5 Sun Safe Tips...

...courtesy of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation.

For more information, go here.

How To Protect RVs From Sun Damage

Above, The Beast in the GOCO Beast Barn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I moved from Los Angeles to New Mexico four years ago, one of the major projects I need to do was to build an RV barn to garage my 2015 motorhome. I contacted a Gallup metal shed/carport company in Gallup, New Mexico and had them build the RV barn I call the GOCO Beast Barn (GOCO stands for Garage of Comparative Ovations).

This was especially important since the property I bought is at 7,000 feet above sea level. The air at that altitude is thinner and ultraviolet rays of the sun would be more damaging than when my motorhome was in Los Angeles.

RV Life has posted an article on how to protect RVs from sun damage.

They begin with:

Ah, the sun… it’s beautiful, bright, warm, and we rely on it for life. However, the sun can create some harmful effects over time, especially on manufactured products like RVs. That’s why you need to know how to protect your RV from sun damage. 

UV radiation is an everyday part of life. Most people can just wear sunscreen and a hat and go about their day as usual. But vehicles don’t have that option! They need different types of protection from sun damage. An unprotected RV can become faded and damaged after constant exposure to sunny conditions. 

Once severe sun damage has set in, it’s hard to repair unless you’re willing to replace large sections of your RV. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent or slow this process from happening. It is possible to protect your RV from sun damage, so read on to find out how!

To read the full article, go here. 

Transforming Seawater Into Drinking Water By Sunlight

Above, the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An interesting article just came to my attention.

Scientists down in Australia have harnessed the power of the sun to convert seawater into fresh drinking water.

My Faith News reported:

According to a UN report more than 780 million people worldwide lack basic clean drinking water, and by 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in drought affected areas, along with a staggering population growth of over 10 billion people by 2050, and over 10.9 billion by 2100.

Ironically, about 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, and almost 97% is ocean seawater, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Seawater, up until now, wasn’t safe for human drinking consumption. However, thanks to a group of dedicated scientists in Australia they have been able to transform seawater into safe, clean drinking water using the power of the sun along with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), in less than 30 minutes.

To read the full article, go here.

Red Sun

A few minutes ago, I went outside to shut off the water faucet that feeds the swamp cooler. It is only 60° outside and even colder indoors (or it seems that way).

When I went out, I noticed the sunrise. The sun was a brilliant red from the smoky haze from the wildfires (Pine Gulch, Grizzly Creek, Cameron Peak and Williams Fork) in next-door Colorado.

After shutting off the faucet, I took a couple of pictures of the sun. They don't do it justice as it is actually redder than shown.

Sunspot Solar Observatory Reopening Today

Above, the Sunspot Solar Observatory produces some of the sharpest
 images of the sun. This one was taken by me. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After being closed since September 6, the Sunspot Solar Observatory is set to reopen today.

Fox News reported:

A New Mexico observatory that was temporarily shut down over an undisclosed security issue is set to reopen Monday after its closure sparked wide-ranging theories, officials said. 

The Sunspot Solar Observatory, located near the Sacramento Mountains, no longer faces a security threat to staff, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) said in a statement Sunday. The facility had been closed since Sept. 6. 

“Given the significant amount of publicity the temporary closure has generated, and the consequent expectation of an unusual number of visitors to the site, we are temporarily engaging a security service while the facility returns to a normal working environment,” the statement said. 

It’s unclear what the security threat to the observatory was. The FBI referred all questions to the association.

To read more, go here.