Archive for July, 2009
Current Events In Astronomy – An Overview
July 31st, 2009
Astronomy can be like a professional sport. It’s fun to watch what’s going on day after day, reading the magazines and web site articles for all the current events in astronomy. Big things happen nearly every day. That includes new images brought in from satellites and telescopes, new discoveries about the nature of planets and stars and other objects, as well as breakthroughs and just every day small progress in the tools and techniques used to make these discoveries.
NASA’s website contains a lot of this information. NASA stays on top of all the latest events, and even makes a lot of the news itself. A quick look at NASA’s web site in mid November revealed some pretty big current events in astronomy.
One of the most important current events in astronomy NASA discussed in November was the late month launch of the shuttle Endeavour. It setout on a mission to refuel the International Space Station. This included a number of space walks to perform routine maintenance on the outside of the station. Space walks not only accomplish a purpose, they teach NASA a lot for the future. While some might argue that the space station is more space related than necessarily astronomy related, there is a lot of science going on there, including observations of outer space which definitely falls under the heading of astronomy.
Another astronomy current event discussed by NASA in November was a staggering discovery made by the Hubble Telescope. For the first time in history, a telescope took a visible light image of a planet orbiting another star. The effort dates way back to the 1980’s when NASA’s IRAS, an infrared telescope, discovered dust around the star. That was a tell tale sign that planets might orbit this star located about 25 light years away from our own little planet.
This one, still one of the current events in astronomy, is all about the past. NASA announced details of a Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project designed to restore images of the moon taken by five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft that visited the moon in 1966 and 1967. Much of the data was removed from the tape drives in the 1980’s, but stored as analogue images and only partially restored. NASA has already released some of these restored historic images.
Astronomy is a huge field. Current events in astronomy could cover volumes each day. Keep looking into the universe!
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How Do You Define Mindpower?
July 30th, 2009
Scientists estimate that we only use around ten percent of our mindpower. – Only ten percent! Can you imagine what would happen if you could access the remaining ninety percent? The results would be incredible!
In fact it has long been thought by scientists that people with all types of extra sensory and psychic powers have these powers because they are able to access different parts of their mind from other people. It seems that they were either born with this increased mindpower or have managed to develop this mindpower in later life.
We’re not sure yet how it works, but there is ongoing research into how our own mindpower can influence the world we live in.
Some studies even point towards the ability of our own minds to change reality. Our minds may be molded by the world less that they mold it, it seems.
And with films such as ‘The Secret’ which explains the theory of the law of attraction, people are realizing that by changing the way they see things and by using their mind power, they can attract abundance and anything they want into their life.
In case you have not come across it before, the law of attraction concerns the whole universe and states that there is a cause and effect for everything we do. So whatever you think about you will get! You must however communicate with your subconscious mind to tell it what you want; otherwise it presumes you want everything to stay as it is. Scientifically this is known as a state of homeostasis.
Through our subconscious minds, we can use our mindpower to channel the universe’s energy and tap into our natural psychic abilities; the subconscious is a very powerful thing.
In order to develop your mindpower, you need to get your conscious and subconscious minds in communication with each other. There a number of different methods to build this link and help you increase your mindpower.
Affirmations:- A staple of positive thinking, affirmations are repeated until they sink into the subconscious mind, where they influence your behavior to achieve the desired outcomes. Your subconscious can make things happen by using your unused mindpower.
Affirmations can be used to help you become more confident. Try something along the lines of ‘I am a confident person who people respect’. You can also use affirmations to help you rid yourself of bad habits with a saying like ‘I would never put off my routine of daily exercise’.
With consistent repetition affirmations really do work. You communicate with your subconscious mind, telling it to do something different and it does! It makes you behave differently.
If you follow this logic, it’s possible to change more than your behavior – you can change the world itself by using affirmations to tap into your mindpower.
Visualization:- Visualization is something which is very effective in increasing your mindpower. You need to focus your mind, eyes closed and see the things which you want to happen in your mind. When you keep focusing on the image of what you want, your mindpower will be built up and you’ll eventually be able to make it a reality through your efforts.
