Month: October 2020

Space Sunday: flares and flights

Posted on by Inara Pey
Solar flares and coronal mass ejections have the potential to be massively disruptive, but fortunately, the Sun is of a nature that they are unlikely to be directly harmful to life on Earth on their own. Credit: NASA

As I noted a couple of weeks prior to this article (see: Space Sunday: 3D printed rockets; pi for a planet and solar cycles), our Sun is now entering its 25th (in terms of when formal record-keeping began) cycle of activity. Over the next few years it will become increasingly active with sun spot, flares and their associated events, reaching a peak in about 2025/26, before things once again start to settle down in the second half of this 11-year cycle.

Such events have the potential to interfere with modern life on Earth, particularly in disruption electronic and electrical systems, and present a very real radiation threat to astronauts. Fortunately, however, the Sun is mild-aged and so even its wilder outbursts are not now as bad as they could be, and a number of factors have to line up in order for them to directly affect us on this planet (as happened with the Carrington Event of 1859). Which is not to say we’re entirely safe: the Sun could decide to throw a particularly violent tantrum when Earth happens to be in (for us) the wrong place.

Solar activity is important, as it offers insight for the potential for life forming on other worlds. Take M-class red dwarf stars, for example. They are the most populous class of star in the galaxy, and many have been found to harbour planets (the TRAPPIST-1 system being the most famous) some of which occupying the so-called habitable zone around these stars that should make them good candidates for harbouring life.


It has been known for some time that solar flares can impact the atmospheres of exoplanets, as shown in this ESA video. The new study shows they can do much more

However, such is their size, M-class stars can host solar eruptions that can be 10,000 times more violent that the “average” solar event (flare + coronal mass ejection, or CME) experienced by the Sun and because of the convective nature of such small stars, they are more the norm than the exception. As the normal light / heat output from these stars a much lower than the Sun’s, any planets around them must orbit correspondingly close to the star than is the case within our own solar system. This means that they are potentially more prone to being impacted by these massive super flares, up to and including physically ripping away their atmospheres over time, raising the question as to just how this might affect their surface conditions and habitability for life as we know it.

A study of almost 30 of these M-dwarf stars just published in the Astrophysical Journal reveals that overall such super flares extremely limit the potential for anything but the hardiest micro-organism – although their presence early in a star’s life could actually initially help give life on a planet a helping kick-start,

The study used two sources to study the flaring of some 27 M-dwarf stars: NASA’s TESS “planet hunter” satellite, and the Evryscope Telescope array located at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile and operated UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. Both the telescope array and TESS were tasked with observing the candidate stars at the same time, allowing any flare activity on them to be simultaneously recorded.

Solar flares can be accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that see huge amounts of the sun’s surface ejected into space as plasmas and electro-magnetic radiation that can massively impact planets. In this image, a CME is clearly visible as a disk is used to block out that of the Sun as is it imaged by the ESA / NASA SOHO mission. Credit: ESA / NASA

As a super flare – which could last up to 15 minutes – occurred, measurements were taken every 2 minutes, generating a temperature profile for the flare from start to finish. This revealed a strong, if complicated, correlation between the overall temperature output of a super flare and the amount of deadly ultra-violet radiation it contained. In turn, this allowed the team to conclude that it is extremely likely that planets in close proximity to these stars will receive so much UV radiation, they are unlikely to support the survival all but the hardiest of micro-organism.

The report also notes that in particular, such super flares would likely quickly wreck any protective ozone layer that may form within a planet’s atmosphere, further limiting the development of life – but that conversely, they may initially be required to help impact ozone formation, in order to allow sufficient radiation to reach the surface of a planet in order to power pre-biotic chemistry that in turn may kick-start living processes.

The team behind the study point out that their data is a relatively fine sampling thus far, and more work is needed. They also note that the super flares captured in the study can be classified as “classic” – an event rising to single peak in terms of radiation, temperature, and outburst in a similar manner to our own solar flares – and “complex”: a solar flare that essentially “pulses” with multiple peaks of energy. The cause of these “complex” super flares is unknown, although they appear to be in the majority based on the sample recorded. The fact that they “pulse” with output means that their physical impact on planetary atmospheres is also liable to more complicated than a direct cause / effect correlation seen with “classic” flares.

