Bill Housley
Science Fiction and Fantasy Author
About.me
Bill Housley
Author, Actor, Father, Wildman
Hates the World;
Loves the world;
Writes about the world;
End of Story.
Contact
Into the Dark–Escape of the Nomad
Where’s The Cat?
Another Man’s Terrorist
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Space.com Top Stories
- Mars Puts on Dazzling Show for Amateur Astronomers (Photos) April 16, 2014Stargazers took a set of stunning images of Mars during a fortuitous alignment that occurs every two years. The bright rust coloration of Mars is known for is due to iron-rich minerals.
- NASA Wants Ideas to Recycle Precious Oxygen on Deep-Space Voyages April 16, 2014When humans leave Earth to explore planets like Mars and other hostile environments in outer space, they'll need to supply their own breathable oxygen. NASA is now seeking proposals for systems to safely and efficiently regenerate air on those long trips.
- Milky Way, Auroras & Thunderstorms Star in Amazing Time-Lapse Video April 16, 2014Auroras dance, the Milky Way dazzles and lightning sparks in the night sky over some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah have to offer as seen in this magnificent new time-lapse film.
- 'LIGO: A Passion for Understanding' — The Minds Behind the Film April 16, 2014Filmmaker Kai Staats joins leading researchers from the LIGO team to share the motivations behind "LIGO: A Passion for Understanding."
- Saturn Shines Near the Moon Tonight: How to See It April 16, 2014If your weather is clear, look toward the eastern sky tonight (April 16) about 10:30 p.m. your local time. You should see the bright moon rising, and just below and to its left will be a bright star-like object.
- Space History Photo: X-1E Loaded in B-29 Mothership on Ramp April 16, 2014Bell Aircraft Corporation's X-1E is loaded under the Boeing B-29 mothership.
- Blood Moon Photos: Total Lunar Eclipse Pictures from April 15, 2014 April 15, 2014See amazing images of the "blood moon" that appeared April 14-15, 2014.
- 'Meteor Smoke' Clouds Linked To Weather In Opposite Hemispheres | Video April 16, 2014Noctilucent clouds are seeded by meteorites burning up in the atmosphere and form at Earth's polar regions. Researchers have found correlations with the appearance of these clouds and Earth's climate.
- Rosy Cosmic Cloud Glows with Stars in New Telescope View (Video, Photo) April 16, 2014A distant group of hot, young stars cause a cloud of hydrogen gas to glow a rosy red 7,300 light-years from Earth in the latest amazing view from a telescope in Chile.
- Explosive Surprise: Huge Volcanoes Shook Mercury for Billions of Years April 16, 2014Explosive volcanic eruptions apparently shook and shaped Mercury's surface for billions of years, a new study finds, surprising scientists who had thought the phenomenon was impossible on the sun-scorched planet.
- Nebula Glows 'Red' From Hot Young Stars Heat | Video April 16, 2014The powerful radiation emitted from the stellar nursery of nebula Gum 41 illuminates the surrounding gas. ESO's MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope imaged the nebula through blue, green and red filters along with a special filter that pulls out the red glow.
- Sombrero Galaxy: Hidden Double in a Hat April 16, 2014The Sombrero Galaxy, also called M104 or NGC 4594, is about 28 million light-years from our planet in the constellation Virgo. It is so named because the halo surrounding its disc is unusually large, making it look like a sombrero.
- Fiery Voyage Over ALMA | Space Wallpaper April 16, 2014This beautiful space wallpaper, taken during a time lapse set at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is another dramatic Ultra High Definition photograph from the ESO Ultra HD Expedition.
- Chilean Port City Fire Seen from Space (Photo) April 15, 2014A fire ravaging the scenic city of Valparaiso, Chile, is visible from satellite on April 13, 2014. So far, 15 people have died in the fire, and thousands of homes have been destroyed.
- China's President Xi Wants More Military Use of Space: Report April 15, 2014Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly asked his nation's air force to hasten its integration of air and space capabilities. Some of the Chinese media framed Xi's request as a response to actions by the United States and other world powers.
