Observatory Version of Misc Musings, Ravings, and Random Thoughts

[Auguste_Fivaz]

After reading an article in The Atlantic about using fiber optic cables as sensors for quite a few inputs, (e.g. acoustic and seismic), I remembered a thought I had a few months ago about using solar panels as bolide detectors. A quick search showed nothing for bolides, but PV panels can also be used to detect Cherenkov light and the fall out from high energy cosmic rays (https://arxiv.org/abs/1411.5560). That paper is from 2014 and I've not seen anything further on that and I didn't find a lot of other information on using PV panels as sensors.
The panels we use have monitoring built in and I get nice graphs and reports on how the system is functioning but not the details on how it works at night. Considering how ubiquitous they are, I wonder if we're over looking a sensor resource.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

PROMED Bulletin sent this fact in a year end plea for funds:

Did you know that, exactly three years ago today, ProMED sent out this request for information
(RFI) about what would come to be known as COVID-19?

Seems longer than 3 years by a factor of 10.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Spaceweather has a bullet point on COSMIC RAYS SINK TO A 6-YEAR LOW. Will this have any impact on quantum computing? Cosmic rays cause errors in qubits but I'm not sure what the sensitivity is.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

No wonder I felt a bit odd this morning, not enough neutrons in my coffee ... coffee ... coffee

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Meanwhile, on the RTL-SDR blog, is this nifty story about one of the downed balloons and its possible origins. Seems it may have been a pico balloon on its 7th circumnavigation at 123 days aloft. The blog has details on what a pico balloon is and how they are used. Great fun for the radio heads in us all.

https://www.rtl-sdr.com/the-us-airf...wn-an-amateur-radio-pico-balloon-over-canada/

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

This is sounding more like Buckaroo Banzai all the time, what were his "scouts" called? the Blue Blaze Irregulars?


I followed the path of the SEACHARGER, an autonomous "boat," and picked it up when it was about 1/2 way to Hawaii way back in 2016. What an adventure ... http://www.seacharger.com/

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

I'm reading Something deeply hidden : quantum worlds and the emergence of spacetime by Sean Carroll and am at the end of chapter 2 where he is finishing up on "austere" QM and states that the rest of the book is about the Everett/Many-worlds theory. Is this worth the reading time for a complete QM layman or should I try to find a more basic book?

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

He's a very good writer IMO. I haven't read that book (adding it to my queue though) but I would imagine he can convey the ideas very very well without needing a DEEP level of math.

I decided to press on and you are correct, he is a good writer and strips down the equations and explains fundamentals, like what h and ѱ are and how they are used. I'm up to ch 4 and we'll be diving further into it and I'm losing my fear of indoctrination. He keeps it simple enough to allow a judgement call by the physics ignoramus.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

This brings back memories of working on the NOAA Ship Fairweather back in the 70's, docked in Lake Union. The webcasts that NOAA did from Okeanos Exp. a few years ago were mesmerizing, literally watch it for hours as they cruised down by the Marianas checking out various seamounts and chasms. I'm a bit worried about the end results of their mapping though. Hopefully, it will lead to a means to demarcate "no go zones" to avoid deep mining rapeage.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

When the contractor for our earth loop brought in a "sonic drill" they built pens to hold the tailings from the drill. They said they went down 250 feet, 6 inches wide, 25 feet long, there was a fair amount of debris. In that trench they laid the 4 inch, flexible tube then back filled it. It looked level.
However, years later when we had a very wet winter with one exceptionally wet day, rain water flowed back into the garage where it used to simply roll down to the east. Smart guy that I am, it took me a few years to realize that there is a rise in the driveway where the pens were placed, which changed the flow patterns. A drain fixed the problem but there is a devil in those details.

I am jealous of your data set, RL, but our system (Waterfurnace) uses a refrigerant R-410A not simple water, in the loop. When they tune up the system, every few years, they have to use a large tank to pump out the loop then refill it from that tank.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

So far we seem to lose maybe an oz or 2 per year, so I haven't had to do much. Haven't had them back, hoping we can run for a while yet before it needs a tune up.

Ours was installed in 2006 and serviced in 2014(ish) when they topped up the fluids in the loop.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Supernova Discovered in Nearby Spiral Galaxy M101 - a few sites are reporting on this discovery, Sky and Telescope, NASA, Space Weather, the usual suspects. The link shows a nice image of the nova in the Pinwheel and has a good blurb on the discovery.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Spaceweather.com has posted an update today with a couple of new pictures of the nova. It is going for magnitude -10 (errr) +10, brighter than the galactic core.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Moved to soap box

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Live view of the west vent in Halemaʻumaʻu and the lava lake - according to the USGS alert I got this morning, Kilauea is not erupting but it sure looks active. There is a swarm of earthquakes 2.5 to 3.5 mag. in the caldera this morning.

