Christopher McKitterick's Blog, page 33
September 20, 2011
Astro-Porn of the Day: Kepler-16b video - aka Tatooine
This fantastic movie from NASA's JPL offers a first glimpse of the orbital mechanics of Tatooione! Er, I mean Kepler-16b, the first directly detected planet that orbits two stars. This video shows the cool orbital mechanics of stellar eclipses and transits in a complex system. Check it out!
Kepler astronomers discovered the planet by observing as it transited its parent stars. The stars can also be detected eclipsing each other. The two orbiting stars regularly eclipse each other from Earth's point of view. As it transits across the surface of each star, the planet also eclipses them, offering NASA's Kepler spacecraft data to very accurately measure the planet.
In fact, Kepler-16b is one of the most accurately measured planets outside our solar system, with a size of 0.7538 that of Jupiter; a mass of 0.333 that of Jupiter (about the mass of Saturn); and a density of 0.964 grams per cubic centimeter. Because the orbits of the stars and the planet align within a degree of each other, it's clear that the planet formed within the same disk that the stars formed within, rather than being captured later by the two stars. The planet is cold, lying just beyond the "habitable zone" of its stars, and is made up of about half gaseous material with a rocky core.
The largest star in the Kepler-16b system is a bit smaller than our sun (about 69 percent of its mass), and the smaller star, called a red dwarf, is even lower in mass (about 20 percent of the sun's mass).
I love living in the Space Age. When do we get to visit? I want to see a double sunset from the cloud-tops.
Chris
Kepler astronomers discovered the planet by observing as it transited its parent stars. The stars can also be detected eclipsing each other. The two orbiting stars regularly eclipse each other from Earth's point of view. As it transits across the surface of each star, the planet also eclipses them, offering NASA's Kepler spacecraft data to very accurately measure the planet.
In fact, Kepler-16b is one of the most accurately measured planets outside our solar system, with a size of 0.7538 that of Jupiter; a mass of 0.333 that of Jupiter (about the mass of Saturn); and a density of 0.964 grams per cubic centimeter. Because the orbits of the stars and the planet align within a degree of each other, it's clear that the planet formed within the same disk that the stars formed within, rather than being captured later by the two stars. The planet is cold, lying just beyond the "habitable zone" of its stars, and is made up of about half gaseous material with a rocky core.
The largest star in the Kepler-16b system is a bit smaller than our sun (about 69 percent of its mass), and the smaller star, called a red dwarf, is even lower in mass (about 20 percent of the sun's mass).
I love living in the Space Age. When do we get to visit? I want to see a double sunset from the cloud-tops.
Chris
"Don't ask, don't tell" is repealed.
On Sept. 20, 2011 - today! - the appalling "Don't ask, don't tell" military policy was finally repealed. It's a good day. Moving video:
Today I feel prouder of our nation.
Chris
Today I feel prouder of our nation.
Chris
September 19, 2011
Astro-Porn of the Day: movie of ISS orbiting Earth
This wonderful time-lapse movie was made from a series of photos taken from the International Space Station as it orbited Earth at night. It begins over the Pacific Ocean and continues over North and South America before entering sunrise over Antarctica:
Cities and landmarks include (in this order) Vancouver Island, Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, multiple cities in Texas and New Mexico, Mexico City, the Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, lightning over the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and the Amazon. Also visible is the Earth's ionosphere - visible as a thin colored line above the curve of the planet - and the stars of our galaxy.
Infinity Imagined created this movie using raw photos from The Gateway To Astronaut Photography of Earth.
The Space Age: We're livin' in it!
Chris
Cities and landmarks include (in this order) Vancouver Island, Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, multiple cities in Texas and New Mexico, Mexico City, the Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, lightning over the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and the Amazon. Also visible is the Earth's ionosphere - visible as a thin colored line above the curve of the planet - and the stars of our galaxy.
Infinity Imagined created this movie using raw photos from The Gateway To Astronaut Photography of Earth.
The Space Age: We're livin' in it!
Chris
September 15, 2011
Charlie Chaplin's brilliant speech
From The Great Dictator, overlaying a well-made video (though an odd choice of still image):
Everyone should listen to this! Not just watch the video, but listen to what he's saying. Still relevant after all these years... maybe even more so now.
Chris
Everyone should listen to this! Not just watch the video, but listen to what he's saying. Still relevant after all these years... maybe even more so now.
Chris
September 14, 2011
Tragedies great and small across the world, and what they do to us.
I was just reading a friend's post about getting shot in the butt by a drive-by, and I burst into a big crying jag. At first I couldn't figure out why that would bother me so much; he was okay afterward, and it even inspired him to stop carrying a gun, himself.
