Hot stuff On Venus!
SpaceDaily.AFP, December 28, 2006
Scientists involved in a spectrometer experiment onboard the Venus Express mission of the European Space Agency ESA have succeeded in looking through the thick carbon dioxide atmosphere of Earth's sister planet. From the orbiting spacecraft they were able to obtain the first large-area temperature maps from the southern hemisphere of this unfriendly, lead-melting hot Venusian world....The measurements reveal temperature variations of 30 degrees between lowlands and mountaintops, correlating well with existing topographical radar data from previous missions. more..

Thermography Detection On The Fatigue Damage Of Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels
ElectricNet, December 27, 2006
ABSTRACT: A high-speed and high-sensitivity thermographic infrared (IR) imaging system has been used for nondestructive evaluation of temperature evolutions during fatigue testing of Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) steels. During each fatigue cycle, the specimen temperature was detected to oscillate within approximately 0.5 degrees C depending on the loading conditions and test materials....A theoretical framework was attempted to predict temperature evolutions based on thermoelastic and inelastic effects, and heat-conduction models. Temperature oscillation during fatigue resulted from the thermoelastic effects... more..

Teackle Mansion does paranormal research
The Daily Times, December 25, 2006
PRINCESS ANNE, MD -- The volunteers who give Sunday afternoon tours at the Teackle Mansion and are frequently asked if the Federal-era house is haunted. Now they can give a new answer. Maybe. On Friday night, a group of researchers armed with audio and video recorders set out to find evidence of paranormal activity in the mansion... He awoke one night and saw an apparition of a woman in the room. The bedroom in question was the first room in the mansion set up with an infrared camera Friday night. Almost immediately, researchers downstairs who were watching the room on a television monitor noticed what could have been an orb move in several places in the room. more..

Sightglasses to safely enable thermography scans
ManufacturingTalk UK/Hawk IR International, December 20, 2006
A multiple unit nuclear generating station has adopted the C-Range Hawk IR Sightglasses to safely enable IR thermography scans of Medium Voltage (MV) motor junction boxes. MV Motors, in particular the junction boxes, are the keystone for a nuclear generating station, providing a junction between large field cabling and the rotating machinery used to power coolant pumps and other critical drives. The Electrical Safety Standard, NFPA70E, has driven the increase in safety awareness, especially in the electrical IR thermography community. Due to arc-flash hazards, it is not practically and/or safe to remove large, heavy motor box covers to all IR Inspection. more..

Scientists may have found Big Bang remnant
Monsters and Critics, December 19, 2006
GREENBELT, MD, United States (UPI) -- U.S. scientists said faint infrared cosmic radiation filling deep space might be a remnant of the Big Bang. National Aeronautics and Space Administration astrophysicists report finding uneven patches of energy they said might be clusters of the first objects to emerge from the Big Bang. The astronomers said the objects were either extremely bright stars more than 1,000 times more massive than the sun, or quasars -- large black holes that emit extraordinarily large bursts of energy. If the patches are star clusters, they might be the first galaxies -- smaller than most known galaxies, yet containing a mass on the scale of 1 million suns. more..

Electrical Testing: Move cursor over photo to view thermographic image.

NASA Telescope Picks Up Glow of Universe's First Objects
AScribe Newswire, December 18, 2006
PASADENA, Calif. - New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope strongly suggest that infrared light detected in a prior study originated from clumps of the very first objects of the universe. The recent data indicate this patchy light is splattered across the entire sky and comes from clusters of bright, monstrous objects more than 13 billion light-years away. "We are pushing our telescopes to the limit and are tantalizingly close to getting a clear picture of the very first collections of objects," said Dr. Alexander Kashlinsky of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., lead author on two reports to appear in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. more..

Infrared rays beam relief into some patients
Green Bay Press-Gazette, December 16, 2006
Anodyne Therapy helps treat pain or numbness in limbs -- You sit in a recliner, relax, read or watch TV for about 30 minutes. How much nicer can therapy be? "It's a miracle," said patient Bill Maynard of Green Bay. "I had been complaining for months. I'd get in bed and my leg and foot would start tingling. It was very uncomfortable. I'd have to get up. Then my doctor said, 'There's something new, why not try it?' I thought, 'Here we go again.'" But within days, he was an enthusiastic fan of Anodyne Therapy, a light therapy that uses infrared beams to reduce pain and increase circulation. more..

Analytical Spectral Devices Tests Beef Tenderness
Techrockies, December 15, 2006
Boulder, Colorado-based Analytical Spectral Devices, a developer of Near Infrared (NIR) sensors, said today that it has released a new device for measuring the tenderness of beef. The firm said that its Quality SpecR BT (beef tenderness) system has been installed at a major meat production facility and has been in commercial production for several months. The firm develops sceintific and analytic instrumentation used for remote sensing and material management. The beef equipment was developed in conjuction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC). [end]

Cassini's Infrared Camera Sees Tall Mountains on Saturn's Moon Titan
University of Arizona, December 12, 2006
PASADENA, Calif -- The infrared-sensitive camera on NASA's Cassini spacecraft has photographed the tallest mountains ever seen on Saturn's moon, Titan. The mountain chain is nearly a mile high (1.5 kilometers), 93 miles long (150 kilometers) and 19 miles wide (30 kilometers). The mountains are topped by bright, white material which may be methane or other organic (carbon-containing) "snow." "We see a massive mountain range that reminds me of the Sierra Nevada in the western United States," said Cassini scientist Robert H. Brown of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson. more..

