Monthly Archives: May 2012

Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to Bob Dylan, others

Posted on by

WASHINGTON President Obama pinned the Presidential Medal of Freedom around Bob Dylan's neck as the singer stood in the White House inscrutable in black sunglasses.

"I have to say that I am a really big fan," Obama said as he introduced Dylan, one of a number of figures from the struggles and accomplishments of the 1960s, as well as other eras, whom Obama chose to honor Tuesday. Labor leader and civil rights campaigner Dolores Huerta and astronaut John Glenn also received the medal.

"I remember, you know, in college listening to Bob Dylan and my world opening up because he captured something about this country that was so vital," Obama said.

The president said many of the recipients had had a personal effect on his life. The year 1962 looms especially large in Obama's picks: That was the year Dylan put out his first album, Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Assn. and Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.

The medal is the country's highest civilian honor and the president has wide latitude in choosing recipients. It is awarded to people who have made major contributions to the security of the United States, world peace or culture, or have undertaken "other significant public or private endeavors."

Huerta founded the farmworkers group, which later became the United Farm Workers, with Cesar Chavez, who was awarded the medal in 1994, shortly after his death. Throughout the 1960s and '70s, Huerta worked to extend social programs to farmworkers in California. She also, Obama noted, coined the slogan "Si, se puede" ("Yes, we can").

"Dolores was very gracious when I told her I had stolen her slogan," he said.

It was not Dylan's first time receiving a ribbon at the White House: In 1997, President Clinton named him a Kennedy Center honoree. In 2010, Obama awarded the singer the National Medal of Arts. Dylan did not attend the ceremony then, but did perform "The Times They Are a-Changin" for the president at the White House the same year.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom hangs from a blue ribbon and is made up of a blue disk whose surface is filled with stars, layered on a white star and red pentagon surrounded by gold eagles.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was also among the 12 people presented with the medal Tuesday. Former Justice Department civil rights lawyer John Doar, epidemiologist William Foege, novelist Toni Morrison, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and college basketball coach Pat Summitt also received the award.

Read this article:

Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to Bob Dylan, others

Albright, Dylan among recipients of Presidential Medal of Freedom

Posted on by

Juliette Gordon Low, American founder of the Girl Scouts, is another of the posthumous honorees. Along with the establishment of the American group, she is credited with creating a Girl Guides troop for girls working in factories in Scotland. The Girl Guides helped the young women set up a small business, enabling them to take money home to their families while avoiding the unhealthy working conditions of the factories. Jan Karski, the third and final posthumous recipient of the Medal of Freedom, served as an officer in the Polish Underground during World War II. Karski provided one of the first eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust to the world. Madeleine Albright served as the first female U.S. secretary of state from 1997-2001 under President Bill Clinton. While in office, she worked to expand NATO and helped lead the alliance's campaign against terror and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, pursued peace in the Middle East and Africa, sought to reduce the dangerous spread of nuclear weapons and was a champion of democracy, human rights and good governance across the globe. Bob Dylan's poetic lyrics worked considerable influence on the civil rights movement in the 1960s and is still very influential in American culture today. Dolores Huerta is a civil rights, workers and women's advocate. With Cesar Chavez, she co-founded the National Farmworkers Association in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers of America. Huerta has served as a community activist and a political organizer and was influential in securing the passage of California's Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975 and disability insurance for farm workers in California.

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Continued here:

Albright, Dylan among recipients of Presidential Medal of Freedom

Obama honors Presidential Medal of Freedom winners: Who's eligible? (+video)

Posted on by

Answer: Anybody who's accomplished anything the president of the United States likes. Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom to Bob Dylan, John Glenn, and 11 other recipients Tuesday.

What do Bob Dylan, Bob Dole, Warren Buffet, Earl Warren, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Jackie Robinson, and Jack Nicklaus have in common?

No, theyre not characters in the longest walk into a bar joke ever told. They are all recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award the United States government bestows.

