Independence and Updates from Space

Not only is it a holiday week for those of us in North America, it’s also a slow-posting weekend. I’ve wished some of my Canadian friends a Happy Canada Day (July 1) and, to my fellow Statesians, a good Independence Day, too (July 4). Independence is a wonderful concept. I don’t think it can be achieved merely through establishing national borders, but my country’s “Declaration of Independence” was a good effort, at least. We live in changing times, though; our world is shrinking (just take a look at this blogosphere, for instance) and I’d rather focus on community and inter-communication than divisiveness and borders.

From Space, no one can hear you scre no one can perceive exact borders on the earth. No boundaries; no divisions. With that in mind for this weekend I’ll just give a few updates on spacey stories I’ve been monitoring…

I reported on our local Moonlight Collector most of a year ago. I had quite a time there, and was just getting ready to visit it again when I saw that the Mainstream Media has recently reported on this huge light array. I find the coverage to be pretty balanced, if a bit incredulous. It can be found at this link.

I was sent an email featuring the “top ten images ever captured by the Hubble telescope”. I link to the thumbnails on Space . com. I don’t know about you, but I find these images stunningly beautiful, and, in some way, they give me a sense of hope and contentment. If such beauty, amazement, and wonder can be found beyond our planet, we can find it here, too, can’t we?

Many of you saw the news articles proclaiming things like “The earth is crying!” or, “What a racket: planet earth” or, “The earth sounds really awful!”  You can hear for yourself, back on Space . com. (I love this website, but just be advised: if you watch their videos, you’ll get a movie or TV preview first.)  I don’t think our planet sounds awful at all, just busy! Some years ago it was thought that potential aliens on other planets might be receiving our television signals, which would explain why they haven’t wanted to visit us. Now, it seems, they’d hear these magnetic disturbances first. Other planets emit these sounds, too. It would be wonderful if we could learn to interpret differences among them to yield useful information.

Finally, an update from our brave and wonderful Phoenix Mars Lander, which successfully landed earlier this year, and has been busy finding WATER, and, perhaps…LIFE? on Mars!!!  Is there life on Mars? I don’t know. Do I want there to be life on Mars? You betcha!

Here’s to a good, safe, heathy and joyful weekend.