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Showing posts with the label instruments

National Solar Observatory

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I mentioned in a previous blog entry  that I had compared one of my solar images to the images captured by the National Solar Observatory in El Tiede, Spain and I shared comparison images.  While I was lying in bed last night, I got to thinking that perhaps I should provide more information about the National Solar Observatory.  It seems silly to mention this and not explain it a bit. The National Solar Observatory (NSO) is a research and development program funded by the US.  Generally speaking, its purpose is to advance our knowledge of the physics of our sun.  The NSO isn't actually one physical observatory but a network of observatories around the globe that are constantly collecting data on our sun. In yesterday's blog entry, I compared my quick and dirty Hydrogen alpha image to the Hydrogen alpha image captured by the NSO Integrated Synoptic Program's Observatory in El Tiede, Spain.  This NSO Integrated Synoptic Program (NISP) consists of six observing systems around

Slit Drum Sculptures

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'Slit Drum Sculptures' by Jerry Geier Back just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about our trip to Shelburne Farms with the grandkids. While we were at the farm, we came across these wooden sculptures out in the middle of nowhere on the farm. We had no idea what they were and subsequent internet searches provided no clues... until now. I finally found that these particular sculptures were handcrafted by Jerry Geier. These sculptures are called "Slit Drum" sculptures. They are drumming percussion instruments of the Pacific islands and (I think) of certain African tribes. I'm still not completely certain of their history but at least I have figured out what these sculptures at Shelburne Farms represent. This particular piece of art is named "Convergence". Here is a link to the artist...  Jerry Geier . Below is also a video I found on YouTube of a larger slit drum called a slit gong. Had I know that these sculptures were drumming instruments,