Cool.

This was Astronomy picture of the day a few days ago:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap101124.html

The sun has just started to pick up in activity.  The day after Thanksgiving I was at the Planetarium with my solar telescope.   We watched a sunspot form and merge with another one.

Check out this page:
http://www.spaceweather.com/
to see what's happening on the sun.  The aurora can be seen here:
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/gif/pmapN.gif

That's one tough pussy cat...

From Astronomy Picture of the day.   I visit this site daily.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
(with tons of mirror sites).

Occasionally they link to my supernova web page at:
http://www.RochesterAstronomy.org/supernova.html
and I wind up getting millions of hits...

Very sad.

According to recent studies, the life span of Orcas in the wild is not very long these days.  Being apex predators they build up toxins, and tend to die at a young age.

Anybody see any of the recent studies of Orca dialects? Apparently different populations have different languages.

Not bad for a species that was almost extinct in NJ in 1982 (1 recorded nest).

There is a big issue finding homes for injured birds now.   They live for 40 years in captivity.  I know that the 3 at the Senica park zoo have been there for many years now.   One person I know has been asked twice to take one on.

Beauty in the nest box:

http://rfalconcam.com/gallery/processed/MainCamera/20100912//MainCamera_20100912-083600.jpg

If you want to look for Aurora warnings, or any cool solar activity look at:

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html  -  Aurora Map
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/index.html - Space Weather prediction center
http://www.spaceweather.com/ -  Space Weather, main site.

The sun has been very quiet for this solar cycle.   Attached is an image I shot in my back yard (Hilton NY) during the middle of the last solar cycle (~11 years).   

Looks like they had a tough day....

[I say "RELEASE them all"]

I say "RELEASE them all"

It was tried with Kako.   It took the 3 years to teach him how to hunt for fish on his own, and even then he imprinted on people, and was apparently rejected by wild Orca.   He was found dead a year after being released in Norway.

We can't release these animals, it would be killing them slowly, like was done with Kako.  The best place for them is where they are, in a large aquarium where they can be with one another.  Instead of hunting, they perform.   Thus we have create a new "social" species of Orca, that is now captive.

We can't undo what we have done to them, so all we can do is maintain them as they are.

Finally, a good resolution shot of little egg head...

Another shot of the baby.

Checking out the inside of the egg shell...

Out of the egg now...

A little blurry....

First little one!