Japan Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami - Measurements with Ny-Ålesund Super Conducting Gravimeter

Japan Tsunami Knock-out of Polar Instruments



Credit NOAA

Above you see the ocean wide tsunami wave propagation. It was not that kind of wave that knocked out the geodetic instrument situated close to the North Pole though. It was the gravitational consequences of all that mass movement, both the continental plates and the immense water body.

See the graphs from Ny-Ålesund here.

Space Mobilized for Japan

Space mobilized for Japan



Japan is well prepared for disasters, but this combined earthquake and tsunami is too much even for them. The international community has agreed to make their earth observation satellites available to governments in needs, like Japan right now, through the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. There will be satellite images based on various techniques available soon, also to the public. Right now, it is the specialist and crisis teams who use them.

Gundam

Gundam



Credit: Zhang Jingna

Awesome anime character in extra-mega size in Tokyo. I miss Tokyo, one of my favorite cities on this planet! :-)

Fuji-san

Fuji-san



Magical Mount Fuji.



Credit: NASA

Cherry Blossom Forecast in Japan

Cherry Blossom Forecast



FOR REAL!

How awesome is THAT? :-)





Forecast of cherry blossom blooming dates in 2009 (updated on 25 March 2009)

Japanese Mantis

Bugs in Blue



Credit: sakuraaya

This is a mantis living in Japan. Completely charming!

Cats and Poets

Japanese Poetic Cats



Roku Kesen


Six Immortal Poets or Six Cats with Fur of Different Colors

Or; Cats imitating the Six Immortal Poets


For my cat loving poet friends.

Mount Fuji

Fuji-san

Ando Hiroshige

Ando Hiroshige


Tokaido Road - 10 Odawara

Ando Hiroshige made his prints from this road with 53 stops.



Fantastic collection of Ando Hiroshige's work.

Thanks to my friend Raine for helping me find this site!

Kibo

Kibo Robotic Tests









Credits: NASA

Japan: Kibo

Japans Kibo - part two



On its way to International Space Station!

International Space Station: Kibo

Kibo Connected



Credit: NASA/JAXA

International Space Station (ISS) configuration after Kibo is installed.

Pretty awesome filming from the ISS where Kibo part two now is connected. :-)




Credit: NASA

Earth Rise

Earth Rise with Kaguya



The lunar explorer KAGUYA initially captured the right-side waned "Earth-rise" in November 2007 with its high-vision camera, but this time, it succeeded in capturing the "Full Earth-rise" without any wane. This is the first time that a high-vision image of the "Full Earth-rise" has been captured from space, 380,000 kilometers away from Earth.
To capture the Full Earth, the Moon, Earth, Sun and KAGUYA's circulating orbits have to fall into a straight line. This peculiar positioning occurs only 2 times a year.


Earth Rise

Earth Set





The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA) launched "KAGUYA (SELENE)" September 14, 2007 from Tanegashima Space Center. The major objectives of the "KAGUYA" mission are to obtain scientific data of the lunar origin and evolution and to develop the technology for the future lunar exploration. "KAGUYA" consists of a main orbiting satellite at about 100km altitude and two small satellites (Relay Satellite and VRAD Satellite) in polar orbit. The orbiters will carry instruments for scientific investigation of the Moon, on the Moon, and from the Moon.

Awesome.

Go Japan! :-)






This is a little something, something for my moon fan friend.