Archive for June, 2009

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More Than Planets

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

We’ve a special feeling toward the other planets that circle our sun. Maybe it’s all the science fiction stories about visiting the moon, Mars and other planets. But we like to think about those planets that make up what we call “the solar system.” that do what our planet does but do it extremely differently indeed.

The planets of our solar system have taken on personalities and mythical appeal in our literature and humanities. It is simple to find artists who render their vision of the planets that make up our society of planets close to our sun. The names of the planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are all from our cultural past being gods from Greek and Roman mythology. But the solar system isn’t just made of these planets. The solar system is a particularly busy place indeed.

In 2006, there had been rather a lot of controversy as students and astronomers agreed to downgrade Pluto and remove its status as a planet. So you have to wonder, what’s it that makes something a planet and what’s happened to Pluto? It did not just go away so it must still be out there. A planet, by scientific definition is any object in orbit around a sun, which has formed into some kind of round object is a planet as it has cleared away any other orbiting items around it. By cleared away, that doesn’t mean it is wrecked all space debris for example. For instance, our planet an example, our planet has not “cleared away” the moon but it is caught it into its own classify as a planet. That sure is a relief huh?

There are a lot of objects bobbing around in our solar system other than the planets we know of. It’s an engaging piece of minutiae that as well as the planets there are 165 moons orbiting around those 9 planets. Some of those moons are so sophisticated that some scientists have had a suspicion that they might have supported life at some point.

In addition to the regular planets and moons, there are dwarf planets, asteroid belts and routine visits by comets that make a lot of traffic in our cosmic corner of the universe. The two known dwarf planets that exist on the outer rim of our solar system are Eries and Ceres. So when Pluto’s status was changed to be removed from the list of planets, it simply joined those 2 bodies as dwarf planets but still a solid voter of the community of astronomical bodies around our sun.

In addition to these bigger bodies, there’s an asteroid belt that exists between Mars and Jupiter that most of the asteroids that we see in our night sky come from. There’s another belt of massive objects further out called the Kuiper belt as well as a “bubble” in space called a heliopause and there’s a suspected further belt outside the known solar system called the Oort belt that we think is the origin of a lot of enormous asteroids and comets that frequent our solar system and come to orbit our sun.

As entrancing as these many astronomical bodies who are our neighbors in space is the origin of our solar system. We’ve to break it down to simple terms to comprehend we know the early history of the early history of the solar system and the universe was one of great bodies of gas and clouds of matter eventually cooling and heating, exploding and spinning off stars and other giant space giants that became more stars, galaxies and solar systems. It was from this haphazard activity that our sun separated from the gasses and carried with it the material that became our solar system. The gravity of the sun caught enough matter that it began to go thru the process of forming, cooling, exploding and separating. This is what occurred as the planets all went through he same process eventually establishing stable orbits and little objects falling into orbit around them.

When you think of how powerful and out of control this process is, it’s dazzling to step back and see the great thing about the organization of our solar system today. The more detail you find out about the history of our solar system, the more you’ll enjoy your explorations of the planets with your telescope. That that discovery is an element of the fun of astronomy.

What is the biggest known planet in our galaxy? Visit planet-facts.com to compare the nine planets in our solar system. You might also want to take a look at Uranus facts.

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The Future of Alternative Energy Is Wind power

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Can Wind Power Meet Our Alternative Energy Needs

Although it is much less expensive to initially get hooked into the local electric company's grid than it is to set up and hook into wind turbines, in the long run one saves money by utilizing the wind for one's energy needs—while also becoming more independent. Not receiving an electric bill while enjoying the advantages of the modern electrically-driven lifestyle is a wondrous feeling.

Electric bills and fuel bills are rising steadily—but the cost of wind turbine energy is zero, and the cost of solar power and installing and hooking up a turbine is steadily coming down as demand rises and more commercial success is realized by various companies producing the turbines and researching technologies to make them ever more efficient. In addition, people are moving away from the traditional electric grids and the fossil fuels for personal reasons including desire for greater independence, the desire to live remotely or rurally without having to “go primitive”, political concerns such as fears of terrorist strikes on oil fields or power grids, or concerns about the environment. Again, this motivation to get away from the traditional energy sources is the same one that causes people to seek the power of the wind for their energy, giving more business opportunities to profit from wind turbine production and maintenance, which drives their cost of solar panels and wind turbines down for the consumers. In nearly thirty states at the time of this writing, homeowners who remain on the grid but who still choose to use wind energy (or other alternative forms) are eligible for rebates or tax breaks from the state governments that end up paying for as much as 50% of their total “green” energy systems' costs. In addition, there are 35 states at the time of this writing where these homeowners are allowed to sell their excess energy back to the power company under what are called “net metering laws”. The rates that they are being paid by the local power companies for this energy are standard retail rates—in other words, the homeowners are actually profiting from their own energy production.

