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[patrickm]

Moon from Soper's Hole, Tortola, BVI, 1 Feb 2012 about UTC -4.

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[patrickm]

sakistore.blogspot.com/2012/02/neil-degrasse-tyson-in-high-school.html

[patrickm]

Pantheon oculus

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Blow it out your rain hole!

"The walls of the Pantheon's dome, are 20 feet thick at the base and only five feet thick at the oculus or eye at the top of the dome. The Roman engineers cleverly embedded lighter materials in the upper sections of the dome to reduce weight, and used the multi-row arrangement of waffle-like coffers for the same purpose. Until the 19th century no dome was larger, and the Pantheon's dome still remains the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.

The Oculus in the Pantheon, Rome, has always been open to the weather, allowing rain to enter and fall to the floor, where it is carried away through drains. In the picture, right, sunlight streams through the opening and strikes the lower part of the dome. The bright opening and the surrounding smooth concrete above the coffering resembles an eye, giving the opening its name."

Very Coolest Patrick.

[patrickm]

Pantheon is now my favorite building, or at least tied with the Parthenon in Athens. We even went back to it on Wednesday just to hang out there and soak up the vibe.

The building is huge. Though it looks small, the oculus is 27' across and the extended dome would create a perfect sphere that would just touch the ground.

On Pentacost, firefighters climb up there and drop rose petals through the oculus at the end of the service to represent the flames that danced on the Apostles heads. What a trip that would be, however you feel about Christianity. And it's firefighters because they're the only ones who can get up there safely.

On summer solstice, the light from the oculus supposedly shines through the front door.

Pantheon is almost perfectly preserved because it was converted into a church and was thus saved from recycling of materials. Though it is a church, it does not feel churchy. It feels like the Pantheon. It gave me the same feeling of smallness as deep space astronomy.

[patrickm]

Astronomy Hexagon, Andrea Pisano, Florence, Italy, ca. 1350 Adorned Giotto's Campanile (Bell Tower). Now in Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence.

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[patrickm]

Hexagons of the Liberal Arts and Lozenges, Florence, Italy, ca. 1350. Orginally adorned Giotto's Campanile (Bell Tower). Now in Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

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[patrickm]

The rest of my Italy photos are going up here:

www.flickr.com/photos/pkmonaghan/sets/72157631326726064/

Right now it's only my iPhone photos that I could more easily post on the fly. Had a great time. Happy to be home. I want a burrito and a turkey sandwich.

[headdunce]

Nice pictures. I wish I knew another language so I could travel more...

[patrickm]

Sept 18, 2012 6:49:12 GMT -6 headdunce said:

Nice pictures. I wish I knew another language so I could travel more...

I speak not a word of Italian! Being Italy, it is full of tourists. It is expected. Most museum signage in Italian and English. Copious English language tour guides. Not being America, most people (under 70) speak multiple languages. Rick Steves. No excuse!

And thanks!

[patrickm]

RT @suntimes: Judge rules Grant Park curfew unconstitutional in Occupy Chicago case. t.co/ruUSv2EX

Wonder what this might eventually mean for observing at Chicago Parks?

[patrickm]

Very Little Stars
vimeo.com/50061391

[headdunce]

Sept 21, 2012 9:53:26 GMT -6 patrickm said:

No excuse!

Well I'm off to the Super Boats International Offshore Race in Key West next month - www.superboat.com Then back to Turks and Caicos for a stay on Middle Caicos for a while in January - goo.gl/maps/6zd5N

Anyway, my only excuse is I'm already booked

[headdunce]

Oct 3, 2012 19:44:40 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Very Little Stars
vimeo.com/50061391

Cool eye candy

[patrickm]

Looks like you're traveling just fine to me. Have fun.

[headdunce]

Just haven't done Europe yet... one day...

[patrickm]

Only tangentially astronomical, but have recently discovered Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto) "Music for Planetarium," which was commissioned for the opening of the new T*T Planetarium in Budapest. Anybody familiar with his other, more aggressive and awesome electronica will be confused by this, but anybody who loves Eno's Ambient albums--especially the darker timbre of "Apollo," the creepy industrial stylings of Lustmord, the post-metal work of Mick Harris, the "Alien" soundtrack, or the music you hear waiting in line for Space Mountain, will dig this album. Would be a fine addition to Joe's scope time music.

You can sample it here:
itunes.apple.com/us/album/music-for-planetarium/id353134169

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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

"Would be a fine addition to Joe's scope time music"

I like nice ethereal ambiance during Chicago Astronomer Star Parties...our visitors like it too. I'll check his work out.

(Side note: Years ago, I requested a Computer from the Adler to use during our observation sessions on Adler After Dark activities. After a long time, they provided me one and what I wanted to do was to play some ambiance music whilst displaying planetarium programs..which I did. But one evening, I was looking thru Youtube ambiance selections ...and the coordinator at the time went nutso - thinking I was goofing around and said that this wasn't what the computer was for. So, screw it...I never again made the effort nor used the machine.

Things are better now.... )

[headdunce]

May 13, 2011 6:41:34 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Burrito? Perhaps if he ordered it from the place that promises "burritos as big as your head."

www.labambaburritos.com/
Oh how I miss SIU... should have never left for boring NIU...

eesh, okay so I'm bringing up and old post to this post, whatever...

[patrickm]

After a few days in West Texas, I must report back to Chicago that there are more than 5 stars in the sky.

[Paulie pchris00]

Heresy. You are hereby condemned to burn at the stake. There are only five stars in the sky.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

All you need are 5.

The rest is gravy.

[Centaur]

Dec 15, 2012 13:05:53 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Heresy. You are hereby condemned to burn at the stake. There are only five stars in the sky.

Which 5 are they, Paulie?

Come out to my brother's cottage at Turner Camp on the Fox River during the warm half of the year. It may not be quite like the mid-Pacific Ocean, but it's relatively nearby and presents a marvelous view of the heavens. There are no streetlights, so remember to bring a flashlight.

[patrickm]

Remember astronomy?

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Nudge me in the early spring.

[patrickm]

Here is today

hereistoday.com/

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Is that Daylight
Savings time or what?

[headdunce]

Well that sinks
www.wolfrivercam.com/Fremont%20Cam.html

[patrickm]

Researchers believe they have come up with a new type of LED-powered streetlamp that could radically reduce light pollution.

Current designs "leak" large amounts of light in unwanted directions, obscuring views of the stars, wasting energy and making it harder for drivers to see.

The team, based in Mexico and Japan, said they believed their solution was the "best ever reported".

<2% leakage.

m.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22292129

[patrickm]

RT @newsyc20: Planar Choreographies: odd orbital mechanics

t.co/wHjVWpoAUl