- Geologic Wonder: See the Grand Canyon from Space April 15, 2014In a new image taken by astronauts on the International Space Station, the Grand Canyon stretches across the Colorado Plateau. Entrance to the National Park is free this weekend, April 19 and 20, 2014.
- The Search for Gravitational Waves: New Documentary on Project LIGO Launches (Watch Online) April 15, 2014A newly released documentary brings the hunt for ripples in the fabric of space-time — called gravitational waves — into focus, and you can watch it live on Space.com.
- Tax Day in Space: How NASA Astronauts Pay Uncle Sam April 15, 2014The Tax Man cometh for Americans today (April 15), and not even astronauts in space can escape their earthly annual taxes. It's a safe bet American astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Steve Swanson on the International Space Station took care of their taxes.
- On The Moon For A Lunar Eclipse? | Artist Impression April 15, 2014You would see is a solar eclipse (on the Earth-facing side). A 'Ring of Fire' would circle Earth and a reddish hue would blanket your abode. - Lunar Eclipse From Earth Time-Lapse: http://goo.gl/fBh9Wm
- Space History Photo: Pilot Milt Thompson and the M2-F2 Lifting Body April 15, 2014Milt Thompson climbs into the cockpit of the M2-F2 lifting body research aircraft.
NASA Breaking News
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LiveScience.com – Top Stories
- 12 Million Misdiagnoses Occur Yearly in US, Study Finds April 16, 2014At least one in 20 U.S. adults, or 12 million people yearly, may be misdiagnosed when they go to see their doctors, a new study suggests.
- Rosy Cosmic Cloud Glows with Stars in New Telescope View (Video, Photo) April 16, 2014A distant group of hot, young stars cause a cloud of hydrogen gas to glow a rosy red 7,300 light-years from Earth in the latest amazing view from a telescope in Chile.
- Images: Erupting Kamchatka Volcanoes April 16, 2014The Landsat 8 satellite captured images of five volcanoes all erupting at once on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The region has dozens of active volcanoes.
- 16-Foot Great White Shark Spotted Near Australian Beach April 16, 2014A massive great white shark has been spotted swimming close to an Australian beach, scaring the locals and forcing the beach to close.
- Timex Ironman Run Trainer 2.0: Sport Watch Review April 16, 2014The Timex Ironman Run Trainer 2.0 is a GPS-enabled watch that runners of all levels can use to log workouts and measure their performance by viewing data about time, distance and heart rate. Here is how the watch performed in several categories.
- School Shootings: What Does Science Say? April 16, 2014In a highly emotional situation like a school shooting, it can be difficult to separate fact from speculation. What does science have to say about school shootings and violence?
- Brain 'Stones' Found in Man with Celiac Disease April 16, 2014A young man in Brazil who suffered from throbbing headaches and vision problems for 10 years turned out to have stone-like build-ups of calcium in his brain.
- Woman's Ear Reattached with Help of Leeches April 16, 2014Plastic surgeons reattached the ear of a woman after it was torn off during a pit bull attack, suturing together a tiny artery to bring blood flow to the ear and using leeches to drain the spent blood.
- Tiny, Prehistoric Animal Hints at Herbivore Origins April 16, 2014A new species is the oldest and smallest of an ancient group of mammal ancestors, the caseids. The discovery helps fill in the blanks of evolution from a carnivorous to herbivorous lifestyle.
- Diabetes-Related Problems Drop Over Last 2 Decades April 16, 2014Rates of certain serious, diabetes-related health problems have decreased substantially in the last two decades, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Frigid Winter? Blame 4,000 Years of Wild Jet Streams April 16, 2014The jet stream's plunging pattern is a long-standing natural phenomenon. However, new findings also suggest that global warming may boost the frequency or intensity of the curves, which would mean more extreme winter weather in the United States and Canad
- Clever Goats Can Learn Quickly April 16, 2014Goats might be smarter than one would think, as they can quickly learn and remember how to perform certain tasks, a new study suggests.
- Centipede Bursts from Snake's Stomach April 16, 2014A group of researchers discovered a dead nose-horned viper with a centipede's head sticking out of its ruptured abdomen. After a post-mortem, the scientists think it's possible that the centipede quite literally eviscerated the snake from the inside out.
