Welcome to The Planetary Society's Blog, a guide to interesting stuff going on in space science, space exploration, and space advocacy. Have any comments?
As I've mentioned before, it's amateur astronomers, not professionals, who are shouldering the burden of constant monitoring of the weather on Jupiter and Saturn. What's going on these days in the outer solar system?
Well, as Damian Peach shows us, Jupiter's belt has definitely returned, and the clouds are very, very turbulent to the west of the Red Spot, which, to be honest, is really not looking all that red. And OMG look how much detail he resolved on Ganymede! For his most recent photos, check his Facebook page.
Jupiter on February 1, 2012 Amateur astrophotographer Damian Peach writes about this amazing photo: "Jupiter on February 1st. Ganymede is in transit with the shadow of Europa cast onto the cloud tops nearby. Bitterly cold easterly winds but very steady conditions kept me out there." Credit: Damian Peach
So let's step on out to Saturn, which has been monitored very well lately by Freddy Willems. He's still seeing quite strong effects from the great northern storm (note north is down in this photo, which is more traditional for telescopic images).
You are invited to another live lecture by our friends with the big telescopes high atop Mauna Kea. CalTech Professor of Physics Tom Soifer directs the Spitzer Science Center. He'll be at the Kahilu Theater on the Big Island of Hawaii to take us on a journey "filled with beauty, drama, mystery and surprise."
The lecture begins at 9:00pm Pacific Standard Time tonight.
President Obama shakes Bill Nye's hand at the 2012 White House Science Fair President Barack Obama shakes hands with Bill Nye, The Science Guy, during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, for the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. Source: CBSNEWS.comCredit: AP Photo / Susan Walsh
The event opened, as any White House event will, with a speech by the President. I was pleased by what he said about the importance of science to the future of American competitiveness. I've included a video of the President's speech at the end of this post. Alternatively, you can listen (MP3, 12MB) or read a transcript of what he said. Here's what I thought were some of the highlights:
[I]t is fitting that this year's fair is happening just two days after the Super Bowl. I want to congratulate the New York Giants and all their fans. I just talked to Coach Coughlin; I'm looking forward to having the Giants here at the White House so we can celebrate their achievements. But what I've also said -- I've said this many times -- is if we are recognizing athletic achievement, then we should also be recognizing academic achievement and science achievement. If we invite the team that wins the Super Bowl to the White House, then we need to invite some science fair winners to the White House as well.
....
[Y]ou guys put me to shame. What impresses me so much is not just how smart you are, but it's the fact that you recognize you've got a responsibility to use your talents in service of something bigger than yourselves.
....
When you work and study and excel at what you're doing in math and science, when you compete in something like this, you're not just trying to win a prize today. You're getting America in shape to win the future. You're making sure we have the best, smartest, most skilled workers in the world, so that the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root right here. You're making sure we'll always be home to the most creative entrepreneurs, the most advanced science labs and universities. You're making sure America will win the race to the future. So as an American, I'm proud of you. As your President, I think we need to make sure your success stories are happening all across our country.
....
I'm going to make a special plea to the press -- not just the folks who are here, but also your editors -- give this some attention. I mean, this is the kind of stuff, what these young people are doing, that's going to make a bigger difference in the life of our country over the long term than just about anything. And it doesn't belong just on the back pages of a newspaper; we've got to lift this up.
Here's another fun pic of Bill from the White House. That girl who's so excited to be photographed with him, Shree Bose, happens to be a student at Fort Worth Country Day School, the same one I graduated from in 1992! Here's an article from my hometown newspaper about what she did to get to the White House Science Fair. The article says: "Bose gave kudos to her school, saying that while she submits her own projects for competitions, she has had 'great science teachers at Country Day.'" And two of them are the same ones who taught me biology and chemistry. So let me give a shout-out to Ms. Hamilton and Dr. Aldridge, who were and are great science teachers!
Bill Nye and Shree Bose at the 2012 White House Science Fair Shree Bose, middle, reacts to having her picture taken with Bill Nye, "The Science Guy" at a reception with President Obama at the White House Science Fair in the East Room on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Credit: MCT / Mary F. Calvert
After the speechifying and socializing, Bill Nye and Neil Tyson took the opportunity of being together in a really cool location to do an impromptu Twitter Q and A. Here they are in the "Twituation Room." (I couldn't find a source for this photo -- anybody know where it came from?)
The "Twituation" room at the 2012 White House Science Fair Neil Tyson and Bill Nye answer questions submitted via Twitter from the White House during the 2012 White House Science Fair on February 7, 2012. Credit: ??? (someone please let us know)
A week ago, the New Horizons team announced an effort to gather signatures in support of a petition to the U.S. Postal Service to commemorate the historic flyby of Pluto on a stamp. "Commemorate?" you may ask. "It's not even close to Pluto yet." You'd be right to say so, but the proposal must happen now because it can take three years from proposal to printing of a new postage stamp. (Yay for bureaucracy.) I, for one, would be thrilled to be mailing my bills and Christmas cards inside envelopes bedecked with New Horizons!
You can help make this happen. You need to do two things:
Visit change.org to sign the petition. They've gathered more than 4,000 signatures so far, but they have a goal of 100,000 -- there are many more to gather.
Urge your friends and acquaintances to do the same, via every social network in which you participate. Twitter -- Facebook -- Google+ -- LinkedIn -- and even good old fashioned word of mouth!
Concept for a New Horizons U.S. postage stamp On February 1, 2012, the New Horizons team launched an effort to petition the U.S. Postal Service to commemorate New Horizons. Credit: Art by Dan Durda
[ what is this? ]