Howdy everybody!
I KNOW....I know... it's been a while since our paths have crossed...my apologies. This is what happens in college. It's a little recipe like:
Procrastination + Avoiding extra reading + writing a thesis ==> no blog posts
BUT the fantastic news is that we have an amazing line up of speakers this semester!
First up, NEXT THURSDAY, Feb. 17, at 5:15, in JGB 2.102 with Milos Milosavljevic, an assistant professor at UT.
He specializes in MASSIVE BLACK HOLES and galaxy formation. This is going to be a seriously exciting talk!
Of course, we will have having refreshments (Jason's Deli) for you guys, talk on our new t-shirts, and conversations on our field trip to McDonald Observatory this semester.
Hope to see you all there!
Until then, here's a little apology gift for my long absence. An overnight fast scan (about 1 min.) of the Very Large Telescopes of Chile. Absolutely beautiful!
Until next time.
M.
9.05.2010
On Vikings, Phoenix, Mars, and Life
Ya something new everyday, and so does NASA. There's something to be said for going back and taking another look at past research.
It turns out that the ORGANIC chemicals - chloromethane and dichloromethane - found in Martian soil samples from the Phoenix lander were ALSO found in soil samples from the Atacama desert in Chile. However, these chemicals were only discovered in the Chilean soil AFTER a little perchlorate was added to the soil.
This discovery nixes the previous belief that chloromethane and dichloromethane are the only organics present on Mars. Perchlorate is now believed to exist.
The next missions will be able to test this theory further with the use of the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument (SAM) attached to the Curiosity rover.
While this discovery does not yield knowledge to the presence of LIFE on Mars, every bit of discovery get us one step further towards understanding the biological history of the red planet.
lllater - M
It turns out that the ORGANIC chemicals - chloromethane and dichloromethane - found in Martian soil samples from the Phoenix lander were ALSO found in soil samples from the Atacama desert in Chile. However, these chemicals were only discovered in the Chilean soil AFTER a little perchlorate was added to the soil.
 |
| chloromethane |
The next missions will be able to test this theory further with the use of the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument (SAM) attached to the Curiosity rover.
 |
| dichloromethane |
 |
| perchlorate |
While this discovery does not yield knowledge to the presence of LIFE on Mars, every bit of discovery get us one step further towards understanding the biological history of the red planet.
 |
| Curiosity rover |
lllater - M
Google understands
Google gets it. Yeah, Google Maps is good for finding where that new doughnut shop is, but what about the big dipper? They understand that us astronomy/planetary science nerds needs a little directional help sometimes too.
They have made it possible for kids like Jonathan Tomshine to produce websites like Dark Sky Finder, which tell you what the light pollution is like in the area you want to see some starts, comets, meteor showers, planets,spaceships, satellites...yanno the like.
It's pretty cool AND simple. Just use it like you would Google Maps, moving the toggles to the place you want to watch the stars. I have made a place marker for the POSSE meeting location on the UT campus.
Enjoy your star watching!
Cheers - M
They have made it possible for kids like Jonathan Tomshine to produce websites like Dark Sky Finder, which tell you what the light pollution is like in the area you want to see some starts, comets, meteor showers, planets,
It's pretty cool AND simple. Just use it like you would Google Maps, moving the toggles to the place you want to watch the stars. I have made a place marker for the POSSE meeting location on the UT campus.
Enjoy your star watching!
Cheers - M
9.03.2010
FIRST POSSE MEETING OF THE SEMESTER
Helloooooooo everybody in the planetary science world!
This is it. It's time. Time to party.
And by party I mean have a POSSE meeting and talk about Mars, research, robots, and astronauts. WEEEE!
We will have Dr. Mark Helper giving his talk on “Robotic Mapping and Human Field Studies at Haughton Impact Crater, Canada”. Here's the link to awesomeness. His research is pretty amazing, ranging from working at NASA Ames to training astronauts in New Mexico. Also, for your refreshment and eating pleasure, we will provide beverages and Don Juan tacos from Juan in a Million. Hope to see you all there!
When: 9.8.10 @ 5:15 p.m.
Where: JGB 2.218
Cheers,
M
This is it. It's time. Time to party.
And by party I mean have a POSSE meeting and talk about Mars, research, robots, and astronauts. WEEEE!
We will have Dr. Mark Helper giving his talk on “Robotic Mapping and Human Field Studies at Haughton Impact Crater, Canada”. Here's the link to awesomeness. His research is pretty amazing, ranging from working at NASA Ames to training astronauts in New Mexico. Also, for your refreshment and eating pleasure, we will provide beverages and Don Juan tacos from Juan in a Million. Hope to see you all there!
When: 9.8.10 @ 5:15 p.m.
Where: JGB 2.218
Cheers,
M
5.19.2010
FIELD CAMP OPPORTUNITY
Hey guys! Here is a really cool field camp opportunity for anyone interested. The deadline is coming up quick though, so jump to it!