- Real-Life Werewolves: Psychiatry Re-Examines Rare Delusion April 16, 2014Grunting, clawing, and sensing a hair-covered body with cloven feet and elongated nails are symptoms of people who strongly believe they are werewolves. A researcher dug through the annals of psychiatry to find how common the condition is.
- Capturing the 2000 Lunar Eclipse from 'Hell on Ice' April 16, 2014Despite frozen shutters and cracking film, Victor Rogus captured the 2000 lunar eclipse.
- Modern Sharks Aren't So Primitive, Ancient Fossil Suggests April 16, 2014Sharks are usually thought of as primitive creatures, sometimes called "living fossils." But a new study of a 325-million-year-old shark fossil — the most complete of its kind — suggests modern sharks have evolved significantly from their bony ancestors.
- 'LIGO: A Passion for Understanding' — The Minds Behind the Film April 16, 2014Filmmaker Kai Staats joins leading researchers from the LIGO team to share the motivations behind "LIGO: A Passion for Understanding."
- Why Bats Carrying Deadly Diseases Don't Get Sick April 16, 2014Bats' ability to fly may protect the organisms from becoming ill with a range of viruses known to be deadly to humans, including Ebola and rabies, according to a new hypothesis.
- 4 New 'Killer Sponges' Discovered in Pacific April 16, 2014They don't have gaping maws or fearsome talons. But don't be fooled. These sponges — though they look like fuzzy twigs — are killers. Scientists found four new species of carnivorous sponges that prey on small animals on the seafloor.
- The Science Behind 'Impossible' Videos: New Show Demystifies Online Acts April 16, 2014From levitating a car with water from fire hoses to sprinkling salt on a dead frog's legs to make them twitch, the Science Channel show "Outrageous Acts of Science" explains the science behind YouTube videos that would make your jaw drop.
Discover Magazine — Space
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NASA Blog Updates
- NASA Deputy Administrator's Blog June 26, 2013A Great Day for Equality
- NASA Administrator June 26, 2013Protecting Planet Earth
- NASA IV&V Matters June 24, 2013Summer Interns Return to IV&V
NASA Image of the Day
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Masten-space.com Blog updates–X-Prize winner!
- Fall 2014 Internships January 20, 2014Masten is now accepting applications for internships for the Fall of 2014. If you’ve followed us you know we’ve had a great history of outstanding interns working with us. There are few places like us that can deliver an internship with this level of responsibility and hands on work. We’re not looking for gophers, we’re looking
- Masten featured on PBS documentary December 2, 2013We get asked on a regular basis what life is like working at Masten. Well, the good folks at KQED (San Francisco Bay Area PBS affiliate) came out in May to capture a slice of Mojave with a healthy dose of Masten rockets. Watch for Masten to appear around time marker 13:47. We really enjoyed hosting
- Summer 2014 Internships November 11, 2013Masten is now accepting applications for internships for the Summer of 2014. If you’ve followed us you know we’ve had a great history of outstanding interns working with us. There are few places like us that can deliver an internship with this level of responsibility and hands on work. We’re not looking for gophers, we’re looking
- Joy and Sadness November 11, 2013Most of the time these blog posts update you on just a glimpse of what’s going on behind the curtain over here at Masten, and the man behind that curtain for most of those posts over the last three plus years has been Colin. Today’s post is a little different. Today, it is both with
- Xaero B Rises March 18, 2013Since last summer, even while we focused on Xombie flights for JPL and expanding Xaero’s flight envelope, we were working. Designing, tweaking, and starting to build the next iteration of Xaero that we affectionately (and creatively) call Xaero-B. We’re finally ready to pull the curtain back and share her with you! Xaero-B is intended to
- February Flight Frenzy! February 1, 2013We finished our work early and now we have extra time for you! As a result, a special one-time deal can be yours this February. Think of it as our Valentine’s Day present to the space community. For projects that can fly by the end of February, we’re offering an open loop flight on our
