Comet C/2012 S1

This morning I tried to see the comet at 6am - just before sunrise. I rode my bike down the trail to a point I could see the eastern sky with out so many trees in the way. I thought I could see a blurry spot right where the comet should be and rode home to get my binoculars. By the time I got back to the spot the sun has come up just enough to make the sky harder to spot stars. I found the star near the horizon I used as a marker point but above it and to the south I lost the blurry spot and could not find it again. Comet ISON is on track to round the sun November 28th. I hope it survives the trip and we can see it as it zips back to deep space. It will probably never return.

Didn't see it coming...

On October 12th astronomers working at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Ukraine discovered, in a photo taken October 8th, showing a thousand foot asteroid "closely" passing Earth on September 16th. It had never been seen before. 

  2013 TV₁₃₅  On September 16, 2013, it passed about 0.045 AU(6,700,000 km; 4,200,000 mi) from Earth. On September 20, 2013, it came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun). The asteroid was discovered on October 12, 2013 by Crimean Astrophysical Observatory using images dating back to October 8, 2013. It was discovered by Ukrainian astronomer Gennady Borisov.

The asteroid is initially estimated to be about 1,300 feet (400 meters) in size and its orbit carries it as far out as about three quarters of the distance to Jupiter's orbit and as close to the sun as Earth's orbit.  This has it speeding through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupitor twice every four years. 

With an orbital inclination of only 6.7 degrees and perihelion 0.99AU from the Sun, based on the preliminary orbit, the point of perihelion appears to be controlled by close approaches to Earth. With a short observation arc of only 9 days, it has a poorly determined orbit with an Uncertainty of 8. Given the relatively large size of the asteroid, astronomers will be able to refine the orbit of this asteroid over the next several days, weeks, and months.

But no one can predict collisions in the asteroid belt that may alter its orbit. 

Still growing...

The folklore surrounding black cats varies from culture to culture. In Great Britain, black cats are seen as lucky and are often given in token form to brides. The Scottish believe that a strange black cat's arrival to the home signifies prosperity. In Celtic mythology, a fairyknown as the Cat Sìth takes the form of a black cat. Black cats are also considered good luck in Japan.

However in Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens, specifically being suspected of being the familiars of witches, and so most of western and southern Europe considers the black cat a symbol of bad luck, especially if one crosses paths with a person, which is believed to be an omen of misfortune and death. In Germany, some believe that black cats crossing a person's path from right to left, is a bad omen. But from left to right, the cat is granting favorable times.

The black cat in folklore has been able to change into human shape to act as a spy or courier for witches or demons. When the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, they brought with them a devout faith in the Bible. They also brought a deepening suspicion of anything deemed of the devil and were a deeply suspicious group. They viewed the black cat as a companion, or a familiar to witches. Anyone caught with a black cat would be severely punished or even killed. They viewed the black cat as part demon and part sorcery.

Pirates of the 18th century believed that a black cat would bring different kinds of luck. If a black cat walks towards someone, that person will have bad luck. If a black cat walks away from someone then that person will have good luck. If a black cat walks onto a ship and then walks off it, the ship is doomed to sink on its next trip. Black cats have been found to have lower odds of adoption in American shelters compared to other colors except brown, although black animals in general take more time to find homes.

August 17 is "Black Cat Appreciation Day".

One week later...

They have been given names of Maynard and Boots. 

Maynard is now 16 oz
Boots is now 13.7 oz.

Kittens 

Vickie brought home two. 

One is 10.5 ounces 

the other 12.7 ounces. 

Tiny TV antenna

 Several years ago I built my own TV antenna from a coat hangar. Now the technology involves tiny antennas. Barry Diller is backing a service that utilizes tiny antennas in an array of thousands and tuners that stream live signals over the internet.

Aereo has survived the first court challenges and is being developed in 22 USA cities. New York rates are $12/mo.

Each city and market will have its own servers and antennas. Only people who reside in the market can receive the signal. Like having your own personal TV antenna and tuner connected to your computer with the ability to record programs.

Program selection is limited to the local broadcast stations in your area. In my own neighborhood that includes more than fifty channels of programming.

Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia explained that the device is a simple copper antenna but that, rather than picking up the entire TV spectrum like a typical cable antenna, it picks up only the 6 megahertz block of spectrum that a viewer wants to see at a given time. He describes it as a “switched antenna” that’s beautiful in its simplicity. The ingenuity, Kanojia said, is that Aereo’s 1.5 inch antenna changes its electrical and magnetic characteristics in order to replicate the tasks of a standard 35 inch UFH or three foot VHF antenna.

All I want is the antenna.

Is it legal? Aereo