Actual Dorkgasm

All you wanna do is ride around Sally

Ride, Sally Ride.

Today the world lost an inspiring woman. We all at some point thought, "Yep. I'm going to go into outer space. I could totally pass all the astronaut tests because I'm brilliant and assume I can do a pull up."* Sadly, we aren't really taking into consideration that we don't have Ph.D.s in physics and didn't do a shit ton of research on astrophysics and free electron laser physics in our early 20's [or maybe you did. I bow before you].

However, regardless of our academic records, I'm sure at one point or another we've all been pretty darned impressed by Sally Ride.

Sally Ride, the first American woman to enter space, died today at the age of 61. She'd been fighting pancreatic cancer.

Let's also note that at age 32 she was the youngest American (at the time) to enter space. Let's also note that she was the first lesbian to enter space.

Thanks for all the inspiration, bravery, and brilliance Dr. Ride!

If, somehow or other, you happen to be reading a dorky blog about dorky things, but don't know about Sally Ride's life, please consider watching this very informative video:

*I definitely cannot do a pull up. I've only ever successfully done two in my life, and after doing them I thought, "well, I'm strong enough to do pull ups now. No need to continue exercising."

Space and back

Watch this now!

Inside a Russian Rocket Factory

Lana Sator, as Russian woman, snuck into a Russian rocket manufacturer and took some incredible pictures.

Via awesome space blog It's Full of Stars.

Hayden Planetarium Letters from 1950

In the old but new to me department, check out these amazing letters solicited by the Hayden Planetarium in 1950 to promote their "Conquest of Space" exhibit.

Here's my favorite:

Why didn't anyone tell me there were dinosaurs living on Venus?

Return to Mars

I was told there would be cake.

Wake up dorks! Shake off that leftovers hangover and get your butts in front of a screen because this morning, we're going back to Mars!

If all goes according to plan, this morning at 10:02AM EST NASA's Mars Science Laboratory will launch the newest Mars rover, Curiosity (isn't it cute?), on top of an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral on a flight that will hopefully end in August 2012 with Curiosity safely on the Martian surface.

I've got a nuclear battery,
wanna fight about it?

Here's a live feed of the launch coverage. MSL also has a pretty great launch blog and website with a good overview of the mission. Space!

Daily Dorkgasm

I'm sure you already heard, but holy cats I'm PUMPED about Europa. And I'm not talking about that far off land of cobblestones and street food.

Scientists at NASA have found evidence to suggest that there are LAKES (of actual water!) under the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. Which means, I'm totes moving to outer space next week!

Yeah, yeah, I'd freeze to death pretty quickly, and I don't think there's the greatest atmosphere flying around out there, but all I need is water, right?

Ugh! Shut up! Quit telling me I'll never live in outer space!!!!!!!

Anyway, you can learn more about it here. I gotta go pack my space camp duffel bag.

Earth From SPACE In HD

We live on a totally awesome planet. Check out this HD time lapse video of it as seen from the ISS. You can see thunderstorms from space! Along with some other amazing things. Go and watch it on vimeo.com for full HD glory.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS.

Hers Day Thursday

You dorks know of Dame Dr. Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell, right? Right??

sexy, sexy glasses!

Oh. Well, you should, so here's some info for your mind brains.

Who is she? A 68 year old Irish astrophysicist.
What'd she do? DISCOVERED RADIO PULSARS!

Namely, this one CP 1919 ----->

While working towards her Ph.D, Jocelyn noted that regular radio wavelengths pumping through space. The wavelengths kept popping up on her charts from a radio telescope every 1.337 seconds, and Jocelyn, being an intelligent astrophysicist in training said something along the lines of, "obviously these radio wavelengths are coming from a far off rotating star and not from Little Green Men."

fancy wavelengths from CP 1919

She was totes right, ladies and germs. (That doesn't mean aliens don't exist!)


Shittily, her professors were awarded the Nobel Prize for a paper about the discovery of the first pulsar, and she was not. Being a classy broad, she holds no grudge.

Also, she's won a slew of medals, awards, and honorary degrees, including the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize, since then to make up for it. And did I mention she's a Dame? Yeah. A Lady Knight.

How's that for Hers Day Thursday?

Extra Credit Reading here, here, here, and here.

Update 9:53PM This was on BBC Radio 4 a couple days ago. Who knew??