Light/Breezes

Light/Breezes
SUNRISE AT DEATH VALLEY-Photo by Tom Cochrun

Thursday, March 8, 2012

HERE COMES THE SUN & THE MYSTERY FLIGHT

SUN STORMS
Photo from Solar Dynamics Observatory
     The solar flare depicted above is striking Earth today and is the largest flare in 5 years.  Power grids and communication could be affected.  We are in he midst of a period of increased sun storm.
      In February 2011 I posted an extraordinary video of a solar flare and detailed potential problems. 
Photo from NASA Satellite
       Most nations have been slow in developing contingency
plans.  So, as the old saying goes, we have to just wait and see.
SEEING FROM ABOVE
Photo from US Air Force
      This is the Air Force space plane the X-37B before launch.
W.J. Hennigan of the Los Angeles Times reports that after a year in space, the drone continues its mystery mission.
       The X-37B it was scheduled to land before the end of 2011.  The craft is only 9 feet tall, 29 feet long with a wing span of about 125 feet.
Image from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
        There is a lot of speculation about the nature of its mission.  The Pentagon says only it is a "test bed" for technology.  It was built by Boeings Phantom Works in Southern California-the Space and Intelligence Systems Division in Huntington Beach.
DAY BOOK
CATCHING THE SUN
AND SHADOW PLAY 



See you down the trail.

7 comments:

  1. That mystery ship is very interesting. I wonder what it's all about. I imagine there are countless secrets the government is hiding.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The USAF project could be many things. Long duration testing of coatings and solar power items is a logical job as is testing of long duration fuel cells or perhaps some sort of thermal power generator. Propulsion testing is another possibility as it is a small platform and can't carry much gas - perhaps a test bed for an ion power plant of some sort.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What is that thing in your third photo?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What do you think it is? What does it look like to you?

      Delete
  4. Bruce, its one of Tom's continuing attempts to disprove that corrosion of metal is a chemical change rather than a phyiscal change. When Tom was a lad he got that question wrong on a chemistry test and he just won't let it go.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like this response. I might just go with it. Actually it is a shadow maker and kinetic sculpture made by Katherine. It is indeed supposed to gain "character" as it ages.

      Delete