Jona’s question on Sat Apr 3 2004 6:30 am

 

A major portion of this course involves the search for online resources. You are not unlike the '49ers, prospecting for gold, but your treasure is a site that you will mine again and again. Name and list the URL of some of your "golden" sites. Tell how you found them, what is located there, and why we might want to take a look. Share the "wealth" with your group!

 

Reply to Jona on Sun Apr 4 2004 2:00 pm

 

Hi Jona,

Since I am interested in Math and Science - Space Applications I have listed my "favorites" in my web link bibliography. My favorite web site for math functions is the Wolfram site which has a complete set of definitions and animated pictures for some functions (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/about.html).

My favorite site for space applications is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Web site because you can access all of their stuff from there (http://www.nasa.gov).

I am particularly interested in the Hubble telescope Web site. Have you seen the latest pictures from February 2004 where they see back into time the farthest yet (possibly near to the birth of the universe)? They can be downloaded and added to your background screen (use the right button on your mouse to select Set as Background) but the resolution gets diluted and fuzzy when you try to cover too much screen space with them (http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/).

Since the images are public domain, you could make your own greeting cards or posters to give to your family or friends with a color image from the Hubble on the cover if you have a good color printer.

I had some views of Mars from orbit as my screen background for awhile. I think the biggest thing this class has done for me is to get me to look at what's out there on the Net. I used to just play solitaire a lot but now I can't wait to look for new photos from the Mars' rovers, Spirit and
Opportunity, or from videos clips from the International Space Station.

NASA TV is going all digital and we will be able to watch the space missions from our own computer screen. Our family lived in
Houston, Texas in 1996-1997 when my husband worked on the Space Station design program for Boeing. We got closed circuit NASA TV on the local TV stations (local cable) but couldn't get it when we moved back to Seattle, WA (my home town).

Now you can get it on the Internet via NASA TV. Look further down the page on the web site listed below for the Human Space Flight (HSF) page and select NASA TV via Real Player or Windows Media Player. A small WindowsMedia.com window comes up with what NASA is currently watching. They switch around to different things like views of the Martian landscape from the rovers or from the Space Station toward Earth but it's all "spacey to me" (I love it!) (http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html).

Some educational sites with NASA are http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov/NASA.News/NASA.Television.Schedules/Education.Schedule/
and http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/ that might be good for science teachers to show to their grade school students. I haven't reviewed them much yet but plan to show my kids at home because I think some sites have games that also teach knowledge about outer space.

Well, now you know some of my interests. How about everyone else?

Cindy Vaskis

 

Reply to Jona on Sat Apr 10 2004 2:21 am

 

Hi Jona,
It appears that everyone is busy elsewhere so I'll just talk to you for now. I have enjoyed surfing around the space application sites and have found many interesting things I will look into after this class is over. In case you haven't heard, there is a new IMAX 3D movie on the Space Station coming out soon and the Air and
Space Museum in the Smithsonian is probably going to show it. That's one of my gold nuggets I found while surfing. I am trying to not get distracted with all of the gold sparkles I see here and there while trying to get my assignments done but this class can be addicting and also physically tiring being on the computer so much.

Well, I'm off to catch some shut eye because I'll be back at it again tomorrow. See you,
Cindy Vaskis 4/10/04

 

Hi Jona and green group 2 on Sun Apr 11 2004 3:02 pm

I have been fascinated by all of the data on the Mars Mission and how they even have videos about how the rovers move across the terrain. You can find it at http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html under [all videos]. Then you go to "
Opportunity" and then pick the "Computer Simulation of Autonomous Navigation - Feb 09, 2004
" video to download. It may take awhile if you don't have DSL (Digital Subscriber Line).

It is a cute video about how the rovers were programmed to move autonomously across the terrain avoiding large rocks and steep slopes. It would be a great thing to show in science or math class about robotics. The video is only about 3 to 4 minutes long but has some neat funny graphics about the rovers. I suggest downloading it at least an hour two hour ahead of time.

Well, everyone must be busy with other assignments or on Easter vacations so I'll check back later....
Cindy Vaskis 4/11/04