Today, is the 15th day of August in the Chinese calendar, and is also Mid-Autumn Festival. I believe that the Mid-Autumn Festival is not all about the celebrations, but there are things about it, that has much Science involved.
To start of, I would be discussing on the patterns of the Moon. One common idea about the Mid-Autumn Festival, is that people come together to appreciate the Full Moon. Generally, the Moon follows around a 28 day cycle. The cycle is like this.
CYCLE
New Moon -> Waxing Crescent -> First Quarter -> Waxing Gibbous -> Full Moon -> Waning Gibbous -> Third Quarter -> Waning Crescent -> New Moon
The New Moon is on the 0th and 28th day of the cycle and the Full Moon is around the 14th to 16th day of the cycle. Since the Chinese calendar is a lunar one, on the 15th of every Chinese month, the Moon will be at its Full Moon stage. I find this a very interesting occasion. Every month, the Moon revolves around the Earth at the exact same route, to enable this phenomenon to be possible. This is a simple beauty of nature, and we should learn to appreciate it.
Mid-Autumn Festival does not just mark a date for the Chinese to celebrate, but also a period for the Chinese to prepare for the next season, the Winter. The four seasons is another amazing phenomenon that happens because of Nature. The four seasons is possible because of the Earth's axial tilt at 23.4°. During the period from May to July, the Northern Hemisphere would be the side facing more of the Sun, thus having longer hours of sunlight, and thus undergo Summer. While on the other hand, the Southern Hemisphere would be the side facing less of the Sun, thus having shorter hours of sunlight, and thus undergoes Winter. These phenomenons would swoop during the period from November to January, with the Northern Hemisphere having Winter and the Southern Hemisphere having Summer.
I find this another very interesting beauty of nature. These four seasons come and go automatically, and is all controlled by nature. In my opinion, nature is a beauty in itself. The Earth is tilted at 23.4°, the Moon revolves around the Earth in exactly 28 days; all these were not controlled by Man, and yet produce such amazing outcomes.
In conclusion, I believe that nature's beauty cannot be seen on the outside. It is up to us to explore nature and discover the beauty in it, and feel it deep with our hearts.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Reflection of Term 3 results
Today, I would be reflecting on my Term 3 results and compare it to my results in Term 1 and 2.
GRADES
Term 1 - 70 (A2)
Term 2 - 65 (B3)
Term 3 - 76.25 (A1)
Overall, my Term 3 grades have improved from Term 1 and Term 2's. I believe this is not just about luck, but is about the efforts I have put in to study for the test. For example, I still can recount not understanding anything about lenses when it was thought in Term 2. I did not understand how light rays refract and was clueless on how to draw light rays that pass through lens. Seeing this could lead to a disastrous Term 3 result, I put in extra efforts during the June Holidays to study about lenses. I referred to every source possible, the textbook, the Internet, and worksheets etc. Finally, the test came, and I was prepared for it. I managed to solve most questions, but there were a few that I had difficulties with. Nevertheless, I did my best and managed to get an A1. I am pleased with my result as it was my best this year, and is also a reminder to me that hard work is the key to success.
As the EOYs approach, I would definitely work hard, and achieve this same feat again.
GRADES
Term 1 - 70 (A2)
Term 2 - 65 (B3)
Term 3 - 76.25 (A1)
Overall, my Term 3 grades have improved from Term 1 and Term 2's. I believe this is not just about luck, but is about the efforts I have put in to study for the test. For example, I still can recount not understanding anything about lenses when it was thought in Term 2. I did not understand how light rays refract and was clueless on how to draw light rays that pass through lens. Seeing this could lead to a disastrous Term 3 result, I put in extra efforts during the June Holidays to study about lenses. I referred to every source possible, the textbook, the Internet, and worksheets etc. Finally, the test came, and I was prepared for it. I managed to solve most questions, but there were a few that I had difficulties with. Nevertheless, I did my best and managed to get an A1. I am pleased with my result as it was my best this year, and is also a reminder to me that hard work is the key to success.
As the EOYs approach, I would definitely work hard, and achieve this same feat again.
NASA find evidence of water on Mars
The planet Mars has offered new evidence that water trickles down the slopes of its craters, say scientists examining pictures from a NASA probe in Martian orbit.
Mars water? Scientists say the pictures don't prove it, but they fit with other evidence from other probes.
The spacecraft, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, has been circling Mars since 2006, and during that time, Mars -- which has seasons like ours -- has gone around the sun three times. Each year, MRO photographed brown streaks in the Martian spring and summer. In the colder seasons, they disappeared.
"The best explanation for these observations so far is the flow of briny water," said Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona, the principal investigator using the ship's high-resolution camera system.
Mars, located at least 35 million miles farther from the sun than us, is far colder than Earth. But if water is thick with salt and other minerals, its freezing point would be lower than it is for clear water here.
"We expect water on Mars to be briny, to be salty, because we know that the surface is salty from all of the past landers and rovers," said McEwen. "Furthermore, the salt serves to depress the freezing point of the water, so in places where it's below freezing, we see this activity, it is still plausible for that to be salty water."
McEwen and his team published their findings in Friday's issue of the journal Science. They reported that the streaks appeared only on steep slopes. They could be hundreds of yards long, and often resembled gullies on Earth.
Other readings showed no chemical signal on the Martian surface, leading the scientists to suggest it may dry very quickly, or be just below the upper layer of Martian dust.
