Blind Astrometry?
Fri Apr 24 2009
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Here’s a story from the cool but scary files.
The “blind astrometry server” is a program which monitors the Astrometry group on Flickr, looking for new photos of the night sky. It then analyzes each photo, and from the unique star positions shown it figures out what part of the sky was photographed and what interesting planets, galaxies or nebulae are contained within. Not only does the photographer get a high-quality description of what’s in their photo, but the main Astrometry.net project gets a new image to add to its storehouse of knowledge.” Check out the Astrometry.net site for many cool pictures.
And from the Astrometry website:
If you have astronomical imaging of the sky with celestial coordinates you do not know—or do not trust—then Astrometry.net is for you. Input an image and we’ll give you back astrometric calibration meta-data, plus lists of known objects falling inside the field of view.
We have built this astrometric calibraton service to create correct, standards-compliant astrometric meta-data for every useful astronomical image ever taken, past and future, in any state of archival disarray. We hope this will help organize, annotate and make searchable all the world’s astronomical information.
Linked: World’s First Rydberg Molecule Formed
Thu Apr 23 2009
Post a commentBBC has an interesting article up on these oddities predicted by quantum physics and now, observed. From the article:
“The Rydberg electron resembles a sheepdog that keeps its flock together by roaming speedily to the outermost periphery of the flock, and nudging back towards the centre any member that might begin to drift away,” said Professor Greene
Honoured… again! (or ‘When it rains, it pours!’)
Thu Apr 23 2009
Post a commentWell, what can I say?
Just this Tuesday, SSD felt privileged and honoured to have been included in the awesome ‘Science for the People” carnival hosted here.
And now today, we find out that we’re also the blogger currently featured on the Athenus.com engineering and science portal — it looks like they’ll be carrying our stories on their homepage for the next little while!
Time to go buy some lottery tickets I guess!
Happy Earth Day 2009!
Wed Apr 22 2009
Post a commentWant to kill some time? Head on over to Google Earth to get some unique perspectives (not to mention eye-candy!) of this little blue jewel of ours.
Or check out Carl Sagan’s wonderful essay putting things in perspective.