President Obama handed out 13 of these coveted decorations in an East Room ceremony on May 29. The aforementioned Mr. Dylan was one of the recipients. As he and John Glenn, Toni Morrison, and other 2012 honorees bowed to have the spiffy white star hung around their necks, we got to thinking: Where does the Presidential Medal of Freedom come from, anyway? How does it compare to the Medal of Honor and other top US decorations? Why did Dylan wear sunglasses to Tuesdays East Room investiture?

That last question is unanswerable by us. As to the rest were now in position to provide a little US Medals 101 education, courtesy of the always helpful work of Congressional Research Service scholars.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established by Harry S. Truman to reward World War II-connected activities. In 1945, the first awards were bestowed on four women who had shown conspicuous service and/or bravery, including Anna M. Rosenberg, a member of the War Manpower Commission, and Marie Louise Dissard, a leader of the French Resistance.

Throughout the late 1940s and early 50s the medal went to figures related to security or diplomacy. In 1963, however, President John F. Kennedy made a major change, establishing the award as we understand it today. Via an executive order, JFK expanded those eligible to include any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

In other words, pretty much anybody whos accomplished anything the president of the US likes.

Thats the second interesting part of the Medal of Freedom equation: it is something the president alone decides.

As such, recipients tend to reflect the personal and political interests of the President. The accomplishments of past recipients have been in wide-ranging fields, including public service, journalism, business, sports, and entertainment, wrote Barbara Salazar Torreon of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in a 2004 report on the subject.

The rest is here:

Obama honors Presidential Medal of Freedom winners: Who's eligible? (+video)

Obama honors Presidential Medal of Freedom winners: Who's eligible?

Posted on by

Answer: Anybody who's accomplished anything the president of the United States likes. Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom to Bob Dylan, John Glenn, and 11 other recipients Tuesday.

What do Bob Dylan, Bob Dole, Warren Buffet, Earl Warren, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Jackie Robinson, and Jack Nicklaus have in common?

No, theyre not characters in the longest walk into a bar joke ever told. They are all recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award the United States government bestows.

President Obama handed out 13 of these coveted decorations in an East Room ceremony on May 29. The aforementioned Mr. Dylan was one of the recipients. As he and John Glenn, Toni Morrison, and other 2012 honorees bowed to have the spiffy white star hung around their necks, we got to thinking: Where does the Presidential Medal of Freedom come from, anyway? How does it compare to the Medal of Honor and other top US decorations? Why did Dylan wear sunglasses to Tuesdays East Room investiture?

That last question is unanswerable by us. As to the rest were now in position to provide a little US Medals 101 education, courtesy of the always helpful work of Congressional Research Service scholars.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established by Harry S. Truman to reward World War II-connected activities. In 1945, the first awards were bestowed on four women who had shown conspicuous service and/or bravery, including Anna M. Rosenberg, a member of the War Manpower Commission, and Marie Louise Dissard, a leader of the French Resistance.

Throughout the late 1940s and early 50s the medal went to figures related to security or diplomacy. In 1963, however, President John F. Kennedy made a major change, establishing the award as we understand it today. Via an executive order, JFK expanded those eligible to include any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

In other words, pretty much anybody whos accomplished anything the president of the US likes.

Thats the second interesting part of the Medal of Freedom equation: it is something the president alone decides.

As such, recipients tend to reflect the personal and political interests of the President. The accomplishments of past recipients have been in wide-ranging fields, including public service, journalism, business, sports, and entertainment, wrote Barbara Salazar Torreon of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in a 2004 report on the subject.

Read more from the original source:

Obama honors Presidential Medal of Freedom winners: Who's eligible?

Obama Awards Medals Of Freedom

Posted on by

President Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to thirteen cultural and political icons today, saying that the recipients have “marked my life in profound ways.” This year’s medal winners  included music legend Bob Dylan, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Pulitzer...