"These dark lineations are different from other types of features on Martian slopes," said Richard Zurek, the project scientist for MRO, in a statement. "Repeated observations show they extend ever farther downhill with time during the warm season."
'Follow the Water'
This is not the first suggestion of Martian water. For the last 15 years, NASA has been looking for it, because water would be a very good sign for past -- or even present -- microbial life there.
In 2004, the Mars rover Opportunity found chemical compounds that scientists said most likely would have formed if there had once been standing water on the Martian surface. Steven Squyres, the rovers' chief scientist, said at the time he could imagine Mars, eons ago, with pools of ruby-red brackish water where today there is only dust.
In 2006 scientists said images from an orbiter, Mars Global Surveyor, showed streaks that seemed to come and go from the walls of craters; the theory at the time was that underground water may be spurting through the surface. Doubters said the "gullies" did not resemble ones formed by liquid in Earth.
In 2008, another probe, called Phoenix, landed near Mars' north pole, and produced some pictures showing strange blobs on the struts of its landing legs. Briny ice? Scientists argued for months.
But NASA has made no secret of its hope to find water on Mars.
"NASA's Mars Exploration Program keeps bringing us closer to determining whether the Red Planet could harbor life in some form," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said today, "and it reaffirms Mars as an important future destination for human exploration."
~ ABC News
This news is certainly a very intriguing find for NASA. Previously, Mars have frequently said to have life on it, but there were insufficient evidence to prove it. Now, this discovery can almost certainly show that life exists or existed on Mars.
In the past decades, scientists have repeatedly stated that life on Mars is possible, because of similar climate to Earth. Mars is merely 35 million miles away from us, and about 20% further away from the Sun than us. This allows Mars to have similar temperatures as us, not too hot like Mercury and Venus, and also, not too cold like Uranus and Neptune.
I personally find this discovery very exciting. For me, having been interested in Space since young, I had been frequently updating myself on any discoveries made by scientists. This discovery of possible water on Mars, is definitely one that am intrigued by. If further studies can really prove that water is present on Mars, it would be an entire new era of Space studies. I hope scientists would continue pursuing studies in this field, and one day, make a mind-blowing discovery.
Mars water? Scientists say the pictures don't prove it, but they fit with other evidence from other probes.
The spacecraft, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, has been circling Mars since 2006, and during that time, Mars -- which has seasons like ours -- has gone around the sun three times. Each year, MRO photographed brown streaks in the Martian spring and summer. In the colder seasons, they disappeared.
"The best explanation for these observations so far is the flow of briny water," said Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona, the principal investigator using the ship's high-resolution camera system.
Mars, located at least 35 million miles farther from the sun than us, is far colder than Earth. But if water is thick with salt and other minerals, its freezing point would be lower than it is for clear water here.
"We expect water on Mars to be briny, to be salty, because we know that the surface is salty from all of the past landers and rovers," said McEwen. "Furthermore, the salt serves to depress the freezing point of the water, so in places where it's below freezing, we see this activity, it is still plausible for that to be salty water."
McEwen and his team published their findings in Friday's issue of the journal Science. They reported that the streaks appeared only on steep slopes. They could be hundreds of yards long, and often resembled gullies on Earth.
Other readings showed no chemical signal on the Martian surface, leading the scientists to suggest it may dry very quickly, or be just below the upper layer of Martian dust.
"These dark lineations are different from other types of features on Martian slopes," said Richard Zurek, the project scientist for MRO, in a statement. "Repeated observations show they extend ever farther downhill with time during the warm season."
'Follow the Water'
This is not the first suggestion of Martian water. For the last 15 years, NASA has been looking for it, because water would be a very good sign for past -- or even present -- microbial life there.
In 2004, the Mars rover Opportunity found chemical compounds that scientists said most likely would have formed if there had once been standing water on the Martian surface. Steven Squyres, the rovers' chief scientist, said at the time he could imagine Mars, eons ago, with pools of ruby-red brackish water where today there is only dust.
In 2006 scientists said images from an orbiter, Mars Global Surveyor, showed streaks that seemed to come and go from the walls of craters; the theory at the time was that underground water may be spurting through the surface. Doubters said the "gullies" did not resemble ones formed by liquid in Earth.
In 2008, another probe, called Phoenix, landed near Mars' north pole, and produced some pictures showing strange blobs on the struts of its landing legs. Briny ice? Scientists argued for months.
But NASA has made no secret of its hope to find water on Mars.
"NASA's Mars Exploration Program keeps bringing us closer to determining whether the Red Planet could harbor life in some form," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said today, "and it reaffirms Mars as an important future destination for human exploration."
~ ABC News
This news is certainly a very intriguing find for NASA. Previously, Mars have frequently said to have life on it, but there were insufficient evidence to prove it. Now, this discovery can almost certainly show that life exists or existed on Mars.
In the past decades, scientists have repeatedly stated that life on Mars is possible, because of similar climate to Earth. Mars is merely 35 million miles away from us, and about 20% further away from the Sun than us. This allows Mars to have similar temperatures as us, not too hot like Mercury and Venus, and also, not too cold like Uranus and Neptune.
I personally find this discovery very exciting. For me, having been interested in Space since young, I had been frequently updating myself on any discoveries made by scientists. This discovery of possible water on Mars, is definitely one that am intrigued by. If further studies can really prove that water is present on Mars, it would be an entire new era of Space studies. I hope scientists would continue pursuing studies in this field, and one day, make a mind-blowing discovery.
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