Space Shuttle Launch
Posted by Zoe on 15th May 2011 in Main Page
Don’t forget to watch the space shuttle launch at 8:56 AM Eastern Time. You can see my interview with Endeavour’s commander, Mark Kelly, here.
I can’t wait!
-Zoë
Posts Tagged ‘astronaut’
Trick-or-Treat, Here’s a Treat For You!
Posted by Zoe on 31st October 2010 in Exogeology, Main Page
Zoë Bentley and astronaut Mark Kelly
Happy Halloween! Guess what’s finally finished? Exogeology ROCKS! Episode 4. It’s been a long time in the works, but I’ve completed the fourth episode of my Exogeology ROCKS! series. Exogeology ROCKS! Episode 4 features an interview with Captain Mark Kelly, mission commander of STS-134, the last scheduled space shuttle mission. For the first time ever, I’ve uploaded the full episode of Exogeology ROCKS! in one piece.
Watch Exogeology ROCKS! Episode 4 here.
Check out the other episodes here, they ROCK!
Have a ROCKIN’ Halloween!
Geography and Astrology
Posted by Petra on 8th April 2010 in Petra's Blog
Whenever I try to tell anyone what my job title is, nobody understands! I got so frustrated when I went to a geology conference and everybody kept asking me what my sign was! That’s not what I do! I’m pretty sure I’m a Virgo, but I have no idea what that means! The same thing happens when I meet astronomers. They keep assuming that I know stuff like the capital of Nebraska. I am not an astrologer and not a geographer, I’m an astronomer who is also a geologist.
Sometimes people just slip up even when they do know the difference. I had a pretty funny conversation with my grandparents when I tried to explain my job. Here’s pretty much how it went:
Grandpa: “I heard you’re an astronaut now, Petra. That sounds exciting.”
Me: “No, Grandpa. I’m not an astronaut at all, I’m an exogeologist.”
Grandma: “You’re an ex-geologist? I thought you just started this job, whatever it is. What are you doing now?”
Me: “Ex-o. Ex-o-geology is the geology of other planets.”
Grandpa: “Oh, geography!”
Grandma: “Have you made many maps dear?”
Me: “No, not geography. And mapmaking is called cartography.”
Grandpa: “Cartography? I’ve always wanted to draw cartoons. Can you draw Pluto?”
Me: “Grandpa, I’m not a cartoon artist. How’d we even get on that subject? I study things like volcanoes and craters. Geology. And I haven’t tried to draw Pluto. But there’s this spacecraft that’s headed to…oh, that Pluto.”
Grandma: “Oh, geometry, with the shapes!”
Me: “That’s mathematics, Grandma. I’m an exogeologist. That’s a combination of geology and astronomy. I look at space rocks.”
Grandma: “Like the astronauts got from the moon?”
Me: “Yes! Exactly!”
Grandpa: “That sounds fun.”
Me: “Yes, it ROCKS!”
Grandma: “So when will you be going to the moon?”
I hope this helps you to tell the differences between exogeology and completely different jobs. My grandparents finally understood after that long conversation, and I can usually get people to at least say it right. People who just haven’t heard of exogeology, or even geology or astronomy, are just part of the job. I can’t blame them really, although it is annoying. For now, I’m Petra Stone signing off. Exogeology ROCKS!
