What is Anodised Aluminum?

When I first started work in the electrical trade there were switches and sockets that had metal plates brightly finished with a hard decorative coating (plated, painted - or whatever) in various basic colours - red - blue - green - bronze - etc, and they were described as 'anodised aluminium'.

Happy Solstice!

Today marks the winter solstice here in the north, the sun sets rises as far “south east” as it will get.  If you are in the southern hemisphere this is your summer solstice  YAY!

For me and those in these parts, we can see the days grow longer and for a couple months see the cold grow stronger.  Been pretty cold so far this winter, but not too much snow.  For you south of here in the mid-Atlantic states – I do feel your pain.  I will say I am rather impressed though.  I was watching some traffic cams out of Tyson’s Corner VA at a big intersection and while there was some problems, for the most part people did really well driving in the snow.  Well done!

I’ll be back!

HESS upper limits on very high energy gamma-ray emission from the microquasar GRS 1915+105

Authors: HESS Collaboration, F. Acero, F. Aharonian, A. G. Akhperjanian, G. Anton, U. Barres de Almeida, A. R. Bazer-Bachi, Y. Becherini, B. Behera, K. Bernlöhr, A. Bochow, C. Boisson, J. Bolmont, V. Borrel, J. Brucker, F. Brun, P. Brun, T. Bulik, I. Büsching, T. Boutelier, P. M. Chadwick, A. Charbonnier, R. C. G. Chaves, A. Cheesebrough, J. Conrad, L.-M. Chounet, A. C. Clapson, G. Coignet, M. Dalton, M. K. Daniel, I. D. Davids, B. Degrange, C. Deil, H. J. Dickinson, A. Djannati-Ataï, W. Domainko, L.O'C. Drury, F. Dubois, G. Dubus, J. Dyks, M. Dyrda, K. Egberts, P. Eger, P. Espigat, L. Fallon, C. Farnier, S. Fegan, F. Feinstein, A. Fiasson, A. Förster, G. Fontaine, M. Füßling, S. Gabici, Y. A. Gallant, L. Gérard, D. Gerbig, B. Giebels, J. F. Glicenstein, B. Glück, P. Goret, D. Göring, M. Hauser, S. Heinz, G. Heinzelmann, G. Henri, G. Hermann, J. A. Hinton, A. Hoffmann, W. Hofmann, P. Hofverberg, M. Holleran, S. Hoppe, D. Horns, A. Jacholkowska, O. C. de Jager, C. Jahn, I. Jung, K. Katarzy?ski, U. Katz, S. Kaufmann, M. Kerschhaggl, D. Khangulyan, B. Khélifi, D. Keogh, D. Klochkov, W. Klu?niak, T. Kneiske, Nu. Komin, K. Kosack, R. Kossakowski, G. Lamanna, J.-P. Lenain, T. Lohse, V. Marandon, A. Marcowith, J. Masbou, D. Maurin, T. J. L. McComb, M. C. Medina, J. Méhault, R. Moderski, E. Moulin, M. Naumann-Godo, M. de Naurois, D. Nedbal, D. Nekrassov, B. Nicholas, J. Niemiec, S. J. Nolan, S. Ohm, J-F. Olive, E. de Oña Wilhelmi, K. J. Orford, M. Ostrowski, M. Panter, M. Paz Arribas, G. Pedaletti, G. Pelletier, P.-O. Petrucci, S. Pita, G. Pühlhofer, M. Punch, A. Quirrenbach, B. C. Raubenheimer, M. Raue, S. M. Rayner, O. Reimer, M. Renaud, R. de los Reyes, F. Rieger, J. Ripken, L. Rob, S. Rosier-Lees, G. Rowell, B. Rudak, C. B. Rulten, J. Ruppel, F. Ryde, V. Sahakian, A. Santangelo, R. Schlickeiser, F. M. Schöck, A. Schönwald, U. Schwanke, S. Schwarzburg, S. Schwemmer, A. Shalchi, I. Sushch, M. Sikora, J. L. Skilton, H. Sol, ?. Stawarz, R. Steenkamp, C. Stegmann, F. Stinzing, G. Superina, A. Szostek, P. H. Tam, J.-P. Tavernet, R. Terrier, O. Tibolla, M. Tluczykont, C. van Eldik, G. Vasileiadis, C. Venter, L. Venter, J. P. Vialle, P. Vincent, M. Vivier, H. J. Völk, F. Volpe, S. Vorobiov, S. J. Wagner, M. Ward, A. A. Zdziarski and A. Zech
A&A 508, 1135 (2009) Received 1 October 2009 / Accepted 21 October 2009
Keywords: X-rays: binaries, X-rays: individuals: GRS 1915+105, gamma rays: observations

REM near-IR and optical photometric monitoring of pre-main sequence stars in Orion – Rotation periods and starspot parameters

Authors: A. Frasca, E. Covino, L. Spezzi, J. M. Alcalá, E. Marilli, G. F?rész and D. Gandolfi
A&A 508, 1313 (2009) Received 21 September 2009 / Accepted 24 October 2009
Keywords: stars: pre-main sequence, stars: rotation, stars: starspots, stars: flare, techniques: photometric, ISM: individual objects: Orion

HD 174884: a strongly eccentric, short-period early-type binary system discovered by CoRoT

Authors: C. Maceroni, J. Montalbán, E. Michel, P. Harmanec, A. Prsa, M. Briquet, E. Niemczura, T. Morel, D. Ladjal, M. Auvergne, A. Baglin, F. Baudin, C. Catala, R. Samadi and C. Aerts
A&A 508, 1375 (2009) Received 16 September 2009 / Accepted 17 October 2009
Keywords: binaries: close, binaries: eclipsing, stars: fundamental parameters, stars: individual: HD 174884, stars: variables: general

Evidence of early disk-locking among low-mass members of the Orion Nebula Cluster

Authors: K. Biazzo, C. H. F. Melo, L. Pasquini, S. Randich, J. Bouvier and X. Delfosse
A&A 508, 1301 (2009) Received 16 August 2009 / Accepted 24 September 2009
Keywords: open clusters and associations: individual: Orion Nebula Cluster, stars: low-mass, brown dwarfs, stars: pre-main sequence, stars: late-type, accretion, accretion disks, techniques: spectroscopic

Chemical depletion in the Large Magellanic Cloud: RV Tauri stars and the photospheric feedback from their dusty discs

Authors: C. Gielen, H. Van Winckel, M. Reyniers, A. Zijlstra, T. Lloyd Evans, K. D. Gordon, F. Kemper, R. Indebetouw, M. Marengo, M. Matsuura, M. Meixner, G. C. Sloan, A. G. G. M. Tielens and P. M. Woods
A&A 508, 1391 (2009) Received 24 July 2009 / Accepted 28 October 2009
Keywords: stars: abundances, stars: AGB and post-AGB, circumstellar matter, binaries: general, Magellanic Clouds