Snow

Under normal circumstances I would have driven right up to it, but this time I thought I would get stuck. It was good exercise for my legs.


So I carried it all out to the trail, just to haul and stack somewhere else in the woods! I suppose I could have stacked it right where I cut it, and left it, but I have trouble keeping track of so many little stacks of wood.


As I carried the wood this morning, the east wind kept me company by howling in the treetops, in advance of the next winter storm.


After a couple days worth of cutting, this stack is big enough that I shouldn't be able to lose track of it. Time to move along to the next ones.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Users of Tuscobia State Trail presented “Questing Challenge”

Starting Jan. 1 2010, the Tuscobia State Trail is hosting a "Questing Challenge" for eight weeks, ending Feb. 18. Each week a photo of a notable point of interest along the Tuscobia Trail will be published. Participants can then either submit the physical location or GPS coordinates of the point of interest. All entrants should be submitted no later than March 10.

Tuscobia State Trail Manager Kathy Oginski, who organized the challenge, said “all of the points of interest are clearly visible from the trail so there is no need to look under bridges, in badger holes, or other places.”

At the end of 8-weeks, participants can send Oginski the locations via email or regular mail. The person with the most correct points identified, she said, will win a Garmin Nuvi GPS unit donated by the Friends of the Tuscobia Trail.

In the event that more than one person would have the correct locations identified, a drawing would take place from those participants.

To get things going Oginski provided this prose:

A new season has begun
Come and join us for some winter fun!
Get on board and ride the ghost rail
Of, you guessed it...The Tuscobia State Trail
This new challenge is a quest
To find unique landmarks from east to west
So gas up your sled, grab a GPS
Keep your eyes open & put your skills to the test!

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ISS Tomorrow Morning

24 Dec -3.4 05:57:35 W 64

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Black River State Forest Conditions

A winter storm is forecast for December 24 and 25 for Jackson County. Precipitation may come in a mix of drizzle and snow. Six to twelve inches of snow are predicted. Ski trails will be groomed on Sunday and Monday based on the snowfall. Snowmobile trails will be groomed shortly thereafter.

All snowmobile and ATV trails in the state forest are open. They have a base of about 4 inches and are in fair to poor condition with some areas getting bare.

Club trails to the west of the Black River State Forest are in especially poor shape and may close down.

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ISS Tomorrow Morning

23 Dec -2.5 05:36:20 NE 44

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

World's Oldest Santa Figurine Believed Found

Archaeologists working in Akron, Ohio, claim to have found the world's oldest three-dimensional representation of Santa Claus.

Known as the "Blue Santa," the object was made circa 1884 by The American Marble & Toy Manufacturing Company, which burned to the ground in 1904. The figurine is 2.5 inches tall.

Project leader Brian Graham said, "It's a wishing Santa. You hold it in your hand and wish for the present you want for Christmas."

Graham suspected such treasures existed at the company's location, now known as the "Lock 3 Park" archaeological site. The former federal government archaeologist gained permission from the City of Akron to dig at what he calls "the original North Pole," due to all of the toys that were once made there.

"This was the birthplace of the modern toy industry," said Michael Cohill, director of the American Toy Marble Museum.

Aside from the tiny Santa, The American Marble & Toy Manufacturing Company also made the world's first mass-produced toys: clay marbles and penny toys.

"Marbles were made using a device patented by Samuel C. Dyke, founder of the company," Cohill explained. "It allowed one worker to make 800 to 1,000 clay marbles per hour, turned out at a rate of one million marbles a day, five box-car loads, six days a week."

"So significant was the economy of scale that one penny could buy a handful of marbles or dozens of different penny toys. The Blue Santa was a penny toy," he added while cradling the tiny object in his hand.

Before this Ohio company, toys for purchase were mostly expensive, hand-painted creations, available to only the wealthiest of children. Parents of less fortunate kids often just made toys at home for their kids. That's one reason why many collectible toys are handmade dollies and carved wooden objects.

