Astronomer

What is cool about the data that started this story is 1) the main dimming event lasted about a day (or 2, I can't recall), not the usual microseconds, and there were 3 other smaller dimming events. 2) these were not periodic events as would be expected for planets.

My local RASC (Royal Astronomical Society of Canada) Centre hosted a lecture by Dr. Stan Metchev this evening. He searches for planets around other stars using some cutting-edge techniques, and he presented some not-yet-published data and images that's just amazing. I'm looking forward to the papers. Anyway, he knows one of the principal investigators on this discovery and a cometary cloud is the likeliest explanation. The story of an alien civilization's creation causing the dimming came up when someone stumbled on one of the author's personal blogs where he was speculating in a "wouldn't it be cool" science-fictiony kind of way. The press picked up on it and BOOM!:

Heh. It makes for a good headline. Sure, it's *possible*. *Probable* is a different beast. Look for the simplest option, it's always usually the best. Unfortunately, that option won't sell newspapers or make you click on the headline.

Well done, sir!

Happy thanksgiving to you, my Canadian friends!

Congratulations!

Thanks @@Hunter! The lake is just off route 19 via a side-road maybe 10km outside the town. I have more shots to process that I'll post over time.

Yesterday evening, a package arrived in the mail from my brother. Out of the blue, he sent me a Rokinon (Samyang) 10mm f2.8-f22 camera lens. It's designed for APS-C based DSLR cameras. I took a few test shots of the area of the sky that I normally shoot to capture lightning, and the amount of sky captured vs. my 18mm lens is HUGE! This lens will be incredible for landscapes, lightning, and interior shots. Here's an image I found in a review that shows the area it can cover as compared to other lenses. My 18mm lens had been my go-to for landscapes until this beastie landed on my doorstep. This one will be more challenging as it's a manual lens (vs my Canon lenses which connect into the camera's electronics), but the results and challenge will be worth it.

Lake Ainslie, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia (Canada). My dad passed away recently, and I took my camera with me on a drive around the lake one morning while I was home. I find the process of finding and taking an image to be very focusing and calming. The incredible beauty of this region only adds to the calming effect.

No kidding @NumNutz - I spent some time last night looking for inspiration for my next one, which will also be astronomy themed. I have the general concept, now it's the details!

This past Saturday, I went under the needles and got a tattoo (or is it 9?). I wanted something astronomy-themed, as astronomy has brought me much joy, life-long friendships, and community involvement for many years. The 9 planets (yes, 9. I included Pluto. Note that it is, on purpose, slightly smaller than the rest) and their Greek symbols as used in scientific notation seemed a perfect theme. I measured the circumference of the place on my leg where I wanted them, and realized there was the space exactly equivalent to a Canadian quarter allotted for each one. Perfect! I did a mock-up, and consulted with a highly recommended artist that 2 friends raved about. I knew what I wanted but I gave him free-rein to design the calligraphy, and he did a great interpretation with an Asian style brush stroke. The discomfort was minor, and there has been negligible redness or swelling. The pics are from 6 hours after the work was done, and I'm following care instructions to the letter. I'm very happy with the results!

Happy birthday dude!

Scottish elevator - voice recognition:

More fun: Microsoft will download Windows 10 install files, 3.5 to 5+Gb of them, even if you did not "reserve" a copy of Windows 10. they do this to "helpfully" make it easy and fast to upgrade. If you have a slow Internet connection or a low download cap, Microsoft just screwed you, not to mention that they did this without your permission or knowledge and stole a chunk of your storage. The files are in a hidden subdirectory called $WINDOWS.~BT. Details: http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/11/microsoft-will-download-windows-10-even-if-you-dont-want-to-upgrade-heres-how-to-stop-it/

It's a rumour so far. I'll dig into it a bit more. In the meantime, I've added the URLs to the "Malicious Sites" list on my SOPHOS home firewall/router/threat management server.

As we know, Windows 10 collects bucket-loads of "telemetry" (your private web/PC habits) that Microsoft says it needs to make its cool new features work and to report how users interact with the OS and blah blah blah. Worse, recent patches to Windows 7, 8, and 8,1 add this to the older operating systems. A tried and true method to prevent this has been to edit your "Hosts" file in Windows and spoof the ip address of Microsoft's or whomever's sites to local, so information never leaves your PC. Now, apparently, MS has a way around this. What to do? If you have a beefy router or firewall, there is a way around this. First, here is a list of URL's that your Windows operating system sends your info to: vortex.data.microsoft.com vortex-win.data.microsoft.com telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net oca.telemetry.microsoft.com oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net watson.telemetry.microsoft.com watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net redir.metaservices.microsoft.com choice.microsoft.com choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net df.telemetry.microsoft.com reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com telemetry.microsoft.com watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com telemetry.appex.bing.net telemetry.urs.microsoft.com telemetry.appex.bing.net:443 settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com survey.watson.microsoft.com watson.live.com watson.microsoft.com statsfe2.ws.microsoft.com corpext.msitadfs.glbdns2.microsoft.com compatexchange.cloudapp.net cs1.wpc.v0cdn.net a-0001.a-msedge.net statsfe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net diagnostics.support.microsoft.com corp.sts.microsoft.com statsfe1.ws.microsoft.com pre.footprintpredict.com i1.services.social.microsoft.com i1.services.social.microsoft.com.nsatc.net bingads.microsoft.com www.bingads.microsoft.com ( watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net might be rejected as not a valid URL. If so, replace it with 65.55.252.43) If your router/firewall allows you to specify URLs to block, add this list to the relevant blocking rule, and your private PC using habits should be protected from the Microsoft snoops. Good luck!

Awesome video. Thanks for sharing! Nature on the scale of the universe down to the sub-atomic is incredibly majestic and awe-inspiring. It's one of the reasons why I'm so passionate about astronomy in particular and science in general.

If it were the case, hope it's not a problem.

Methane explosions. Formerly locked-in methane is being released due to permafrost melt.

Bela was a wonderful lady, and a ball to hang out with over a meal and a glass or 3 of wine. My heart is broken for Belted and their son.

This may look like parody, but Wyatt Scott is running as an independent candidate for the riding of Mission Matsqui Fraser Canyon in the province of British Columbia. His ad is brilliant!

Sounds good to me.

Nice one! I take my camera with me everywhere I go too.