Monthly Archives: March 2013

Astronomy, Space Science

Bright fireball meteor seen over much of the US East Coast

A large bright meteor over the US East Coast on Friday evening got lots of attention:

This video offers three views of the fireball from a parking lot webcam:

Here’s a view from a security camera in Thurmont, MD:

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Meteors happen somewhere over earth at a fairly frequent rate. Fireballs, i.e. meteors brighter than Venus, are also more frequent that many assume. Here are a couple of sites that post daily reports on such events:

 

Eyes in the Sky, Space Arts

Satellite image or artwork? Play the game.

Images of earth from space often look both amazingly beautiful and intriguingly abstract. Here’s a fun exercise in trying to tell a set of earth observation images from artworks like those one might see at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MOMA) in New York City: NASA or MOMA? Play the Game! Here are some pictures. Were they taken in space, or painted here on Earth? – Megan Garber/The Atlantic

Activism, History

A brief history of the British Interplanetary Society

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Kelvin Long provides a historical review of the British Interplanetary Society, one of the oldest space advocacy organizations: The British Interplanetary Society at 80 Years – Centauri Dreams.

He discusses some of the early technical studies put forth by members of the BIS including the BIS Moonship in 1939, the Megaroc man-carrying rocket proposal in 1946, and the Lunar Space-Suit in 1949.

When discussing the BIS, I always like to point out that the prestigious American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) can be traced back to the American Interplanetary Society. (See AIAA History.)

Contests and Games, Simulators

Update on Mars Colony Challenger – vote for it for Steam

Mars Colony Challenger from HyperKat Games, mentioned here the other day, has been posted on the Steam Greenlight site where it can be voted on for inclusion in the Steam store’s online collection of games for sale: Steam Greenlight :: Mars Colony: Challenger.

Description
Mars Colony: Challenger is a 3D first / third person game that offers you the challenge of setting up a remote base on the surface of Mars. At its core, the game was derived from a simulator where everything is interactively tied together. You will have to setup and maintain the equipment that supplies pressure and a breathable atmosphere to the base. You are also tasked with growing food, setting up communications and extracting resources in order to make the base self-sufficient. The game offers three zones, each with their unique challenges. There are 7 phases to each mission. Each of the phases expands the base and offers a new set of orders for you to complete. You advance through the ranks as you score points for your performance.

Here is a video displaying various features of the program: