Fossil With Skin Uncovered From the Asteroid’s Earth-Shattering Strike

Above, Thescelosaurus neglectus. Image by Nobu Tamura.

A fossil with skin from a dinosaur that is well-preserved has been found. It also is further proof that a mass extinction of the dinosaurs were caused by a meteor or asteroid hitting the Gulf of Mexico.

From AnimalsAroundTheGlobe:

Scientists have just made a mind-blowing discovery: a fossil dating back to the day the asteroid caused the mass extinction hit the Earth 66 million years ago. Found in North Dakota, it includes the leg of a thescelosaurus, complete with skin still intact! This dino fossil is so well-preserved, that it looks better than I do after a full night’s sleep. It’s an incredible find that everyone in the science world is talking or doubting about.

To read more, go here. 

Path of April 8 Solar Eclipse

Above, the 2017 Great American Eclipse in totality. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The April 8 solar eclipse across North America is rapidly approaching.

The path of totality will be going south to north through Mexico and then the United States. 

If one is planning to go out and view the eclipse, planning ahead is essential as hotels, RV parks and campgrounds are beginning to be booked up.

I saw the Great American Eclipse from Roberts, Idaho in August 2017 and it was a memorable experience. The recent annular solar eclipse path took it directly over my home in New Mexico. All I had to do was to go out in the yard to see it.

The path of this year's solar eclipse is shown below:

Above, map provided by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio.

Right now, I am considering either flying to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas or driving the RV to Waco, Texas to view the eclipse. Since I had a great time in Fort Worth and Dallas in 2021, I wouldn't mind going there again and hang out at the Fort Worth Stockyards. I've been to Waco on a claims assignment back in 1992. So I have an idea of its terrain. It would be drive of over 700 miles from home. 

If I drive, I can also visit the LBJ Presidential Library and the LBJ Ranch during the trip. Both are around two hours away from Waco.

500% Spike In RV and Campground Bookings For Solar Eclipse

Above, my campsite at a Lava Hot Springs KOA during the
 2017 Great American Eclipse. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

April is not too far away. That means campsites along the path of totality of the April 8 solar eclipse are being gobbled up.

Now is the time (if one hasn't done so already) to reserve a campsite. 

Above, the solar eclipse in totality from Idaho in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I went up to Idaho for the 2017 Great American Eclipse and it was an experience nobody should miss. The photos that accompany this blog post are from that trip.

According to Forbes, there's been a 500% spike in RV and campground bookings along the path of totality.

They posted an article that begins with:

If you’re yet to plan a trip to see North America’s total solar eclipse—the longest since 1806 and the last until 2033 in Alaska—it’s time to prepare.

On Monday, April 8, the rare sight of the sun’s corona around a new moon will be visible from a 115-mile wide path stretching from Mexico to Atlantic Canada via parts of 15 U.S. states. Everyone else on the continent will see just a regular partial solar eclipse.

You must get inside that path of totality—to not do so is to misunderstand how mind-blowing a totality solar eclipse is and its rarity. The experience of plummeting temperatures, wildlife going crazy, and the sight of the sun’s spiky white corona will leave you in disbelief at what you just saw. The next total solar eclipses in the U.S. are in Alaska in 2033, Canada, Montana/South Dakota in 2044 and coast-to-coast in the U.S. and beyond in 2045.

But hotels are now hard to come by—or else costly. The answer, of course, is to camp.

Above, my motorhome during the totality of the Great American Eclipse
from a viewing area near Roberts, Idaho. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Petrified Forest National Park: Fossil-Finding Via Satellite

Above, fossils on display at Petrified Forest National Park's
 Rainbow Forest Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Along with ancient forests, Petrified Forest National Park has been a source for fossils over the years.

A new tool, satellites, can potentially aid paleontologists in finding areas that may contain fossils.

According to the Sedona Red Rock News:

Satellite imagery has the potential to assist paleontologists in focusing their efforts where to look for new fossil discoveries and help land managers monitor paleontological resources according to new research conducted at Petrified Forest National Park by the University of Oregon published in the journal Geological Magazine in November.