- Announcing Postgraduate Fellowships January 25, 2013We’re about to embark on a historic year for Masten Space Systems. Team members will be part of test flight firsts, the design and construction of some of the most advanced suborbital test vehicles ever built, and fulfillment of some unique contracts that will further establish Masten as the world leader in VTVL technology. We’re excited today
- Introducing Scimitar October 9, 2012I’m often reminded of an inspirational quote from a truly great self-made man: “I’m on to the next one On to the next one On to the next one On to the next one On to the next one On to the next one On to the next one Hold up, freeze Somebody bring me
- Next September 18, 2012Last week we encountered a sub system failure in flight that necessitated turning the rocket off while still in the air. Landing at that point winds up considerably rearranging the rocket into rocket parts. Since then we’ve heard from a lot of folks offering support, encouragement, and concern. Thank you. Please know that the team
- Xaero Test Update September 11, 2012Today, Masten Space Systems conducted a flight test of Xaero to 1 km altitude with the intention of testing flight controls at higher ascent and descent velocities. Our test objectives were met and initial results show the vehicle performed better than expected at altitude. However, the vehicle was lost during final approach to landing, and
Discovery Space News
- Mars Orbiter Spies on Curiosity's Work Site April 16, 2014Curiosity may feel distant and isolated, but its orbital buddy is never far away.
- This Supernova Remnant Cranks Up the Heat April 16, 2014The debris from a stellar explosion from 2,200 years ago still shines brightly in x-rays -- even though it shouldn't Continue reading →
- Rare Night-Shining Clouds Becoming More Common April 16, 2014These silvery clouds have become more frequent sights over lower latitudes, including southern Canada and the northern United States.
- 'Blood Moon' Lunar Eclipse Dazzles North America: Photos April 15, 2014Last night, a spectacular celestial event dazzled the skies -- the Earth blocked light from the sun, initiating a lunar eclipse.
- Fluid Mystery: How Did Mars Ever Have Liquid Water? April 15, 2014Trying to understand the ancient climate of our own planet is hard enough, but to understand Mars' climatic history, planetary scientists have had to turn to a rather inventive method of climate forensics. Continue reading →
- Saturn May Have Given Birth to a Baby Moon April 14, 2014NASA's Saturn-orbiting Cassini spacecraft has imaged something peculiar on the outermost edge of the gas giant's A-ring. Continue reading →
- Helium Leak Forces SpaceX Launch Scrub April 14, 2014A helium leak on the launch pad has forced SpaceX to cancel their planned Falcon 9 rocket launch today, postponing the private company's third International Space Station resupply mission until another attempt on Friday. Continue reading →
- Space Station Computer Fault Won't Halt SpaceX Launch April 14, 2014A backup computer failure on the International Space Station will not impact the SpaceX cargo resupply run planned for later today. Continue reading →
- First Total Lunar Eclipse of 2014: The Complete Guide April 14, 2014No enthusiastic skywatcher misses a total eclipse of the moon, and if weather permits tonight, neither should you.
- DNews: Is a Blood Moon a Sign Of the Apocalypse? April 14, 2014What is a blood moon, why does it happen, and how can you see it? Trace explains everything you need to know about this rare lunar event.
New Scientist
- Swirling red nebula is part of angry chicken in the sky April 16, 2014A crucible of bright stars illuminates a nebula in glowing red hydrogen that would normally be too faint for the human eye to see
- Star dust casts doubt on recent big bang wave result April 15, 2014Dust left over from an exploding star could mimic the effect that primordial gravitational waves would have had on ancient cosmic light
- SpaceX to test landing legs for future reusable rocket April 14, 2014As part of its next cargo delivery run, commercial spaceflight's darling will try out rocket legs that may help lower spacecraft costs by a factor of 100
- 'Big Bird' space neutrino has highest energy yet seen April 14, 2014A playfully named subatomic particle is confirmed, and beats rivals Bert and Ernie in terms of energy. Next step: to find a cluster of space neutrinos
- Einstein's waves would make a cosmic overture April 14, 2014We haven't heard a single gravitational wave in the century since Einstein said they should exist. Hopefully, that's about to change
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