Category Archives: Look! Up in the sky!

As it turns out, standard physics prevailed: Pioneer Spacecraft Anomaly solved.

Posted on 18 July 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

For your “Just Too Cool” file.
From NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab comes a fascinating story about the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecrafts.  When last contacted they were mysteriously slowing down.  Someone figured out why.
It was, as it turns out, rocket science!
Study … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Too Cool, Look! Up in the sky! | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

Pluto Augmented

Posted on 16 July 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

At APotD I saw this interesting news: Pluto has a fifth moon!
A fifth moon has been discovered orbiting Pluto. The moon was discovered earlier this month in images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in preparation for the New Horizons … Continue reading →

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Cathedral Parish: “We welcome drop ins!”

Posted on 13 July 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I missed this the other day.  From the UK’s best Catholic weekly, The Catholic Herald:
Worshippers attending Mass at Brentwood Cathedral in Essex had a rude experience when a large block of ice fell through the roof during the Eucharistic Prayer.
Fr … Continue reading →

Posted in GO TO CONFESSION, Look! Up in the sky! | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

CME Season

Posted on 10 July 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

If there is a massive ejection of material from the Sun, a coronal mass ejection (CME), billions of tons of charged particles hurled out into space, which strikes the Earth, and if the polarity of the mass lines up with … Continue reading →

Posted in Look! Up in the sky!, TEOTWAWKI | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Just Too Cool: Panoramic View on MARS!

Posted on 7 July 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From poor little Spirit’s twin, Opportunity, comes this panoramic view. HERE.
It is stitched together from 817 images taken between 12 Dec 2011 and 8 May 2012 while Opportunity was stationed on an outcrop called “Greeley Haven” during the Martian winter.
According … Continue reading →

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All Alone in the Night

Posted on 5 July 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

A reader alerted me to this video, which is way too cool.   Time-lapse video taken from the International Space Station when on the night-side of our little blue marble.

Technorati Tags: aurora, International Space Station, ISS

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Seven Minutes of Terror

Posted on 28 June 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Those of you who have been reading here for a long while know of my admiration for poor little Spirit.  Opportunity keeps rolling, of course.  But …
Curiosity is coming.
And when I mean “Seven Minutes of Terror”, I don’t mean what … Continue reading →

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“He must increase. I must decrease.” A note on the Summer Solstice

Posted on 20 June 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today is the Summer Solstice.  From now, our northern hemispheric days get shorter, as the world’s tilt starts changing our daily/seasonal clocks.
I wonder if the LCWR leadership have special plans tonight!
An ancient Augustinian sermon made a connection between the Birth … Continue reading →

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Brick by Brick, Look! Up in the sky!, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Just Too Cool: a stamp … yes… a stamp

Posted on 19 June 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Some of you long-time readers know that I sometimes write about things astronomical and that I have mentioned the fascinating Jesuit mathematician Christopher Clavius (+1612), who worked out the reform of the calendar for Pope Gregory XIII.
For your Just Too Cool … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Too Cool, Linking Back, Look! Up in the sky! | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Geeky and Beautiful

Posted on 11 June 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

For your “Look! Up In The Sky!” file, you Transit of Venus fans will want to watch the ultra-hi-def video of different views of the transit.  This is from the Sun people at NASA and Astronomy Pic of the Day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Too Cool, Look! Up in the sky!, O'Brian Tags | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment