Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Whirlwinds Carrying Dust on Mars

This is an encrypt of an article i cut from Nasa Mars Rover Misson Web Site. I want to show it to this blog because it is an interesting thing to know that we as human living in earth have a robots doing research at planet Mars far away from earth. I see this robots as a small steps for mankind of going to explore to outer space one day and i hope that i can see it before my time ended.



This movie clip shows a dust devil scooting across a plain inside Gusev Crater on Mars as seen from the NASA rover Spirit's hillside vantage point during the rover's 459th martian day, or sol (April 18, 2005). The individual images were taken about 20 seconds apart by Spirit's navigation camera, and the contrast has been enhanced for anything in the images that changes from frame to frame, that is, for the dust devil.

The movie results from a new way of watching for dust devils, which are whirlwinds that hoist dust from the surface into the air. Spirit began seeing dust devils in isolated images in March 2005. At first, the rover team relied on luck. It might catch a dust devil in an image or it might miss by a few minutes. Using the new detection strategy, the rover takes a series of 21 images. Spirit sends a few of them to Earth, as well as little thumbnail images of all of them. Team members use the 3 big images and all the small images to decide whether the additional big images have dust devils. For this movie, they specifically told Spirit to send back frames that they knew had dust devils.

The images were processed in three steps. All images were calibrated to remove known camera artifacts. The images were then processed to remove stationary objects. The result is a gray scene showing only features that change with time. The final step combined the original image with the image that shows only moving features, showing the martian scene and the enhanced dust devils.

Scientists expected dust devils since before Spirit landed. The landing area inside Gusev Crater is filled with dark streaks left behind when dust devils pick dust up from an area. It is also filled with bright "hollows", which are dust-filled miniature craters. Dust covers most of the terrain. Winds flow into and out of Gusev crater every day. The Sun heats the surface so that the surface is warm to the touch even though the atmosphere at 2 meters (6 feet) above the surface would be chilly. That temperature contrast causes convection. Mixing the dust, winds, and convection should trigger dust devils.

Scientists will use the images to study several things. Tracking the dust devils tells which way the wind blows at different times of day. Statistics on the size of typical dust devils will help with estimates of how much dust they pump into the atmosphere every day. By watching individual dust devils change as they go over more-dusty and less-dusty terrain, researchers can learn about the turbulent motion near the surface. Ultimately, that motion of wind and dust near the surface relates these small dust devils with Mars' large dust storms.

Credit: NASA/JPL


Its is an amaizing thing to know that there are two Mars Rovers driving on the surface of mars and doing a lots of photographing and soil experimenting to find out the content of its soil, then send it back using a small antena that only can detected by deep space radio antena. How it could be happenning? Well all because of the great works of Nasa Engineer that work so hard to make it happen. Although i'm a Malaysian and not the American, i still feel proud and positive because this is not the achivement only for American itself but for all people and us humankind.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Battlestar Galactica

This is the remake of the old series Battlestar Galactica 1978 and 1980. I downloaded all the episode available. (Don't ask me where..). What it about? Its about last human colony among the 12 colony fighting for survival from the attack by the cylon, a robot created by human but become rebel once they have self awareness.

To who watched this series 26 years ago, you might be dissapointed with the changes. Still i don't mind about it cause the story is more better than the last time. There is some changes with the important cast where in the original series, starbuck is a male character, while the new series it is a female character. Still, there is no changes of the characteristic of the character as still there is more smoke in her/him mouth.

There are many impressive CG (Computer Graphic) you can see in this episode. Still this movie not started in first episode as i wrongly watch it. I skip directly to watch episode 1 and getting confused what really happen. So, you need to watch the pilot movie first the go to the first episode. My mistake... >.<;;




For you all who want to get a copy of this movie? I have it. Just find me or email me anytime and prepare many piece of dvd, or a hard disk will do. I can copy for you as i'm not selling. The file is large and there is no way you can play it in DVD player as it is a different codec, and if you insist to play it in player you can buy a dvix player that only cost around 6++ above. Just ask around.. who know rite..

Monday, April 25, 2005

My Blog Banner

This is my new blog banner. I don't know where to put it yet, and i still thinking of it. I also made one small logo, the same design with the big banner but this one is for small corner or left side of the blog or some one else blogs.




Today i having my exam. It kinda hard to answer and still i yet to do some of it and use up all the time without having to wait for the time to end. So bored.. I actualy thinking of moving my blog back to blogger.com. Friendster blog is so slow. I get bored of waiting for the update blog to upload. It kinda spoil my mood when i have something to write. Plus the photo upload is bad. It seems that i can't link outside photo to the blog. I don't know what really happen. Still i think blogger is the best site to put your blog.

So, i will be updating both of this blog and hope that there are people mind to open my blog to read if it not bored to death you all.. ^_^

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Sahara

Tonight i go to cinema to see Sahara. The story line runs like Indiana Jones and National Treasure where the different is that it funnier that two previous movie. Natural Treasure is interesting movie but it’s a bit bored. Indiana Jones is an epic of all adventure treasure hunting movie full with action stunt.

Sahara is about a treasure gold coin that was taken and lost during the American Civil War by a ship and ended in the middle of Sahara desert. The ship was lost for hundreds of years. Two ex-navy armies have an ultimate adventure with a pretty WHO doctor have to solve the problem of a strange sickness outbreak in Africa.




I do enjoy this movie and there are some comedy scene where i laugh out loud but strangely others not. It must be me or them...

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Star Trek Enterprise

I spend three day to watch all the season 1 episode of Star Trek Enterprise series downloaded from the internet using bit torrent. Previously I’ve been watching all the 7 season of Star Trek The Next Generation for about a two month and its a lots of episode to catch up. Why am i so crazy to watch all the tv show? Simple! Because I like to watch it although Strange but true.. Actually it not strange at all I’m only bluffing.



Star Trek The Next Generation is about a Starfleet captain named Picard acted by Patrick Stewart and a galaxy class starship named Enterprise traveling around galaxy. Star Trek Enterprise is about a Starfleet captain name Jonathan Archer played by scott bakula and the different spaceship named also Enterprise and they also traveling around the galaxy. There is a connection between this two series where Enterprise mainly about the beginning of starfleet exploration to space and The Next Generation is about the Starfleet dominating the space and be a main super power in maintaining peace around galaxy especially from the Romulans and their allies Klingon.

Having to watch the entire episode in a short time does make me a bit headache. At least now, the rate of me downloading some tv shows is slow, i will use the time to rest and study to get ready for exam next two weeks..

Notice

I discovered that some one is using my name to write a comment at another people's blog. I don't know what is the intention to do it but i believe it is not a good one.

Please be notice:

1. I never write comment into chat box. I only gave comment at post comment.
2. Please check out with me via my contact email before accusing me making a bad mark on your site. If i find my comment was not true, i will apologize publicly.
3. Police report will be made and investigation will be done to find the culprit. The owner site will be able to track the IP address of the culprits.
4. I will personally take court action against any person who ever trying to spread false impression about me or my business.

***

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