I realize what whacked me was thinking of how people treat each other: a delayed response to what happened 10 years ago on Sunday and all the other ways that people hurt and destroy one another. Sometimes we can ignore the bad news on the radio, sometimes we can forget the inhumanity of humankind to others, but we don't really stop caring, the pain and disillusionment doesn't stop building. We hear stories about inhumanity like those assholes in the Republican debate audience who laughed at the death of the uninsured, or what the Palestinians and Israelis are doing to one another, or the Syrians, or the Afghans; we hear about violent robberies, we suffer our own small but devastating personal tragedies, we encounter any of a million other conflicts big and small that blaze around the world every single day. And, usually, we're able to distance ourselves from those things, resist getting too emotional about them.
But the pain is still there, bubbling under the surface, and once in a while one little thing is enough to open a crack, and the pressure is released in a great flood of tears.
I love this horrible and wonderful species, but sometimes it breaks my heart.
Chris
I realize what whacked me was thinking of how people treat each other: a delayed response to what happened 10 years ago on Sunday and all the other ways that people hurt and destroy one another. Sometimes we can ignore the bad news on the radio, sometimes we can forget the inhumanity of humankind to others, but we don't really stop caring, the pain and disillusionment doesn't stop building. We hear stories about inhumanity like those assholes in the Republican debate audience who laughed at the death of the uninsured, or what the Palestinians and Israelis are doing to one another, or the Syrians, or the Afghans; we hear about violent robberies, we suffer our own small but devastating personal tragedies, we encounter any of a million other conflicts big and small that blaze around the world every single day. And, usually, we're able to distance ourselves from those things, resist getting too emotional about them.
But the pain is still there, bubbling under the surface, and once in a while one little thing is enough to open a crack, and the pressure is released in a great flood of tears.
I love this horrible and wonderful species, but sometimes it breaks my heart.
Chris
September 9, 2011
Hot-Rod Newport build progress for September 9.
Everything worked great last night for the 10 or so miles the Newport roared around town. So today I re-torqued the exhaust headers, drained and examined the oil (looks better than expected for a new rebuild!), installed a new K&N oil filter, poured in new synthetic oil, topped off the other fluids, and then fired 'er up to listen through a mechanic's stethoscope for untoward noises. Valves and rockers sound smooth, as do the lifters, and the same with the bottom end.
Doctor says she's ready to roll!
Chris
Doctor says she's ready to roll!
Chris
September 8, 2011
Had a blast terrorizing town in the hot-rod Newport tonight.
I take a surprising amount of pleasure from just driving around in the machine I designed and built myself, all pretty and rumbly and roar-ey, fast and smooth, vintage and comfy, chrome and black and bronze, elegant and antisocial.
What fun! And the cops didn't even pull me over to complain about the exhaust note. Which, I might mention, is FRAKKIN' SEXY music.
I want to drive more now! My compatriots seemed to enjoy it, too.
I am pleased and proud of how things turned out.
*grin*
Chris
What fun! And the cops didn't even pull me over to complain about the exhaust note. Which, I might mention, is FRAKKIN' SEXY music.
I want to drive more now! My compatriots seemed to enjoy it, too.
I am pleased and proud of how things turned out.
*grin*
Chris
Hot-Rod Newport build progress: She's a driver!
JUST TOOK THE NEWPORT OUT FOR A SPIN! Woohoo! I flushed and bled the brakes, so now she stops, too (that didn't happen last night during an aborted attempt...).
You need proof? Here you go, parked under the carport after a quick run downtown:
And she kicks ass!
Woohoo!
Chris
You need proof? Here you go, parked under the carport after a quick run downtown:
And she kicks ass!
Woohoo!
Chris
September 6, 2011
Hot-Rod Newport build progress for September 6, 2011.
Troubleshooting inch-by-inch revealed a very simple issue: The prior owner had installed a Crane Cams XR700 (opens .pdf instruction manual) electronic ignition module BACKWARDS in the distributor. Which explains why the wires (upon closer inspection of a pre-teardown photo) were installed 180° off. I swung it around 180° to where it's supposed to be, went through the plug wires again to put them where they're supposed to be when the optical sensor in the distributor is correctly positioned, reinstalled the distributor, rechecked the timing, and stepped into the car to give it another try.
I'll allow this video to explain how things proceeded:
WOOHOO! So glad I tore down the coolant hoses today to fix a few leaks.
Ready to ROCK! Now if only it weren't so late and the unmuffled exhaust so loud I'd go for a cruise. Alas, I don't want to encourage the neighbors to assault the house with pitchforks and torches. When I gave it a little rev (and WOW is she rev-happy!), the pressure waves from the exhaust knocked a box from the garage attic onto the floor. So methinks I'll wait for light of day to take it for a spin.
But she runs!
