Bookmarks for December 28th

Dec 28, 2011

When I'm not blogging, I'm browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on December 28th:

U.S. DOE places Hawaii's Race to the Top grant on high-risk status [PDF]: The State has not demonstrated adequate progress implementing its approved plans in the first year of the grant as evidenced by the Department’s on-site program review in June 2011.
Supernova’s companion star spied by UH astronomers: Institute for Astronomy researchers had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study a newly discovered nearby supernova in 2011. The catch: they had had just 10 minutes observing time to gather information on the supernova and little advance notice.
Hawaii, California removing barrier limiting rooftop solar projects: Prompted by pressure from clean energy advocates, Hawaii and California are quietly working to remove a regulatory obstacle that is slowing a boom in rooftop solar systems in the nation's leading solar states.
Loss of inspectors aids influx of coqui on Oahu: There have been just as many reports of coqui on Oahu in 2011 as the seven prior years combined. This year, coqui-eradication teams have gone hunting twice a week, versus twice a month.
Navy hopes to gain two Hawaiian superferries: The Navy is working with the U.S. Maritime Administration to permit the transfer of the two high-speed vessels, formerly Hawaii superferries, into the naval service of the United States.
2012 Japan Tsunami Debris Voyage: The trip’s second leg will travel due east from Japan to Hawaii through the gyre, a vast vortex of ocean currents where plastic debris accumulates, to cross the “Japan Tsunami Debris Field.”
Earth Must Have Another Moon, Say Astronomers: 2006 RH120 was the first reliably documented example of a temporary moon. But there should be many more examples, say Mikael Granvik and buddies at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.
ILOA Demonstrates Lunar-Based Observation from Summit of Mauna Kea: Google Lunar X PRIZE contender, Moon Express, has designed and is building the International Lunar Observatory precursor (ILO-X) as the first astronomical telescope that will operate on the Moon, looking out at the Galaxy and heavens beyond and back at the Earth.