Book hit: Volcanoes, the archenemy of the mighty telescope

Every observer who has spent any time in Chile has experienced at least one small earthquake. In fact, telescopes have a bit of an oddity when it comes to these jolts: They are very carefully aimed and remain incredibly stable even the smallest and closest shaking of an earthquake can appear dramatically in a telescope’s view. I remember sitting at a telescope when the operator suddenly shouted, “Oh! There is about to be an earthquake,” a second or two before the entire building gave a short but noticeable roar. He saw the bright star he was using to guide the telescope sliding straight off his computer screen as the highly sensitive instrument showed the first signs of crowding. Because telescopes were specially designed to be powerful against this kind of perturbation, the star returned to the dead center of the camera as soon as the shaking stopped, and observations quietly resumed. Having said that, on prime focus observation days, a few California astronomers remembered observing the middle of the earthquake and stopping in the prime focus cage for several hours. George Wallerstein explained to me that the common practice at these peaks was to send firefighters – who were at least close enough to respond in California – to the largest telescope first, and it’s all in service of science.

Finally, some observatories can even operate volcanoes. Telescopes on Mauna Kea have sometimes encountered a phenomenon known as vog, which is a collection of volcano and smog. Eruptions in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park can sometimes send large amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, which can mix with condensation to form a mild acid haze and lower the moisture tolerance of the telescopes. In May 2018, a large eruption from Kīlauea, Hawaii’s most active volcano, was captured by webcams at the summit of Mauna Kea. Fortunately, ash from the eruption was blown away from the mountain, and despite concerns about the fog that reduced the telescopes’ moisture tolerances, the observations were largely able to continue as planned.

Since Mauna Kea is located less than thirty miles from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you would think someone would be able to claim the “best volcano watching story.” However, this particular distinction definitely belongs to Doug Geisler.

Doug was a graduate student at the University of Washington, and on May 17, 1980, he spent a wonderful night observing at the Manastash Ridge Observatory in central Washington. He was alone on the mountain and taking his first data for his doctoral thesis, observing the billion-year-old stars in the Milky Way. Early the next morning, he wrapped up the observation, turned off and covered the telescope as usual, and headed to the nearby dormitory, ready for some vigorous rest and another fruitful science night the next day.

A few hours into his “night,” at around 8:30 in the morning, Doug woke up convinced he had heard something: a distant low boom, a rumble, or something. With nothing wrong with what it seemed, he fell back to sleep. He dreamed of the end of the world.

Later, he woke up again and began preparing for the astronomer’s standard “morning”: a midday breakfast and a quiet afternoon on a sunny, clear mountain. He immediately noticed that something was out of reach: There was no hint of light filtering around the blinds blocking the light in his room. A little surprised, wondering if he had fallen asleep epic or if the weather had taken an abrupt turn for the worse, he checked his watch – noon – and then decided to take a look outside.

The dormitory door opened to reveal, at noon, the darkness and a distinctive sour smell in the air. Even armed with a flashlight, he couldn’t see more than ten feet in front of him. It was a warm, silent, still day … except the daylight was gone. Doug’s first assumption was a nuclear attack or a similar kind of epic disaster. He was only half wrong.

That morning, Mount St. Helens, ninety miles west of Manastash Ridge, erupted, sending a column of ash more than fifteen miles high in the most destructive volcanic eruption in US history. The distant sound Doug heard earlier in the morning was likely either the initial 26-megaton explosion or a deafening secondary eruption produced when the extremely hot materials from the volcano immediately evaporated objects near the water into vapor. In the hours following the eruption, prevailing winds carried the bulk of the volcanic column to the east, directly above the observatory and directly above the Doge.

Like any well-trained observer, Doug kept accurate nighttime records of his observation experiences on the mountain, indicating how each night passed by the telescope, any hours lost due to weather or technical problems, and details such as temperature, clouds, and sky conditions. Typically, these logs were used by astronomers to remind themselves of the night’s details and by the observatory crew to track down any potential problems. The Doug 6 log entry since that day on the mountain has become the stuff of legend:

Lost hours: 6. Reason: Berkane (good excuse, huh?)

Sky condition: black + bad smell.

I am the last survivor of the war – I remembered “prosperity”. I run to the radio – most of the stations still play “cha-cha” music. Apocalypse + playing “cha-cha” music! Finally, KATS says in Yakima Mt. St. Helen blew her filler. I am somewhat relaxed. It remains completely dark until ~ 2, + finally cleared to 1/2 mile vision by dusk. I cover telescopes + tools. Some fine ash settles through the fissure but I think the damage will be minimal. I’ve heard of running dark but it’s ridiculous.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos