Starship Asterisk*

by **owlice** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:48 am

electronfairy wrote: It may be true that the "automatic backgrounder program" http://nightskylive.net/software/apod/ is not the property of APOD, but the desktop software used to update the image is promoted by APOD with a link directly from their site (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html). If the goal is to disclaim any responsibility for the failure of that software to deliver astronomy images, perhaps they should remove the link. It leaves one with the distinct impression that the application is sanctioned by APOD.

As has been explained elsewhere, the developer of that software and the APOD editors are aware of the bug. Also, the editors like to make APOD viewers aware of things related to APOD that others produce as a courtesy.

by **electronfairy** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:26 am

bystander wrote: The application is 3rd party software and is not the property of APOD. The images you have been seeing are from links within the APOD text. APOD has not been hacked. See: http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=23005 , http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=23245 , and the link from today's APOD, opportunities to see.

It may be true that the "automatic backgrounder program" http://nightskylive.net/software/apod/ is not the property of APOD, but the desktop software used to update the image is promoted by APOD with a link directly from their site (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html). If the goal is to disclaim any responsibility for the failure of that software to deliver astronomy images, perhaps they should remove the link. It leaves one with the distinct impression that the application is sanctioned by APOD.

by **biddie67** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:34 pm

With all the above flaps about strange unexpected pictures appearing on desktops and unwieldy 3rd party apps, I hesitate to voice my particular frustrations with wonderful APODs like todays.

I have only an old country-type dialup connection and I have found that I can't even attempt to down load a video like this - much less an HD formatted one!!

And so I have to enjoy this video via the various positive comments and just dream of the day that I can get a connection more capable of handling fine videos as above .....

by **bystander** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:05 pm

Try In The Land Of The Northern Lights by Ole Christian Salomonsen. It's still time-lapse, but according to the filmmaker it's presented in near real time. Regardless, it's a fascinating video.

http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=23233

by **florid_snow** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:57 pm

Does anyone have any links to a good real time *not time-lapsed* video of an aurora? The time lapses are cool, I suppose, but if you only ever saw time lapse movies of clouds, or flowers, etc, wouldn't you feel like you were missing part of the picture? Some day I wish to see it with my own eyes, but until then living at my low lat., I wish for a real time aurora video.

Edit: Found a great one! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BXtTMHGWq4
Especially around 1:40 into the video. Wow! Why does anyone show time lapses of this? It's like eating a steak as fast as you can. Take your time, aurora filmers, if you have the camera to do so.

by **Pegasus** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:34 pm

Thanks bystander, I was able to find and see the amazingly beautiful video. It's just that that's not what shows up on the APOD page, yet no one else seems to be having this problem. Weird!

Edited: Figured it out! "Old tab fatigue." Opening a fresh tab did the trick. Thx bystander!

by **orin stepanek** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:18 pm

I saw all the links fine, The cat in the fishbowl represents opportunities to see; a little bit of humor. The vimeo came in fine.

I think a lot depends on witch sites a person's security trusts.

by **bystander** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 7:27 pm

You can see the video on Vimeo:
http://vimeo.com/21294655
http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=23216

by **Pegasus** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 7:15 pm

Am I the only one who's getting the Cassini fly-by time-lapse movie on today's page instead of the Norway aurora?? The text description below it describes the Norway clips but the movie itself is the Cassini-Saturn fly-by that was posted a few weeks back.

by AC » Mon Mar 28, 2011 7:00 pm

The video does not work. Next time, try posting the mp4 link so people can actually watch it.

by **NoelC** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 5:26 pm

I'm sure it's a beautiful video. Initially, I cannot see it. Why? Because it is hosted off another site, which I have not chosen to trust.

A reasonable way to run a Windows system is to set Internet Explorer to distrust every site in the "Internet Zone", so as not to allow any active content from such a site to run. This is how I manage my system. I do occasionally add sites to my "Trusted Sites" list that 1) don't deliver ad content and 2) are folks I choose to trust. Nasa.gov is one such domain, and is in my Trusted Sites list.

May I request that if you're sure the content of a video (or other active format) is safe for consumption by others, that you copy it to your own web site. You will, of course, need to be sure your servers can handle the high load. This should be no problem for NASA.

I have a workaround, which is to run Safari and accept a bit more risk for this particular page.

-Noel

by **bystander** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:57 pm

carlynslo wrote:Aurora means dawn, not Northern Lights.