You can use visualization to help you develop some of the psychic abilities which are naturally present in every human being. You can visualize yourself predicting the future or communicating via telepathy. If you keep practicing, visualization can bring these latent abilities to the surface and increase your mindpower even further.
Hypnosis:- Hypnosis is a powerful means of reaching and communicating with the subconscious, which helps develop mindpower. A professional hypnotherapist can place you into a hypnotic trance and give suggestions to your subconscious mind which can increase mindpower and help you to affect behavioral changes.
You can also use self hypnosis by listening to a recording of a hypnotherapy session. Not only s this less costly than seeing a hypnotherapist, but you can use this recording over and over again as needed.
Brainwave entrainment:- This is a method of developing mindpower which uses new audio technology to attune the brainwaves to frequencies which can improve memory, stimulate the release of endorphins for pain relief and more.
Other frequencies are used to tune your brainwaves into the frequency which causes a deep state of meditation which allows the subconscious mind to be communicated with and builds mindpower.
Other frequencies can stimulate the parts of your body known as the chakra energy centers. There is a chakra in the center of your forehead called the third eye chakra which is responsible for psychic powers.
Each and every one of us has psychic abilities naturally. These abilities normally stay in the subconscious mind and are not used. However, with the right techniques, your mindpower can be developed to the point where these latent abilities come to the surface and can be used.
So when we talk about developing mindpower we really mean unlocking all of the latent powers and true potential of every human being.
Remote Viewing – Long Distance Sight
July 30th, 2009
Each and every one of us already has the ability to do remote viewing. Because most of us were never encouraged to develop our latent psychic abilities when we were children, it is more usual to start to learn remote viewing as an adult. In order to start remote viewing, you have to tune your brainwaves to the proper frequency – it does take some practice, but every person can do it.
Although, it is not clear exactly how remote viewing works or a scientific why as to how it works, remote viewing is possible. It is however, categorized as a paranormal experience, much like astral travel, lucid dreaming and other controlled mind experiences. For many individuals, the idea is an odd one, although these are all occurrences or experiences that do come naturally to humankind.
Down through the years remote viewing has been useful in various countries for their government security and safety reasons, however eventually many of the government programs involving the issue were discontinued and declassified and released to the pubic. More importantly, records show that many of the test subjects were everyday people who had no previous knowledge of their inborn talents concerning remote viewing.
What does this mean? This means that you can do it too. With some time and practice, you can learn remote viewing and after a while, you will be able to do it in hardly any time at all. However, you must keep in mind that as with all things, learning how to become apt at remote viewing will take some time and effort.
Remote viewing, as with any paranormal or psychic activity, is utilizing the awesome powers of the human mind. You will no doubt experience tiredness because you will be using energy even though you are quite still. Because of this it will help you to not do too much, but rather to pace yourself.
The best way to prepare yourself for remote viewing is meditation and using visualization. These techniques can help you learn remote viewing in less time. When your body and your mind are relaxed, it is easy to enter the proper state for an out of body experience.
In order for you to become really good at remote viewing, you will have to take you time to practice this art form on a regular basis. As we all know, practice does make perfect and this applies to developing our paranormal or psychic gifts and talents as well.
Let us now look more closely at what exactly remote viewing is. It is quite simply, the ability to see a person, place, or thing that is not in the same vicinity we are, by focusing our thoughts and concentrating on that which we are trying to see. However it does not end there. Once you are able to focus your concentration in this way you will actually be able to see the person, place or thing no matter where you may be.
As you begin to learn remote viewing, you may find that the images which come to you are out of focus or blurred. This will improve over time as you gain more experience in remote viewing. Try to make a point of noticing everything you can about whatever you see.
The more often you practice, the better you will become at understanding what you are seeing. Be sure to keep a record of your remote viewing experiences, as this will help you to learn more about yourself and the types of methods that work best for you. It can also help you to figure out more about your own self and the world you live in when you record your progress in a remote viewing journal.
Once you learn remote viewing, then you’ll have the ability to see any place and even any time you want. Using remote viewing can tune you into the universal mind, which will allow you to visit any place in the universe, whether in the present, the past or even the future.
