Neil Armstrong’s First Steps on the Moon

Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio.  At an early age, he was fascinated by airplanes. On his sixteenth birthday, Armstrong was issued a pilot’s license and he even built a small wind tunnel in his basement where he did experiments on model planes. After two years at Purdue University he was called to active duty with the Navy where he flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War. When he returned from the war he completed his degree in aeronautical engineering. He then became a test pilot at the NCAA High Speed Flight Station at Edwards Air Force Base in California. In September 1962, Armstrong became America’s first civilian astronaut and began training in Houston, Texas. He was an alternate command pilot for the Gemini 5 and was command pilot for Gemini 8 in 1966 where he fixed a malfunction that made the vehicle go out of control, landing within 1.1 nautical miles of the intended landing point. He went back to his training and was an alternate for Gemini 11 but he impressed those who would choose the first crew to go to the moon. In January 1969 he was chosen as commander of the Apollo 11 mission that would land on the moon. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 9:32am on July 16, 1969. Their successful journey took four days and they landed on the moon on July 20 with the world watching and listening on TV and radio. At 10:56pm Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon, saying “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.” Armstrong and Aldrin spent two hours walking on the moon, deploying a seismograph and wind particle collector and collecting rock and soil samples.

The Guides

Armstrong and the other members of the Apollo 11 team were guided from the ground by a group of hundreds of flight controllers, each of whom responsible for a single operation of the vehicle. They were headed by Flight Director, Gene Kranz, who was also the Flight Director for Gemini 4 and odd-numbered Apollo missions, most notably he was responsible for bringing Apollo 13 home safely.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

fly me to the moon ....STS 128 Launch replays

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

travel

IYA2009 Greek Node Trailer - Παγκόσμιο Έτος Αστρονομίας 2009

δείτε το βίντεο και επισκεφτείτε την επίσημη ιστοσελίδα / ιστότοπο εδώ :

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

travel

Full Moon Trip ...Ταξίδι με πανσέληνο

fly me to the moon



the biggest Full Moon since 15 years

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Sierra la Rana,Texas ....Αστρονομικό χωριό, στο σκοτεινότερο μέρος των ΗΠΑ

the darkest place in USA





Tract sizes range from 10 to 20-acres or more. Our mission is to preserve the Dark Skies for the residents of Sierra la Rana, the McDonald Observatory and the Big Bend Region today and for future generations.

We are adopting lighting restrictions to preserve, protect, and enhance the nighttime use and enjoyment of any and all property at Sierra la Rana; reduce problems created by improperly designed and installed outdoor lighting; and minimize adverse effects on residents, vehicle operators and pedestrians, the natural environment, and astronomical observations;

To encourage “good neighbor” lighting practices and systems that attempt to minimize light trespass and glare from shining onto abutting properties or into street traffic.
The Sierra la Astronomy Village is a designated area of the property with Astronomy Specific Deed Restrictions and Light Pollution Controls to maintain the observational quality of the Astronomy Village.
The common viewing area will double as a wildlife and birding viewing area during the daytime hours.

Read more on the Sierra la Rana web-site

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Light pollution,
also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excess or obtrusive light created mainly by humans. Among other effects, and like any other form of pollution, it disrupts ecosystems, can cause adverse health effects, obscures the stars for city dwellers, and interferes with astronomical observatories. Light pollution can be construed to fall into two main branches: annoying light that intrudes on an otherwise natural or low light setting and excessive light, generally indoors, that leads to worker discomfort and adverse health effects. Since the early 1980s, a global dark-sky movement has emerged, with concerned people campaigning to reduce the amount of light pollution.
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Effect on astronomy
Skyglow reduces the contrast between stars and galaxies in the sky and the sky itself, making it more difficult to detect fainter objects. This is one factor that has caused newer telescopes to be built in increasingly remote areas.
Some astronomers use narrow-band "nebula filters" which only allow specific wavelengths of light commonly seen in nebulae, or broad-band "light pollution filters" which are designed to reduce (but not eliminate) the effects of light pollution by filtering out spectral lines commonly emitted by sodium- and mercury-vapor lamps, thus enhancing contrast and improving the view of dim objects such as galaxies and nebulae.
Unfortunately this affects color perception, so these filters cannot be used to visually estimate variable star brightness, and no filter can match the effectiveness of a dark sky for visual or photographic purposes.
Due to low surface brightness, the visibility of diffuse sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies is affected by light pollution more than are stars. A simple method for estimating the darkness of a location is to look for the Milky Way.
Light trespass can impact observations when stray light enters the tube of the telescope from off-axis, and is reflected from surfaces other than the telescope's mirrors (if any) so that it eventually reaches the eyepiece, causing a glow across the field of view since it has not been focused.
The usual measures to reduce this glare, if reducing the light directly (e.g. by changing one's location or having the light turned off) is not an option, include flocking the telescope tube and accessories to reduce reflection, and putting a light shield (also usable as a dew shield) on the telescope to reduce light entering from angles other than those near the target. In one Italian regional lighting code this effect of stray light is defined as "optical pollution", due to the fact that there is a direct path from the light source to the "optic" - the observer's eye or telescope.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

amazing space tour photos ...απίστευτες φωτογραφίες, από διαστημικό περίπατο.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Arizona Sky Village ...ένα παράθυρο στον ουρανό

Arizona Sky Village Nestled in the foothills of the Chiricahua Mountains, at the mouth of Cave Creek Canyon in beautiful Portal, Arizona… you will find one of the most unique communities in the country.
Dedicated to the appreciation and preservation of its natural surroundings, Arizona Sky Village offers residents an opportunity to discover the wonders of nature while enjoying all of the comforts of home.
Escape to a place with no city lights, no traffic, and no noise. Come and experience the tranquillity of the desert, the breathtaking vistas of the canyon, and the timeless beauty of the Old West.

Located in one of the darkest deep-sky sites in North America, Astronomers will watch in awe as the Milky Way rises like a gathering storm and will re-discover the Universe in pristine dark skies.

Perched at the mouth of the world famous Cave Creek Canyon, one of the top birding sites in North America, Birders will marvel at the variety and abundance of species found here.

Adjacent to the Coronado National Forest, Hikers, Bikers, Nature, and History Enthusiasts will discover one of the country’s true National Treasures.
Explore the forest where magnificent, colorful canyon walls give way to rocky terrain wooded with sycamore, cypress, pine, and walnut trees.
Listen… as the only sounds you will hear are that of birds chirping as Cave Creek gently trickles over river rocks untouched since Cochise himself walked the forest floor.


"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

India flying to the Moon... στον δρόμο για το Φεγγάρι

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Θα προσ-Αρηνωθούμε, σύντομα;

οι ειδικοι κανουν σχεδια και περιμενουν με αγωνια τα "7 λεπτα του Φοινικα" , στις 25 Μαϊου 2008.

εμεις ευχομαστε καλη επιτυχια, υστεροβουλα βεβαια (να παιρνουμε σειρα), γιατι ενα ταξιδακι στον κοκκινο πλανητη δεν θα μας επεφτε ασχημα!

πως το ελεγε το τραγουδακι: ...ενα ονειρο τρελλο, ονειρο απατηλο...


διαβαστε περισσοτερα στους συνδεσμους.

read more digg story