Even so, the findings open up a new avenue of study for understanding the potential habitability of exoplanets close to M-dwarf stars, and the result have already tended to correlate a 2018 study that suggests the planet found orbiting our nearest stellar neighbour, Proxima Centauri is unlikely to be life-bearing due to it being impacted by similar super flares.

Spaceflight Round-Up

Crew-1 Delayed

NASA Crew-1: Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins, and Soichi Noguchi. Credit: NASA

The first operational flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon to the International space Station has been delayed.

The flight, which will carry a crew of four – NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins, and JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi – to the ISS, had been scheduled to lift-off from Kennedy Space Centre on October 31st. However, on October 10th, NASA announced the flight will be held over until at least mid-November.

No formal reason for the delay has been given;  however the scrubbing of a Falcon 9 launch just 2 seconds before lift-off is being seen as a possible cause. That launch, on October 2nd, of a GPS 3 satellite, was aborted due to what Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO described as an “unexpected pressure rise in the turbomachinery gas generator.”  It has yet to be rescheduled.

The first stage units of both that rocket and the one for the Crew-1 flight have never previously flown, so some have theorised the delay to Crew-1 is to give time for SpaceX to evaluate the problem and ensure it is not something endemic to newer Falcon 9 boosters. Certainly, the GPS 3 launch scrub didn’t prevent SpaceX from launching a further batch of its Starlink Internet satellites using a previously-flown Falcon 9 first stage.

Continue reading “Space Sunday: flares and flights” →

A Space Oddity at Itakos Project in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Itakos Project: Space Oddity by Caly Applewhyte

October sees Akim Alonzo’s Itakos Project gallery host an exhibition of art that chimed a strong bell with me, thanks in part to my cosmological interest in astronomy, space exploration and science fiction. Located in the Black hall of the gallery, Space Oddity features a selection of 14 images that are predominantly monochrome in tone, with just touches of colour that give them an almost heartbeat-like splash of life.

It’s an exhibition that apparently grew out of a common interest both Caly and Akim share for the beauty of deep space, and also a mutual love of the music of David Bowie. Given Caly’s attraction to things like cybernetic enhancements and the use of prostheses in her avatar images, these interests combine to present a selection of 14 pieces that are framed by two stanzas from Bowie’s 1969 single, Space Oddity, released just five days ahead of the launch of Apollo 11 and which itself drew inspiration from the Kubrick / Clarke masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating in the most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today

– David Bowie, Space Oddity, 1969

These 14 images take us on a voyage, one that wonderfully encompasses several elements, all of which could be said to be reflective of thoughts of space – inner and outer – whilst touching on elements of identity and of human progression and the state of the world around us.

Itakos Project: Space Oddity by Caly Applewhyte

Intentional or not, the offered images appear to be split into three groups, each with its own story, each of which it turn goes beyond the subject our deep space.

On entering the hall and turning to the left, the far end features a series of avatar images set against backdrops that seem to offer up views of who we are and what we might become, indicated by the various cybernetic and machine elements evident in some, and also by the almost tribal-like markings, some red and some blue. They also frame both the reality of our place in the cosmos (star fields and black voids suggestive of endless space) and the conceit that once attempted to put us at the centre of the universe (a head at the centre of an orrery, the planets orbiting around it).

A further set show a hardsuited figure on a planetary surface, mechanical hands clutching a posey of daisies. These again perhaps offer a mix of themes. On the one hand, they could indicate the wonder of the universe that somewhere out there, one day, on another world, we may well encounter the beauty of life (represented by the daises), that we will cherish. But  might they also tell other stories? One perhaps that not matter how far we progress in space, Earth – as represented by the daisies – will always call to us? Or another that stands as a warning that if we do not start nurturing the world around us, the only way we might come to see its open spaces is from within the confines of hardsuits, the promise of life a scarce an precious find within its barren fields?