Some lawmakers in the federal government are pushing to mandate these tax breaks and other wind power incentives in all 50 states. Japan and Germany already have national incentive programs in place. However, “A lot of this is handled regionally by state law. There wouldn’t really be a role for the federal government,” the Energy Department’s Craig Stevens says. And as might be imagined, there are power companies who feel that it’s unfair that they should have to pay retail rates to private individuals. “We should [only have to] pay you the wholesale rate for … your electricity,” according to Bruce Bowen, Pacific Gas & Electric’s director of regulatory policy. However, the companies seem to be more worried about losing short term profits than about the benefits, especially in the long run, of the increased use of wind turbines or wind farms. Head of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies of California V. John White states, “It's quality power that strengthens the grid.”

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How Do You Explain Mindpower?

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

It is a well known fact that most humans use only about 10% of their potential mindpower. It’s something staggering to think about; how high must our potential be if we only use this small fraction of our minds! What could you accomplish if you were able to use 100% of your mind?

In fact it has long been thought by scientists that people with all types of extra sensory and psychic powers have these powers because they are able to access different parts of their mind from other people. It seems that they were either born with this increased mindpower or have managed to develop this mindpower in later life.

Mind Power - Although the process is far from fully understood, the latest advances in quantum physics are beginning to reveal the true nature of the link between what we think and what we experience in ‘real’ life.

In fact recent scientific studies are starting to verify what the ancient religions have been saying for thousands of years, that reality is merely a product of your mind, and if you change the way you think, then you can change your reality – mindpower is in fact the only reality!

Popular books like ‘The Secret’ explain the idea that people can use their mindpower to change the world around them through what is called the law of attraction.

This principle states that there are causes and effects to everything, even our own thoughts can bring about tangible effects if directed properly. It all relies on being able to get your conscious mind to communicate to your subconscious in order to use your latent mindpower to achieve results.

So the subconscious mind is not only responsible for all of the esp powers such as telepathy, remote viewing, and precognition, it also reacts with the ‘universe’ or what some call the ‘universal consciousness’, to manifest your desires.

Now the key to the development of your mindpower is to communicate with your subconscious mind. But how exactly do you do this? There are a number of ways.

Affirmations:- Most people know about the simple process of affirmations. By repeating a positive phrase, to yourself several times a day your subconscious mind eventually gets the message!

If you needed to boost your self esteem, you may tell yourself things like ‘I am confident and well liked’. If you want to break a habit, you can use affirmations like ‘I only eat healthy foods’.

With consistent repetition affirmations really do work. You communicate with your subconscious mind, telling it to do something different and it does! It makes you behave differently.

Follow this line of reasoning and you’ll see that you can change everything – not just your own behavior but reality itself can be molded by your own mindpower!

Visualization:- You can also develop your mindpower using visualization. Visualization consists of closing your eyes and picturing the things you want to happen in your mind’s eye. Your subconscious mind responds to the images which you focus your thoughts on and begins using your mindpower to make them a reality. You can visualize anything you want and with practice, you’ll increase your mindpower and make it possible.

You can even visualize yourself using some of your other latent mental abilities. For example, visualize yourself communication with someone else telepathically or being able to use remote viewing. Using your mindpower in this way will help these natural psychic abilities to develop.

Hypnosis:- Hypnosis is a very effective means of boosting mindpower through communicating with the subconscious. You can work with a professional hypnotherapist who will place you into a state of deep relaxation and then supply suggestions to your subconscious mind which it will begin to work on once you wake up from your trance.

Alternatively you can try self hypnosis where you listen to a recording of a hypnotherapist going through the session. The advantage of this, apart from the cost, is that you can keep listening to it over and over again.

Brainwave entrainment:- Brainwave entrainment uses new breakthroughs in audio technology. Certain frequencies attune your brainwaves resulting in many different benefits such as pain relief and improved memory.

There are frequencies which help your mind to reach the meditative state needed to communicate with your subconscious and develop your mindpower.

There are also frequencies designed to stimulate the chakras; these are your body’s energy centers – one of the most important chakras is the ‘third eye’ which corresponds to psychic abilities.

All of us already have these psychic powers; but they must be developed by enhancing your mindpower. Unless you make the effort to develop these abilities, they remain locked in your subconscious mind and are never used.

In fact, when we speak of developing mindpower, it might be more accurate to talk about unleashing these powers which lie inside all of us and allowing us to use our full mental potential.

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The Astronomy Timeline

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

If you’ve a zeal for star gazing, telescopes, the Hubble and the universe and this thing we call “astronomy”, you are far from alone. Of course, we know that astronomy is a very respected science that has produced some of the most dazzling achievements of the twentieth century. On top of that, it is a thriving area of fascination and one of the most enthralling pastime areas going with thousands of astronomy clubs and thousands of beginner astronomers watching the stars consistently just like we do.