“The potential applications of finding fossil-rich areas using chemical differences visible from space are limitless,” said PEFO paleontologist Adam Marsh in a recent email. ”It could help us identify particularly sensitive areas to protect in the park and also those that might be more scientifically significant for our research.” 

This is the first time researchers have attempted to locate individual fossils on the landscape while previous works focused on looking for outcrops for fossil excavation. The project’s goal is to be able to get huge areas mapped using satellites, so people don’t have to physically set foot in those areas to reduce workloads and increase worker safety according to UO paleontologist Edward Davis. 

 To read more, go here.

Is A Yellowstone Eruption Closer Than Thought?

Above, a Yellowstone mudpot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yellowstone National Park is a super-volcano. Its features are the result of volcanic activity.

Scientists are studying the park's geology. Some are wondering whether or not an eruption of the super-volcano is closer than we thought.

This is the subject of an article in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

They begin it with:

POWELL — In the same way digital photography has evolved from 3 megapixel state-of-the-art professional DSLR cameras in the late 90s to folks now carrying 15 megapixel cameras in their cellphones, scientists are enjoying the benefits from vastly improved imaging, a leading expert studying the Yellowstone Volcano reports.

A team of researchers from the University of Utah, New Mexico University and the Institute of Earth Sciences in Taiwan in 2020 deployed 650 temporary seismometers in Yellowstone to measure seismic wave speeds in the subsurface of the caldera’s magma chamber.

The massive deployment resulted in the best picture of the magma chamber ever seen and has led to interesting findings. Important — though rarely discussed around work-place water coolers outside of those intended for scientists — the deployment provided a view at how magma waves behave; specifically if horizontally oriented waves of magma are faster or slower than vertically oriented ones.

To read more, go here.

Transforming Seawater Into Drinking Water By Sunlight

Above, the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An interesting article just came to my attention.

Scientists down in Australia have harnessed the power of the sun to convert seawater into fresh drinking water.

My Faith News reported:

According to a UN report more than 780 million people worldwide lack basic clean drinking water, and by 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in drought affected areas, along with a staggering population growth of over 10 billion people by 2050, and over 10.9 billion by 2100.

Ironically, about 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, and almost 97% is ocean seawater, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Seawater, up until now, wasn’t safe for human drinking consumption. However, thanks to a group of dedicated scientists in Australia they have been able to transform seawater into safe, clean drinking water using the power of the sun along with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), in less than 30 minutes.

To read the full article, go here.

NASA To Nudge Asteroid In Test

Above, scenes from "Panic In The Sky" the most popular episode of Adventures of Superman.

"That's a meteor, king-sized!" - Perry White (John Hamilton) in "Panic In The Sky", Adventures of Superman (1953).

Well, Earth isn't exactly threatened by any specific asteroid, but NASA isn't taking any chances and is testing a defense against asteroids that could hit our planet. 

From CBS News:

NASA's upcoming mission might resemble a scene from a sci-fi disaster movie. The agency announced Sunday that it's sending spacecraft above the Earth to crash into an asteroid's moonlet to change the body's trajectory. 

The mission, a Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), will be the first agency's use of the kinetic impactor technique, in which a large, high-speed spacecraft is sent into an asteroid's path to change its motion. NASA is set to conduct the mission, what it calls "the first test for planetary defense," on November 24, the day before Thanksgiving, to hit the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos and its moonlet, Dimorphos.

Hopefully, the mission won't screw up and send the moonlet hurtling right into Washington, D. C. But then, on second thought, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. Just kidding!

To read more, go here. 

Grand Canyon's Star Party

Above, Grand Canyon National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With Jupiter set to be at its closest point to Earth tomorrow night, people can view it and see its largest moons through binoculars. 

Unfortunately, we may have cloudy skies tomorrow night, so I might miss it.

But, Grand Canyon National Park is holding its annual Star Party at the end of this month. It is also the recipient of a notable distinction.