Itakos Project: Space Oddity by Caly Applewhyte

For here am I sitting in my tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do

– David Bowie, Space Oddity, 1969

The final group of images take us to the original theme of the exhibition as discussed by Caly and Akim: that of floating in space. But here again the interpretation of the images is mixed.

On the one hand, the presence of the odd little fish, with their translucent scales revealing their skeletal forms suggest some of these images don’t represent outer space, but the inner space of an ocean. But is this again the ocean of another world, and the fish its strange inhabitants? Or is it a reminder that there is a vast “cosmos” around us on this very planet within the oceans that make up the majority of its surface, there is much that we have yet to discover – including the wonder of lifeforms of which we’ve remained ignorant for so long? It is, again for you to decide the narrative – although, as with the other images, selecting one story does not exclude any of these others.

Itakos Project: Space Oddity by Caly Applewhyte

Multi-layered, beautifully presented Space Oddity is a marvellously engaging exhibit that should be seen by all who appreciate art that stirs both the heart and the mind.

SLurl Details

Time Remains in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Time Remains, October 2020 – click any image for full size
Travel through Time along a beach side woodland.

So reads the description for Time Remains, the Hometead region held and designed by Aura (Akiko Tripsa). It’s a place we dropped into back in September (thanks, again, to the pointer from Shawn Shakespeare), but which I’ve just got around to writing about – so my apologies to Aura for the delay.

Time Remains, October 2020

Bracketed in a couple of corners by curtains of rock, the setting is generally low-lying and split into three islands, two of which lie to the east side of the region and run north-to south, separated by a narrow channel of water. The third occupies the south-western side of the region, a bay of restless water to its north.

A small south-facing headland on the southernmost of the east side islands is home to the landing point, a large gazebo offering group information and a nearby sign informing you that you’re about to enter someone’s dream. Pass through an arch beyond the sign, and you’ll find yourself in an area enigmatically called Past – the remaining islands forming Present and Future.

Time Remains, October 2020

To what these labels might refer is open to personal interpretation. Could they designed to trigger thoughts of our own lives and relationship? Are they more general labels simply to distinguish the three islands, or do they have more of a personal meaning for Aura? These are questions that visitors might ponder as they wander under the shade of trees, over the short grass and  along the occasional paved roads and paths.

Certainly, there is nothing specific is terms of décor that might tie one of the islands to its label – Present, for example, has a building that his hints of the 1960s and 70’s about it, while Future is firmly rooted in the décor found throughout all three islands. All of this adds to the enigmatic attractiveness to the region as a whole.

Time Remains, October 2020

Buildings lie scattered across all three islands, some in better condition than others. They all offer multiple places to hang-out when visiting, each uniquely dressed with its own identity. Some appear to  mix periods, as noted above, others lie as simple places to sit and cuddle with a few added accoutrements of comfort, still others of suggestions place places in regular use – artists’ corners and the like. All are engaging in their design and set out in such a way that even when two or three are gathered together, the spirit of privacy sits between them.

The beach mentioned in the About Land description skirts the edges of the two eastern islands, forming a ribbon along one and almost encircling the other. Comprising shingle rather than sand, it forms a natural edge to both islands that neatly separates their green coast with a colder cast of the waters around them without being too bright a marker of the division, as might be the case were it to be sandy in nature.

Time Remains, October 2020

While bushes may in places indicate set routes through parts of the islands, together with ladders focusing visitors towards certain points when move between different elevations in the slightly undulating landscape, this is really a place where the feet can pretty much carry you where they will.  This is turn allows for natural discoveries to be made along the way – such as the field of aged pianos – to be made quite naturally. Not even the short stretches of road and sidewalk found with some of the buildings demand people necessarily follow them. Thus, Time Remains invites open and free-form exploration, the individual buildings an locations found throughout not only offering places to sit and pass the time, but also for photography and posing.

Engaging, photogenic, rich in small details that catch the eye, Time Remains makes for an ideal visit for both the Second Life explorer and photographer.

Time Remains, October 2020

SLurl Details

Poppy and Thus at Third Eye Gallery in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Third Eye Gallery: Thus Yootz

The October 2020 exhibition at the Third Eye Gallery, curated by Jaz (Jessamine2108), brings with it a selection of art by Poppy (Popikone) and a second by Thus Yootz, both of who present pieces that are captivating to the eye and rich in narrative.

Poppy is a physical world photographer who discovered Second Life somewhat by chance: whilst entering various physical world photo challenges presented through Flickr she came across the work of Second Life photographer and became entranced by what she saw to the point of signing-up and getting involved. Since joining, she has become deeply involved in in-world photography to the point that she notes she has a backlog of around 2,000 images she has yet to process and upload.

Third Eye Gallery: Poppy (Popikone)

Despite this, Poppy has never publicly exhibited her work in SL until Jaz approached her about this exhibition. Within it, she presents 26 images that are somewhat thematically defined as you view them, with some focused on water and boats, others on landscapes, and others on avatar and art. These are presented in a number of styles, some of which are mindful of painting styles (Girl in Blue) for example, with its Neo Impressionism overtones), others of which might be said to lean more towards Expressionism or Abstract). Many have a rich vein of narrative within them, some quite captivatingly so, while her use of colour brings her landscape images very much to life.

Third Eye Gallery: Poppy (Popikone)

Narrative is also very much present within Thus Yootz’s work. With an MA in art, Thus has no fear in experimenting in style and genre, and here she presents a total of nine pieces, each individual and unique, encompassing a range of themes as well as artistic styles. Within some, there is a sense of abstract expressed through the use of colour (I Wish the fog would Lift and Sunny Summer Filled with Colour). Others offer rich studies, and I found myself particularly drawn to Sola Festa and – most particularly – Fantasy Garden Statues, which has a stunning depth and richness of story to it that is remarkable.

This is only the third time I’ve witnessed Thus’ work on display, and as the first two times her work was part of a larger ensemble exhibition, it is the first time I’ve been able to study it in the depth it deserves – and I hope to see more in the future as it is genuinely evocative.

Third Eye Gallery: Thus Yootz

Similarly, I hope that following this exhibition, Poppy will accept further opportunities to display her work – and gallery owners will seek her out as well, as she is richly deserving of the opportunity.

SLurl Details

October 2020 WUG summary with SL Mobile news

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Web User Group meeting venue, Denby

The following notes are taken from my recording of the Web User Group (WUG) meeting, held on Wednesday, October 7th, 2020. These meetings are generally held on the first Wednesday of the month, with dates and venue details available via the Web User Group wiki page.

When reading these notes, please keep in mind:

  • This is not intended as a chronological transcript of the meeting. Items are drawn together by topic, although they may have been discussed at different points in the meeting.
  • Similarly, and if included, any audio extracts appearing in these summaries are presented by topic heading, rather than any chronological order in which they may have been raised during the meeting (e.g. if “topic X” is mentioned early in a meeting and then again half-way through a meeting, any audio comments related to that topic that might be included in these reports will be concatenated into a single audio extract.

Web Properties Updates

The primary focus remains on uplift work, and while there have been updates to some of the user-facing web properties and image updates for web pages to reflect the season, and some new pages for events such as the September Titmouse event (see: Second Life to have a smashing time with Titmouse) there was not much to report.

There should be more news on web updates available at the next WUG meeting in November.

General Uplift Notes

See also my recent TPV Developer meeting and CCUG meeting notes.

In general, the Lab’s aim is to have all uplift work completed by the year-end.

  • This is getting all services and properties running via cloud services without additional work on making improvements (unless it makes specific sense to make changes as a part of the uplift process, as we saw with region crossings recently).
  • Improvements will follow-on from the initial uplift work as the Lab gains greater familiarity with running services in the cloud.
  • Similarly, there are no plans to offer new land products or alter the capabilities of the existing region types on completion of the uplift (although it has been indicated elsewhere these may come over time in the future).
  • There will obviously be a resumption in region availability once the uplift work has been completed.
  • The end-of-year target is a fairly “hard” target, with the caveat that the unexpected can happen to delay things – although that doesn’t appear to have happened thus far.

Mobile Client

iOS

  • The iOS version of the mobile client was submitted to Apple for review – and was rejected. LL is currently working to address the issues as a part of Apple’s review.
  • Once this has been done, the app will again go through LL’s QA process and then be re-submitted to Apple for evaluation / App Store listing,
  • The version currently remains available to those on the closed Alpha only.
  • Interestingly, the Lab’s data suggests to them that the number of users with iOS is slightly greater than those with Android, although it’s not clear had this data is derived.

Android

  • The android version is still being developed, but remains “some way” behind the iOS version.
  • Currently it is not ready for any user-based testing.

General Points of Note

Please also refer to my periodic SL Mobile updates, which are made as and when there are significant updates in the status of the client.)

  • It is initially intended to be a communications app, aimed at allowing those who are away from their their usual means of access Second Life to communicate with friends via IM.
  • This means that the initial release will not have capabilities such as world rendering, support for making sales / purchases through it, etc.
  • However, the client will be enhanced over time.
    • Group and group chat functionally were specifically mentioned, so might be the first set of enhancements.
    • Inventory management was also mentioned, as is apparently being considered, but is described as having its own “own bucket or twelve of worms”, so no decision on if / when it may appear has as yet been made.

As an aside, for those who point to the likes of Lumiya and its capabilities and ask why the LL client isn’t offering the same right from launch, it’s worth remembering that Lumiya took several years to develop its capabilities  iteratively – it wasn’t launched with all of its features fully-fledged.  This is the route the Lab is trying to take with their mobile client.

Marketplace

Demos

  • In general, demo version of items on the Marketplace should be linked to the full version.
  • There are reports that since making demo items filterable in search, there has been an increase in unlinked demo items
  • It’s not clear if this is because people are trying to avoid the filter, or that incoming new merchants simply don’t understand they can link demos to full versions, or even if it is a functional limitation of the filter to pick-up all demo items.
  • The Lab will take a look at this, and ideas on how to improve the information given on creating listing are requested via feature request.

Suggestions

A number of suggestions for the MP were put forward at the meeting:

  • Add a feature similar to see on the old XStreetSL marketplace: a request for purchasers of items to provide a review.
  • Provide a means by which creators can enable a report their last log-in date on their stores / listings. The idea here is to increase the confidence of purchasers that they will receive after-sales support, etc., should it be required.
  • An option for a “Show Only # Star Reviews” (where # is the number of stars) and / or to show a summary of star reviews by #of stars (as with Amazon product listings).
  • LL have requested these all be submitted as feature requests.

Last Names

  • Last Names are still seeing a good response from Premium users.
  • LL might opt to offer a new selection of names to reflect the time of year – but again, this would be dependent upon the current volume of uplift work.
  • Currently, the Lab has around 10,277 names that could potentially be used over time.

Next Meeting

  • Wednesday, November 4th, 14:00 SLT.

The paths of Darkwood in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Return to Darkwood, October 2020

I’m actually not a great fan of the Halloween season. I’m not sure why; it’s just something that has never really held any significant appeal. However, within Second Life, there is one part of the spooky season (to use the overworked expression beloved of local news anchors on the TV) that I absolutely do enjoy each year – and that’s the annual Calas Galadhon Halloween region that Tymus Tenk and Truck Meredith put together as a creative tour de force for everyone to enjoy, both by exploring it and in attending the entertainments they and their team lay on throughout the month.

For 2020, Ty and Truck bring us Return to Darkwood, which takes as its foundation a theme we first saw in 2014 (see: Along the paths of the Darkwood, where the nightshade lay). However, I would suggest “return” is a bit of a misnomer, as it implies a revisit to a place seen before, and that is certainly not the case here: this is a wholly new take on the Darkwood theme. As such, I see it more of a continuation, offering us a further glimpse of a part of that realm that has – until now – remained hidden.

Return to Darkwood, October 2020

Occupying a  single region, Return to Darkwood brings us everything that makes Truck’s an Ty’s designs special. Exploration can be carried out on foot and there is the traditional tour  – this one via elven boat along the waterways of the wood and then through the air to reach (eventually) the events pavilion. Along the way there are numerous nods to the season, both dark and light, as well as touches of Tolkien, horror, dark fantasy and even The Scottish Play (in the form of three weird sisters who may well be asking one another, when shall we three meet again, in thunder, lighting or in rain?)

The landing point tells you all you need to know about exploring the region. Chief among these is that ALM should be used – but you can disable shadows  so as not to take a huge performance hit, as under the ambient lighting, these are simply not required for general appreciation of the setting (but can obviously used for photography). Do make sure local sounds are enabled, as once again there is a immersive sound scape to enjoy throughout the setting, whilst for those who like a little music, a carefully selected audio stream has been put together. Torches of the flammable and battery varies are also available (together with a backpack gift for Calas group members), but whether you need one of these or not is a matter of choice.

Darkwood, October 2020

From the landing point it is a short walk to both the start of the boat tour and the path that winds through the Darkwood realm. Which you take is up to you – but I do recommend taking both, if not necessarily back-to-back;  part of the joy with the Calas themed regions is they offer plenty of opportunities for return visits than can add to the experience.

Certainly, the boat tour will give you a feel for the region as it winds through the rivers and creeks of the land before finally taking to the air to offer a touch of Tolkien (“the eagles are coming!”) and eventually delivering you to the floating islands where the events pavilion resides. The ride takes about 30-40 minutes, so if you’re heading for one of the region’s music events, why not arrive early and use the tour to explore and ride up to the music?

For those on foot, the way is marked (mostly!) by a path that winds through the shadows of the the trees and over and under rock and across mires and mists, lit periodically by flaming torches with the route occasionally hinted at by sign-posts. How helpful these might prove to be is a matter of following them; while they might point the way, their notation tends to be variable – “?” for example, or “Don’t Get Lost” – all of which add to the fun.

Return to Darkwood, October 2020

Nor is the path necessarily direct; forks are to be found, some of which lead to major features of the Darkwood – such as the mouldering village on  the mire. Others, however might appear to offer a quick route through a spot – but as Tolkien once noted, short cuts can make for long delays, and at least one of these routes may have arachnophobes like me shivering and turning back or hurrying on as rapidly as possible!

Not that it is all darkness and scares. Like Mirkwood of The Hobbit, there is a tale to tell with the Darkwood, one that reveals it was once a brighter, more welcoming place. Within one clearing, for example, can be found memories of an elven presence: an ageing pavilion with a sculpture of elven lovers close to hand, while just beyond, light still pours forth from a symbol of hope which – for me at least – carries a wonderful mythological symbolism from Tolkien: the Earth cupped in Yavnna’s hands,  held aloft in light as the Ainur circle it and Eru Ilúvatar looks on.

Return to Darkwood, October 2020

Ultimately,of course, the aim is to reach the portal that will carry you up to the floating islands. To find that, all I’ll say is (and going totally off-topic to  quote Star Trek!) climb the stairs, Jim! (Hey, Star Trek isn’t so off-topic, remember Catspaw?!).  The portal will deliver those who find it a short walk to the pavilion proper, whilst for those arriving by the boat tour,the walk is a little longer – but it will carry you past the arrival portal, allowing you to easily hop back to the landing point and start explorations on foot if you wish.

Visitors to the Darkwood are encouraged to dress for a visit – although this is not an absolute requirement. The choices are many, from outright horror to fantasy to dark elves and drow to – as I witnessed during my return to take photos – characters from Tolkien and other fantasy works (seeing Balin the Dwarf exploring with Jon Snow close by was interesting!).

Darkwood Pavilion schedule of events

The schedule of events for Darkwood is above, and I’ve included a direct SLurl to the pavilion for those who wish to hop to an event and then explore afterwards.

SLurl Details

Enchanted Rock is rated Moderate.