The History and Achievements of Palomar Observatory

Southern California is home to two major observatories, Mount Wilson, north of Los Angeles, and Palomar Observatory, northeast of San Diego. Both were conceived in the late 19th century, built and expanded in the 20th Century, and continue to do cutting-edge astronomy observations in the 21st. Palomar Observatory, located on Palomar Mountain, is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and was started by astronomer George Ellery Hale. He was also the brains behind the Mount Wilson Observatory. Hale was a Caltech founder and was very interested in building ever-larger and more accurate telescopes. Palomar Observatory Telescopes Palomar Observatory is located northeast of San Diego, California, at the summit of Palomar Mountain.The biggest telescope at Palomar is the 200-inch, 530-ton Hale Telescope. It was named for founder George Ellery Hale.The 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope is operated remotely and uses a variety of cameras and instruments.  It produces hundreds of images per night in survey mode.The facilitys 60-inch telescope came online in 1970 and is remotely operated by astronomers at Caltech.Astronomers have used Palomar telescopes to discover and study everything from exoplanets, Kuiper Belt Objects, and supernovae, to dark matter and distant galaxies. The 200-Inch Telescope Palomar is home to one of the largest telescopes in the world, the 200-inch Hale Telescope. Built by Hale with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, the creation of its mirror and building began in the 1920s. The Hale Telescope had its first light in late 1949, and it has been one of the premier instruments for astronomy ever since. It was painstakingly built, and its mirror carefully hauled up the mountain in 1947, just two years before its first light. The 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory. Caltech/Palomar Observatory Today, the 200-inch Hale telescope is outfitted with adaptive optics systems that help it capture clear imagery. Astronomers use a Large  Format Camera (LFC) to study objects in visible light, as well as a Wide-field Infrared Camera (WIRC) to capture data about distant objects in infrared light. There are also several images available that help astronomers use the telescope to study various cosmic objects over several wavelengths.   To support such a huge telescope and its instruments, the builders of Palomar Observatory placed it all on a giant stell mount. The whole telescope weighs 530 tons and requires very precise motors for motion. Because southern California is subject to earthquakes, the telescope and its mount rest on piers that are anchored to bedrock some 22 feet below ground. this provides a very stable platform for the very precise observations astronomers need.   More Palomar Telescopes The 200-inch wasnt the only telescope built and installed at Palomar. Astronomer Fritz Zwicky used a much smaller 18-inch telescope on the mountain to do his supernova research. That instrument is currently decommissioned. In 1948, the 48-inch Schmidt telescope was put into service and has been used ever since. It has been renamed the Samuel Oschin Schmidt telescope in honor of a southern California entrepreneur who donated money to the observatory. This telescope is also famous for its use in one of the first large photographic sky surveys ever undertaken: the Palomar Observatory/National Geographic Sky Survey (known colloquially as POSS).  The plates from that survey are still in use today. Today, the Oschin telescope is equipped with a state-of-the-art CCD detector and is currently in robotic mode, surveying the skies for a variety of objects.  It has been used to study large-scale structures in the universe, to look for dwarf planets, and to detect the sudden flares that herald explosive events such as supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and outbursts by active galactic nuclei. In the 1970s, Palomar Observatory also opened a 60-inch telescope to astronomers. It was a gift by the Mayer family and is a survey telescope. The Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory. Scott Roberts, Michael Vergara, Jean Large. CC BY-SA 3.0 Famous Discoveries at Palomar Over the years, a number of prominent astronomers have made observations using both Mount Wilsons large telescope and Palomars 200-inch and smaller instruments. They include Edwin P. Hubble, Fritz Zwicky, Allan Sandage, Maarten Schmidt, Eleanor Helin, Vera P. Rubin (who was one of the first women allowed to use the telescope), Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker, and Mike Brown. Between them, these astronomers expanded our view of the universe, looked for evidence of dark matter, tracked comets, and, in an interesting twist of astronomy politics, used the telescope to downgrade dwarf planet Pluto. That breakthrough sparked a debate that continues to this day in the planetary science community. Visiting Palomar Observatory When possible, Palomar Observatory opens its doors to public visitors, even as it conducts professional research for astronomers. It also maintains a staff of volunteers who help with visitors and represent the observatory at local community events. Sources â€Å"Caltech Optical Observatories.† The 48-Inch Samuel Oschin Telescope, www.astro.caltech.edu/observatories/coo/.â€Å"Hale Telescope, Palomar Observatory.† NASA, NASA, www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?idPIA13033.The 48-Inch Samuel Oschin Telescope, www.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/homepage.html.

