Monthly Archives: March 2023

Seeing Stars on the Moon

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Why don’t moon photos show stars?. Specifically, why can’t we see the stars in the photographs of the Apollo Astronauts on the moon? As the article clearly explains, all of the pictures were taken during lunar daylight, during which the lunar surface is well illuminated by the sun. This completely washes out the light from the stars. If you made a long enough exposure to catch the stars, the lunar surface, the astronauts and their gear, and the lunar lander would be grossly overexposed. This would defeat the purpose of documenting human activity on the moon.

In fact, this issue was anticipated by Arthur C. Clarke in his classic science fiction novel A Fall of Moondust, first published in 1961, eight years before the first Apollo expedition landed on the moon. Continue reading →

Rang Gaeilge, 28ú lá Mí na Márta 2023

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Duinnín in Áth na Lachan (tuilleadh)

Dineen in Duckford (continued)
  • ‘Go bhfóire Dia orainn,’ ar seisean, agus ba phaidir óna chroí amach é. ‘A Mhary, a chroí … Bhí snáth dearg chun cliath a chur ar gheansai, nó a leithéid, a bhí ar ordú ón mangaire aici, ‘Bhfuil ball éadaigh dearg ag éinne agaibh?’

    ‘Nil, a Athair.’

    ‘Agus cogar, a thaisce, ‘mbionn an clog cruinn de ghnáth?’

    D’fhéach Mary ar an gclog, seanchlog a raibh aghaidh bhán bhricneach air.

    ‘God save us,’ he said, and it was a prayer from his heart. ‘Mary, my heart, There was red yarn to darn a sweater, or the like, which she had on order from the peddler, Do any of you have a red garment?’

    ‘No, Father.’

    ‘And whisper, treasure, is the clock accurate as a rule?’

    Mary looked at the clock, an old clock with a speckled white face.

    fóir Help, succour, relieve, save v
    cliath Wattled, latticed, frame; hurdle; patch of darning f
    mangaire Hawker, peddler; Small dealer, monger; Huckster, haggler m
    ball organ; spot, place; member m
    cruinn round; exact, accurate
    gnáth Custom, usage; customary thing m
    De ghnáth as a rule
    bricíneach freckled

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Rang Gaeilge, 28ú lá Mí na Feabhra 2023

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Duinnín in Áth na Lachan (tuilleadh)

Dineen in Duckford (continued)
  • ‘Thuig Toole nárbh fhiú aon ní a cheilt. Tá marc an dúnmharfóra ar a chlár éadain ón uair gur rugadh é,’ arsa Nell.

    ‘Seafoid,’ arsa an gabha. ‘Nil ansin ach ball dearg, faoi mar a bheadh gead ar chapall.’

    ‘Cá raibh Fayley Toole sular fhill sé abhaile an lá úd?’ arsa an Duinníneach.

    ‘Toole realized that there was no point in hiding anything. The mark of the murderer has been on his forehead since the time he was born,’ said Nell.

    ‘Nonsense,’ said the smith, ‘Nothing there but a red mark, about like a patch on a horse.’

    ‘Where was Fayley Toole before he returned home that day?’ said Dineen.

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