VIASPACE Acquires Added Stake in Infrared Sensor Company
Yahoo! Finance, December 11, 2006
PASADENA, Calif -- VIASPACE Inc. announced today that it had acquired an additional equity ownership in QWIP Systems Inc. (QWIP Systems), a developer of Quantum Well Infrared Photo Detectors (QWIP). QWIP sensors are similar to the electronic sensors in digital cameras and camcorders, except they detect heat emissions rather than light. QWIP sensors are used in military and security applications because they can see in total darkness. Long wavelength infrared sensors are used for surveillance -- a person or vehicle can be detected in total darkness from distances of many miles. Defense applications include missile and aircraft tracking, night vision, tank warfare and surveillance. more..

Infrared camera helps locate missing Craig County boy
WDBJ-TV, December 7, 2006
“In Crews used heat sensitive technology to help searchers locate a missing boy from the Camp Mitchell area of Craig County. It is called the Forward Looking Infrared Camera. The camera detects heat sources and then displays them on a monitor. After a few false alarms, they finally zeroed in on the child and his dog. Crews say even with this technology, it was like looking for a needle in a hay stack. The search crew found the boy about three fourths of a mile from home. He was in a completely different area from where ground teams were looking. But within minutes, they were able to dispatch a team to where he was located. With the effort of roughly 300 people, they pinpointed the child in heavy mountain terrain. more..

From the Galley to the Engine Room : Infrared Thermography Inspection of Ships is Gaining Momentum
Process and Control Today, December 5, 2006
“In the near future, mechanical machinery onboard vessels will also benefit from thermal imaging, especially as a pre-docking strategy to identify and target equipment and systems which need attention as well as to eliminate necessary work.” forecasted Lloyd’s Register, the world’s most important ship classification and certification body, three years ago. Nowadays, infrared thermography can do much more onboard. And FLIR Systems has worked hard to resolve the main obstacles: high camera prices and the difficulty to handle the camera in confined spaces of ships. more..

Scientists watch proteins unfold
UPI, November 27, 2006
ZURICH, Switzerland -- Swiss-led scientists have "watched" a peptide changing shape, possibly leading to direct imaging of biological molecules as they perform their tasks. Peter Hamm of Zurich University and colleagues used a technique called transient two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy to monitor changes in hydrogen bonding as a peptide changed shape. They said their technique is a step toward being able to make "molecular movies" that could depict real-time changes in protein structure, offering unique insights into their function. Scientists previously used a number of techniques to peer inside biomolecules. more..

Infrared camera monitors cricket match
Mail & Guardian, November 23, 2006
An infrared camera reportedly designed to track fighter jets has become the latest hi-tech gadget used to cover the Ashes series between Australia and England. Host broadcaster Channel Nine said the device, known as the "hot spot", could show whether a batman was out or not with 100% accuracy. "It is a scientifically proven piece of technology that will end all speculation surrounding a dismissal," the broadcaster's head of sport Steve Crawley said. "If the ball has connected with a player's bat, pad, glove or the ground, it will be revealed by the hot spot." The device records play using two infrared cameras that show the miniscule amount of heat generated from the friction when two objects collide. more..

Infrared lasers could detect diseases in 60 seconds
Discovery Channel, November 16, 2006
According to U.S. researchers, advances in nanotechnology will soon allow scientists to develop a diagnostic test that can detect viruses like HIV in a minute or less. Researchers from Georgia University created a technique which not only saves time waiting for results, but one that could save lives by rapidly detecting a naturally-occurring disease outbreak or bioterrorism attacks. The method - called Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) works by measuring the change in frequency of an infrared laser as it finds viral DNA or RNA. The change in frequency - named Raman-shift, after the scientist who discovered it in 1928 - is as unique as a fingerprint. more..

Far-Infrared Radiant Heat Health & Toxicology Center - Treating One Cell at a Time
PRWeb, November 17, 2006
A new healing technique on the horizon, Far-Infrared Radiant Heat (FIR), bridges the wisdom of the ancients with nanotechnology. Three cutting edge pioneers have created a medical health and toxicology center in Lakewood, CA, under the corporate sponsorship of MPS Global, Inc., of Pomona, CA. The new Morean Center in Lakewood, CA, which opened its doors on July 10th, operates in a blending of Mohawk traditional medicines and Korean FIR. This advanced technology (FIR) is renowned for detoxification, accelerated healing and cellular healing. more..

Roof Moisture Testing: Move cursor over photo to view thermographic image.