Aurora does indeed mean dawn, after the Roman goddess of the dawn, but like most words, it has another meaning: "a luminous phenomenon that consists of streamers or arches of light appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet's magnetic polar regions and is caused by the emission of light from atoms excited by electrons accelerated along the planet's magnetic field lines." Specifically, aurora borealis is the northern lights and aurora australis is the southern lights.

by **carlynslo** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:28 pm

Aurora means dawn, not Northern Lights. Other than that little blip, the videos were stunning and wonderful

by **ani** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:14 pm

That was awesome. Thank you so much.

by **bystander** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:36 pm

dadoss314 wrote:To the person that replied to my post thank you, I was at a friends cube several years ago and noticed the very beautiful images that they always had as background and asked about it, they told me to go to APOD website and download the application, this is why my thought is, that this is the source of the images and I do not think that the "Editors" would intentionally place in appropriate material there, that there is an area that is unsecured that the images are stored in, I just ask that some investigation be conducted to determine what and why this has occurred over just the last few months, thanks. I have note received anything horrible just that in this day and age, and innocent error can get blown up if good people are not made aware of a problem. Have a great day and starry Night.

The application is 3rd party software and is not the property of APOD. The images you have been seeing are from links within the APOD text. APOD has not been hacked. See: http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=23005 , http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=23245 , and the link from today's APOD, opportunities to see.

by **dadoss314** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:30 pm

To the person that replied to my post thank you, I was at a friends cube several years ago and noticed the very beautiful images that they always had as background and asked about it, they told me to go to APOD website and download the application, this is why my thought is, that this is the source of the images and I do not think that the "Editors" would intentionally place in appropriate material there, that there is an area that is unsecured that the images are stored in, I just ask that some investigation be conducted to determine what and why this has occurred over just the last few months, thanks. I have note received anything horrible just that in this day and age, and innocent error can get blown up if good people are not made aware of a problem. Have a great day and starry Night.

by **moonstruck** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:17 pm

Beautiful video and we didn't even have to go to Norway to enjoy.

by **bystander** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:01 pm

electronfairy wrote:Could a related .jpg be embedded in the description instead so that APOD desktop users don't see a cat?

dadoss314 wrote:Dear APOD for about three years I've been using you as my wall paper, with great delight, but over the last couple of months I have received several images that were not related to Astronomy, I fear that some day I will come to work and have a very wrong photo on my desktop, due to this risk I can no longer use your website for this purpose, sorry, hope that you are able to be more secure in the future. Note I have also in the past directed friends, co-workers, students and family to your website, I will no longer be able to do this with confidence that your site will not publish some random pornographic image.

While I agree that electronfairy's request is perfectly reasonable, and shouldn't be that difficult to grant, dadoss314's fears are completely unfounded. If you checked, I think you would find that all the unrelated images you have seen have come from links within the APOD text. I find it highly unlikely the editor's will be including any random pornographic images. Don't blame APOD for the failure of whatever widget you use to post APOD images on your desktop as a background.

by **mexhunter** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:45 pm

Spectacular and beautiful timelapse.
Greetings
César

by **dadoss314** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:27 pm

Dear APOD for about three years I've been using you as my wall paper, with great delight, but over the last couple of months I have received several images that were not related to Astronomy, I fear that some day I will come to work and have a very wrong photo on my desktop, due to this risk I can no longer use your website for this purpose, sorry, hope that you are able to be more secure in the future. Note I have also in the past directed friends, co-workers, students and family to your website, I will no longer be able to do this with confidence that your site will not publish some random pornographic image.

by **electronfairy** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:46 pm

SPECTACULAR movie!

Could a related .jpg be embedded in the description instead so that APOD desktop users don't see a cat? (http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Humor/Cats/Curious.jpg)

by **alanrt1** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:41 pm

Has anyone analyzed the time frame from 1:35:00 on this video? Watch the blue spot in the center of the screen.

by **bystander** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:40 pm

domsel wrote:I think this time-lapse movie from Tromsø, Norway is even more spectacular:

http://vimeo.com/21419634

I can't stop watching it.

http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=23233

by **domsel** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:21 pm

I think this time-lapse movie from Tromsø, Norway is even more spectacular:

http://vimeo.com/21419634

I can't stop watching it.

by **geckzilla** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:56 am

Guest wrote:Once again APOD have published a 'picture' which crashes my browser - once again I've had to modify my prefs.js manually to remove APOD as my home page.

Without more information, it's impossible to debug this. It could be that you need to update your browser. I'm looking at the page with Firefox right now and am not getting any errors. Today's APOD is just an iframe with the vimeo page inside it.

Starship Asterisk*

APOD: Time Lapse Auroras Over Norway (2011 Mar 28)

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