Since I'm avoiding homework anyhow...
I thought I'd use some of the rest of my time at work to tap out an update, especially since I haven't put up anything since February, or anything substantive in more than a year. I apologize for abandoning you all, but I feel somewhat chained to the internet as much as it is. I'll try to put in breaks for a few different topics.
For those of you who didn't know, I spent most of this past week out in Arizona on Kitt Peak using the 2.1m telescope to look at asteroids (and also Kuiper Belt Objects). I have to say, it was pretty awesome. You can't really ask for better observing weather, and trekking about the mountain (to go see the famous 4m scope) provides more beautiful vistas than you can shake a stick at (I'll try to post some photos later, but I'm not yet hip to the whole flikr thing, so bear with me.) With all that observing time we were able to take enough data for light curves of 4 asteroids (if you want to know the numbers, they're 3540, 3596, 1143, and 659; I remember them because I had to type them a gazillion times over..., I'd have to look up the names though, probably using the Ephemeris tool over at Lowell) and ostensibly astrometry for five "lost" KBOs. I say ostensibly because we're not the ones doing the astrometry, but we did take the data and find the little guys. The rest of the asteroid project entails doing these same observations at different times in the orbit to somehow determine the shape of the asteroid. This entails observing prettymuch once a year for four years and then cranking through some 3D spherical harmonic functions. I plan on working on this project through to the end, but I don't know if I'll take it up as my doctoral research. I'm still firmly planted in the undecided category as far as what I'd really want to do on that front. I know it will involve some observing, but of what I'm certainly not certain.
If you've heard me say anything about the Guitar Hero / Rock Band wars, you'll be surprised to know that I recently bought into the Rock Band franchise (with RB2 for the Wii). I'd say this is due to some of the recent compatibility Rock Band was able to put together (playing with GHIII's Les Paul, and hopefully RB2 drums will play in GHWT, but we'll see), but what really put me over the edge is that Harmonix is developing a Beatles game of the Rock Band persuasion. It won't be branded as such, but will work with the RB peripherals. For me, this is going to be the most awesome rhythm game that could ever be made, so I just hope they don't fuck it up.
...I thought I had more to talk about, but I'm coming up blank, and also I have to go clean the East EIC workstations because the library closes in 30 minutes (according to the blaring voice overhead...)
catch you cats later,
Rin
For those of you who didn't know, I spent most of this past week out in Arizona on Kitt Peak using the 2.1m telescope to look at asteroids (and also Kuiper Belt Objects). I have to say, it was pretty awesome. You can't really ask for better observing weather, and trekking about the mountain (to go see the famous 4m scope) provides more beautiful vistas than you can shake a stick at (I'll try to post some photos later, but I'm not yet hip to the whole flikr thing, so bear with me.) With all that observing time we were able to take enough data for light curves of 4 asteroids (if you want to know the numbers, they're 3540, 3596, 1143, and 659; I remember them because I had to type them a gazillion times over..., I'd have to look up the names though, probably using the Ephemeris tool over at Lowell) and ostensibly astrometry for five "lost" KBOs. I say ostensibly because we're not the ones doing the astrometry, but we did take the data and find the little guys. The rest of the asteroid project entails doing these same observations at different times in the orbit to somehow determine the shape of the asteroid. This entails observing prettymuch once a year for four years and then cranking through some 3D spherical harmonic functions. I plan on working on this project through to the end, but I don't know if I'll take it up as my doctoral research. I'm still firmly planted in the undecided category as far as what I'd really want to do on that front. I know it will involve some observing, but of what I'm certainly not certain.
If you've heard me say anything about the Guitar Hero / Rock Band wars, you'll be surprised to know that I recently bought into the Rock Band franchise (with RB2 for the Wii). I'd say this is due to some of the recent compatibility Rock Band was able to put together (playing with GHIII's Les Paul, and hopefully RB2 drums will play in GHWT, but we'll see), but what really put me over the edge is that Harmonix is developing a Beatles game of the Rock Band persuasion. It won't be branded as such, but will work with the RB peripherals. For me, this is going to be the most awesome rhythm game that could ever be made, so I just hope they don't fuck it up.
...I thought I had more to talk about, but I'm coming up blank, and also I have to go clean the East EIC workstations because the library closes in 30 minutes (according to the blaring voice overhead...)
catch you cats later,
Rin