Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, November 4, 2017

Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 4, 2017 11THE WORLD AROUND US 
MARTIAN RIDGE BRINGS OUT ROVER’S COLOR TALENTS 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 4, 2017 11THE WORLD AROUND US 
MARTIAN RIDGE BRINGS OUT ROVER’S COLOR TALENTS 
Color-discerning capabilities that NASA’s 
Curiosity rover has been using on Mars since 2012are proving particularly helpful on a mountainsideridge the rover is now climbing.

 These capabilities go beyond the thousands offull-color images Curiosity takes every year: Therover can look at Mars with special filters helpfulfor identifying some minerals, and also with aspectrometer that sorts light into thousands ofwavelengths, extending beyond visible-light colorsinto infrared and ultraviolet. These observations aid 
decisions about where to drive and investigations ofchosen targets.

One of these methods for discerning targets’colors uses the Mast Camera (Mastcam); theother uses the Chemistry and Camera instrument(ChemCam).

Each of the Mastcam’s two eyes—one telephotoand one wider angle—has several science filters thatcan be changed from one image to the next to assesshow brightly a rock reflects light of specific colors.
By design, some of the filters are for diagnosticwavelengths that certain minerals absorb, ratherthan reflect. Hematite, one iron-oxide mineral 
detectable with Mastcam’s science filters, is a 
mineral of prime interest as the rover examinesVera Rubin Ridge.

“We’re in an area where this capability of Curiosityhas a chance to shine,” said Abigail Fraeman ofNASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, 
California, who leads planning for the mission’sinvestigation of Vera Rubin Ridge.

This ridge on lower Mount Sharp became aplanned destination for Curiosity before the roverlanded five years ago. Spectrometer observationsfrom orbit revealed hematite here. Most hematite 
forms in the presence of water, and the missionfocuses on clues about wet environments in Mars’ 
ancient past. It found evidence during the first 
year after landing that some ancient Martianenvironments offered conditions favorable for life. 
As the mission continues, it is studying how thoseconditions varied and changed.

Curiosity’s ChemCam is best known for zappingrocks with a laser to identify chemical elements inthem, but it also can examine targets near and farwithout use of the laser. It does this by measuringsunlight reflected by the targets in thousands of 

wavelengths. Some patterns in this spectral data canidentify hematite or other minerals.
“The colors of the rocks on the ridge are moreinteresting and more variable than what we sawearlier in Curiosity’s traverse,” said science teammember Jeffrey Johnson of the Johns HopkinsUniversity Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel,
Maryland. He uses both Mastcam and ChemCamdata for analyzing rocks.
Hematite occurs at sufficiently small grain sizes 
in rocks found at this part of Mars to preferentially 
absorb some wavelengths of green light. This gives 
it a purplish tint in standard color images from 
Curiosity, due to more reflection of redder and 
bluer light than reflection of the green wavelengths. 
The additional color-discerning capabilities of 
Mastcam and ChemCam show hematite even 
more clearly.
“As we approached the ridge and now as we’re 
climbing it, we’ve been trying to tie what was 
detected from orbit to what we can learn on the 
ground,” said Curiosity science team member 
Danika Wellington of Arizona State University, 
Tempe. “It’s still very much a work in progress. 
The extent to which iron-bearing minerals here 
are oxidized relates to the history of interactions 
between water and rock.” 
Vera Rubin Ridge is named for astronomer VeraRubin (1926-2016), who confirmed the existence ofdark matter. 
You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@ 
MtnViewsNews 
CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

JANE FULLER: SIERRA MADRE ARTIST 
TO PERFORM UNIQUE AUTUMN 
SONGS AT CORFU RESTAURANT, 
NOVEMBER 18 

[Nyerges is the author of “Enter the Forest,” “Self-from my writing background.” 
Sufficient Home,” and other books. Information Twenty-some years ago, Fuller began teachingabout his classes and books is available at www. elementary school. She earned her teachingSchoolofSelf-Reliance.com, or from Box 41834, credential 16 years ago and became National BoardEagle Rock, CA 90041.]Certified. She currently loves teaching youngSierra Madre resident Jane Fuller is a music artist students, and it has inspired many of her songs aswho loves the autumn, and has written a beautiful well as an upcoming book about the educationalnew song about autumn titled “In the Autumnsystem, called “How I became a Teacher.” 
Air.” It will be on her upcoming CD, and the best For her second-grade students every autumn, 


way to hear the song is to visit her on Saturday,
November 18 at her show at Corfu Restaurant at 
48 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard for her live show. 
Show begins at 6:30 p.m.

“I love the autumn” says Fuller, who is also asecond-grade teacher.

“I look for ways to bring my music and teachingexperience together,” she says, adding that shealways shares her song inspirations at her live 
performances.

Another new song that Fuller will be singing iscalled “Autumn in L.A.” “People tend to think thatwe don’t have an autumn here in the L.A. area, but 
we really do,” she explains. “You see autumn in the 
falling of the acorns, the angle of the sunlight, thecool nights. We have a beautiful autumn!” 

Fuller was interested in music from an earlyage, and began piano lesson at age 10. Eventually,
she was given a guitar and she’s played it eversince. She began by playing guitar at Mass, andeventually, began playing guitar for the masses.

When she went to college, she was majoring inmusic, but one day her father asked her how sheexpected to make a living as a musician. Her fathersuggested that with a music degree, she might endup with a job washing dishes.

”Actually,” says Jane with a smile, “if I did getthat music degree, there would have been jobsout there, teaching, etc. But I knew my dad wasvery concerned about my welfare and security, andI changed my major to creative writing. My dadapproved, telling me that you could get more jobswith a writing degree. And as much as I hate to 
admit my dad was right, I did get more job offers 

Fuller makes acorn necklaces out of at least two of 
the local acorns and colored beads. This gives herthe opportunity to tell the students about how thelocal Native Americans used the abundant acorns 
for food, by grinding and leaching them, andeating them in various ways. She adorns students 
with their acorn necklaces, while dubbing them“acorn warriors.” 

AUTUMN-MINSTREL 

This singer-songwriter is one of Sierra Madre’s 
true treasures. With a Master’s Degree in 
Educational Administration, she has much to sayabout the state of education, and where it’s goingin the future. For example, she likes the “EveryStudent Succeeds Act” because it emphasizesthe whole student, not just academic scores, andputs emphasis on school climate and students’socio-emotional skills. Fuller, who also taughtKindergarten for 10 years, points out that a lot ofadults in today’s increasingly contentious worldwould do well to go back to kindergarten andrelearn some of the most basic social interaction 
skills. 

NOVEMBER SHOW AT CORFU 

You can learn about Jane Fuller’s musical 
appearances at www.janefuller.com. If you’reinterested in her CDs, she suggests you can buythem at her live shows, or go to CDBaby.com fora download or hardcopy of her CDs. And be sure 
to go to Corfu on November 18 for her live show.
There’s no cover charge – just come, enjoy a meal,
and enjoy her uplifting and inspirational songs. 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

IS THE WHOLE WORLD CRAZY OR IS IT JUST ME? 

Driving across town the prejudice talk, political talk and all that kind of 

other day I was nearly hit by talk that just makes you sick when you hear it. It 

four different vehicles. One is about all you hear and see on television, which 
ran a stop sign, another swerved in front of me this may be crazy, but I have been thinking about 
and almost hit me and I’m sure the other two were shooting my television.
on their cell phones. After a while I begin to think When people are crazy in love, it does not 
my life was at risk here.matter what they say the only thing that matters 

I decided to drop into a little coffee shop and is that they are in each other’s company. I did not 
cool my heels a little bit. I ordered some coffee, know the story with this older couple. I sure would 
took a table in the corner and just reflected on my have loved to hear it. Have they been married for 
day.a long time? Or, have they just got married a few 

Why is it, I thought to myself, do people drive weeks or months ago?
so crazy? How do they get a driver’s license?As a pastor, I surely would have loved to have 

Reflecting a little more upon the subject it done their wedding. I am sure it was a great 
dawned on me that it is not limited to people celebration. 
driving on the highway. People are just simply The couple finally ordered and the waitress 
crazy.took their order back to the kitchen. This gave 

After giving it more thought, I concluded that I them ample time to enjoy each other’s fellowship. 
do not mind being crazy, it gives life a little more I do not know which one enjoyed the fellowship 
flavor. Crazy does have its benefits.more. The gentleman or the lady? All I do know is, 

For example, if you are crazy, people will not here were two people that were truly crazy in love.
take you seriously and so you can get away with I was about ready to leave when a crazy thought 
things you otherwise would not be able to get danced in my empty head. Why can’t I have a piece 
away with. “Oh, don’t ask him to do that, he’s just of that “crazy love” they were demonstrating?
crazy.” I called the waitress over and said to her, “See 

What I really want to know is that if a person that older couple over there? I want to pay for 
is crazy do they know they are crazy? Or, are they their lunch.” 
just taking somebody’s word for it that they are The waitress looked at me and smiled and then 
crazy?I said, “Make sure that they don’t know who is 

I was thinking about that in the coffee shop paying for their lunch.” She smiled at me and I 
when an older couple came in and sat down across gave her a generous tip because the moment was 
the room from me. Immediately they caught my that crazy.
attention. For one, they were quite a bit older than It would have been wonderful hanging around 
I am. It is always wonderful to see someone older to see how they responded to having their meal 
than you are particularly during these last few paid for by some stranger. I may be crazy, but not 
years of mine.that crazy.

The thing that caught my eye about these I like what Jesus said, “And as ye would that 
people was the fact that they were crazy in love, or men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” 
at least it looked that way.(Luke 6:31).

As they walked in they walked very slowly, We sure could use a world that treats other 
she walked in front of him and he followed people the way they themselves would like to be 
very gingerly. He waited for her to sit down, as treated. 
a gentleman should, and then he sat down. He Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of 
looked at her and smiled and when he smiled, I God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. 
saw that he had absolutely no teeth in his mouth He lives with his wife in Silver Springs Shores. Call 
whatsoever. That, however, did not compromise him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.
his smile or her smile back at him. net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship. 

He took her hand and they just smiled at one com. 
another. If that is not crazy love, I do 
not know what crazy love is. And, if 
that is crazy love, I want to buy into it 
with everything I got.

The waitress came back to them and 
took their order for coffee. Of course, 
who in love does not want to drink a 
cup of coffee?

The gentleman told the waitress 
that they needed some time to think 
about what they wanted to eat. It soon 
dawned on me that they were on a 
date. I did not know older people went 
on dates. If this was not a date, I do not 
know what in the world a date is. 

I was too far away to hear their talk, 
but I could see that they were talking 
back and forth and laughing and 
giggling as though they were teenagers 
embraced in their first love affair. I just 
wished I were a little closer because I 
am sure their conversation would have 
been delightful.

I get so tired of hearing hateful talk, 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com