Lets use this topic to post upcoming astronomic events that some amongst us may be interested in observing. I'll start off the new topic in the new year with this:
If you snooze you'll lose Wednesday morning, when a little known but active meteor shower will start 2012 for people stalwart enough to brave the chilly hours before dawn.
The Quadrantids, named for a now-extinct constellation, will be visible for two hours early Wednesday, from about 3 to 5 a.m. local times.
The shower is likely to produce up to 100 falling stars an hour, making for a good show. People across North America who stay up late enough, and who have a clear sky, should get a nice view, says Conrad Jung, an astronomer at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland. . .
http://www.indystar.com/article/20120103/NEWS/120103009/Meteor-shower-kick-off-2012?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|IndyStar.com (http://www.indystar.com/article/20120103/NEWS/120103009/Meteor-shower-kick-off-2012?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CIndyStar.com)
supposed to be partly cloudy skies....I may set my alarm and go out to check this out. I LOVE to watch them. I'm not sure why, but I do.
Thanks to this frigid arctic air mass that moved through, we have crystal clear skies here.
We have ~20" of snow. Shoveled 3 times yesterday and twice today.
Come get winter, PH.
:biggrin:
Dang, FTW, what part of the country do you live in?
Western PA -- Lake effect snow in the snow belt
BTW -- 20" at a crack is not unusual when the Great Lakes snow machine cranks up.
Holy cow!! FTW will need 3 or 4 pairs of long underwear to watch the shower. It's down to 44 here. Did I somehow relocate from South Florida and not know it?
Cloudy here right now. I don't think we'll be seeing this! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
got up at 330 and nothing but cold nose. geez.
I got up a bit later, but didn't see anything either. It was way too cold and windy to stay outside for more than a few minutes.
Yup! Too cold to even contemplate it.
Quote from: followsthewolf on January 03, 2012, 08:25:52 PM
Western PA -- Lake effect snow in the snow belt
BTW -- 20" at a crack is not unusual when the Great Lakes snow machine cranks up.
We have relatives in Buffalo, NY, and they are always telling us about all their snow. They got smart and go to FL in the winter now. :)
We missed the falling stars but can still see the planets. This is from the Washington Post Sky Watch:
Venus Starts Year with Star Turn at Sunset
By Blaine P. Friedlander Jr., Published: December 31, 2011
Set down your champagne and gaze west, as the bubbly planet Venus kicks off Sunday night's first evening of the New Year.
See this splendid planet about 23 degrees above southwestern horizon at sunset. You can't miss this ultrabright beacon — about negative fourth magnitude — skimming over the treetops. By mid-January, Venus hangs 30 degrees above the horizon at sunset, and the planet sets about 8:10 p.m.
On Jan. 24, a waxing young moon begins to ascend toward Venus in the western heavens. The lunar crescent sneaks closer to alluring Venus on Jan. 25, and by the evening of Jan. 26, the moon has passed by our neighbor planet.
Like a 1950s teenager at a diner, Jupiter loiters in the east-southeast sky at dusk, in the Aries constellation. It's a negative second magnitude (very bright) object. The waxing gibbous moon approaches this large planet Sunday and snuggles closer Monday evening. By Tuesday, the moon has passed Jupiter, but have no fear, we get an "instant replay" from Jan. 28-31.
Bright enough to see from the light-polluted Washington area, Mars and Saturn, both zero magnitude objects, become the New Year's late-night revelers. The reddish Mars rises just before midnight now in the east. A few hours later, at 1:30 a.m., the ringed Saturn ascends the east-southeast. By late January, both planets loiter in the Virgo constellation, as Mars will rise about 9 p.m. and Saturn appears just before midnight.
Find fleet Mercury now before sunrise in the southeast, in the constellation Ophiuchus, hugging the horizon.
....
Blaine Friedlander can be reached at PostSkyWatch@gmail.com.
© The Washington Post Company
P.S. I think Mr. Friedlander got an early start with the bubbly :biggrin:
More evidence that we are probably not alone - even within our own galaxy.
..............................................................
Many Billions of Rocky Planets in Habitable Milky Way Zones
A first direct estimate of the number of light planets around red dwarf stars has just been announced by an international team using observations with the HARPS spectrograph on the 3.6-meter telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. A recent announcement, showing that planets are ubiquitous in our galaxy, used a different method that was not sensitive to this important class of exoplanets.
"Our new observations with HARPS mean that about 40 percent of all red dwarf stars have a super-Earth orbiting in the habitable zone where liquid water can exist on the surface of the planet," says Xavier Bonfils (IPAG, Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble, France), the leader of the team. "Because red dwarfs are so common — there are about 160 billion of them in the Milky Way — this leads us to the astonishing result that there are tens of billions of these planets in our galaxy alone."
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Many-Billions-of-Rocky-Planets-in-Habitable-Milky-Way-Zones-032812.aspx?et_cid=2563642&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Many-Billions-of-Rocky-Planets-in-Habitable-Milky-Way-Zones-032812.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Many-Billions-of-Rocky-Planets-in-Habitable-Milky-Way-Zones-032812.aspx?et_cid=2563642&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Many-Billions-of-Rocky-Planets-in-Habitable-Milky-Way-Zones-032812.aspx)
Kind of mind boggling when you think about it.... :spooked:
Actually, if I recall correctly, the voyages of the Star Ship Enterprise, including the voyages during the Next Generation series, all occurred inside the Milky Way galaxy. The enormity of the cosmos is so huge that even Gene Roddenberry and his writers never sent the Enterprise outside of our own galaxy.
which makes me even more certain there IS a God.
I can understand the argument regarding the Holy God from the Bible....that is NOT my beef.
But to think that there is NO creator, that this vast existence just began at a boom and a bang....boggles my mind.
Wow! is the only word that describe the enormity of space.
gives me a headache every time I think about...but it IS amazing.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on March 29, 2012, 11:55:30 AM
which makes me even more certain there IS a God.
I can understand the argument regarding the Holy God from the Bible....that is NOT my beef.
But to think that there is NO creator, that this vast existence just began at a boom and a bang....boggles my mind.
Wow! is the only word that describe the enormity of space.
gives me a headache every time I think about...but it IS amazing.
And you think it was all cause by the Sky God who watches you every day writing down your supposed sins. 24 hours a day, 365 day a year for ever and ever and if you break one he will cast you into hell for ever and ever, because he loves you.
:haha: BLOGNA :haha:
Quote from: The Troll on March 29, 2012, 12:24:05 PM
And you think it was all cause by the Sky God who watches you every day writing down your supposed sins. 24 hours a day, 365 day a year for ever and ever and if you break one he will cast you into hell for ever and ever, because he loves you.
:haha: BLOGNA :haha:
didn't say that did I?
I keep hoping that there would be at least one subject we could discuss without the animosity.
Quote from: Olias on March 29, 2012, 12:35:29 PM
I keep hoping that there would be at least one subject we could discuss without the animosity.
I am open, especially on this one....I have never, and will never force my religious beliefs on anyone.
When I discuss the vastness of our universe..............God, always comes to my mind. Like I said, it does not have to be the God of Abraham....but God, the Creator.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on March 29, 2012, 12:28:27 PM
didn't say that did I?
You sure did and that's what I answered. Just a few years ago they thought they seen the edge of the universe. Then we built the Hubble telescope and aimed it at a small spot in our sky that seemed not to have any stars. They aimed the Hubble there for three days and guess what, they seen more and more galaxies and more stars than before.
Right now we are at the end of searching farther into the universe. Why? Because we haven't lived long enough for the light to reach us. Just think light travels 186,000 miles per second and it hasn't reach yet. If nothing is endless and space is nothing, who know what is out there, I don't think you would find your God.
But if you want to go on in life believing in what you do, it's fine with me. I don't care if you worship a Golden Calf again. You Christians can do what ever you want to to your kind and religion, just leave me and my ilk out of your plans and we will get along fine. :salute: :pope: Oh yeah, put something in the pot. :stirthepot:
Quote from: The Troll on March 29, 2012, 02:08:41 PM
You sure did and that's what I answered.
are you on dope?
really?
Quote from: Henry Hawk on March 29, 2012, 12:52:37 PM
I am open, especially on this one....I have never, and will never force my religious beliefs on anyone.
When I discuss the vastness of our universe..............God, always comes to my mind. Like I said, it does not have to be the God of Abraham....but God, the Creator.
A reasonable answer. Thank you.
Quote from: Olias on March 29, 2012, 02:21:10 PM
A reasonable answer. Thank you.
You are welcome...
Quote from: Henry Hawk on March 29, 2012, 02:13:02 PM
are you on dope?
really?
OK, I'll open my mind. Tell me why there has to be a God and supreme being. How many Gods has man went though to reach where we are. The gods that the Egyptians had, the Greeks had, the Inca, the Mayans, the Muslims and many other gods. On and on and on gods that people worshiped on their knees, gave their lives for, the people they kill in his name, the money and the time they gave their religious leaders and it was all smoke and mirrors. All of their dreams and faithfulness for not.
What make you so sure your not just another believer in a phony god. I would like to know. If a Supreme Being a Real God exist, I would like for him to show himself to us like he did over 2000 years ago. I think we as a people are smarter and could really believe he exist. It sure would open my eyes, for I don't think there is a God and faith in something that is invisible doesn't carry a thing with me. I'm sorry I just don't believe in fairy tales.
One of my favorite sci-fi stories goes like this: A man becomes aware that he is standing in a line of people slowly walking forward. It seems to be foggy, so he can't see anything familiar, and he can't remember how or why he got wherever he is. As the line inches forward, people in front and behind him also ask the same questions, but nobody has a clue. Maybe we're dead, somebody said, and they talked a little about that, but mostly there was worried silence. Finally the man could see up ahead a very large building. As he got closer, he saw that some people were turned away; they couldn't go farther -- it was as if there was an invisible barrier. He had no trouble moving forward, though, and finally found himself standing just outside an open door. He went in and found himself in a huge high-ceiling'd room, with lines of chairs and a podium up front. When the last person came in and the door shut, they waited breathlessly to see what would happen next. A tall man walked up to the podium, looked around, and said:
"Welcome to kindergarten!"
Quote from: The Troll on March 29, 2012, 02:08:41 PM
Just a few years ago they thought they seen the edge of the universe. Then we built the Hubble telescope and aimed it at a small spot in our sky that seemed not to have any stars. They aimed the Hubble there for three days and guess what, they seen more and more galaxies and more stars than before.
Yep! It was a deep field image and was quite a risk at the time. You don't waste time on a high power telescope pointing it somewhere where there may be nothing. This video sums up what they found. VERY humbling indeed. The majesty of the cosmos is amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/v/oAVjF_7ensg&feature=player_embedded#!
If you take the time to watch that video, please let me know what you think about what the Hubble was able to show us.
Quote from: Locutus on April 01, 2012, 02:25:56 PM
If you take the time to watch that video, please let me know what you think about what the Hubble was able to show us.
And to think the tight money people wanted not to go and fix it one more time. From what I have read, unless some new device is invented we are at the end of out viewing of outer space because the light of anything farther out hasn't reached us.
When I read and think about the universe and how small earth is and the small sun we rely on why would a supreme being put all of the humans on one little planet on the out reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy. Why would a entity with this power want to watch us forever and ever and put us in his hell if we don't get on our knees and pray for his forgiveness
Until that day that "GOD" want to speak up, I just can't believe in smoke, mirrors and fairy tales. If that day comes and I am proved wrong and I am standing before that mighty throne and "GOD" ask why I didn't believe in him. I am going to say, you made me with free will and if you really wanted to believe, you would have actually said something and presented your case a little better if you didn't have Pat Robertson, Jerry Farwell, Jim Swaggert, Lester Summerall and all of the other quacks saying your word and had some one else write the bible than King Constantine and a bunch of so called religious leaders. Have at it, because I'm below that pay grade. :smile:
Is there a God (The Creator)? In my opinion, yes.
The following refers to the old riddle about whether trees exist when nobody observes them, or make a sound when they fall and there's nobody around to hear it.
There once was a man who said, "God
Must think it exceedingly odd
If he finds that this tree
Continues to be
When there is no one about in the quad."
"Dear sir, your astonishment's odd
I am always about in the quad
And that's why the tree
Will continue to be
Since observed by,
Yours faithfully, God."
-- from the book, The Whole Shebang, A State Of The Universe(s) Report (category Cosmology), by Timothy Ferris.
Ferris says he is a "strong agnostic," a position which "denies that God's existence can ever be disproved." .... "There are many definitions of God, some of which seem to say nothing at all about God except that he exists. I hold that it is impossible to disprove all these definitions."
Ferris is a best-selling author, winner of the American Institute of Physics Prize ("Coming of age in the Milky Way") and an emeritus professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
Quote from: Locutus on April 01, 2012, 02:25:56 PM
If you take the time to watch that video, please let me know what you think about what the Hubble was able to show us.
I watched it. :thumbsup: Recognized Orion's Belt and the Big Dipper. It is mind-boggling if you really think about it -- when we look up at the stars we're looking back in time. Thanks for posting it. :smile:
Quote from: libby on April 01, 2012, 05:10:39 PM
I watched it. :thumbsup: Recognized Orion's Belt and the Big Dipper. It is mind-boggling if you really think about it -- when we look up at the stars we're looking back in time. Thanks for posting it. :smile:
I love astronomy and astrophysics, although strictly in a layman's fashion. If I win the lottery, and can go back to school, I will probably pursue a degree along those lines. But that's wishful thinking. My odds of winning the lottery aren't really much better than 1 in the total number of stars in our general neighborhood of the Milky Way. :biggrin:
Watched it and as always find it utterly amazing and thought inspiring.
How anyone can think we are the only intelligent life that exists is, well. . . delusional!
Quote from: Palehorse on April 01, 2012, 09:04:39 PM
Watched it and as always find it utterly amazing and thought inspiring.
How anyone can think we are the only intelligent life that exists is, well. . . delusional!
Agreed my friend. Completely agreed.
Quote from: Palehorse on April 01, 2012, 09:04:39 PM
Watched it and as always find it utterly amazing and thought inspiring.
How anyone can think we are the only intelligent life that exists is, well. . . delusional!
Even as a proud Christian, I don't think it is wrong for me to think that there could be something else out there.......I believe in God. I think God is much bigger than anything our minds can conceive...and the ernomousity of our galaxy is just as mind boggling. I think the "odds" are in favor of life of some shape or form ....somewhere. I think it is incredible beyond belief.
Quote from: Locutus on April 01, 2012, 09:05:57 PM
Agreed my friend. Completely agreed.
I actually am going to be
very disappointed if when my expiration date comes, I cannot flit about space taking it all in. . .
If I had the opportunity to take a one way space flight to a destination in space, for the purpose of exploration, I'd be all over that. Of course, I'm a bit long in the tooth for such pipe dreams, but even as a young colt, I was of the same mind. :yes:
Quote from: Palehorse on April 01, 2012, 09:22:59 PM
I actually am going to be very disappointed if when my expiration date comes, I cannot flit about space taking it all in. . .
If I had the opportunity to take a one way space flight to a destination in space, for the purpose of exploration, I'd be all over that. Of course, I'm a bit long in the tooth for such pipe dreams, but even as a young colt, I was of the same mind. :yes:
Well the survival of our specie depends on like minded "colts" of the future. If we can't intervene, and we don't off ourselves at our own had first, we have to find a way off of this planet to survive. That's a certainty.
Quote from: Locutus on April 01, 2012, 09:25:46 PM
Well the survival of our specie depends on like minded "colts" of the future. If we can't intervene, and we don't off ourselves at our own had first, we have to find a way off of this planet to survive. That's a certainty.
Absolutely! :yes:
The universe is not forever, when all of the hydrogen is consumed it will go dark and there will be no light. Just darkness and cold. The earth and our sun and the Milky Way Galaxy will be gone long before the whole universe goes dark. That's something to think about. What is great none of us will see it come. :dark:
The thing I find interesting is the fact that all of the universes are moving away from us. It stands to reason that we also are moving. . . or perhaps they aren't moving and it is just us?!
I think science has shown that galaxies, matter, and even dark matter are expanding outwardly from the Big Bang. So yes, we are moving, and several scientists suppose that the Milky Way is on a collision course with the Andromeda Galaxy in a few billion years.
Quote from: Locutus on April 01, 2012, 11:49:34 PM
I think science has shown that galaxies, matter, and even dark matter are expanding outwardly from the Big Bang. So yes, we are moving, and several scientists suppose that the Milky Way is on a collision course with the Andromeda Galaxy in a few billion years.
Einstein said that nothing could travel faster than light 356,000 miles per second. But some scientists say that with the expanding of the edge of the universe by the Big Bang the speed of light could be over come. WOW! :biggrin:
"There no centre of the universe because there is no edge of the universe."
http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/bigbang.html (http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/bigbang.html)
Quote from: Olias on April 04, 2012, 01:23:01 PM
"There no centre of the universe because there is no edge of the universe."
http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/bigbang.html (http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/bigbang.html)
Good stuff :thumbsup: There is one question I would like to ask the scientist. "If we could make the earth stand motionless in the universe and completely stop. What picture would we see in the sky. :o :biggrin:
Quote from: The Troll on April 04, 2012, 01:50:20 PM
Good stuff :thumbsup: There is one question I would like to ask the scientist. "If we could make the earth stand motionless in the universe and completely stop. What picture would we see in the sky. :o :biggrin:
Nothing. You would be dead.
Quote from: Olias on April 04, 2012, 01:23:01 PM
"There no centre of the universe because there is no edge of the universe."
http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/bigbang.html (http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/bigbang.html)
That's a cool website. Thanks for posting that.
Quote from: Locutus on April 04, 2012, 02:08:52 PM
That's a cool website. Thanks for posting that.
:happy:
Quote from: Olias on April 04, 2012, 01:59:53 PM
Nothing. You would be dead.
I'm talking about motionless in space. We keep on spinning and we don't loose gravity. I would like to know how fast the sun, the Milky Way and our solar system would move from us. Just saying. :wink: :smile: This is just a speculation not a fact. :rolleyes:
A picture of the Cygnus Loop Nebula -
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/04_2012/Filigree%20and%20Shadow_sm.jpg)
Go here...http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx?et_cid=2573385&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx?et_cid=2573385&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx)
to see a larger picture.
Quote from: The Troll on April 04, 2012, 06:48:41 PM
I'm talking about motionless in space. We keep on spinning and we don't loose gravity. I would like to know how fast the sun, the Milky Way and our solar system would move from us. Just saying. :wink: :smile: This is just a speculation not a fact. :rolleyes:
Sorry ... I know. I was just being a smartass, but you asked a VERY good question. I couldn't find the answer.
Quote from: Olias on April 04, 2012, 01:59:53 PM
Nothing. You would be dead.
Quote from: The Troll on April 04, 2012, 06:48:41 PM
I'm talking about motionless in space. We keep on spinning and we don't loose gravity. I would like to know how fast the sun, the Milky Way and our solar system would move from us. Just saying. :wink: :smile: This is just a speculation not a fact. :rolleyes:
Quote from: Olias on April 05, 2012, 09:02:19 AM
Sorry ... I know. I was just being a smartass, but you asked a VERY good question. I couldn't find the answer.
I thought your first answer was a good answer to an improbable question. Just shows how different people think differently.
Quote from: Olias on April 05, 2012, 09:00:16 AM
A picture of the Cygnus Loop Nebula -
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/04_2012/Filigree%20and%20Shadow_sm.jpg)
Go here...http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx?et_cid=2573385&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx?et_cid=2573385&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx)
to see a larger picture.
That's a good site. Thanks for posting it. I added it to my favorites.
Quote from: Olias on April 05, 2012, 09:00:16 AM
A picture of the Cygnus Loop Nebula -
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/04_2012/Filigree%20and%20Shadow_sm.jpg)
Go here...http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx?et_cid=2573385&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx?et_cid=2573385&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Filigree-and-Shadow-040212.aspx)
to see a larger picture.
Just b-----utiful. The wonders of the universe and we are part of it, because we are star dust. :heart2:
Quote from: libby on April 05, 2012, 11:00:35 AM
That's a good site. Thanks for posting it. I added it to my favorites.
... and the larger picture is stunning!
"What Happened Before the Big Bang" is on the Science Channel right now. Watch it and learn.
They're exploring the multiverse theory. Interesting stuff!
Chaos in Orion
Baby stars are creating chaos 1,500 light-years away in the cosmic cloud of the Orion Nebula. Four massive stars make up the bright yellow area in the center of this false-color image for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Green indicates hydrogen and sulfur gas in the nebula, which is a cocoon of gas and dust. Red and orange indicate carbon-rich molecules. Infant stars appear as yellow dots embedded in the nebula.
(Picture too huge to post here.)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx?et_cid=2607389&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx?et_cid=2607389&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx)
Quote from: Olias on April 23, 2012, 10:17:47 AM
Chaos in Orion
Baby stars are creating chaos 1,500 light-years away in the cosmic cloud of the Orion Nebula. Four massive stars make up the bright yellow area in the center of this false-color image for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Green indicates hydrogen and sulfur gas in the nebula, which is a cocoon of gas and dust. Red and orange indicate carbon-rich molecules. Infant stars appear as yellow dots embedded in the nebula.
(Picture too huge to post here.)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx?et_cid=2607389&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx?et_cid=2607389&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx)
Quote from: Olias on April 23, 2012, 10:17:47 AM
Chaos in Orion
Baby stars are creating chaos 1,500 light-years away in the cosmic cloud of the Orion Nebula. Four massive stars make up the bright yellow area in the center of this false-color image for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Green indicates hydrogen and sulfur gas in the nebula, which is a cocoon of gas and dust. Red and orange indicate carbon-rich molecules. Infant stars appear as yellow dots embedded in the nebula.
(Picture too huge to post here.)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx?et_cid=2607389&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx?et_cid=2607389&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx)
Great picture, I click on the enlarge under picture and got a pretty good picture. From the size of the stars embedded in the nebula, their not going to live too long in the time of the universe. :tiphat:
Quote from: Olias on April 23, 2012, 10:17:47 AM
Chaos in Orion
Baby stars are creating chaos 1,500 light-years away in the cosmic cloud of the Orion Nebula. Four massive stars make up the bright yellow area in the center of this false-color image for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Green indicates hydrogen and sulfur gas in the nebula, which is a cocoon of gas and dust. Red and orange indicate carbon-rich molecules. Infant stars appear as yellow dots embedded in the nebula.
(Picture too huge to post here.)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx?et_cid=2607389&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx?et_cid=2607389&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Chaos-in-Orion-042012.aspx)
:spooked: Enlarge that and let it roll and you can get lost in it.
Quote from: libby on April 24, 2012, 06:32:21 PM
:spooked: Enlarge that and let it roll and you can get lost in it.
Yes! It's easy to get lost in those pictures, isn't it?
Quote from: libby on April 05, 2012, 10:39:15 AM
I thought your first answer was a good answer to an improbable question. Just shows how different people think differently.
Since the Big Bang our Galaxy is traveling at great speed from the center of the Big Bang. Our solar system with our sun and the earth is traveling around the center of our galaxy at a great speed. Plus we are traveling around the sun at a great speed and it that is not enough our earth is spinning on it axis at a great speed. Our whole universe is sorta like a helicopter it's got a lot of parts moving at a great speed. So I was thinking what would happen if we here on earth could just for a short time stop our motion in the universe to see what it would be like when everything keeps moving and we don't. I'll bet the scientist would like to study that little interesting event. :yes: :wink:
Quote from: Olias on April 26, 2012, 12:25:09 PM
Yes! It's easy to get lost in those pictures, isn't it?
:yes:
I get those pictures in an email almost every day. But it's been a couple of days since I've seen one. I hope my subscription didn't expire.
Quote from: The Troll on April 26, 2012, 12:48:39 PM
Since the Big Bang our Galaxy is traveling at great speed from the center of the Big Bang. Our solar system with our sun and the earth is traveling around the center of our galaxy at a great speed. Plus we are traveling around the sun at a great speed and it that is not enough our earth is spinning on it axis at a great speed. Our whole universe is sorta like a helicopter it's got a lot of parts moving at a great speed. So I was thinking what would happen if we here on earth could just for a short time stop our motion in the universe to see what it would be like when everything keeps moving and we don't. I'll bet the scientist would like to study that little interesting event. :yes: :wink:
OK, I'll play ... let's suppose we could stand still while everything else kept moving. And let's assume we were lucky enough not to get blasted to dust by everything speeding by us. I'll bet it wouldn't look all that different from what we see now. After all, we are looking at systems that are already moving at enormous speeds - can you actually see them move?
Strange Objects seen Blazing Trails in Saturn's Ring
Scientists working with images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have discovered strange, half-mile-sized objects punching through one of Saturn's rings and leaving glittering trails behind them. The results were presented at the European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna, Austria.
The penetration occurred in the outermost of Saturn's main rings, called the F ring, which has a circumference of 550,000 miles (881,000 kilometers).
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Strange-Objects-seen-Blazing-Trails-in-Saturn-Ring-042412.aspx?et_cid=2615547&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Strange-Objects-seen-Blazing-Trails-in-Saturn-Ring-042412.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Strange-Objects-seen-Blazing-Trails-in-Saturn-Ring-042412.aspx?et_cid=2615547&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Strange-Objects-seen-Blazing-Trails-in-Saturn-Ring-042412.aspx)
This one is particularly beautiful ......
Orion's Rainbow of Infrared Light
This new view of the Orion Nebula highlights fledgling stars hidden in the gas and clouds. It shows infrared observations taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's Herschel mission, in which NASA plays an important role.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/04_2012/Orion's%20Rainbow_sm.jpg)
Go here for the big picture ...
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Orions-Rainbow-of-Infrared-Light-042412.aspx?et_cid=2615547&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Orions-Rainbow-of-Infrared-Light-042412.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Orions-Rainbow-of-Infrared-Light-042412.aspx?et_cid=2615547&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Orions-Rainbow-of-Infrared-Light-042412.aspx)
Quote from: Olias on April 26, 2012, 04:22:59 PM
Strange Objects seen Blazing Trails in Saturn's Ring
Scientists working with images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have discovered strange, half-mile-sized objects punching through one of Saturn's rings and leaving glittering trails behind them. The results were presented at the European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna, Austria.
The penetration occurred in the outermost of Saturn's main rings, called the F ring, which has a circumference of 550,000 miles (881,000 kilometers).
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Strange-Objects-seen-Blazing-Trails-in-Saturn-Ring-042412.aspx?et_cid=2615547&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Strange-Objects-seen-Blazing-Trails-in-Saturn-Ring-042412.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Strange-Objects-seen-Blazing-Trails-in-Saturn-Ring-042412.aspx?et_cid=2615547&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Strange-Objects-seen-Blazing-Trails-in-Saturn-Ring-042412.aspx)
If you read the article in the link, there is another link at the end ... "New images and movies of the mini-jets are available at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/cassini20120423.html (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/cassini20120423.html) "
Strangely erotic in its own way ...
:happy: I've just looked at what you've been posting .... thank you .... what nice images to nod off to sleep with ....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9230801/Astronomers-find-new-planet-capable-of-supporting-life.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9230801/Astronomers-find-new-planet-capable-of-supporting-life.html)
Astronomers find new planet capable of supporting life Astronomers have discovered their "holy grail"
- a planet capable of supporting life outside our solar system.
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02179/Milky-Way_2179177b.jpg)
Quote from: Henry Hawk on April 27, 2012, 10:39:59 AM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9230801/Astronomers-find-new-planet-capable-of-supporting-life.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9230801/Astronomers-find-new-planet-capable-of-supporting-life.html)
Astronomers find new planet capable of supporting life Astronomers have discovered their "holy grail"
- a planet capable of supporting life outside our solar system.
WOW!
Can you imagine what life would be like there? Gravity would be stronger and everything would look red!
And it's only 22 light years away!
WOW!
Okay, this may be a dumb question, but why would you assume things would look red? What does our system look like from that distance?
Just wondering...
Quote from: Henry Hawk on April 27, 2012, 10:49:45 AM
Okay, this may be a dumb question, but why would you assume things would look red? What does our system look like from that distance?
Just wondering...
"As the light is in the infrared area,"
Anybody remember that old hit from the 60's - 'Midnight in Moscow?' ........
Here's a picture ...
:biggrin:
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/04_2012/Moscow%20at%20Night_sm.jpg)
and a really big one here .....
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Moscow-at-Night-042412.aspx?et_cid=2617964&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Moscow-at-Night-042412.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Moscow-at-Night-042412.aspx?et_cid=2617964&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Moscow-at-Night-042412.aspx)
Quote from: Olias on April 30, 2012, 10:53:29 AM
Anybody remember that old hit from the 60's - 'Midnight in Moscow?' ........
Here's a picture ...
:biggrin:
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/04_2012/Moscow%20at%20Night_sm.jpg)
and a really big one here .....
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Moscow-at-Night-042412.aspx?et_cid=2617964&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Moscow-at-Night-042412.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Moscow-at-Night-042412.aspx?et_cid=2617964&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Moscow-at-Night-042412.aspx)
I didn't remember it -- until I listened to it. As for that picture, :yes: That is spectacular! I thought at first it was another image of a distant galaxy.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2113093,00.html?hpt=hp_t2#ixzz1tcJYiX56 (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2113093,00.html?hpt=hp_t2#ixzz1tcJYiX56)
Dark-Matter Mystery: Why Are 400 Stars Moving as if There's Nothing There?
The theory of dark matter took decades to take hold in astronomy, and no wonder. It's pretty tough to wrap your mind around the notion that some mysterious, invisible substance pervades the cosmos — and even tougher to accept that it outweighs ordinary matter by a factor of 6 to 1, at least. Evidence eventually trumped incredulity, though, and by the 1980s, the vast majority of scientists were on board with the idea, nutty though it might seem, and there they've remained ever since. . .
For every mystery we solve there seems to be at least 3 or 4 to take its place.
Supermoon alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Sat
http://www.space.com/15474-supermoon-full-moon-2012.html (http://www.space.com/15474-supermoon-full-moon-2012.html)
The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon (http://www.space.com/11179-supermoon-photos-full-moon-2011-skywatchers.html).
(http://www.topnewstoday.org/i/6/0/4/img_2133406_80.jpg)
Hopefully the damn rain will clear up around here by then. It's been raining for four straight days. :mad:
Quote from: Henry Hawk on May 01, 2012, 02:29:45 PM
Supermoon alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Sat
http://www.space.com/15474-supermoon-full-moon-2012.html (http://www.space.com/15474-supermoon-full-moon-2012.html)
The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon (http://www.space.com/11179-supermoon-photos-full-moon-2011-skywatchers.html).
(http://www.topnewstoday.org/i/6/0/4/img_2133406_80.jpg)
Thanks, Hank.
Quote from: Palehorse on May 01, 2012, 12:56:41 PM
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2113093,00.html?hpt=hp_t2#ixzz1tcJYiX56 (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2113093,00.html?hpt=hp_t2#ixzz1tcJYiX56)
Dark-Matter Mystery: Why Are 400 Stars Moving as if There's Nothing There?
The theory of dark matter took decades to take hold in astronomy, and no wonder. It's pretty tough to wrap your mind around the notion that some mysterious, invisible substance pervades the cosmos — and even tougher to accept that it outweighs ordinary matter by a factor of 6 to 1, at least. Evidence eventually trumped incredulity, though, and by the 1980s, the vast majority of scientists were on board with the idea, nutty though it might seem, and there they've remained ever since. . .
For every mystery we solve there seems to be at least 3 or 4 to take its place.
Here's what a current astronomy textbook (Professor Alex Fillippenko) says: "Dark matter: invisible matter that dominates the mass of the universe." Makes me think back to the days several decades ago when I got interested in the Rosicrucians -- and their theory that the universe is made up of waves -- everything vibrating at its own frequency. That preceded the more current string theory, of course. (I like the vibrating universe theory better. :dizzy2: but what do I know? I just like to look at the stars on a dark moonless night.)
Quote from: libby on May 01, 2012, 06:41:30 PM
Here's what a current astronomy textbook (Professor Alex Fillippenko) says: "Dark matter: invisible matter that dominates the mass of the universe." Makes me think back to the days several decades ago when I got interested in the Rosicrucians -- and their theory that the universe is made up of waves -- everything vibrating at its own frequency. That preceded the more current string theory, of course. (I like the vibrating universe theory better. :dizzy2: but what do I know? I just like to look at the stars on a dark moonless night.)
When my wife and I were going down to Gulf Shores Al. we would drive out South on Fort Morgan Rd. until there was no night lights. The stars over the Gulf was absolutely beautiful. Something you never get to see in Indiana. :yes: :smile:
Just walked outside to see a 'super' full moon rising, and had the added treat of seeing the Hubble Space Telescope passing far overhead. Too cool.
The ISS was also visible tonight, but was on too low of an orbit to make it a triple play.
The moon was "large" as it came up over the horizon this evening, but I have seen it much larger. (Which was kind of a disappointment).
But it is rather bright now that it is up in the sky. :yes:
Indeed it is. :yes:
We were up at the lake where is little city lights. The Moon was so bright as we walk along the gravel road the Moon cased our shadows on the road. Something very beautiful. :biggrin:
Beautiful picture of Mars ....
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/05_2012/Opportunity's%20Selfie_sm.jpg)
For the big picture .....
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Opportunitys-Selfie-053012.aspx?et_cid=2674531&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Opportunitys-Selfie-053012.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Opportunitys-Selfie-053012.aspx?et_cid=2674531&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Opportunitys-Selfie-053012.aspx)
8)
Speaking of skywatch..............the dragon lands in 26 minutes!!!
500 miles west of San Diego...
The Dragon has landed! Splash down complete...........
Not nearly as exciting as it was several years ago........
but still kind of cool.
Quote from: Olias on May 31, 2012, 10:06:20 AM
Beautiful picture of Mars ....
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/05_2012/Opportunity's%20Selfie_sm.jpg)
For the big picture .....
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Opportunitys-Selfie-053012.aspx?et_cid=2674531&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Opportunitys-Selfie-053012.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Opportunitys-Selfie-053012.aspx?et_cid=2674531&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Opportunitys-Selfie-053012.aspx)
:smile: Thanks for posting it. Made me think of Ray Bradbury's
The Martian Chronicles
Quote from: Henry Hawk on May 31, 2012, 11:46:31 AM
The Dragon has landed! Splash down complete...........
Not nearly as exciting as it was several years ago........
but still kind of cool.
Crap! I meant to watch that and completely forgot about it.
Quote from: Locutus on May 31, 2012, 12:20:56 PM
Crap! I meant to watch that and completely forgot about it.
There was not much to see.......the video was NOT good at all. They did not show the splash down....very anti-climatic.
Sounds like I didn't miss much then.
It's 9:11 P.M. and I just got up to close the blinds. My townhouse faces east, and there in the sky, just above the trees, was the very bright rising full moon. Because of the background light, haze, etc., we don't often get a view, a contrast like that. Almost like dark cloudless WV sky.
Cosmic smashup predicted, but Earth will survive
Don't worry about when the world as we know it might end. NASA has calculated that our entire Milky Way galaxy will crash into a neighboring galaxy with a direct head-on hit—in 4 billion years.
Astronomers in a NASA news conference Thursday said that years of observations from the Hubble Space Telescope provide grisly details of a long-anticipated galactic smashup. Astronomers had seen the Andromeda galaxy coming at us, but thought there was a chance that its sideways motion would make it miss or graze the Milky Way. Hubble readings now indicate that's not the case.
more at ....http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/06/General-Science-Astrophysics-Astronomy-Cosmic-smashup-predicted-but-Earth-will-survive/?et_cid=2681033&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f06%2fGeneral-Science-Astrophysics-Astronomy-Cosmic-smashup-predicted-but-Earth-will-survive%2f (http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/06/General-Science-Astrophysics-Astronomy-Cosmic-smashup-predicted-but-Earth-will-survive/?et_cid=2681033&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f06%2fGeneral-Science-Astrophysics-Astronomy-Cosmic-smashup-predicted-but-Earth-will-survive%2f)
I don't think our planet will be habitable by that point anyway. ;D
Quote from: Olias on June 04, 2012, 10:36:17 AM
Cosmic smashup predicted, but Earth will survive
Don't worry about when the world as we know it might end. NASA has calculated that our entire Milky Way galaxy will crash into a neighboring galaxy with a direct head-on hit—in 4 billion years.
Astronomers in a NASA news conference Thursday said that years of observations from the Hubble Space Telescope provide grisly details of a long-anticipated galactic smashup. Astronomers had seen the Andromeda galaxy coming at us, but thought there was a chance that its sideways motion would make it miss or graze the Milky Way. Hubble readings now indicate that's not the case.
more at ....http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/06/General-Science-Astrophysics-Astronomy-Cosmic-smashup-predicted-but-Earth-will-survive/?et_cid=2681033&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f06%2fGeneral-Science-Astrophysics-Astronomy-Cosmic-smashup-predicted-but-Earth-will-survive%2f (http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/06/General-Science-Astrophysics-Astronomy-Cosmic-smashup-predicted-but-Earth-will-survive/?et_cid=2681033&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f06%2fGeneral-Science-Astrophysics-Astronomy-Cosmic-smashup-predicted-but-Earth-will-survive%2f)
Heck, with the vast distances involved, we might already be dead but just don't know it. :eek:
Quote from: libby on June 04, 2012, 11:23:24 AM
Heck, with the vast distances involved, we might already be dead but just don't know it. :eek:
Please don't ask me to explain that :wacko: :science:
Quote from: Locutus on June 04, 2012, 11:20:43 AM
I don't think our planet will be habitable by that point anyway. ;D
Well, I won't worry about it until I am 4 Billion and 74 years old. :wink: :smile:
. . .The National Science Foundation has just revealed the existence of not one, but two pristine, Hubble-class space telescopes, still in their original wrappings, in a warehouse in Rochester, N.Y. The pair was originally built for the National Reconnaissance Office, the agency in charge of spy satellites, to look down at Earth rather than up into space. But the NRO has moved on to bigger and better instruments, and decided to hand the telescopes over. . .
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2116436,00.html#ixzz1wvuuzXuz (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2116436,00.html#ixzz1wvuuzXuz)
Since the Republicans are so Anti-science, do you think they will let us put them up. What a great chance to give more scientist to research the Universe. I think it would be great. But then, I think science is great, greater the religion ever was. :smile:
Good question. How the hell are they going to get them into orbit now?
The Russians or private ships eventually.
Obama cut funding to NASA.....so, good question.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on June 06, 2012, 02:10:01 PM
Obama cut funding to NASA.....so, good question.
http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-budget-cuts-draw-threat-presidential-veto-220135002.html (http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-budget-cuts-draw-threat-presidential-veto-220135002.html)
The $51 billion Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act for 2013 (H.R. 5326) that the
Republican-led House began debating today would fund NASA at $17.56 billion next year — the lowest level since 2008 and some $150 million less than President Obama requested for the agency.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on June 06, 2012, 02:10:01 PM
Obama cut funding to NASA.....so, good question.
Umm. . .no. That would have been congress. . .
****SIDEBAR**** I see this topic now taking a turn that will force its move into the rough house. ****/SIDEBAR****
Quote from: Palehorse on June 06, 2012, 09:04:10 PM
Umm. . .no. That would have been congress. . .
****SIDEBAR**** I see this topic now taking a turn that will force its move into the rough house. ****/SIDEBAR****
I apologize for responding to that ridiculous post earlier. I promise to ignore stupid, political comments in this thread, henceforth and herewith.
Quote from: The Troll on June 06, 2012, 09:22:58 AM
Since the Republicans are so Anti-science, do you think they will let us put them up. What a great chance to give more scientist to research the Universe. I think it would be great. But then, I think science is great, greater the religion ever was. :smile:
But this was OKAY, then, RIGHT?
****SIDEBAR**** I see this topic now taking a turn that will force its move into the rough house. ****/SIDEBAR**** :rolleyes:
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Obama-s-budget-would-cut-NASA-Pentagon-and-cost-3313215.php (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Obama-s-budget-would-cut-NASA-Pentagon-and-cost-3313215.php)
Did anybody watch the Venus transit Tuesday? I used a pair of binoculars to project an image on my garage door. It was way cool! I wanted to take a picture but I couldn't hold the binoculars steady enough to get a decent image.
Quote from: Olias on June 07, 2012, 10:38:26 AM
Did anybody watch the Venus transit Tuesday? I used a pair of binoculars to project an image on my garage door. It was way cool! I wanted to take a picture but I couldn't hold the binoculars steady enough to get a decent image.
It was too cloudy here. Saw some cool imagery online though. How exactly did you project using binoculars? I don't think I would have thought to try that even if the weather had been clear.
Quote from: Olias on June 07, 2012, 10:38:26 AM
Did anybody watch the Venus transit Tuesday? I used a pair of binoculars to project an image on my garage door. It was way cool! I wanted to take a picture but I couldn't hold the binoculars steady enough to get a decent image.
I didn't. Congratulations for your ingenuity. Like Locutus, I wouldn't have thought of that.
Quote from: Locutus on June 07, 2012, 10:46:10 AM
It was too cloudy here. Saw some cool imagery online though. How exactly did you project using binoculars? I don't think I would have thought to try that even if the weather had been clear.
I simply pointed the binoculars at the sun as if I were looking at it (with the eyepiece pointed at the garage door.) I had to move them around quite a bit until I got a good focus, but it worked. I can't take credit for the idea, though. That was one of the suggestions I heard on the radio.
Quote from: Olias on June 07, 2012, 11:02:17 AM
I simply pointed the binoculars at the sun as if I were looking at it (with the eyepiece pointed at the garage door.) I had to move them around quite a bit until I got a good focus, but it worked. I can't take credit for the idea, though. That was one of the suggestions I heard on the radio.
And you were actually able to see the shadow of Venus during the crossing?
Quote from: Locutus on June 07, 2012, 11:05:39 AM
And you were actually able to see the shadow of Venus during the crossing?
Yes. Absolutely. Clear as can be! It appeared as a small black dot on the lower part of the image of the sun. Of course you couldn't actually see it move, but I checked it several times before sunset and noticed the change in position of the dot.
The image of the sun on the door was about two inches in diameter, so it was quite easy to see it once I got the focus problem fixed.
Congratulations man! That's awesome. I'll have to remember that technique next time there's an eclipse. I'm sure it would work in a similar manner for that as well.
That is a great idea.... 8)
Quote from: Locutus on June 07, 2012, 12:16:22 PM
Congratulations man! That's awesome. I'll have to remember that technique next time there's an eclipse. I'm sure it would work in a similar manner for that as well.
Thanks. But here's a hint. Practice the method first. I hadn't done it before so the first few minutes were a bit frantic trying to get a good image. You have to first play with the aim, then once you get that, you have to try changing the distance the distance between the binoculars and the surface you are projecting to. I found that with my binoculars, a good distance was about three feet. Finally you have to fiddle with the focus. It ain't easy, Dude! It would have been so much better if I had used a tripod.
Quote from: Olias on June 07, 2012, 12:31:50 PM
Thanks. But here's a hint. Practice the method first. I hadn't done it before so the first few minutes were a bit frantic trying to get a good image. You have to first play with the aim, then once you get that, you have to try changing the distance the distance between the binoculars and the surface you are projecting to. I found that with my binoculars, a good distance was about three feet. Finally you have to fiddle with the focus. It ain't easy, Dude! It would have been so much better if I had used a tripod.
I was just getting ready to ask if you used a tripod. That's amazing that you were able to do that just using your hands while trying to hold the binoculars steady, and adjust the focus and projection distance all at the same time.
http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=USRTR335U6#a=1 (http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=USRTR335U6#a=1)
Here is a nice slide show of it....pretty cool 8)
Quote from: Henry Hawk on June 07, 2012, 12:42:58 PM
http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=USRTR335U6#a=1 (http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=USRTR335U6#a=1)
Here is a nice slide show of it....pretty cool 8)
Those two guys in slide 2 ... using a film negative strip .... they're blind now.
Slide 33 - USING BINOCULARS!!!!! :biggrin:
Quote from: Olias on June 07, 2012, 12:53:31 PM
Those two guys in slide 2 ... using a film negative strip .... they're blind now.
Slide 33 - USING BINOCULARS!!!!! :biggrin:
I wondered about that, it does not seem like a safe way to do it...(the negative strip that is)
Quote from: Locutus on June 07, 2012, 10:46:10 AM
It was too cloudy here. Saw some cool imagery online though. How exactly did you project using binoculars? I don't think I would have thought to try that even if the weather had been clear.
You can take a piece of card board and put a pin hole in it. Put it up to the window and darken the room. Take a piece of white paper or poster and let the light from the pin hole land on the paper. position the paper back and forward from the pin hole until a picture of the sun comes into focus. It work just great on an eclipse the sun one time. You can all see a picture of the outdoors. This what they used in old time paintings and taking picture with any camera. :yes:
Quote from: The Troll on June 07, 2012, 01:55:18 PM
You can take a piece of card board and put a pin hole in it. Put it up to the window and darken the room. Take a piece of white paper or poster and let the light from the pin hole land on the paper. position the paper back and forward from the pin hole until a picture of the sun comes into focus. It work just great on an eclipse the sun one time. You can all see a picture of the outdoors. This what they used in old time paintings and taking picture with any camera. :yes:
Yeah. That's the first thing I thought about. But trees block the sun on the west side of my house, and as you noted, this only works well in a darkened room.
Quote from: Olias on June 07, 2012, 10:38:26 AM
Did anybody watch the Venus transit Tuesday? I used a pair of binoculars to project an image on my garage door. It was way cool! I wanted to take a picture but I couldn't hold the binoculars steady enough to get a decent image.
I've used that method anywhere I was when there was a solar eclipse; but alas I did not do so on Tuesday. . . I was at work. . . :mad:
I actually learned about it in High-school. My earth science teacher was a space-nut and when there was an eclipse one day when we were in school, he took us all outside with about a dozen pair of binoculars and some large boxes. We projected it into the box and it was way cool. I've done it ever since. :smile:
If you have a "spotting scope", (and if you hunt odds are you do), that will work just as well. And they typically come with a tripod. :smile:
French astrophotographer Thierry Legault captured this view of the Hubble Space Telescope passing over the sun's disk during this week's transit of Venus. The circles highlight the Hubble on multiple exposures taken every tenth of a second during the telescope's 0.9-second transit.
(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120607-coslog-venus-715p.photoblog900.jpg)
^^ Way cool! :yes:
I'll bet Olias didn't see the Hubble with his binoculars. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on June 08, 2012, 09:01:31 PM
French astrophotographer Thierry Legault captured this view of the Hubble Space Telescope passing over the sun's disk during this week's transit of Venus. The circles highlight the Hubble on multiple exposures taken every tenth of a second during the telescope's 0.9-second transit.
(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120607-coslog-venus-715p.photoblog900.jpg)
Yet another awesome image! 8) :yes:
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has encountered a new environment more than 11 billion miles from Earth, suggesting that the venerable probe is on the cusp of leaving the solar system.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/18/nasa-voyager-1-spacecraft-nears-interstellar-space/#ixzz1yF1o2iWA (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/18/nasa-voyager-1-spacecraft-nears-interstellar-space/#ixzz1yF1o2iWA)
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn2/feeds/Space.com/660/371/voyager-nasa-solar-system-heliosheath.jpg)
Quote from: Locutus on June 08, 2012, 09:01:46 PM
^^ Way cool! :yes:
I'll bet Olias didn't see the Hubble with his binoculars. ;D
You're right about that!
Quote from: Henry Hawk on June 19, 2012, 08:25:24 AM
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has encountered a new environment more than 11 billion miles from Earth, suggesting that the venerable probe is on the cusp of leaving the solar system.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/18/nasa-voyager-1-spacecraft-nears-interstellar-space/#ixzz1yF1o2iWA (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/18/nasa-voyager-1-spacecraft-nears-interstellar-space/#ixzz1yF1o2iWA)
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn2/feeds/Space.com/660/371/voyager-nasa-solar-system-heliosheath.jpg)
That is truly mind-boggling -- everything is built on speculation built on premise, and the only way any of us here will ever know anything more is if we do come back, if we live multiple lives, and someday, in the future .... :science: :spooked:
Truly amazing. Venus a planet that is similar in size to earth going across the face of the sun. It just goes to show us how small we really are in a second rate solar system at the very edge of the Milky Way Galaxy a small galaxy in the endless universe. :think:
Just think our past religious leaders thought we were the center of the universe and almost killed Galileo for saying we were not. :yes: :yes:
Quote from: libby on June 19, 2012, 05:25:00 PM
That is truly mind-boggling -- everything is built on speculation built on premise, and the only way any of us here will ever know anything more is if we do come back, if we live multiple lives, and someday, in the future .... :science: :spooked:
I would actually love to be able to come back at some point in the future and see what's in store for the human race, and see if we've progressed beyond some of the Neanderthal thinking that's ingrained into so many people. Hopefully, the future for the human race holds something other than extinction.
Quote from: Locutus on June 20, 2012, 01:15:19 PM
....... Hopefully, the future for the human race holds something other than extinction.
I'm a bit of a pessimist on that point. I think we have cheated on the laws of evolution to the point where our species in general is in decline. Just look around you.
Quote from: Olias on June 20, 2012, 01:22:04 PM
I'm a bit of a pessimist on that point. I think we have cheated on the laws of evolution to the point where our species in general is in decline. Just look around you.
Yeah, I agree. I think Exterminator has alluded to some of those same points in the past somewhere around here.
We also know that even if we don't off ourselves in the meantime, we're eventually going to have to find a way off of this planet or those that are around at that time are going to have a serious suntan, no drinking water, and no oxygen. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on June 20, 2012, 01:30:50 PM
Yeah, I agree. I think Exterminator has alluded to some of those same points in the past somewhere around here.
We also know that even if we don't off ourselves in the meantime, we're eventually going to have to find a way off of this planet or those that are around at that time are going to have a serious suntan, no drinking water, and no oxygen. ;D
It's more than that. I continue to be shocked by the number of complete idiots I run into every day. Mankind evolved and became dominant because of brain power. Now it looks like we're going the other way. Quickly.
Quote from: Olias on June 20, 2012, 01:35:22 PM
It's more than that. I continue to be shocked by the number of complete idiots I run into every day. Mankind evolved and became dominant because of brain power. Now it looks like we're going the other way. Quickly.
By idiots, do you mean those lacking in education, common sense, or both? ;D
Quote from: Locutus on June 20, 2012, 01:46:25 PM
By idiots, do you mean those lacking in education, common sense, or both? ;D
Doesn't common sense dictate that you should educate yourself as fully as possible?
I guess both ...
Quote from: Olias on June 20, 2012, 02:02:19 PM
Doesn't common sense dictate that you should educate yourself as fully as possible?
I guess both ...
One would think common sense would dictate education. I too am constantly amazed at the abject ignorance that seems to abound everywhere around us. People lack basic knowledge about just about everything. Another scary thing is that the ones who are the most ignorant seem to have the loudest voices in conversations that truly matter. There may not be much hope for us if that trend continues.
Quote from: Locutus on June 20, 2012, 02:22:58 PM
Another scary thing is that the ones who are the most ignorant seem to have the loudest voices in conversations that truly matter.
This part right there, I particularly agree with 100%. :yes:
Quote from: Olias on June 20, 2012, 02:02:19 PM
Doesn't common sense dictate that you should educate yourself as fully as possible?
I guess both ...
It sorta of what you want. If you were hopelessly lost in a great wilderness. Would want to be there with a over educated brain who knows thick books. Or some Kentucky hillbilly who was raised in the hills living off the land and had good common sense. I think I would be better talking hillbilly than Harvard speak. :wink: :smile:
I have known some brilliant people who don't have enough common sense to come in out of the rain. Give them a paper to write, math or science problem and they are great but the can't figure out a self check out counter. :)
Quote from: Locutus on June 20, 2012, 01:15:19 PM
I would actually love to be able to come back at some point in the future and see what's in store for the human race, and see if we've progressed beyond some of the Neanderthal thinking that's ingrained into so many people. Hopefully, the future for the human race holds something other than extinction.
Remember the old H.G. Wells movie
The Time Machine, starring Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux?
Quote from: Anne on June 20, 2012, 10:19:47 PM
I have known some brilliant people who don't have enough common sense to come in out of the rain. Give them a paper to write, math or science problem and they are great but the can't figure out a self check out counter. :)
The thing that makes a educated brain is memory. Usually photographic memory. Great at taking test and this is what gets you good jobs is taking and making good test scores. But the ability to apply your memory to a problem is the key. I have worked for many engineers and supervisors that had no mechanical or problem solving ability at all. But they got the good job and the good pay because they had good school grades and could take a test and get a high score. :yes: :yes: :rant:
Quote from: libby on June 20, 2012, 11:19:29 PM
Remember the old H.G. Wells movie The Time Machine, starring Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux?
Here is a good question for you Libby. If you were handed your "Libby's Book of Life" and in that book was the day, month and year, the time and the way you will died or killed. :dead: Would you open the book and look to see how and when you die? :eek: :o Think about it. I would, for it would change the way I am living now. :smile:
Quote from: Anne on June 20, 2012, 10:19:47 PM
I have known some brilliant people who don't have enough common sense to come in out of the rain. Give them a paper to write, math or science problem and they are great but the can't figure out a self check out counter. :)
Some of the most brilliant people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing or working with had both education and real life experience. Typically they were individuals who were bored in High School, got jobs, and skipped college for about 10 or so years. Then they went to college and obtained a higher education with which to utilize their experience.
THOSE are the people who assure the continuation of the species, but they are becoming increasingly silent due to the aforementioned loudmouths who get the corporate controlled media's attention; which drives the sheep onto the path of doom.
That we still look to the skies centuries later is a good thing, however that we continue to lose ground to idiocy is the dangerous part of the formula. Should the trend continue I believe that Olias's forecast is more likely, and Locutus's the "best case scenario" surrounding the fate of the planet and species.
Troll: If there were such a book to foretell our future destiny as individuals I would NOT look; for to look is to change, past, present, and future. My life is what it is and will be and I am resolved to play the hand out to the last. If the last is 5 minutes from now or 50 years is of no consequence to me. If I look it changes everything between now and my expiration date, and I wouldn't want to miss one second of my destiny. . . for it makes me that which I am and will be. Now why would I want to change that?
Quote from: Palehorse on June 21, 2012, 12:30:33 AM
Troll: If there were such a book to foretell our future destiny as individuals I would NOT look; for to look is to change, past, present, and future. My life is what it is and will be and I am resolved to play the hand out to the last. If the last is 5 minutes from now or 50 years is of no consequence to me. If I look it changes everything between now and my expiration date, and I wouldn't want to miss one second of my destiny. . . for it makes me that which I am and will be. Now why would I want to change that?
That comment RIGHT there is exactly WHY I like Palehorse. I 100% agree with him on this one.
I wouldn't look either. I like m life, family and friends. If knowing when and how I would die would change the way I live, why wouldn't I change things now, do all the things on a 'bucket list'. Now that might be an interesting topic, What is on your bucket list? Have we done that before?
I too, would not want to jeopardize ANYTHING in my life. I am 100% content with my life and adore my family and friends.
as they (we) are.
Well, we all know we are going to die one day. I know in my heart that I won't have to meet my "maker" but I try to not do un to others as some has done to me. :yes: :smile:
But, if I'm am destined to die in a fetal position in a diaper in a dark and piss smelling nursing home, I sure would like to make plans to have something on hand to shorten my trip back to the Universe from whence I came from. We won't pray :pray: on this one. :wink: :smile:
Look at the sky in this one ... a soothing picture on an extremely hot day here .. (Heat index of 105) ...
Antarctica Celebrating Midwinter's Day
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/06_2012/Antarctica%20Celebrating%)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-IN-Antarctica-Celebrating-Midwinters-Day-062112.aspx?et_cid=2707687&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-IN-Antarctica-Celebrating-Midwinters-Day-062112.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-IN-Antarctica-Celebrating-Midwinters-Day-062112.aspx?et_cid=2707687&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-IN-Antarctica-Celebrating-Midwinters-Day-062112.aspx)
Evidence of ice content at the moon's south pole
(http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedImages/RD/News/2012/06/moonicex250.jpg)
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/06/General-Science-Evidence-Of-Ice-Content-At-The-Moons-South-Pole/?et_cid=2707640&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f06%2fGeneral-Science-Evidence-Of-Ice-Content-At-The-Moons-South-Pole%2f (http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/06/General-Science-Evidence-Of-Ice-Content-At-The-Moons-South-Pole/?et_cid=2707640&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f06%2fGeneral-Science-Evidence-Of-Ice-Content-At-The-Moons-South-Pole%2f)
Cool stuff Olias... 8)
Quote from: The Troll on June 20, 2012, 11:32:02 PM
Here is a good question for you Libby. If you were handed your "Libby's Book of Life" and in that book was the day, month and year, the time and the way you will died or killed. :dead: Would you open the book and look to see how and when you die? :eek: :o Think about it. I would, for it would change the way I am living now. :smile:
That's easy. I absolutely do not want to know. Thinking about what you'd do, what you'd change could drive you crazy.
At this point in my life, I don't think I'd change a thing. I hope I just go to sleep here and wake up there. Where/what "there" is is another matter for maybe another discussion one of these days.
Now I have a question for you: what if we've been here before and will come back again? Or maybe never left -- the body dies but the soul lives on? (I absolutely cannot imagine a time, before I was born, or after I die, that the consciousness that is ME did not exist or will cease to exist when my mortal body shuts down.)
Quote from: Palehorse on June 21, 2012, 12:30:33 AM
Some of the most brilliant people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing or working with had both education and real life experience. Typically they were individuals who were bored in High School, got jobs, and skipped college for about 10 or so years. Then they went to college and obtained a higher education with which to utilize their experience.
THOSE are the people who assure the continuation of the species, but they are becoming increasingly silent due to the aforementioned loudmouths who get the corporate controlled media's attention; which drives the sheep onto the path of doom.
That we still look to the skies centuries later is a good thing, however that we continue to lose ground to idiocy is the dangerous part of the formula. Should the trend continue I believe that Olias's forecast is more likely, and Locutus's the "best case scenario" surrounding the fate of the planet and species.
Troll: If there were such a book to foretell our future destiny as individuals I would NOT look; for to look is to change, past, present, and future. My life is what it is and will be and I am resolved to play the hand out to the last. If the last is 5 minutes from now or 50 years is of no consequence to me. If I look it changes everything between now and my expiration date, and I wouldn't want to miss one second of my destiny. . . for it makes me that which I am and will be. Now why would I want to change that?
I agree! Well said.
Quote from: Olias on June 21, 2012, 01:35:40 PM
Evidence of ice content at the moon's south pole
(http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedImages/RD/News/2012/06/moonicex250.jpg)
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/06/General-Science-Evidence-Of-Ice-Content-At-The-Moons-South-Pole/?et_cid=2707640&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f06%2fGeneral-Science-Evidence-Of-Ice-Content-At-The-Moons-South-Pole%2f (http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/06/General-Science-Evidence-Of-Ice-Content-At-The-Moons-South-Pole/?et_cid=2707640&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f06%2fGeneral-Science-Evidence-Of-Ice-Content-At-The-Moons-South-Pole%2f)
Yes, cool indeed! Thanks for posting that.
Quote from: libby on June 21, 2012, 06:09:54 PM
That's easy. I absolutely do not want to know. Thinking about what you'd do, what you'd change could drive you crazy.
At this point in my life, I don't think I'd change a thing. I hope I just go to sleep here and wake up there. Where/what "there" is is another matter for maybe another discussion one of these days.
Now I have a question for you: what if we've been here before and will come back again? Or maybe never left -- the body dies but the soul lives on? (I absolutely cannot imagine a time, before I was born, or after I die, that the consciousness that is ME did not exist or will cease to exist when my mortal body shuts down.)
Here is a question Libby. What if you knew that you were going to die in a car crash in 18 months. Would you save money. Would you take out long term bonds. Would you still worry about retirement. Would you take a trip and visit people you would like to see before you died. Would you cut loose and spend a little more money.
Or would just keep doing what you doing knowing you can't stop the car crash. What would you do. You know we all have to die. But for you if there weren't a god, you wouldn't know it, because you would be dead. :dead:
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/06_2012/Noctilucent%20Cloud%20Season.jpg)
2012 Noctilucent Cloud Season Begins
These electric-blue ice clouds hang 53 miles (85 km) above Earth's surface, at the edge of space itself, circling the north and south pole regions. Their origin is still largely a mystery; various theories associate them with meteoric dust, rocket exhaust, global warming — or some mixture of the three.
Quote from: Olias on June 22, 2012, 10:36:10 AM
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/06_2012/Noctilucent%20Cloud%20Season.jpg)
2012 Noctilucent Cloud Season Begins
These electric-blue ice clouds hang 53 miles (85 km) above Earth's surface, at the edge of space itself, circling the north and south pole regions. Their origin is still largely a mystery; various theories associate them with meteoric dust, rocket exhaust, global warming — or some mixture of the three.
:happy:
I absolutely love this stuff. It really puts oneself, and humanity, in perspective. No wonder it scares people.
NASA expects '7 minutes of terror' before Mars landing
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/26/nasa-expects-7-minutes-terror-before-mars-landing/#ixzz1yuf9p9oX (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/26/nasa-expects-7-minutes-terror-before-mars-landing/#ixzz1yuf9p9oX)
In just six weeks, NASA's next Mars rover will attempt an unprecedented landing on the Red Planet that will have mission engineers on the edge of their seats with excitement and worry.
The 1-ton Curiosity rover (http://www.space.com/12004-nasa-mars-rover-curiosity-photos-mars-science-laboratory.html)(http://global.fncstatic.com/static/all/img/external-link.png)— the centerpiece of NASA's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission — is due to touch down inside the Red Planet's Gale Crater on the night of Aug. 5. But it won't be easy.
"Entry, descent and landing, also known as EDL, is referred to as the 'seven minutes of terror,'" EDL engineer Tom Rivellini, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., said in a recent JPL video.
"We've got literally seven minutes to go from the top of the atmosphere to the surface of Mars (http://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html)(http://global.fncstatic.com/static/all/img/external-link.png), going from 13,000 miles per hour to zero in perfect sequence, perfect choreography, perfect timing," Rivellini added. "And the computer has to do it all by itself, with no help from the ground. If any one thing doesn't work just right, it's game over."
Jet Stream on Saturn
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/06_2012/Strong%20Jet_sm.jpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Strong-Jet-in-False-Colors-062712.aspx?et_cid=2718129&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Strong-Jet-in-False-Colors-062712.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Strong-Jet-in-False-Colors-062712.aspx?et_cid=2718129&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Strong-Jet-in-False-Colors-062712.aspx)
I love this thread. :smile:
Ever since I was a teenager and listening to the Crosby, Stills & Nash version of 'Southern Cross', I've always been fascinated by the constellation. It's always been a goal of mine to actually see the Southern Cross (formal name Crux) in the night sky sometime before I check out. It would require a special trip to see it as it's primarily visible, and visible the most clearly, south of the equator.
However, I have an awesome app for my iPhone called 'Star Walk' that allows you to point your iPhone at any direction in the night sky, and it will identify the constellations, in real time, that are visible in whatever direction you point the phone, from whatever location you're using it. It uses GPS functionality to do this.
The following image is from the app while pointing it straight south one night last week. I was unaware that since I'm so far south, at certain times of the year, the Southern Cross is completely above the horizon from my location here in South Florida. What the app doesn't tell you is that although the Crux is completely above the horizon, it's so low that it's impossible to see with all of the light pollution from the south Florida metro area. The city of Miami lies just 15 miles south of me, and there's just too much light pollution at my location to ever be able to see the Southern Cross from here.
Anyway, I just thought it was interesting that it would be visible if I had a clear shot to the the southern horizon and no light pollution. ;D
(http://united-technology.com/crux.PNG)
Dude. I'm downloading that app right now! :yes:
Quote from: Palehorse on July 01, 2012, 09:17:19 PM
Dude. I'm downloading that app right now! :yes:
It's free, and you won't be disappointed.
Quote from: Locutus on July 01, 2012, 09:19:11 PM
It's free, and you won't be disappointed.
I can't wait until dark to try it out. :smile: :yes:
I feel like a kid at xmas. Hope it isn't cloudy out tonight!
Gonna help me with my telescope aiming too I hope!
Tip the iPhone at an angle to start the panning mode where it will follow the skies as you turn.
You have it downloaded already?
Holy hell is this thing cool! It'll show you whats in the skies even in daylight! :smitten: Including the planets. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Yeah, it's a pretty awesome app. There are lots of things it can do once you get to playing with it.
I've see the southern cross a couple of times in my life; both times though I was engaged in activities that required my undivided attention and never really got to enjoy it. . . :'(
I'd love to see it again one night! It has always held my fascination as well. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on July 01, 2012, 09:33:18 PM
I'd love to see it again one night! It has always held my fascination as well. . .
Hopefully with an adult beverage and a fair lady by your side. :yes:
Let me know how it works when you try the app after dark.
Quote from: Locutus on July 01, 2012, 09:34:35 PM
Hopefully with an adult beverage and a fair lady by your side. :yes:
:yes: The trifecta would include the deck of a tall ship from which to gaze at it! :yes:
Quote from: Palehorse on July 01, 2012, 09:36:11 PM
:yes: The trifecta would include the deck of a tall ship from which to gaze at it! :yes:
Absolutely!
BTW, that app also updates satellites in real time as well (ISS, Hubble, etc.). I was actually able to use it to spot the Chinese mini space station going overhead one night while they had the crew up there. The only thing you need is the Norad ID for the satellite you're looking for and you can find it via the app. Norad ids can be found online in various different places.
I've also used it in the past to see the Hubble Space telescope as it has flown by overhead as well. Very neat to be able to see these things in real time as they pass overhead. Most people don't ever bother to look up and see what they're missing.
I look up all of the time at night. I always have. :yes:
still too light to see the stars here, but I tried it anyway. I can't wait for dark! That app is amazing.
I may have to get an iPad to put it on now. :icon_twisted:
Quote from: Palehorse on July 01, 2012, 09:55:43 PM
I look up all of the time at night. I always have. :yes:
"Keep looking up!" -- Jack Horkheimer
(http://themoderatevoice.com/wordpress-engine/files//2010/08/Picture-91.png)
R.I.P.
Quote from: Palehorse on July 01, 2012, 09:59:22 PM.
I may have to get an iPad to put it on now. :icon_twisted:
It's definitely better on an iPad. Only problem with that is, it's better to have a 3G enabled iPad if you're going to be out away from lights and WiFi access points. :yes:
"If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore, and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God!" --Emerson
-- as quoted by Isaac Asimov in the forward to his sci-fi short story, NIGHTFALL
Quote from: Palehorse on July 01, 2012, 09:59:22 PM
still too light to see the stars here, but I tried it anyway. I can't wait for dark! That app is amazing.
I may have to get an iPad to put it on now. :icon_twisted:
Any luck tonight?
Quote from: Locutus on July 03, 2012, 12:17:02 AM
Any luck tonight?
Oh yeah. :smitten: There is one particular star that always seems to draw me every night when I am outside. Tonight I found out it is part of the constellations Centaurus and Lupus. . .
It is currently low on the southern horizon, but still this particular star always seems to draw my attention most nights. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on July 03, 2012, 12:32:44 AM
Oh yeah. :smitten: There is one particular star that always seems to draw me every night when I am outside. Tonight I found out it is part of the constellations Centaurus and Lupus. . .
It is currently low on the southern horizon, but still this particular star always seems to draw my attention most nights. . .
That's a really cool app. Glad you're enjoying it. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on July 03, 2012, 12:39:41 AM
That's a really cool app. Glad you're enjoying it. :yes:
Dude. It's the best thing I've added to my iPhone since I got it. My neighbors probably think I'm a weirdo because I am always looking up; and now I am pointing my phone up too! :biggrin:
Been there and done that. I would recommend that app to anyone who has an iPhone and enjoys the cosmos.
Quote from: Locutus on July 03, 2012, 12:48:08 AM
Been there and done that. I would recommend that app to anyone who has an iPhone and enjoys the cosmos.
I did that already. I have a neighbor that shares my interests in the skies, and I e-mailed him telling him about the app. (He has an iPhone and iPad and now has it on both). He loves it too! :biggrin:
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Red-Giant-Blows-a-Bubble-070912.aspx?et_cid=2738672&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Red-Giant-Blows-a-Bubble-070912.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Red-Giant-Blows-a-Bubble-070912.aspx?et_cid=2738672&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Red-Giant-Blows-a-Bubble-070912.aspx)
Camelopardalis, or U Cam for short, is a star nearing the end of its life. As stars run low on fuel, they become unstable. Every few thousand years, U Cam coughs out a nearly spherical shell of gas as a layer of helium around its core begins to fuse. The gas ejected in the star's latest eruption is clearly visible in this picture as a faint bubble of gas surrounding the star.
U Cam is an example of a carbon star, a rare type of star with an atmosphere that contains more carbon than oxygen. Due to its low surface gravity, typically as much as half of the total mass of a carbon star may be lost by way of powerful stellar winds. Located in the constellation of Camelopardalis (The Giraffe), near the North Celestial Pole, U Cam itself is much smaller than it appears in this Hubble image. In fact, the star would easily fit within a single pixel at the center of the image. Its brightness, however, is enough to saturate the camera's receptors, making the star look much larger than it is.
The shell of gas, which is both much larger and much fainter than its parent star, is visible in intricate detail in Hubble's portrait. This phenomenon is often quite irregular and unstable, but the shell of gas expelled from U Cam is almost perfectly spherical.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/07_2012/Red%20Giant%20Blows%20a%20Bubble_sm.jpg)
:thumbsup: :science:
Aside from the science and the wonder of what we're looking at, articles and pictures like that make me feel I should hurry up and learn a lot more, not only about what's out there and why and how, but also something more down to earth: scientific computing -- right now I don't know enough about the computing part of it to ask an intelligent question. (Maybe that's why I have this uneasy feeling that one day computer gurus, scientists, hackers, whatever we call them, will rule the world. I also think maybe I read too much sci-fi when I was growing up.)
Few nighttime sights offer more drama than the full Moon rising over the horizon. Now imagine that, instead of the Moon, a gas giant planet spanning three times more sky loomed over the molten landscape of a lava world. This alien vista exists in the newly discovered two-planet system of Kepler-36.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/07_2012/Alien%20World.jpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/new-DS-Alien-World-Looms-Large-in-its-Neighbors-Sky-071012.aspx?et_cid=2740895&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnew-DS-Alien-World-Looms-Large-in-its-Neighbors-Sky-071012.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/new-DS-Alien-World-Looms-Large-in-its-Neighbors-Sky-071012.aspx?et_cid=2740895&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnew-DS-Alien-World-Looms-Large-in-its-Neighbors-Sky-071012.aspx)
Quote from: Olias on July 11, 2012, 05:31:59 PM
Few nighttime sights offer more drama than the full Moon rising over the horizon. Now imagine that, instead of the Moon, a gas giant planet spanning three times more sky loomed over the molten landscape of a lava world. This alien vista exists in the newly discovered two-planet system of Kepler-36.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/07_2012/Alien%20World.jpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/new-DS-Alien-World-Looms-Large-in-its-Neighbors-Sky-071012.aspx?et_cid=2740895&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnew-DS-Alien-World-Looms-Large-in-its-Neighbors-Sky-071012.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/new-DS-Alien-World-Looms-Large-in-its-Neighbors-Sky-071012.aspx?et_cid=2740895&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnew-DS-Alien-World-Looms-Large-in-its-Neighbors-Sky-071012.aspx)
:happy:The accompanying article is just as fascinating: "The result was made possible with Asteroseismology. Asteroseismology is the study of stars by observing their natural oscillations. Sunlike stars resonate like musical instruments, due to sound waves trapped in their interiors. And just like a musical instrument, the larger the star, the "deeper" are its resonances. The trapped sound makes the stars gently breathe in or out, or oscillate." :music1:
Too bad it isn't even a planet anymore .....
Hubble discovers fifth moon orbiting Pluto
A team of astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is reporting the discovery of another moon orbiting the icy dwarf planet Pluto.
The moon is estimated to be irregular in shape and 6 to 15 miles across. It is in a 58,000-mile-diameter circular orbit around Pluto that is assumed to be co-planar with the other satellites in the system.
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/07/Information-Tech-Astronomy-Imaging-Hubble-discovers-fifth-moon-orbiting-Pluto/?et_cid=2743218&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f07%2fInformation-Tech-Astronomy-Imaging-Hubble-discovers-fifth-moon-orbiting-Pluto%2f (http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/07/Information-Tech-Astronomy-Imaging-Hubble-discovers-fifth-moon-orbiting-Pluto/?et_cid=2743218&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f07%2fInformation-Tech-Astronomy-Imaging-Hubble-discovers-fifth-moon-orbiting-Pluto%2f)
Quote from: Olias on July 12, 2012, 10:56:48 AM
Too bad it isn't even a planet anymore .....
Hubble discovers fifth moon orbiting Pluto
A team of astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is reporting the discovery of another moon orbiting the icy dwarf planet Pluto.
The moon is estimated to be irregular in shape and 6 to 15 miles across. It is in a 58,000-mile-diameter circular orbit around Pluto that is assumed to be co-planar with the other satellites in the system.
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/07/Information-Tech-Astronomy-Imaging-Hubble-discovers-fifth-moon-orbiting-Pluto/?et_cid=2743218&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f07%2fInformation-Tech-Astronomy-Imaging-Hubble-discovers-fifth-moon-orbiting-Pluto%2f (http://www.rdmag.com/News/2012/07/Information-Tech-Astronomy-Imaging-Hubble-discovers-fifth-moon-orbiting-Pluto/?et_cid=2743218&et_rid=54725525&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rdmag.com%2fNews%2f2012%2f07%2fInformation-Tech-Astronomy-Imaging-Hubble-discovers-fifth-moon-orbiting-Pluto%2f)
It will always be a planet, in my heart....... :smitten:
The little fella has been out there for all these years, I think it should be an "Honorable Mentioned" planet, with a little * right next to it.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on July 12, 2012, 11:09:15 AM
It will always be a planet, in my heart....... :smitten:
The little fella has been out there for all these years, I think it should be an "Honorable Mentioned" planet, with a little * right next to it.
Funny thing is, one of the astrophysicists that I admire greatly - Neil DeGrasse Tyson - was one of the chief ones making the argument to strip it of its planetary status. ;D
A massive solar storm is due to hit us Saturday morning.
Quote from: Palehorse on July 13, 2012, 06:36:24 PM
A massive solar storm is due to hit us Saturday morning.
I read this storm is part of the sun's normal 11-year cycle of solar activity, which is supposed to reach peak storminess next year....they expect it will be a minor event, but they have notified power grid operators, airlines and other potentially affected parties.
I have also read that there may be a connection between the recent global warming and these solar storms.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zTYKmcB26qQ/Ts1Tyf4wjeI/AAAAAAAABrg/15p7wQiAsxQ/s1600/universe.jpg)
We are but a speck in the cosmos.
Quote from: Y on July 18, 2012, 09:07:37 PM
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zTYKmcB26qQ/Ts1Tyf4wjeI/AAAAAAAABrg/15p7wQiAsxQ/s1600/universe.jpg)
We are but a speck in the cosmos.
And there are more stars in the Universe than there are grains of sand on all of the beaches of earth. :eek: Wow, that's a lot of stars. :biggrin:
And shows us how insignificant we are in the scheme of things. :wink:
Quote from: Y on July 18, 2012, 11:38:24 PM
And shows us how insignificant we are in the scheme of things. :wink:
How you been Y, it's been a long time since I talked to you. Have your legs got any better. You take good care of yourself, the Old Troll said that. :thumbsup: :tiphat:
Well, the skies to the south and east of us were on fire on the ride home this evening. Beautiful to see, even if it does mean our drought continues!
Quote from: The Troll on July 18, 2012, 11:54:46 PM
How you been Y, it's been a long time since I talked to you. Have your legs got any better. You take good care of yourself, the Old Troll said that. :thumbsup: :tiphat:
No, but they're still moving me around some. They haven't collapsed under me yet. Give me a call and we'll shoot the shite - and take aim at dem' ole' RW's. :biggrin:
Quote from: Palehorse on July 19, 2012, 12:04:59 AM
Well, the skies to the south and east of us were on fire on the ride home this evening. Beautiful to see, even if it does mean our drought continues!
We had a reasonable dousing late this afternoon. It was welcomed. :yes:
Quote from: Y on July 19, 2012, 12:06:46 AM
We had a reasonable dousing late this afternoon. It was welcomed. :yes:
Where I was in Delaware County, it thundered and Thor had his hammer out, but it didn't do anything but drop a couple of drops; enough to jack the humidity up into the upper 50's. . . :mad:
They've been getting some rain and it had been going all around us, so we were due.
