Martian Snow Cone

The photo of water ice in a Martian crater makes me think of a lucious summer dessert at an expensive restaurant:
This image, and others, can be viewed at the ESA’s Mars Express website:

The HRSC [High Resolution Stereo Camera] obtained these images during orbit 1343 with a ground resolution of approximately 15 metres per pixel. The unnamed impact crater is located on Vastitas Borealis, a broad plain that covers much of Mars's far northern latitudes, at approximately 70.5° North and 103° East.
The crater is 35 kilometres wide and has a maximum depth of approximately 2 kilometres beneath the crater rim. The circular patch of bright material located at the centre of the crater is residual water ice.
This white patch is present all year round, as the temperature and pressure conditions do not favour the sublimation of water ice.
It cannot be frozen carbon dioxide since carbon dioxide ice had already disappeared from the north polar cap at the time the image was taken (late summer in the Martian northern hemisphere).

Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

Boubacar Traore in Arden

Mali guitar legend Boubacar Traore in Arden, September 21, 2005:

NASA called it a smashing success

I posted this cool photo over at tommywonk in July:
NASA called the mission a smashing success:

This spectacular image of comet Tempel 1 was taken 67 seconds after it obliterated Deep Impact's impactor spacecraft. The image was taken by the high-resolution camera on the mission's flyby craft. Scattered light from the collision saturated the camera's detector, creating the bright splash seen here. Linear spokes of light radiate away from the impact site, while reflected sunlight illuminates most of the comet surface. The image reveals topographic features, including ridges, scalloped edges and possibly impact craters formed long ago.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD

French Toast at the Philly Folk Fest

French Toast brought its Cape Breton dance music back to the PFF dance tent this year.

Hurdy-gurdy player Michelle McCann is also the Wednesday 6:00 AM "Java Time" DJ on WVUD. Michelle's socks were one of the Fest highlights for me this year.
Here she displays what is known in the music biz as a well turned ankle.

Welcome to tommywonk photos!

Having posted enough photos (mine and others) over at tommywonk, I've created a blog specifically for photos etc. Enjoy.