Journal
1
Los Alamos New
Mexico…So far this has been such an amazing time and we’ve only been here for a
few days. Sunday was the first day of catching flights, nearly missing flights,
and meeting everyone while getting in trouble by "BOBBY" —the airport
security- for running ‘up’ the ‘down’ escalators!!!
I’m
rooming with Sam Garrett from Florida in room 312, 314, and now 114…it’s an
inside joke. And everynight so far Sam and I have watched COPS and no other
shows. Sam is 17, Caitlin is 17, Ching Man is 16, Ryan is 16, Gar is 16,
Jonathon is 17, and Amy is 17.
I
don’t think I could have asked for a better group to be with for these two
weeks. First of all because of the kids and secondly because of our Principle
investigator and his team: Frank Timmes, John O’donnell, Don Casperson, Meg
Warren, Patrick Young, and Scott Johnson.
We
have had four lectures, and all being just enough time for either a water
break, bathroom break, or a food break. We’ve been to the Bradbury Science
Museum, LANL, and Canyon School Complex. Monday night we went to Fenton Hill
and set up the telescopes, but the clouds came in and out so we sat and watched
the sky for a few hours. And in doing so we so two meteorites, five satellites,
Mel 111, and the Corona Borealis. And for John we will be looking at the
asteroid 532 Herculean and we will be finding the radius of its orbit.
Today, Wednesday
the 21st we spotted 532 Herculina at 1:15a.m. out at Fenton Hill,
but last night, the 20th I spotted the International space station moving
across the sky at roughly 7:30p.m.. 532 couldn't just be spotted by pointing
the telescope and 'very easily finding it'. 532 actually had to be started with
a star named 'ser omicron', then star hop 7 times, and find that the position
of 532 was inbetween stars Tyc 5672-731-1 and 2UCAC26924953. And after waiting
roughly 2 hours we went out to see how much Herculina had moved. Then getting
back to the Best Western at about 5:40a.m..
Now after waking up
at 1:00p.m., we had brunch, a lecture, and got to see a house or few apartment
complexes catch on fire…so we watched…No, but the fire department was already
there and so was the police. And for the past few days we have not been to
Fenton Hill, but rather doing things as a group like Frisbee, the movies, ice
cream, and etc…
Saturday:
Woke up at 10:30,
at breakfast, had a lecture from Frank about light and atoms, and now I'm
writing in my "blog". But later Sam and I will be watchinh COPS,
'just like always'. Anytime we turn on the tube, there's a new channel carrying
COPS. (FX, Fox, Spike, and Court TV). Also we will be going to Don's for a get
together…I think. (lol) and we hope to observe tonight, but Sam seriously
doubts it and a few others.
Beginning of the second week (25th):
Hello mom and dad,
Latricia, Tommy, John, Samantha, Friends, and family. I hope you guys are
having as much fun as we are. These past ten days have been some of the most
exciting, encouraging, and adventures days of my life. It's as if we are all
connected in some kind of a way because even from the first moment we met on
the plane (or at the airport) we have all made the best of what The Durfee
Foundation has given to us. We would like to THANK you for all of the wonderful
things you have made possible. And I would like to thank the P.I. (Frank),
CO.I.'s, and all of the students here for making my birthday a home away from
home type of birthday.
Middle of the second week (26th,
27th, and 28th):
On Monday we went
to Sante Fe to get yelled at by Bobby for Sam touching a glass that was marked
by a sign that said, "Ask For Assistance" in ity bity 8 size font and
that was outside the store. I also broke dance at the plaza, where we
discovered that birds try to 'crap' on you (lol). Then we went to the opera to
find out that I would rather sleep than watch people yelling (just kidding). So
on Tuesday we went on a 3 hour drive to the VLA which is NRAO (National Radio
Astronomy Observitory). And on the way home I wisely decided that I would put
my foot up on the seat in front of me and let it go numb. So as a Redneck sais
before he gets hurt, "Hey yall, watch this!" And as I dragged my
throbbing leg out of the car and went to stand on it, I fell like as if "I
had just been tased" like a criminal from COPS. Now Wednesday was a
different story, we woke up and had a lecture, ate lunch, and played some pool
before working on our presentation for Friday night.
