The original Double Rainbow Guy was not able to travel to Patagonia to view the total solar eclipse on July 11, 2010. However, it appears that some of his friends made the trip and lent their incredibly enthusiastic commentary to the event on his behalf. We hear it was “Ohhhhaha, so KILLER!” and “My battery died, but whatever!”

To be honest, a total solar eclipse viewed from the Andes Mountains would have elicited the same flabbergasted reaction from most people. I personally fear I would have ripped off all my clothes and rolled around in the snow as I succumb to astronomical euphoria. But that’s just me.

Raw Video – TSE in Patagonia 11 July 2010 [Vimeo] (via @neiltyson)

You must see this video:
(Warning: The video starts suddenly with loud intro music.)

You may remember last month that Stephen Colbert directed his Colbert Nation minions to take over the NASA vote to name the next International Space Station module after himself. He did, in fact, win the vote when COLBERT climbed the ranks to gain 230,539 votes, even more than the NASA supplied 2nd place name of Serenity.

On tonight’s Colbert Report on Comedy Central, NASA officially announced that the node would not be named Colbert. Instead, Node 3 will be known as Tranquility, to honor the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Colbert didn’t leave empty handed, however, as NASA also announced that they will install a treadmill inside the Tranquility module which has been scientifically named the “Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill” or C.O.L.B.E.R.T.

On his show, Colbert graciously accepted the consolation prize, proudly confirming to himself that NASA followed his command.

NEW SPACE STATION MODULE NAME HONORS APOLLO 11 ANNIVERSARY [nasa.gov]

Seems that news got around about NASA letting the public vote on the name of the next module to be added to the International Space Station, and on the March 3rd episode of the Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert took it upon himself to implore his viewers to add his name as a write-in. Within 24 hours of the episode airing, “COLBERT” is now the #1 user suggested name for the Node 3 module, easily overtaking “XENU,” the believed vengeful galactic dictator taught by the Church of Scientology. The leading name from NASA’s provided choices is currently “SERENITY” with 86% of votes.

Even if COLBERT receives the most votes it is highly unlikely NASA will officially name Node 3 after him. The terms and conditions listed on the voting webpage indicate that “the results are not binding on NASA and NASA reserves the right to ultimately select a name in accordance with the best interests of the agency, its needs, and other considerations.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Colbert implored his influence on the internet. In August 2006 he commanded his viewers, affectionately known as the Colbert Nation, to edit the Wikipedia page for Elephant to update it with the “fact” that the wild elephant population had swelled and was no longer on the endangered species list. The ploy worked as thousands flocked to the page to update it, leading to the entry being locked for editing to prevent further vandalism.

In the end, Colbert, who frequently references his enthusiasm of space exploration, may not get the ISS node named after him. Instead, I suggest that we take Node 3’s copula, the protruding observation deck attached to it’s exterior, and name it the Colbert Bump.

The Colbert Report, Help NASA Name Node 3 

A dramatic slow motion montage of the Saturn V liftoff of Apollo 11, the first and only rocket to ever allow man to break earth’s gravity on its way to the moon. When watching keep in mind that each of its five F-1 engines are 12.3 feet in diameter and 19 feet tall, large enough to comfortably drive a moving van into. Most importantly, the payload is that of three human beings riding on the top of what amounts to a 36-story skyscraper filled with enough fuel to equal the energy of a small nuclear bomb.

I. Can’t. Stop. Watching. This. Video.

The adeptly chosen music playing in the background is from the Battlestar Galactica Season 2 soundtrack.

Saturn V Launch Views – High Speed Cams [YouTube link via Tom's Astronomy Blog]

In December 2009 a new room will be added to the International Space Station that will include a “cupola” — an observation deck with 360-degrees of windows. As you can see in the image above it looks like a small turret dome (although it doesn’t rotate) sticking out of the Node 3 room like a giant R2-D2 head. The panoramic view will be the perfect spot for astronauts to observe and photograph the earth and space, as well as offer better views to operate the station’s 57-foot robotic arm.

I always thought the ISS needed better windows, however one needs to consider the risks of such windows causing exposure to solar radiation and damage from micrometeorites. This observation deck certainly fits the bill and adds about +23 cool points to the ISS, as if it wasn’t awesome-tacular enough!

As an added bonus, now until March 20th NASA is letting the public vote on what name to give Node 3, which includes the cupola, when it gets added to the ISS. Click here to cast your vote at Nasa.gov.

Help NASA Name Node 3

On Wednesday, February 20th, sometime around 9:36pm CST, (coincidentally, nearly the same exact time as the total lunar eclipse) the Navy successfully hit the decaying spy satellite USA-193 with a missile launched from a ship somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

45-minutes ago from the AFP:

The US Defense Department said late Wednesday it had successfully used a ship-board missile to shoot down an out-of-control spy satellite before it plummeted to Earth.

“At approximately 10:26 pm today (0326 GMT Thursday), a US Navy Aegis warship, the USS Lake Erie, fired a single modified tactical standard missile 3, hitting the satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean as it travelled in space more than 17,000 miles (44,000 kilometers) per hour,” the Defense Department said in a statement.

The Pentagon reports that it could be 24 hours before they know if their primary objective, to destroy the large fuel tank full of toxic hydrazine propellant, was successful or not, though they do report viewing an explosion on impact.

Debris from the explosion will begin falling and burning up in the earth’s atmosphere immediately, and could continue for days. I don’t know about you, but if you’re in the projected ground path of where the satellite should have been, thats a ripe invitation to head outside and watch for an impromptu meteor debris shower over the next few nights.

On any accord, let’s pray to the Gods of All Things Awesome that somebody is going to share some video of the missile-on-satellite action. Please!

US shoots down rogue spy satellite – AFP

President Bush has approved a plan by the Pentagon to use a Navy missile to shoot down the defunct spy satellite that has been falling from orbit since late January. Originally, the National Security Council considered letting the satellite re-enter the earth’s atmosphere on its own accord, betting on the fact that whatever small chunks weren’t burnt to a crisp would land harmlessly in an ocean or unpopulated area. Turns out, they don’t want to take that chance. “This is all about trying to reduce the danger to human beings,” Deputy National Security Adviser James Jeffrey said in an AP story. I’d bet that its also about the fact that this is a spy satellite after all, and they can’t have that top-secret equipment, no matter how crispy, fall into the wrong hands.

No specific date has been set, yet it is probable that the window of opportunity to blast the satellite before it enters the atmosphere will be within the next two weeks. My hope is that they will let us know when to expect the “PEW! PEW! PEW!” action so we can all grab our lawn chairs and enjoy the fireworks.

The Associated Press: US Plans to Shoot Down Broken Satellite