Update April 19, 2020: I made a longer, higher resolution version which you can find here.
Here's an animation showing a year of global cloud cover (from July 2017 to July 2018) :
The clouds are sourced from the free daily download at xplanet. I run a Google apps script that saves a copy of the image to Google Drive every day (basically the same as this script to save Nest cam images). The hard part was waiting a year to get enough frames. Xplanet combines GEOS, METEOSAT and GMS satellite imagery with some reflection near the poles. Although I didn't need to for this project note that you can subscribe to higher quality / more frequent downloads.
As well as the clouds you can also see the terminator between day and night change shape over the course of the year. This video starts and ends with the Summer equinox when days are longest in the Northern hemisphere.
Where it's nighttime the image is based on NASA's Black Marble. The daytime is based on Blue Marble, but blended with a different older image which has better ocean colors and interpolated daily between twelve monthly Blue Marble satellite images. The result of this is that you can see snow and ice coverage changing over the course of the year. If you look closely you'll also notice vegetation growing and dying back with the seasons.
Rendered in a slightly modified build of Catfood Earth (the main release doesn't know how to access my private cache of xplanet cloud images). As well as combining day, night and cloud images Catfood Earth can also show you earthquakes, volcanoes, US weather radar, political borders, places and time zones. It has been enlivening Windows desktop wallpaper for fifteen years now (as shareware back when that was a thing, these days it's a free download for Windows and Android).
(Published to the Fediverse as: Animation of a year of Global Cloud Cover #code #software #video #animation #appsscript #drive #earth #nasa #xplanet Timelapse video showing cloud cover, day and night and changing seasons. Rendered in Catfood Earth. )
Summer starts now in the Northern Hemisphere and the Sun is at its highest point in the sky. For those in the Southern Hemisphere I'm sorry to report that the opposite is true. Rendered in Catfood Earth.
(Previously, Previously, Previously, Previously, Previously)
If you're going to read Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber don't decide to follow that up with Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk.
5/5
I'm not entirely sure if this is a bullshit book or not, but it was brilliantly written and provocative (and largely persuasive).
3/5
3/5
3/5
Having read (and loved) The Information I was expecting something similar. Time Travel is far more of a literary review than a popular science book. It touches on relativity and quantum physics but not in any great depth and spends far more time dissecting H. G. Wells.
3/5
Photo of the moon, taken with a Sony RX10 Mk 2 super zoom camera.
The photograph titled "Moon" presents a striking, detailed portrait of Earth’s only natural satellite. Positioned centrally, the luminous orb commands the viewer's attention, set against an inky black canvas of night sky. The moon's surface, dotted with an array of craters, reveals an enigmatic landscape of shadow and light, whispering stories of ancient celestial impacts. Variations in texture and tone spread across the surface, ranging from pure whites to deep grays, adding depth and dimensionality. This stark contrast accentuates the moon’s pockmarked face, inviting observers to linger on each crater and mare, lost in quiet contemplation.
In terms of style and composition, this photograph embraces minimalism, focusing entirely on the moon without any distractions. The use of a centered composition gives the celestial body a sense of balance and symmetry, aligning with traditional notions of harmony. The exposure is well managed, ensuring the details of the moon's surface are captured without overexposing the highlights, although the shadows lack a bit of definition. The simplicity of the black background enhances the subject’s prominence, though it could be argued that a touch of surrounding starry sky might add context. There’s a pristine clarity that exemplifies technical expertise, yet the image might benefit from a creative touch or narrative element to elevate its emotional resonance.
(Published to the Fediverse as: Moon #photo #moon Photo of The Moon (Sony RX10 MK2) 600mm equivalent. )
In The Guardian Dambisa Moyo proposes a test to improve the quality of the electorate:
"...why not give all voters a test of their knowledge? This would ensure minimum standards that should lead to higher-quality decision-making by the electorate."
However:
"Of course, such a system would be truly democratic only if everybody had a fair chance of casting their vote. It is vital that those with fewer life opportunities have their say, and we cannot have a system that is skewed against the worst educated..."
So the idea is a test of minimum standards that in some way is not biased against the worst educated? Or that we could only impose such a system once education has improved to the point where is is no longer needed?
Maybe we just need a test to improve the quality of Guardian opinion pieces.
For the service of telling UPS that I'm not in today and so they can save a whole bunch of time and money by not failing to deliver a package they want to charge me $5? This is UPS My Choice.
Here's a different take on the timelapse I posted yesterday (Jupiter from Casini Ranch):
For this version each frame is built from the cumulative maximum pixel value for all the previous frames. So it's like a long exposure with nice star trails (and Jupiter, and at various points a couple of satellites and a plane).
(Published to the Fediverse as: Star Trails #timelapse #video #stars #jupiter Time lapse of star trails above Casini Range Family Campground in Sonoma County, California. )
Limantour beach in Point Reyes, created from the average of hundreds of photos.
The photograph titled "Average Beach" captures the serene, quiet expanse of a sandy shoreline meeting the gentle embrace of a calm sea. The image is imbued with a soft, muted palette of sandy browns and pale blues, invoking a sense of peace and tranquility. In the background, a distant silhouette of low hills rests beneath a sky that appears softly blanketed in gentle clouds. The forefront of the image, dominated by the texture of fine, undisturbed sand, evokes a feeling of solitude, perhaps urging the beholder to walk along the shore in contemplative silence. The horizon subtly divides the sea and sky, creating a harmonious balance between both the physical and the ethereal.
The composition adheres to minimalist principles, emphasizing simplicity and tranquility. The low-angle perspective foregrounds the beach, inviting viewers to step into the scene. The long exposure technique smooths the water, lending it a dreamlike quality and contrasting starkly against the more detailed texture of the sand, an artistic choice that heightens the image's ethereal nature. One might note a lack of vibrant color or dynamic elements, which may appear monotonous to some. However, this simplicity can also be seen as a strength, distilling the scene to its essential tranquil elements. While some might crave more dramatic lighting or color contrasts, the understated, calming essence of "Average Beach" is its own quiet triumph.
(Published to the Fediverse as: Average Beach #photo #average #beach #pointreyes Photo of Limantour beach in Point Reyes, an average of hundreds of photos. )
A short 4K UHD timelapse featuring Jupiter rising over the Russian River:
Shot from Casini Ranch near Duncan Mills, California. It's a shame it's not Saturn and Cassini Ranch.
(Published to the Fediverse as: Jupiter from Casini Ranch #timelapse #video #4k #jupiter #stars Time lapse of Jupiter rising over Casini Ranch Family Campground in Sonoma, California. )
Download a Sharepoint File with GraphServiceClient (Microsoft Graph API)
Accessing Printer Press ESC to cancel
Export Google Fit Daily Steps, Weight and Distance to a Google Sheet
Monitor page index status with Google Sheets, Apps Script and the Google Search Console API
Which PG&E rate plan works best for EV charging?
Enable GZIP compression for Amazon S3 hosted website in CloudFront
International Date Line Longitude, Latitude Coordinates
