Posts Tagged ‘Columbia’
“The solar system is off center and consequently man is too”*…
email readers click here for video
On a dry lake bed in Nevada, a group of friends build the first scale model of the solar system with complete planetary orbits: a true illustration of our place in the universe…
* Harlow Shapley, Through Rugged Ways to the Stars
###
As we reach for the stars, we might recall that it was on this date in 1988 that NASA launched the space shuttle Discovery, marking America’s resumption of manned space flight following the 1986 Challenger disaster. It was the first of Discovery‘s two “Return To Flight” assignments; it flew the “twin” missions in 2005 and 2006 that followed the Columbia disaster in 2003.
Up, Up, and Away…
Your correspondent is headed to the other side of the International Blog-Post Line; so, while occasional missives may emerge over the next several days, regular service will resume on or around Memorial Day.
Lest readers be under-occupied in the meantime, the illuminating illustrations of Nathan Pyle:
Danger Quiz!
The Other Numbers
More at Pyle.
As we commit to continued self-improvement, we might recall that it was on this date in 1856 that a pro-slavery posse led by Sheriff Samuel J. Jones burned the Free-State Hotel, destroyed the equipment of two anti-slavery newspapers, and looted several other businesses in Lawrence, Kansas– an attack known as the “Sack of Lawrence.” Abolitionist John Brown’s nearby Pottawatomie Massacre is believed to have been a reaction to this attack.
Five years earlier– on this same date in 1851– the nation of Columbia abolished slavery.
You must be logged in to post a comment.