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Tag Archives: sun

Astronomy is Awesome!

Posted on September 12, 2013 by kejohns323 Posted in School .

Astronomy is Awesome!I can’t decide whether stars are overrated, underrated, or cliché. The celestial activities in the wild blue yonder had some very important bearings on life and culture in world history. In early centuries—before GPS, MapQuest, and even commonplace physical maps—sailors, merchants, explorers—anybody who took to the open seas—navigated their way with what was in the sky. Before eclipses were recognized, ancient cultures feared that a great monster or other being was swallowing up the sun. If you know the religious accounts to the history of Christmas, you probably know that the Protestant Bible speaks of wise men following a bright star which led them to Bethlehem where Jesus Christ was born. (The story is detailed in Matthew, chapter 2) Also, Greek and Roman culture named star clusters and planets after their gods and goddesses.  Philosophers like Aristotle and Plato proposed theories about the universe that were studied, challenged, approved, and adapted by the scientists of the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution. Men like Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler, helped shape the field of Astronomy (and even some other sciences) to what is had and known today.

Does it all mean as much to us today? Just seeing a few stars in the night sky can be difficult when we live in and around big, bright-lit cities (or just any bright-lit area for that matter).  They’re white dots on a black backdrop for things that occurred long ago in a galaxy far away, and sometimes the subject of pop songs; we all know “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “Airplane” by Rihanna and B.o.B. The definition of “star” these days isn’t limited to celestial bodies anymore. Stars are all over Hollywood, and signal fortune or trouble (if you follow astrology). We see stars (the idiomatic reference is not intentional) and the skies so much differently in this day and age, even though we can see more than ever before. You don’t have to be an astronaut or work with NASA to see all the amazing wonders beyond our planet. There are many ways the info gathered by the experts is readily accessed by the general public. If you’re a college student, enroll in an Astronomy class if your school offers one. Participate in an Astronomical group if there’s one in your community. Or, even simpler, find some resources through the internet. Seeing and understanding the universe for what it really is great for personal enrichment. Here’s what can come of it:

  • You’ll gain a sense of direction-Technology will never fail us, and we may never find ourselves in uncharted wilderness. But in the off-chance our modern devices are unreliable in the middle of nowhere, knowing some things about the orientation of the stars and the sun might help you get from that kind of situation to assistance and safety.Astronomy is Awesome!
  • You’ll better understand the universe-The galaxy, the universe, and the solar system are all different terms and concepts. Earth’s distance from the sun has nothing to do with the four seasons. Milky Way is more than a candy bar, and outer space is not just some white light in black nothing-ness. These are but a few things that the average person misunderstands or is ignorant to in the subject of astronomical matters. Astronomy teaches the truth about these things, and you’ll be amazed by what is really out there beyond our planet!
  • You can see other worlds…quite literally!-A study in Astronomy wouldn’t be complete without a look at the planets. Satellites and spacecraft have made it possible to have a look at them, and the images developed can be accessed quite easily. If you don’t have an astronomy textbook to look at, Google Images and even Google Earth can help you get closer to our solar system.
  • You’ll discover Astrophotography-This happened to me in my own engagement in an Astronomy course. Simply put, it’s Astronomy in art form. Astrophotographers are connected with the scientific community; so much of what is seen and known about the subject is made possible by them. Search astrophotography on Google images, or even on other platforms like Pinterest or Tumblr, and you’ll find some pretty incredible sights captured by them!

For centuries, civilizations have thrived on and marveled at the phenomena of the universe; and centuries of study and technological advances have brought about greater understanding of the skies we see. The world is our oyster, as it’s been said, but the universe which holds our world is a deep sea full of many other wondrous things to know and explore. If you’re interested in learning about Astronomical subjects, here are some other resources to help you get started:

websites

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD): Every day, NASA posts interesting new pictures of sky and celestial phenomena. This collection has been running for eighteen years. There’s an (APOD) app available for most personal devices. While most images have come from NASA and astrophotographers, you could make a submission if you wanted. (info on that here.)

Hubblesite.org-This site has all things related to the ventures of the Hubble Telescope. You can find authentic pictures from the spacecraft, information on its discoveries, resources for more research and study, and even news on Hubble’s future replacement spacecraft, the Webb Telescope.

magazines

Astronomy.com-Check out the world’s best-selling Astronomy magazine. Subscribe to a newsletter, get a digital, or physical copy.

Skyandtelescope.com-an affiliate of the PBS program SkyWeek.

programs

Google Earth-Google Earth has features that can let you look at the constellations, the moon, and Mars. Like on the Earth setting, there’s a lot to interact with.

StarofBethlehem.net-If you’re interested in the Biblical account of the star I mentioned earlier, this DVD and project explains the significance and Biblical references relating to the stars.

 

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Tags: Airplane, Aristotle, astrology, Astronomy, Astrophotography, Bethlehem, Bible, celebrities, christmas, Copernicus, culture, eclipses, galaxy, Galileo, Google, Google Earth, greek, hollywood, Hubble, jesus, Kepler, magazines, Milky Way, NASA, outer space, planets, Plato, programs, Renaissance, resources, Rihanna, Roman, Satellites, science, scientific, Scientific Revolution, season, seasons, sky, Sky and Telescope, solar system, songs, spacecraft, stars, sun, technology, telescopes, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Universe, Webb Telescope, When You Wish Upon a Star .

The Allure of Sunglasses

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Toast Pop Posted in Style .

The Allure of SunglassesSunglasses have, apparently, been around for hundreds of years. Some wise man in China fashioned some to protect his eyes from the sun’s glare in the 15th century. Clever him. They only really became popular in the 1930s, when pilots started wearing the ‘Aviator’ style of sunglasses. Although this craze was widespread for a time, the Second World War meant people’s minds were elsewhere and sunglasses were not seen for a few years. Glamorous film stars and celebrities were keen on them in the 1950s and 60s, but it was in the 70s that they once again became widespread. Hippies loved to wear shades, man.

The thing I’ve never quite understood about sunglasses is why people feel the need to wear them even when it’s not sunny. OK, if you’re a celebrity or a British royal trying to escape the press’ beady eye, perhaps they are a good idea. But for the average man or woman on the street, you need to have real delusions of grandeur to want to wear the sunnies year round.

Take last week for example. There I am, happily minding my own business doing the weekly shop, when suddenly the doors to the food store swing open, as if a bolt of lightning had struck them. In from the dripping rain and gloom came a tall, striking woman, with long flowing blonde hair and clearly a good taste in shoes. Skin tight jeans, red nails and a bright red cami top completed the look. Her pretty features were somewhat masked by the huge sunglasses she was wearing. This despite the fact that at that point we hadn’t seen the sun for several weeks, and the rain was literally being thrown down by a very angry God.

Said sunglasses-clad woman strode purposefully through the shop, occasionally stopping to pick up an aubergine, chocolate, or other necessary purchases. She mustered her goods to the checkout and left without saying a word. It was as if a beautiful, mini-tornado had whirled its way through our local convenience store. Strangely enough, I secretly kind of liked her.

Think of all the heroes and villains of the popular culture films we have grown up watching. The protagonists of The Terminator, Men in Black and Top Gun are but a few examples. Sunglasses are the crowning glory on either a scoundrel or a saint. They make a person look edgy, stylish and cool. If you hide your eyes from the world, you are hiding how you really feel. This gives you a certain amount of power.

Imagine a world where you could not read people’s facial expressions, or make eye contact with people. It would make people listen much more carefully. Whether you were doing a job interview, or simply going out for dinner with friends, our whole social world would be very different.

The styles of sunglasses to choose from are many and varied. Perhaps you like the Wayfarer type, with its allusions back to the 80s, or Police brand shades. Maybe you like to go retro and wear 50s style glasses, or those polarised action hero sunglasses we see in the films. Girls can bling up their sunglasses with a pair of diamante shades from Dolce & Gabbana, whilst guys can add the bling by wearing a pair of gold tops. However you prefer to wear them, there’s bound to be a pair to suit you this season. My advice would be to get looking now, before the summer rush.

Just try not to wear them in the rain and the dark, if you’re in my part of town.

 

About The Author: David writes about the changing world of how classic brands continue to offer the same range of successful products decade after decade and survive the ever changing storm in one of the world’s most competitive and fad-focussed consumer markets.

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Tags: allure, clothes, clothing, fashion, how-to, info, lesson, style, sun, sunglasses, tip, tips, tutorial .

Sounds of Summer

Posted on June 20, 2012 by kejohns323 Posted in Art .

Sounds Of SummerLawnmowers, hot days, swimming pools

Baseball games, cookouts, time off school

Vacations, beaches, roller coasters

Fireworks, bonfires, marshmallow roasters

T-shirts, shorts, sunglasses, flip-flops

Ice cream, sodas, frozen ice pops

Long days, cool nights, fireflies

Skateboards, scooters, bike rides

Sunburn, sunscreen, suntan

Sprinklers, fountains, ocean waves, sand

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Tags: Art, artist, beach, college, english, language, literature, meaning, meaningful, ocean, poem, poet, Poetry, student, Summer, sun, sunburn, sunscreen, vacation, vacations, wave, waves .

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