Lydia's "Stellar" Blog

Post #7 Moon Madness       The moon is a touchy subject in my family. Even mention of the word "moon" can make the conversation heated. My mother made a rule to not discuss the moon at dinner because it never ends well for anyone.       My dad and I are at a war of sorts. He is firm in his belief that we see the whole moon and not just the one side. He is a sturborn Dutch guy in his 60's and will not change his mind even with science and facts to prove him wrong. He is set in his ways.      I've tried to explain that we only see one half of the moon's surface, and never will expeience the other half-sphere with our eyes from the Earth. I've drawn diagrams and send him links to articles and videos with explanations. I point the moon out to him some nights, and remind his that it's the same moon he saw the last time I pointed it out. But he refuses to even consider looking at the facts and admitting he is wrong. Maybe it's just personal.   

Post #6 Baked in Space      It was 1965, the first Gemini mission was underway. The Gemini spacecraft was flying through low Earth orbit, and on board were astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young, and also a corned beef sandwich. Young had smuggled the forbidden sandwich on board, and the two proceeded to eat it during flight in microgravity. Quickly, the crumbs spread around the cabin. This one seemingly small trouble was actually a serious concern for NASA. The small crumbs could have gotten into equipment and thus compromised the mission. In the end nothing dire had occurred, but it was too risky for NASA.      Since those days, bread has been banned aboard the International Space Station, and has been replaced with tortillas.  How and what astronauts eat in space has also been more closely examined, most of their food is delivered frozen, refrigerated, or thermostabilized every 90 days.       However, a company called "Bake In Space" is aiming to change t

Post #5         To be honest, I've been struggling to come up with topics to discuss for these weekly blog posts. For as much as I love astronomy and space related things, my brain draws a blank when it comes time to write. I feel overwhelmed sometimes with the amazing nature of the universe and all it has to offer for these blog posts, and yet, I feel there is scarcity in things I actually wish to discuss on a personal level which the reader can relate to. I am torn between being too formal and factual, and being too dull and discussing what my favorite constellation is, for example. Point is, space can be intimidating, both in it's own nature and when it comes to these weekly posts.       I woke up at 3:30 today knowing I would have to write this post, and without an idea already in hand I was stressing. I showed up to work, opened the store, and started jotting down ideas between customer transactions. But nothing seemed to pique my own interest, I was coming up short.