elizabethtasker

elizabethtasker, 10 months ago to random

It's 6:30am, I'm in Singapore Airport and Mastodon, do I have a story for YOU.

It all began... with an asteroid grain. Again.

elizabethtasker, 9 months ago to random

I wore a mask for the first half of the conference last week, but with Sapporo going through a heat wave, the humidity was pretty high even inside. So… I masked less and less.

Now I have a 39C fever, a developing cough on an over-tight chest, headache and joint pains.

And… my friends… regrets.

Am now splashed on the sofa pondering the irony of getting sick while demonstrating the value of online virtual spaces.

(Covid antigen currently negative, but I guess may not stay that way.)

elizabethtasker, 4 months ago to random

Here's today's press release for JAXA's SLIM lunar landing!

TL;DR:

Pinpoint site identification was crazily successful.

We were lowering into position, detecting boulders like a champ.

THEN ONE OF THE ENGINES DROPPED OFF.

(I kid you not)

(we don't know why yet)

(maybe space pirates)

But we still soft-landed on 1 engine.

(TAKE THAT SPACE PIRATES!)

but on our head.

Strangely, might not be a big deal once the Sun moves round to the other side of the spacecraft.

https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2024/01/20240125-1_e.html

elizabethtasker, 10 months ago to random

I’ve taken one hell of a tumble. I caught my foot while jogging along the pavement and went flying.

My side has a long bloody graze, my knee is an absolute mess, my elbow and arm look like the product of a school playground and my hand has small skin tears over it. I don’t think I’m seriously injured but I’m in far more pain than is decent.

A kind person stopped his car when he saw me fall and gave me a ride home. The world is a mess and I am a mess, but there’s still some very good people.

elizabethtasker, 11 months ago (edited 11 months ago) to random

And this, my good people, is what I was really doing in France last week (apart from counting aeroplanes at the Paris Air Show):

Smuggling... uh, couriering grains from asteroid Ryugu to Cité de l'espace in France. They will be on public display from this autumn!

Do I look IMMENSELY HAPPY to be handing over that case in Toulouse? Let's talk about the behind the scenes adventure... 📦 🏃‍♀️

More 📷:
https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/gallery/feature/isas/isas_20230628_en.html

elizabethtasker, 6 months ago to random

I’ve just spotted the black and white cat who normally sneaks onto my balcony at 3am! I set the trap for #TNR but accidentally left the scissors out which reveal that I cut the tie that holds the trap open. WILL HE CLUE IN?

Also strong possibility that Casper appears instead and walks right inside 🤦🏼‍♀️

#CatRescue

elizabethtasker, 10 months ago to random

Made it to the Lake District! And… our cottage window appears to be the streaming entertainment for a heard of cows 🧐

elizabethtasker, 1 month ago to vr

This week, we're hitting the #Blender3D shop floor for a big design that (I hope) will ultimately become a #VR space for a conference.

So far... it's a doughnut.

Is this to remind attendees that they better getting running around this track to burn off eating too many pastries? We shall see...

elizabethtasker, 10 months ago to random

Today, I am attempting to renew my driving license. I am hoping I have brought the relevant documents but it will be impossible to be certain until I stand with a fresh new license, or am cast out to slink away into the bushes.

Since I didn’t get moving quite fast enough in the morning, I may miss the 9am time slot for the “DO NOT FORGET CARS ARE ENGINES OF DOOM” course and may have to wait until 1pm 🧐

elizabethtasker, 4 months ago (edited 4 months ago) to random

First light with XRISM 💡 🛰️ ! The X-ray telescope launched in September and has an imager developed by JAXA (Xtend) & spectrometer developed by NASA (Resolve). An observation from both is shown in the press release!

There is one blip: the protective beryllium dewar aperture door on Resolve should be removed, but it's currently stuck. High energy X-rays can pass through this, but lower energies are absorbed. The team will shift conditions a bit and try again.

https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2024/01/20240105-1_e.html

#Astrodon

elizabethtasker, 9 months ago to animals

An apex predator on this Sunday morning.

#NorahNeko #RescueCats #CatsOfMastodon

Same calico cat, now stretching out still on her back, looking very content.
Stretch over, the calico cat returns to lying on her bag with paws bent and relaxed!

elizabethtasker, 7 months ago to random

Today is the day… for my annual attempt to skate! 🛼

I should clarify that I do this exactly once a year (OK, sometimes twice if spring does good things 🌸🍂) when the weather is beautiful. And each time I think, “oh I would really enjoy this if I were better at it” 😂

Rinse. Repeat. 🧽

Because I am neither steady nor good at breaking, I go across Tokyo to a long path that runs along the Arakawa river.

And wear pads. So many pads.