Here is the original post:

Obama Awards Medals Of Freedom

Eco-Cars: 10 Tips for Greener Motoring

Posted on by

Make your car an eco-warrior on the road! While the best way to reduce your carbon footprint is still to leave the car at home, the state of our local public transport system may make this a non-option. Driving is often more a need than a luxury in this country, but dont take that as an excuse to boot environmental awareness to the backseat. Here are 10 simple tips for greener motoring.

(First published in Womens Health Magazine as Green Machine in May 2010; adapted for use in Female Network)

The rest is here:

Eco-Cars: 10 Tips for Greener Motoring

Coniston entrepreneur launches eco-friendly buses

Posted on by

Coniston entrepreneur launches eco-friendly buses

5:00pm Tuesday 29th May 2012 in News

THE countrys first semi-electric tour bus will soon be ferrying passengers through the Lake District.

Coniston entrepreneur Harry Kilgour might be driving a white bus but its pioneering technology will offer passengers a green ride.

Tourists will be able to view the landscape in the hybrid 17-seater bus, which uses an electric unit to support its diesel engine.

Mr Kilgour had the motor fitted to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the bus by 20 per cent and lower its diesel intake.

The system was initially tested in goods vans but has been installed in a tour bus for the first time by specialists Ashwoods Automotive of Exeter.

The hybrid unit, which is fitted at the back of the bus, generates power to help increase the vehicles diesel efficiency. It recharges its battery system when not assisting the engine.

Mr Kilgour, 61, took the minibus out for its debut drive this week as he launched his business Bluebird Tours of Coniston. It will offer planned and bespoke tours throughout South Cumbria.

Mr Kilgour said: Theres not much around Coniston in terms of bus tourism, and certainly nothing as green as this."

More:

Coniston entrepreneur launches eco-friendly buses

Florida beaches moving up on Dr. Beach's US list

Posted on by

Florida has landed the No. 1 beach in the U.S. seven times, but not in 2012. This year's crown goes to Coronado Beach in San Diego, California, but that doesn't mean Florida still isn't the place to be for the finest stretches of sand.

The Sunshine State nabbed two of the Top 10 spots for 2012 with St. George Island State Park near Apalachicola at No. 4 and Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne at No. 8 Both beaches moved up two spots from the 2011 list. Of course, the thing about the list is once you win, you're no longer eligible for the list.

The annual Top 10 list now in its 22nd year, is put out by Dr. Beach, aka Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, Director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research, before Memorial Day each year.

So out of 22 years, Florida's been No. 1 nearly a third of those years with Siesta Beach in 2011, Caladesi Island State Park north of Tampa in 2008, Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg in 2005, St. Joseph Peninsula in Port St. Joe in 2002, St. Andrews State Park in Panama City in 1995, Grayton Beach State Park in Santa Rosa Beach in 1994 and Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key in 1992.

Other Florida beaches that have made the Top 10 in the past six years, but not on this year's list include Barefoot Beach Park in Bonita Springs and Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet south of Daytona Beach.

Of the two beaches ranked in 2012, Leatherman had this to say:

No. 4: St. George Island State Park Florida panhandle. The Florida panhandle beaches are back as oil from the BP spill has vanished, and the sand is squeaky clean (just rub your feet on the sand and hear them squeak). The brilliant white sands and clear waters of St. George Island were fortunately not even impacted last summer. Stingrays are sometimes resting in the shallow waters so shuffle your feet when entering. Birding and fishing are very popular activities here.

No. 8: Cape Florida State Park Key Biscayne, Florida. Cape Florida State Park, located at the south tip of Key Biscayne, provides clear, emerald-colored waters and gentle surf. This fine, white coral sand beach is great for swimming, as waves are knocked down by a large sand shoal offshore. In addition, the Cape Florida Lighthouse allows for a breath-taking view of this beautiful beach.

Leatherman ranks beaches using 50 different criteria from quality of sand to safety.

The full 2012 list is as follows: 1. Coronado Beach San Diego, California 2. Kahanamoku Beach Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii 3. Main Beach East Hampton, New York 4. St. George Island State Park Florida panhandle 5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii 6. Coast Guard Beach Cape Cod, Massachusetts 7. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park Oahu, Hawaii 8. Cape Florida State Park Key Biscayne, Florida 9. Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina 10. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina

Go here to read the rest:

Florida beaches moving up on Dr. Beach's US list

Flag awards for Scottish beaches

Posted on by

29 May 2012 Last updated at 20:12 ET

More than 60 Scottish beaches have been granted official recognition for high standards of cleanliness, safety, and water quality.

Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) has given "seaside award" status to a total of 61 beaches.

Eight will also now be able to fly the internationally-acclaimed Blue Flag.

The environment charity said over the past 12 years the number of beaches achieving seaside awards has more than quadrupled.

The awards are given annually, with beaches from Aberdeenshire to the Borders, and from the Highlands to North Ayrshire, among those featured on the 2012 list.

Portobello beach in Edinburgh and Dunbar East beach in East Lothian are completely new entries.

Six of the sites which have been awarded blue flag status - for which beaches must pass 32 environmental criteria - are in Fife, with Kinghorn beach receiving recognition for the first time.

The other two blue flag winners are in Dundee and Coldingham in the Scottish borders.

Derek Robertson, chief executive of KSB, said: "With an increasing number of people choosing to take their holidays at home in Scotland, there has never been a better time to enjoy your local beach.

Read more here:

Flag awards for Scottish beaches

Smoking allowed in state parks and beaches

Posted on by

Smokers can puff away at state parks, beaches and pools this summer after all.

After objections by a smokers' rights organization, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration suspended its restrictions on smoking in parks, beaches, pools and historic sites that was to be enforced with a potential disorderly conduct ticket. The administration said Tuesday that the measures will be voluntary for at least two months while a full rule-making process including public comment is concluded.

For smokers like Subena Harris, it's all getting to be a bit much.

"I feel like I have to leave Planet Earth to have a cigarette," said Subena Harris, a New York City resident who was smoking in Albany. "And I pay taxes, just like everyone else. I work 40 hours a week, just like everyone else. I'm not going to stand around and blow smoke in people's faces, but I don't want to be ostracized doing the same things as non-smoking citizens do."

Audrey Silk, founder of the national Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment based in New York City, had objected to the state restriction announced in April. The order was set without public hearings and despite the Legislature's refusal to enact similar restrictions.

"Apparently the crusade against smokers to date has so emboldened government that the rule of law no longer need be practiced when it comes to its citizens that choose to smoke," Silk said

Dan Keefe, office spokesman for the state Parks Department, said the no-smoking order followed common practice at several parks facilities and was made as a consensus rule, which doesn't require public hearings. He said the state hadn't expected any opposition or controversy.

The state is now calling for voluntary restrictions by smokers, but the signs that say smoking is restricted in many areas will stay in place.

"There is only one way for the public to interpret this language," Silk says, "There's nothing to imply that the 'prohibition" is unenforceable, which it now clearly is.

"The Office of Parks' behavior goes from bad to worse from at least the facade of official policy-making to settling for simply fooling people with unofficial signs," Silk said.

Read the original:

Smoking allowed in state parks and beaches

Beaches open, flags flying

Posted on by

Readmore: Local, Community, Environment, Weather, Marquette, Waterfront Safety Task Force, South Beach, Marquette Fire Department, Flags, Rip Currents, Waves

MARQUETTE -- With the summer beach season upon us the Marquette fire department has begun its flag advisory system to indicate swimming conditions. The fire department is acting on behalf of the waterfront safety task force.

The task force was created by the Marquette city commission in 2010 and serves to alert swimmers if waves and rip currents pose a danger at local beaches. The beaches are now open and lifeguards are on duty at South Beach and McCarty's Cove.

"The beaches are attractive, its important for people to know that we have two guarded beaches, they're large beaches, it is about keeping people safe, the program is constant we're always trying to come up with new ideas to increase that safety and to lower the risk," said Marquette Fire Chief Tom Belt.

The system uses colored flags to alert swimmers.A green flag means calm waves, yellow means waves from2-4 ft and red means high hazard, no swimming. For more information on the swimming conditionsclick here.

See the original post:

Beaches open, flags flying

Victoria, Australia government wants to stop free pertussis vaccines | Bad Astronomy

Posted on by

[Note: Although I think it's clear in the text below, I changed the title of this post to reflect the fact that it's the Victorian government doing this, not the Federal Australian government.]

In Australia, pertussis whooping cough is at epidemic levels. There were over 38,000 cases last year, and its killed eight babies since 2008. Despite this, the Health Minister of Victoria wants to cut a program that provides free pertussis vaccines for caregivers and parents of babies. He claims (under advice of a panel of experts) that it isnt providing sufficient clinical results, but many doctors are concerned what this will do to the already too-high rates of infection.

Even if the results arent as good as hoped, it would make sense to fund this program until infection rates are down, at least to where they were before the epidemic.

Toni McCaffery the mother of Dana McCaffery, one of those eight infants killed by pertussis has created a petition to continue the program. If you live in Australia, I urge you to read it and sign it if you choose.

And please, please talk to your board-certified doctor and see if you need a shot or a booster.

Why? Because of this, and this, and dammit, because of this.

As long as antivaxxers spread their thin gruel of nonsense, as long as people think its OK to get a religious exemption from a life-saving vaccination, as long as people arent even aware that as adults they need to keep up with their TDAP booster shots (as I wasnt), then I will continue to write about this.

As long as babies are dying, Ill continue to write about this. Lets hope I can stop very, very soon.

Related Posts:

- Followup: Antivaxxers, airlines, and ailments - UPDATE: partial Complete success with American Airlines! - Whooping cough outbreak in Boulder - Stop antivaxxers. Now.

Continued here:

Victoria, Australia government wants to stop free pertussis vaccines | Bad Astronomy

Trivia – putting Astronomy under the microscope

Posted on by

David Heath Wednesday, 30 May 2012 12:21

Opinion and Analysis

Ever since Galileo turned his simple telescope toward Jupiter and saw its four principal moons, we have been in awe of such devices. But they do come with limitations.

However, until the invention of the reflecting telescope some 200 years after Galileo, there was no obvious way to make them large enough to see into the far reaches of the heavens.

In fact for some considerable period of time, big-ish telescopes were constructed using both technologies, but eventually one single reason meant that all super-large telescopes were made as Newtonian (reflector) telescopes, and not lens-based.

What is the principal reason that there has never been a successful, long-serving lens-based telescope with a lens diameter greater than 1 metre?

See the rest here:

Trivia - putting Astronomy under the microscope

Learn about astronomy for free during summer months

Posted on by

Sex offender arrested for allegedly entering a stranger's home Sex offender arrested for allegedly entering a stranger's home

Updated: Wednesday, May 30 2012 12:33 AM EDT2012-05-30 04:33:03 GMT

Updated: Tuesday, May 29 2012 11:42 PM EDT2012-05-30 03:42:58 GMT

Updated: Tuesday, May 29 2012 11:38 PM EDT2012-05-30 03:38:07 GMT

Updated: Tuesday, May 29 2012 11:14 PM EDT2012-05-30 03:14:50 GMT

Updated: Tuesday, May 29 2012 10:35 PM EDT2012-05-30 02:35:55 GMT

Startingon Friday, the Evansville Museum will offer free planetarium shows during the summer season.

The 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. shows will be 'Bad Astronomy', a unique and fun approach to learn about the cosmos.

The 3 p.m. show is 'The Sky Tonight', which will show you where to look to see the constellations and planets.

The free tickets are available at the museum's reception desk and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Read the original:

Learn about astronomy for free during summer months

NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 26 May 2012

Posted on by

ISS On-Orbit Status 05/26/12

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday - Crew half-day off.

Upon wakeup, FE-3 Acaba, FE-5 Kuipers & FE-6 Pettit completed their weekly post-sleep session of the Reaction Self-Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self-Test on the ISS) protocol, the 43rd for Don & Andr, the 3rd for Joe. [RST is done twice daily (after wakeup & before bedtime) for 3 days prior to the sleep shift, the day(s) of the sleep shift and 5 days following a sleep shift. The experiment consists of a 5-minute reaction time task that allows crewmembers to monitor the daily effects of fatigue on performance while on ISS. The experiment provides objective feedback on neurobehavioral changes in attention, psychomotor speed, state stability, and impulsivity while on ISS missions, particularly as they relate to changes in circadian rhythms, sleep restrictions, and extended work shifts.]

After wakeup, Gennady Padalka performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.

CDR Kononenko, FE-1 Padalka & FE-2 Revin joined in conducting the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough cleaning of their home, including COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) and Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module). ["Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the SM dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the sleep stations with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.]

As part of Uborka house cleaning, Oleg, Sergei & Gennady also completed regular weekly maintenance inspection & cleaning of fan screens in the FGB (TsV2) plus Group E fan grilles in the SM (VPkhO, FS5, FS6, VP) and the BMP Harmful Contaminants Removal System grille in the SM.

Don Pettit started another sampling run with the AQM (Air Quality Monitor), deactivating the system ~5 hrs later. [Consisting of the EHS GC/DMS (Environmental Health Systems Gas Chromatograph / Differential Mobility Spectrometer), the system is controlled with "Sionex" expert software from the SSC (Station Support Computer)-12 laptop. The AQM demonstrates COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) technology for identifying volatile organic compounds, similar to the VOA (Volatile Organics Analyzer). This evaluation will continue over the course of several months as it helps to eventually certify the GC/DMS as nominal CHeCS (Crew Health Care Systems) hardware],

Next, Pettit & Kuipers set up the Node-2 camcorder with MPC (Multi-Protocol Converter) and Firewire cable for Dragon hatch opening and powered down all CQ (Crew Quarters) laptops prior to removing power from the CQs for the Dragon ingress.

Afterwards, Andr & Don removed the CBM CPAs (Common Berthing Mechanism Controller Panel Assemblies) from the Node-2 nadir port and equalized the pressures between Dragon and ISS.

At ~5:53am EDT, Dragon's internal hatch was opened, and Don Pettit & Oleg Kononenko entered Dragon wearing protective masks and goggles to set up for IMV (Intermodule Ventilation) for 20 min before final ingress.

Read this article:

NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 26 May 2012

How To Measure the Universe

Posted on by

by Jason Major on May 29, 2012

Measuring distance doesnt sound like a very challenging thing to do just pick your standard unit of choice and corresponding tool calibrated to it, and see how the numbers add up. Use a meter stick, a tape measure, or perhaps take a drive, and you can get a fairly accurate answer. But in astronomy, where the distances are vast and theres no way to take measurements in person, how do scientists know how far this is from that and whats going where?

Luckily there are ways to figure such things out, and the methods that astronomers use are surprisingly familiar to things we experience every day.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich is giving free presentations of "Measuring the Universe: from the Transit of Venus to the Edge of the Cosmos" from now until September 1.

Just in time for the upcoming transit of Venus, an event which also allows for some important measurements to be made of distances in our solar system, the video is part of a series of free presentations the Observatory is currently giving regarding our place in the Universe and how astronomers over the centuries have measured how oh-so-far it really is from here to there.

Video credits: Design and direction: Richard Hogg Animation: Robert Milne, Ross Philips, Kwok Fung Lam Music and sound effects: George Demure Narration and Astro-smarts: Dr. Olivia Johnson Producer: Henry Holland

Tagged as: blueshift, distance, Measuring the Universe, parallax, redshift, Royal Observatory, scale, Solar System, Venus

Original post:

How To Measure the Universe