What's been going
on…
Now today being Saturday,
July 1, 2006: our second to last day, we are all very excited but then again
disappointed because we have to leave. But hopefully we all want to come back
next year and work with someone and hope to be doing something down here.
And last night we gave a
presentation of what we learned, tons of cool little facts, and also reported
about our asteroid.
So lets look at where Joe
comes to learn about black holes a few nights earlier:
Understanding
the black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy
By Erik C. Eakins
June 30, 2006
Robert Coker, right,
of Predictive Capability (X-2-PC) talks with Earthwatch student Joe Lohman
following Coker's lecture on the Black Hole at the center of the Milky Way
Galaxy. At center is Kurt Hillmer of Radiological Protection (RP-1). enlarge image
Credit:
Erik Eakins, Communications
Astronomy Days
concludes tonight
"Gas in the
Milky Way galaxy caused the light from stars in the galactic center to be
hidden from the normal eye, which means viewing the center of the galaxy is
impossible without using different frequencies," Laboratory scientist
Robert Coker said at a talk Wednesday at the Bradbury Science Museum.
"The gas does not
absorb radio waves, so the Black Hole at the center of the Galaxy is seen to be
very bright in the radio part of the spectrum," he said.
Coker of Predictive
Capability (X-2-PC) began his Astronomy Day lecture to a packed auditorium by
explaining that astronomers must understand what is occurring on the smallest
scale before attempting to understand the universe on a large scale.
The Black Hole,
referred to as Sgr A* pronounced Saj Ay Star, is viewed through the Sagittarius
Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. Sgr A* is one of the brightest radio sources in
the sky. There is a cluster of stars near the Black Hole and in the last
fifteen years, these stars’ movements have been tracked. "What’s so
exciting about studying Sgr A* is that we are very close to having a test of
general relativity since one of the stars is close to completing an orbit,"
expressed Coker.
Coker said that the
Black Hole of the Milky Way galaxy is understood as being unique and different
compared to other Black Holes in other galaxies. For example, astronomers have
been unable to detect a large Accretion Disk, the area around the Black Hole
that contains matter from the nearby stars. One hypothesis Coker presented for
why the Black Hole is different and a runt compared to others is because the
Black Hole has been "underfed," meaning that the Black Hole is not
consuming the same amount of energy as the others. "In the next decade or
so, many questions about the Black Hole will hopefully be answered," said
Coker.
Joe Lohman, an Earthwatch
Student from Indianapolis, Ind., said that he found Coker’s lecture to be very
interesting and informative. "I’ve really enjoyed the whole Earthwatch
program because astronomy is a big interest for me. I want to know how it all
works," said Lohman. Next year, Lohman hopes to study astronomy at the
Laboratory.
The Astronomy Days
lectures end today when Earthwatch students make their own presentations about
their two-week experiences at the Lab. The talk begins at 6:30 p.m., and is
free and open to the public.
The museum is part
of the Los Alamos’ Community Programs (CPO) Office.
I would have
to say, I have learned more than what I ever thought I was going to. Now these
past two weeks have been some of the most interesting, exciting, and abnormal
(lol) days of my life. But they have taught me many new things…going from
different languages to different outlooks on life. I would personally like to
THANK THE DURFEE FOUNDATION for all of their support. Frank Timmes, Don
Casperson, John O'Donnell, and Scott Johnson for their help in everything we
have done, and Sam, Jonathon, Ryan, Gar, Amy, Caitlin, and Ching for all of
their support, the laughter, and especially Sam for staying up to watch COPS
anytime of day. And I hope to see my friends and family again real soon and
also look forward to seeing all these people again.