Have you seen the pics of Morse reservoir? I was by there Saturday and the pics hardly do it justice. Citizens Water and Indianapolis made a major malfunction by not declaring a water emergency at least a month ago or more. There's fixing to be some serious water problems there in the very near future if this drought doesn't break - and it's not forecasted to.
Quote from: Y on July 19, 2012, 12:15:13 AM
They've been getting some rain and it had been going all around us, so we were due.
Have you seen the pics of Morse reservoir? I was by there Saturday and the pics hardly do it justice. Citizens Water and Indianapolis made a major malfunction by not declaring a water emergency at least a month ago or more. There's fixing to be some serious water problems there in the very near future if this drought doesn't break - and it's not forecasted to.
Yup! It's really bad already. I suspect that by the time this thing breaks we're all going to be smelling a little ripe! :spooked:
Quote from: Y on July 19, 2012, 12:15:13 AM
They've been getting some rain and it had been going all around us, so we were due.
Have you seen the pics of Morse reservoir? I was by there Saturday and the pics hardly do it justice. Citizens Water and Indianapolis made a major malfunction by not declaring a water emergency at least a month ago or more. There's fixing to be some serious water problems there in the very near future if this drought doesn't break - and it's not forecasted to.
Yep, the Indianapolis water company, owned by millionaires in Texas did the same thing some years back with the watering of the golf courses. It is going to take a long time for little old Fall Creek to fill it up again. :yes: The same thing is happening to Morris Reservoir, a lot of the shore front homes are land locked, docks out of the water and their boats are stuck in the mud growing weeds and it is going to take little Cicero Creek a long time to fill that lake. :yes: :smile:
And now ... back to our regularly scheduled programming .....
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) science team has released the highest resolution near-global topographic map of the moon ever created. This new topographic map shows the surface shape and features over nearly the entire moon with a pixel scale close to 328 feet.
Although the moon is Earth's closest neighbor, knowledge of its morphology is still limited. Due to the limitations of previous missions, a global map of the moon's topography at high resolution has not existed until now. With LRO's Wide Angle Camera and the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument, scientists now can accurately portray the shape of the entire moon at high resolution.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/07_2012/New%20Moon%20Map_sm.jpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-New-Moon-Map-071912.aspx?et_cid=2757291&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-New-Moon-Map-071912.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-New-Moon-Map-071912.aspx?et_cid=2757291&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-New-Moon-Map-071912.aspx)
Hey guys, just a reminder...........it was 43 years ago today, when Neil Armstrong took that first step on the moon!
That was such an exciting time....being only 9 years old at the time, I can still - VIVIDLY - remember that moment.
As I was driving to work this morning, it kind of hit me on how my kids have not really had a "moment" like that. A moment in time, where it made you feel "proud" to be an American. I remember how our school had everyone pile into our gym, as they rolled out a small black & white TV with rabbit ears, and we watched the splash-down. Everybody cheered when it happened.
An exciting time to be alive.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on July 20, 2012, 09:25:47 AM
Hey guys, just a reminder...........it was 43 years ago today, when Neil Armstrong took that first step on the moon!
That was such an exciting time....being only 9 years old at the time, I can still - VIVIDLY - remember that moment.
As I was driving to work this morning, it kind of hit me on how my kids have not really had a "moment" like that. A moment in time, where it made you feel "proud" to be an American. I remember how our school had everyone pile into our gym, as they rolled out a small black & white TV with rabbit ears, and we watched the splash-down. Everybody cheered when it happened.
An exciting time to be alive.
Indeed it was!
I was driving home from band practice that night, racing across mountain roads listening to the moon landing on the radio, trying to get home in time to see it on TV. I just missed it.
I got to watch it live. To me it seems like something out of Hollywood in black and white. But when he stepped off the ladder and put the first human foot print of the surface of the Moon a feeling of awl when through me. We did it and we made it, if we could get the men home, back to earth. :smitten:
Quote from: Y on July 18, 2012, 09:07:37 PM
We are but a speck in the cosmos.
But yet, we are a species that has evolved enough to be aware of the cosmos and understand some of its workings. And the more we are aware and understand, the larger we become. To understand that I am a part of it in some way gives me a solace, a peace of mind. I do not feel small and insignificant at all.
Quote from: Olias on July 22, 2012, 12:24:37 PM
But yet, we are a species that has evolved enough to be aware of the cosmos and understand some of its workings. And the more we are aware and understand, the larger we become. To understand that I am a part of it in some way gives me a solace, a peace of mind. I do not feel small and insignificant at all.
If you want to take this convo to its own thread, we can.
I suspect we don't know how many of the myriad number of specie on this planet are 'aware' of the cosmos. I think it's also evident that we still consider ourselves above the rest of the life on this planet. I suspect it's hard to feel insignificant when one holds that attitude.
Quote from: Y on July 22, 2012, 02:58:35 PM
If you want to take this convo to its own thread, we can.
No. I've stated my belief. And I respect yours. I'll move on, now.
Quote from: Olias on July 22, 2012, 12:24:37 PM
But yet, we are a species that has evolved enough to be aware of the cosmos and understand some of its workings. And the more we are aware and understand, the larger we become. To understand that I am a part of it in some way gives me a solace, a peace of mind. I do not feel small and insignificant at all.
I don't feel one way or the other, other than it is wonderful and so large. :smile: And we are a little bitty, bitty, bitty, a smidgen of it. :biggrin:
Quote from: Y on July 22, 2012, 02:58:35 PM
If you want to take this convo to its own thread, we can.
I suspect we don't know how many of the myriad number of specie on this planet are 'aware' of the cosmos. I think it's also evident that we still consider ourselves above the rest of the life on this planet. I suspect it's hard to feel insignificant when one holds that attitude.
I believe we have a soul that lives on, which is not bound to this planet or any religion. Don't ask for proof. That's just the only thing that makes sense to me.
http://www.youtube.com/v/j4JOjcDFtBE
Since Sally Ride died recently, I thought some might like to revisit the flight in which another female astronaut died; but this one "in mission".
January 28th, 1986 at 11:39am EDT - The Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes on its 10th flight during mission STS-51-L. The explosion occurred 73 seconds after liftoff and was actually the result of rapid deceleration and not combustion of fuel.
CNN was the only national news station to broadcast the mission live, so thus what you are witnessing on this video is the only coverage of the disaster as it happened when it did. Approximately 17% of Americans witnessed the launch live, while 85% of Americans heard of the news within 1 hour of the event. According to a study, only 2 other times in history up to that point had news of an event disseminated so fast - the first being the announcement of JFK's assassination in 1963, the second being news spread among students at Kent State regarding the news of FDR's death in 1945. It has been estimated at the time that nearly 48% of 9-13 year olds witnessed the event in their classrooms, as McAuliffe was in the spotlight.
The 25th Space Shuttle mission altered the history of manned space exploration and represented the first loss of an American crew during a space mission (Apollo 1 was during a training exercise).
Christa McAuliffe was slated to be the first teacher in space for the Teacher in Space Program. As her maximum altitude was ~65,000ft (12.31 miles), she never made it to space. That title was given to Barbara Morgan of STS-118 aboard the shuttle Endeavour in August 2007, 22 and a half years after the Challenger Disaster. Morgan served as McAuliffe's backup during STS-51-L. As Morgan is now part of the Educator in Space Program, she will be credited as the first "educator" in space, to distinguish her from McAuliffe.
Aboard Challenger during STS-51-L:
Francis "Dick" Scobee (Commander)
Michael Smith (Pilot)
Judith Resnik (Mission Specialist)
Ellison Onizuka (Mission Specialist)
Ronald McNair (Mission Specialist)
Gregory Jarvis (Payload Specialist)
Sharon Christa McAuliffe (Payload Specialist - Teacher in Space)
I was watching that day.
Quote from: followsthewolf on July 24, 2012, 12:30:40 PM
I was watching that day.
So was I, just got home for lunch....I didn't go back to work that day.
Felix Baumgartner prepares a 17 mile FREE FALL!
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/07/24/final-test-jump-from-edge-space-set-for-tuesday/?intcmp=features#ixzz21ZRR2Lcl (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/07/24/final-test-jump-from-edge-space-set-for-tuesday/?intcmp=features#ixzz21ZRR2Lcl)
Sorry wrong thread. :oops:
Cassini Spots Daytime Lightning on Saturn
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/07_2012/Daytime%20Lightning%20on%20Saturn_a.jpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Cassini-Spots-Daytime-Lightning-on-Saturn-072512.aspx?et_cid=2765653&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Cassini-Spots-Daytime-Lightning-on-Saturn-072512.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Cassini-Spots-Daytime-Lightning-on-Saturn-072512.aspx?et_cid=2765653&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Cassini-Spots-Daytime-Lightning-on-Saturn-072512.aspx)
And we thought the Derecho was bad! :eek:
Quote from: Olias on July 27, 2012, 12:58:28 PM
Cassini Spots Daytime Lightning on Saturn
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/07_2012/Daytime%20Lightning%20on%20Saturn_a.jpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Cassini-Spots-Daytime-Lightning-on-Saturn-072512.aspx?et_cid=2765653&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Cassini-Spots-Daytime-Lightning-on-Saturn-072512.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Cassini-Spots-Daytime-Lightning-on-Saturn-072512.aspx?et_cid=2765653&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Cassini-Spots-Daytime-Lightning-on-Saturn-072512.aspx)
And we thought the Derecho was bad! :eek:
:spooked: :yes: (I didn't know our technology was that good.)
Quote from: Olias on July 23, 2012, 08:27:19 AM
No. I've stated my belief. And I respect yours. I'll move on, now.
We're not as far apart as you might think. The universe is a wonder to behold and only becomes more so as we learn about it. We are but a small part of it, but my point about that is mainly that we aren't the epitome of it all as the creationists believe.
Quote from: libby on July 23, 2012, 05:49:27 PM
I believe we have a soul that lives on, which is not bound to this planet or any religion. Don't ask for proof. That's just the only thing that makes sense to me.
Science has convincing evidence that energy cannot be destroyed, only transformed. Therefore, to follow that logic, whatever the spark that animates us cannot be destroyed. Now I doubt that however that spark is transformed, we'll retain the consciousness of this life - and I certainly don't swallow religions' concepts of afterlife.
Quote from: Palehorse on July 24, 2012, 11:56:48 AM
January 28th, 1986 at 11:39am EDT - The Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes on its 10th flight during mission STS-51-L. The explosion occurred 73 seconds after liftoff and was actually the result of rapid deceleration and not combustion of fuel...
I saw that and vaguely remember writing a song about it. I don't remember if I thought it was any good or not and it may have burned up in the storage fire. I think I'll look through my other stuff and see if I can find it.
Quote from: Y on July 28, 2012, 10:35:00 PM
Science has convincing evidence that energy cannot be destroyed, only transformed. Therefore, to follow that logic, whatever the spark that animates us cannot be destroyed. Now I doubt that however that spark is transformed, we'll retain the consciousness of this life - and I certainly don't swallow religions' concepts of afterlife.
My comment was not about religion. I honestly do not know, deep down, what I really believe vs. what I want to believe.
Your comment about "religions' concepts of afterlife" made me think of my dear departed friend Charlie. He was a lawyer and so practical that I liked to tease him a little with talk about reincarnation. He never really said anything, just looked at me thoughtfully. But, about two weeks before he died of cancer, we had dinner together, and right out of the blue, he looked at me and said, "It's not that I don't believe in reincarnation. I just don't want to come back as a cockroach." (He had a great sense of humor, right to the end.)
Quote from: libby on July 29, 2012, 12:39:15 AM
My comment was not about religion. I honestly do not know, deep down, what I really believe vs. what I want to believe.
Your comment about "religions' concepts of afterlife" made me think of my dear departed friend Charlie. He was a lawyer and so practical that I liked to tease him a little with talk about reincarnation. He never really said anything, just looked at me thoughtfully. But, about two weeks before he died of cancer, we had dinner together, and right out of the blue, he looked at me and said, "It's not that I don't believe in reincarnation. I just don't want to come back as a cockroach." (He had a great sense of humor, right to the end.)
In our world everything seem to have a certain life span. Got a good question for all of you science lovers. It is, Do atoms and molecules have a life span. We have be told that every atom that is in our bodies, in the earth and in the universe was created all at once in the big bang.
Will the atoms all die at once or will they live for ever and ever. Also how do they have the energy to continuing to spin and be in their state forever. :biggrin:
Atoms are forever.
Sure, some forms of them decay, but decay at an atomic level is a means of moving toward stable mass. An atom in decay will contain one too many neutrons, (IIRC), and once that happens it is ejected from the atom, along with a proton and anti-neutrino, to become an atom itself. (Leaving the atom from which it was ejected to become stable.)
Quote from: Y on July 28, 2012, 10:29:59 PM
We're not as far apart as you might think. The universe is a wonder to behold and only becomes more so as we learn about it. We are but a small part of it, but my point about that is mainly that we aren't the epitome of it all as the creationists believe.
Agreed.
Have any of you seen the Brian Greene PBS series "The Fabric of the Cosmos?"
Absolutely mind blowing! Especially the episode about the Multiverse!
The month of August brings us not one, but two full moons. The first will kick off the month on Wednesday (Aug.1), and will be followed by a second on Aug. 31.
Some almanacs and calendars assert that when two full moons occur within a calendar month, the second full moon is called a "blue moon (http://www.space.com/15455-blue-moon.html)(http://global.fncstatic.com/static/v/all/img/external-link.png)."
The full moon that night will likely look no different than any other full moon (http://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html)(http://global.fncstatic.com/static/v/all/img/external-link.png). But the moon can change color in certain conditions.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/07/30/singing-blues-august-will-be-blue-moon-month/?intcmp=features#ixzz22CeRW3sA (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/07/30/singing-blues-august-will-be-blue-moon-month/?intcmp=features#ixzz22CeRW3sA)
Let's all have one of these on the 31st! :biggrin:
(http://chaosinthekitchen.com/images/bluemoon2.jpg)
Count me in!! :yes: :biggrin:
Quote from: Henry Hawk on July 31, 2012, 12:23:48 PM
Count me in!! :yes: :biggrin:
I only drink that kind of beer once in a blue moon. :rotfl:
Quote from: Locutus on July 31, 2012, 12:25:45 PM
I only drink that kind of beer once in a blue moon. :rotfl:
Maybe we should have blue moon ice cream instead....it probably tastes better.
Quote from: Olias on July 30, 2012, 11:41:03 AM
Agreed.
Have any of you seen the Brian Greene PBS series "The Fabric of the Cosmos?"
Absolutely mind blowing! Especially the episode about the Multiverse!
I didn't watch it. Didn't even know it was on. I have watched very little TV lately -- but would certainly have made room for that series if I'd know it was on.
I just googled it and found it is supposed to be on again tomorrow night.
Thanks for mentioning it!
Quote from: Henry Hawk on July 31, 2012, 12:31:11 PM
Maybe we should have blue moon ice cream instead....it probably tastes better.
Maybe. I have a few friends who drink that but they're mostly of the feminine persuasion. But I figure if it's a blue moon outside, I can try and scarf one down in celebration. ;D
:music1: Blue Moon you saw me standing alone. :music1: With out a dream in my heart. :music1: Without a love of my own. :music1: :smile: :smitten:
I was up in central Florida recently and stopped by the Canaveral National Seashore with my nephews. The entrance to the national seashore is just north of the Kennedy Space Center, and the nexus of what was the space shuttle program. From the parking area to the beach, I took this picture. Launch pad 39-A, which hosted most of the recent space shuttle launches is to the left, and the largely disassembled launch pad 39-B is to the right (although it has had it's fair share of space shuttle launches before). Made me sad standing there thinking how many shuttles had roared into space from those locations, and that none would ever do so again. The sky above my head bore witness to many successful spacefaring endeavors, but also bore witness to a few tragedies. Waxed a bit nostalgic while standing there, so I thought I would post it on this thread. For perspective, 39-A is 3.8 miles away from where I was standing, and what's left of 39-B is only 2.2 miles from where I was standing.
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/255337_2326401496310_1775476002_n.jpg)
Also as a side note, pad 39-B to the right (now disassembled) is the pad from which Challenger launched back in 1986.
The Space Cener was always such an impressive place to visit. We were there several times but never got to see a launch. My in laws lived n Cocoa and the flight path went over their home. My kids saw the shuttles several times.
Quote from: Anne on August 02, 2012, 10:56:09 PM
The Space Cener was always such an impressive place to visit. We were there several times but never got to see a launch. My in laws lived n Cocoa and the flight path went over their home. My kids saw the shuttles several times.
You missed a treat. Launches were amazing, and living in Florida has afforded me the opportunity to see several of them both locally in the vicinity of the space center, and occasionally from wherever I happened to be in Fort Lauderdale. I watched John Glenn ascend on Discovery from an office at a client site in Fort Lauderdale. :yes:
Curiosity Mars landing coverage is getting ready to commence on NASA-TV live. Scheduled landing time is 1:30AM Eastern after "7 minutes of terror" as described by NASA.
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/mars/curiosity_news3.html (http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/mars/curiosity_news3.html)
Link to watch in case anybody is up and curious.
Quote from: Palehorse on August 05, 2012, 11:31:50 PM
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/mars/curiosity_news3.html (http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/mars/curiosity_news3.html)
Link to watch in case anybody is up and curious.
I'm staying up to watch. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on August 05, 2012, 11:33:23 PM
I'm staying up to watch. :yes:
If I am up I will. . . But right now it doesn't seem likely. . .
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=146903741 (http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=146903741)
7 minutes of terror video
Doesn't look like any sort of live feed is going to start until about 1 A.M.
NASA-TV has gone to live coverage. 22 minutes to atmospheric entry.
Touchdown confirmed!
Touchdown!!!
Images received!
Wow. Amazing! 8)
Yup! Two images received, one of which is showing the shadow of Curiosity on the surface of Mars. Congrats to NASA and all of the employees at the JPL. :yes:
Curiosity sending back a shadow of itself on the surface of Mars. WAY cool!
(https://p.twimg.com/Azl7LXOCUAAJT5z.jpg)
8)
New image from Curiosity!! :spooked: :spooked:
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/255240_504332439596214_1147023620_n.jpg)
:biggrin:
;D
Will we ever send a manned flight to Mars?
Quote from: Palehorse on August 06, 2012, 12:33:32 PM
Will we ever send a manned flight to Mars?
I hope so at some point. I think NASA has early plans for something like that in the design process for future propulsion systems. (serious voice)
But we need to get there quick because we have to get our hands on the illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator before Marvin blows us up for obstructing his view of Venus. (joke) ;D
NASA apparently has seen something it likes in the form of galaxies far, far away, and it's set to reveal it on Wednesday.
NASA says it will talk about "an extraordinary galaxy cluster that is smashing several important cosmic records." The agency has hinted that it was uncovered with the help of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.
I was hoping to see the Perseid meteor shower on the 11th, but the weather didn't cooperate. Wishful thinking on my part anyway because the background light where I live washes out most views of the stars unless there is a dark -- no moon -- cloudless night. One night like that I sneaked out after dark and was looking up when I heard, "Libby, are you okay?" It was a neighbor I didn't particularly care for. I said, "No, John. Just looking at the stars," and went back inside. It was kinda spooky to think he'd been watching me and I didn't know :spooked:.
Back to the meteor showers: my mother told about something she heard from a neighbor, who heard it from members of the Pilgrim Holiness Chuch down at the other end of the holler. They thought the world was coming to an end because of what sounded like a spectacular meteor shower. She didn't remember when it was, but from she said I would guess it was in the late 40s or early 50s.
Quote from: libby on August 13, 2012, 05:07:14 PM
I was hoping to see the Perseid meteor shower on the 11th, but the weather didn't cooperate. Wishful thinking on my part anyway because the background light where I live washes out most views of the stars unless there is a dark -- no moon -- cloudless night. One night like that I sneaked out after dark and was looking up when I heard, "Libby, are you okay?" It was a neighbor I didn't particularly care for. I said, "No, John. Just looking at the stars," and went back inside. It was kinda spooky to think he'd been watching me and I didn't know :spooked:.
Back to the meteor showers: my mother told about something she heard from a neighbor, who heard it from members of the Pilgrim Holiness Chuch down at the other end of the holler. They thought the world was coming to an end because of what sounded like a spectacular meteor shower. She didn't remember when it was, but from she said I would guess it was in the late 40s or early 50s.
I would wonder if you had went outside and had fell. What would you do if your neighbor hadn't seen you. Just saying. :confused:
Libby, you may still be able to see a few of the Perseids tonight after midnight if you want to venture outside, and the weather cooperates. The peak was definitely Saturday night/Sunday morning but we're still traveling through the comet's debris through August 19th so there are a few more opportunities.
Went to a friends house on Saturday night for a campfire. I sat there most of the night, (until 2 am or so), with my head back and looking up constantly for almost 5 hours. I never saw a single one and neither did the other 9 people that were doing the same thing. . .
It was a rural location too and pretty dark except for the small campfire. . . :rant:
(And I drank nothing but water so I was not impaired) :icon_evil:
Were you looking to the northeast?
Quote from: Locutus on August 13, 2012, 10:54:20 PM
Were you looking to the northeast?
For the most part I was. But several others were looking other other directions as well. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on August 13, 2012, 10:44:52 PM
Went to a friends house on Saturday night for a campfire. I sat there most of the night, (until 2 am or so), with my head back and looking up constantly for almost 5 hours. I never saw a single one and neither did the other 9 people that were doing the same thing. . .
It was a rural location too and pretty dark except for the small campfire. . . :rant:
(And I drank nothing but water so I was not impaired) :icon_evil:
My brother said he saw a few, but was mostly disappointed. He managed to snap a few pictures. I'm not sure what part of the sky he said he was looking.
In a nondescript hangar at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, a team of aerospace engineers has been putting the finishing touches on a lightning-quick experimental aircraft designed to fly above the Pacific Ocean at 3,600 mph. A passenger aircraft traveling at that speed could fly from Los Angeles to New York in 46 minutes.
On Tuesday a key test is set for the unmanned experimental aircraft X-51A WaveRider. It will take the aircraft — attached to a B-52 bomber's wing — from Edwards to about 50,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean near Point Mugu. From there, its high-speed journey at Mach 6 is expected to last only 300 seconds, but that's twice as long as it's ever gone at that speed.
8)
Quote from: Henry Hawk on August 14, 2012, 04:51:38 PM
In a nondescript hangar at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, a team of aerospace engineers has been putting the finishing touches on a lightning-quick experimental aircraft designed to fly above the Pacific Ocean at 3,600 mph. A passenger aircraft traveling at that speed could fly from Los Angeles to New York in 46 minutes.
On Tuesday a key test is set for the unmanned experimental aircraft X-51A WaveRider. It will take the aircraft — attached to a B-52 bomber's wing — from Edwards to about 50,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean near Point Mugu. From there, its high-speed journey at Mach 6 is expected to last only 300 seconds, but that's twice as long as it's ever gone at that speed.
8)
I've been monitoring the Internet to see how that test went, but I can't find anything as of yet.
Quote from: Locutus on August 14, 2012, 07:47:02 PM
I've been monitoring the Internet to see how that test went, but I can't find anything as of yet.
Yeah, I did the same earlier today and found nothing. . . I figured the LA Times would have been all over that but. . .
Quote from: Henry Hawk on August 14, 2012, 04:51:38 PM
In a nondescript hangar at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, a team of aerospace engineers has been putting the finishing touches on a lightning-quick experimental aircraft designed to fly above the Pacific Ocean at 3,600 mph. A passenger aircraft traveling at that speed could fly from Los Angeles to New York in 46 minutes.
On Tuesday a key test is set for the unmanned experimental aircraft X-51A WaveRider. It will take the aircraft — attached to a B-52 bomber's wing — from Edwards to about 50,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean near Point Mugu. From there, its high-speed journey at Mach 6 is expected to last only 300 seconds, but that's twice as long as it's ever gone at that speed.
8)
I wonder how fast it can go before in become a meteorite. :fireworks: :confused:
Quote from: Palehorse on August 14, 2012, 07:59:02 PM
Yeah, I did the same earlier today and found nothing. . . I figured the LA Times would have been all over that but. . .
I just read where they're releasing the results of the flight someone today. I also read where the vehicle is non-retrievable. Once it shot its load, it dropped into the ocean.
Quote from: Locutus on August 14, 2012, 07:47:02 PM
I've been monitoring the Internet to see how that test went, but I can't find anything as of yet.
Looks like it failed if you can believe this .....
http://www.businessinsider.com/wired-the-air-forces-x-51a-waverider-test-was-a-total-failure-2012-8 (http://www.businessinsider.com/wired-the-air-forces-x-51a-waverider-test-was-a-total-failure-2012-8)
Quote from: Olias on August 15, 2012, 11:05:13 AM
Looks like it failed if you can believe this .....
http://www.businessinsider.com/wired-the-air-forces-x-51a-waverider-test-was-a-total-failure-2012-8 (http://www.businessinsider.com/wired-the-air-forces-x-51a-waverider-test-was-a-total-failure-2012-8)
Wow. If that is to be believed, it dropped into the ocean before the engine even turned on.
:spooked:
Quote from: The Troll on August 13, 2012, 10:31:34 PM
I would wonder if you had went outside and had fell. What would you do if your neighbor hadn't seen you. Just saying. :confused:
Never considered that because if you have a good spot you can just sit down and lean back or lie down and look up. On that particular night I was leaning against my car.
Quote from: Olias on August 15, 2012, 11:05:13 AM
Looks like it failed if you can believe this .....
http://www.businessinsider.com/wired-the-air-forces-x-51a-waverider-test-was-a-total-failure-2012-8 (http://www.businessinsider.com/wired-the-air-forces-x-51a-waverider-test-was-a-total-failure-2012-8)
Yup! Big fail!
A hypersonic aircraft launched by the Air Force Tuesday spiraled out of control and was destroyed before it could reach its goal of speeding to 4,600 mph, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.
The third test of the X-51A Waverider was launched Tuesday off the California coast from a B-52 modified bomber aircraft and was to fly for 300 seconds, reaching hypersonic speeds of Mach 6, but only flew for 16 seconds, according to the Air Force.
Officials said a problem with a tail fin caused the missile-like vehicle to fly out of control before the main engine could be ignited, leading researchers to destroy it early.http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/15/air-force-hypersonic-test-fails/?hpt=hp_c1
Quote from: Locutus on August 13, 2012, 10:39:47 PM
Libby, you may still be able to see a few of the Perseids tonight after midnight if you want to venture outside, and the weather cooperates. The peak was definitely Saturday night/Sunday morning but we're still traveling through the comet's debris through August 19th so there are a few more opportunities.
So far the weather hasn't cooperated. I still have a few days left. Am lucky that my townhouse and upstairs bedroom face east.
Quote from: libby on August 15, 2012, 11:28:10 PM
So far the weather hasn't cooperated. I still have a few days left. Am lucky that my townhouse and upstairs bedroom face east.
Good luck and let us know if you spot any. Some of my friends around here say that they saw numerous meteors over this past weekend. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on August 15, 2012, 11:31:31 PM
Good luck and let us know if you spot any. Some of my friends around here say that they saw numerous meteors over this past weekend. :yes:
Last night was hazy, and tonight's cloudy. Looked out my bedroom window for a while this morning just as the sky was beginning to lighten a little bit, hoping I might see a few, but the only thing I saw was Venus. At least I think it was Venus. Maybe Jupiter. I haven't been keeping up, or looking up a lot lately.
Had a bit of down time this weekend and I happened to find that all of the Star Trek (TNG) episodes are available for streaming from Netflix. Since I loved TNG when it was on, I was like a kid in a candy store. I immediately began scanning through the episodes looking for my favorites and actually got to watch quite a few of them.
The series ran from 1987 to 1994, and on one of the episodes, set in the year 2365 or so, Picard (the captain) is sitting in his ready room contemplating Fermat's last theorem which states that:
(http://i46.tinypic.com/npgxm0.gif)
Interestingly enough where n=2 is the Pythagorean theorem with which many are more familiar than Fermat. At any rate, Picard is wondering how in the year 2365, no proof of Fermat's last theorem has ever been found even with the advanced computational power of the 24th century.
The interesting thing about that though, is that British mathematician Andrew Wiles did find a proof for Fermat's last theorem, and published it in the year 1995 (a mere 1-2 years after the TNG episode was filmed). ;D
I had to smile to myself. Given all of the assumptions that Star Trek made, one incorrect assumption was that Fermat's last theorem would be so vexing, that it would remain unsolved even in the 24th century.
Sorry for the bit of an off-topic post, but it's kinda' related to this thread, and my B.S. degree in math has to come out from time to time. :yes:
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Quote from: Locutus on August 19, 2012, 04:05:08 PM
Had a bit of down time this weekend and I happened to find that all of the Star Trek (TNG) episodes are available for streaming from Netflix. Since I loved TNG when it was on, I was like a kid in a candy store. I immediately began scanning through the episodes looking for my favorites and actually got to watch quite a few of them.
The series ran from 1987 to 1994, and on one of the episodes, set in the year 2365 or so, Picard (the captain) is sitting in his ready room contemplating Fermat's last theorem which states that:
(http://i46.tinypic.com/npgxm0.gif)
Interestingly enough where n=2 is the Pythagorean theorem with which many are more familiar than Fermat. At any rate, Picard is wondering how in the year 2365, no proof of Fermat's last theorem has ever been found even with the advanced computational power of the 24th century.
The interesting thing about that though, is that British mathematician Andrew Wiles did find a proof for Fermat's last theorem, and published it in the year 1995 (a mere 1-2 years after the TNG episode was filmed). ;D
I had to smile to myself. Given all of the assumptions that Star Trek made, one incorrect assumption was that Fermat's last theorem would be so vexing, that it would remain unsolved even in the 24th century.
Sorry for the bit of an off-topic post, but it's kinda' related to this thread, and my B.S. degree in math has to come out from time to time. :yes:
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Don't be sorry. I loved Star Trek, especially TNG, and it's good to learn that I share that with a math major. One of my favorite episodes, about the nature of time, was the one where Jean-Luk found himself in another place and time where he fell in love, married, and had a family, then found himself back on the Enterprise where very little time had passed. I seem to connect that episode with a haunting flute melody he played, but maybe have that one mixed up with another.
Last night as I was driving home just before dark, I topped a rise in the side road I was on, and there, well above the horizon, was the full moon just hanging there. Its brightness and apparent size were stunning. That was the "blue moon" HH wrote about here not too long ago.
(dreamed a little dream for a few seconds ...) (... and then I came back down to earth)
Quote from: libby on August 19, 2012, 05:28:12 PM
Don't be sorry. I loved Star Trek, especially TNG, and it's good to learn that I share that with a math major. One of my favorite episodes, about the nature of time, was the one where Jean-Luk found himself in another place and time where he fell in love, married, and had a family, then found himself back on the Enterprise where very little time had passed. I seem to connect that episode with a haunting flute melody he played, but maybe have that one mixed up with another.
Couldn't find a link to that particular episode, but here's a video where he plays it again several episodes later in one of the Jeffries Tubes onboard the Enterprise. It's the same melody as was played in the episode you're talking about. Neela described that place as the most acoustically perfect spot on the ship.
<Apologizing in advance for the brief Star Trek detour.> ;D
http://www.youtube.com/v/6su9jVj_pXY
:yes: Yes, that brings it back. Thank you !
Remembering that makes me want to go out looking for copies of the series. My first stop will be a huge used book store not far from my home that took over a Border's book store. They have tons of stuff other than books, much of it new, including DVDs, videos, music, etc. Any time I want a book that's out of print or otherwise not available, I go there and by golly, they have it. Real cheap!
A CME shaped like a light bulb photographed on August 20th.
(http://i49.tinypic.com/vgk50g.jpg)
Here's a necklace you won't be able to buy on HSN!
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/08_2012/Necklace%20Nebula_sm.jpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Hubble-Offers-Dazzling-View-of-Necklace-Nebula-082912.aspx?et_cid=2822937&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Hubble-Offers-Dazzling-View-of-Necklace-Nebula-082912.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Hubble-Offers-Dazzling-View-of-Necklace-Nebula-082912.aspx?et_cid=2822937&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Hubble-Offers-Dazzling-View-of-Necklace-Nebula-082912.aspx)
Tire tracks on Mars!
(http://www.uahirise.org/images/2012/details/ESP_028612_1755.jpg)
shows the rover and its tracks after a few short drives. Tracking the tracks over time will provide information on how the surface changes over time as dust is deposited and eroded.
(http://www.uahirise.org/images/2012/details/cut/ESP_028612_1755-2.jpg)
shows the parachute and backshell, now in color. The outer band of the parachute has a reddish color.
(http://www.uahirise.org/images/2012/details/cut/ESP_028612_1755-3.jpg)
shows the descent stage crash site, now in color, and several distant spots (blue in enhanced color) downrange that are probably the result of distant secondary impacts that disturbed the surface dust.
See more here .....
http://www.uahirise.org/releases/msl-tracks.php (http://www.uahirise.org/releases/msl-tracks.php)
Quote from: Olias on September 07, 2012, 11:50:58 AM
Here's a necklace you won't be able to buy on HSN!
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/uploadedImages/Images/08_2012/Necklace%20Nebula_sm.jpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Hubble-Offers-Dazzling-View-of-Necklace-Nebula-082912.aspx?et_cid=2822937&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Hubble-Offers-Dazzling-View-of-Necklace-Nebula-082912.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Hubble-Offers-Dazzling-View-of-Necklace-Nebula-082912.aspx?et_cid=2822937&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Hubble-Offers-Dazzling-View-of-Necklace-Nebula-082912.aspx)
:yes: Looking at that beautiful "necklace" made me think about an old sci-fi story by Herman Hesse --
He Who Shrank -- which was basically about inner space as a continuation of outer space with planet Earth somewhere in between in a vast unending universe.
Quote from: Locutus on September 03, 2012, 12:22:26 PM
A CME shaped like a light bulb photographed on August 20th.
(http://i49.tinypic.com/vgk50g.jpg)
Locutus, what is a CME?
Quote from: Olias on September 07, 2012, 11:59:46 AM
Tire tracks on Mars!
(http://www.uahirise.org/images/2012/details/ESP_028612_1755.jpg)
shows the rover and its tracks after a few short drives. Tracking the tracks over time will provide information on how the surface changes over time as dust is deposited and eroded.
(http://www.uahirise.org/images/2012/details/cut/ESP_028612_1755-2.jpg)
shows the parachute and backshell, now in color. The outer band of the parachute has a reddish color.
(http://www.uahirise.org/images/2012/details/cut/ESP_028612_1755-3.jpg)
shows the descent stage crash site, now in color, and several distant spots (blue in enhanced color) downrange that are probably the result of distant secondary impacts that disturbed the surface dust.
See more here .....
http://www.uahirise.org/releases/msl-tracks.php (http://www.uahirise.org/releases/msl-tracks.php)
... and those pictures make me think of Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, part of which I once heard read aloud -- what an imagination I had (have) ....
Quote from: libby on September 07, 2012, 06:11:57 PM
Locutus, what is a CME?
I know I'm not Locutus, but since he's not online, I can tell you that CME in this case stands for a Coronal Mass Ejection -- usually called a solar flare.
Quote from: followsthewolf on September 07, 2012, 08:28:24 PM
I know I'm not Locutus, but since he's not online, I can tell you that CME in this case stands for a Coronal Mass Ejection -- usually called a solar flare.
:lol: I'm laughing at myself, wolf. I guess I could say it was late and I was tired. :idea2:
Got a pleasant surprise when I opened my front door at 6:00 this morning: Still fairly dark cloudless sky. There's a little stand of trees across the street from my house, and just above the treetops, was Venus, very bright, then the crescent moon, and almost straight overhead, Jupiter. :smile:
Woke up this morning about 5:30, looked out my bedroom window, and there, in the dark, cloudless sky, were Venus and the crescent moon, now side by side, just above the treetops. Magnificent! Turned off my front porch light and went outside for a few minutes. It was so clear that I could also see a fair number of stars.
I'm waiting for the next cool comet to visit our neighborhood. We haven't had a brightly visible one for a long while.
A newfound asteroid that may be the size of three football fields will whiz by Earth Thursday Sept. 13, and you can watch the close encounter live online.
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2012/09/13/asteroid-flies-by-earth-thursday-how-to-watch-online/?intcmp=features#ixzz26MKgMcxI (http://www.foxnews.com/science/2012/09/13/asteroid-flies-by-earth-thursday-how-to-watch-online/?intcmp=features#ixzz26MKgMcxI)
Won't be a very good day when one of these "newly discovered" asteroids fails to safely pass by.
Quote from: Locutus on September 13, 2012, 12:15:52 PM
Won't be a very good day when one of these "newly discovered" asteroids fails to safely pass by.
could you imagine, if a rock the sized of three football fields crashed into NY City?
Quote from: Henry Hawk on September 13, 2012, 01:27:12 PM
could you imagine, if a rock the sized of three football fields crashed into NY City?
Like I said, won't be a very nice day. And it's not like the potential isn't there. These things fly by routinely. The solar system is a shooting gallery, and one of our near neighbors couldn't get out of the way back in July of 1994. It's happened to the Earth before, and it'll most likely happen again at some point.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Jupiter_showing_SL9_impact_sites.jpg/250px-Jupiter_showing_SL9_impact_sites.jpg)
A relatively small "space rock" crashed into a dentist's office near my home not too long ago. I always wished one would fall right where I could see it and pick it up. (Obviously I don't want a big one to come crashing into my house.)
Quote from: libby on September 15, 2012, 11:48:43 PM
A relatively small "space rock" crashed into a dentist's office near my home not too long ago. I always wished one would fall right where I could see it and pick it up. (Obviously I don't want a big one to come crashing into my house.)
:spooked:
Really? How did you know it was a space rock? Newspaper?
Quote from: libby on September 15, 2012, 11:48:43 PM
A relatively small "space rock" crashed into a dentist's office near my home not too long ago. I always wished one would fall right where I could see it and pick it up. (Obviously I don't want a big one to come crashing into my house.)
If it's the right kind of rock, it can have my house, and welcome to it!!!
:) :)
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/523073_523777867651671_817785012_n.jpg)
Quote from: Palehorse on September 16, 2012, 01:16:14 PM
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/523073_523777867651671_817785012_n.jpg)
And our resident math whiz and space guy is the first amongst us to bust this myth. . . (Locutus) 8)
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/08/10/an-unreal-mars-skyline/ (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/08/10/an-unreal-mars-skyline/)
Quote from: Palehorse on September 16, 2012, 01:37:16 PM
And our resident math whiz and space guy is the first amongst us to bust this myth. . . (Locutus) 8)
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/08/10/an-unreal-mars-skyline/ (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/08/10/an-unreal-mars-skyline/)
Pretty soon, that'll land in "me's" inbox. :icon_twisted:
And she'll claim it is real.
