January 29, 2010 Mars will be in opposition to the Sun, and closest to Earth. At that time, Mars will shine in the sky at about midnight, rising to the east, just after sunset, the sun and its apparent diameter will be 14 seconds of arc.
At that time, Mars will shine in the sky at about midnight, rising to the east, just after sunset, the sun and its apparent diameter will be 14 seconds of arc.
In the approach that will take place on 29, 2010, at 16h 36 min., GMT, the Earth and Mars distarão only 99 million km.
Even the naked eye, is easy to see the bright red-orange Mars. However, more accurate observations will always require a place away from urban lights and the use of binoculars or spotting scopes with tripod, at least.
Only observers who use instruments with at least 15 cm aperture (diameter of the lens) will be able to view details of the Martian surface as the ice caps and dust storms.
Even the naked eye, is easy to see the bright red-orange Mars. However, more accurate observations will always require a place away from urban lights and the use of binoculars or spotting scopes with tripod, at least.
Only observers who use instruments with at least 15 cm aperture (diameter of the lens) will be able to view details of the Martian surface as the ice caps and dust storms. Read the rest of this entry »
Skull symbolism is the attachment of symbolic meaning to the human skull. The most common symbolic use of the skull is as a representation of death and mortality, but such a reading varies with changing cultural contexts.
Humans can often recognize the buried fragments of an only partially revealed cranium even when other bones may look like shards of stone. The human brain has a specific region for recognizing faces, and is so attuned to finding them that it can see faces in a few dots and lines or punctuation marks; the human brain cannot separate the image of the human skull from the familiar human face. Because of this, both the death and the now past life of the skull are symbolized.
Moreover, a human skull with its large eye sockets displays a degree of neoteny, which humans often find visually appealing—yet a skull is also obviously dead. As such, human skulls often have a greater visual appeal than the other bones of the human skeleton, and can fascinate even as they repel. Our present society predominantly associates skulls with death and evil. However, to some ancient societies it is believed to have had the opposite association, where objects like crystal skulls represent “life”: the honoring of humanity in the flesh and the embodiment of consciousness.
When a skull was worn as a trophy on the belt of the Lombard king Alboin, it was a constant grim triumph over his old enemy, and he drank from it. In the same way a skull is a warning when it decorates the palisade of a city, or deteriorates on a pike at a Traitor’s Gate. The Skull Tower, with the embedded skulls of Serbian rebels, was built in 1809 on the highway near Niš, Serbia, as a stark political warning from the Ottoman government. In this case the skulls are the statement: that the current owner had the power to kill the former. “Drinking out of a skull the blood of slain (sacrificial) enemies is mentioned by Ammianus and Livy, and Solinus describes the Irish custom of bathing the face in the blood of the slain and drinking it.” The rafters of a traditional Jivaro medicine house in Peru, or in New Guinea. The temple of Kali is veneered with skulls, but the goddess Kali offers life through the welter of blood. The late medieval and Early Renaissance Northern and Italian painters place the skull where it lies at the foot of the Cross at Golgotha (Hebrew for the place of the skull). But for them it has become quite specifically the skull of Adam. Read the rest of this entry »
Created in an instant out of water vapour, and vanishes just as suddenly, its pattern never to be repeated.
These amazing images were taken, using a special microscope, by physics Professor Kenneth Libbrecht, who has spent the past 11 years on a personal quest to record the beautiful world of snowflakes. Read the rest of this entry »
National Headache Foundation 5252 N. Western Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60625 (312) 878-7715 In Illinois 1-800-523-8858 Outside Illinois 1-800-843-2256
Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.
Prepare for the morning the evening before. Set the breakfast table, make lunches, put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.
Don?t rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc. (“The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory.” – Old Chinese Proverb)
Do nothing which, after being done, leads you to tell a lie.
Make duplicates of all keys. Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden and carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring. Read the rest of this entry »
12 years ago I set out on my first foray into the world of entrepreneurship. The company was called MCSETutor.com (we later changed the name to the equally obtuse 2000Tutor.com) and while it wasn’t a huge success by dot com era standards we did sell it for a tidy profit. But looking back I’m shocked at how little I knew about entrepreneurship.
As I’m sure any entrepreneur would love to do, I’d give anything to step back in time 12 years and have a chat with my 21 year old self. And while I can’t do that I do love to share lessons with as many young entrepreneurs as I can. I’ve spoken a bunch at colleges and other organizations for young entrepreneurs. I love passing along lessons while realizing that my experience is far from complete and I have many lessons yet to learn. Still, here are 5 things I’d tell myself if I could step back to 1997 and take myself out for coffee (yes, I know that sounds strange…)
#1 – Take as much risk as you can as early in life as you can. My choice at the time was to either be an investment banker or start a company with some friends. Starting a company sounded way riskier. Which is the main reason why I think I took it. Yogi Berra may have said when you come to a fork in the road take it but I’d merely add when you come to a fork in the road take the riskier path.
I’m not talking stupid risks. But smart, calculated ones. Look, at some point in your life you’ll have kids and a mortgage and a spouse who might not be super understanding of your crazy business ideas. But when you’re young you usually don’t have any of those things. Which means you can swing for the fences. Please do so. I promise you won’t regret it. Read the rest of this entry »
Blu, the innovative street artist who brought us the viralicious wall-painted animation MUTO, is at it again. Just recently, Blu teamed up with David Ellis and together they made COMBO (via Wooster Collective)
Marek Okon, lives in Lublin, Poland, has 28 years old and an amazing talent. He started his graphic adventures in advertising and some years ago decided to do some more serious digital painting. Right now he is doing mostly book covers and concepts for various publishers and game studious.
January 29, 2010 Mars will be in opposition to the Sun, and closest to Earth. At that time, Mars will shine in the sky at about midnight, rising to the east, just after sunset, the sun and its apparent diameter will be 14 seconds of arc.
