Forty Years Ago Today...

Apollo 11 landed on the Moon.

Even though I was only six years old I still remember being glued to our old black-and-white TV set watching the mission unfold (narrated by Walter Cronkite - R.I.P.). The space race was one of the main catalysts for my continuing love of science, particularly astronomy. Seeing the live footage of our astronauts and knowing we were witnessing history in the making impacted me even then, because I can still clearly picture the scene in our living room as we watched. We must continue to instill the wonder of science to our future generations by reaching out and showing them how science works so that they can also develop a thirst for knowledge.

Keeping on the astronomical theme there is breaking news from Jupiter. A black spot has formed near Jupiter's south pole and some astronomers are speculating it may have been caused by an impact similar to the 1994 impact of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 . More observations will be needed to determine if it is indeed an impact scar, so this story will continue to develop over the coming weeks.

South is inverted in this photo and the spot is near the top. It looks small but remember how big Jupiter is - at this scale the spot is probably larger than North America.

Update: Definitely an impact.

Summer Is Here but So Are Seasonal Allergies

Summer in Grand Portage is a wonderful time, filled with the fresh green foliage of millions of plants vying to grow and reproduce in the limited time available before the seasons change again. Unfortunately for many like me who suffer from seasonal allergies (commonly called hay fever) this explosion of greenery and pollen can turn a delightful summer day into a miserable fit of sneezing.

Allergic reactions are caused when the body’s immune system mistakes harmless pollen for an actual dangerous or toxic substance and reacts to fight it. Wind-borne pollen such as ragweed and certain grasses and trees are the most common culprits in allergy attacks. An estimated 26 million Americans suffer at least one incidence of hay fever every year. There are many over the counter medications that can treat hay fever symptoms, but many have side effects such as drowsiness. If symptoms continue for long periods you should consult a doctor.

There are things you can do if you suffer from allergies to reduce your exposure such as limiting outdoor activities during the hours of 5 – 10 AM when pollen counts are highest, keeping car windows closed, using HEPA air filters and vacuums in the home, brushing pets outside, and keeping rugs and carpets clean. If you are having a sneeze attack one method I have found to help is to rinse your mouth out well with water. If you have any questions on pollen or allergies please call me at 475-2415 ext. 35, e-mail me at soberg@boreal.org or stop by my office at Trust Lands.

NOAA Paper Demolishes Argument Over U.S. Temperature Trends

One of the most stubborn arguments from the people who deny the reality of climate change is that the sharp upward trend in U.S. temperatures over the last fifty years is due to poor siting of the surface stations that gather the data and the urban heat island effect. This argument is particularly stupid since the trend over time would not be affected even if a station was located in a place where it might read a little high. Imagine two identical urban weather stations; one in an asphalt parking lot and one in a grassy field - the asphalt one would read a few degrees higher, but the temperature trends over time would be identical. It's like saying that if your home scale weighs you three pounds heavier than your doctors scale it is useless to show if you are gaining or losing weight - as long as the bias is consistent then the trend is not affected.

A new paper from NOAA neatly skewers these arguments, complete with a graph showing the lack of difference between the so-called "best sites" and the rest of the weather stations in the network. As you can see both the annual readings and the smoothed trend line match nearly perfectly.

The NOAA paper also points out that there are many ecological indicators that show temperatures are rising rapidly, so dwelling on the minutiae of individual stations while ignoring the preponderance of evidence for rising temperatures is intellectual dishonesty at its worst.

(thanks again to Climate Progress)