Armed with Science | Tag Archive

Saturday Space Sight: The Cosmic Hearth

Filed under Photos, Space by jtozer on February 23, 2013 at 7:40 am {no comments}

The Orion nebula is featured in this sweeping image from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE.

The constellation of Orion is prominent in the evening sky throughout the world from about December through April of each year. The nebula (also catalogued as Messier 42) is located in the sword of Orion, hanging from his famous belt of three stars.

The star cluster embedded in the nebula is visible to the unaided human eye as a single star, with some fuzziness apparent to the most keen-eyed observers. Because of its prominence, cultures all around the world have given special significance to Orion. The Maya of Mesoamerica envision the lower portion of Orion, his belt and feet (the stars Saiph and Rigel), as being the hearthstones of creation, similar to the triangular three-stone hearth that is at the center of all traditional Maya homes.

The Orion nebula, lying at the center of the triangle, is interpreted by the Maya as the cosmic fire of creation surrounded by smoke.

This metaphor of a cosmic fire of creation is apt. The Orion nebula is an enormous cloud of dust and gas where vast numbers of new stars are being forged. It is one of the closest sites of star formation to Earth and therefore provides astronomers with the best view of stellar birth in action.

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Wii Fit Therapy

Filed under Videos by jtozer on February 17, 2013 at 7:03 am {no comments}

Any time I get the chance to talk about video games helping in the military community I like to take it. Virtual simulators and first person shooters aside, not all video games are about preparing for the conflict ahead. Sometimes, they’re for recovering from the scars of the conflict from the past.

The VA now uses video game technology like the Wii Fit Therapy to help veterans regain balance and movement they have lost.

From the Department of Veteran’s Affairs YouTube Channel

Jessica L. Tozer is a blogger for DoDLive and Armed With Science. She is an Army veteran and an avid science fiction fan, both of which contribute to her enthusiasm for technology in the military.

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Saturday Space Sight: A Portrait Of Venus

Filed under Photos, Space by jtozer on February 16, 2013 at 7:14 am {no comments}

Made using an ultraviolet filter in its imaging system, the photo has been color-enhanced to bring out Venus’s cloudy atmosphere as the human eye would see it. Venus is perpetually blanketed by a thick veil of clouds high in carbon dioxide and its surface temperature approaches 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

Launched on Nov. 3, 1973 atop an Atlas-Centaur rocket, Mariner 10 flew by Venus in 1974.

Image Credit: NASA

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Top Tech – The Flying Transformer

Filed under Top Technology by jtozer on February 15, 2013 at 7:24 am {no comments}

The Top Tech Series highlights the latest and greatest federal laboratory inventions that are available for transfer to business partners. Want to suggest an invention? Email us at science@dma.mil.

Technology: Stop-Rotor Rotary Wing Aircraft

Agency: Naval Research Laboratory

What is it?

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed a patented system and method of transitioning an aircraft between helicopter and fixed wing flight modes. It’s called the Stop-Rotor Rotary Wing Aircraft. This one in particular is a multi-purpose unmanned aircraft that can do what only toys used to be able to do; change shape. So to speak.

What does that mean?

See the picture? It does that. This system turns a plane into a helicopter. Now, my first thought when I saw this was one of those James Bond car/plane/helicopter/dirigible/spaceship vehicle things that he has (Aston Martin notwithstanding). This is clearly a more reasonable approach to that concept, and arguably less costly. Sorry, Q. They’re like turbo transforming UAVs. I like it.

What does it do?

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TUBE FOOD

Filed under Featured, Videos by jtozer on February 12, 2013 at 7:35 am {no comments}

This is tube food.

Tube food. ‘Nuff said. (Photo courtesy of the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center)

And clearly, it’s exactly what it sounds like.

Meals encapsulated in things that look like toothpaste tubes. They come in all shapes and sizes, too. From entrees to desserts and even soups and meats, the assortment of tube food is varied and vast.

Pretty cool, eh?

Now, you might be asking yourself why tubes? Well, my first response to this would be why not? They’re convenient, they’re compact, and they just look cool. Meals in tube form, people. Come on!

I think I saw an old science fiction movie like this. They called it “the way of the future”. Might have been an MST3K.

Okay, okay, so coolness factor aside, there is an actual reason for these things to exist. And it all leads to U-2.

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Asteroid FlyBy On Friday

Filed under Space, Videos by jtozer on February 10, 2013 at 7:35 am {no comments}

I spy with my little eye something…asteroid-y.

Okay, it’s an asteroid. And it’s HEADED RIGHT FOR US!

*ahem*

I apologize for the intentional panic-inducing ALL CAPS up there. But I mean really, how often does one get the chance to say that an asteroid is coming and have it actually be true? Because it’s coming!

Well it’s headed in our direction on Friday.

Video provided by NASA

On Feb. 15th an asteroid about half the size of a football field will fly past Earth closer than many man-made satellites. Since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, astronomers have never seen an object so big come so close to our planet.

Get your telescopes out, folks! This one’s going to set some records.

Jessica L. Tozer is a blogger for DoDLive and Armed With Science. She is an Army veteran and an avid science fiction fan, both of which contribute to her enthusiasm for technology in the military.

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Saturday Space Sight: Water Bubble In Space!

Filed under Photos, Space by jtozer on February 9, 2013 at 7:30 am {no comments}

Hey Instagramers, take a look at this one!

NASA astronaut Kevin Ford, Expedition 34 commander, watches a water bubble float freely between him and the camera, showing his image refracted, in the Unity node of the International Space Station.

Image Credit: NASA

This sure beats a picture of pancakes with an X-Pro II filter on them if you ask me.

Jessica L. Tozer is a blogger for DoDLive and Armed With Science. She is an Army veteran and an avid science fiction fan, both of which contribute to her enthusiasm for technology in the military.

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Chasing the Winter Storm

Filed under Earth Sciences, Featured by jtozer on February 4, 2013 at 7:34 am {no comments}

When we think of storm missions, we think of tornado chasers. Hurricane hunters. People in the thick of the kind of meteorological drama that we typically only see on movie screens.

I love when the flying cow picture is applicable in one of my stories. (Photo from Twister, copyright Amblin Entertainment)

And in most cases you would be right. Because let’s face it; storm chasing is a hard job to “down play”. It’s pretty much as exciting as it sounds (I’ve spoken to a storm chaser before and he proved that).

But the funny thing about it is that the storm chasing doesn’t stop at deadly cyclones in the summer. Oh no, my fantastic science fans. Chasing storms is a year round mission.

So what do the hurricane hunters do during the hurricane off-season?

Why, chase winter storms of course.

Lieutenant Colonel Jon Talbot is the Chief Meteorologist of the 53^rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 403^rd Wing, Air Force Reserve Command at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. Basically, he’s the man in charge of the people who chase storms.

All kinds of storms.

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