According to KSNV News:

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The Grand Canyon National Park is set to celebrate its annual Star Party, a week-long event that meant to educate night sky fanatics with nightly workshops and keynote speakers, during the last full week of June. 

The event comes just in time for the park to achieve full Dark Sky Park status, an achievement given by the International Dark-Sky Association that recognizes the darkest places on earth, which make for the best spots for stargazing. 

The Grand Canyon National Park was named a Provisional IDA International Dark Sky Park in June of 2016, giving the park three years to accomplish changes having to do with its light fixtures to make the park more star-friendly and conserve more energy.

My "honorary sister" and I had a bit of a discussion on astronomy last night which got me motivated to check out telescopes. We both took astronomy in college (for our natural science requirement). I currently have a refractor telescope that I bought at the time, but it has its limitations on what can be seen. I've been wanting to get a reflector telescope and did some shopping around. I found one last night and ordered it along with the necessary adapters for mounting my camera to it for astronomical photography. Best of all, the price was reasonable.

This is what I bought:

Funny thing, I still remember most everything from that astronomy class. Admittedly, it was one of my favorite classes.

One of the things the realtor told me about Jamestown is that it is in a great location for night sky viewing, and it is. Now that the Barking Spider Acre has been mowed, I can set up over there and do some star gazing.

To read more on the Star Party at the Grand Canyon, go here.

Alien In Florida Backyard? Science Is Starting To Listen

Above, a display of aliens at the International UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For decades, people have reported seeing UFOs and/or aliens and nobody believed them.

Until now.

Scientists are starting to seriously consider the possibility that visitors from other worlds have come here.

The Orlando Sentinel has posted an interesting article of a "close encounter" with an alien in a Florida backyard in 2013.

It begins with:

He appeared as if a hologram at first — then solid — suddenly there and clear as you or I, at the edge of the forest behind Trish Bishop’s home in Kissimmee. 

It was a Thursday in March 2013, the glow of the afternoon tucking in for the day behind the trees. He stood tall, at least 6-foot-3, perhaps 220 pounds and certainly muscular, wearing a formfitting tan colored uniform, boots and gloves. He lingered by the crape myrtle tree in the middle of the backyard. 

When he turned around, it was his face, she remembers, that stopped her. 

Bulging eyes jutting so far out of the sockets that Bishop wondered whether he could close them. Skin white as chalk. And a jaw so large, it dispelled any notions the government worker had of the visitor being human. 

“If you compare a human jawbone to his, we would be a chihuahua to a pit bull,” Bishop said. 

Paralyzed with fear, she watched as what she believed to be an alien appeared to climb invisible steps, stopping often to snatch glances at her from where she sat on her back porch, fumbling with her phone to appear as though she couldn’t see him.

Her finger was pressed on the number “9” to dial for help.

To read more, go here. 

We Can Thank A Rocker For Making UFOs Serious News

What does a rock 'n roll star do when he reaches his 40s and his music career has cooled? He starts investigating UFOs.

According to a Washington Post email I received:

In December 2017, news reports swirled about a secret Pentagon UFO program complete with grainy military videos showing radar images of unexplained phenomena. The Washington Post’s Dan Zak writes that Tom DeLonge, formerly of Blink 182, helped ring the alarm about reports such as this one, as part of his new business venture: To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science. For his advisory board, DeLonge recruited physicists, aerospace experts and former Department of Defense officials, who have been talking publicly about UFOs and arguing that the government has failed to fully investigate them. 

To read the Washington Post article, go here. 

Great American Eclipse Created Wave In Earth's Atmosphere

Above, the area near Roberts, Idaho in the eclipse shadow. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few months from now, it will be a year since the Great American Eclipse took place across the United States.

I traveled to Idaho to view the eclipse and I wasn't disappointed. The trip to see it was worth it.

Above, the total eclipse. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been theorized that solar eclipses cause disturbances in the Earth's atmosphere, or waves. That theory has been confirmed.

Newsweek reported:

Brian Harding drove south to St. Louis last August to watch the total solar eclipse, but he didn't stay long after the spectacle. "As soon as it was over, I drove back to the city and opened up my computer and was making sure the instrument was taking data and everything," he told Newsweek. 

That's because Harding, an engineer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who focuses on space science, had organized an experiment to run during the eclipse's aftermath. He was hunting for elusive evidence of a long hypothesized atmospheric phenomenon, a giant wave traveling thousands of miles triggered by the abrupt night of the eclipse. As he and his colleagues report in a new paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the observations were successful, finally backing up decades of scientific suspicion. 

Harding had to check the instrument from his computer because the wave was hundreds of miles south of where the eclipse passed overhead. He and his colleagues were exploring the distant ripples felt in Brazil as the atmosphere adjusted to the event's aftermath.

To read more, go here. 

Pig Brains Kept Alive OUTSIDE Their Bodies

This is something that is right up Dr. Frankenstein's (or Dr. Niemann's) alley!

The Daily Mail (U.K.) reported:

Pig brains have been kept alive outside their bodies for the first time as part of a controversial new experiment. 

The brains of hundreds of pigs survived for up to 36 hours after the animals had been decapitated, researchers revealed. 

The radical experiments could pave the way for brain transplants and may one day allow humans to become immortal by hooking up our minds to artificial systems after our natural bodies have perished.

Well, if that should ever happen, the scientists or doctors conducting the transplants had better make sure the blood types match in order for the sensory nerves to be fed. Otherwise, the subject just may end up blind like Frankenstein's Monster (with Ygor's brain) in Ghost of Frankenstein.

"Vot goot iz a brain wit out eyes to see?" - Ygor.

To read more, go here.

A Yellowstone Supervolcano Surprise

Above, one of Yellowstone's volcanic hot springs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This past summer, there have been record numbers of tremors originating from Yellowstone National Park. These tremors attracted the curiosity of scientists.

The scientists found that the supervolcano beneath Yellowstone could be getting ready to erupt.

The New York Times reported:

Beneath Yellowstone National Park lies a supervolcano, a behemoth far more powerful than your average volcano. It has the ability to expel more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of rock and ash at once — 250,000 times more material than erupted from Mount St. Helens in 1980, which killed 57 people. That could blanket most of the United States in a thick layer of ash and even plunge the Earth into a volcanic winter. 

Yellowstone’s last supereruption occurred 631,000 years ago. And it’s not the planet’s only buried supervolcano. Scientists suspect that a supereruption scars the planet every 100,000 years, causing many to ask when we can next expect such an explosive planet-changing event. 

To answer that question, scientists are seeking lessons from Yellowstone’s past. And the results have been surprising. They show that the forces that drive these rare and violent events can move much more rapidly than volcanologists previously anticipated.

To read more, go here. 

Trial To Bring The Dead 'Back To Life' Okayed

An interesting project to "bring the dead back to life" has won approval.

The Telegraph reported:

A groundbreaking trial to see if it is possible to regenerate the brains of dead people, has won approval from health watchdogs. 

A biotech company in the US has been granted ethical permission to recruit 20 patients who have been declared clinically dead from a traumatic brain injury, to test whether parts of their central nervous system can be brought back to life. 

To read more, go here. 

Were Dinosaurs Warm-Blooded or Cold-Blooded?

Above, the Godzilla mural at Toho Studios. He has his own
way of generating internal body heat. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Throughout my school years, we were taught that dinosaurs were cold-blooded. New research is finding that really wasn't the case.

The Japan Times reported:

PARIS – A new method to chemically analyze dinosaur egg shells has allowed scientists to gauge the extinct lizards’ body temperature, researchers said on Oct. 13. 

The findings support recent work by other teams that dinosaurs were neither warm- nor cold-blooded, but somewhere in between, researchers wrote in the journal Nature Communications. However, it also indicated that body temperature differed between dinosaur species.

Of course, Godzilla has his own way of heating through the radioactivity that was absorbed from H-bombs.

To read more, go here.