Forgot about this Hubble Space Telescope birthday link #Space


May 15, 2021

Yesterday was my “space-camp” and NASA Sharp daughter Katelyn’s birthday and I had been saving a link that I forgot about just for the occasion … so will post it a day late … along with an amazing 2020 photo of Jupiter and Europa from the Hubble Space Telescope. We share an interest in space […]

Semi-Tech Friday: Solar Telescope view of our the Sun


January 31, 2020

A wide-angle view of the solar surface from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope is the highest-resolution image of the Sun ever taken, showing details as small as 30 km wide. Seen here are granules, the tops of giant convection cells. Credit: NSO/NSF/AURA Whether it is gazing at the millions of stars night sky (the […]

Spectacular images from NASA and the Hubble Space Telescope


September 5, 2014

Having an interest and studying a little bit of astronomy with my daughter when she was a teenager, I can’t help but share this spectacular Hubble Space Telescope image from NASA Goddard’s pix feed showing the galaxy PGC 54493 in the constellation of Serpens (The Serpent). Click for larger as its definitely worth seeing full […]

Check out the “Devil Comet” in the hour after sunset


April 24, 2024

Two stories from social media that interested me this week


November 25, 2023

This first story is from my son-in-law Drew, and highlights just how communication for doctors has changed throughout the years. The “pager” is synonymous with doctors as hospitals and medical offices have used them for years to communicate quickly. Sure they pretty much all have cellphones and smartwatches these days (they do also still use […]

Astrophotography is an interesting but expensive hobby #TBT


June 16, 2022

As the warm evening and nights of summer arrive, I catch myself looking up at the sky again. It may have started with a purpose back when Charlie (Kamikaze) and I were locally sailing the “Fiberpile” and studying celestial navigation before there was much more than radio directional finders (LoranC was too costly and wasn’t […]

The Great Conjunction: Saturn and Jupiter align on Dec 21st


December 20, 2020

For those who enjoy astronomy, space exploration or just looking at the night sky, an event know as Saturn and Jupiter’s Great Conjunction is happening on December 21st (although look in the southern sky shortly after sunset  any night this month). A “conjunction” is an event that happens every 20 years for these two planets […]

Barred spiral galaxy NGC4907 from 270 million light-years away


August 12, 2020

An image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is just too beautiful not to include on MyDesultoryBlog. I many not be the biggest astronomy or space geek, but I do spend time looking up at the stars in the evening. Although I didn’t get a good look at the NEOWISE comet last week (not for […]

Prediction: An advancement in superconductivity is coming


March 25, 2020

It may not come from space in the form of meteorites as mentioned in the story below, but I think the biggest advancement in this decade will be in superconductivity. Physicists have made fantastic advancements in reducing electrical resistance ever since Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes experimented with ferromagnetism in 1911, but getting superconductivity state […]

Music Monday: That sorrowful bluegrass sound from Alison Kraus – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Catfish John” for the slew of bad news


March 9, 2020

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The Moon and planets gave me a show tonight in Cincinnati


June 14, 2019

With the colder weather and clear sky over Cincinnati late Thursday evening and Friday morning this week, I took my Lumix GX-8 camera and 100-300mm lens out in the backyard to see what I could photograph. Not much as expected from Jupiter, but I think I could make out a couple moons in the pixelated […]

It is a great week for night stargazing and sky watching – #Jupiter


June 12, 2019

Just north of Cincinnati the sky was perfect for viewing the rise of Jupiter as the sky darkened about 9:30PM. The bright dot (photo below from my iPhone) rose in the SE sky and arched slowly until reaching its highest point due south at about 12:30AM and then moved lower well after I was in […]

Another great night for viewing our neighboring planets


July 23, 2018

The moon and Jupiter circled from my iPhone on Sunday night July 22, 2018 I have fond memories of sitting out with Katelyn when she would get out her telescope and was learning astronomy … but I do also still enjoy special nights like last night to "try" to capture the amazingly bright and large […]

Failed asteroid gazing leads to staring at Saturn and Jupiter


June 20, 2018

Here are a couple dots from an evening of star-gazing; the photo on the left is Saturn and the one on the right is Jupiter — wouldn’t it be nice to have a telescope (hint – to my spacecamp daughter!)   Actually I was attempting to get a glimpse of the asteroid 4 Vesta, which is […]

Watched the phases of a super moon lunar eclipse Sunday night


September 28, 2015

A few of my photos on Sunday night of the Super Moon Solar Eclipse in the sky over Cincinnati, Ohio. Very cool.     Graphic from skyandtelescope.com and usatoday.com below.

Memories: Deep Impact Mission inside Comet Tempel 1 #TBT


January 22, 2015

My wife has been busy cleaning out our closets and getting rid of “old stuff.” One the the items dates back in 2003 and brought back memories of my “space girl.”  My daughter Katelyn was inspired by science and particularly by an adventurous NASA, space exploration and astronomy. In part, her interest could have been […]

The power of nature on display in Papua New Guinea


September 9, 2014

Tavurvur is an active volcano and the current eruption on August 29, 2014 sent ash clouds into the atmosphere disrupting flights to Australia. Rabaul residents have been advised to remain indoor to avoid ash. The video demonstrates the power within our planet and the silent danger when and where pressures are released. We humans seem […]

Space Shuttle Discovery takes a final ride to Washington DC


April 17, 2012

It is still quite remarkable to see NASA haul around a giant space shuttle piggybacked on a modified Boeing747, this time it is Discovery heading to its final Washington DC Smithsonian home. For those of us who grew up with the entire space program it is indeed a sad end to an adventurous and exciting […]

NASA sends Space Shuttle Discovery to space for the last time


February 25, 2011

NASA’s space shuttle Discovery rocketed on its final voyage about 3 minutes late due to a computer problem yesterday afternoon. Mission STS-133 (PDF Summary) is sending six astronauts into space to dock with the International Space Station and plans to spend 11 days orbiting the earth. This launch has been delayed for four months in […]

Shuttle Altlantis STS-125 scheduled for lift-off at 2PM EST


May 11, 2009

The shuttle Shuttle Atlantis sits on launch pad 39A (photo right) as the crew of STS-125 rests for an ambitious mission to service NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope this week. The launch is scheduled for 2:00PM EST Monday afternoon and will be manned by retired Navy Capt. Gregory C. Johnson, pilot, mission specialists and veteran spacewalkers […]

Shuttle Endeavour returns safely to Florida


March 26, 2008

The space shuttle Endeavour was picked up on infrared camera gliding back to earth on Wednesday evening at the Kennedy Space Center after an ambitious an successful mission to the International Space Station. The crew spent 16 days on 5 space walks and installing the first part of the Japanese Kibo laboratory, as well as […]

Hawaii Trip Wrap up: Part 1


August 29, 2006

I’ve been planning to write down some thoughts and include some personal photos from our recent family vacation to Hawaii. We enjoyed near perfect weather on our entire trip, both on a cruise ship, NCL(A)’s “Pride of Hawaii,” and the time spent with my nephew David and his wife Gillian who live on Kauai — […]

PacMen of the Galaxy


January 9, 2006

In attempts to stay in sync with my daughter’s astronomy study, I’ve been doing some reading and learning. I’m barely scratching the surface in understanding this field, but find it very interesting. Our Milky Way is a phenomial site whether looked at in photos, viewed from a home telescope, or explored with the the extrodinary […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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