An ice-free Antarctica?

At least two 16th-century nautical maps are said to feature the outline of Antarctica's coastline - a coastline buried under a mile of ice for thousands of years.
Most famous is the 1513 map by Ottoman navigator Admiral Piri Ibn Haji Memmed, known as Piri Re'is. Found in rubble at Istanbul's Topkapi Palace in 1929, the map, half of which is missing, drew immense interest. It appears to place Africa, Europe and South America at the correct relative longitudes (more than 200 years before John Harrison's sea-clock) and, most spectacularly of all, portrays the north coast of Antarctica, 300 years before it was recognised as a landmass. Piri's notes also refer to an Atlantic map by Columbus (now lost) and others from Alexander's time (336-323BC).
In Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings (1966), Professor Charles Hapgood suggests maps like the Piri Re'is hint at an advanced seafaring civilisation about 12,000 years ago. Remnants of their knowledge, he proposes, survived in the Alexandrian library until its destruction in AD640, and were incorporated into later maps. These ideas were recycled by Graham Hancock, but the reality may be less romantic.
Since antiquity, it was considered that there had to be a great land in the southern hemisphere to balance those in the north. So, employing standard practice of the time, cartographers made one up. This imaginary land was known as Terra Incognita Australis - Unknown Southern Land - and is marked on several maps, notably the 1531 Oronteus Finaeus map, often used to bolster Hapgood's claims. It's possible that on this and other maps, Terra Australis is Australia.
Piri notes of this southernmost region that it was "recently found but is not fully known," that "large snakes are found here" and "these [shores] are _ very hot". Not the Antarctica we know, then - unless the penguins ate all the snakes. Today, cartographers suggest a better match could be the tip of South America. Certainly, well-established sea routes existed at least 3,000 years ago and many ancient maps have been lost, but with ice cores 500,000 years old being recovered from Antarctica, we can assume that even the most ancient sea kings probably didn't go there.

Plumes spewing from Saturn moon may contain water

WASHINGTON – Astronomers looking at the spectacular supersonic plumes of gas and dust shooting off one of Saturn's moons say there are strong hints of liquid water, a key building block of life.
Their research, appearing in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, adds to the growing push to explore further the moon Enceladus, as one of the solar system's most compelling places for potential life.
Using images from NASA's Cassini probe, astronomers had already figured that the mysterious plumes shooting from Enceladus' icy terrain contain water vapor. New calculations suggesting the gas and dust spew at speeds faster-than-sound make the case for liquid, said study lead author Candice Hansen of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in California. Her team calculated the plumes travel more than 1,360 mph.
Reaching that speed "is hard to do without liquids," Hansen said. While her paper offers more evidence building on what others have found, she added that her research is not the final proof of liquid water on Enceladus (pronounced en-SELL-ah-dus).
Other planetary scientists, such as Andrew Ingersoll at the California Institute of Technology, said the research is good, but that it is possible to achieve such speeds with ice particles and at cooler temperatures. So Hansen hasn't proven her case yet, he and other scientists said.
Carolyn Porco, the head of the Cassini camera team and an astronomer who didn't take part in Hansen's research, said "the evidence in my mind is building on liquid water." That moon, one of 60 circling Saturn, "has become the go-to place" for exploration in the outer planets, she said.
Europa, a moon of Jupiter, may have a liquid ocean beneath its frozen surface. But Enceladus, thought responsible for producing one of Saturn's rings, is more accessible, Hansen said. "Enceladus is sort of helpfully spewing out its innards," she said.

Thanksgiving sky: Jupiter, Venus, moon together

WASHINGTON – It's not just families that are getting together this Thanksgiving week. The three brightest objects in the night sky — Venus, Jupiter and a crescent moon — will crowd around each other for an unusual group shot.
Starting Thanksgiving evening, Jupiter and Venus will begin moving closer so that by Sunday and Monday, they will appear 2 degrees apart, which is about a finger width held out at arm's length, said Alan MacRobert, senior editor at Sky and Telescope magazine. Then on Monday night, they will be joined by a crescent moon right next to them, he said.
Look in the southwestern sky around twilight — no telescope or binoculars needed. The show will even be visible in cities if it's a clear night.
"It'll be a head-turner," MacRobert said. "This certainly is an unusual coincidence for the crescent moon to be right there in the days when they are going to be closest together."
The moon is the brightest, closest and smallest of the three and is 252,000 miles away. Venus, the second brightest, closest and smallest, is 94 million miles away. And big Jupiter is 540 million miles away.
The three celestial objects come together from time to time, but often they are too close to the sun or unite at a time when they aren't so visible. The next time the three will be as close and visible as this week will be Nov. 18, 2052, according to Jack Horkheimer, director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium.
But if you are willing to settle for two out of three — Venus and the crescent moon only — it will happen again on New Year's Eve, MacRobert said

Two degree rise could spark Greenland ice sheet meltdown

WASHINGTON – It's not just families that are getting together this Thanksgiving week. The three brightest objects in the night sky — Venus, Jupiter and a crescent moon — will crowd around each other for an unusual group shot.
Starting Thanksgiving evening, Jupiter and Venus will begin moving closer so that by Sunday and Monday, they will appear 2 degrees apart, which is about a finger width held out at arm's length, said Alan MacRobert, senior editor at Sky and Telescope magazine. Then on Monday night, they will be joined by a crescent moon right next to them, he said.
Look in the southwestern sky around twilight — no telescope or binoculars needed. The show will even be visible in cities if it's a clear night.
"It'll be a head-turner," MacRobert said. "This certainly is an unusual coincidence for the crescent moon to be right there in the days when they are going to be closest together."
The moon is the brightest, closest and smallest of the three and is 252,000 miles away. Venus, the second brightest, closest and smallest, is 94 million miles away. And big Jupiter is 540 million miles away.
The three celestial objects come together from time to time, but often they are too close to the sun or unite at a time when they aren't so visible. The next time the three will be as close and visible as this week will be Nov. 18, 2052, according to Jack Horkheimer, director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium.
But if you are willing to settle for two out of three — Venus and the crescent moon only — it will happen again on New Year's Eve, MacRobert said.

Shaw-Blades

My next concert :D

Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz is full of energy in his shows. Getting the crowd involved when possible. He is a natural born entertainer. I was kinda bummed he didn't play Curb Side Prophet, which is my fav song by him but alwell. Julie just loved him and Mike was very impressed. His duet he has out he sang with Lisa Hannigan and her music is very relaxing. she does have a future in the industry it just wont be a big one.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seed

This was only the 2nd time Nick Cave has ever been to denver. He was awesome. Hard to describe this show. But in all he put on one hell of a show and he is worth seeing.I was the 1st time I can remember the Ogden being sold out and it was packed.

Twilight Movie Review

I went to see Twilight over the weekend. I liked it alot. I would give it 4.5 out of 5. It was a love story for the ages. Accepting a person for who they truly are and not fearing what they are. I was left with many questions though. The indians & the wolves. I wondered if they are werewolves do to the treaty they have with one another. I liked the fact they werent all equal with abilities. Some had higher senses others had speed, some could tell the future or read minds. It had me thinking so much I went out and got the book.

Its been awhile

Its been awhile since I have written. Alot has been going on as of late, from the deat of my step father to my mothers colon cancer. She won't see the surgeon til dec 2nd now. But the cancer is isolated so it makes my thoughts rest easier. Now that things are getting back to my somewhat normal 5150 life, I can continue writing my thoughts, reviews & interesting stories.