“AP” By John Updike Presents Readers With A Straightforward

â€Å"AP† by John Updike presents readers with a straightforward narrative structure that features striking characterization. The first paragraphs contain eloquent descriptions of Queenie and her friends’ physical characteristics and the alluring draw of their blatant sexuality on display. However, a deeper and more specific kind of characterization comes to the forefront as the story develops. The text contains perceptive character profiles of the various types of newly emerging American consumers. â€Å"AP† was published in 1961. This was a time of rapidly expanding American consumerism and an unquenchable thirst for countless products and services. Lengel, the manager, is a businessman who, within limits, benefits from the capitalist system he†¦show more content†¦Sex appeal holds the boys’ attention as the girls walk around the store; however, it is this sexuality framed against the context of capitalism that stirs Sammy to quit his job. There are multiple moments in the text that offer visual images of this melding of capitalism and sex. Sammy describes the oddity of seeing a bathing suit, not on the beach, but parading around the AP â€Å"under the fluorescent lights, against all those stacked packages† (Updike 296). Or again when Queenie retrieves a folded dollar bill from the â€Å"hollow at the center of her nubbled pink top† (Updike 297). These descriptive passages embody the merging of sexuality and consumerism that drives the story. They also serve as perfect visual representations of the inherent nature of capitalism’s influence on consumers: i.e., always in the background but never the less forcibly present, or inescapable. Tyson makes a point about how dangerous it is for capitalism to exist as a â€Å"distant backdrop† in society (Tyson 133). In this way, capitalism influences people without their conscious knowledge, therefore leaving them ill equipped to tangibly understand a nd resist its influence. This is the exact dilemma in which Sammy finds himself at the end of the story. The capitalist system that thrives in Updike’s â€Å"AP† is also portrayed more traditionally and straightforward at various other points in the story.

Music LessonBrandenburg Free Essays

Write a brief definition of: Tonality Modulation Harmony Chord Root First Inversion Seventh Chord Oh no it’s a Theory Byte Technical Name for the notes of the scale. As LIMIT ACID Key Relationships Key Signatures F C G DAD B Order of sharps C] Semitone above = name of key. BEAD G CB order of flats Name of PENULTIMATE flat = key signature All major keys have related minor – same key signature. We will write a custom essay sample on Music LessonBrandenburg or any similar topic only for you Order Now Minor 3rd below key note e. G. G major relative minor is E Minor. Circle of Fifths Tonality and Harmony Class work – Discuss: 0 Tonal Plan and Key Relationships CLC Modulations L] Analysis of Chords and Cadences C] Circle of Fifths. Private Study Tasks Continue working on your composition using the feedback/targets we discussed. Don’t forget Deadline One is 1 9th October. Make sure that your Brandenburg score notes are fully complete as we will be working on questions next week in preparation for an assessment in the final week. Listen to the piece a number of times – use your annotated score to follow the music. Create a glossary of the key musical terms which link to the Brandenburg Concerto. Add musical examples where appropriate. (Retooling, Basso Continuo, Figured Bass, Flute a beck, Natural Trumpet, Arpeggio, Sequence (rising, falling), Ripen, Concertina, Counterpoint, Tutu, Unison, Trill, Dominant Seventh, Dominant Pedal, Syncopation, Homophobic, Diminished Seventh Chord, Circle of Fifths) Extra help Extra support with composition -? please book a slot of time with me. Period 5 on Friday. Theory Support. Mr. Reed is available on Friday periods 3 and 4. How to cite Music LessonBrandenburg, Papers

Transgender Sexuality And The Transgender Rights Movement Essay Example For Students

Transgender Sexuality And The Transgender Rights Movement Essay Most people don’t have to think about which bathroom to use. They use the one labeled men’s or the one labeled women’s. It’s a simple decision. For transgender individuals, however, it is not that easy. The transgender rights movement has gained a lot of attention in recent years and with that attention brings many issues and questions. One of the issues that has popped up is which bathroom transgender people should use. Some think that people should only use the bathroom of the sex that they were assigned at birth while others feel they should be able to use the one that corresponds with the gender they feel they are and live as. Forcing transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their biological sex may seem like a good solution to this problem. However, on top of promoting violence and harassment and violating rights, this is attempting to fix a controversy that should never have been one to begin with.One of the biggest concerns when it comes to transgender bathroom use is violence and harassment. Violence is a valid concern, but while it does happen in bathrooms, transgender men and women tend to encounter it more. The Office of Civil Rights noticed that along with gay and bisexual students, transgender students report high levels of sexual assault (Kennedy). Facts such as that mixed with concerns of violence cause many transgender people to be scared of using the bathroom. Whichever bathroom they use they will likely face judgement and even violence, but it is often in the bathroom of their biological sex that it will be the worst. Teagon Widmer, a transgender woman, said that while she might get insulted in a women’s bathroom, in a men s she could â€Å"get called a faggot or a tranny and then beaten up† (Steinmetz 3). Al. . starting to become. It is getting rid of the controversy and confusion that will make public bathrooms a better place for everyone. As Teagan Widmer said, â€Å" It doesn’t seem like a controversial issue to me. it’s pretty simple. People need to pee† (Steinmetz). Public bathrooms need to be free of violence and harassment. People should feel that their privacy is being respected while they are using it. Making transgender individuals use a bathroom that they are not comfortable using is not the key to making that happen. If anything, it causes more violence and lack of privacy. Everyone should have the right to use the bathroom of the gender that matches who they are and who they live as. If everyone would realize that using the bathroom does not have to be such a tremendous controversy, it would make public bathroom use a much better and easier experience for everyone.