Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

April 2010

Sungrazing Comet

Or should it be SUN-IMPACTOR COMET? I saw this yesterday on SpaceWeather.com:

sungrazerSUNGRAZING COMET: Today, the sun had a comet for breakfast. The icy visitor from the outer solar system appeared with no warning on April 9th and plunged into the sun during the early hours of April 10th. One comet went in, none came out. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) had a good view of the encounter.

The comet was probably a member of the Kreutz sungrazer family. Named after a 19th century German astronomer who studied them in detail, Kreutz sungrazers are fragments from the breakup of a giant comet at least 2000 years ago. Several of these fragments pass by the sun and disintegrate every day. Most are too small to see but occasionally a big fragment like today’s attracts attention.

This has been an active year for big, bright sungrazers. There was one on Jan. 4th, one on March 12th, and now one today. Normally we see no more than 3 or 4 bright ones in a whole year; now we’re seeing them almost once a month. It could be a statistical fluctuation or, maybe, a swarm of Kreutz fragments is nearing perihelion (closest approach to the sun). Stay tuned for doomed comets!

Click on the thumbnail image for full-size movie.

11 Apr 2010 by Aerospace Astronomy Science

The Cactus and Succulent Show and Sale

abro.jpgAs members that support the South Coast Botanic Garden and since we’re into Cactus and Succulents in our home garden, we enjoy going to the annual Cactus and Succulent Show and Sale. We browse the hall where the plants are on display and then visit the rooms where a variety of interesting plants are for sale.

After visiting the show, we usually go down the garden path and look at the cactus and succulent garden and then the rose garden. I took over 200 photos today and will post some of the best of them soon.

The image above is of an Abromeitiella brevifolia which was easily the most unusual thing we saw in the show today. Believe it or not, this is related to the pineapple. Click on the image to enlarge.

10 Apr 2010 by Home & Garden Photography

A Real Artichoke Farm

artichoke-farm.jpgI blogged a few days ago about our so-called Artichoke Farm. I was joking, of course, about Damsel’s first backyard garden artichoke crop ever. Today, while we were running several errands, some road construction caused me to detour through a residential area where we found a house with artichokes growing in a planter along the sidewalk.

I counted at least 20 artichokes in Damsel’s photo (click image to see the entire photo) of just part of the artichoke patch in front of the house. It made me laugh to see this mature artichoke patch growing literally dozens of pods.

09 Apr 2010 by California Food & Dining Home & Garden

A Red Spring Anaryllis

These are growing in the flowerbed by the side of the house. I planted the bulb last year. This is the second year where these nice red flowers are blooming. There are two other flower stalks, so there will be more. Click on the image to enlarge.

red-am.jpg

08 Apr 2010 by Home & Garden Photography

The Science Behind Anthropological Global Warming

Junk Science

 
The Science Behind AGW

The well-known terrorist group, Greenpeace, is urging “mass civil disobedience” to intimidate those who are skeptical about global warming:

If you’re one of those who believe that this is not just necessary but also possible, speak to us. Let’s talk about what that mass civil disobedience is going to look like.

If you’re one of those who have spent their lives undermining progressive climate legislation, bankrolling junk science, fueling spurious debates around false solutions, and cattle-prodding democratically-elected governments into submission, then hear this:

We know who you are. We know where you live. We know where you work.

Bring it on, Asswipes . . .

05 Apr 2010 by Firearms Global Warming Greenbats

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