The LPI-JSC Center for Lunar Science and Exploration is excited to
announce a new student field camp opportunity coming this fall! The
Field Training and Research Program at Meteor Crater is being organized
under the auspices of the NASA Lunar Science Institute, which is
designed, in part, to train a new generation of explorers for the Moon
and beyond.
The Field Training and Research Program at Meteor Crater is a week-long
geology field class and research project based at Barringer Meteorite
Crater, Arizona, more popularly known as Meteor Crater. The goal will be
to introduce students to impact cratering processes and provide an
opportunity to assist with a research project at the crater. Skills
developed during the field camp should better prepare students for their
own thesis studies in impact cratered terrains, whether they be on
Earth, the Moon, Mars, or some other solar system planetary surface.
The field camp is designed for graduate college students in geology and
planetary science programs, although advanced undergraduate students
will be considered if they have successfully completed a summer field
geology program and have a demonstrated interest in impact cratering
processes. The field camp is offered October 17-23, 2010, and limited to
twenty-four participants. Interested candidates should apply by June 11,
2010, to be considered.
For more information, please visit: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/nlsi/
The LPI-JSC Center for Lunar Science and Exploration is excited to
announce a new student field camp opportunity coming this fall! The
Field Training and Research Program at Meteor Crater is being organized
under the auspices of the NASA Lunar Science Institute, which is
designed, in part, to train a new generation of explorers for the Moon
and beyond.
The Field Training and Research Program at Meteor Crater is a week-long
geology field class and research project based at Barringer Meteorite
Crater, Arizona, more popularly known as Meteor Crater. The goal will be
to introduce students to impact cratering processes and provide an
opportunity to assist with a research project at the crater. Skills
developed during the field camp should better prepare students for their
own thesis studies in impact cratered terrains, whether they be on
Earth, the Moon, Mars, or some other solar system planetary surface.
The field camp is designed for graduate college students in geology and
planetary science programs, although advanced undergraduate students
will be considered if they have successfully completed a summer field
geology program and have a demonstrated interest in impact cratering
processes. The field camp is offered October 17-23, 2010, and limited to
twenty-four participants. Interested candidates should apply by June 11,
2010, to be considered.
For more information, please visit: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/nlsi/
4.29.2010
Wata Wata Everywhere!
GEE GOLLY. We might as well be in a desert, we've been searching for water so much.
I feel like every new article I read has SOMETHING to do with finding/searching for/analyzing water in liquid/ice/gaseous form in planets/asteroids/moons. Do you think space scientists and explorers are trying to tell us something? Are they worried about the amount of water we have left on Earth?
Hmmmm...no, probably not, but it's one more thing to freak yourself out over.
This article explores the possibility that water exists extra-super-stellarly in an asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. In space. Where it's freakin cold. So uh...they must be lying to us. It's the only explanation.
P.S. sorry for the loooong pause in article updates. I believe that I have been consumed by a large university-size whale, have been allowed a moment for breathing through its little spraying hole thingy, and have returned to the belly where SO MANY TERRIBLE THINGS exist. Things like finals.
Also, I apologize for not making sense. The mind is easily lost in the belly of the whale.
Cheers, ciao, LATA. M.
4.20.2010
POSSE ELECTIONS 2010 (Convention 4.21.2010 @5:15)
Hello Hello!
With the year wrapping up, it's time to start preparing for the next fun-filled one! That's right, folks. It's time to elect new officers for POSSE 2010-2011! AWS YEAHS.
The positions available are:
President - Responsible for organizing meetings (obtaining speakers, stating responsibilities of other officers, completing the "checklist", compiling and sending out the mass POSSE email), arranging field trips.
Vice President - Responsible for aiding the President in all organizational matters, arranging field trips.
Secretary/Media Relations - Responsible for making the meeting PowerPoint and sending out the UT Know Events mass email, web updates.
Undergraduate Social Chairs - Responsible for ordering food and beverages for meetings, organizing social events (bowling, movie night, etc...)
Graduate Social Chair/Liaison - Acts as a bridge between Undergraduates and Graduate student members of POSSE (sending out graduate mass emails, fliers, word-of-mouth), assists rest of team.
Natural Sciences Liaison - Acts as a link between POSSE and the Natural Sciences School (sending out emails and posting fliers within the Natural Sciences buildings), assists rest of team.
Engineering Liaison - Acts as a link between POSSE and the Engineering School (sending out emails and posting fliers within the Engineering quad), assists rest of team.
This is YOUR CHANCE to become more involved in school, finally put to use all those leadership skills you've kept secret, and get to talk to some seriously cool people about space/planets/comets/awesomeness.
Tim, Kelly, Brent, Sam, Crossy, and I have thoroughly enjoyed being your POSSE officers this past year, and cannot wait to see what else is in store!
A meeting will be held on 4.21.2010 to discuss elections. We will also be featuring a great speaker, one of the Jackson School's own, Dr. Sean Gulick. He will be presenting his research on "Geological, biological, and resource implications of Large Impacts: Case Study of the 65.5 Ma Chicxulub Crater".
Come and join the fun! Oh, and we gots some suurrryous Chipotle burritos fo y'all.
Check it. M.
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