You will be able to see much when you remote view, so it could prove helpful to keep a pen and paper handy for you to sketch what you see. It is important that you take note of everything that you may see, including various shapes and colors. So it is important that you take note of everything.
Fortunately, there are many resources out there which are designed to help people learn remote viewing. You can find books and websites which provide a lot of useful information on remote viewing and also audio recordings which can be helpful – these include self-hypnosis recordings, as well as binaural beats recordings. Binaural beats help attune your mind to the frequency of the universe, which makes it easy to begin remote viewing and using other psychic abilities.
Astronomy Today – A Simple Guide
July 29th, 2009
Astronomy today is a popular and enjoyable hobby as well as a vital science making new discoveries every day. From new space objects to new images, from new tools and techniques to new discoveries made with them, from new space missions to reviving and reviewing data from the old ones, keeping up with astronomy can certainly be a full time job. It’s a lot of fun too. So here are a few of the latest and greatest astronomy facts, figures and happenings.
On any day meteors are a key element of astronomy today for that day. 2008 certainly was no different. Taurids in Leonids were featured in November. Gemenids peaked in December, but unfortunately it was also the time of a full moon making them impossible to see. No need to worry. Meteor shower peaks may happen during full moons, but meteors are on display for up to two weeks both before and after the peaks. So people can still see the amazing view.
A moon return was often discussed for astronomy today in the year 2008. Many countries would participate in this exciting undertaking. The goal may be to establish a moon base or even a colony on the moon. Hard to believe. Space 1999, a TV show from the 70s, may be about to become a reality.
Astronomy today in 2008 often included worries over falling space debris in the form of a discarded ammonia tank. After being thrown into orbit, it was finally about to plummet back to the planet. Some people were concerned that pieces might fall into populated areas. The good news is that it all fell into the ocean.
Now for perhaps the biggest news of Astronomy technology today in 2008, it’s all about the Hubble. Damaged in October it was finally repaired his temper. Then the Hubble took the first ever visible light image of a planet orbiting another star. Talk about a hard year’s work.
Astronomy today is more vibrant than ever. Keep up with everything online.
About Astronomy Software
July 29th, 2009
Many people love Astronomy. Many of these are men of science studied by train who study it by trade. Others are merely hobbyists who enjoy it. A number of amazing discoveries have been made by amateurs. For the longest time telescopes or at least binocular were the tools of choice. But now thanks to astronomy software, everyone with a computer can take part in this interesting and at times exciting endeavor. Here are some of the programs available.
One of the most well known astronomy softwares is SETI@Home. Launched in May of 1999 this was a project to create a virtual supercomputer, made up of large numbers of Internet connected home computers. Before SETI@Home the SETI radio telescope, SETI meaning Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, scanned the heavens for radio signals that would indicate a pattern, an intelligence behind them. Supercomputers on site were used to analyze the data. But now it’s all being done during the spare cycles on people’s computers at home and the office. There won’t be some kind of alert if intelligent life is found. But if SETI ever does find intelligence, then everyone who was part of SETI@Home can say they played a role.
3-D screen savers are a more basic type of astronomy software. These programs kick in when a PC is idle, and show various space objects rendered in spectacular 3D computer graphics. This can be as simple as an image or an actual 3D representation you can navigate. A search engine like Google can help you locate one of these programs.
Most people don’t know about F.I.T.S. It’s Flexible Image Transport System, which is a NASA and IAU endorsed format to store and deliver not only images but spacial data and multi-dimensional arrays such as 2-D and 3-D images. There are a variety of programs that can read and display this type of data. These include free astronomy software FITSview and AVIS to for sale programs like AstroArt and AIP. A wide selection of FITS viewers can be found with a simple Internet search. Some are listed at Duke University’s website: phy.duke.edu.
Software such as Aberrator allows an amateur astronomer to view images of stars through various telescopes with aberrations in the lens. The software displays images that help the hobbyist adjust the telescope.
These are only a small sample of the astronomy software available. Install some today.