But are you know that astronomy is an example of the oldest and most respected sciences of them all? As far back as before the times of Christ, the wise and thinking people of societies of the time were taking a look at the stars and finding ways to track and chart them. We who love the pastime of astronomy can chart a proud history of astronomers that tracks across millennia and through virtually every culture in civilization. So for the sake of having some truly good minutiae to toss around at astronomy club the week after next, let’s highlight some of the big moments in the history of astronomy.

For many centuries the science of astronomy was not distinct from the practice of astrology. For clarity, astronomy is the study of the stars, planets, and the universe with an obviously systematic approach. Astrology is the study of the zodiac signs and how they influence our growth, our personalities and our daily lives. In modern times, we as folk of science discount the astrological side and target the astronomy of the heavens. But they were one study for millennia before the age of science made them separate.

There is historical proof that astronomy was a recognized science as far back as the Babylonian civilization centuries before Christ. But the study of the stars wasn’t restricted to one country. There were similar movements going on in China, India, and traditional Egypt and all over the Arabian Peninsula. The integration of astronomy and faith is so prevalent that we see it in the Xmas story in which the Magi, Zoroastrian priesthood probably from the equivalent of traditional Syria, followed a star to the Christ kid. These astronomers were also astrologers and it was that mixture that lead them to be part of this important event.

The first book on astronomy was penned by Ptolemy in the Greek empire. Since that consequential publication, the who’s who list of great astronomers charts a path right through the middle of modern science including Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Sir Issac Newton, Jung, Michelangelo, Benjamin Franklin and more recently even Einstein and Stephen Hawkings would join that noble list. It looked that from the renaissance on to this day, almost any woman or man or woman of intellect dabbled in astronomy at least somewhat and it has always been considered a sign of the learned to know about the universe and things astronomical.

Astronomy has had an effect on so many areas of our lives that we don’t recognize. Many words in our language had their roots in astronomy such as:

*    Influenza which comes from the Latin root word for influence. This reflects an early belief the position of the moon and stars may influence health and cause or cure disease.

* Disaster which comes from the Latin for “bad star”.

* Lunatic that has the root word “Luna” in it which is the Latin word for moon. This illuminates the long held belief that is even prevalent today that irrational behavior and even wild and dangerous things happen in a full moon.

Astronomy and its interrelationship with astrology has also influenced culture, education and faith to a particularly massive extent over the centuries. In the 1st a couple of days or our week, Sun. and Monday are a reference to astronomy as their literal interpretations would be “The Day of the Sun” and “The Day of the Moon.”

So if you have found astronomy becoming a consuming passion in your thoughts and what fascinates you about the world we live in, you are in great company as this area of study has been a major part of culture and thought virtually since the dawn of civilization. And it will continue to fascinate mankind for as long as those beautiful stars shine over our heads.

To learn more about the nine planets in the solar system, visit planet-facts.com. Also, make sure to take a look at planet solar system.

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Astronomy Fun Facts and Information

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

For many people astronomy is an interesting science filled with many astronomy fun facts. Everything from the size and temperature of our own star, the Sun, to the makeup of distant planets is recorded. All of this information can be recalled to entertain and enlighten people.

The Sun is a great source of astronomy fun facts. Our own star that supplies our heat and light is between 91 and 94.5 million miles from Earth. It’s not that nobody knows for certain. It’s that the Earth orbits the sun in an elliptical, uneven, orbit. The distance varies depending on where the Earth lies in that orbit.

The sun is only average size for a star, yet it’s size is another terrific source of astronomy fun facts. As average as it is it accounts for about 98% of all the matter in the solar system. Even with Jupiter on our side, we’re still a measly 2% of non “the sun” stuff. It would take about 100 Earths to make it across this average sun. The solar wind produced by the sun extends to about 50 times the distance from the Earth to the sun from the sun. In other words those solar winds go out about 50 AU’s, with an AU being the distance from the Earth to the sun. That’s amazing.

What about astronomy fun facts that don’t have to do with the sun?  Isn’t the moon interesting?  In all the universe man has only walked upon the earth and the moon.  One fellow went there and stayed.  Dr. Eugene Shoemaker loved the moon but was rejected as an astronaut.  After his death he was cremated and his ashes scattered over the moon by the Lunar Prospector spacecraft in 1999.

There are even more astronomy fun facts covering the moon.  In a famous nursery rhyme a cow jumped over the moon.  Many people, in fact about 13% of those asked in 1988, still believe the moon is made of cheese.  The spacesuits worn by the moon astronauts weighed a whopping 180 pounds on earth, but only 30 pounds on the moon.  I’d bet the astronauts thanked their lucky stars for that.

Fun facts about astronomy aren’t limited to our close neighbors. Looking at stars is like looking into the past.  Some of the stars we see today in the night sky are so far away that light takes a million years to reach us from them.  Some stars we see may no longer even be there.  The number of stars in the sky is expressed by a one with 22 zeros following it.  That is huge.

Astronomy fun facts can go on forever. But this article can’t. So get out there and learn about astronomy.

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