Added: Apparently the HVO observatory has updated the event to an eruption just at the time of the above image.

Volcanic Activity Summary:
Kīlauea volcano is erupting. At approximately 4:44 a.m. HST on June 7, 2023, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected glow in Kīlauea summit webcam images indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Anyone else binge watching the vents on Kilauea? Amazing fireworks.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5M-5XFplo0

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Watching Kilauea today, the summit is cloudy and raining. Does rain simply flash to steam when it encounters lava or is there another reaction that happens?

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Good reading on https://spaceweather.com/ about the current sunspot count, seems it is nearing the 2002 high.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

The Wikipedia lists damage to transformers in South Africa during the October 2003 storms, grid failure in Sweden and other impacts. but not really a lot of others listed.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Only 1 year into the JWST data and it is making waves like this ...

Curious what people think about this:

https://phys.org/news/2023-07-age-universe-billion-years-previously.html
Nutshell - some researchers now believe the universe is 26.7 billion years old, to explain Methuselah stars. Theory combines cosmic expansion with the "tired photon" theory (photons lose energy as they travel, effectively redshifting themselves during transit) to recalculate the age of the universe.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

They taste like crustaceans.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Meanwhile, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is live streaming from the Gulf of Alaska:

https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/seascape-alaska/ex2306/welcome.html
Edit: remotes are surfacing, the dive is concluded. But, you can tune in again if you want to binge another.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

I tuned into the feed listed above from the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer and noted that like yesterday, they were underway. In one browser window, I observed the shot from the ship's house looking off the stern, and from another, the mapping software in action. After reading, and posting about, the book, The Deepest Map, most of what I saw here made sense and it is interesting to check back every few hours to see how the paint has dried as the software updates the sonar's end result.
Stern view here
Mapping view here
These links will change as the mission changes, but if you want the thrill of seeing little fissures on the sea floor form over time, this is the place for you. Somewhere over the abyss ...

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

And here I sit, debating on getting one of these ...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...on_44308_handheld_digital_microscope_pro.html
jealous? not me.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

We have a break in the morning haze, pulled out our ancient "Thousand Oaks Optical" eclipse viewer shades and saw the moon eating the sun, about 80% here off the centerline in Northern CA.
Glad I shoved those viewers in the back of my junk drawer years ago.
Remember, even if you have no eclipse gear, you can observe the shadows being cast, they will appear sharper than normal so look around on the ground, on your house, for these.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

The words of wisdom are to buy a screw on solar filter 'cuz if it falls off for any reason, well, optics will get fried.
Using that filter pictured above and pulling it away too fast woke me right up and reminded me that age does not equal wisdom.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

I have a directory of space photos like that, from various missions going back quite a ways. You are not alone in this fascination, the pictures take you along for the ride.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Over on https://www.spaceweather.gov/# is this picture of our sun, it has been up for a few days. I've looked but can not find an explanation of what that big slash is in the surface.
Any ideas? I know it is a cooler region but what caused it? We're going into a G3 storm today.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

On SwissInfo.ch this morning was a fascinating account of a dig going on in southeastern Switzerland, south of Chur. The authors state there are many questions unanswered, such as the date of the battle, but they have pieced together the possible outcome and how the battle may have helped Rome to settle the upper river valleys.

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-...als-hidden-secrets-of-historic-clash/49004988

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

I've often wondered if solar panels , on the farm or at home, could be used at night to detect bolides or other really bright objects? My system has monitoring for power output but I doubt that system is sensitive enough to pick up a few stray watts at night.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Hello, this is Bing. I can help you with some information and suggestions for designing a simple DC measuring system using a Raspberry Pi 3.

A DC measuring system is a device that can measure the voltage and current of a direct current (DC) source, such as a battery or a solar panel. To measure DC voltage and current with a Raspberry Pi 3, you will need some additional components, such as:

• An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) module, such as the MCP30081, that can convert the analog signals from the voltage and current sensors to digital signals that the Raspberry Pi 3 can read.
• A voltage divider circuit, that can reduce the input voltage to a range that the ADC can handle (for example, 0-3.3V).
• A current sensor, such as the ACS7122, that can measure the current flowing through the circuit using the Hall effect principle.
• Some resistors, capacitors, wires, and a breadboard to connect everything together.

The basic idea is to connect the voltage divider and the current sensor to the ADC inputs, and then connect the ADC to the Raspberry Pi 3 using the SPI interface. Then, you can write a program in Python or any other language that can read the ADC values and calculate the voltage and current of the DC source. You can also display the results on a screen or store them in a file for further analysis.

I am not a chatbot - I too have one large PV panel which isn't used and the PI. Is Bing right here? The links are to the PI forums, may be some good reading there.