And when you cite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, she'll still claim it is true.
Then, when you have some back-and-forth, she'll make some half-assed comment about your integrity.
Finally, when you call her on the lie and the snark, she'll ask why she should apologize for anything.
Absolutely classic stunted emotional and intellectual growth.
I was having a sidebar conversation about that sort of thing FTW. Interesting thing about that is, it's exactly how all of those memes that end up in various people's inboxes start. Somebody posts something that's false, especially on FaceBook, and then all of their friends see it. If any of them like it enough, they post it themselves, whether true or not. Then all of the friends of friends see it, and the cycle repeats. Pretty soon, you have exponential propagation of the falsehood. ;D
The Internet is a powerful thing with lots of facts and information to which we can avail ourselves. However, there's lots of flotsam commingled in between. Discernment is crucial. Unfortunately, some are lacking in that department.
Even George Takei was taken by that "you are here" photo. . . :biggrin: :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on September 16, 2012, 02:21:37 PM
I was having a sidebar conversation about that sort of thing FTW. Interesting thing about that is, it's exactly how all of those memes that end up in various people's inboxes start. Somebody posts something that's false, especially on FaceBook, and then all of their friends see it. If any of them like it enough, they post it themselves, whether true or not. Then all of the friends of friends see it, and the cycle repeats. Pretty soon, you have exponential propagation of the falsehood. ;D
The Internet is a powerful thing with lots of facts and information to which we can avail ourselves. However, there's lots of flotsam commingled in between. Discernment is crucial. Unfortunately, some are lacking in that department.
Well said, Locutus -- and absolutely true.
Except that some claim of fatigue or inattention will be the reason for the gaffe.
Then, when that doesn't work, the claimant will still try to spin it to try to make at least part of the total falsehood seem to be true.
Quote from: Locutus on September 15, 2012, 11:57:18 PM
:spooked:
Really? How did you know it was a space rock? Newspaper?
It got a lot of local attention at the time. It hit so close to my home that a few more miles and I would've gotten my wish! Here's something from the Baltimore (Maryland) Sun, minus the long list of comments.
The Baltimore Sun > Weather > Maryland Weather
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January 20, 2010
Monday's meteor fell on Lorton, Va. doctors' office
A Washington DC television station is reporting an apparent meteorite fall in Lorton, Va. The space rock, which has been taken to the Smithsonian Institution, crashed through the roof of a doctor's office at around 5:45 p.m. on Monday, narrowly missing patients and staff.
NOTE: An earlier version of this post erroneously referred to the office as a dental office. Although there is a dental office in the building, the doctors who found the meteorite are in a family medical practice. The Weatherblog regrets the error.
The reported time of the fall matches closely the time that scores of people from New Jersey to southern Virginia reported they saw a bright meteor fall, leaving a writhing smoke trail in the twilight sky. The Baltimore Sun's WeatherBlog has received more than 100 reports of the fall from observers.
The story on the Web site of WUSA9 in Washington says the mango-sized meteorite crashed through the roof and acoustical tiles of the Williamsburg Square Family Practice office in Lorton. Dr. Frank Ciampi told the station the crash was so loud he thought bookshelves had toppled.
Experts at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, interviewed by the station, confirmed the fractured meteorite was a stony "chondrite" meteorite, with a dark fusion crust formed by the heat of its passage through the atmosphere.
Professional meteorite hunter Steve Arnold says he is on his way to Virginia. "I hope to find some other pieces," he said in email to the WeatherBlog. Arnold, TV's "Meteorite Man," also took part in the apparently unsuccessful hunt for fragments of the meteor that fell somewhere along the Mason-Dixon line north of Baltimore last July 6. That fall was accompanied by a sonic boom that startled residents in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The Smithsonian museum's Linda Welzenbach said the Lorton meteorite is believed to be only the fourth confirmed meteorite fall in Virginia's history.
UPDATE: Meteorite hunters have been using readers' comments to the WeatherBlog to calculate the entry path of the meteorite. They've been scouring the comments, especially, for descriptions of the altitude and angle of the meteor's arrival last Monday evening. Not everyone included that information in their comments. There's still time. Here's a note I received Monday, Jan. 25 from Rob Matson. You can contact him directly at Robert.d.matson@saic.com :
Baltimore Sun, 501 N. Calvert Street, P.O. Box 1377, Baltimore, MD 21278
Holy cow Libby! That's not something that happens every day! :spooked:
Quote from: Locutus on September 16, 2012, 09:40:43 PM
Holy cow Libby! That's not something that happens every day! :spooked:
:yes: I'm just sorry I didn't see it.
You should probably be glad that you didn't get to see it up close and personal like the folks in the doctor's office did. :spooked:
:yes: But how exciting it would've been if I'd been standing outside looking up!
Quote from: libby on September 16, 2012, 10:03:12 PM
:yes: But how exciting it would've been if I'd been standing outside looking up!
I guess that would have been okay as long as the damn thing didn't land on your head. ;D
:o Well, I've always said I want to go quickly. Just not yet. I still have unfinished business. :juggle2: :coffee: :lmn: :bee:
For the last time in history, a space shuttle soared into the skies over Florida on Wednesday (Sept. 19). Rather than riding on rockets and heading into orbit however, the space shuttle Endeavour was mounted atop a jumbo jet and is destined for a California museum's display.
http://www.youtube.com/v/jd_2QXXR_pQ
It's amazing what a couple of bungy cords can do! :razz:
;D
On a serious note, I'm kind of saddened that one of the orbiters didn't end up at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Those people played a large role in the shuttle program; controlling every mission from the time it cleared the tower in Florida, until the time it landed back on Earth. I know there were only three, and that NASA kept one for display at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but I can't imagine that some of those people at the JSC don't have a bitter pill to swallow over the whole thing.
A little sky related humor:
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/422934_526424527387005_2009991705_n_zps83f9b163.jpg)
:biggrin:
....took me a second!! ;D YOU are on a roll tonight! :yes:
HUGE picture
Space Shuttle Endeavour over Houston, Texas
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Space-Shuttle-Endeavour-over-Houston-Texas-092412.aspx?et_cid=2864375&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Space-Shuttle-Endeavour-over-Houston-Texas-092412.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Space-Shuttle-Endeavour-over-Houston-Texas-092412.aspx?et_cid=2864375&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Space-Shuttle-Endeavour-over-Houston-Texas-092412.aspx)
I personally think that will be a long time for NASA to come up with something that will compare with the the Space Shuttle and what it did. A marvelous piece of science technology and American manufacturing quality. :salute: :4th3:
Quote from: Olias on September 25, 2012, 10:57:10 AM
HUGE picture
Space Shuttle Endeavour over Houston, Texas
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Space-Shuttle-Endeavour-over-Houston-Texas-092412.aspx?et_cid=2864375&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Space-Shuttle-Endeavour-over-Houston-Texas-092412.aspx (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Space-Shuttle-Endeavour-over-Houston-Texas-092412.aspx?et_cid=2864375&et_rid=41373174&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scientificcomputing.com%2fnews-DS-Space-Shuttle-Endeavour-over-Houston-Texas-092412.aspx)
Wow. That was worth pulling up an enlarging!
Quote from: Locutus on September 19, 2012, 01:00:43 PM
On a serious note, I'm kind of saddened that one of the orbiters didn't end up at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Those people played a large role in the shuttle program; controlling every mission from the time it cleared the tower in Florida, until the time it landed back on Earth. I know there were only three, and that NASA kept one for display at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but I can't imagine that some of those people at the JSC don't have a bitter pill to swallow over the whole thing.
I agree. I have a friend whose husband worked there during those exciting times.
Quote from: The Troll on September 25, 2012, 11:14:18 AM
I personally think that will be a long time for NASA to come up with something that will compare with the the Space Shuttle and what it did. A marvelous piece of science technology and American manufacturing quality. :salute: :4th3:
:yes:
In a precursor to Skywatch 2013, I find this discovery from earlier in the week absolutely exciting beyond measure.
The astronomy community was abuzz with news about a comet discovery on Tuesday, leading to speculation that it could make a spectacular flyby of the sun, giving Earth a ringside seat of an extremely bright celestial event. It could become so bright that it even outshines the moon.
On the other hand, it might not. Confused? Well, that's comets for you.
The only thing that is certain is that a "big" cometary body has been discovered just beyond the orbit of Jupiter and it has an orbital trajectory that will take it very close to the sun -- only 0.012 AU, or 1.8 million kilometers from the solar surface -- toward the end of November 2013.
Its discovery is based on observations made by the 16-inch (0.4-meter) Santel reflector of the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON) in Russia. As pointed out by my colleague Alan Boyle over at Cosmic Log, since its discovery, "astronomers have gone back through their files to find 'pre-discovery' images and calculate the comet's orbit." The comet has been designated as C/2012 S1, but it is being referred to as Comet ISON, unsurprisingly.
"In the best case, the comet is big, bright, and skirts the sun next November. It would be extremely bright -- negative magnitudes maybe -- and naked-eye visible for observers in the Northern Hemisphere for at least a couple of months," Karl Battams, of the NASA-supported Sungrazer Comet Project, told Spaceweather.com.
http://news.discovery.com/space/new-comet-discovered-will-it-be-spectacular-120925.html (http://news.discovery.com/space/new-comet-discovered-will-it-be-spectacular-120925.html)
(http://www.astronomy.com/~/media/Images/Homepage%20Elements/Flash%20Promos/Editorial/Comet-ISON-discovery.jpg)
We haven't had a good comet since comets Hyakutake in 1996 and Hale-Bopp in 1997. I'm extremely excited about this new discovery. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on September 28, 2012, 11:55:43 AM
We haven't had a good comet since comets Hyakutake in 1996 and Hale-Bopp in 1997. I'm extremely excited about this new discovery. :yes:
8) I agree :yes:
Quote from: Henry Hawk on September 28, 2012, 12:18:23 PM
8) I agree :yes:
I'll be pulling out my big boy telescope for this event.
Yep!!!!
So ... the Mayans were off by a year? :wink:
Quote from: Olias on September 28, 2012, 01:30:45 PM
So ... the Mayans were off by a year? :wink:
LOL!! We're kind of alike. That
exact thought crossed my mind when I first read about the discovery. In a joking manner of course. ;D
:happy: Thank you for posting that, Locutus! That's news to me. (I have so much stacked up to read I doubt I'll ever catch up.) Now I we all have something to look forward to -- that we can look up and share. How exciting. :science:
Here's a plot of Comet ISON's orbit:
(http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/Comet_ISON_orbit.jpg)
Quote from: Locutus on September 28, 2012, 01:33:16 PM
LOL!! We're kind of alike. That exact thought crossed my mind when I first read about the discovery. In a joking manner of course. ;D
Quote from: Olias on September 28, 2012, 01:30:45 PM
So ... the Mayans were off by a year? :wink:
That makes three of us. I actually had not heard other than a blurb about this until you posted it. And once I read it I had that
exact same thought! 8)
THEN I thought, what if that trajectory is a bit off, and that thing crashes INTO the sun? :spooked:
Quote from: Palehorse on September 29, 2012, 05:31:39 PM
THEN I thought, what if that trajectory is a bit off, and that thing crashes INTO the sun? :spooked:
I certainly hope that doesn't happen. It's supposed to be brightest after perihelion. If it doesn't escape the sun, the show will be over before it ever starts.
Quote from: Locutus on September 29, 2012, 05:54:01 PM
I certainly hope that doesn't happen. It's supposed to be brightest after perihelion. If it doesn't escape the sun, the show will be over before it ever starts.
If it does make it past the sun, I too will be out with my big telescope. (Which reminds me, I have to get that 35mm adapter I've been meaning to acquire, so I can take some pictures. . . )
The tube of my big telescope is in a corner of my bedroom, the tripod is in a basement room, and part of the eyepiece went missing during a move, but the mirror is in good shape (it's a reflector). I will probably end up using a smaller, easier to handle one.
Quote from: libby on September 29, 2012, 09:37:50 PM
The tube of my big telescope is in a corner of my bedroom, the tripod is in a basement room, and part of the eyepiece went missing during a move, but the mirror is in good shape (it's a reflector). I will probably end up using a smaller, easier to handle one.
Well you have a year and a month to get the big boy ready if you want to. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on September 29, 2012, 09:46:13 PM
Well you have a year and a month to get the big boy ready if you want to. :yes:
:yes: That would be somethin'. Hadn't thought about getting it out in quite a while, but your post made me stop and think about it. :smile:
If that turns out to be as bright of an event as they think it might, it will probably be well worth the effort. Especially with such advance notice.
Quote from: Locutus on September 29, 2012, 10:13:50 PM
If that turns out to be as bright of an event as they think it might, it will probably be well worth the effort. Especially with such advance notice.
Yes, indeed! In the meantime, we can hope for a meteor shower or two (Orionids) later this month -- peak 20-21st.
Quote from: libby on October 01, 2012, 11:43:35 PM
Yes, indeed! In the meantime, we can hope for a meteor shower or two (Orionids) later this month -- peak 20-21st.
I'll have to check those out. I typically only look for the Leonids and the Perseids.
Did you have a full view of this year's Harvest Moon on Saturday night?
Quote from: Locutus on October 01, 2012, 11:46:48 PM
I'll have to check those out. I typically only look for the Leonids and the Perseids.
Did you have a full view of this year's Harvest Moon on Saturday night?
I honestly cannot remember. :confused: I think I probably went to sleep on the couch. (Saturday was a long hectic day for me.)
The topic of this thread and our recent conversations about skywatching -- including Olias's comment about the ancient Mayans' dire predictions and Palehorse's submission of Isaac Asimov's thoughts about rejection of scientific fact in favor of ancient beliefs -- made me think about a little clipping from the Washington Post dated Jan 20, 2000.
I woke up this morning thinking about that clipping, went to my desk, and found it in a file of things I keep to think about now and then.
SEEING RAIN IN THE STARS
For generations, farmers in the drought-prone Peruvian and Bolivian Andes Mountains in South America have watched the Pleiades constellation in June to forecast how much rain they could expect in the growing season. The brighter the stars, the more likely there would be rain from October to May, they believed.
Researchers from the University of California at Davis and the Lamont-Doherty Observatory of Columbia University in Palisades, N.Y., decided to study this traditional meterological method to see if it has a scientific basis.
When wispy clouds high in the atmosphere make it difficult to see the Pleiades in June, that indicates the El Nino weather phenomenon, which comes every two to seven years, is occurring, the researchers found. Rainfall records show that means there probably will be less rain during the growing season and several months afterward.
"Our results suggest that this centuries-old method of seasonal rainfall forecasting may be based on a simple indicator of El Nino variability," the researchers wrote in the Jan 6 issue of the journal Nature."
If the sky is clear tonight where you live, look to the east to see the very bright planet Jupiter close to the moon. Jupiter rises about 10 PM.
Unfortunately, too much light pollution here around South Florida.
Quote from: Locutus on October 05, 2012, 10:48:01 PM
Unfortunately, too much light pollution here around South Florida.
Too much rain and clouds to see it in central Indiana too. :mad:
I guess I'm lucky, considering where I live -- in the Northern VA D.C. metro area. My home is in a townhouse community with a lot of trees. There's a stand of trees across the street in front of my house, and the same out back, which block a lot of light, so sometimes, on dark cloudless low-humidity nights, I can look straight up and get some good views. Kinda reminds me of where I grew in in southern WV. We lived in a 'holler' with hills and trees to the east and west. I could see a little more sky to the north and south, but not much. So it was a real thrill when a good friend had the time to take me to places where I could see more sky. The first ti me he took me to a high mountaintop near Beckley it almost took my breath away.
As for where I live now, sometimes I can't tell if I'm seeing a plane or a star (or UFO) :sneaky: twinkling through gaps in leaves. That's the way it was last night. As I was getting ready for bed, I looked out and saw the moon above the treetops and a light behind the trees. But the next time I looked, a little later, there it was, bright Jupiter above the moon. Of course, it looks a lot brighter when there's no moon.
Plans for extreme athlete and skydiver Felix Baumgartner to make a death-defying, 23-mile free fall into the southeastern New Mexico desert are expected to GO around 9am this morning....
Baumgartner will take a bunny-style hop from a pressurized capsule into a near-vacuum where there is barely any oxygen to begin what is expected to be the fastest, farthest free fall from the highest-ever manned balloon.
Among the risks: any contact with the capsule on his exit could tear the pressurized suit. A rip could expose him to a lack of oxygen and temperatures as low as 70 degrees below zero. It could cause potentially lethal bubbles to form in his bodily fluids, a condition known as "boiling blood."
He could also spin out of control, causing other risky problems.
A skydiver's historic free-fall from the edge of space was put on hold Tuesday morning amid concerns about the weather, raising the possibility that it could be put off to another day.
Here is a link to a live stream for his jump, which is NOW scheduled for the earliest launch time of 10:00am, IF weather permits....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/interactive/2012/oct/09/felix-baumgartner-freefall-jump-live-stream?newsfeed=true (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/interactive/2012/oct/09/felix-baumgartner-freefall-jump-live-stream?newsfeed=true)
Now it has been pushed to 10:30 eastern time as the earliest time.....
NOW, it is 1:30 pm est for the earliest possible jump time.....
Mission resumes!! Live broadcast starts at 1:00pm EDT....
I may just have to tune in and watch that idiot make the attempt.
Quote from: Locutus on October 09, 2012, 12:15:52 PM
I may just have to tune in and watch that idiot make the attempt.
I'm thinking we are going to add a new post to the "Dead" thread! :yes:
IF, he actually goest through with this "attempt"......I have a streaming video tuned in already.
Well we just have to wait another hour to find out. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on October 09, 2012, 12:15:52 PM
I may just have to tune in and watch that idiot make the attempt.
I personally don't think the man is an idiot. It is something never tried at that hight and he is making a well prepared attempt. NASA is sure watching it and taking notes as away to help with our space program and our astronauts. :yes:
It's going to take him awhile to get to 120,000 feet in that balloon.
Cancelled for today due to winds.
Tomorrow is a possiblity, still due to weather....wait and see.
I'm still wondering how long it's going to take him to ascend to 120,000 feet in that balloon.
Quote from: Locutus on October 09, 2012, 02:10:05 PM
I'm still wondering how long it's going to take him to ascend to 120,000 feet in that balloon.
The article I read said it was about a thee hour ascend.
So the real action is T+3 hours from launch. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on October 09, 2012, 02:22:48 PM
So the real action is T+3 hours from launch. ;D
and if that goes well, in another 10 minutes, we will know if he is part of the "dead thread" or the new Hero's thread...he will be a face everybody will see if he makes it.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on October 09, 2012, 02:33:27 PM
and if that goes well, in another 10 minutes, we will know if he is part of the "dead thread" or the new Hero's thread...he will be a face everybody will see if he makes it.
"But the dangers are enormous. If his body is not positioned correctly, he could fall into a rapid spin, which could render him unconscious and cause brain and cardiovascular damage. Plus, he faces the risk of ebullism, a condition that could cause the liquid in his body to turn to gas and his blood to literally boil.":eek:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/10/felix-baumgartner-poised-to-attempt-worlds-highest-skydive.html
Quote from: Locutus on October 09, 2012, 02:45:42 PM
"But the dangers are enormous. If his body is not positioned correctly, he could fall into a rapid spin, which could render him unconscious and cause brain and cardiovascular damage. Plus, he faces the risk of ebullism, a condition that could cause the liquid in his body to turn to gas and his blood to literally boil."
:eek:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/10/felix-baumgartner-poised-to-attempt-worlds-highest-skydive.html
I know! I have been reading about this guy..........his very little room for any mistakes. I think his space suit must be equipped with an extra large jock strap.
Well if something goes wrong, that sounds like a very nasty way to die.
The earliest the team could try again would be Thursday because of weather and the need for the crew - which worked all night Monday into Tuesday - to get some rest.
I think he belongs in the new "The Odd, The Strange, The Idiots" topic, no matter the outcome. :yes:
The free fall attempt is now set for Sunday.
:thumbsup:
Too bad it's a Sunday now. I'll be busy watching football. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on October 12, 2012, 11:17:17 AM
Too bad it's a Sunday now. I'll be busy watching football. ;D
It probably won't take very long for him to get killed.
Quote from: Olias on October 12, 2012, 11:39:12 AM
It probably won't take very long for him to get killed.
Yeah. . . no need to watch a corpse fall from space.
Quote from: Olias on October 12, 2012, 11:39:12 AM
It probably won't take very long for him to get killed.
;D
I'll bet the blood trail will be spectacular, though.
Quote from: Olias on October 12, 2012, 12:25:20 PM
I'll bet the blood trail will be spectacular, though.
:o :yes: :yes:
Quote from: Olias on October 12, 2012, 12:25:20 PM
I'll bet the blood trail will be spectacular, though.
If there's any left after the vaporization stage of re-entry.
I bet there will be a set of gonads left.........that guy has some serious stones, but not much upstairs.
You guys may have talked me into it. Vaporization of blood during a supersonic free fall is definitely more interesting than football. :icon_twisted: ;D
Here's the stream for today. The other one doesn't work anymore. I decided to watch for a bit since football hasn't started yet. ;D
http://www.youtube.com/v/MrIxH6DToXQ
HE'S ON THE ASCENT!
....and he has quite an audience.
1,423,642 watching now
Boiled meat going up in a basket!
I didn't realize that his flight doctor is Dr. Jonathan Clark who lost his wife Laurel in the Columbia disaster back in 2003.
Getting ready to pass through 60,000 feet. About halfway there. Another hour or so of ascent and then it's jump time.
Visor heat is malfunctioning at the 62,000 foot level. :spooked:
Power set to 10 (max), but he has no heat to his face. Visor is fogging when he breathes.
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2012, 11:00:14 AM
Here's the stream for today. The other one doesn't work anymore. I decided to watch for a bit since football hasn't started yet. ;D
http://www.youtube.com/v/MrIxH6DToXQ
This one isn't working either.
http://www.redbullstratos.com/live/ (http://www.redbullstratos.com/live/)
But this one is. . .
Rolling through 78k right now. . .
It's also available at:
http://youtube.com/redbull
@80k the outside temp is -60F . . . :eek:
His audience is growing as the time approaches. 3,598,004 watching the stream now.
They're still trouble shooting that visor screen issue. . .
When he does his bunny hop that thing is going to ice up instantly.
Quote from: Palehorse on October 14, 2012, 01:05:56 PM
They're still trouble shooting that visor screen issue. . .
When he does his bunny hop that thing is going to ice up instantly.
I'm wondering what they would do if they have to abort at his current altitude. He's passing through 90,000 feet.
I'm thinking there is a dump valve for the helium?
The temp is going back up now.
The fullscreen view at the link I posted is awesome! Of course, watching on a mac with HD display helps. :icon_twisted:
Just passed through the record altitude.
There's a 20 second delay on the feed in case his blood really does boil. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2012, 01:19:05 PM
There's a 20 second delay on the feed in case his blood really does boil. ;D
Yeah, so they can "fade to black". I think they need to show it no matter what the outcome. If he boils then it will stand as a deterrent to allowing other idiots to attempt such feats.
Are they planning to recover the capsule? It appears that they could operate the dump valves from the ground and control a descent somewhat?
Quote from: Palehorse on October 14, 2012, 01:23:51 PM
Are they planning to recover the capsule? It appears that they could operate the dump valves from the ground and control a descent somewhat?
Yes, the capsule has a parachute of its own and will be recovered.
Quote from: Palehorse on October 14, 2012, 01:22:11 PM
Yeah, so they can "fade to black". I think they need to show it no matter what the outcome. If he boils then it will stand as a deterrent to allowing other idiots to attempt such feats.
I agree. I wonder if Henry Hawk is watching this. I know he was looking forward to the attempt.
110k ft and rising.
The "color commentators" are inferring that there may be an abort decision over that face screen issue.
Breaking the record for a manned balloon flight of 113740 ft set i 1961.
Quote from: Palehorse on October 14, 2012, 01:29:14 PM
110k ft and rising.
The "color commentators" are inferring that there may be an abort decision over that face screen issue.
That would really suck if that turned out to be the case, but it's doubtful that they would let him proceed with that issue.
Now saying float altitude is going to be around 125,000 feet, so he'll be jumping from 5,000 feet higher than he expected.
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2012, 01:39:51 PM
Now saying float altitude is going to be around 125,000 feet, so he'll be jumping from 5,000 feet higher than he expected.
IF he jumps. I'm betting they scrub the jump.
They just green lighted the jump. (yet another bet I lost) :biggrin:
Jump is a go despite the visor issue. :spooked:
I guess they're going to go ahead and roll the dice on this one.
Above 126k right now! :eek:
Yeah, that things going higher than they anticipated.
Coming back down now.
He'd better hurry through that checklist or he'll be below 125k.
They've leveled off around 127k. He' about through the check-list.
Getting really close to jump time now.
Dumping cabin pressurization now. :spooked:
Depressurization to ambient altitude. They've invoked their 'guardian angel' whomever that is. :rolleyes:
Door opened. Here we go!
Did he top 768 mph?
Visor fogging. :spooked: :spooked: :spooked:
I don't think he topped the speed nor the longest free fall.
I don't think he did either. He just has the record for the highest jump.
I captured these images on my MacBook from the stream in case anyone missed it. This is him standing on the ledge before the jump.
(http://i45.tinypic.com/263zeyq.png)
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2012, 02:17:59 PM
I don't think he did either. He just has the record for the highest jump.
And highest manned balloon flight.
And a split second after the jump:
(http://i50.tinypic.com/1ertvq.png)
I thought for a few seconds there, when he was in that flat spin, that he was going to be toast. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on October 14, 2012, 02:23:22 PM
I thought for a few seconds there, when he was in that flat spin, that he was going to be toast. . .
Yeah, me too. And the stream stopped around that time too. I wonder is mission control did that on purpose just in case.
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2012, 02:24:58 PM
Yeah, me too. And the stream stopped around that time too. I wonder is mission control did that on purpose just in case.
Yeah, it was clear that by looking at the faces in mission control, that was not planned. It is what cost him the speed record in my opinion.
He was over 700 mph at one point, but I'm not sure if he exceeded 768 mph which is about the speed of sound. Although the speed of sound varies slightly in different environments.
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2012, 02:41:53 PM
He was over 700 mph at one point, but I'm not sure if he exceeded 768 mph which is about the speed of sound. Although the speed of sound varies slightly in different environments.
His highest estimated speed on the way down was 729 mph.
Quote from: Palehorse on October 14, 2012, 03:12:01 PM
His highest estimated speed on the way down was 729 mph.
So no dice on breaking the speed of sound. I didn't think so. He got up around 700 mph and the flat spin started and that's when I momentarily lost the stream.
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/121013011055-20-endeavour-1012-horizontal-gallery.jpg)
Endeavor's last flight. . . This shot was a little surreal to me. Reminds me of one of those futuristic social struggle movies. . .
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/121013102302-20-endeavour-1013-horizontal-gallery.jpg)
I was late for work / school today because a space shuttle was blocking the road. (You know it happened). :biggrin:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/14/us/shuttle-endeavour/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 (http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/14/us/shuttle-endeavour/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)
^^ Awesome, isn't it?
CNN is reporting that Baumgartner did break the speed of sound during the free fall. Kudos to him!!
Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson putting it in perspective. ;D
"About that edge-of-space Jump: A corresponding fall to a schoolroom globe begins 1 millimeter above its surface. I'm just saying." -NDTyson
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2012, 07:30:25 PM
Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson putting it in perspective. ;D
"About that edge-of-space Jump: A corresponding fall to a schoolroom globe begins 1 millimeter above its surface. I'm just saying." -NDTyson
:biggrin:
His top speed as recorded by an official observer:
833.9 mph, or Mach 1.24
:spooked: Holy hell! That's hauling major ass with your body.
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2012, 09:19:05 PM
His top speed as recorded by an official observer:
833.9 mph, or Mach 1.24
:spooked: Holy hell! That's hauling major ass with your body.
He didn't have that space suit on he would have had some major chapped ass and vaporized blood! :icon_twisted:
Baumgartner seemed taken aback when Utley detailed how fast he had fallen at one point -- 833.9 mph, or Mach 1.24, smashing his goal to break the sound barrier.Guess that makes "Iron Man" plausible now doesn't it. :icon_twisted:
I was mesmerized by the whole event. I started watching it when the balloon was first inflated, then the take-off. I sat there for the 2 and 1/2 hours plus.
I was very good TV. It reminded me of watching the moon landing and such. Very cool event. :yes:
What network was it on? I couldn't find it on TV and ended up streaming the whole event over the Internet.
Quote from: Locutus on October 15, 2012, 10:42:30 AM
What network was it on? I couldn't find it on TV and ended up streaming the whole event over the Internet.
It was on the Discovery Channel...
Orion is back and a welcome sight in the skies overnight! Welcome back great hunter.
(http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0302/orion_spinelli_c1.jpg)
I love the winter constellations. The Orion Nebula is clearly visible in that picture. A birthplace of stars.
Quote from: Locutus on October 17, 2012, 01:26:54 PM
I love the winter constellations. The Orion Nebula is clearly visible in that picture. A birthplace of stars.
I have always been drawn to Orion. As a child it was the first constellation I recognized.
Betelgeuse there in the upper left is going to go supernova sometime soon. Matter of fact, it may already have since it's over 600 light years away.
Of course soon is a very relative term in cosmology. ;D
Give or take.......a million years or so.
:happy: Orion -- some people mistake it for one of the dippers and it's easy to see why. I did, when I was a young girl and first began looking at the stars.
Good to see all of you here, and I mean that in more than one way. On Monday I had surgery on one of my eyes (glaucoma), and my ophthalmologist will be keeping a close eye on me for a while. Since the surgeryI've been spending my days mostly using eye drops -- 4 different ones spaced out at different times from morning 'til night, and have to wear a shield over the eye at night.
I guess a meteor lit up the night skies over Cali last night. 8)
Silver fireballs will streak over the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday and Sunday. The much-anticipated Orionid meteor shower is scheduled to peak over the weekend, greeting October skies and stargazers with a brilliant show.
The Orionid meteor shower will peak about midnight Saturday and into Sunday morning. The "shooting stars" will be even more visually prominent because the new moon will be setting about midnight Saturday, allowing for a view unaffected by bright moonlight, according to NASA.
The best time to view is Sunday morning, NASA says: Wake up an hour or two before the sun comes up; the constellation Orion will be high in the sky. You don't even need a telescope; you can just lie down and look up.
The Orionid meteor shower appears annually as the planet moves through an area of space that is littered with ancient remnants from Halley's Comet. The debris from the famed comet, which last visited Earth in 1986, helps produce up to 25 meteors per hour during the Orionid meteor shower.
The cosmic show will be even more visually spectacular as the entry of the meteors into the atmosphere will lend them green and orange hues as they pass overhead. Tracing the meteors backward, they will tend to come from the club of the constellation Orion the Hunter, according to Earth Sky.
The skies will not only dazzle with streaks of meteoric flares, the night will also be studded with an array of other celestial phenomena. You might see Venus; Mars; Sirius, the brightest star in the sky; and other winter constellations like Gemini, Taurus and of course Orion.
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/19/how-to-watch-the-orionid-meteor-shower/?hpt=hp_t3 (http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/19/how-to-watch-the-orionid-meteor-shower/?hpt=hp_t3)
http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/orionids2012.html (http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/orionids2012.html)
Quote from: libby on October 19, 2012, 11:55:13 AM
:happy: Orion -- some people mistake it for one of the dippers and it's easy to see why. I did, when I was a young girl and first began looking at the stars.
Good to see all of you here, and I mean that in more than one way. On Monday I had surgery on one of my eyes (glaucoma), and my ophthalmologist will be keeping a close eye on me for a while. Since the surgeryI've been spending my days mostly using eye drops -- 4 different ones spaced out at different times from morning 'til night, and have to wear a shield over the eye at night.
Glad you're back.
Be faithful about the doc's instructions.
Been there, done that, and, yeah, got the t-shirt :).
Quote from: followsthewolf on October 19, 2012, 01:36:41 PM
Glad you're back.
Be faithful about the doc's instructions.
Been there, done that, and, yeah, got the t-shirt :).
Thank you. I shall. :)
May have some questions for you later.
Quote from: Palehorse on October 17, 2012, 01:18:46 PM
Orion is back and a welcome sight in the skies overnight! Welcome back great hunter.
(http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0302/orion_spinelli_c1.jpg)
Palehorse, that is a great view of Orion, and I like the avatar!
Just wish I'd been able to look for the expected meteors. I did see one a couple of mornings ago -- about 5:00, when I looked out my bedroom window -- and :happy: one flashed by Venus.
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/milkyway.jpg)
The Milky Way, showing the central bulge. . . 8)
Space X Dragon splashes down. Missions complete.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/28/us/spacex-dragon/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 (http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/28/us/spacex-dragon/index.html?hpt=hp_t3)
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/534693_10151217681233808_1730082383_n.jpg)
NGC 4438 and NGC 4435
The Eyes Galaxies....
On the 12th anniversary of crews continuously living and working aboard the International Space Station, NASA announced a new service to help people see the orbiting laboratory when it passes overhead.
http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/ (http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/)
.Astronomers have spotted another candidate for a potentially habitable planet - and it is not too far away... (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20249753)
Know this is a little late, but if it's clear where you live, look up and towards the east and you might see some meteors -- the Leonids. Best time, of course, is after midnight. My bedroom windows face east, and I usually wake up between 5 and 6, so might get lucky. :smile:
"One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away."
― Stephen Hawking
Quote from: Palehorse on November 18, 2012, 11:01:47 PM
"One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away."
― Stephen Hawking
I can honestly say that I think he's the most brilliant human to be alive during my lifetime. What other person who is alive now, or has recently been alive, could possibly compare to his brilliance?
Quote from: Locutus on November 18, 2012, 11:05:11 PM
I can honestly say that I think he's the most brilliant human to be alive during my lifetime. What other person who is alive now, or has recently been alive, could possibly compare to his brilliance?
None that I know of.
Quote from: Locutus on September 28, 2012, 11:48:06 AM
In a precursor to Skywatch 2013, I find this discovery from earlier in the week absolutely exciting beyond measure.
The astronomy community was abuzz with news about a comet discovery on Tuesday, leading to speculation that it could make a spectacular flyby of the sun, giving Earth a ringside seat of an extremely bright celestial event. It could become so bright that it even outshines the moon.
On the other hand, it might not. Confused? Well, that's comets for you.
The only thing that is certain is that a "big" cometary body has been discovered just beyond the orbit of Jupiter and it has an orbital trajectory that will take it very close to the sun -- only 0.012 AU, or 1.8 million kilometers from the solar surface -- toward the end of November 2013.
Its discovery is based on observations made by the 16-inch (0.4-meter) Santel reflector of the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON) in Russia. As pointed out by my colleague Alan Boyle over at Cosmic Log, since its discovery, "astronomers have gone back through their files to find 'pre-discovery' images and calculate the comet's orbit." The comet has been designated as C/2012 S1, but it is being referred to as Comet ISON, unsurprisingly.
"In the best case, the comet is big, bright, and skirts the sun next November. It would be extremely bright -- negative magnitudes maybe -- and naked-eye visible for observers in the Northern Hemisphere for at least a couple of months," Karl Battams, of the NASA-supported Sungrazer Comet Project, told Spaceweather.com.
http://news.discovery.com/space/new-comet-discovered-will-it-be-spectacular-120925.html (http://news.discovery.com/space/new-comet-discovered-will-it-be-spectacular-120925.html)
^^^ Let's not forget that one year from now, we'll be discussing this upcoming event on this thread. :yes: I'm looking forward to the Thanksgiving 2013 comet ISON.
Rumors are that Curiosity has made a very interesting discovery and an announcement is forthcoming pending validation of the data by scientists. . . :spooked:
I saw that. I wonder what it is.
Curiosity result could confirm Mars life...
Former NASA researcher Gilbert Levin says that a positive sign of organics by Curiosity would confirm his claim (http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21528773.600-curiosity-might-prove-weve-already-found-life-on-mars.html) that NASA has already seen evidence for life on Mars – from an experiment called Labeled Release that went to the Red Planet aboard the Viking mission.
If Curiosity has found evidence for organics, as many are hoping, "that removes the last barrier to my interpretation of the Labeled Release results, and leaves us free and clear", Levin told New Scientist.
Though the prospect of new Curiosity findings have set the internet abuzz, nobody from NASA has yet said publicly what they are: Grotzinger has refused to elaborate, pointing New Scientist, and other journalists, to a presentation scheduled for the American Geophysical Union annual meeting in San Francisco, which begins on 3 December.
Quote from: Olias on November 08, 2012, 09:27:33 AM
On the 12Th anniversary of crews continuously living and working aboard the International Space Station, NASA announced a new service to help people see the orbiting laboratory when it passes overhead.
http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/ (http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/)
After spending Billions and Billions of dollars on the International Space Station, can anyone tell me of one thing they have found that is good and can be done here on earth and in the air. That is good for the people living of the earth. I can't remember a thing. No medicine, and no manufacturing we can use here in an atmosphere, and in gravity. :confused:
Quote from: The Troll on November 23, 2012, 04:41:19 PM
After spending Billions and Billions of dollars on the International Space Station, can anyone tell me of one thing they have found that is good and can be done here on earth and in the air. That is good for the people living of the earth. I can't remember a thing. No medicine, and no manufacturing we can use here in an atmosphere, and in gravity. :confused:
That's a very short sighted view of space exploration and that orbiting laboratory my friend. :wink:
Quote from: Locutus on November 23, 2012, 09:45:51 PM
That's a very short sighted view of space exploration and that orbiting laboratory my friend. :wink:
I don't think it is. They have proved that men and women can live in space. We know that you can grow plants in space, mice, rats, bees, fungus but so what. Even if the moon was solid gold it would cost to much to bring it back. :yes:
But to make it work we still need the water (8.3 lbs per gal.) and air from earth to make it work. We thought there could be new antibiotics, new metal mixtures in "0" G's. If they found any I don't know. Even if they did it would cost so much money who would buy it and I don't see it in foreseeable future that it could happen. Why, there is not enough money to make it happen.
My only contension is, even tho I love the space science, my question is the money being spent is worth it. :confused:
In my opinion, YES. :science: :happy:
(Beam me up, Scotty!)
