Eventful

      Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

MARS MORNING: Our Monday started with a NASA press conference announcing liquid water flows on Mars today.

That's a pretty big deal. 

It certainly boosts the odds that life could exist right now on the Red Planet. That, and it's a potential game changer when it comes to humans traveling to Mars. If potable water can be sourced on site, that would make living on the planet *much* more feasible.

The photo above is of dark, narrow streaks called recurring slope lineae (RSL) on the walls of Mars’ Garni crater. It was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The RSL are up to a few hundred meters in length, and we spent an hour plus listening to why experts now believe they are thought to be formed by the flow of salty liquid water.


Naturally, you can read lots more about this monumental discovery on NASA's Web site. 

Just a couple of days before this big announcement, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to visit NASA's Journey to Mars exhibit at the Museum of Flight.

 CJ and Annabelle were happy to jump right in to a spacesuit!

They also admired a small scale inflatable Space Launch System mock up. SLS is the rocket ship that will some day take humans to Mars. 

They took a moment to take a selfie, with the help of a stand up kiosk in the Space Gallery.

It looks like the photo opp was courtesy of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, an agency ''responsible for developing the crosscutting, pioneering, new technologies and capabilities needed by the agency to achieve its current and future missions."

A NASA engineer was manning a station where people could take on a LEGO build challenge. The goal was to build a launch pad, a rocket, and a satellite. Each component had to be built to spec.

Fortunately, the kids were up to the challenge and their construct received the NASA engineer's seal of approval! All systems go for Mars!

While we loved getting all the NASA swag and seeing the special stations there for the Journey to Mars day, the big attraction was getting to meet astronaut Jeanette Epps!

She was absolutely lovely with the kids - so sweet. She told us she's one of seven children, spanning 11 years in age difference, and that she has a twin sister. 

Dr. Epps is a CIA intelligence officer, has a bachelor's degree in physics, and a PhD in aerospace engineering. (How's THAT for a resume? Yowza!)  Epps was selected as an astronaut candidate in 2009, and qualified in 2011.

While she hasn't had a chance to travel to space yet, she spent nine days as an aquanaut, living on the ocean floor!

 Can you imagine? Look at how close together the sleeping quarters were for she and the other aquanauts on the adventure. Fortunately, she said the crew had a great time and enjoyed each others' company.

In addition to meeting astronaut Epps and listening to a short presentation from her, we watched a NASA video called "No Small Steps." It was all about the Space Launch System, and the many, many steps it will take to move from designs and drawings to actual spaceflight.

We watched a couple of videos about SLS, including this one. ...

https://youtu.be/dOOHJrqIJqY

And here are a couple of stills from another ...

Of course, since we were at the Museum of Flight, the kids couldn't help but check out some of the favorite and familiar displays, including an air rocket launch.

 And Annabelle took a couple of minutes to build a satellite.

On our way back toward the center of the city, we noticed a wonderfully nerdy Seahawks' booster sign hanging on Aviation High School

(For those who aren't Seahawks fans, most of the banners 'round town have a big 12 of them, as the "Twelves" are the team's fan base, as in the 12th man - or woman - on the field.)

A SHORT EXPERIENCE: After spending the morning at the Museum of Flight, our next stop was Experience Music Project at Seattle Center. Normally, we wouldn't go anywhere near there on a Saturday (too busy!), but we made an exception because we had free admission tickets thanks to the Smithsonian Museum Day program.

The place was packed. As in CrAzY busy. It was hard to really see or do anything, but in the Indie Game Revolution part of the museum, the kids were stoked to get to play one of their favorite games ever, Tenya Wanya Teens, "a silly party game for two players, each grappling with sixteen buttons."

It's enormously fun to play - or just watch. 

We also squeezed our way into the Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction section for a quick run through.

This alien above, Sarris, from "Galaxy Quest," is pretty darn terrifying.

I loved this shot I got of CJ in a relatively quiet corner of the exhibit.

LUNAR MODULE: Our Sunday evening was all about the moon. 

It wasn't just any old moon, but it was a total lunar eclipse during a super moon (a full moon, near the Earth). Woot!  This short NASA video does a great job explaining it all. https://youtu.be/vKAw_wrIr5s

We were so happy Seattle had relatively clear skies for the event, which doesn't happen very often. The last one was in 1982, and next one won't occur until 2033.

We headed to the east side of Queen Anne Hill for an unobstructed (except for the Cascade Mountains) view to the east, for moon rise. 

When we arrived on site, I made a quick decision to station the family right next to the one and only person with a HUGE telescope on site. :) It was a good decision. He was very friendly and generous in sharing his scope.

As the time came, there were well over 100 people along the street there! The moon was supposed to rise just a couple of minutes before 7 p.m. However, at that time it was still pretty bright out, there was a haze on the horizon, and the Cascade Mountains were a formidable screen to the east. Couple that with the problem that the moon was supposed to be in full eclipse just 5 minutes or so after moonrise. We couldn't see a darn thing! 

By 7:10, we knew the moon *had* to be up, and I was staring intently at the horizon. I had zeroed in on an airplane's light in the distance. I noticed what I first thought was a wispy cloud just above, it but then I was pretty darn sure it was the curve of the lower right quadrant of the moon. I pointed it out to Annabelle and she announced (loudly) that she could see the moon. The buzz started circulating both directions from us, and we pointed out the spot. Sure 'enough, the moon became increasingly visible as it came out of total eclipse.

It was an electric atmosphere, with many teachable moments. (Many on the street were there because they knew it was going to be a 'cool' moon, but they weren't sure why it was so special.)

KIDDIE CONCERT: Friday was another fun day, as well. We drove up to Lynnwood, WA, for a free concert by one of our favorites, Caspar Babypants. 

You know we have to really love his music if I ventured into a (shudder) mall to take the kids to the show. 

Somewhat oddly, the 45 minute or so set was in the children's department in Nordstrom, if you can believe that. 

Given that the show time was during normal school hours, I figured it would be a preschool set. That presumption was correct. It was stroller gridlock, for sure.

The music was awesome and we saw lots of cute kiddos rocking out to the tunes. 

We also saw So Many examples of, well, poor parenting, IMHO. Seriously dozens of parents non-stop talking to their friends loudly during the show. If you don't want to listen to the music, how about just go wander the mall or whatever and blather? But no, instead, they model for their kids that it's fine to talktalktalktalk during a concert/show. And then there were a couple of parents who decided to let their kids clamber all over everything and everyone during the show, at 18-month-old-will. And then the parent would clamber all over everything and everyone, chasing and filming said kid on their 'smart' phone, meanwhile blocking and sometimes stepping on the views of wee ones. Super selfish. 

But other than that, it was super fun. Caspar Babypants is so much fun. :)