But Dyke's production methods forever changed things. By 1888, he was nearly a millionaire, having created "the children's product market." Even kids themselves started to have purchase power, buying the inexpensive toys with their own pennies.

"From that point forward, all children could have a toy," Cohill said.

Local businessmen noted Dyke's success, and they too got involved in toy manufacturing. A whopping 31 additional marble factories were opened in the area. Akron at the time was also known as "the rubber capital of the world," so you can guess which toys soon became hits: balloons, rubber balls, rubber duckies, rubber dollies and even the tongue-twister inspiring rubber baby buggy bumpers.

At one point there were 160 local toy companies in Akron. Today it's still a "North Pole" contender, as the city is home to Little Tykes, Step Two and Maple City Rubber, which is still the world's largest maker of latex balloons.

If you'd like to see the Blue Santa, it's housed in a display case at The American Toy Marble Museum.

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Capella

Capella, the brightest star of Auriga, the charioteer, is high in the northeast at nightfall and almost directly overhead around midnight. It is one of the brightest stars in the northern sky, so it's easy to see.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

A LARGE WINTER STORM WILL GROW AND ORGANIZE OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
ON WEDNESDAY AND LIKELY IMPACT THE AREA INTO THE WEEKEND WITH A MIX
OF PRECIPITATION. SNOW WILL SPREAD IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST ON WEDNESDAY
BUT COULD MIX WITH SOME SLEET WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. A SWITCH
BACK TO MAINLY ALL SNOW WILL OCCUR BY FRIDAY AS THE STORM STARTS TO
MOVE OUT.

THERE REMAINS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS STORM BUT THERE IS
POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND SOME ICING THAT
COULD MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO CHRISTMAS DAY.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

22 Dec -3.2 06:46:23 WNW 60

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

winter solstice

Winter arrives in the northern hemisphere today. It's the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. Enjoy the solstice by viewing the Moon and the bright planet Jupiter in the southwest at nightfall. They set by around 10 p.m.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Great Lakes photo contest underway

Shutterbugs, warm up your trigger fingers.

The second annual Great Lakes Photo Contest is now underway, with a Feb. 1, 2010, deadline for all entries.

Winning photos will be featured in the 2010-2011 “Discover Wisconsin’s Great Lakes” calendar, which will be distributed at the 2010 Wisconsin State Fair.

“Last year, we had a flood of fantastic photos and we hope for the same this year,” says Jo Temte, the DNR water resources specialist who is coordinating the contest. “People feel a deep connection to Wisconsin’s Great Lakes and their photos really show it.”

The winning images from last year’s contest featured in the 2009 calendar are available for viewing on the DNR Web site.

Photographers can submit their work in any of four categories: Natural Features and Wildlife, Cultural and Historic Features, People Enjoying Wisconsin’s Great Lakes, and Lake Protection Activities. Photos must be taken in Wisconsin, but anyone may enter the contest.

“Last year, we received photos from all over the state, from as far away as California, and even one from an exchange student in Germany,” Temte says. “Our youngest photographer was 16 years old, our oldest was probably 80.”

In addition to photos, the DNR is also seeking writing submissions about the Great Lakes. The writings may be used in the calendar as well as other publications, the DNR Web site and displays. Last year’s writing search brought in several poems and a song, all of which can be found online.

For more information about photo and writing submissions, visit the Office of the Great Lakes page of the DNR Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jo Temte (608) 267-0555

source....

Yesterday's Stack

Another one in the woods since the yard is filled up again.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Man In Santa Suit Cited For Open Intoxicants In Sparta

Santa Claus is in trouble with the law in one western Wisconsin city.

Police in Sparta said that they cited a man dressed as Santa after witnesses told officers that he stumbled out of a vehicle, approached several children playing in a yard, hugged them and demanded to know the whereabouts of his reindeer.

The man was cited for open intoxicants. The driver of the car in which he was riding was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

source....

Thanks Matt!

ISS Tomorrow Morning

21 Dec -2.8 06:25:02 NW 48

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

The Secrets of Coral Castle

Did a Latvian immigrant rediscover the secrets to the building of the pyramids... of levitation... of anti-gravity? His amazing "castle" may hold clues to long-lost powers.

Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida, is one of the most amazing structures ever built. In terms of accomplishment, it's been compared to Stonehenge, ancient Greek temples, and even the great pyramids of Egypt. It is amazing - some even say miraculous - because it was quarried, fashioned, transported, and constructed by one man: Edward Leedskalnin, a 5-ft. tall, 100-lb. Latvian immigrant.

Many men have single-handedly built their own homes, but Leedskalnin's choice of building materials is what makes his undertaking so incredible. He used huge blocks of coral rock, some weighing as much as 30 tons, and somehow was able to move them and set them in place without assistance or the use of modern machinery. And therein lies the mystery. How did he do it?

It's estimated that 1,000 tons of coral rock were used in construction of the walls and towers, and an additional 100 tons of it were carved into furniture and art objects:

* An obelisk he raised weighs 28 tons.
* The wall surrounding Coral Castle stands 8 ft. tall and consists of large blocks each weighing several tons.
* Large stone crescents are perched atop 20-ft.-high walls.
* A 9-ton swinging gate that moves at the touch of a finger guards the eastern wall.
* The largest rock on the property weighs an estimated 35 tons.
* Some stones are twice the weight of the largest blocks in the Great Pyramid at Giza.

Working alone, Leedskalnin labored for 20 years - from 1920 to 1940 - to build the home he originally called "Rock Gate Park" in Florida City. The story goes that he built it after being jilted by his fiancée, who changed her mind about marrying him because he was too old and too poor. After wandering around the U.S. and Canada for several years, Leedskalnin settled in Florida City for health reasons; he had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. He began building his coral home in 1920. Then in 1936, when a planned new subdivision of homes threatened his privacy, Leedskalnin moved his entire home 10 miles to Homestead, where he completed it, and where it still stands as a tourist attraction.

How Leedskalnin managed this feat of engineering has remained a mystery all these years because, incredibly, no one saw him do it. A secretive man, Leedskalnin often worked at night by lantern light. And so there are no credible witnesses to how the small, frail man was able to move the huge blocks of rock. Even when he moved the entire structure to Homestead, neighbors saw the coral blocks being transported on a borrowed truck, but no one seems to know how Leedskalnin got them on and off the vehicle.

source....

Government to award stimulus funds for broadband

The Obama administration on Thursday will hand out the first $182 million of a $7.2 billion pot of stimulus money that will go toward building high-speed Internet networks and encouraging more Americans to use them.

In a speech in Dawsonville, Ga., Vice President Joe Biden will announce the first 18 projects that will receive federal funding to bring high-speed Internet connections to rural areas, poor neighborhoods and other underserved communities across the country.

The administration plans to award a total of $2 billion in grants and loans on a rolling basis over the next 75 days as it starts doling out the first round of stimulus funding for broadband.

The Department of Agriculture will announce $53.8 million in funding for eight projects on Thursday, and the Commerce Department will announce $129 million in funding for 10 projects. Those projects together also will put up another $46 million in matching dollars.

The money is being targeted for "last-mile" connections that link homes, businesses and other end users to the Internet; "middle-mile" connections that link communities to the Internet backbone; computing centers in libraries, colleges and other public facilities; and adoption programs that teach people how to use the Internet and encourage them to sign up for broadband services.

The awards to be announced Thursday include:

_ A $33.5 million grant to the North Georgia Network Cooperative for a fiber-optic ring that will bring high-speed Internet connections to the northern Georgia foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The project will serve an eight-county area with a population of 334,000.

_ A $25.4 million grant to the Biddleford Internet Corp., a partnership between the University of Maine and service providers, to build three fiber-optic rings across rural Maine. The network will pass through more than 100 communities with 110,000 households and will connect 10 University of Maine campuses.

_ A combined grant/loan of $2.4 million to the Consolidated Electric Cooperative in north central Ohio to build a 166-mile fiber network that will be used, among other things, to connect 16 electrical substations to support a smart grid project.

Other projects receiving funds include a 4G wireless network to be built by an Alaska Native Corporation in southwestern Alaska, a fiber-to-the-home project in a remote corner of New Hampshire and computer centers for 84 libraries in Arizona.

Congress included $7.2 billion for broadband projects in the stimulus bill to create jobs and bring new economic opportunities to parts of the country left behind in today's digital age. That includes $4.7 billion to be awarded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an arm of the Commerce Deparment, and $2.5 billion to be awarded by the Rural Utilities Service, part of the Agriculture Department.

Demand for the broadband money has been intense — far outstripping the amount of federal dollars available. The Commerce and Agriculture Departments received nearly 2,200 applications submitted by local governments, inner-city community groups, rural cooperatives, non-profits and for-profit corporations in every corner of the country. They asked for a total of $28 billion to pay for fiber-optic lines, wireless clouds, computer labs, Internet training programs, municipal communications networks and a range of other projects to bridge the so-called digital divide.

source....

looking away from the crowded center of the galaxy

Look for the Milky Way arching high across the north around 8 or 9 p.m. It is the glow of millions of stars in the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. We are looking away from the crowded center of the galaxy and toward the wide-open spaces of the galaxy's rim.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

The Ants Were Movin' Kinda Slow Today

The sun was shining, the temp hit 10°F ABOVE ZERO, and I knew then it was time to head for the woods.

Yes indeed, the ants were a teensy bit sluggish.


The length of my rounds varies even more than they usually do, when the tree is partially hidden in the snow!


I sure love that old maul.


When the loggers salvaged the trees that were uprooted by the tornado in 2004, they left a lot of these. Some of them are hollow, some of them are punk, but most of them are good yet for firewood. I can get a round or two out of all of them, or some, like this 12-14 inch diameter one, are 10 feet long. I'll be cutting this one up one of these days.


I know this one is rotten just by looking at it and it's almost all a big old burl anyway. It's final resting state is as you see it here.


This one was in good shape and made two nice rounds.


I got a lot of good firewood out of those two rounds.


Headin' back to the fire! The narrow trails are just right for an ATV and nothing more.


Burnin' on the right and stackin' on the left. If I cut again tomorrow, I'll have to make a few more stacks in the woods. I'm out of room again, for now.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

EVENTS IN NEBRASKA

"At 9 p.m. Central Time on Dec. 16th, a very bright meteor lit up the completely overcast sky like lightning in southeast Nebraska," reports Trooper Jerry Chab of the Nebraska State Patrol. "It flashed for approximately 2 seconds and was followed by ground shaking, which prompted many calls by the public to law enforcement in a three county wide area." The USGS says there was a magnitude 3.5 earthquake near Auburn, Nebraska, at 8:53 pm Wednesday night, about the same time and place as the fireball.

source....

Saturnalia

Today is the beginning of Saturnalia, an ancient Roman festival that honored Saturn, the god of agriculture. The planet Saturn, which looks like a bright golden star, is well up in the east at first light.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Ice fishing season around the corner

Before heading out on any ice, it is always best to contact local sport shops to ask about ice conditions on the lake or river you want to fish.

But the ice is coming, and in the meantime, it’s the perfect time for anglers to take the first step that avid ice angler and DNR fish supervisor Terry Margenau says is one key to great ice fishing.

“Tool up,” he says. “Some ice anglers may be like me and stash the tip-ups and jigs poles after the last outing in February or March without a thought until first ice the following December. Then suddenly, you find yourself ready to go and surprise, after sitting around all summer some grease has dripped out of the tip-ups, the lines are in a snarl, leaders need replacement, and hooks are a little rusty. Similar to any trip, fishing or otherwise, it’s a great asset if you can take a little time BEFORE that first trip to get organized.”

He’s learned a few things over his long fishing career – he ice fishes 20 to 40 days a winter – he’s also gained insights working since 1983 as first a DNR fisheries researcher, and now a fisheries supervisor.