Later: Well - reading the PI forum shows where Bing got its information. It did do pretty well at summarizing it. I checked back and Bing had also built this "schematic" for the circuit

+------------------+      +-----------------+
|                  |      |                 |
|    DC Source     |      |  Voltage Divider|
|                  |      |                 |
+------------------+      +-----------------+
     |      |                  |        |
     |      |                  |        |
     |      |                  |        |
     |      |                  |        |
     |      +------------------+        |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      +------------------+        |
     |      |                  |        |
     |      |   Current Sensor |        |
     |      |                  |        |
     |      +------------------+        |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      +------------------+        |
     |      |                  |        |
     |      |       ADC        |        |
     |      |                  |        |
     |      +------------------+        |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      |                           |
     |      +------------------+        |
     |      |                  |        |
     |      |  Raspberry Pi 3  |        |
     |      |                  |        |
     +------+------------------+--------+

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

I will let you know if DNA decay is mentioned in James Watson's The Double Helix which I'm 50% through and was fortunate to have picked up at the local library on a whim.

Edit: Finished the book - no mention of decay or DNA

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Sorry for being flippant, that I was reading a book on the discovery of DNA when your question popped up was coincidental.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

This animation of the solar wind is one of my favorites:

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/wsa-enlil-solar-wind-prediction

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

From today's update, while over 3000 earthquakes along the rift zone, the USGS has lowered its advisories:
HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice

Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)

Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Previous Volcano Alert Level: WATCH

Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Previous Aviation Color Code: ORANGE


Issued: Saturday, February 3, 2024, 8:10 AM HST
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2024/H53
Location: N 19 deg 25 min W 155 deg 17 min
Elevation: 4091 ft (1247 m)
Area: Hawaii

Volcanic Activity Summary:
Earthquake and ground deformation rates extending from Kīlauea summit southwest along the Koa‘e fault system have decreased significantly over the past 24 hours. The intrusion of magma into this area appears to have slowed, and the likelihood of an eruption has decreased.
Accordingly, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is lowering the Volcano Alert Level for ground-based hazards from WATCH to ADVISORY and the Aviation Color Code from ORANGE to YELLOW.
In total, more than 3,000 earthquakes were recorded over the past week during this event, which coincided with ground deformation patterns indicative of magma moving from beneath the summit to the southwest under the Koa‘e fault system. More information on this intrusive activity will be available in the Kīlauea daily update published later today. Additional details on this event can be found in previously published official notices:

• February 2 daily update: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-02-02T20:02:36+00:00
• February 1 daily update: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-02-01T19:44:10+00:00
• January 31 daily update: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-01-31T10:20:40-08:00
• January 31 Volcanic Activity Notice: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2023-10-06T18:55:23-07:00

HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea for signs of renewed activity. Should volcanic activity change significantly, a new Volcanic Activity Notice will be issued.
Hazards are still present on Kīlauea and are described below. Residents and visitors should stay informed and follow County of Hawai‘i and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park guidelines.
For more information about the meaning of volcano alert levels and aviation color codes, see https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanic-alert-levels-characterize-conditions-us-volcanoes

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

NOAA/USGS keeps on giving. This time, I found a system they maintain showing the Geoelectric Field models for the US and Canada. While they disclaim it as needing further validation, it is an interesting mapping.

https://www.spaceweather.gov/products/geoelectric-field-models-1-minute
See the Details tab on the above page for the description of the data.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

Hmmm, while I have enjoyed Windy to date, I'm kind of wondering why I pay for premium after seeing that.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

When we have "weather," we go here to see what's up on the Russian River ...

https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=mtr&gage=guec1
From the site banner, news to me:

Web Portal Changes: In Spring 2024, the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) hosted at https://water.weather.gov will be replaced by the National Water Prediction Service (NWPS) at a repurposed https://water.noaa.gov. A preview of NWPS is available here, where you can see your station hydrograph by replacing SSSSS with the station 5-character id: https://preview.water.noaa.gov/gauges/SSSSS.

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

One more nifty web site and I'll call it a day , This one is used by the western states for fire lookout. There are a couple of cameras in the hills behind my house which give me a 360 of the area, a view we lack. Mouse wheeling around on the bottom panel will scroll the composite view to 360.
There are a few hundred of these cameras in this network as shown on the map section, the ones to the east, up in Sierra's are very pretty due to the massive snow over the last week.

https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/1754

 

[Auguste_Fivaz]

In the "I didn't know that" department, spaceweather.com (03/21/2024) explains some of the latest data from NOAA on the stratosphere's polar vortex.

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/polar-vortex/welcome-polar-vortex-blog
Sudden stratospheric warming is an event which the climate folks monitor. There are precedents for this event but they are chaotic and what happens and how they play out is unique for each one.
This is one event from February 2023: is a full reversal of the normal westerly flow of these high elevation winds and as spaceweather states, the vortex is now spinning backwards.


https://www.climate.gov/news-featur...-brings-sudden-stratospheric-warming-february
Our tax dollars at work!