Earlier tonight I saw a great 2-hour-long documentary, "Einstein," on the History Channel (International). I expected a lot of technical stuff (and there was some), but since it was on the History channel, it was more a narrative in context with what was going on in the world then (war), with details about his personal life and long struggle to perfect his theory of relativity, and prove it with the help of astronomers.
If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. There are old photos and films, with narration by current scientists, including Locutus's favorite, Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Looks like the USAF is sending up their top secret mini-shuttle again next week. I wonder how long it will take backyard sky watchers to plot its orbit this time. ;D
Air Force and United Launch Alliance officials will meet today hoping to confirm plans for a Tuesday afternoon launch of a secret military space plane from Cape Canaveral.
The Air Force's 45th Space Wing said in a news release Thursday that launch of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle atop an Atlas V rocket was scheduled for a five-hour window between 1:03 p.m. and 6:03 p.m. Tuesday.
The launch follows weeks of investigation into an upper-stage engine problem during ULA's Oct. 4 launch of a GPS satellite on a Delta IV rocket.
The rocket's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-10 upper stage engine, similar to the one used by the Atlas V, lost thrust but delivered the payload to orbit.
ULA has not announced the findings of its engineering review.
Next week's launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station would be the third by an unmanned OTV, which resembles a miniature space shuttle measuring 29 feet long and 15 feet wide.
The Air Force says its two OTV spacecraft are testing advanced guidance, navigation and control systems. They are also a rapid-turnaround technology demonstrator.
Officials have said that the spacecraft launching next week, making its second voyage, could land on Kennedy Space Center's runway. The first two missions touched down in California.
The Air Force is exploring a consolidation of the program's processing, launch and landing operations in Florida, including potential use of former shuttle facilities.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Boeing_X-37B_inside_payload_fairing_before_launch.jpg/512px-Boeing_X-37B_inside_payload_fairing_before_launch.jpg)
Quote from: Locutus on December 07, 2012, 05:19:03 PM
Looks like the USAF is sending up their top secret mini-shuttle again next week. I wonder how long it will take backyard sky watchers to plot its orbit this time. ;D
Air Force and United Launch Alliance officials will meet today hoping to confirm plans for a Tuesday afternoon launch of a secret military space plane from Cape Canaveral.
The Air Force's 45th Space Wing said in a news release Thursday that launch of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle atop an Atlas V rocket was scheduled for a five-hour window between 1:03 p.m. and 6:03 p.m. Tuesday.
The launch follows weeks of investigation into an upper-stage engine problem during ULA's Oct. 4 launch of a GPS satellite on a Delta IV rocket.
The rocket's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-10 upper stage engine, similar to the one used by the Atlas V, lost thrust but delivered the payload to orbit.
ULA has not announced the findings of its engineering review.
Next week's launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station would be the third by an unmanned OTV, which resembles a miniature space shuttle measuring 29 feet long and 15 feet wide.
The Air Force says its two OTV spacecraft are testing advanced guidance, navigation and control systems. They are also a rapid-turnaround technology demonstrator.
Officials have said that the spacecraft launching next week, making its second voyage, could land on Kennedy Space Center's runway. The first two missions touched down in California.
The Air Force is exploring a consolidation of the program's processing, launch and landing operations in Florida, including potential use of former shuttle facilities.
Locutus, Thanks for posting that. I heard a bit about it in passing but have been too busy to follow up on it. :yes:
Quote from: libby on December 07, 2012, 10:38:46 PM
Locutus, Thanks for posting that. I heard a bit about it in passing but have been too busy to follow up on it. :yes:
You're welcome. Palehorse and I like discussing this program when it's active. :yes: ;D
As to my comment about its orbit, the USAF doen't even publish the angle or altitude of the orbit. However, when the first one was launched, backyard sky watchers discovered the orbit and published it on the Internet. ;D
BTW Libby, I highly recommend the site:
http://heavens-above.com (http://heavens-above.com)
It allows you to select your location via a map, and then displays sighting opportunities for orbiting satellites from your location. This is the website that published the orbits of the X-37B last time it was in orbit.
Quote from: Locutus on December 07, 2012, 05:19:03 PM
Looks like the USAF is sending up their top secret mini-shuttle again next week. I wonder how long it will take backyard sky watchers to plot its orbit this time. ;D
Air Force and United Launch Alliance officials will meet today hoping to confirm plans for a Tuesday afternoon launch of a secret military space plane from Cape Canaveral.
The Air Force's 45th Space Wing said in a news release Thursday that launch of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle atop an Atlas V rocket was scheduled for a five-hour window between 1:03 p.m. and 6:03 p.m. Tuesday.
The launch follows weeks of investigation into an upper-stage engine problem during ULA's Oct. 4 launch of a GPS satellite on a Delta IV rocket.
The rocket's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-10 upper stage engine, similar to the one used by the Atlas V, lost thrust but delivered the payload to orbit.
ULA has not announced the findings of its engineering review.
Next week's launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station would be the third by an unmanned OTV, which resembles a miniature space shuttle measuring 29 feet long and 15 feet wide.
The Air Force says its two OTV spacecraft are testing advanced guidance, navigation and control systems. They are also a rapid-turnaround technology demonstrator.
Officials have said that the spacecraft launching next week, making its second voyage, could land on Kennedy Space Center's runway. The first two missions touched down in California.
The Air Force is exploring a consolidation of the program's processing, launch and landing operations in Florida, including potential use of former shuttle facilities.
My money is on an orbital track that takes it over Syria as often as possible. . . :yes: :yes: :yes:
:sneaky:
Quote from: Locutus on December 07, 2012, 11:32:46 PM
BTW Libby, I highly recommend the site:
http://heavens-above.com (http://heavens-above.com)
It allows you to select your location via a map, and then displays sighting opportunities for orbiting satellites from your location. This is the website that published the orbits of the X-37B last time it was in orbit.
Thanks, Locutus. I have some catching up to do.
Another image of the X-37B:
(http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20121209&Category=SPACE&ArtNo=312090037&Ref=AR&MaxW=600&Border=0)
Doesn't look like the X-37B is going to go tomorrow due to weather.
X-37B found a hole in the clouds and went through it this afternoon. Successful launch.
And North Korea launched its long range rocket as well. Coincidence?
Is there a commie influence? :wink:
The Year in Space ....
A collection of awesome pictures. Number 26 is particularly incredible in its scope.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/images-of-space/2012/08/10/5f055d8a-3d48-11e1-84a4-02de40db9b91_gallery.html?hpid=z10 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/images-of-space/2012/08/10/5f055d8a-3d48-11e1-84a4-02de40db9b91_gallery.html?hpid=z10)
Quote from: Olias on December 13, 2012, 09:47:10 AM
The Year in Space ....
A collection of awesome pictures. Number 26 is particularly incredible in its scope.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/images-of-space/2012/08/10/5f055d8a-3d48-11e1-84a4-02de40db9b91_gallery.html?hpid=z10 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/images-of-space/2012/08/10/5f055d8a-3d48-11e1-84a4-02de40db9b91_gallery.html?hpid=z10)
WOW!!! Mind boggling! and very, very cool!
Skywatchers around the world are in for a treat tonight, as the annual Geminid meteor shower is poised to put on a spectacular show.The Geminids (http://www.space.com/18814-geminid-meteor-shower-viewing-tips.html) will peak overnight tonight (Dec. 13) with the moon at its new phase. The skies will thus be free of the moon's glare, allowing viewers in rural areas to see perhaps 100 or more meteors per hour, experts say.
It's cloudy around here. :mad:
Quote from: Locutus on December 13, 2012, 11:11:15 AM
It's cloudy around here. :mad:
It is supposed to be clear all day and all night.........hopefully, we will be able to see it well. My problem is I have several very tall trees in my yard that makes it difficult to star gaze.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on December 13, 2012, 11:31:59 AM
It is supposed to be clear all day and all night.........hopefully, we will be able to see it well. My problem is I have several very tall trees in my yard that makes it difficult to star gaze.
I have a friend who loves looking up, and especially loves meteor showers. Although I haven't noticed any myself, she said she has already seen some the last few nights, even though the peak isn't until tonight.
The problem we have here is that there's so much light pollution around. It makes it difficult to see many of the smaller meteors even if the sky is clear.
Quote from: Locutus on December 09, 2012, 01:03:47 PM
Another image of the X-37B:
(http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20121209&Category=SPACE&ArtNo=312090037&Ref=AR&MaxW=600&Border=0)
What are the silver plate for on the walls of the inclosure. It sorta of like like lights, I quite sure that isn't the answer. :science:
Quote from: Olias on December 13, 2012, 09:47:10 AM
The Year in Space ....
A collection of awesome pictures. Number 26 is particularly incredible in its scope.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/images-of-space/2012/08/10/5f055d8a-3d48-11e1-84a4-02de40db9b91_gallery.html?hpid=z10 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/images-of-space/2012/08/10/5f055d8a-3d48-11e1-84a4-02de40db9b91_gallery.html?hpid=z10)
/ For some reason I couldn't access it.
Meteor shower peaks tonight. Go out and look up if you're still awake.
Quote from: Locutus on December 13, 2012, 11:44:18 PM
Meteor shower peaks tonight. Go out and look up if you're still awake.
I did. It's not a good night for viewing here. I can see a few stars, but there's not that sharp contrast you get on a cold clear night. Can't tell if it's thin clouds or hazy. Will try again in the morning -- I'm usually up at least an hour before daylight.
Son of a GUN!! :mad:
I went to my daughters choir concert, went out to eat, went home and then to bed.........forgot ALL about it until RIGHT NOW!!! :mad:
boy that makes me mad! :icon_evil:
Maybe tonight.... :yes:
There may still be some around tonight HH. Look after midnight and I'll bet you'll see some.
Quote from: Locutus on December 14, 2012, 11:30:56 AM
There may still be some around tonight HH. Look after midnight and I'll bet you'll see some.
I plan on it, but we are having some rain moving in for tomorrow, so I hope it will still be clear tonight. A buddy at work said his son and daughter saw 18 in a 20 minute frame.
I may look again tonight myself. It was just too damn cloudy last night to see anything.
(http://www.space.com/images/i/000/024/426/original/geminid-meteors-arizona.jpg?1355468464)
Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, 5:21 a.m. EST. The full moon of December is called the oak moon. Other names are frost moon, winter moon, long night's moon, and moon before Yule.
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn2/feeds/Space.com/660/371/december-2012-full-moon.jpg)
HH, That brings back memories of a night many years ago, when on a high mountaintop near Beckley, WV, I aimed my homemade telescope at the moon.
Quote from: libby on December 27, 2012, 05:05:25 PM
HH, That brings back memories of a night many years ago, when on a high mountaintop near Beckley, WV, I aimed my homemade telescope at the moon.
8) ...
Quote from: Henry Hawk on December 27, 2012, 10:36:17 AM
Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, 5:21 a.m. EST. The full moon of December is called the oak moon. Other names are frost moon, winter moon, long night's moon, and moon before Yule.
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn2/feeds/Space.com/660/371/december-2012-full-moon.jpg)
Jupiter is in the sky right by the moon tonight, but once again, my view is obstructed by overcast. :mad: :mad:
Quote from: Locutus on December 28, 2012, 10:51:22 PM
Jupiter is in the sky right by the moon tonight, but once again, my view is obstructed by overcast. :mad: :mad:
My view is obstructed by. . . . SNOW! :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
Got out the old snow blower, it almost like new since I only got to use on one 2 inch snow last year. :biggrin:
Been doing the neighbor's drive year for years, but he left his hose on it under the snow and my blower ate about 4 feet of it. It took two shear pins and a half an hour of work to get it out. :rant:
They may not be as impressive as the fireworks over the Potomac River for New Year's, but there will be another sky show starting tonight.
The Quadrantid meteor shower is named for an extinct constellation, but the shooting stars that seem to sprout from it still arrive yearly, and the opening of the 2013 show will begin overnight Jan. 1 into Jan. 2.
The Quadrantids is one of the lesser-known meteor showers of the year, but that doesn't mean it's anything less than spectacular. Take a look at this Quadrantids meteor shower video or these pictures of the Quadrantids.
While the shower begins overnight on the first day of the new year, NASA tells us Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in the wee morning hours of Jan. 3.
http://delray.patch.com/articles/2013-quadrantid-meteor-shower-peak-when-and-where-to-watch
Yesterday and today have been overcast, gloomy-looking days -- little to no sun yesterday, none today -- so I don't expect to see anything overhead. :(
It's clear here. So maybe I can see some tonight.
Don't forget the Quadrantids peak tonight. Go out and look up!
Quote from: Locutus on January 02, 2013, 04:01:36 PM
Don't forget the Quadrantids peak tonight. Go out and look up!
It is supposed to be a balmy 17 degrees tonight.......it is going to be a quick looksee.....(IF I don't forget .... AGAIN!)
Quote from: Henry Hawk on January 02, 2013, 04:08:54 PM
It is supposed to be a balmy 17 degrees tonight.......it is going to be a quick looksee.....(IF I don't forget .... AGAIN!)
Clouds may be in my way again. :mad:
Temperature isn't a problem though. It's 77 degrees right now. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on January 02, 2013, 04:13:42 PM
Clouds may be in my way again. :mad:
Temperature isn't a problem though. It's 77 degrees right now. ;D
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7F5Cwqw3wu8/Tc-sssDad0I/AAAAAAAAAEE/4uZF0_ByW9M/s1600/bigstockphotoStickingOutTongue27088.jpg)
Bright sun this morning but cold day, and some clouds. I'll be a'lookin' :yes:
I did manage to go out last night around midnight, as I was taking my pooch out for a quick "potty". I did not see any meteors, but the stars was brilliant...the sky was very full. It would have been a great night, had it NOT been so darn cold. I lasted only about five minutes, then I decided to go back to my cozy bed.
I looked before I went to bed (late) and the sky was beautiful, but with what I call cloud laddering highlighted by the moon. It was bitterly cold so didn't stay out long. Clouds were still around this morning, with temperature in the mid-20s.
I didn't see anything, but my last look was at 11:30.
Quote from: libby on January 03, 2013, 12:17:06 PM
I looked before I went to bed (late) and the sky was beautiful, but with what I call cloud laddering highlighted by the moon. It was bitterly cold so didn't stay out long. Clouds were still around this morning, with temperature in the mid-20s.
I saw the same thing out my way late last night, err. . . I guess it was yesterday night. Beautiful but a bit nippy for star gazing to say the least. . .
If you're up before daylight tomorrow, look to the east for the crescent moon and Venus. Should be quite a sight if it's clear.
If it's not cloudy where you are tonight, look to the east southeast -- then straight up, and you'll see the moon and Jupiter. They're supposed to be their closest at about 11:30 p.m. It's partly cloudy here, but I did catch a glimpse of them just after sunset.
I just looked again, and there's a big hole in the clouds and right in the middle, in the black sky, are the moon and Jupiter, very close together! :happy:
Cloudy here. :mad:
Quote from: Locutus on January 21, 2013, 07:16:40 PM
Cloudy here. :mad:
That's too bad. According to EarthSky, that close a conjunction (less than a degree apart) won't happen again until 2026.
Well that's only 13 years. Although one never knows, I hope to have far more than just 13 years left in me. :yes: ;D
Speaking of Jupiter, I have a nice backyard telescope with which I can see the moons around Jupiter and the rings around Saturn. It was a great way to pick up girls back in the day. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on January 22, 2013, 10:42:34 PM
Speaking of Jupiter, I have a nice backyard telescope with which I can see the moons around Jupiter and the rings around Saturn. It was a great way to pick up girls back in the day. ;D
Last night you could've seen Jupiter's Great Red Spot if the weather had cooperated. I didn't see it because I don't have a working telescope right now. Need a new eyepiece for my big one, and I loaned out my other one.
Quote from: libby on January 22, 2013, 10:56:02 PM
Last night you could've seen Jupiter's Great Red Spot if the weather had cooperated. I didn't see it because I don't have a working telescope right now. Need a new eyepiece for my big one, and I loaned out my other one.
You loaned someone the eyepiece or the whole telescope?
Quote from: Locutus on January 22, 2013, 11:50:31 PM
You loaned someone the eyepiece or the whole telescope?
LOL. I can see how that might be confusing. I have a BIG 100 power reflector that I made years ago, from scratch (including grinding and polishing the mirror), with the help of three friends. One got the tube ready (put the holes for the mirror and eyepiece in place; another made my tripod; and last but not least, the third friend assembled the eyepiece -- all with instructions I provided (which I got from either Science Illustrated or Mechanics Illustrated -- can't remember which).
As for the eyepiece, I removed it during a move, and the only thing I could find later was one lens. My other telescope, a much smaller one, is the one I loaned out.
It's too dad-burned cold out and I am indisposed surrounding dragging my big tele out. . . I sure wish I'd have built this stall with that big observation platform facing in a southerly direction. . . :mad:
Solar Ballet on the Sun
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/news/solar-ballet2.html (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/news/solar-ballet2.html)
Quote from: Olias on January 25, 2013, 11:03:29 AM
Solar Ballet on the Sun
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/news/solar-ballet2.html (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/news/solar-ballet2.html)
:happy:
That big ol' bright moon is out and shining. . . Will make a nice show tomorrow night glistening off all the ICE we're going to be coated in. . .
A close encounter of the asteroid kind is coming up this Friday. It's a super close approach in which the asteroid will pass inside the satellite belt of the Earth. It's asteroid 2012 DA14. It's about half the size of a football field, and it will pass within 17,200 miles of our planet. It will be between us and our geostationary satellites this coming Friday. That's extremely close.
Just for a frame of reference, DirecTV satellites are geostationary, and they're all orbiting at a little over 22,000 miles above the planet. So if 2012 DA14 accidentally hits one of those, prepare to be without a few channels for a LONG time. ;D For the record, the satellites are safe, but this is just a small reminder of what can happen, and will eventually happen again.
Always remember that our solar system is a shooting gallery. Be prepared to go extinct at any time.
The asteroid 2012 DA14 will fly extremely close to Earth on Friday, Feb. 15, but poses no risk of impacting our planet. It may, however, be visible in backyard telescopes if you know when and where to look, but will be a stargazing challenge, NASA says.
Discovered last year, asteroid 2012 DA14 is about half the size of a football field and will approach within 17,200 miles (27,680 kilometers) of Earth when it flies by during its close encounter.
NASA scientists have called the event a record-setting flyby for an asteroid of 2012 DA14's size. The asteroid is about the same size as the object that exploded over Russia's Siberia in 1908 in what scientists now call the Tunguska Event.
http://www.space.com/19646-asteroid-2012-da14-earth-flyby-complete-coverage.html
The asteroid will be within this triangle viewed horizontally and vertically. :spooked: ;D
Imagine those two satellites being either GOES weather satellites trying to track dangerous hurricanes and other severe weather, or simply DirecTV satellites bringing your favorite TV shows into your home. This asteroid will be between Earth and those satellites. One accidental pop, and it's lights out for whatever satellite it may hit.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Geostationaryjava3D.gif)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Geostationaryjava3Dsideview.gif)
I'm glad we know where our telescopes are now. I found them during the move and put them where they are visible this time. :smile:
You won't see the asteroid. It will pass by during the light of day in our hemisphere. However, do keep it quite handy for comet PANSTARRS which should be visible next month! I'm very excited about PANSTARRS and ISON which are both coming up this year. :yes:
:yes: Thanks for posting all that, Locutus.
I have spent some time recently trying to find my first telescope, which I'd forgotten about -- a Balscope that my first boss, a doctor in Bluefield, gave me. It's a spyglass, about 10 inches long, a quality optical instrument with a tripod, which can also be hand held with a steady hand. I hadn't thought about it in the last few years, and assumed I'd find it somewhere, but so far not so.
A representation of its path from the polar south to the polar north inside the geosynchronous satellite belt.
(http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/images/2012da14.jpg)
Quote from: libby on February 10, 2013, 10:54:17 PM
:yes: Thanks for posting all that, Locutus.
I have spent some time recently trying to find my first telescope, which I'd forgotten about -- a Balscope that my first boss, a doctor in Bluefield, gave me. It's a spyglass, about 10 inches long, a quality optical instrument with a tripod, which can also be hand held with a steady hand. I hadn't thought about it in the last few years, and assumed I'd find it somewhere, but so far not so.
Well like I said before, you won't be able to see the asteroid because it will make a close pass during our daylight hours on Friday. So trying to use a telescope, or the naked eye, would only result in blindness. ;D
Save that telescope, though, for next month's Comet PANSTARRS event. :yes:
Don't forget we have an extremely close asteroid approach tomorrow. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson offered the following humorous graphic to shed a bit of truth on this very close encounter.
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/285787_10200591315484889_826785553_n.jpg)
Quote from: Locutus on February 14, 2013, 10:40:35 PM
Don't forget we have an extremely close asteroid approach tomorrow. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson offered the following humorous graphic to shed a bit of truth on this very close encounter.
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/285787_10200591315484889_826785553_n.jpg)
Locutus! Who would've thought it would be upstaged by the big meteorite that exploded over Russia this morning? :spooked:
I was watching the news this morning while drinking my coffee when the picture of it flashed across the screen. What a story!
Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson was interviewed briefly, and in the usual cautious way of a real scientist, he opined that as far as he knows there is no connection between the two.
Yep! We should be constantly reminded that the solar system is a shooting gallery.
Moscow (CNN) -- A meteor streaked through the skies above Russia's Urals region Friday morning, before exploding with a flash and boom that shattered glass in buildings and left about 1,000 people hurt, state media said.
The number of injured has continued to rise through the day as new reports come in from across a swath of central Russia.
As of late afternoon local time, the Interior Ministry said about 1,000 people had been hurt, including more than 200 children, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/15/world/europe/russia-meteor-shower/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
Quote from: Locutus on February 15, 2013, 11:44:48 AM
Yep! We should be constantly reminded that the solar system is a shooting gallery.
Uh, I think that is something I would be just fine if I was NOT reminded of. First of all, there isn't diddly squat you or I can do about it. So, If it is going to happen, it's going to happen. Thinking about it happening is not something I want waste too much time on.
I guess, if they knew for a fact it was going to hit somewhere in central Indiana at a certain time.........THEN, it might be a good time to go visit my good buddy Locutus in sunny Florida. ;) ;D
The one we apparently did NOT see exploded over Russia this morning injuring 1,000 people (est) and damaging buildings and structures. . . :spooked: :spooked: :spooked:
There is amateur video of it at the link below.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/15/world/europe/russia-meteor-shower/index.html?hpt=hp_c1 (http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/15/world/europe/russia-meteor-shower/index.html?hpt=hp_c1)
Quote from: Locutus on February 15, 2013, 11:44:48 AM
Yep! We should be constantly reminded that the solar system is a shooting gallery.
Moscow (CNN) -- A meteor streaked through the skies above Russia's Urals region Friday morning, before exploding with a flash and boom that shattered glass in buildings and left about 1,000 people hurt, state media said.
The number of injured has continued to rise through the day as new reports come in from across a swath of central Russia.
As of late afternoon local time, the Interior Ministry said about 1,000 people had been hurt, including more than 200 children, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/15/world/europe/russia-meteor-shower/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
Sorry for the redundancy. . . I did not see you had already posted about this.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on February 15, 2013, 12:08:52 PM
Uh, I think that is something I would be just fine if I was NOT reminded of. First of all, there isn't diddly squat you or I can do about it. So, If it is going to happen, it's going to happen. Thinking about it happening is not something I want waste too much time on.
I guess, if they knew for a fact it was going to hit somewhere in central Indiana at a certain time.........THEN, it might be a good time to go visit my good buddy Locutus in sunny Florida. ;) ;D
Any time is a good time to visit your buddy Locutus in South Florida. :biggrin:
Quote from: Locutus on February 15, 2013, 12:28:06 PM
Any time is a good time to visit your buddy Locutus in South Florida. :biggrin:
Hey, you don't have to wait until an astroid nails South Florida either to visit your hoosier buddies! :biggrin:
I took this picture with my phone just a few minutes ago...
(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8h6mAjSC2xnvkjrqCFqiOIOVbBedyw2EqxnsaBWOmaYVoMZr-Hg)
Someone in Russia captured this image this morning. :rotfl:
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/487786_10151309138748876_188393016_n.jpg)
He looks like he's enjoying that just a little too much. :o
Quote from: followsthewolf on February 15, 2013, 08:29:18 PM
He looks like he's enjoying that just a little too much. :o
;D
Here's what really happened. This is one of the best videos I've seen.
http://www.youtube.com/v/sl_RknL9G-Q
And from inside an office in the second part of this video:
http://www.youtube.com/v/1kvHl5Qcnzc
Quote from: Locutus on February 14, 2013, 10:40:35 PM
Don't forget we have an extremely close asteroid approach tomorrow. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson offered the following humorous graphic to shed a bit of truth on this very close encounter.
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/285787_10200591315484889_826785553_n.jpg)
I wonder... is precognition one of Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson's gifts? :biggrin:
Here's an update from today's Washington Post.
As asteroid whizzes by, surprise meteor makes an impact over RussiaBy Brian Vastag, Will Englund and Joel Achenbach, Published: February 15, 2013
It was a day when the Earth was caught in a cosmic crossfire. The big rock came from the south, the smaller one from the east. They were unrelated objects, with different orbits, one the size of an apartment building, the other slimmer but with better aim.
The larger asteroid missed by 17,000 miles, as expected, but the Russian meteor stole the show Friday, fireballing across the Ural Mountains in spectacular fashion and exploding into fragments, creating a powerful shock wave that blew out windows, collapsed roofs and injured 1,200 people, mostly from broken glass.
It was surely the most thoroughly documented meteor in human history — captured by countless crack-of-dawn Russian drivers who own dashboard cameras.
The spectacle capped an extraordinary day for the planet. The object, which exploded over the industrial city of Chelyabinsk, caused the largest such impact in more than a century and was the first to inflict significant human casualties, with at least 48 victims hospitalized.
The asteroid that was supposed to show up Friday, the much-hyped 2012 DA14, passed by harmlessly, just as the experts had promised it would.
But they had no way of seeing the other rock heading toward Russia. The explanation from NASA scientists, when asked why they hadn't spotted it, boiled down to two simple facts: It was small, and the sun was in their eyes.
"This was the largest object observed to hit the Earth since 1908," said Margaret Campbell-Brown, an astronomer at the University of Western Ontario. That's when another space rock exploded over Siberia, leveling 800 square miles of forest in what became known as the Tunguska event.
On Friday, a global network of sensors recorded the space rock's object's descent and revealed its stunning power. It measured about 50feet wide, weighed more than a nuclear-powered submarine and screamed in at 40,000 miles per hour, said Campbell-Brown, who examined data from sonic sensors deployed by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization to detect nuclear detonations.
In its 30-second shallow-angle dive into the thickening atmosphere, the meteor shed energy equivalent to more than 20 Hiroshima-size atomic bombs. Most of that energy was dissipated many miles above the surface, and, in a sense, the atmosphere saved the day, preventing catastrophic damage from a major surface impact.
Initial estimates from Russian authorities sketched a much smaller and weaker object, but scientists say the nuclear-sensor network provides the best measure an incoming asteroid's size and power.
Intense heat and pressure shattered the object into dozens of large pieces during its descent. Russian officials said they believed they had identified meteorite fragments on the ground 50 miles west of Chelyabinsk and had reports of pieces stretched out over another 75 miles.
Searchers also found a circular hole in the ice, 15 to 20 feet across, in a lake west of Chelyabinsk, and roped it off.
A transcript from a meeting of Russian emergency officials indicated about 3,000 buildings suffered damage.
The region's governor, Mikhail Yurevich, said the biggest worry after the incident was the cold, with single-digit temperatures forecast overnight. "Our main task now is to preserve the heat in offices and homes where windows were shattered, to prevent the heating system from freezing," he said.
Chelyabinsk, a city of 1.1 million people, has a high concentration of defense industries, and arsenals in its vicinity have occasionally exploded, but the meteor's arrival appears not to have set off any. The roof of a zinc factory, however, came crashing down, triggering a spike in global zinc prices.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "Thank God no large objects fell in populated areas. However, there were still people who were injured." The Interior Ministry, meanwhile, mobilized 10,000 police to deal with the incident.
The event immediately generated conspiracy theories. Oneanti-Western member of Russia's parliament, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, claimed that the meteor was actually a U.S. weapons test.
Scientists say the object was instead a small asteroid. NASA's Bill Cooke said it flew in from the asteroid belt, a band of space rocks circling the sun beyond Mars and the source of all near-Earth asteroids.
History has recorded occasional injuries from meteorites, but the number hurt Friday is unprecedented, said Timothy McCoy, who studies meteorites at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. "I can't think of a burst this size over a city before," he said.
Amateur footage showed at least two orange flashes as the meteor streaked over apartment buildings. A series of booms trailed the space rock. As it exploded, the meteor briefly blazed brighter than the sun.
And no one saw it coming.
A weather satellite's camera snapped the meteor's dive, but a global network of asteroid-spotting telescopes funded by NASA failed to detect it. The sun was in the way, the telescopes blinded by a dayside approach.
"An asteroid such as this is virtually impossible to see ahead of time," said Paul Chodas of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
The twin asteroid encounters on Friday — one benign, the other malign — laid bare both the uncertain reality of life in the cosmos — you never know when a space rock might come crashing down — and our planet's lack of defense against such threats.
NASA, the world's lead agency for detecting asteroid hazards, boosted its budget for the task from $6 million in 2011 to $21 million last year. And a NASA effort launched in 1998 has found 95 percent of potential "planet killers" at least a mile wide; none is headed for Earth. But still, many say the agency, and the world, are not doing enough.
Two congressmen seized the moment to promise hearings on the planet's space-threat readiness. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, said in a statement that developing technology to track asteroids "is critical to our future," while Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) called asteroid impacts the "only true preventable natural disaster." Even if we find one that will hit us, he said, "we might not be able to deflect it."
A private effort by two former astronauts to build a space telescope to spot smaller Earth-bound asteroids has raised a few million dollars, but is years away from launch — if it ever gets off the ground.
Plans to deflect asteroids are even more nascent. Proposals range from the sublime — spraying an asteroid with reflective paint so the sun nudges it — to the extreme — nuking it. With early detection and a few decades of lead time, even a tiny nudge could push an asteroid out of the tiny "keyhole" in space that would otherwise send it crashing to Earth.
The European Space Agency and NASA are in the early stages of plotting a mission to smash a spacecraft into an asteroid to see if humans can, in fact, push around a sizeable space rock. The project, called AIM-DART, has no timeline and no real budget.
In another cosmic coincidence, three of the nation's top asteroid trackers met in Vienna on Friday with international counterparts under the auspices of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to better coordinate planetary defense.
"This is a what-sort-of-things-are-we-doing-to-protect-the-Earth meeting," said Timothy Spahr, director of the Minor Planet Center at Harvard University, the international clearinghouse for asteroid tracking. He said enthusiasm for building a better detection network runs high among the attendees from dozens of nations.
As for meeting on the day when the reality of extraterrestrial threats burst into view over Russia, Spahr said, "Yeah, pretty crazy timing."
Englund reported from Moscow. Caitlin Dewey and Olga Khazan in Washington contributed to this report.
© The Washington Post Company
SAN FRANCISCO — A science institute in Northern California says it has received numerous reports of a bright streak of light over the San Francisco Bay area.
The Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland reports receiving calls describing what appeared to be a fireball flying west Friday night, but it's not clear what the object was.
Astronomer Gerald McKeegan tells KGO-TV that the center's large telescopes did not pick up the object during a stargazing event.
The reports came hours after a meteor exploded over Russia and injured more than 1,000 people and an asteroid passed relatively close to Earth.
Experts say smaller meteorites hit Earth five to 10 times a year but large meteors such as the one in Russia are rarer. Another meteor landed in the Bay Area in October and caused a loud sonic boom.
Perhaps Dorner is now controlling space objects now that he is a ghost?
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/21665_611405812222209_891543122_n_zps12cc2179.jpg)
South Florida meteor!! :spooked: :spooked:
South Floridians who happened to be looking in the right place at the right time Sunday night saw one spectacular light show – possibly a sporadic meteor.
The Coast Guard began getting flooded with phone calls about 7:30 p.m., with reports of folks seeing flare-like objects from Jacksonville to Key West, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Laberdesque.
People called in, describing the flares "as orange or red fireballs in the sky," Laberdesque said. The display was limited to the sky: No injuries were reported, Laberdesque said.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/18/17001094-another-meteor-fireballs-light-up-florida-sky?lite
For the record, I didn't see it. :no:
There is a video of the event on the link above. ;D
Meteor showers are so unpredictable, even when they're predicted :smile:. I've never seen more than a few any given night, and I've spent a lot of time a'lookin' up.
I've never seen anything like what was apparently in my neck of the woods last night. That thing was visible from Jacksonville all the way south to the Upper Keys.
Where do I sign up? :yes:
If newly unveiled plans pan out, a man and a woman may represent humanity on one journey that has never been attempted before: a mission to Mars.
"It's incredibly feasible. It's not crazy talk," Taber MacCallum, CEO of Paragon Space Development Corp., told CNN.
MacCallum and millionaire Dennis Tito announced their plans Wednesday to send a couple of earthlings on a 501-day trip in a spacecraft that would fly by the red planet. The proposal was unveiled at the National Press Club in Washington.
The mission would lift off in 2018, they said. It would not involve landing on Mars, making the proposed journey infinitely easier than putting people on the planet's surface, which NASA wants to do later this century. But the spacecraft would pass within 100 miles of the planet. . . .
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/27/group-aims-to-send-2-humans-on-mars-mission-in-2018/?hpt=hp_t3 (http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/27/group-aims-to-send-2-humans-on-mars-mission-in-2018/?hpt=hp_t3)
I would SOOOOOOOOOOOO do this! :yes:
Would your wife SOOOOOOOO do that too? :wink: ;D
Quote from: Locutus on February 28, 2013, 11:26:44 AM
Would your wife SOOOOOOOO do that too? :wink: ;D
:yes: (I asked her) :biggrin:
Don't forget to dust those telescopes and/or binoculars off. PANSTARRS is warming up for a display over the next two weeks.
http://www.universetoday.com/100169/comet-panstarrs-how-to-see-it-in-march-2013/
Quote from: Palehorse on February 28, 2013, 01:45:46 AM
Where do I sign up? :yes:
If newly unveiled plans pan out, a man and a woman may represent humanity on one journey that has never been attempted before: a mission to Mars.
"It's incredibly feasible. It's not crazy talk," Taber MacCallum, CEO of Paragon Space Development Corp., told CNN.
MacCallum and millionaire Dennis Tito announced their plans Wednesday to send a couple of earthlings on a 501-day trip in a spacecraft that would fly by the red planet. The proposal was unveiled at the National Press Club in Washington.
The mission would lift off in 2018, they said. It would not involve landing on Mars, making the proposed journey infinitely easier than putting people on the planet's surface, which NASA wants to do later this century. But the spacecraft would pass within 100 miles of the planet. . . .
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/27/group-aims-to-send-2-humans-on-mars-mission-in-2018/?hpt=hp_t3 (http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/27/group-aims-to-send-2-humans-on-mars-mission-in-2018/?hpt=hp_t3)
I would SOOOOOOOOOOOO do this! :yes:
That is fascinating. Made me think of
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. But taking a trip like that? ... in my imagination only. I am slightly claustrophobic.
Quote from: Locutus on February 28, 2013, 12:03:09 PM
Don't forget to dust those telescopes and/or binoculars off. PANSTARRS is warming up for a display over the next two weeks.
http://www.universetoday.com/100169/comet-panstarrs-how-to-see-it-in-march-2013/
Thanks. :yes:
Look for PANSTARRS at these positions on these dates. It should be a naked eye comet low on the western horizon after sunset. The fact that it's on the western horizon around sunset also means that it will set fairly quickly itself. The window of opportunity is narrow.
(http://en.es-static.us/upl/2013/02/Comet-Pan-Starrs.jpeg)
Quote from: Locutus on March 04, 2013, 11:30:34 PM
Look for PANSTARRS at these positions on these dates. It should be a naked eye comet low on the western horizon after sunset. The fact that it's on the western horizon around sunset also means that it will set fairly quickly itself. The window of opportunity is narrow.
(http://en.es-static.us/upl/2013/02/Comet-Pan-Starrs.jpeg)
:( I won't be able to see it. I live in a community with a lot of mature trees (former forest) and I can't think of anywhere close by where I could get an unobstructed view. My townhouse faces east/west, but there are mature trees in all directions.
Take a ride into the country. ;D
I'll probably be at work. . . :mad:
Quote from: Locutus on March 05, 2013, 11:19:18 AM
Take a ride into the country. ;D
I've thought about that -- if I could get away, there's a Holiday Inn on Waynesboro Mountain that would provide the full horizon view and darkness needed (if it's still there). Used to travel that way (scenery and my love of the mountains) when driving to WV. Stayed there one night when there was a terrific thunderstorm. :yes:
An asteroid the size of a city block will pass by Earth this weekend, but have no fear: There's no danger of it hitting our planet.
The 80-meter (262 feet) wide asteroid makes its closest approach to Earth on Saturday afternoon in the United States. It will be about 975,000 kilometers (604,500 miles) away, said Don Yeomans, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. That's about 2 1/2 times the distance from the Earth to the moon.. . .
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/07/asteroid-to-fly-past-earth-this-weekend/?hpt=hp_t3 (http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/07/asteroid-to-fly-past-earth-this-weekend/?hpt=hp_t3)
Low clouds to the west on the first attempt to view PANSTARRS tonight. :mad: :mad:
That's too bad. Wish you could see it and tell us about it.
I'm going to keep trying. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on March 08, 2013, 10:17:13 PM
I'm going to keep trying. :yes:
Me too.
I navigated the labyrinth at work to place myself in front of the only western facing windows in the facility yesterday at twilight, only to discover that despite being at second story level trees blocked the horizon.
I hope to see it tonight, and possibly take a picture or two.
Low clouds again tonight. No clear view.
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Quote from: Locutus on March 09, 2013, 06:54:42 PM
Low clouds again tonight. No clear view.