Here are Margenau’s four other top tips to assure tip-ups during early ice:

* Creepers. Don’t leave home without them. Early season ice can be smooth and slick, especially with a dusting of powder snow on top. These metal cleats and traction devices attached to boots help avoid slips and falls. Not sure about everyone else, but I don’t bounce quite as well as I used to.
* Travel light and be mobile. One of the nice things about early season ice is that the ice isn’t that thick yet. No need to drag that power auger along until at least 6 inches of ice has formed. A hand auger or ice spud can carve out a nice hole in a minute. Because you can open a hole much quicker than during late season, you can have more freedom to move around into different areas to find fish.
* Think shallow. Inland predators like walleye are often found in shallow water during the early season. Why? That’s where the food is. Learn more about fish biology and feeding habits during winter the article Life Under the Ice in the December 2009 issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.
* Split the difference. Many anglers, when setting tip-ups, place their bait a certain distance off the bottom. For example, say water depth is 12 feet. Find bottom and set your bait one or two feet off bottom. If you are fishing in vegetation, my general rule is to think in halves. Twelve feet of water –put your bait at six feet. This serves two purposes. First, vegetation is still occupying a fair portion of the water column at early ice. If you place your bait too close to the bottom, there is a good chance it’s in the vegetation. No sight – no bite. Second, predators like northern pike cruise the water column. Even if they are near the bottom they can find prey above them. The opposite is less likely to be true.

5 Favorite Ice Fishing Facts

* Wisconsin has 1.4 million licensed anglers, and about one-third that number report they ice fish.
* Ice fishing trails only sledding, snowmobiling and ice skating outdoors as the most popular of outdoor winter activities.
* Ice anglers catch 14 million fish during the ice fishing season.
* Nearly half of all fish caught during ice fishing season are kept, compared to about one-third during the open water season.
* Panfish, northern pike and walleye, are the top species caught, in order, with 11.7 million, 866,000, and 750,000, respectively.

source....

A bevy of bright stars

A bevy of bright stars congregates in the east this evening. Sirius, the brightest star in the night, is lowest in the sky. Blue-white Rigel and orange Betelgeuse, the leading lights of Orion, are above it, with the twins of Gemini far to their left.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Whose pot pipe? Not my pot pipe! Where's the pot?

Now that there is some funny sh!t:

About a month ago....two 14-year old Mauston boys had allegedly stolen a car which had been recovered near Wausau. Over the weekend....the same two-boys were involved in a curfew violation. Further investigation revealed the two-boys had entered an unlocked vehicle in an alley behind the 400-block of North Union Street in the City of Mauston and allegedly took a digital camera, some papers from a purse, a pot pipe, and marijuana. The camera and pipe were recovered. The owner denied the marijuana and pot pipe were hers. The two Mauston boys were referred to the Juneau County Department of Human Services for theft, attempted theft, and obstructing and one of the boys was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. The marijuana was never recovered.

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STRANGE LIGHTS OVER NORWAY

On the morning of 12/9 in Norway, people saw a strange and still-unexplained phenomenon. Eye-witness Nick Banbury of Harstad reports: "We are used to seeing lots of auroras here in Arctic Norway, but on my way to work this morning I saw something completely unexpected. Between 7:50 and 8:00 a.m. local time, there was a strange light in the sky," shown here in a photo taken by Jan Petter:

"It consisted initially of a green beam of light similar in colour to the aurora with a mysterious rotating spiral at one end," continues Banbury. "This spiral then got bigger and bigger until it turned into a huge halo in the sky with the green beam extending down to the earth. According to the press, this could be seen all over northern norway and must therefore have been very high up in the atmosphere to be seen hundreds of km apart."

"[A popular] suggestion at the moment is that it was a rocket shot up by a Russian submarine in the white sea, but the Russians deny this apparently. A big mystery indeed!"

source....

Got A Fix For My Firewood Addiction, And It Was Good!

The target.


On the ground and all cut up.


A little wet and cold, but I ain't no momma's boy. Makes the fire at home feel all the better.


Gotta love that old maul! Three swings makes four splits nearly every time.


All split up.


