Interesting site shows vast areas of light pollution and smaller areas (almost all along the Rockies) of dark. Be sure to zoom in and pan. Main flaw is placemarks can’t be turned off.
All posts by mjh
One Giant Leap 42 Years Ago Today
The Sky This Week, 2011 July 19 – 26 — Naval Oceanography Portal
It is hard to believe that July 20th marks the 42nd anniversary of humankind’s first tentative footsteps onto the surface of another world, but it was indeed on this day in 1969 that Neil Armstrong took that "giant leap for mankind". What is even harder to believe is that on the 21st we will retire the last active American passenger-carrying spacecraft as the shuttle Atlantis touches down in Florida for the final time.
The Sky This Week, 2011 July 19 – 26 — Naval Oceanography Portal
The Full Thunder Moon occurs on 7/15/11 at 2:40 am Eastern daylight Time.
I’m a little late with this.
The Sky This Week, 2011 July 12 – 19 — Naval Oceanography Portal
The Full Thunder Moon occurs on the 15th at 2:40 am Eastern daylight Time.
The Sky This Week, 2011 July 12 – 19 — Naval Oceanography Portal
On July 12th the far-flung planet Neptune will complete its first full orbit of the Sun since its extraordinary discovery on the night of September 23rd, 1846.
The Sky This Week, 2011 July 5 – 12 — Naval Oceanography Portal
The end of the week marks an interesting historical “anniversary†of sorts. On July 12th the far-flung planet Neptune will complete its first full orbit of the Sun since its extraordinary discovery on the night of September 23rd, 1846. On that crisp autumn evening nearly 165 years ago two German astronomers, Johann Galle and Heinrich d’Arrest, pointed the 9-inch refractor at the Berlin Observatory to a patch of sky in the constellation Aquarius where the French mathematician Urbain J.J. Le Verrier predicted that they would find a planet. Using a newly-compiled but unchecked star atlas the astronomers quickly found a “star†that was not on the map about one degree away from the place where the new planet was predicted to be. Careful examination showed the “star†to have a tiny pale blue disc, and thus Neptune was revealed. Le Verrier’s prediction was based on irregular motions of the planet Uranus, and similar reasoning by the English mathematician John Couch Adams led to a similar solution. Neither Adams nor Le Verrier could muster much interest in the search for the planet in their own countries; Le Verrier’s letter to the director of the Berlin Observatory ultimately led to the find. While Galle and d’Arrest are given credit for Neptune’s discovery, they were not the first people to see it. In December of 1612 and January of 1613 none other than the famous Galileo recorded it as a faint background star near Jupiter, but his crude telescope couldn’t show Neptune’s slow movement against the background stars.
The Sky This Week, 2011 July 5 – 12 — Naval Oceanography Portal
The Phoenix Haboob of July 5th, 2011 on Vimeo
Wildfires in southwestern states, Georgia, and Canada raise concerns for trogons, hummingbirds, and now Whooping Cranes – BirdWatching Field of View
This short article is worth reading if you’re concerned about the impact of recent wildfires on birds.
Latest Sunset of the Year 6/28
The Sky This Week, 2011 June 7 – 14 — Naval Oceanography Portal
Due to the complex interplay between modern timekeeping and the elliptical nature of Earth’s orbit we’ll experience the year’s earliest sunrise on the 14th. …We won’t experience the latest sunset until the 28th… Sandwiched in between is the solstice itself, and it is on this day that we experience the longest duration of daylight for the year with the Sun above the horizon for 14 hours and 55 minutes. Summer is almost "officially" upon us!
The Sky This Week, 2011 June 7 – 14 — Naval Oceanography Portal
Today is the last day of maximum day length for the year (14h 31m in Albuquerque per www.sunrisesunset.com)
The Sky This Week, 2011 June 7 – 14 — Naval Oceanography Portal
Due to the complex interplay between modern timekeeping and the elliptical nature of Earth’s orbit we’ll experience the year’s earliest sunrise on the 14th. Here in Washington this occurs at 5:42 am EDT. Old Sol will then gradually begin to rise a tad later thereafter, but the time of sunset is still moving slightly later each night. We won’t experience the latest sunset until the 28th, when the Sun will go down at 8:38 pm. Sandwiched in between is the solstice itself, and it is on this day that we experience the longest duration of daylight for the year with the Sun above the horizon for 14 hours and 55 minutes. Summer is almost "officially" upon us!
The Sky This Week, 2011 June 7 – 14 — Naval Oceanography Portal
Fire Danger To Close Sandias Monday, 6/20/11
ABQJournal Online » Breaking: Fire Danger To Close Sandias
By Journal Staff on Fri, Jun 27, 2008
A large portion of the Sandia Mountains is expected to close Monday.
“We are in extreme fire danger that we’ve never seen before,†said Sandia District Ranger Cid Morgan.
All picnic areas along the Sandia Crest Highway (N.M. 536) should remain open except for Nine Mile and Cienega Picnic Ground, but all back country hiking trails will be closed. The Foothill Trail will remain open.Karen Takai, fire information officer for the Sandia Ranger District, said N.M. 165 will be closed from Placitas to the Balsam Glade Picnic Area except by special permit. Takai emphasized that the trail closures will including the popular La Luz Trail and the trail between the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway and Sandia Peak. The tram and the peak will remain open.
ABQJournal Online » Breaking: Fire Danger To Close Sandias
ABQJournal Online » Maps of Area Forest Closures
OPEN areas include
• Sandia Crest Observation Area, Sandia Peak Tram and associated facilities, Sandia Peak Ski Area and associated facilities, and Sandia Crest House
• Recreation Day Use Sites: Cienega Canyon, Sulphur Canyon, Pine Flat, Doc Long (front of site only), Balsam Glade.
• Sandia Ranger District Administrative Site and the Tijeras Pueblo Interpretive Trail.
Open Trails: Those portions of Forest Trail 365, including secondary trails associated with Forest Trail 365, outside of the Sandia Mountain Wilderness, and South of the Tram.
Sandia Peak Ski Area mountain bike/hiking trails within the ski area
Open Roads:
• Forest Road 190 to Cienega Canyon Day Use Area.
• Forest Road 242
• Forest Road 413
The open areas are still under Stage II Fire Restrictions which include no smoking, fireworks, fires, stoves, grills, or open flame ; COLD PICKNICKING ONLY. No Dispersed Day Use and/or Camping is allowed along open Forest Service Roads or along State Highway 165.
The maximum day length in Albuquerque is 14h 31m each day 6/16-27 (per www.sunrisesunset.com)
The Sky This Week, 2011 June 7 – 14 — Naval Oceanography Portal
Due to the complex interplay between modern timekeeping and the elliptical nature of Earth’s orbit we’ll experience the year’s earliest sunrise on the 14th. Here in Washington this occurs at 5:42 am EDT. Old Sol will then gradually begin to rise a tad later thereafter, but the time of sunset is still moving slightly later each night. We won’t experience the latest sunset until the 28th, when the Sun will go down at 8:38 pm. Sandwiched in between is the solstice itself, and it is on this day that we experience the longest duration of daylight for the year with the Sun above the horizon for 14 hours and 55 minutes. Summer is almost "officially" upon us!
The Sky This Week, 2011 June 7 – 14 — Naval Oceanography Portal
The Whirlpool Nebula with supernova
The Sky This Week, 2011 June 14 – 21 — Naval Oceanography Portal
Some 27 million years ago a massive star in an outer spiral arm of a galaxy known as Messier 51 reached the end of its life. Within a matter of minutes the star’s core collapsed onto itself, then rebounded in a cataclysmic explosion known as a supernova. The "flash" of visible light from the dying star, billions of times brighter than the star’s normal light output, enabled Earth-based astronomers to detect the event on May 31, 2011. Supernovae are extremely rare events that occur infrequently in most galaxies. No supernova has been observed within our Milky Way galaxy since the one discovered by Johannes Kepler in 1604. While supernovae are discovered almost daily in very remote galaxies, the opportunity to study one in a nearby galaxy such as M51 comes along only a few times in a decade. Messier 51 is a favorite target of astronomers and may be seen with binoculars or small telescopes from dark locations on a Moonless night. It was nicknamed "The Whirlpool Nebula" by William Parsons, Third Earl of Rosse, who first detected the galaxy’s spiral structure with his 72-inch aperture reflecting telescope at Birr Castle in Ireland in 1845.
The Sky This Week, 2011 June 14 – 21 — Naval Oceanography Portal
When we look up, we look back, even millions of years.
Cougar Killed on Albuquerque’s Westside | KRQE News 13
Cougar Killed on Albuquerque’s Westside | Albuquerque, New Mexico | KRQE News 13
Updated: Wednesday, 15 Jun 2011, 9:34 AM MDT
Published : Tuesday, 14 Jun 2011, 9:13 PM MDTAlbuquerque, N.M. (KRQE) – A male yearling cougar was killed by a car on Albuquerque’s West Side Tuesday, just hours after being spotted in a neighborhood near Montaño and Unser.
New Mexico Game and Fish Department spokesperson Ross Morgan says there were two sightings of the mountain lion Monday night, one by a landscaping crew, the other by a woman who saw it in her backyard drinking from her pond.
Crews chased the animal in an attempt to tranquilize it but were unsuccessful before it ran back onto the mesa. Tuesday morning it was found dead alongside the road.
Morgan says the condition of the animal was concerning.
"This yearling was in really bad shape; it was 25 or 30 pounds," he said. "It could hardly jump the fence when we were chasing it. It was emaciated and not doing well at all."
Morgan says this animal should have been about 50 pounds and still with its mother. He says it’s likely the mother died or set the animal loose to fend for itself in these dry conditions.
It’s unusual for mountain lions to be spotted in Albuquerque, but Morgan says it will likely happen more often because of the drought. He says smaller animals like rabbits will be drawn to the grassy yards and the predators will follow.