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Yeah, we have shit loads of low clouds out here, and it is starting to piss rain too. . . :mad:
Just got back from a drive WAY out west. Didn't see a damn thing and it was clear too. :mad: :mad:
Quote from: Locutus on March 10, 2013, 08:16:20 PM
Just got back from a drive WAY out west. Didn't see a damn thing and it was clear too. :mad: :mad:
Its cloudy here and about to start raining. . . I think the spring monsoon season is approaching. . . :rolleyes:
I must be doing something wrong. :mad:
Here is a gallery of images of PANSTARRS with many images taken right here in the United States.
http://spaceweather.com/gallery/index.php?title=comet
Quote from: Locutus on March 10, 2013, 11:58:57 PM
I must be doing something wrong. :mad:
Here is a gallery of images of PANSTARRS with many images taken right here in the United States.
http://spaceweather.com/gallery/index.php?title=comet
We cannot get a clear sunset around here for anything. How long before it is gone?
Starts to fade after the 20th of this month.
Watch this video:
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20130308/COLUMNISTS0404/303080015/Look-west-look-low-comet-twilight?nclick_check=1
Quote from: Locutus on March 11, 2013, 12:08:29 AM
Watch this video:
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20130308/COLUMNISTS0404/303080015/Look-west-look-low-comet-twilight?nclick_check=1
That's helpful. Now if only we can get a clear sunset window. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on March 11, 2013, 12:33:23 AM
That's helpful. Now if only we can get a clear sunset window. . .
I watched it and read the article and saved it. Wish I could see it.
P.S. Locutus, that's a great video. Thanks for posting it.
Well it's going to be around for awhile but starts to fade toward the end of the month. I think the best day to see it is supposed to be the 15th.
Quote from: Locutus on March 11, 2013, 12:42:06 PM
Well it's going to be around for awhile but starts to fade toward the end of the month. I think the best day to see it is supposed to be the 15th.
I knew I wouldn't see it, but kept looking out back (west), where the crescent moon, way above the horizon, was a striking contrast in the dark sky, through the tree limbs.
Every time I see the moon like that I think of what my son, as a little boy, said to me one time, "Look mommy. The moon looks like a toenail!"
I still haven't seen the damn comet! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
I guess I'll have to wait for ISON.
But between now and Nov 28, there are meteor showers. The next one worth looking for is in April:
EarthSky's meteor shower guide for 2013:
April 22, Lyrids
After the Quadrantids in early January, there's always a lull in major meteor shower activity for several months. Then comes the Lyrid meteor shower -- April's "shooting stars." These meteors tend to be bright and often leave trails. About 10-20 meteors per hour at peak can be expected. Plus, the Lyrids are known for uncommon surges that can sometimes bring the rate up to 100 per hour. Those rare outbursts are not easy to predict, but they're one of the reasons the tantalizing Lyrids are worth checking out. The radiant for this shower is in the constellation Lyra, which rises in the northeast at about 10 p.m. Unfortunately, in 2013, the waxing gibbous moon lights up the nighttime until the wee hours of the morning. However, the greatest number of Lyrid meteors commonly fall in the dark hours just before dawn, so trying watching this meteor shower after moonset and befor dawn on April 22.
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/IMG_0129_zps1e4323e9.jpg)
No. This is not a shot from the Hubble Deep- Space Telescope. This is the snow in my yard just a few minutes ago! :biggrin:
3 more shots for your viewing pleasure. :biggrin: You can actually see a snow flake or two close up . (A little)
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/IMG_0138_zps5a217211.jpg)
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/IMG_0137_zpsf11f92e3.jpg)
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/IMG_0136_zpsfb0c4a39.jpg)
Quote from: Palehorse on March 24, 2013, 08:59:15 PM
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/IMG_0129_zps1e4323e9.jpg)
No. This is not a shot from the Hubble Deep- Space Telescope. This is the snow in my yard just a few minutes ago! :biggrin:
Oh my goodness! You fooled me on that one. :biggrin:
As for snow, haven't seen any yet. It does look wet outside, and they're getting some south of here. Just talked to somebody in Richmond, about 100 miles south, and they have an inch or two. If we get any here tonight, traffic will be a mess tomorrow morning.
Quote from: libby on March 24, 2013, 10:15:53 PM
As for snow, haven't seen any yet. It does look wet outside, and they're getting some south of here. Just talked to somebody in Richmond, about 100 miles south, and they have an inch or two. If we get any here tonight, traffic will be a mess tomorrow morning.
We've almost got 4 inches on the ground and it's still snowing like crazy. It's headed your way too. If you are lucky you may get rain instead. . .
Well, I missed seeing another meteor on Friday night. I got in just before dark and got a bite to eat and a cup of coffee. Reports I heard said it was seen up and down the east coast, moving in a slightly SE direction, about 8 p.m.
It was seen by some here in Florida too. But I think mostly north Florida.
Snow! Even though the weather forecasters said we might get a bit of snow last night/this morning, I was not prepared to look out and see about 2 inches. It continued to snow fairly heavily for a while and looked like winter wonderland with every tree and branch and bush covered. Still snowing but not the BIG flakes. Not sticking on roads as far as I know. I was able to sweep it off my front steps with a broom.
http://vimeo.com/62707231 (http://vimeo.com/62707231)
Apollo 11 in 100 seconds. 8)
8)
No words can describe ...
http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/gallery/assets/movies/March_prom.mpg (http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/gallery/assets/movies/March_prom.mpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/graceful-eruption?et_cid=3176655&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/graceful-eruption?et_cid=3176655&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Quote from: Olias on April 04, 2013, 04:09:32 PM
No words can describe ...
http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/gallery/assets/movies/March_prom.mpg (http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/gallery/assets/movies/March_prom.mpg)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/graceful-eruption?et_cid=3176655&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/graceful-eruption?et_cid=3176655&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Astoundingly awesome! 8)
What a burp! ;D
Quote from: Locutus on April 04, 2013, 11:54:53 PM
What a burp! ;D
Yeah. That one is chunky! :biggrin:
That is a beautiful avatar, Palehorse
Quote from: libby on April 08, 2013, 09:13:45 PM
That is a beautiful avatar, Palehorse
Thank you! :smile:
I get these emails from Scientific Computing every day. However, the subject line on today's email made me stop and look twice .....
"Hubble Sees Space Invader; Cloud of Atoms as Optical Memory Device; $100M for Brain Mapping"
They left out one tiny word from the story ... :biggrin:
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/hubble-sees-space-invader-image?et_cid=3183564&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/hubble-sees-space-invader-image?et_cid=3183564&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
That's pretty funny.
Yippee-Ki-Yay
NASA to Lasso Asteroid
NASA is planning for a robotic spaceship to lasso a small asteroid and park it near the moon for astronauts to explore, a top senator said April 5, 2013. The ship would capture the 500-ton, 25-foot asteroid in 2019. Then using an Orion space capsule, a crew of about four astronauts would nuzzle up next to the rock in 2021 for spacewalking exploration, according to a government document obtained by The Associated Press.
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/nasa-lasso-asteroid-bring-it-closer?et_cid=3185769&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/nasa-lasso-asteroid-bring-it-closer?et_cid=3185769&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Quote from: Olias on April 10, 2013, 10:07:32 AM
Yippee-Ki-Yay
NASA to Lasso Asteroid
NASA is planning for a robotic spaceship to lasso a small asteroid and park it near the moon for astronauts to explore, a top senator said April 5, 2013. The ship would capture the 500-ton, 25-foot asteroid in 2019. Then using an Orion space capsule, a crew of about four astronauts would nuzzle up next to the rock in 2021 for spacewalking exploration, according to a government document obtained by The Associated Press.
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/nasa-lasso-asteroid-bring-it-closer?et_cid=3185769&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/04/nasa-lasso-asteroid-bring-it-closer?et_cid=3185769&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
That is very cool........
An update on ISON:
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A recently discovered comet, dazzlingly bright even though it is still almost as far away as Jupiter, is racing toward a November rendezvous with the sun, officials said on Tuesday.
If it survives the encounter - and that's a big if - the comet may be visible even in daylight in Earth's skies at the end of the year.
Discovered by amateur astronomers in September 2012, Comet ISON is about to reach the outer edge of the asteroid belt, located some 280 million miles (451 million km) from Earth, said William Cooke, lead scientist at NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
The comet is shedding dust from its nucleus at a rate of more than 112,000 pounds (50,802 kg) per minute, the result of heating by the sun, observations from NASA's Swift telescope show.
That level of activity is unusual for a comet still so far away from the sun. It could spell its doom.
Preliminary measurements made with the Hubble Space Telescope, which captured an image of the comet that was released on Tuesday, indicate Comet ISON's body is no more than 4 miles in diameter.
The comet's nucleus will continue to shrink as it flies closer toward the sun and heats up. The rock-and-ice object could break up completely before it gets as close as 700,000 miles (1.1 million km) from the sun's surface on November 28.
A comet in the 1970s passed 10 times farther away than that and partly disintegrated, Cooke said.
"I doubt this thing is going to survive. I guess we won't know for sure until we look for it to come out from behind the sun," he said.
The comet was named for the International Scientific Optical Network, or ISON, telescope that made its discovery.
http://news.yahoo.com/hubble-telescope-spies-incoming-comet-ison-221940848.html
:mad: :mad: :mad:
PLANETARY ALIGNMENT PEAKS WITH CELESTIAL SHOW THIS WEEKEND
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the sky this month, will be joined by tiny Mercury for a rare celestial show this weekend.
Typically, Venus, the second-closest planet to the sun, and Jupiter, which orbits beyond Mars, are tens of millions of miles apart. But they have been cycling together while moving ever closer to each other this month, joined by the innermost planet Mercury.
The celestial show peaks on Sunday when the trio will appear as a bright triangle of light in the western sky beginning about 30 minutes after sunset.
Triple conjunctions are relatively rare, according to NASA. The last one was in May 2011 and the next one will not occur until October 2015.
"This triple is especially good because it involves the three brightest planets in May's night sky," the U.S. space agency said on its website.
The formation should be visible even in places with bright city lights, though a clear view of the western horizon is a must.
Astronomers suggest sky-watchers let Venus and Jupiter be their guide. As the sky darkens the planets will be visible to the naked eye.
"They really do shine so brightly that you might mistake them for one or two approaching airplanes with their landing lights turned on," the University of Texas' StarDate magazine wrote on its website.
On Sunday, Mercury forms the top of the triangle. By Monday, Venus and Jupiter will be side by side, less than 1 degree apart.
"After that, Venus and Mercury will continue to climb higher into the evening sky, while Jupiter drops toward the sun," said StarDate.
Link (http://news.yahoo.com/planetary-alignment-peaks-celestial-show-weekend-202244343.html;_ylt=AwrHgPgD0aBRKyYAzAWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQ3N2Z0YTl0BG1pdANTZWN0aW9uTGlzdCBGUCBTY2llbmNlBHBrZwNjOTRhZjBlNS0yZDFkLTM1NTAtYTZmOC1mOWZlYTZlNWFkZTMEcG9zAzMEc2VjA01lZGlhU2VjdGlvbkxpc3QEdmVyAzI2Zjc1ZGQxLWM0YjAtMTFlMi04ZmFmLTZjNzRiNGQ4YjVmMw--;_ylg=X3oDMTFkcW51ZGliBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3BtaA--;_ylv=3)
:'( I have no view of the western sky now that all the deciduous trees behind and up the little hill in back of my house totally cover the western sky. I'm trying to think of some place I could go, not too far away. Hmmm ... maybe in the Giant Food parking lot, just a few miles away ... I hate to go there in the evening because of the sun.
Locutus, did you see it? I didn't.
Storms and clouds here. :mad:
Quote from: libby on May 27, 2013, 11:22:10 PM
Locutus, did you see it? I didn't.
No. :mad:
I was busy all weekend and completely forgot to look.
Quote from: Locutus on May 28, 2013, 12:32:32 PM
No. :mad:
I was busy all weekend and completely forgot to look.
I got a quick look at it on the news tonight and it would've been spectacular to see in person.
Quote from: libby on May 28, 2013, 09:50:39 PM
I got a quick look at it on the news tonight and it would've been spectacular to see in person.
I saw a close juxtaposition of planets like that one time on a plane. No clouds up there. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on May 28, 2013, 09:56:34 PM
I saw a close juxtaposition of planets like that one time on a plane. No clouds up there. ;D
Now that's interesting. Never thought of looking up while on a plane, and come to think of it, don't remember being on a plane at night.
Beautiful ....
Sun over Earth's Horizon
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/sun-over-earths-horizon?et_cid=3294167&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/sun-over-earths-horizon?et_cid=3294167&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Quote from: Bo D on June 05, 2013, 09:35:39 AM
Beautiful ....
Sun over Earth's Horizon
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/sun-over-earths-horizon?et_cid=3294167&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/sun-over-earths-horizon?et_cid=3294167&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
:yes: impressive when enlarged!
By the way, I like your new avatar.
Quote from: libby on June 05, 2013, 09:51:44 AM
:yes: impressive when enlarged!
That IS very cool...
Very cool Bo D!
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/Butterfly%20Nebula.jpg)
The Butterfly Nebula
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/butterfly-nebula?et_cid=3307065&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/butterfly-nebula?et_cid=3307065&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
It can become somewhat mind-boggling to even look at sometimes.....really incredible :yes:
Quote from: Henry Hawk on June 12, 2013, 09:29:52 AM
It can become somewhat mind-boggling to even look at sometimes.....really incredible :yes:
It really is! And to think that that picture is THREE LIGHT YEARS from edge to edge .... You could go insane trying to comprehend ...
Quote from: Bo D on June 12, 2013, 11:38:16 AM
It really is! And to think that that picture is THREE LIGHT YEARS from edge to edge .... You could go insane trying to comprehend ...
Without turning this into a "religious" thread, but doesn't it all but make one think that there MUST be a higher power?
Quote from: Henry Hawk on June 12, 2013, 11:45:08 AM
Without turning this into a "religious" thread, but doesn't it all but make one think that there MUST be a higher power?
It does make you think. I'm a big fan of things that make you think.
Quote from: Bo D on June 12, 2013, 01:13:56 PM
It does make you think. I'm a big fan of things that make you think.
and pictures such as this, will do it, everytime.
Quote from: Bo D on June 12, 2013, 01:13:56 PM
It does make you think. I'm a big fan of things that make you think.
We need more people like you who like things like that. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on June 12, 2013, 01:35:54 PM
We need more people like you who like things like that. :yes:
Thank you. But for all you guys know, I am one of those who has gone "insane trying to comprehend." :icon_twisted:
Quote from: Bo D on June 12, 2013, 01:59:00 PM
Thank you. But for all you guys know, I am one of those who has gone "insane trying to comprehend." :icon_twisted:
I think that would be me....
This is just too cool!
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/two-nasa-missions-join-images?et_cid=3319315&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/two-nasa-missions-join-images?et_cid=3319315&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Quote from: Bo D on June 18, 2013, 11:10:12 AM
This is just too cool!
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/two-nasa-missions-join-images?et_cid=3319315&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/06/two-nasa-missions-join-images?et_cid=3319315&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
:smile: :yes:
"Filigree apogee pedigree perigee!"
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1044587_10200979015293393_849416447_n.jpg)
...or in this case, just perigee. :wink:
Colliding Galaxies
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/styles/large/public/Colliding%20Galaxy%20Pair%20Takes%20Flight_ml.jpg)
For a bigger image, click on the picture here ... http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/07/colliding-galaxy-pair-takes-flight?et_cid=3343965&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/07/colliding-galaxy-pair-takes-flight?et_cid=3343965&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Quote from: Locutus on June 23, 2013, 11:50:12 PM
"Filigree apogee pedigree perigee!"
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1044587_10200979015293393_849416447_n.jpg)
...or in this case, just perigee. :wink:
What a great picture! I saw the moon the night after perigee. Just had to look out my bedroom window and there it was.
As for "Filigree apogee pedigree perigee," couldn't remember where I'd heard it so looked it up. Loved that movie and Angela Lansbury.
Quote from: Bo D on July 02, 2013, 10:16:02 AM
Colliding Galaxies
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/styles/large/public/Colliding%20Galaxy%20Pair%20Takes%20Flight_ml.jpg)
For a bigger image, click on the picture here ... http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/07/colliding-galaxy-pair-takes-flight?et_cid=3343965&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/07/colliding-galaxy-pair-takes-flight?et_cid=3343965&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
The largest galaxy looks exactly like an ethereal bird, deceptive in more ways than one when you stop and think that looking at something like that is looking into the past, far, far, far into the past, and thinking beyond that is ... :spooked:
We cannot see the skies for all the damned clouds and rain drenching us. :mad: :mad: :mad:
Quote from: libby on July 02, 2013, 03:26:51 PM
What a great picture! I saw the moon the night after perigee. Just had to look out my bedroom window and there it was.
That picture was actually taken by a friend and posted on FaceBook. It was taken in her yard in Elkins, WV. Three days later, she left and moved to Savannah, GA.
Quote from: libby on July 02, 2013, 03:26:51 PM
As for "Filigree apogee pedigree perigee," couldn't remember where I'd heard it so looked it up. Loved that movie and Angela Lansbury.
:big grin:
This isn't really a Sky Watch topic, but it kind of relates. I had a nice two hour long conversation with this gentleman yesterday. Very, very interesting topics came up. He was a former director of the Kennedy Space Center here in Florida, where he led Shuttle Discovery's return to flight (STS-114) after the Columbia disaster. He's currently working with the Russians on rocket engine technologies, and I was fortunate enough to run across him as he is visiting family in Fort Lauderdale for the 4th.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/biographies/parsons.html
William W. (Bill) Parsons
Center Director
John F. Kennedy Space Center
William W. (Bill) Parsons is the ninth director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where he manages a team of approximately 2,100 NASA civil service employees and 15,000 contractor employees. Prior to this appointment, he served as Kennedy's deputy director and as the director of NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
In 1990, Parsons joined the NASA team at Kennedy as a launch site support manager in the Shuttle Operations Directorate. He also worked as an executive management intern, and later, as a shuttle flow director in the Shuttle Operations Directorate at Kennedy. In 1996, he became manager of the Space Station Hardware Integration Office at the center.
In 1997, he was assigned to Stennis Space Center as the chief of operations of the Propulsion Test Directorate. Parsons relocated to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to become the director of the Center Operations Directorate. He later served as the deputy director. In 2001, he returned to Stennis and served as director of the Center Operations and Support Directorate. His first stint as Stennis center director came in August 2002.
He was appointed as Space Shuttle Program manager in 2003 to lead the return-to-flight activities for the agency and played a major role in the success of the Discovery STS-114 mission. He then returned to Stennis to assume the duties of center director again and to lead hurricane recovery efforts at Stennis and the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
Parsons has received numerous honors including the Presidential Rank Award (Meritorious Executive); NASA's Exceptional Service Medal and Distinguished Service Medal; the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement; and the Silver Snoopy, awarded by astronauts for outstanding performance in flight safety and mission success.
He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Mississippi and a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Central Florida.
Parsons resides on Merritt Island, Fla., with his wife and two children.
Just saw a red fireball going overhead traveling generally from ESE to WNW high in the sky. It took less than 2 minutes to transit the sky end to end so it was definitely not an airplane. It also was definitely a fireball because I had my binoculars handy and checked it out through them. :spooked:
Quote from: Locutus on July 04, 2013, 03:58:45 PM
This isn't really a Sky Watch topic, but it kind of relates. I had a nice two hour long conversation with this gentleman yesterday. Very, very interesting topics came up. He was a former director of the Kennedy Space Center here in Florida, where he led Shuttle Discovery's return to flight (STS-114) after the Columbia disaster. He's currently working with the Russians on rocket engine technologies, and I was fortunate enough to run across him as he is visiting family in Fort Lauderdale for the 4th.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/biographies/parsons.html
William W. (Bill) Parsons
Center Director
John F. Kennedy Space Center
William W. (Bill) Parsons is the ninth director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where he manages a team of approximately 2,100 NASA civil service employees and 15,000 contractor employees. Prior to this appointment, he served as Kennedy's deputy director and as the director of NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
In 1990, Parsons joined the NASA team at Kennedy as a launch site support manager in the Shuttle Operations Directorate. He also worked as an executive management intern, and later, as a shuttle flow director in the Shuttle Operations Directorate at Kennedy. In 1996, he became manager of the Space Station Hardware Integration Office at the center.
In 1997, he was assigned to Stennis Space Center as the chief of operations of the Propulsion Test Directorate. Parsons relocated to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to become the director of the Center Operations Directorate. He later served as the deputy director. In 2001, he returned to Stennis and served as director of the Center Operations and Support Directorate. His first stint as Stennis center director came in August 2002.
He was appointed as Space Shuttle Program manager in 2003 to lead the return-to-flight activities for the agency and played a major role in the success of the Discovery STS-114 mission. He then returned to Stennis to assume the duties of center director again and to lead hurricane recovery efforts at Stennis and the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
Parsons has received numerous honors including the Presidential Rank Award (Meritorious Executive); NASA's Exceptional Service Medal and Distinguished Service Medal; the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement; and the Silver Snoopy, awarded by astronauts for outstanding performance in flight safety and mission success.
He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Mississippi and a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Central Florida.
Parsons resides on Merritt Island, Fla., with his wife and two children.
Interesting.
Quote from: Locutus on July 04, 2013, 11:12:13 PM
Just saw a red fireball going overhead traveling generally from ESE to WNW high in the sky. It took less than 2 minutes to transit the sky end to end so it was definitely not an airplane. It also was definitely a fireball because I had my binoculars handy and checked it out through them. :spooked:
Doggone. Wish I'd seen it. Lucky you.
Few astronomical sights excite the imagination like the nearby stellar nursery known as the Orion Nebula. The Nebula's glowing gas surrounds hot young stars at the edge of an immense interstellar molecular cloud. Many of the filamentary structures visible in the above image are actually shock waves - fronts where fast moving material encounters slow moving gas. The Orion Nebula spans about 40 light years and is located about 1500 light years away in the same spiral arm of our Galaxy as the Sun. The Great Nebula in Orion can be found with the unaided eye just below and to the left of the easily identifiable belt of three stars in the popular constellation Orion. The above image shows the nebula in three colors specifically emitted by hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur gas. The whole Orion Nebula cloud complex, which includes the Horsehead Nebula, will slowly disperse over the next 100,000 years. Credit & Copyright: César Blanco González
http://www.astrobio.net/index.php?option=com_galleryimg&task=imageofday&imageId=1507&pageNo=3&utm_content=bufferda5df&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer (http://www.astrobio.net/index.php?option=com_galleryimg&task=imageofday&imageId=1507&pageNo=3&utm_content=bufferda5df&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer)
My favorite! :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/1069300_10151672103608808_1928582975_n_zps241a69c4.jpg) (http://s475.photobucket.com/user/hlovett_2008/media/1069300_10151672103608808_1928582975_n_zps241a69c4.jpg.html)
Quote from: Palehorse on July 09, 2013, 12:12:06 AM
The Great Nebula in Orion can be found with the unaided eye just below and to the left of the easily identifiable belt of three stars in the popular constellation Orion.
But you have to wait until winter again. Orion isn't out during the summer. ;D
When, as a young girl, I first began stargazing, I thought Orion's Belt was one of the Dippers.
Orion has always been one of the easiest constellations to spot. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on July 09, 2013, 02:00:52 PM
But you have to wait until winter again. Orion isn't out during the summer. ;D
Yup. We have to wait for hunting season!
Quote from: Palehorse on July 10, 2013, 11:58:44 AM
Yup. We have to wait for hunting season!
That's when the sky full of stars can be breathtaking, at least in the mountains of WV.
:yeah: :yeah: :yeah:
PANSTARRS ALERT!!!
:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
I saw it just now with a pair of binoculars. Still very faint and not visible to the naked eye, but I SAW IT!!!
:yes: :yes:
If you have a pair of binoculars (the more powerful the better) you can go outside right now and see it. Mine aren't very powerful at all, but I wouldn't have been able to see it without them.
Time to get the telescope out!!
where do we look?
Find Mizar in the Big Dipper.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Ursa_Major_constellation_detail_map.PNG)
The big dipper is upside down tonight so the handle is upward from the dipper and Mizar is the middle star in handle. Hold a pencil or ruler up to Mizar and find a distance of about an inch straight to the right of Mizar and then point your binoculars in that direction. The coma is visible at that location.
^ Rotate that above image 45-50 degrees to the right and that's about exactly how the dipper looks tonight in the north sky.
Thanks! 8) :sailor:
Quote from: Palehorse on July 16, 2013, 12:18:35 AM
:sailor:
Never noticed that guy before. :biggrin:
That's perfect!
Be aware though, it's faint.
Quote from: Locutus on July 15, 2013, 11:34:29 PM
Time to get the telescope out!!
Screw those binoculars. ;D
:yeah: :yeah: :yeah:
(http://united-technology.com/misc/telescope.png)
^^ It won't be faint with that. :no:
Quote from: Locutus on July 15, 2013, 11:19:50 PM
:yeah: :yeah: :yeah:
PANSTARRS ALERT!!!
:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
I saw it just now with a pair of binoculars. Still very faint and not visible to the naked eye, but I SAW IT!!!
:yes: :yes:
.
Locutus, I just read all of the above. Was getting ready for bed and decided to look here and see what if anything was going on. Will go out and see if I can see anything. There are deciduous trees in every direction here and in the summer just about the only sky I can see is east and overhead.
I am going to have to break out my telescope to see it. . . :-\
I was going to do that tonight as you can see from the above, but there is weather around and no clear view in that direction. :mad:
We've got a lot of light pollution around with the casino/horse track having their lights on. :mad:
About 10,000 years ago, Comet ISON left our solar system's distant shell, a region known as the Oort cloud, and began streaking toward the sun. This November, the icy wanderer will reach the climax of its journey, potentially providing a stunning skywatching show here on Earth.
If the sun is merciful to ISON when it whips around the star on Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving Day), the comet could light up the sky for weeks. In the Northern Hemisphere, it could be visible in the morning near the east-southeast horizon in early December. Later in the month, and into early January, the comet could be visible all night, according to NASA.
I really have my fingers crossed for ISON but I'm trying not to get too excited. It's already shedding quite a bit of mass.
:music1: Thanks for posting that HH. :yes:
YOU are welcome :yes:
(http://global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Scitech/Earth%20from%20Saturn%202.jpg)
A photo by the Cassini spacecraft shows the rings of Saturn, with Earth a faint blue dot in the distance.
:mad: :mad: :mad:
By Irene Klotz
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Astronomers slated to meet this week to discuss observing plans for Comet ISON may not have much to talk about. The so-called "Comet of the Century" may already have fizzled out.
"The future of comet ISON does not look bright," astronomer Ignacio Ferrin, with the University of Antioquia in Colombia, said in a statement on Monday.
Ferrin's calculations show the comet, which is currently moving toward the sun at 16 miles per second, has not brightened since mid-January. That may be because the comet is already out of ice particles in its body, which melt as the comet moves closer to the sun, creating a long, bright tail.
Another theory is that the comet is covered in a layer of silicate dust that snuffs out water vapor and other gases that brighten the comet.
"Comet ISON has been on a standstill for more than 132 days ... a rather puzzling feat," Ferrin wrote in a paper submitted to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and posted online at the archival site arXiv.org.
The comet, named ISON for the International Scientific Optical Network that made its discovery, was found in September 2012 by two amateur Russian astronomers.
It is due to pass about 724,000 miles (1.2 million km) from the sun on November 28. The relatively close pass was expected to create a massive tail that some scientists predict will be visible even in daylight.
If it survives, that is. At that distance, the comet would reach temperatures of about 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius) - hot enough to melt lead. It may also be pulled apart by the sun's gravity.
Scientists believe the comet hails from the Oort Cloud, a cluster of icy rocks that circle the sun about 50,000 times farther away than Earth's orbit. Calculations show Comet ISON is making its first - and possibly last - voyage into the inner solar system.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
http://news.yahoo.com/comet-century-already-may-fizzled-003512335.html?.b=index&.cf3=Science&.cf4=5&.cf5=Reuters&.cf6=%2F
that sucks! :mad: lets hope it stays together.
I hope it stays together too. I'm trying not to get my hopes too high though in case it fizzles.
If the sky is clear tonight where you live, look for the Perseids, a meteor shower that gives its best show August 11th - 13th. Just before dawn said to be best viewing time. :yes:
Another to watch the sky ....
"...more likely life came to Earth on a Martian meteorite, rather than starting on this planet."
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/08/we-may-all-be-martians-new-research-supports-theory-life-started-mars?et_cid=3451376&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/08/we-may-all-be-martians-new-research-supports-theory-life-started-mars?et_cid=3451376&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Quote from: Bo D on September 03, 2013, 09:47:32 AM
Another to watch the sky ....
"...more likely life came to Earth on a Martian meteorite, rather than starting on this planet."
Okay....are you ready for it??? I just had to do it!! :biggrin:
(http://ayay.co.uk/backgrounds/cartoons/looney_tunes/marvin-the-martian-04.jpg)
;D
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/My_Favorite_Martian_Ray_Walston_1963.JPG/225px-My_Favorite_Martian_Ray_Walston_1963.JPG)
Quote from: Bo D on September 03, 2013, 09:47:32 AM
Another to watch the sky ....
"...more likely life came to Earth on a Martian meteorite, rather than starting on this planet."
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/08/we-may-all-be-martians-new-research-supports-theory-life-started-mars?et_cid=3451376&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/08/we-may-all-be-martians-new-research-supports-theory-life-started-mars?et_cid=3451376&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Fascinating :spooked: ... thought provoking ....
NASA ROCKET TO THE MOON AT 11:27 P.M. TONIGHT!
Observe NASA's LADEE launch tonight at 11:27 p.m.
By Blaine Friedlander, Updated: September 6, 2013
Long after tonight's high school football games end, step outside, talk to your neighbors and see NASA's LADEE mission rocket just after it launches from Wallops Island, Va., on the Eastern Shore. This moonshot, sans astronauts, blasts off sometime in a four-minute launch window that starts at 11:27 p.m. Look to the south-southeast, as many people in the greater Washington area should be able to see it with a good view of the horizon.
For Washington and for Wallops Island, the weather is expected to be clear.
LADEE – or the Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer – will orbit Earth then cruise to the moon, where it will gather data on the lunar atmosphere and to see whether dust is lofted into moon's sky.
This style rocket – the five-stage Minotaur V – has been in the news before, as you may recall it as a Peacekeeper missile. In its current civilian configuration, by Orbital Sciences Corp., this mission will become the first to launch beyond Earth from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.
Find a good view of the south-southeastern horizon so you can see above buildings and trees. Apartment balconies, higher ground and parking decks should suffice. Just after launch, the rocket will speed into orbit around the Earth. For the Washington area, NASA says, expect to see the initial stages about 13 degrees above the horizon.
NASA and Orbital have developed a chart that plots the elevation visibility of East Coast locations for the rocket moving into orbit.
Washington and Baltimore should start seeing the rocket at about 40 seconds after launch. This NASA and Orbital chart plots the "first sighting" for East Coast locations.
The initial flight path of LADEE will be over the Atlantic Ocean, where it will drop its first three stages. You might notice that its trajectory arches and it will appear to drop back toward Earth. Don't worry. You'll be experiencing an optical illusion, as the rocket follows the natural roundness of our own planet's curvature.
From Washington, you will first spot the rocket in the south-southeast and it will move toward the east. Imagine standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and facing southeast. That puts the Washington Monument on your left. In this graphic, produced at Orbital by Carlos Niederstrasser, you can find your orientation. (Please note: For clarity purposes, the graphic is in daylight. The launch will be in the dark of night.)
This YouTube video from SpaceVidsNet provides an animated explanation of the launch and what happens during the mission's initial stages.
The speeding rocket – barring any clouds – should be visible from eastern North Carolina, Richmond, Va., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Hartford, Conn., and Boston. It will be harder to see from eastern West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Binghamton, N.Y., Syracuse, N.Y., Montpelier, Vt., Bangor, Maine and Presque Isle, Maine.
But what if your neighbor's huge tree blocks your view or you have to work late? Thanks to social media and the connected world, you have options:
– Tonight, 9:30 p.m.: Live internet coverage begins on NASA TV.
– Tonight, 9:30 – 11:35 p.m.: Pre-launch webcast featuring NASA experts discussing the mission on NASA EDGE.
– Tonight, 10:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.:Live from New York City's Times Square, watch from the Toshiba Vision screen, just underneath the famous New Year's Eve ball.
– Virginia's Eastern Shore: NASA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and local officials have organized viewing areas at Robert Reed Park, Main Street, Chincoteague, Va., or Beach Road, Chincoteague. Large televisions will show the launch. More information here.
– Saturday, 1 a.m. (approx.): Post-launch news conference on NASA TV.
– Tweeters will be tweeting on Twitter all day. Join the conversation: #NASALADEE
Overview of the LADEE mission, from NASA:
The official NASA LADEE Web site.
© The Washington Post Company
Did you see it Libby? I was too far south but it just launched a few minutes ago.
Quote from: Locutus on September 06, 2013, 11:34:33 PM
Did you see it Libby? I was too far south but it just launched a few minutes ago.
Hi Locutus. Yes, I saw it -- from my upstairs bedroom window, which faces east. I was watching for it, looked to the left (north) and when I looked back to the right (south), there it was -- very bright and moving fairly quickly across the sky in a slight arc right in front of me. It got a lot brighter and looked bigger right before it disappeared.
Quote from: libby on September 07, 2013, 11:10:42 PM
Hi Locutus. Yes, I saw it -- from my upstairs bedroom window, which faces east. I was watching for it, looked to the left (north) and when I looked back to the right (south), there it was -- very bright and moving fairly quickly across the sky in a slight arc right in front of me. It got a lot brighter and looked bigger right before it disappeared.
AWESOME! 8)
:yes: :happy:
NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign website.
http://www.isoncampaign.org/
Quote from: Locutus on September 10, 2013, 12:12:54 AM
NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign website.
http://www.isoncampaign.org/
:thumbsup: Something to look forward to. :smile:
NASA's Voyager 1 Goes Interstellar! :yes: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: If you want to find out how really insignificant we are and why people turn to religion, read on:
From today's Washington Post
After 36 years, Voyager 1 goes interstellar
By Joel Achenbach, Published: September 12, 2013
The tireless Voyager I spacecraft, launched in the disco era and now more than 11 billion miles from Earth, has become the first man-made object to enter interstellar space, scientists said Thursday. Interstellar space, scientists now know with certainty, is dense with particles, and the place is literally hissing. Or maybe you could say it's whistling in the dark.
"It's almost a pure tone. Like middle C. But slightly varying, like your piano is not quite tuned right," said Donald Gurnett, a University of Iowa physicist who has been working on the Voyager mission most of his adult life.
Gurnett is the lead author of a paper published Thursday in the journal Science that provides what seems to be the final, incontrovertible evidence that NASA's Voyager I has crossed into a realm where no spacecraft has gone before.
Scientists have long thought that there would be a boundary out there, somewhere, where the million-mile-per-hour "solar wind" of particles would give way abruptly to cooler, denser interstellar space, permeated by charged particles from around the galaxy.
That boundary, called the heliopause, turns out to be 11.3 billion miles from the sun, according to Voyager's instruments and Gurnett's calculations.
Beyond the boundary, space is — perhaps counterintuitively — much denser with particles. There are 80,000 particles per cubic meter in the region where Voyager I is now, Gurnett said.
The sun's hot ejecta — a plasma of charged particles — forms a vast bubble, known as the heliosphere. In the outer regions of the heliosphere, the particles are relatively few and far between, with just 1,000 particles per square meter in some regions, Gurnett said. But the heliosphere has an edge. Voyager I's epochal crossing of the boundary, into the cooler, denser plasma, took place on Aug. 25, 2012, according to the new report.
This confirms earlier findings, published in three papers in Sciencein June, that Voyager I on that date in August 2012 had experienced a sudden drop in solar radiation and a spike in cosmic particles coming from all around the galaxy.
But the earlier data from the spacecraft had been somewhat ambiguous. The spacecraft continued to pick up magnetic signals that suggested it was still within the sun's magnetic field. Ed Stone, the chief scientist for Voyager, suggested that Voyager I was flying through a transitional zone.
Now, however, scientists have a new set of measurements thanks in large part to a solar flare. On March 17, 2012, the sun ejected a huge mass of particles, and when those solar particles arrived at Voyager more than a year later, on April 9, they triggered oscillations in the charged particles of matter — the plasma — surrounding the spacecraft.
From the frequency of those oscillations — essentially the sound of space itself — the scientists could interpret the density of the plasma. That density, much higher than anything registered before in the outer solar system, offered compelling evidence that Voyager I had, in fact, entered the interstellar zone.
"For the first time we've actually measured the density of the plasma," Stone said. He said he's convinced by the new data that his spacecraft has fully penetrated interstellar space.
"It's great. This is exploration. This is wonderful," said Stone, who has overseen the Voyager project since the early 1970s.
The two Voyager spacecraft were launched in 1977. Voyager I flew by Jupiter and Saturn, the gravity of which helped slingshot the spacecraft toward the outer reaches of the solar system. Voyager I is now traveling at 38,000 miles per hour relative to the sun.
Voyager II flew near Jupiter and Saturn and then went on to pass by Uranus and Neptune. It is not quite as far from the sun as its sister spacecraft.
Although Voyager I is now in interstellar space, it hasn't technically left the solar system. That's because of the Oort cloud — a region of comets in orbit around the sun.
"We'll get to the inner edge of the Oort cloud in about 300 years," Stone said. "Of course the spacecraft will not still be transmitting then."
The spacecraft draws power from the radioactive decay of Plutonium 238, and Stone thinks the dwindling power supply will force engineers to start turning off instruments in 2020. Voyager I probably will go dark by 2025.
Stone said the spacecraft will pass through the far side of the Oort cloud in about 30,000 years.
Libby: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked:
Related stories: NASA's mission improbable: A space agency with a proud past faces a rocky road ahead Voyager 1 just left the solar system using less computing power than your iPhone Voyager 1 finds that edge of solar system isn't as defined as scientists once thought.
© The Washington Post Company
And V-ger will return looking for its creator in a few thousand years. :wink:
As an aside from this conversation, I thought Pioneer 10 and 11 had already escaped the heliopause thus making them the first to leave the solar system if that's what the definition of 'leaving the solar system' is.
I'll have to research that later.
Well, let me know what you find. I read your question early this morning and thought about it on and off all day. I am so glad you made that comment, for it helped get my mind off some things I'm involved in that are sometimes :rant: and onto a subject that fascinates me.
The astronomy text definition of the solar system used to be simpler: "The sun, its planets, and the asteroids and comets that, like the planets, orbit the sun."
As for how far the Pioneers, 10 and 11, got before being shut down, as far as I can tell from doing some looking here and there, they provided valuable information about the outer planets of our solar system, but did not reach the heliopause boundary before the mission was shut down.
Well I think I've found some answers. :yes:
Current as of September 2012:
(http://i.space.com/images/i/000/021/952/i02/voyager-interstellar_mission.jpg)
Is there text with that? I think I understand what I'm looking at but would like your input.
Quote from: libby on September 14, 2013, 12:08:50 AM
Is there text with that? I think I understand what I'm looking at but would like your input.
Yes there is.
http://www.space.com/17693-voyager-2.html
It doesn't say much about that image, but from what I've read, the reason that the image is shaped in that manner (kind of like a condom for lack of a better word) is that the sun (and the rest of us) are moving through the Milky Way in the direction of right to left in that image. Thus the heliosphere is being compressed on that end, and the tail we're leaving behind is to the right.
Since Pioneer 10 is exiting in that direction, and since leaving the heliopause is the current definition of 'leaving the solar system,' then that's why Voyager beat out Pioneer 10 in escaping the solar system according to that definition.
I've just done a bit of basic checking on that tonight, but that's what I've come up with so far.
Thank you, Locutus, for the article and your explanation of the image. :yes:
That's far from an expert explanation. It's just a summary of what I think I've read this evening. Another reason for Voyager being the first is that it's traveling faster than Pioneer due to gravity boosts from planets along its journey.
Earlier tonight I was looking for something to take my mind off of what has been going on here :rolleyes: and was scrolling through horror, crime, sex, stupidity, when, lucky for me, got to the Science channel just as a 2-hour program, The Planets, came on. It was great -- stunning photography and the history of the space programs at NASA, leading up to Voyager. Just what Locutus and I were discussing above.
Do you know if they're going to show it again?
Quote from: Locutus on October 05, 2013, 11:58:34 PM
Do you know if they're going to show it again?
No, but will watch for it and let you know. It was so good I want to watch it again. Instead of one narrator, they had people actually involved in it over the years.
:yes:
Might be time to set the clock to get up early enough to take the telescope out for ISON. We're getting close now. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on October 13, 2013, 11:30:25 PM
Might be time to set the clock to get up early enough to take the telescope out for ISON. We're getting close now. :yes:
Thanks for the reminder. :)
Quote from: Locutus on October 13, 2013, 11:30:25 PM
Might be time to set the clock to get up early enough to take the telescope out for ISON. We're getting close now. :yes:
I found this as I was googling more information about ISON. Check it out, pretty cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TULT9QUevnQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TULT9QUevnQ)
You REALLY ought to watch the sky! :spooked:
A meteor that blazed across southern Urals in February 2013 was the largest recorded meteor strike in more than a century. More than 1,600 people were injured by the shock wave from the explosion, estimated to be as strong as 20 Hiroshima atomic bombs, as it landed near the city of Chelyabinsk.
Scientists on October 16, 2013, recovered what could be the largest part of this meteor from Chebarkul Lake outside the city. They weighed it using a giant steelyard balance, which displayed 570 kilograms (1,256 pounds) before it broke.
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/10/giant-chunk-russian-meteor-raised-lake?et_cid=3542428&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/10/giant-chunk-russian-meteor-raised-lake?et_cid=3542428&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
:spooked: :spooked:
And nobody saw it coming.
Quote from: Locutus on October 17, 2013, 12:54:15 PM
:spooked: :spooked:
And nobody saw it coming.
That the really scary part. What if that thing had hit Central Park? Or the Mall in DC?
Wait ... maybe that second choice is not so scary. :icon_twisted:
:big grin:
What is even better is the fact that there was one the size of 4 football fields that went by, unknown before it did its flyby, early in september!
One of the most dangerous asteroids on record zipped close by Earth last month.
It made headlines on Thursday, when reports said that there's a chance it could strike our planet in less than 20 years. Such a collision could unleash a force as powerful as a couple of thousand atomic bombs.
But NASA was quick to calm nerves and point out some very good news. The most dangerous known asteroids don't really pose much of a threat. And there are very few of them.
Also, the chances that this one, which the Ukrainian astronomers who discovered it named 2013 TV135, will collide with Earth are extremely slim, NASA said in a statement it called "a reality check."
The space agency is 99.998% certain that when it whooshes back around the planet in 2032, it will simply sail past us again.. . .
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/asteroid-near-pass/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 (http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/asteroid-near-pass/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/10/18/nr-brooke-intv-seager-asteroid-passed-earth.cnn.html (http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/10/18/nr-brooke-intv-seager-asteroid-passed-earth.cnn.html)
Hello out there? Is that you, Klaatu? Have some interference here, so please re-transmit. What's that? Ask Duke Jupiter, you say?
Other potential Earths? Try 25 billion of them.
The Washington Post
November 5, 2013
Roughly one in every five sunlike stars is orbited by a potentially habitable, Earth-size planet, meaning that the universe has abundant real estate that could be congenial to life, according to an analysis of observations by NASA's Kepler space telescope.
Our Milky Way galaxy alone could harbor billions of rocky worlds where water might be liquid at the surface, according to the report, which was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and discussed at a news conference in California.
If the estimate is correct, the nearest ocean planet might be just 12 light-years away, which, though extremely distant for all practical purposes (such as sending a robotic space probe), is just around the corner in our galactic neighborhood.
"When you look up at the stars in the night sky, how many of them have a planet like the Earth?" asked Erik Petigura, a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley and the lead author of the paper. "We're able to start answering this question."
The best estimate is 22 percent of stars like our own, with an error margin of plus or minus eight percentage points.
"Earth-sized planets having the temperature of a cup of tea are common around sunlike stars," said planet hunter Geoff Marcy, a Berkeley astronomer and a co-author of the study. He said the finding "represents one great leap toward the possibility of life, including intelligent life, in the universe."
Kepler, launched in 2009, is no longer able to search for "exoplanets" — outside our solar system — because it has been unable to point with precision after the failure of a steering mechanism this year. But the telescope amassed more than three years of observations before going on the blink. Kepler mission scientist Natalie Batalha said there is still another full year of data to rummage through.
The telescope's original mission was to obtain an estimate of the percentage of stars with potentially habitable planets, and this latest analysis comes close to meeting that goal. This is still an extrapolation of data and is not the same thing as taking a careful census of these Earth-size planets directly, said Sara Seager, an astrophysicist at MIT who was not directly involved in the new analysis.
"Earth-size" doesn't necessarily mean "Earth-like," Seager noted. But she said this result will boost efforts to build telescopes that could obtain direct imagery of one of these extremely distant worlds.
"Earth-sized planets are not rare, so we'll know we'll have stuff to look at," Seager said. "It's reassuring for us."
Jill Tarter, a pioneer in "SETI," the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, said in an e-mail: "We haven't yet found Earth 2.0, but these statistics suggest that it should be forthcoming, and soon. When we can point to Earth 2.0 in the sky, it will seem completely natural to ask 'Does anybody live there?' and 'Can we go there?' I think Earth 2.0 will concretize SETI as nothing else has."
Kepler studied 150,000 stars in a small patch of the sky in the constellation Cygnus. The planets surrounding distant stars cannot be seen directly, because their faint, reflected light is swamped by the much brighter starlight. Thus Kepler looked for the periodic dimming of a star, which could be the signal of a planet passing across the star's face. Ground-based telescopes, such as the Keck I in Hawaii, helped produce an estimate of the size of these transiting planets.
The Kepler team has found amid the space telescope's data 10 "candidate" planets that, while not confirmed, appear to be roughly one to two times the mass of Earth and orbiting at "Goldilocks" distances, neither too close nor too far from the stars.
The scientists extrapolated in two ways. They know that most planets are unlikely to be in orbits that, just by chance, cause them to pass in front of the face of the star as seen from Kepler. That's a 1-in-100 long shot. For every planet seen, multiply by 100.
The scientists also knew that some planets would remain difficult to detect because of natural fluctuations in starlight — the "noise" in the signal. They found a way to test the accuracy of the algorithms for detecting planets by inserting 40,000 "synthetic" planets into the computer programs and seeing how many would be accurately retrieved by those programs.
The analysis does not prove that any of these "habitable zone" planets resemble Earth. The report states only that they are roughly the size of our planet and are not too close or too far from the star for water — if it is present — to be liquid at the surface.
Moreover, being in a star's habitable zone does not ensure that life will spring forth. Scientists have limited understanding of the origin of life on Earth. The Earth has a number of features that are amenable to life and that might not be common, including a nearly circular orbit, a large companion moon and tectonic activity that recycles the planet's carbon.
Kepler has found 3,538 candidate planets, Jason Rowe, a research scientist at the SETI Institute, said at the news conference Monday. Of those, 647 are Earthsize, 104 are in the star's habitable zone and 10 meet both criteria.
William Borucki, the principal investigator for Kepler, noted that some of the larger planets in the habitable zone might have moons amenable to life. "All of those 104, I think, are very interesting planets," Borucki said.
If the new estimate is correct, there should be about 25 billion Earth-size planets in habitable zones in our galaxy, by Borucki's calculation.
"Those numbers are pretty soft," he said. "We have a lot of corrections to make before we have really definitive numbers."
Monday's news can be viewed as progress in filling in numbers in the famous Drake Equation, developed in 1961 by astronomer Frank Drake as a way of estimating the abundance of communicative civilizations.
"It's encouraging," Drake, a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, said Monday. "It gives us a number, and it's a number we can stick into the equation."
He said other factors in the Drake Equation remain highly uncertain — in particular, the evolutionary probability of intelligence.
joel.achenbach@washpost.com
:spooked: Huh?
Libby
Quote from: libby on November 05, 2013, 05:38:37 PM
Hello out there? Is that you, Klaatu? Have some interference here, so please re-transmit. What's that? Ask Duke Jupiter, you say?
Other potential Earths? Try 25 billion of them.
The Washington Post
November 5, 2013
Roughly one in every five sunlike stars is orbited by a potentially habitable, Earth-size planet, meaning that the universe has abundant real estate that could be congenial to life, according to an analysis of observations by NASA's Kepler space telescope.
Our Milky Way galaxy alone could harbor billions of rocky worlds where water might be liquid at the surface, according to the report, which was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and discussed at a news conference in California.
If the estimate is correct, the nearest ocean planet might be just 12 light-years away, which, though extremely distant for all practical purposes (such as sending a robotic space probe), is just around the corner in our galactic neighborhood.
"When you look up at the stars in the night sky, how many of them have a planet like the Earth?" asked Erik Petigura, a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley and the lead author of the paper. "We're able to start answering this question."
The best estimate is 22 percent of stars like our own, with an error margin of plus or minus eight percentage points.
"Earth-sized planets having the temperature of a cup of tea are common around sunlike stars," said planet hunter Geoff Marcy, a Berkeley astronomer and a co-author of the study. He said the finding "represents one great leap toward the possibility of life, including intelligent life, in the universe."
Kepler, launched in 2009, is no longer able to search for "exoplanets" — outside our solar system — because it has been unable to point with precision after the failure of a steering mechanism this year. But the telescope amassed more than three years of observations before going on the blink. Kepler mission scientist Natalie Batalha said there is still another full year of data to rummage through.
The telescope's original mission was to obtain an estimate of the percentage of stars with potentially habitable planets, and this latest analysis comes close to meeting that goal. This is still an extrapolation of data and is not the same thing as taking a careful census of these Earth-size planets directly, said Sara Seager, an astrophysicist at MIT who was not directly involved in the new analysis.
"Earth-size" doesn't necessarily mean "Earth-like," Seager noted. But she said this result will boost efforts to build telescopes that could obtain direct imagery of one of these extremely distant worlds.
"Earth-sized planets are not rare, so we'll know we'll have stuff to look at," Seager said. "It's reassuring for us."
Jill Tarter, a pioneer in "SETI," the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, said in an e-mail: "We haven't yet found Earth 2.0, but these statistics suggest that it should be forthcoming, and soon. When we can point to Earth 2.0 in the sky, it will seem completely natural to ask 'Does anybody live there?' and 'Can we go there?' I think Earth 2.0 will concretize SETI as nothing else has."
Kepler studied 150,000 stars in a small patch of the sky in the constellation Cygnus. The planets surrounding distant stars cannot be seen directly, because their faint, reflected light is swamped by the much brighter starlight. Thus Kepler looked for the periodic dimming of a star, which could be the signal of a planet passing across the star's face. Ground-based telescopes, such as the Keck I in Hawaii, helped produce an estimate of the size of these transiting planets.
The Kepler team has found amid the space telescope's data 10 "candidate" planets that, while not confirmed, appear to be roughly one to two times the mass of Earth and orbiting at "Goldilocks" distances, neither too close nor too far from the stars.
The scientists extrapolated in two ways. They know that most planets are unlikely to be in orbits that, just by chance, cause them to pass in front of the face of the star as seen from Kepler. That's a 1-in-100 long shot. For every planet seen, multiply by 100.
The scientists also knew that some planets would remain difficult to detect because of natural fluctuations in starlight — the "noise" in the signal. They found a way to test the accuracy of the algorithms for detecting planets by inserting 40,000 "synthetic" planets into the computer programs and seeing how many would be accurately retrieved by those programs.
The analysis does not prove that any of these "habitable zone" planets resemble Earth. The report states only that they are roughly the size of our planet and are not too close or too far from the star for water — if it is present — to be liquid at the surface.
Moreover, being in a star's habitable zone does not ensure that life will spring forth. Scientists have limited understanding of the origin of life on Earth. The Earth has a number of features that are amenable to life and that might not be common, including a nearly circular orbit, a large companion moon and tectonic activity that recycles the planet's carbon.
Kepler has found 3,538 candidate planets, Jason Rowe, a research scientist at the SETI Institute, said at the news conference Monday. Of those, 647 are Earthsize, 104 are in the star's habitable zone and 10 meet both criteria.
William Borucki, the principal investigator for Kepler, noted that some of the larger planets in the habitable zone might have moons amenable to life. "All of those 104, I think, are very interesting planets," Borucki said.
If the new estimate is correct, there should be about 25 billion Earth-size planets in habitable zones in our galaxy, by Borucki's calculation.
"Those numbers are pretty soft," he said. "We have a lot of corrections to make before we have really definitive numbers."
Monday's news can be viewed as progress in filling in numbers in the famous Drake Equation, developed in 1961 by astronomer Frank Drake as a way of estimating the abundance of communicative civilizations.
"It's encouraging," Drake, a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, said Monday. "It gives us a number, and it's a number we can stick into the equation."
He said other factors in the Drake Equation remain highly uncertain — in particular, the evolutionary probability of intelligence.
joel.achenbach@washpost.com
:spooked: Huh?
Libby
And this is exactly why I believe when we die we just move to one of those other 25 billion planets and start all over again. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on November 05, 2013, 07:44:22 PM
And this is exactly why I believe when we die we just move to one of those other 25 billion planets and start all over again. . .
As my old friend Charlie the lawyer said to me the last time I saw him before he died, "It's not that I don't believe in reincarnation, I just don't want to come back as a cockroach!"
We were as different as day and night, and I used to try to get a response from him about things theoretical vs. practical. That was the first time he ever said a word when I talked about reincarnation.
Quote from: libby on November 05, 2013, 10:06:41 PM
As my old friend Charlie the lawyer said to me the last time I saw him before he died, "It's not that I don't believe in reincarnation, I just don't want to come back as a cockroach!"
We were as different as day and night, and I used to try to get a response from him about things theoretical vs. practical. That was the first time he ever said a word when I talked about reincarnation.
So just think about the possibilities that such a "reality" represents.
Think about the odds against you running into someone you knew here, on one of those 25 billion other earths.
So does that mean that when you encounter someone for the first time here on earth, and you get that feeling that you "know them" already, (All of us have had this happen at least once in our lifetime here), that you've beat the odds already? :spooked:
Quote from: Palehorse on November 06, 2013, 08:35:15 PM
So just think about the possibilities that such a "reality" represents.
Think about the odds against you running into someone you knew here, on one of those 25 billion other earths.
So does that mean that when you encounter someone for the first time here on earth, and you get that feeling that you "know them" already, (All of us have had this happen at least once in our lifetime here), that you've beat the odds already? :spooked:
I'm not sure most of us could handle 'remembering' past lives.
After I became disillusioned with religion as I knew it, and began to read science fiction and whatever piqued my curiosity, I found myself drawn to reincarnation -- not the dark reincarnation of some, like the Hindus (if I'm remembering correctly), who believe that life or coming back again is punishment. Anyway, I found the subject fascinating but wouldn't, still won't, let myself get too deeply into it because it's one of those subjects -- like infinity -- that can make your head spin if you think too long and hard about it.
That's one answer. The other is that your comments made me think of a movie starring Tim Robbins and a female actress whose name I can't remember. Although I thought it was quirky :rolleyes: at first, I got caught up in it and ended up thinking ... maybe ... what if ...? I think the movie was "We Never Danced," about a young couple who met in "heaven," but not any kind of biblical or religious heaven you ever heard of. More like a way station. Didn't get into specifics. They were just 'there,' and seemed to instinctively know why. She had never been born, and he was there accidentally, before his time, so when she chose to leave to be born, he chose to follow, and they were given 30 years to find each other again, but with no memory of meeting in heaven when, if, they did meet again.
Palehorse, I have a book I think you'd like. I think I found it in a used bookstore.
It's
ReincarnationA Living Study of Reincarnation in All Ages;
Including Selections from the World's religions,
Philosophies and Sciences, and Great Thinkers
of the Past and Present.
Compiled and Edited by Joseph Head and S.L. Cranston
Copyright 1967 by the Julian Press, Inc.
Hey Libby I think the movie you are referring to is "Made in Heaven" with Timothy Hutton and Kelly McGillis, I know because my wife watches it everytime it is on..
:)
Quote from: libby on November 11, 2013, 04:13:38 PM
I'm not sure most of us could handle 'remembering' past lives.
After I became disillusioned with religion as I knew it, and began to read science fiction and whatever piqued my curiosity, I found myself drawn to reincarnation -- not the dark reincarnation of some, like the Hindus (if I'm remembering correctly), who believe that life or coming back again is punishment. Anyway, I found the subject fascinating but wouldn't, still won't, let myself get too deeply into it because it's one of those subjects -- like infinity -- that can make your head spin if you think too long and hard about it.
That's one answer. The other is that your comments made me think of a movie starring Tim Robbins and a female actress whose name I can't remember. Although I thought it was quirky :rolleyes: at first, I got caught up in it and ended up thinking ... maybe ... what if ...? I think the movie was "We Never Danced," about a young couple who met in "heaven," but not any kind of biblical or religious heaven you ever heard of. More like a way station. Didn't get into specifics. They were just 'there,' and seemed to instinctively know why. She had never been born, and he was there accidentally, before his time, so when she chose to leave to be born, he chose to follow, and they were given 30 years to find each other again, but with no memory of meeting in heaven when, if, they did meet again.
Palehorse, I have a book I think you'd like. I think I found it in a used bookstore.
It's Reincarnation
A Living Study of Reincarnation in All Ages;
Including Selections from the World's religions,
Philosophies and Sciences, and Great Thinkers
of the Past and Present.
Compiled and Edited by Joseph Head and S.L. Cranston
Copyright 1967 by the Julian Press, Inc.
Yeah, the thing one has to keep reminding yourself of when reading such things, is that it is "always" slanted with some personal opinion or belief(s) that tend to take most writings on the subject off into the deep weeds. At times.
I tend to skim such writings at first, taking in a number of them quickly, then gather my thoughts over a period of time and refer back to them; sometimes reading specific chapters in depth. And when something "clicks" I will read the whole thing.
I wish I had time to read these days, but the sad fact is unless I am sick I rarely have time to read anything. The worst part about it is I have always been a "book worm"; from a very young age. It just seemed like once I learned to read as a child, a fire was lit and I have kept it blazing my entire life as much as I could.
My wife dreads to see me sit down in my chair on the weekend with a book in my hands, because she knows I will not put it down until I am either done skimming or, "heaven forbid", reading it. My grandchildren make sure I have as little chance as possible of this happening. :biggrin:
I will add it to my list of books to purchase for future reading though.
Have you read "The Field" by Lynne McTaggert? http://www.amazon.com/The-Field-Quest-Secret-Universe/dp/006143518X (http://www.amazon.com/The-Field-Quest-Secret-Universe/dp/006143518X)
I've read it twice, as well as the sequel to it. VERY interesting.
No, I haven't read it, PH. Will keep it in mind, though. Like you, I learned to love books at an early age, and read everything I could get my hands on. And I keep buying them, even though I have many I haven't read yet.
We've been in the process of getting rid of books for a while now...especially since we lost the vast majority of our collectible books in a storage room fire five years ago.
As far as 'reincarnation', since energy can be neither created nor destroyed but only change form, you've always been here and will always be here. We will always be 'stardust'.
Quote from: Y on November 17, 2013, 01:31:24 PM
As far as 'reincarnation', since energy can be neither created nor destroyed but only change form, you've always been here and will always be here. We will always be 'stardust'.
:smile: Speaking specifically of the "energy" of our physical body, yes, I can believe "we will always be 'stardust,' " but what would you say if I ask if the "energy" that is left over after the body dies might be thought of as the soul?
Beautiful! The Orion Nebula ...
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/11/cosmic-hearth?et_cid=3608437&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/11/cosmic-hearth?et_cid=3608437&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Quote from: Bo D on November 19, 2013, 11:18:44 AM
Beautiful! The Orion Nebula ...
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/11/cosmic-hearth?et_cid=3608437&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/11/cosmic-hearth?et_cid=3608437&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Yes indeed! My old friend has been back for several weeks now, and I greet him every morning while the little pup does his thing.
I so look forward to the arrival of this constellation within my airspace each year, and only the warmth of spring can cure the sadness I feel when he departs.
Quote from: Bo D on November 19, 2013, 11:18:44 AM
Beautiful! The Orion Nebula ...
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/11/cosmic-hearth?et_cid=3608437&et_rid=41373174&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2013/11/cosmic-hearth?et_cid=3608437&et_rid=41373174&location=top)
Quote from: Palehorse on November 19, 2013, 06:38:44 PM
Yes indeed! My old friend has been back for several weeks now, and I greet him every morning while the little pup does his thing.
I so look forward to the arrival of this constellation within my airspace each year, and only the warmth of spring can cure the sadness I feel when he departs.
:yes: :yes:
Speaking of looking upward, we may be in for some :spooked: excitement for the holidays, beginning with Thanksgiving!
COMET ISON :music1: :dance: :science:
A Close Encounter With Sun and Earth
Comet ISON, if it survives trip around the sun, could bring spectacular sky show.
By Meeri Kim, Published: November 24, 2013
As Comet ISON hurtles toward the sun, its million-year-long journey through our solar system may end with its violent death — or a spectacular sky show.
On Thanksgiving, when the comet rounds the sun, professional and amateur astronomers alike will await ISON's fate with bated breath. Its tail may get ripped off by a cloud of solar particles, or the sun's brutal radiation and pressure may demolish it completely.
But if ISON makes it out alive, stargazers say, it could provide a breathtaking show visible to the naked eye and possibly live up to the name "Comet of the Century," as some astronomers have dubbed it.
"On Friday, we'll all be delighted to see its beautiful face as it then comes around the sun," said Jim Green, director of NASA's planetary science division. "Then between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it will fly over the North Pole — a very nice holiday comet."
ISON is a lone traveler originating from a giant population of comets at the very edge of the solar system.
"ISON is very special," Green said. "What makes it different is where it comes from — the further reaches of the sun's gravity."
The distance from the Earth to the sun is an AU, or astronomical unit; Pluto is 40 AU from the sun. Comet ISON began its journey 100,000 AU away from us.
It comes from a place called the Oort cloud, a loose nebulous sphere containing billions of icy, rocky objects. Detected comets from the Oort cloud are rare, probably only a handful per century, Green said.
For all of human history — at least a million years, according to NASA — this comet has been heading toward the sun. On Thanksgiving, ISON will reach perihelion, or the point in orbit where it is closest to the sun. Green calls the comet a "sungrazer" since it will come within a hair of the sun, swing around it and slingshot back outward.
But experts aren't sure it will come out the other side intact. "Comets tend to be delicate, so it may actually break up," said Adam Block of the University of Arizona's Mount Lemmon SkyCenter.
Comets are mostly made of ice, with some dust and soil and rocks mixed in, and so any number of destructive things could happen to ISON. First, intense solar radiation will boil the water in the comet as it gets closer to the sun. It could face total disintegration, or survive initially and break apart later. Or the sun could send out an unfortunate burst of solar material called a coronal mass ejection that would pull off the comet's tail.
Both space-based observatories and ground-based solar telescopes will watch the comet closely, detecting how the shape and composition of the comet evolve in real time.
"We can watch the whole thing unfold," said Block, who hopes it will come back around even brighter and with a big tail.
If ISON survives the close shave, the comet will likely look its best for the first weeks of December as it passes close to Earth.
As it careens along, ISON will be spraying out dust, water and carbon dioxide from the faraway parts of the solar system into our neighborhood — all of which will reflect sunlight. There are no worries about a collision with Earth, although roughly 40 percent of our water has come from space bombardments like comets and asteroids, said Green.
If the comet's ice does dissipate, the remaining rocky material could just continue to orbit the sun. For instance, the famous Leonid meteor shower that just peaked last week are the leftovers of an old comet.
ISON, detected in September 2012, was named for the international collaboration of scientists working on the project, the International Scientific Optical Network.
The original excitement came from when it was further than the orbit of Jupiter, shining brightly, and many comet scientists thought it would be massive.
"It started out being very promising, but we now know from observation that it's probably fairly small," Green said, estimating a size of 2 kilometers — about the distance from the Capitol to the Washington Monument.
If you're an early riser, you may be able to catch a glimpse now in the twilight before dawn, near the planet Mercury. But as it ventures closer to the sun, ISON will become increasingly harder to see. Block, an avid astrophotographer, suggests that comet-hunters wait until after perihelion.
If the comet survives, viewers should be able to see it during the first or second week of December, either with the naked eye or using binoculars. To take a photo, Block said a simple digital camera on a tripod should do the trick, with an exposure time of 10 to 30 seconds.
Before dawn, look for a prominent object with a bright tail pointing upward, advises Damian Peach, a British astrophotographer who has managed to capture the fleeting comet with stunning detail.
"Look to the southeast around 30 minutes before sunrise, and you may be able to see the comet with the unaided eye," Peach said in an e-mail.
Kim is a freelance science journalist based in Philadelphia.
© The Washington Post Company
I hope it makes it!
That would be so very, very cool.... 8)
Quote from: Locutus on November 25, 2013, 10:53:50 PM
I hope it makes it!
Quote from: Henry Hawk on November 26, 2013, 08:42:32 AM
That would be so very, very cool.... 8)
Yes! Because: "for all of human history -- at least a million years, according to NASA -- this comet has been heading toward the sun."
I read the words, I understand the words, but for the life of me I cannot imagine such vastness. :spooked:
Quote from: libby on November 26, 2013, 11:05:47 AM
I read the words, I understand the words, but for the life of me I cannot imagine such vastness. :spooked:
I know what you mean!! :spooked:
(CNN) -- It's not looking good for Comet ISON, according to experts taking part in a NASA Google Hangout.
ISON was making its closest approach to the sun, skimming about 730,000 miles above its surface, when it disappeared from the view of space telescopes.
"Comet ISON probably has not survived this journey," Karl Battams with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and the NASA Comet ISON Observing Campaign told the live video and chat update.
Experts said it appears ISON broke up into chunks and the sun evaporated it.. . .
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/27/us/ison-comet/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 (http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/27/us/ison-comet/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)
Shot down in flames. . .
(Reuters) - A comet's 5.5-million-year journey to the inner solar system apparently ended during a suicidal trip around the sun, leaving no trace of its once-bright tail or even remnants of rock and dust, scientists said on Thursday.
The comet, known as ISON, was discovered last year when it was still far beyond Jupiter, raising the prospect of a spectacular naked-eye object by the time it graced Earth's skies in December.
Comet ISON passed just 730,000 miles (1.2 million km) from the surface of the sun at 1:37 p.m. EST/1837 GMT on Thursday. Astronomers used a fleet of solar telescopes to look for the comet after its slingshot around the sun, but to no avail.
"I'm not seeing anything that emerged from the behind the solar disk. That could be the nail in the coffin," astrophysicist Karl Battams, with the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, said during a live broadcast on NASA TV."
"It's sad that it seemed to have ended this way, but we're going to learn more about this comet," he added.
DOUBLE DAMN!!!
What a buildup for nothing. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
https://www.youtube.com/v/6j6nkLnHyG0
Ahhhhhhh!!!! Did we call it too soon? From 50 minutes ago! Is that ISON at about the 345-350 degree position??
(http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov//data/REPROCESSING/Completed/2013/c3/20131129/20131129_0018_c3_512.jpg)
I don't know if this image is going to update in real time, but at this moment, when I found this, there is definitely at least a part of it emerging on the other side.
(http://spaceweather.com/images2013/28nov13/rip_anim5.gif)
(CNN) -- Hold the obituary. Experts now think Comet ISON -- or at least part of it -- survived its close encounter with the sun.
Karl Battams, a comet scientist for the Naval Research Laboratory, said it is believed some parts of ISON's nucleus survived perihelion.
"It now looks like some chunk of ISON's nucleus has indeed made it through the solar corona, and re-emerged," he said. "It's throwing off dust and (probably) gas, but we don't know how long it can sustain that."
However, he said, it's fate is uncertain.
"Now it has emerged and started to brighten, we need to observe it for a few days to get a feel for its behavior," Battams said.
ISON swept about 730,000 miles over the sun's surface Thursday about 2 p.m. ET.
If it survives, use this to see it in the upcoming weeks. G'night all! ;D
(http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/ISONCometB-Proof_03.gif)
That once-in-a-lifetime celestial light show was not, it seems, meant to be. Comet ISON, once touted as a top candidate for comet of the century, appears to have fragmented during its swing past the sun last week. Though some NASA images initially suggested that ISON had survived the close encounter, experts now think this wasn't the case. Instead, they believe that ISON has largely disintegrated, leaving only a dusty cloud in its wake.
"Never one to follow convention, ISON lived a dynamic and unpredictable life, alternating between periods of quiet reflection and violent outburst," wrote astrophysicist Karl Battams in a rather dramatic obituary for the comet on NASA's ISON observation website. "Tragically, on November 28, 2013, ISON's tenacious ambition outweighed its ability, and our shining green candle in the solar wind began to burn out."
DEAD! :mad: :mad:
Yup!
Over a year worth of hype down the drain. :mad:
Here's an image that clearly shows that what little bit survived is no more. It fades to dust with stars clearly visible on the other side toward the end of the animation.
(http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2013/12/01/ghost_anim.gif)
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/11/us/arizona-meteor-explosion/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 (http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/11/us/arizona-meteor-explosion/index.html?hpt=hp_t3)
Another meteor exploded last night, but this one was over Tucson AZ! The Geminid meteor shower should be interesting this year! 8)
Please find a quiet place and watch/listen ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzBlSXgzqI&feature=youtu.be (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzBlSXgzqI&feature=youtu.be)
8)
If you get a chance and a clear night and dark sky, look to the southwest for Venus. Last night I got up after dark to close the blinds and saw a very bright light through the bare tree limbs. Thought it was a plane but it was too big and bright, or a UFO :spooked: but it wasn't moving. Then realized it had to be Venus -- it sets about 7:20 PM right now.
Quote from: Bo D on December 12, 2013, 11:27:34 AM
Please find a quiet place and watch/listen ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzBlSXgzqI&feature=youtu.be (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzBlSXgzqI&feature=youtu.be)
Thanks for sharing that. :)
Time tuh do muh SNOW dance! :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl:
:snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl:
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:snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl:
:cold: :thinksnow: :LIS: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl:
:snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl:
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All I can say is .... WOW!
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/immense-stellar-nursery-spitzers-orion-nebula?et_cid=3735994&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/immense-stellar-nursery-spitzers-orion-nebula?et_cid=3735994&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
Immense Stellar Nursery: Spitzer's Orion Nebula
(Click to enlarge the picture.)
Quote from: Bo D on January 28, 2014, 11:13:58 AM
All I can say is .... WOW!
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/immense-stellar-nursery-spitzers-orion-nebula?et_cid=3735994&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/immense-stellar-nursery-spitzers-orion-nebula?et_cid=3735994&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
Immense Stellar Nursery: Spitzer's Orion Nebula
(Click to enlarge the picture.)
Wow says it all!!! Mind boggling... :yes: 8)
Quote from: Bo D on January 28, 2014, 11:13:58 AM
All I can say is .... WOW!
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/immense-stellar-nursery-spitzers-orion-nebula?et_cid=3735994&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/immense-stellar-nursery-spitzers-orion-nebula?et_cid=3735994&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
Immense Stellar Nursery: Spitzer's Orion Nebula
(Click to enlarge the picture.)
Orion has always "spoken" to me, ever since childhood. I'd say if there is an area in space within which our spirits "exist" after our physical life, you'll likely find me there.
I even have a group of moles on my body that form the entire Orion Constellation! (I am dead serious). :yes:
That is awesome Bo! Simply awesome! 8)
Quote from: Palehorse on January 28, 2014, 06:32:55 PM
Orion has always "spoken" to me, ever since childhood. I'd say if there is an area in space within which our spirits "exist" after our physical life, you'll likely find me there.
I even have a group of moles on my body that form the entire Orion Constellation! (I am dead serious). :yes:
That is awesome Bo! Simply awesome! 8)
I thought of you as soon as I saw the article! :biggrin:
Quote from: Bo D on January 29, 2014, 08:58:50 AM
I thought of you as soon as I saw the article! :biggrin:
That's awesome too! :smile:
Is it just me, or is that a joystick in the bottom of the picture?
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/murray-ridge-rim-endeavour-crater-mars?et_cid=3743788&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/murray-ridge-rim-endeavour-crater-mars?et_cid=3743788&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
Quote from: Bo D on February 03, 2014, 11:49:52 AM
Is it just me, or is that a joystick in the bottom of the picture?
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/murray-ridge-rim-endeavour-crater-mars?et_cid=3743788&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/01/murray-ridge-rim-endeavour-crater-mars?et_cid=3743788&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
Sure resembles one doesn't it? I'm thinking it is a positional indicator / sensor though.
Given that the planet likely doesn't have a magnetic field identical to earths, the designers probably are using the planet's gravitational force as a means of determining position and direction. . . ???
http://live.slooh.com (http://live.slooh.com)
Asteroid the size of 3 football fields making a pass tonight within 2 million miles of earth. You can watch at the above link.
Only in space would 2 million miles be considered a close call.
An asteroid with an estimated diameter of three football fields is expected to zoom by Earth late Monday, missing our home by about that distance.
It'll travel at some 27,000 miles per hour and make its closest approach starting at 9 p.m. ET. . . .
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/17/us/asteroid-earth-close-call/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 (http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/17/us/asteroid-earth-close-call/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)
I missed it! :mad:
That website is now on a 56 day countdown to a total lunar eclipse broadcast. ;D
It wasn't that big of a deal; a light moving across the screen. But I did see it. . .
PH, check this out! A beautiful shot of the Orion Nebula ....
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/03/variable-star-ll-ori-interacts-orion-nebula?et_cid=3829598&et_rid=54725525&type=image (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/03/variable-star-ll-ori-interacts-orion-nebula?et_cid=3829598&et_rid=54725525&type=image)
This esthetic close-up of cosmic clouds and stellar winds features LL Orionis, interacting with the Orion Nebula flow.
Quote from: Bo D on March 18, 2014, 01:10:05 PM
PH, check this out! A beautiful shot of the Orion Nebula ....
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/03/variable-star-ll-ori-interacts-orion-nebula?et_cid=3829598&et_rid=54725525&type=image (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/03/variable-star-ll-ori-interacts-orion-nebula?et_cid=3829598&et_rid=54725525&type=image)
This esthetic close-up of cosmic clouds and stellar winds features LL Orionis, interacting with the Orion Nebula flow.
That is awesome dude! Thanks for sharing it! :yes: 8)
I don't get quite that good of a quality view with my backyard telescope. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on March 18, 2014, 07:04:20 PM
I don't get quite that good of a quality view with my backyard telescope. ;D
Me neither. Too much light pollution out my way. :wink:
Skywatchers will get a rare treat Tuesday night (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/04/07/earth-mars-sun-align-opposition/7434111/), when Mars, Earth and the sun will be arranged in a nearly-straight line.
Every two years, Mars reaches a point in its orbit called "opposition," when the planet lies directly opposite the sun in Earth's sky, according to Astronomy magazine.
This means Mars rises near sunset and remains visible all night long as it moves nearly overhead across the night sky. It will be a bright burnt orange color, NASA's Mars Exploration Program reports, and almost 10 times brighter than the brightest stars in the sky.
"From our perspective on our spinning world, Mars rises in the east just as the sun sets in the west," NASA reports. "Then, after staying up in the sky the entire night, Mars sets in the west just as the sun rises in the east."
With no big storms forecast Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service, Mars should be visible in most areas.
At their closest point next week, Mars and Earth will "only" be about 57 million miles apart. Another treat awaits April 14, when the full moon also will appear near Mars.
Mars won't appear this big and bright again until its next "opposition" May 22, 2016, Astronomyreports.
A total eclipse of the Moon .... TONIGHT.
Often referred to as a Blood Moon because instead of a blackout, it will take on a reddish hue.....
Unfortunatly, it is supposed to be cloudy and a chance of SNOW... :spooked: :rant:
It is supposed to be in the wee hours of morning, I beleive around 3AM.
Yes, and this is the first of 4 upcoming blood moons.
Quote from: Locutus on April 14, 2014, 01:23:36 PM
Yes, and this is the first of 4 upcoming blood moons.
And this series of events, predictably, is being used by the zealots to predict "bad things". . . For Israel as well as the world. . . "End Times, the rapture, the tribulation. . ."
Am I wrong to find it amusing that these "idjits" are still trying to persuade people of these things all these centuries distant from the medieval times within which they were so effective? :biggrin:
Agreed. Even the term "blood moon" doesn't come from the scientists, but rather from the aforementioned zealots. :yes:
Pastor John Hagee claims something "BIG" will happen over the next year because of this...........In this day and time, this is NOT exactly going out on a limb to predict such a thing. :rolleyes:
I will agree that this is the kind of stuff that makes religion suck.
Don't get me wrong, I have my faith, but not in looney tune pastors.
Yeah, something big includes an increase in the amount of money in his bank account after the sales of his book to all of the brainwashed flock that believe that garbage.
(http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/952142.jpg)
Anyone ever seen a picture of this guy?