This adds to the hassle. But subtracts from the regrets.

elizabethtasker, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

Let's do a quiz! The Japan-led Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission to Mars's moon Phobos will carry a rover named "IDEFIX" that was developed by the French and German space agencies. But what is the purpose of IDEFIX (in addition to other tasks)?

elizabethtasker, 1 year ago to random

Poor Dinah and I are off to the vet today, as Dinah spent the night vomiting ☹️

On a… possibly related… note: any recommendations for tatami cleaner?

#OhDinah #RescueCats #CatsOfMastodon

elizabethtasker, 11 months ago to random

Oh noes! #Typhoon

elizabethtasker, 2 months ago to random

Any tips for dealing with hayfever in Japan? The over-the-counter claritin does... zero. I was hoping it might pass in a week or so, but I remain a goopy mess.

I could... visit the doctor... but that seems like a lot of hassle compared to just asking everyone on mastodon 😉

(Japan medicine tends to be different brands, and often weaker, than the overseas counterpart. I know what I could get in the UK or US, but unsure if there's anything reasonably effective in Japan.)

elizabethtasker, 6 months ago to random

Today’s mode of transport 🛴 I wanted to check out a super large but far and remote BookOff (second hand shop), but realised the path I was taking was along the river and perfect for a scoot!

So… I returned home and picked up the scooter, with the added plan of checking the route for skate’able sections.

WHAT A GREAT PLAN!

However did forget my scooter no longer folds up, so there’s no chance of bailing on the way back and taking the train. Today… may be very long 😂

elizabethtasker, 1 year ago to random

Lately on my mind has been... horseshoe orbits. ARE THEY 4 REALZ?

These come up all the time in planetary science and I know IN THEORY how they work: 2 objects share an orbit (e.g. moons, or a planet & asteroid) and from the perspective of one, the other appears to move in a horseshoe, approaching and then making a U-turn.

LOOKS TOTS UNLIKELY

So I made a #blender3d animation to prove this, by the camera observing the planetary system and then chasing the planet to view from that perspective.

An animation shows a rocky planet and a smaller asteroid orbiting a star very close to one another (basically sharing an orbit). Initially, the camera views the whole system, and you see the asteroid approach the planet a couple of times and the resulting gravitational tug causing the smaller asteroid to switch sides, moving from a slightly outer orbit to an inner one and vice-versa. Then the camera chases down the planet and "lands" so it orbits with the planet. From this perspective on the planet, the asteroid appears to move in a horseshoe pattern, approaching the planet, doing a U-turn, and moving away. The only thing that has changed is the camera angle: both the planet and asteroid are orbiting the star as before.

elizabethtasker, 6 months ago to random

I am (slowly and painfully) reading a story in Japanese for language learners.

It involves a kid who is caught stealing his classmate’s fancy colouring pencils and is dragged off to the teacher.

It’s his favourite teacher and he’s mortified (this is a Japanese story 😂).

The teacher places a bunch of grapes on his knee.

Now he seems to be carrying these around as some sort of penance, and everyone is avoiding him.

Starting to suspect this has twisted into a weird psychological thriller 😳

elizabethtasker, 5 months ago to random

It’s 10am. And the queues for Christmas Eve KFC chicken have begun. I am not partaking. Because for real, Japan, this is quite strange!

elizabethtasker, 1 year ago to gamedev

Trying to learn more about #unity3d for developing scenes for #VR. In preparation I have made... a low poly.. rock... in #blender3d

It rocks.

Yes, I made that joke. And it's probably all downhill from here 🤣

elizabethtasker, 11 months ago to random

Time… for a dangerous adventure! A train, you say? Surely a risk in the highly regular department. And yet…

The door to a carriage on the train. It looks fairly regular except there are no seats visible through the windows. Instead, a series of doors is visible.

elizabethtasker, 8 months ago to random

LOOOOOOOK!! That asteroid grain I took to the UK (the one where I nearly couldn't board the plane due to having the wrong seat type reserved for the Hayabusa2 model)?

It's now on display at the London Science Museum!

I totally brought it there. Me! Yay!

https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/4-6-billion-year-old-asteroid-sample-unveiled-at-the-science-museum/

elizabethtasker, 12 days ago to random

I’m listening to “Wildacre”; historical fiction by Philippa Gregory.

The protagonist is evil. An utter psychopath. Admittedly, life for a woman in the 18th century is rough, and the opportunities Beatrice’s skills warrant are passed to incompetent men. But the body count is unpleasant!

It’s a very long book and a stressful read. Frankly, I want to stop but I also want to know the outcome and I’m not sure a synopsis will be satisfactory.

In short, I’m in a hostage situation with an audiobook.

elizabethtasker, 6 months ago to random

I'd like to buy a Mac Studio for work... but should I hold in case Apple wheels out the M3 chip for the Studio?