Chris
Chris
I'll allow this video to explain how things proceeded:
WOOHOO! So glad I tore down the coolant hoses today to fix a few leaks.
Ready to ROCK! Now if only it weren't so late and the unmuffled exhaust so loud I'd go for a cruise. Alas, I don't want to encourage the neighbors to assault the house with pitchforks and torches. When I gave it a little rev (and WOW is she rev-happy!), the pressure waves from the exhaust knocked a box from the garage attic onto the floor. So methinks I'll wait for light of day to take it for a spin.
But she runs!
Chris
Chris
September 5, 2011
Hot-Rod Newport build progress for Labor Day
For those of you waiting with bated breath for news that the car is up and running - alas, no. Here she sits in the garage right now, all put together but not quite ready to go:
However, she's cooking along and all but ready to drive... except she won't start. Massive amounts of troubleshooting ensued:
Last night I pulled all the plugs to dry out the (flooded) cylinders, and today I compression-checked everything: All cylinders read almost exactly 145 psi compression, even with the big-overlap camp, with no noticeable leakdown (that's better than stock). Got a new coil and assembled the new ceramic plug wires (necessary because some plug boots touch the headers), and getting great spark now. A quick aside about assembling spark-plug wires: The difference between things going smoothly and your emitting great strings of profanity is all about using lots of silicone lubricant on the wire end before trying to push it through the boot. IT WILL NOT GO if you don't use the lube. Trust me. Then wipe it off before folding over the core and crimping on the electrode attachment.
The engine's definitely getting gas, as evidenced by the wet plugs. I even added 10 gallons of new, high-octane gas, in case the 2-year-old stuff in there went bad and was causing trouble - though I did treat it with fuel stabilizer. Some nice explosions out the carb, with attendant fire that needed to be put out, so the gas is burning ;-) Also good news is that it produces nice oil pressure when cranked over the impressively powerful new high-torque mini-starter.
Here's the engine compartment, all assembled. Notice the huge A/C unit up front. That thing weighs a little over 40 pounds, and to get it to fit required my lugging that thing over to the grinder, removing cast iron notches, and repeatedly test-fitting for a couple of hours during last Thursday's thrash to finish for Greaserama. That was a lot of fun. I could barely make a fist the next day!
A few days ago, I pulled a valve cover to test that I had not, in fact, put in the cam 180 degrees off, and it's installed correctly. *whew* I set timing about 10° advanced. Oh, and I tracked down and fixed a few liquid and vacuum leaks - better now than on the road.
Just now went out to test an idea: Maybe advancing the timing a bit more would help. Not so much. *sigh*
Why won't you fire up? Gah! Ideas? Suggestions?
Chris
However, she's cooking along and all but ready to drive... except she won't start. Massive amounts of troubleshooting ensued:
Last night I pulled all the plugs to dry out the (flooded) cylinders, and today I compression-checked everything: All cylinders read almost exactly 145 psi compression, even with the big-overlap camp, with no noticeable leakdown (that's better than stock). Got a new coil and assembled the new ceramic plug wires (necessary because some plug boots touch the headers), and getting great spark now. A quick aside about assembling spark-plug wires: The difference between things going smoothly and your emitting great strings of profanity is all about using lots of silicone lubricant on the wire end before trying to push it through the boot. IT WILL NOT GO if you don't use the lube. Trust me. Then wipe it off before folding over the core and crimping on the electrode attachment.
The engine's definitely getting gas, as evidenced by the wet plugs. I even added 10 gallons of new, high-octane gas, in case the 2-year-old stuff in there went bad and was causing trouble - though I did treat it with fuel stabilizer. Some nice explosions out the carb, with attendant fire that needed to be put out, so the gas is burning ;-) Also good news is that it produces nice oil pressure when cranked over the impressively powerful new high-torque mini-starter.
Here's the engine compartment, all assembled. Notice the huge A/C unit up front. That thing weighs a little over 40 pounds, and to get it to fit required my lugging that thing over to the grinder, removing cast iron notches, and repeatedly test-fitting for a couple of hours during last Thursday's thrash to finish for Greaserama. That was a lot of fun. I could barely make a fist the next day!
A few days ago, I pulled a valve cover to test that I had not, in fact, put in the cam 180 degrees off, and it's installed correctly. *whew* I set timing about 10° advanced. Oh, and I tracked down and fixed a few liquid and vacuum leaks - better now than on the road.
Just now went out to test an idea: Maybe advancing the timing a bit more would help. Not so much. *sigh*
Why won't you fire up? Gah! Ideas? Suggestions?
Chris
Christopher McKitterick's Blog
This is my long-lived LiveJournal blog (http://mckitterick.livejournal.com), but if you really want to stay in touch, check out my Tumblr and Facebook pages.
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