He says small pets are also in danger because predators like mountain lions and bobcats see them as easy prey.
Morgan says more bears will likely frequent populated areas as well, but that they are scavengers so they don’t present as big a threat to animals or people.
Cougar Killed on Albuquerque’s Westside | Albuquerque, New Mexico | KRQE News 13
Hunter shoots off big mouth with small-caliber logic
Robert Espinosa shames his namesake in a column in today’s Albuquerque Journal. Leave aside his petty swipes at “fairies†and his conflation of wolf reintroduction with wildfires. Focus on his profound ignorance of the role of predators other than man in promoting healthy ecosystems. If Espinosa is a hunter who puts down his beer and gets out of his truck before shooting, then he should appreciate the hunt he’ll get from prey kept on its toes by wolves. It seems he’d prefer the situation found around the country where deer and elk are so over-abundant they are a nuisance.
By the way, Bobby, overgrazing of our forests removes grasses that play a critical role in the flash fires that keep down the larger burns. So, wolves help prevent forest fires.
Finally, Espinosa feels he is being treated as an “invasive species,†yet he ridicules those who see things differently and pointedly rejects those of us who enter wildlands for reasons other than to kill, destroy, or extract.
[The Journal provides some counterpoint from a biologist who doesn’t sound like a fairy-dancing religious naturologist.]
ABQJournal Online » State Has Wasted Money On Wolves Long Enough
By Robert Espinoza / Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife New Mexico on Wed, Jun 15, 2011
For 13 years now, the state of New Mexico has been an active and willing participant with the federal government in the effort to reintroduce the Mexican gray wolf to the region.
At best, the program has been a distraction from sound land management. At worst, it has been a financial boondoggle, a safety issue and a travesty as a portion of hunters’ fees have gone to fund a program intended to further reduce game opportunities by nurturing populations of this predator.
…fairy tale dance with wolf advocates. These advocates have made the wolf an almost religious idol and seem to regard hunters and ranchers as interlopers into their own private cathedral. In truth, nobody cares more about true environmental conservation and sound land management practices than sportsmen, ranchers and outfitters. …
The sooner the federal government stops giving disproportionate credence to the “naturology†of wolf worshippers and quits treating the rest of us like an “invasive species,†the better.
At the New Mexico Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, we believe people belong, whether for hunting and fishing or ranching – or logging – or other parts of the core historical culture of our communities.
ABQJournal Online » State Has Wasted Money On Wolves Long Enough
ABQJournal Online » State Shows Disrespect For Planet and Future
By Joseph Cook / Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico on Wed, Jun 15, 2011
We know that top predators are essential to healthy ecosystems. When top predators are removed, a cascade of other losses often follows.
We also know that the Mexican gray wolf is the most distinctive form of wolf in North America and is globally significant because it harbors highly distinctive genes. We further know that, contrary to the bluster of a few politicians and shock jocks, wolves and humans can coexist.
ABQJournal Online » State Shows Disrespect For Planet and Future
Abqjournal right but for the wrong reason – Wolf Killers continue to rule
I agree with the Albuquerque Journal’s editorial that it was unnecessary and inhumane to kill the wolf-dog hybrid pups found in the wild. However, the Journal is disingenuous – and knee-jerk conservative – to blame “bureaucratic guidelines.†The fact is that the minority opponents of wolf restoration first used genetic purity as an argument against reintroduction, as the Journal surely recalls. These wolves were slaughtered to please wolf opponents, as every wolf death does, no matter how needless or cruel.
As long as I’m countering spin, let me assure Catron County Commissioner Ben Griffin that wolf opponents do NOT have the support of the state of New Mexico, as polls clearly indicate. He merely has the support of our conservative governor. The pendulum swings.
Finally, the wolf population is approximately 50, while the goal years ago had been 100. The wolf killers continue to win and to treat public lands as their own fiefdoms while giving the finger to the majority. The blood-thirsty beasts in the forest walk on two legs.
ABQJournal Online » Editorial: Killing Wolf Hybrids An Inhumane Solution
It’s likely the public would also disapprove of a tragically misguided effort at genetic purity that amounts to killing puppies to meet bureaucratic guidelines.
ABQJournal Online » Editorial: Killing Wolf Hybrids An Inhumane Solution
ABQJournal Online » State Pulling Out of Wolf Program
“It means a lot to Catron County,†said Catron County Commissioner Ben Griffin. “It’s not stopping the program, but we have the support of the state of New Mexico, which we have not had in the past.â€
Laura Schneberger, president of the Gila Livestock Growers Association, said the board’s policy change was “good for morale, that’s for sure.†…
[A] 2008 Research & Polling survey that showed 69 percent of New Mexicans either strongly supported or somewhat supported the reintroduction program. Lobos were first released into southeast Arizona in 1998, and the population in Arizona and New Mexico reached 50 at the end of last year, with six packs and two lone wolves in this state.