It warmed up to 30°F during the night and this morning the snow had solidified somewhat. I was able to pack the trail pretty good, but was still leery of pulling my wood trailer. It occurred to me that an old snowmobile cutter from about 1970 was propped up somewhere in the junkpile. I found it, dragged it out through the snow, and hooked it up! Worked surprisingly well. In fact, it worked so well that even though my initial intention was not to haul any wood in it but just my equipment, I ended up hauling wood with it anyway. I took it a little easy on it, because the old fiberglass is kind of brittle, and I did forget a couple times and through some splits in it pretty hard, but it survived. It's pretty beat up anyway, from many years of teenagers a long time ago.


I think the poor old thing deserves a place next to my woodhauler. At least for now.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Read the story before looking at the picture below!

Well, there is good news and bad news about my Christmas decorations this year

Good news is that I truly out did myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories. But two things made me take it down. First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by. Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder and almost killed herself putting it against my house; she didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard.

Kind of feel like I gave in to 'the man' by taking him down but my neighbor did confirm to near miss accidents on the busy street next to my house. I think I made him too real this time...

So it was fun while it lasted!



















Thanks Matt!

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

There's too much snow!

I was able to get out into the woods, and back, but just barely. All the way was only moving at a snail's pace. I even melted a little plastic near the muffler on my ATV from working her kind of hard. There's no way I will be able to pull my wood trailer, even empty. I might be able to cut some wood, but not haul it up. I'll have more piled out there. The third year in a row that this has happened, too much snow right away in the beginning of December and then I can't cut any wood. And one thing about this area is that after it snows, it gets quite cold and then the snow won't pack/settle. It turns to a sugar-like texture that just slithers around under your wheels. Great for snowmobiling, bad for my wood cuttin' addiction.

Not exactly stuck, more of a controlled creeping.


The deer have been hittin' the turnip patch pretty hard. Can't tell from this picture, but they've got the far end dug down to the dirt. Should have planted turnips on the trails and maybe the deer would have plowed the snow off!


Skidplate dragging and wheels spinning all the way.


The thing about raspberries and hazelnuts is that in the summer the thick leaves and brush hide the available wood on the ground. Then in the winter the snow sticks to the brush and it still hides the wood!


This tree was going to be my next firewood target. I can get to it, kind of, and I can see it above the snow-cover,so maybe soon.


Nothing special about this picture, I just thought it was pretty. A future generation of white pine covered in snow.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

The 2009 Geminid Meteor Shower

Make hot cocoa. Bundle up. Tell your friends. The best meteor shower of 2009 is about to fall over North America on a long, cold December night.

"It's the Geminid meteor shower," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "and it will peak on Dec. 13th and 14th under ideal viewing conditions."

A new Moon will keep skies dark for a display that Cooke and others say could top 140 meteors per hour. According to the International Meteor Organization, maximum activity should occur around 12:10 a.m. EST (0510 UT) on Dec. 14th. The peak is broad, however, and the night sky will be rich with Geminids for many hours and perhaps even days around the maximum.

Cooke offers this advice: "Watch the sky during the hours around local midnight. For North Americans, this means Sunday night to Monday morning."

Researchers are interested to see what the Geminids do in 2009. The shower has been intensifying in recent decades and they wonder if the trend will continue.

Geminids are pieces of debris from a strange object called 3200 Phaethon. Long thought to be an asteroid, Phaethon is now classified as an extinct comet. It is, basically, the rocky skeleton of a comet that lost its ice after too many close encounters with the sun. Earth runs into a stream of debris from 3200 Phaethon every year in mid-December, causing meteors to fly from the constellation Gemini: sky map.

When the Geminids first appeared in the late 19th century, shortly before the US Civil War, the shower was weak and attracted little attention. There was no hint that it would ever become a major display.

But now it has. "The Geminids are strong—and getting stronger," says Cooke.

What's going on? Jupiter's gravity has been acting on Phaethon's debris stream, causing it to shift more and more toward Earth's orbit. Each December brings a deeper plunge into the debris stream.

Meteor expert Peter Brown of the University of Western Ontario (UWO) says the trend could continue for some time to come. "Based on modeling of the debris done by Jim Jones in the UWO meteor group back in the 1980s, it is likely that Geminid activity will increase for the next few decades, perhaps getting 20% to 50% higher than current rates."

A 50% increase would boost the Geminids to 200 or more meteors per hour, year in and year out. "That would be an amazing annual display," says Cooke.

Moreover, says Brown, "the proportion of large, bright Geminids should also increase in the next few decades, according to Jones' model." So the Geminids could turn into a "fireball shower."

Brown cautions that "other models of the debris stream come to different conclusions, in some cases suggesting that Geminids will decrease in intensity in the coming decades. We understand little about the details of the formation and evolution of Phaethon's debris despite many years of efforts."

Recent trends favor a good show. Enjoy the Geminids!

source....

China: Secret Pilot UFO file released

A detailed UFO report of an incident involving a commercial pilot that includes radar images and recordings of the conversation between the pilot and the airport tower has just been made public in China. The report was released at a scientific forum held in Shanghai.
The event occurred on March 18 in the morning in Shanghai. Later that day hundreds of readers rang a local newspaper ‘The Xinmin Evening Times’ to report a strange object they had seen in the sky. One of these callers was the Tower Manager at Hongqiao Airport, Mr Jin Xin. He mentioned that a UFO had been spotted by tower staff and picked up by radar and that he had the recording.
Mr Jin Xin added that he requested that a pilot due to take off at exactly the same time chase the object and the pilot, who agreed, had reported that the UFO, seemingly made of two parts, was circling around his plane. A transcript of the conversation between the pilot and tower control has also been preserved.
The pilot witnessed the UFO for no less than 9 minutes and described the UFO in the conversation with the tower as initially a glowing fireball displaying extraordinary flight characteristics and quickly shifting position before ‘Descending sharply, changing colour from red to black and then separating into two objects: The top one a sphere, the bottom a rectangle. The craft travelled in a Northeast direction at level flight before climbing and disappearing.’
The pilot, Mr Zhu Zhaoyuan , was highly experienced at the time and was flying for Jinan Airlines. The aircraft he was flying was small commercial plane.
A number of UFO research societies were asked to investigate this event as well as scientists. Professor Wang Sichuao of Nanjing’s Purple Mountain Observatory (Of the July Eclipse UFO fame) thinks that this was an extraterrestrial encounter while the custodian of the recording, Mr Jialu Wu, an ex-engineer at the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute and now director of the Shanghai UFO research centre believes the UFO was in fact two airplanes misidentified by the pilot.

In the process of releasing this astonishing file, a researcher from the Purple Mountain Observatory, Mr Liu Yan, revealed that the institution had investigated many thousands of UFO reports received from the public. According to Mr Yan, 90 percent of such sightings are eventually identified.

Chinese Ufologists have observed that this figure still leaves a lot of genuine UFOs that have been seen above China.


source....

After The Storm

On the radio they were calling it the "Storm of the Decade" and saying the old timers couldn't remember a worse one. I say bologna! We've had much worse storms than this, even as recently as last year and the year before. We only got a foot of snow. We've gotten way more than that in a single storm before. The wind has blown harder. The drifts have been bigger. And the temperature has been way colder. I think the old timers are suffering from memory loss.

It's supposed to warm up a little this weekend and maybe I can start packing some of the trails in the woods. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Snowflakes!


The woodstack that I'm currently burning from.


The plow truck going by, again.


And right behind the plow truck is the pulp truck. The loggers have a little bit bigger equipment than I do so they can still work in the woods!


I'm sure everybody recognizes this, you've seen it pictured hundreds of times, my wood hauling trailer. Looks pretty sad right now, sitting there doing nothing.


The beginning of the trail into the woods, and at this time also the end. Snoopy is pointing at it, as if shaking a finger to scold it, but the white obstacle still won't go away.


Some of my overflow woodstacks.


And a few more stacks of excess firewood.


And a very depressed-looking balsam fir.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill