Author: Marion Deeds

On this date in 1933 American pilot Wiley Post completed the first solo world-wide flight. Post flew 15,596 miles in 7 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes.

Solar System:

Pluto continues to surprise us. According to IO9, early data shows a world that is geologically active, implying an internal heat source. This is not what we were expecting! NASA provides a nice photo and article about the region they are calling Pluto’s Heart, but which many people think resembles a famous Disney cartoon character. (Hint; it’s not the mouse.)

Pluto’s largest moon,

On Tuesday, July 14, 2015, the NASA craft New Horizons did a close fly-by of Pluto, the system’s most controversial maybe-planet. In honor of New Horizons the pictures today will be aspects of Pluto. (A famous and beloved cartoon character will not be included, sorry.) Pluto, or Hades in the Greek pantheon, was the god of the underworld, the dead and treasure, which led to the word “Plutocrat.” Pluto also has a bad reputation for his treatment of women, after he abducted the Proserpina, the daughter of Demeter. No means no, dude. Still, the myth of Proserpina and Pluto has fed the imaginations of hundred of storytellers and artists,

On this date in 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama left for his voyage from Lisbon, Portugal to Calicut, India. He is the first European who made it from Europe to India by sea. On July 8, 1776, a 2,000 pound bell forged of copper and tin was rung in Philadelphia to call people out to hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence. The bell was later named the Liberty Bell.

Awards:

Science Fiction Poetry Association has announced the Rhysling award winners for 2015. The award recognizes excellence in science fiction poetry. 

Thanks to Kate for a great year of World Wide Wednesday. I hope I can meet the high standards she set for this column! As a going-away present for her, here are some location shots from the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies. These two links are overtly commercial, but they show the gorgeous Hawaiian locations, including those accordion-fold bluffs that provide the background for so many scenes.

Awards:

The Locus Awards were announced on Saturday, in Seattle, Washington. Connie Willis acted as MC for the awards event.