Astronomy – mackaycartoons

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

March 19, 2013 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Chris Hadfield doesn’t want to go to sleep

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield says just one thing gets him mad on the International Space Station — having to go to sleep.

Hadfield says he’s dreamed about going into space since he was a young Canadian and has worked hard to get there.

The 53-year-old space veteran is resolved to make the most out of his current visit and to spend as little time sleeping as he can.

Hadfield was speaking today in his first news conference since becoming commander of the giant space station last Wednesday.

He is the first Canadian to hold the position.

Only three reporters attended the news conference which was broadcast down to the Montreal-area Canadian Space Agency.

Hadfield was asked about the experiments on board, cuts in research spending and his massive following of more than 500,000 Twitter followers.

His five-month visit, which began in late December, ends in mid-May. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Saturday, August 26, 2006

August 26, 2008 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, August 26, 2006

Pluto’s demotion

Leave it to the nerds at the International Astronomical Union to ruin a kid’s day.

For half of their young lives, the sixth-graders in the Young Scientists program at Barrington Elementary School in North Austin have been told that there are nine planets in the solar system. So when their teacher, Paige Baker, told them that union scientists on Thursday had decided to delete Pluto from that list, it was understandable that some students had difficultly handling the gravity of the decision.

“It’s been with us so long. Why would they do this?” asked Nikki Chupa, 11, who always used the mnemonic “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas” to remember the order of the planets.

“Why do they have to go mess stuff up?” 11-year-old Angelique Price asked.

Baker told them she felt their pain.

“Imagine what it’s like for me, and I’ve been told this for years — double digits even,” she said. “But you’ve got remember, these are scientists. It’s not a popularity contest.” (Source: The Statesman)