He has the typical "soulless" eyes of a fire and brimstone zealot. The eyes that look like bottomless pits. . .
I would hope that most Christians know the difference between a few lunar eclipses and an eschatological sign. But I'm not holding out much hope. Hence his book being on the NYT best sellers list. :roll eyes:
Quote from: Locutus on April 15, 2014, 07:27:01 PM
I would hope that most Christians know the difference between a few lunar eclipses and an eschatological sign. But I'm not holding out much hope. Hence his book being on the NYT best sellers list. :roll eyes:
I wouldn't count on it being so. One look from those soulless eyes and they are under the spell of that butt-muncher. . .
Earthrise from the moon on February 1, 2014 captured by a NASA spacecraft.
(http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/qEmWFYWN4kQnOb3NMTL4cw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQxMTtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz01NzU-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/Wow!_NASA_Spacecraft_Sees_Earthrise-3d5ed6656b3c37c967e81a1c3b1a586e)
WOW!
Cool picture!
View of the Earth from Freedom 7 Mercury Capsule
On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr. had a view of Earth that no American had seen before, looking down on the home planet from the Freedom 7 Mercury capsule on his history-making suborbital flight. The 15-minute flight lifted him to an altitude of over 116 miles and a maximum speed of 5,134 miles per hour. During the flight, Shepard reported seeing the outlines of the west coast of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, along with Florida's Lake Okeechobee.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/View_of_the_Earth_from_Freedom_7_Mercury_Capsule_ml.jpg)
(bigger picture here, click on the picture to enlarge .... http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/View_of_the_Earth_from_Freedom_7_Mercury_Capsule.jpg (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/View_of_the_Earth_from_Freedom_7_Mercury_Capsule.jpg)
Meteor shower tonight and tomorrow night.
Late Friday night into Saturday morning, North America will probably see a brand-new meteor shower, and there's a good chance that these gentle shooting stars will become a torrential meteor storm and provide quite a light show.
The new meteors — the Camelopardalids — are dusty remnants of a comet discovered in 2004. With clear skies, sky gazers may see meteor activity beginning at 10:30 p.m. Friday, according to Bill Cooke of the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-meteor-shower-may-burst-into-meteor-storm/2014/05/22/4cf02c6c-e1d1-11e3-9743-bb9b59cde7b9_story.html
Quote from: Locutus on May 23, 2014, 11:34:29 AM
Late Friday night into Saturday morning, North America will probably see a brand-new meteor shower, and there's a good chance that these gentle shooting stars will become a torrential meteor storm and provide quite a light show.
The new meteors — the Camelopardalids — are dusty remnants of a comet discovered in 2004. With clear skies, sky gazers may see meteor activity beginning at 10:30 p.m. Friday, according to Bill Cooke of the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-meteor-shower-may-burst-into-meteor-storm/2014/05/22/4cf02c6c-e1d1-11e3-9743-bb9b59cde7b9_story.html
I believe I will set my alarm for 0400 and go outside to see what I can see! :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on May 23, 2014, 11:32:14 AM
Meteor shower tonight and tomorrow night.
Hope to see it tomorrow night! I have been at the Zoo all day with school kids and just want to have a tall cold drink of water and sit with my feet up!! Hehehe
Anyone see any meteors last night? None here in South Florida.
Quote from: Locutus on May 24, 2014, 12:22:56 PM
Anyone see any meteors last night? None here in South Florida.
Nope. None here. I got up at 0200 hours and watched until 0430 hours. . . Nothing but stars and satellites to be seen. . . :mad:
Guess that crap about "torrential meteor storm" was a big fat lie. :mad:
Quote from: Palehorse on May 24, 2014, 05:21:16 PM
Nope. None here. I got up at 0200 hours and watched until 0430 hours. . . Nothing but stars and satellites to be seen. . . :mad:
Same here. But I did go back in memory to the southern WV hills, where I grew up -- the sky was so dark when there was no moon; I used to wander around stargazing; never thought about being afraid.
Quote from: Locutus on May 24, 2014, 05:24:47 PM
Guess that crap about "torrential meteor storm" was a big fat lie. :mad:
Unfortunately people picked out part of an article, probably didn't read the whole thing. The article that the Washington Post ran the day before cautioned that it might not happen at all. If I can find the article I'll post it. Meant to the day it appeared but things kinda got out of hand for me. :icon_evil:
duh posted article twice
Are you talking about the article I linked to originally?
Yeah. Original article I read said the same thing. . . "Maybe" which to me means NOT!
Quote from: Locutus on May 24, 2014, 06:15:36 PM
Are you talking about the article I linked to originally?
No. I didn't read what you posted. I was referring to an article under a large picture of sky on the front page of the Metro section of Friday's paper version of the Washington Post:
"
What you need to know about the new meteor shower
Where is it? The meteor shower that is expected Friday has never been seen by humans, and astronomers say it could be spectacular. They also say it could be a total bust.
What is it? The shower will occur when Earth passes through the dust trail left mostly in the 1800s by a comet identified as 209P/LINEAR. When the particles hit Earth's atmosphere, they will vaporize and leave bright trails.
Why do scientists say it may be a bust? Because it hasn't happened before, astronomers aren't sure what to expect. If the comet left a lot of debris, we could see hundreds of meteors per hour. If it didn't leave much, we won't see much.
Where do I look? ...."
Quote from: libby on May 25, 2014, 07:43:00 AM
Where do I look? ...."
;D
The original article I posted about the shower was from the Post. That's why I thought that's what you were talking about. Here it is:
Quote from: Locutus on May 23, 2014, 11:34:29 AM
Late Friday night into Saturday morning, North America will probably see a brand-new meteor shower, and there's a good chance that these gentle shooting stars will become a torrential meteor storm and provide quite a light show.
The new meteors — the Camelopardalids — are dusty remnants of a comet discovered in 2004. With clear skies, sky gazers may see meteor activity beginning at 10:30 p.m. Friday, according to Bill Cooke of the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-meteor-shower-may-burst-into-meteor-storm/2014/05/22/4cf02c6c-e1d1-11e3-9743-bb9b59cde7b9_story.html
Quote from: Locutus on May 25, 2014, 11:17:35 AM
;D
The original article I posted about the shower was from the Post. That's why I thought that's what you were talking about. Here it is:
:yes: The article you posted is on page 4 of the local METRO section of the WP, under a separate heading. Not the heading I posted, not the one on the article you posted: This is the paper edition heading for the article from page 4 that you posted:
Meteor shower's debut could be spectacular :rolleyes:
The WP has a new owner, and I think maybe they are having a bit of a problem living up to the meticulous standard of the original owners (a hard act to follow).
Spectacular picture!!! :eek:
(click on the picture to enlarge it)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/06/sunset-rainbow-over-samos-island-greece?et_cid=4017106&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/06/sunset-rainbow-over-samos-island-greece?et_cid=4017106&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
Now THAT is freakin cool... 8) :yes:
Quote from: Bo D on June 26, 2014, 03:08:39 PM
Spectacular picture!!!
(click on the picture to enlarge it)
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/06/sunset-rainbow-over-samos-island-greece?et_cid=4017106&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/06/sunset-rainbow-over-samos-island-greece?et_cid=4017106&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
:yes:
If it's clear where you live tonight, look to the southeast for the full moon. It rises at 8:33 PM and should be high enough in the sky to appreciate by dark. Last night it was stunning -- looked huge, and that was no optical illusion. It's at perigee now (closest to earth).
For my friend, PH!!!!
Orion's Belt Rises through the Atmosphere
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/07/orions-belt-rises-through-atmosphere?et_cid=4073370&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/07/orions-belt-rises-through-atmosphere?et_cid=4073370&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
(click on the picture to enlarge it!)
Orion's Belt was the first constellation I identified as a girl-- easy to spot -- so bright and almost overhead -- and no streetlights . I thought it was the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) until I began looking at star charts in my astronomy book.
Yes, yes, isn't the Universe beautiful and wonderful and to think we all will return to it. For we are made of Star Dust of the Universe. :smile: :smile: :smile:
You look at that "thing" in the sky and then you see a picture like this and wonder at it. This thing that gives us life itself. No wonder some cultures worship it.
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/08/solar-dynamics-observatory-captures-images-lunar-transit?et_cid=4096130&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/08/solar-dynamics-observatory-captures-images-lunar-transit?et_cid=4096130&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
On July 26, 2014, from 10:57 a.m. to 11:42 a.m. EDT, the moon crossed between NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the sun, a phenomenon called a lunar transit. A lunar transit happens approximately twice a year, causing a partial solar eclipse that can only be seen from SDO's point of view. Images of the eclipse show a crisp lunar horizon, because the moon has no atmosphere that would distort light. This image shows the blended result of two SDO wavelengths — one in 304 wavelength and another in 171 wavelength.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/Solar_Dynamics_Observatory_Captures_Images_of_Lunar_Transit.jpg)
Quote from: Bo D on August 13, 2014, 03:44:58 PM
You look at that "thing" in the sky and then you see a picture like this and wonder at it. This thing that gives us life itself. No wonder some cultures worship it.
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/08/solar-dynamics-observatory-captures-images-lunar-transit?et_cid=4096130&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/08/solar-dynamics-observatory-captures-images-lunar-transit?et_cid=4096130&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
On July 26, 2014, from 10:57 a.m. to 11:42 a.m. EDT, the moon crossed between NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the sun, a phenomenon called a lunar transit. A lunar transit happens approximately twice a year, causing a partial solar eclipse that can only be seen from SDO's point of view. Images of the eclipse show a crisp lunar horizon, because the moon has no atmosphere that would distort light. This image shows the blended result of two SDO wavelengths — one in 304 wavelength and another in 171 wavelength.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/Solar_Dynamics_Observatory_Captures_Images_of_Lunar_Transit.jpg)
That is a neat picture!
Got a surprise this morning: A spacecraft launched by India has landed on Mars! I did not think they were that advanced technologically.
India becomes first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit, joins elite global space club
India's low-cost mission to Mars successfully entered the red planet's orbit Wednesday, crowning what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said was a "near impossible" push to complete the trip on its first attempt. (Reuters
By Rama Lakshmi September 24 at 4:05 AM
NEW DELHI — India became the first Asian nation to reach the Red Planet when its indigenously made unmanned spacecraft entered the orbit of Mars on Wednesday — and the first nation in the world to successfully reach Mars on its first attempt.
The spacecraft called "Mangalyaan," or "Mars-craft" in Hindi, which was launched last November, slowed down just enough to reach orbit early Wednesday, securing India a place in the elite global space club of Martian explorers.
Images of beaming scientists clapping and hugging each other at the command center in the southern city of Bangalore were shown live in a nationally televised broadcast after a breathless, nail-biting countdown during the spacecraft's final leg.
Over an hour after reaching the orbit, the space agency received the first photographic data of the red planet's terrain which were transmitted via an antenna located in Canberra, Australia.
Calling it the "national pride event," the Indian Space Research Organization also showed it live on Facebook and Twitter.
. . . History has been created today," Modi said from mission control after entry into orbit was confirmed."
Country puts spacecraft in orbit around Red Planet to demonstrate its abilities and advance technologies for space travel.
Sept. 24, 2014 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, meets scientists at the Indian Space Research Organization's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network in Bangalore before the Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft successfully entered Mars's orbit. Indian Press Information Bureau/via AFP/Getty Images
The Headline Today news TV channel called it "India's date with the Red Planet," and NDTV 24x7 called it "India's big leap," reflecting the surge of national pride. NASA tweeted congratulations to India for its "Mars arrival."
Wearing a symbolic red vest, India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, witnessed the final insertion of the Mission Orbiter Mars, or MOM as it is fondly called here.
"Mars has found MOM today," Modi said in his short address. "When this mission's short name became MOM, I was convinced that Mom never disappoints. History has been created today. India is the only country to have succeeded to reach the Red Planet on its first attempt."
The official Twitter account of NASA's Curiosity Rover — which has been on the Martian surface since Aug. 6, 2012 — tweeted, "Namaste, @MarsOrbiter! Congratulations to @ISRO and India's first interplanetary mission upon achieving Mars orbit."
To which MOM's Twitter account replied, "Howdy @MarsCuriosity ? Keep in touch. I'll be around."
Officials at the space agency said that for the past two months, scientists worked more than 12 hours a day brainstorming every possible problem and coming up with exhaustive recovery options.
MOM has built-in intelligence, autonomy and a stand-by control system to prevent a breakdown in communication, said M. Pitchaimani, deputy director of the control center at the Indian Space Research Organization.
"Many countries have failed in their first attempt. India got success the first time itself," said Pitchaimani in a telephone interview. "But this has come after intense study of others' failures and the reasons for failure, and building our satellite accordingly. We also had gained from their accumulated knowledge about the gravity field of the planet and we built robust instruments based on that data."
More than half of the 51 Mars missions launched globally have failed. India's successful mission follows those of the United States, Europe and Russia. But India's mission cost a fraction of NASA's $670 million Maven, which entered Mars orbit Sunday. The Curiosity Rover, which touched down on Mars in 2012, cost nearly $2 billion.
By comparison, India's $72 million Mars orbiter is the cheapest interplanetary mission ever. Modi said that India's Mars mission cost less than what it took to make the famous Hollywood space movie "Gravity."
"We kept it low cost, high technology. That is the Indian way of working," Sandip Bhattacharya, assistant director of B.M. Birla Planetarium in the northern city of Jaipur, said in a telephone interview. " . . . Our goal was to reach Mars and send few pictures and scientific data. Now in the coming years, this will give us leverage to plan for newer Mars missions in a more aggressive manner with heavier payload with larger exploration goals."
Over the next six months, India's Mangalyaan will study the mineral composition on Mars and also look for the presence of methane, a chemical key to life on Earth.
India has launched 75 satellites since 1975, and its space program has over the years worked on collecting weather data, predicting natural disasters, feeding television and radio stations and also teaching children in remote villages without schools.
Wednesday's feat mirrors the country's growing ambition to sprint ahead in the Asian space race by competing with China, which has a bigger program than India's.
"The success of our space program is a shining symbol of what we are capable of as a nation," Modi said. "Modern India must continue and it must become a world guru. Let us push our boundaries. And then push some more, push some more."
India's Mars mission has its share of critics, who have said it is an extravagant indulgence for a country where one-third of the population of 1.2 billion have no access to electricity.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the weight of the spacecraft. According to Indian space agency officials, at the time of launch, the Mangalyaan weighed 1.337 tons. After launch and the firing to achieve orbit, the spacecraft weighs 0.55 tons, the officials said.
Rama Lakshmi has been with The Post's India bureau since 1990. She is a staff writer and India social media editor for Post World.
Figures, between the neighbors house and their tree our view of the eclipse was totally blocked. >:(
I had the honor of watching some of the eclipse this morning as I drove to work....pretty cool. :yes:
I missed it. I knew about the eclipse and meant to post a reminder here, but yesterday was a busy catch-up day for me, and I just plain forgot. :rolleyes:
When I went out to get the paper at 5:45 this morning, it had just started. By 6:30 it was nearly total. Pretty spectacular!
I knew about it, andwhen I arrived at work this morning, made a note to step outside and view the moon. Went out around quarter to 6 and saw it had begun. I then intentionally unlocked the gate leading to the patio, (a dock pad that is rarely used that is just outside my office), and undocked my laptop, and rolled my chair out there. I sat and watched the entire thing from that spot while working this morning.
I was the talk of the plant this morning, but felt really good about the fact I was one of a handful of employees there that knew what was going on, and figured out a way to watch it while working. (Thankfully IT upped the power on our WiFi, so the signal was strong! They put a station right outside my office since I was one of the lead butchers about the piss poor signal strength we used to have.)
At the daily, tiered accountability meetings, I had a lot to talk about; and a lot of jealous co-workers who had forgotten about it. At each one though, someone spoke up and said, "So that's why you were working on the patio this morning?"
Damned Skippy! 8)
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/532829_373175709386228_1344536827_n_zps912616f1.jpg) (http://s475.photobucket.com/user/hlovett_2008/media/532829_373175709386228_1344536827_n_zps912616f1.jpg.html)
Quote from: Henry Hawk on October 08, 2014, 08:01:32 AM
I had the honor of watching some of the eclipse this morning as I drove to work....pretty cool. :yes:
Quote from: Bo D on October 08, 2014, 10:57:37 AM
When I went out to get the paper at 5:45 this morning, it had just started. By 6:30 it was nearly total. Pretty spectacular!
Quote from: Palehorse on October 08, 2014, 06:57:23 PM
I knew about it, andwhen I arrived at work this morning, made a note to step outside and view the moon. Went out around quarter to 6 and saw it had begun. I then intentionally unlocked the gate leading to the patio, (a dock pad that is rarely used that is just outside my office), and undocked my laptop, and rolled my chair out there. I sat and watched the entire thing from that spot while working this morning.
I was the talk of the plant this morning, but felt really good about the fact I was one of a handful of employees there that knew what was going on, and figured out a way to watch it while working. (Thankfully IT upped the power on our WiFi, so the signal was strong! They put a station right outside my office since I was one of the lead butchers about the piss poor signal strength we used to have.)
At the daily, tiered accountability meetings, I had a lot to talk about; and a lot of jealous co-workers who had forgotten about it. At each one though, someone spoke up and said, "So that's why you were working on the patio this morning?"
Damned Skippy! 8)
(http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr111/hlovett_2008/532829_373175709386228_1344536827_n_zps912616f1.jpg) (http://s475.photobucket.com/user/hlovett_2008/media/532829_373175709386228_1344536827_n_zps912616f1.jpg.html)
Well, I'm glad the three of you saw it. Thanks for sharing! :yes: (says the amateur astronomer who forgot and slept through it :confused:)
I started to set the alarm and get up and see it, but decided against it.
:sleeping: :sleeping: :sleeping:
;D
The Sun celebrates the season .....
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/10/nasa-captures-haunting-image-jack-o-lantern-sun?et_cid=4205862&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/10/nasa-captures-haunting-image-jack-o-lantern-sun?et_cid=4205862&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
On October 8, 2014, active regions on the sun combined to look something like a jack-o-lantern's face. This image is a blend of 171 and 193 angstrom light as captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The active regions appear brighter, because those are areas that emit more light and energy — markers of an intense and complex set of magnetic fields hovering in the sun's atmosphere, the corona. This image blends together two sets of wavelengths at 171 and 193 Angstroms, typically colorized in gold and yellow, to create a particularly Halloween-like appearance.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/NASA_Captures_Haunting_Image_of_Jack-O-Lantern_Sun_2.jpg)
That's pretty cool.
This won't get you into space, but it will get your name into space. Sign up to have your name taken into space aboard the test flight of the new Orion spacecraft in early December. Who's joining me? I just signed up! ;D
http://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/orion-first-flight/#name-form
BTW, the chip that holds the names will go on the test flight, but will also eventually be taken to Mars where it will be left on the Martian surface. Pretty cool for a geek like me to have my name on the surface of Mars. ;D
Quote from: Bo D on October 14, 2014, 11:41:21 AM
The Sun celebrates the season .....
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/10/nasa-captures-haunting-image-jack-o-lantern-sun?et_cid=4205862&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/10/nasa-captures-haunting-image-jack-o-lantern-sun?et_cid=4205862&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
On October 8, 2014, active regions on the sun combined to look something like a jack-o-lantern's face. This image is a blend of 171 and 193 angstrom light as captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The active regions appear brighter, because those are areas that emit more light and energy — markers of an intense and complex set of magnetic fields hovering in the sun's atmosphere, the corona. This image blends together two sets of wavelengths at 171 and 193 Angstroms, typically colorized in gold and yellow, to create a particularly Halloween-like appearance.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/NASA_Captures_Haunting_Image_of_Jack-O-Lantern_Sun_2.jpg)
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2014, 12:08:19 PM
That's pretty cool.
Yes, it is. No wonder ancient people, like the Egyptians, worshiped the Sun.
(CNN) -- An unmanned NASA-contracted rocket exploded early Tuesday evening along the eastern Virginia coast, causing a huge fireball but no apparent deaths.
According to NASA, the Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft were set to launch at 6:22 p.m. ET from the Wallops Flight Facility along the Atlantic Ocean. It was set to carry some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station.
"There was failure on launch," NASA spokesman Jay Bolden said. "There was no indicated loss of life."
Bolden added, "There was significant property and vehicle damage. Mission control is trying to assess what went wrong."
Video shows the rocket rising into the air for a few seconds before an explosion. It then plummets back to Earth, causing more flames as it hits the ground. NASA tweeted that the failure occurred six seconds after launch.
:spooked: :spooked:
Holy shit!! :eek:
http://www.youtube.com/v/hSJ2kcDirEo
Watch as the shock wave from the explosion reaches the vantage point of these spectators.
http://www.youtube.com/v/fPHkDc-CwoQ
LOCUTUS' STOCK TIP OF THE DAY
Short sell ORB. ;D
NYSE: ORB - Oct 28 7:59 PM ET
30.37
^ Watch that puppy drop tomorrow. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on October 28, 2014, 07:15:29 PM
Holy shit!! :eek:
http://www.youtube.com/v/hSJ2kcDirEo
:spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked: :spooked:
:spooked: Here in Northern VA where the event was supposed to be visible, I was out on my front steps looking to the southeast at 6:22 PM, expecting to see the rocket. What I saw was nothing except a very faint point of light that looked like a distant star moving across the horizon until it suddenly disappeared . Don't know if that was coincidental or ... ? Anyway, I finally went back inside, turned on the TV and found out what happened. :confused: :spooked:
One thing of interest: according to another report, the engine was a re-vamped one from Russia.
That was probably the ISS as well. It would have had to have been in an orbit nearby Wallops for the resupply mission launch.
Quote from: Locutus on October 29, 2014, 10:23:35 AM
That was probably the ISS as well. It would have had to have been in an orbit nearby Wallops for the resupply mission launch.
I realized that once I read what you wrote. I hadn't been keeping up with ISS, but specifically watched for the rocket. The "faint point of light" came into view while I was standing there wondering what the heck was going on after nothing happened with the rocket. I would say the timing was just about what you predicted. I don't remember which I saw first, the faint moving light or a helicopter which suddenly appeared (Ft. Belvoir is not too far way). Anyway, wondering if there was a connection, I went back inside and turned on the TV, and sure enough, there was it was :spooked: :spooked:
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crashed after it had an "in-flight anomaly" in the Mojave Desert
I saw they had an incident. Did the pilots eject?
Quote from: Locutus on October 31, 2014, 03:39:09 PM
I saw they had an incident. Did the pilots eject?
I just heard that one is dead, the other has serious injuries.
That's the second major accident for the commercial space program in less than a week.
Quote from: Locutus on October 31, 2014, 03:46:47 PM
That's the second major accident for the commercial space program in less than a week.
I hope these incidents don't run in "three's" like celebrity deaths.... :spooked:
I hope not. I'm not aware of any upcoming launch attempts.
Look what the "Europeans" did! :science:
From today's Washington Post:
The Rosetta comet landing has made history
By Rachel Feltman and Terrence McCoy
November 12 at 12:30 PM
After 10 years of hard work, the Rosetta mission made history Wednesday by landing on the surface of a comet. The lander Philae touched down on the surface of a comet more than 300 million miles away. (European Space Agency)
After 10 years of hard work and one nerve-wracking night, the Rosetta mission has made history by landing on the surface of a comet.
The lander Philae was confirmed to touch down on the surface of the comet more than 300 million miles away at 11:05 a.m. Eastern. Now, scientists expect it to send a panoramic image home and begin analyzing the comet for scientists back on Earth.
Philae is already transmitting scientific data back home, but we're still waiting to see whether the probe is in a stable position. Until we know it's anchored tight, it could roll onto its back and never get back up.
Tensions were high in the European Space Agency's German mission control center, especially as the landing window approached. Because the comet that Philae landed on is so far from Earth, there's a communications delay of 28 minutes. So as the minutes ticked by, the Rosetta team knew that Philae had already either landed or failed — and there was nothing they could do but wait for the data to reach them. Those following the video online were nearly as desperate for news, and Twitter became a sounding chamber of anticipation and excitement.
But a few minutes after 11 a.m., the stern, cautious expressions of the mission control team melted into smiles. And just like that, the world swiveled from anxiety to elation: Philae was on the surface of the comet and ready to do some science.
Rosetta comet landing makes history
Mission becomes first to touch down on a comet and will begin analyzing it and sending images back home.
Nov. 12, 2014 Jean-Jacques Dordain, the European Space Agency's director general, speaks during a press conference in Darmstadt, Germany, after the lander Philae touched down on the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet. Daniel Roland/AFP via Getty Images
The comet contains the materials that originally formed our solar system, frozen in time.
By digging them out, we can learn more about the origins of our planet. The Rosetta spacecraft has made invaluable observations about the comet's attributes, and it will continue to do so as it follows it around the sun for the next year. But Philae will be able to look more closely at the comet's physical and molecular composition.
"It's a look at the basic building blocks of our solar system, the ancient materials from which life emerged," said Kathrin Altwegg of the University of Bern in Switzerland, one of the Rosetta project's lead researchers. "It's like doing archaeology, but instead of going back 1,000 years, we can go back 4.6 billion."
It's no easy thing to land on a comet's surface: These chunks of rock and ice are constantly spinning, and Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which was discovered in 1969, orbits the sun at a speed of about 85,000 mph. It's irregularly shaped — like a toddler's play-dough impression of a duck, or something — and its surface is uneven and pitted. And in a universe of unimaginable proportion, Rosetta's target is just 2.5 miles in diameter — smaller than Northwest Washington's Columbia Heights neighborhood.
So Rosetta has taken an onerous journey to get in sync with the comet's orbit, which would allow it to drop down a lander. In 2004, the spacecraft began what would be three looping orbits around the sun, altering its trajectory as it skimmed Mars, just 150 miles from the surface, and enduring 24 minutes in the planet's shadow to align with Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
The cumulative distance traveled by the craft – with all its looping and gravity assists – is a stunning 4 billion miles. "When the Rosetta signal reappeared after the passage behind Mars, shortly after the end of the 'shadow' period, there was a collective sigh of relief," ESA said.
At one point in 2011, the spacecraft even had to hibernate for nearly three years. It flew so far from the sun — nearly 500 million miles — that its solar panels couldn't leech enough energy to keep the spacecraft operational. But in January of this year, Rosetta woke up, and quickly approached its target.
The last leg of this landing has not been without its bumps. Even as the mission approached its most critical moment, controllers at the European Space Agency on Tuesday night reported a problem with the thruster on the lander that could make for a rough landing. The gravity of the problem — and the extent to which it threatened the mission — remained unknown. "We'll need some luck not to land on a boulder or a steep slope," blogged Stephan Ulamec, lander manager for the project.
Following its separation early Wednesday morning, Philae made a seven-hour-long drop to the surface. After successfully making a satellite connection with Rosetta (without which the probe would have been functionally lost), Philae sent home a goodbye picture of its mother-ship.
A fond farewell. (AFP/ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA/Getty)
Then, we watched and waited. We worried we'd have to watch mission control experience the agony of an upside-down rover, lost forever. If the surface of the comet was too hard, the probe might have bounced on impact and landed badly.
"We're looking at the pictures of this comet and interpreting them the way we would somewhere on Earth, because we're just not tuned to understand what they mean for comet geology yet," said Claudia Alexander, the project scientist who's overseeing NASA's many contributions to the effort.
Luckily, the probe's sensors detected a soft landing. But mission control hasn't gotten confirmation that the probe's harpoons deployed — let alone that they stuck. The Rosetta team is concerned that the probe might roll out of place, but they're considering re-firing the harpoons to try again. If the surface is too soft, it's possible that the probe won't be able to anchor itself at all — which would make it hard to stay upright. And if the team refires the harpoons, it's possible that the probe will actually just get knocked into a bad position.
If Philae flips over, it has no way to right itself.
But even if the morning ends with disappointment, Rosetta has been — and will continue to be — a resounding success, researchers say.
Open University space scientists, who have spent 20 years researching and developing tools for the Rosetta mission, await its landing on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on Nov. 12, 2014. In this video, the team describes how Rosetta came together, how it will land and what it has learned. (The Open University)
"The lander would be the icing on the cake," Altwegg said. "But we've been receiving data on the atmosphere of the comet since August."
Alexander agreed. "Even during the descent itself, we'll be taking readings that will move our understanding of the comet forward leaps and bounds," she said.
And no matter what, Rosetta will continue to trail the targeted comet as it orbits the sun this year, no doubt giving scientists unprecedented insight into its composition.
But whether or not Philae lives up to its full potential as a scientific instrument, it has landed on a moving comet and shown us that humanity is capable of incredible things.
www.washingtonpost.com
Time tuh do muh SNOW dance! :snowbl:
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Time tuh do muh SNOW dance! :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl: :snowbl:
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NASA is launching an Orion test capsule (EFT-1) from the Kennedy Space Center here in Florida on Thursday morning at 7am. The flight will consist of 2 orbits around the Earth, and a high speed reentry into Earth's atmosphere for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
To celebrate, they're doing this tomorrow night from 8am all the way through to the 7am launch time on Thursday morning. I will be looking depending on sky and weather conditions.
From the KSC Visitor Center Facebook page:
Watch the sky on Dec. 3, if you are in Florida! Here is what we have going on from 8 p.m. Dec. 3 until 7 a.m. on the 4th. There will be a 150 watt green laser beam shooting into the sky from the Visitor Complex. It is 25 mm, as opposed to a hand held, 1 watt/2 mm beam. It is the most powerful laser ever used at the Space Center and will signal both "green for go to launch" and a beacon to launch viewing. Make sure to get photos and post them with the #Orion and #AlwaysExploring. We will repost the best photos and those that are furthest away!
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t31.0-8/s720x720/10446344_10152916357232269_1630967320693425627_o.jpg)
8)
Quote from: Locutus on December 02, 2014, 07:03:16 PM
NASA is launching an Orion test capsule (EFT-1) from the Kennedy Space Center here in Florida on Thursday morning at 7am. The flight will consist of 2 orbits around the Earth, and a high speed reentry into Earth's atmosphere for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
To celebrate, they're doing this tomorrow night from 8am all the way through to the 7am launch time on Thursday morning. I will be looking depending on sky and weather conditions.
From the KSC Visitor Center Facebook page:
Watch the sky on Dec. 3, if you are in Florida! Here is what we have going on from 8 p.m. Dec. 3 until 7 a.m. on the 4th. There will be a 150 watt green laser beam shooting into the sky from the Visitor Complex. It is 25 mm, as opposed to a hand held, 1 watt/2 mm beam. It is the most powerful laser ever used at the Space Center and will signal both "green for go to launch" and a beacon to launch viewing. Make sure to get photos and post them with the #Orion and #AlwaysExploring. We will repost the best photos and those that are furthest away!
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t31.0-8/s720x720/10446344_10152916357232269_1630967320693425627_o.jpg)
If conditions are favorable, please, please, please, take a picture or two of this! I am envious! :yes:
Will do PH. The weather is marginal for tomorrow night it appears.
Quote from: Locutus on December 02, 2014, 08:05:02 PM
Will do PH. The weather is marginal for tomorrow night it appears.
Yes, please. :yes: Me, too!
(https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/p235x350/10828031_10152915680897269_5507381004912889314_o.jpg)
Can't see a damn thing and their Twitter account said that the laser is on.
Here's what it's supposed to look like at the point of origin. It's so skinny that I'm not surprised I can't see it from this far away.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10404295_10152920201007269_5057187362568487138_n.jpg?oh=f8df647e0fd071babe3a315bba287e5c&oe=55110B09&__gda__=1427409892_f2ee8b039c25f6e567c5af07609786ff)
Quote from: Locutus on October 14, 2014, 10:40:47 PM
This won't get you into space, but it will get your name into space. Sign up to have your name taken into space aboard the test flight of the new Orion spacecraft in early December. Who's joining me? I just signed up! ;D
http://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/orion-first-flight/#name-form
The Orion launch was scrubbed this morning. Trying again for tomorrow at 7:05 AM. As a reminder, for any of you who signed up at the link above when I posted it a couple of months back, this is the first flight that will carry your name into space.
Quote from: Locutus on December 04, 2014, 09:46:57 AM
The Orion launch was scrubbed this morning. Trying again for tomorrow at 7:05 AM. As a reminder, for any of you who signed up at the link above when I posted it a couple of months back, this is the first flight that will carry your name into space.
Registration for Orion's Flight Test is now closed. I gotta catch the next one..
Make sure you catch it the next time because the chip with the names is eventually going to be left on the surface of Mars.
Quote from: Locutus on December 04, 2014, 10:15:14 AM
Make sure you catch it the next time because the chip with the names is eventually going to be left on the surface of Mars.
I'm on the email list...I am virtually excited!
;D
I don't know when the next flight will be, but they're going to open the registrations again. I also don't know when they closed them for this flight, but obviously they had to close it in time to get all of the names encoded on the chip and have the chip placed inside the capsule.
Quote from: Locutus on December 04, 2014, 11:24:49 AM
;D
I don't know when the next flight will be, but they're going to open the registrations again. I also don't know when they closed them for this flight, but obviously they had to close it in time to get all of the names encoded on the chip and have the chip placed inside the capsule.
I'm on the first chip! 8)
This morning Joe Scarborough (Morning Joe) was talking to a man who, I assume, was at the Orion launch site-- didn't get his name and only part of the conversation, but he surprised everyone, I think, including Joe -- and me -- by saying (half jokingly?) that the next goal is to put people on Mars, and said, when Joe asked "why" -- that we've just about used up planet earth and the next logical place for colonization is Mars. Straight out of science fiction. :spooked: Then said the major problem will continue to be funding.
For anyone who missed the launch of Orion this morning, you can watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/v/s0UWllveVrY
Thanks! I did miss it...........I still think it is something very very cool to watch.... 8) .....it is too bad that it is no big deal to the vast majority of people.
Are any of our skywatchers checking this out?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/12/11/gemind-meteor-shower-peaks-saturday/20257517/
I plan to, but right now, looking out my window, it looks cloudy.
Once, before I left WV, I decided to do it right, so dressed warmly, with hat and gloves and sleeping bag, and flat on my back, looked up at the dark sky for hours. It wasn't an impressive show -- did see a few shooting stars -- but the experience itself was worth it.
Quote from: libby on December 13, 2014, 05:16:34 PM
I plan to, but right now, looking out my window, it looks cloudy
Same here
(http://i.imgur.com/kfVgjFy.jpg)
Carina Nebula
I have had the privilege to have visited Banff Canada about 10 years ago. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I cannot tell you how many times I said "Wow".....for a lack of a better word to describe my feelings as my eyes would gaze the horizon.
These kind of pictures take it to a whole new level.... :spooked: :yes:
If the sky is clear tonight wherever you are, go outside, or just look out and up from an east-facing window to see the full moon and to the left, Jupiter, almost overhead, at 9:41 PM here. Awesome!
Quote from: libby on February 03, 2015, 09:46:34 PM
If the sky is clear tonight wherever you are, go outside, or just look out and up from an east-facing window to see the full moon and to the left, Jupiter, almost overhead, at 9:41 PM here. Awesome!
Saw it myself last night, and very early this morning (3:30am) as I took lil' pup out for his morning "rounds". 8)
Snowman poop prevents any viewing this evening though. . .
Quote from: libby on February 03, 2015, 09:46:34 PM
If the sky is clear tonight wherever you are, go outside, or just look out and up from an east-facing window to see the full moon and to the left, Jupiter, almost overhead, at 9:41 PM here. Awesome!
I saw it last night
:biggrin:
If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore, and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God! -- Emerson, as quoted by Isaac Asimov in the introduction to his short story, NIGHTFALL.
Here's an interesting site for y'all:
http://www.stealthskater.com/Science.htm#LQG
Have your brains twisted! :biggrin:
Quote from: Y on February 08, 2015, 12:09:58 PM
Here's an interesting site for y'all:
http://www.stealthskater.com/Science.htm#LQG
Have your brains twisted! :biggrin:
Y, I pulled it up -- looks fascinating. Will get back to it when I have a little more time. Thanks for posting it. :smile:
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/02/nightfall-raises-curtain-celestial-nomad-takes-center-stage?et_cid=4422507&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/02/nightfall-raises-curtain-celestial-nomad-takes-center-stage?et_cid=4422507&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
Here's a small picture. Open the link above and click on the picture for a larger, spectacular version!
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/sites/scientificcomputing.com/files/Nightfall_Raises_the_Curtain_Celestial_Nomad_Takes_Center_Stage_ml.jpg)
:yes: That is definitely spectacular. I used to test my vision by looking for the Pleiades. Haven't done that in a long time.
Google this: "metal sphere on stratospheric balloon".
Then pick a source to read the story at.
Some scientist claims to have sent a few stratospheric balloons 16 miles or so up, and had one come back with a microscopic metal sphere imbedded in it. This sphere is about the size of a human hair in circumference, and is oozing some kind of biologic matter from within it. . . And is covered in a filamentous life on the outside.
Feeding a hypothesis that this may be the method via which life first came to this planet; via one initially postulated by Francis Crick surrounding Directed Panspermia, in which he discounted the hypothesis of Panspermia via a meteor or comet being the source, in favor of his own.
Posted it twice!
Quote from: libby on February 28, 2015, 09:34:28 PM
:wacko: Don't know why, but that made me think of an old sci-fi short story about time travel that I read years ago.
A scientist and time traveler went back in time and while studying the various plants and animals in a heavily wooded area, came upon a female of a species unknown to him -- not quite human -- and decided to impregnate her and then go into the future and see the results of his experiment. He found her again, and
she killed him!
That would explain the whole preying mantis behavior! :icon_twisted:
Did anybody see the convergence of Venus and Jupiter last night? I went outside about 10:30 and it looked cloudy. I was really tired and sleepy so went in and to bed. Anyway, it may be visible again tonight if the sky is clear.
That convergence, according to some scientists, was most likely the "Star" described in the Bible that the three wise men followed to the birthplace of Christ.
The Washington Post
By Nick Kirkpatrick July 1 at 5:12 AM
Tuesday night stargazers across the globe captured Venus and Jupiter converging to their closest point. The two planets were within one-third of a degree of each other forming a celestial conjunction.
NASA explains: "A conjunction is a celestial event in which two planets or a planet and the moon or a planet and a star appear close together in the night sky. Conjunctions have no real astronomical value, but they are nice to view. While conjunctions aren't as rare as one might think, this conjunction of Jupiter and Venus will be more impressive than most."
While they aren't rare, Space.com reports that this will be the closest, and the last pairing for 24 years.
This is from Dr. Hartigan, Rice University:
Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter 6/28 - 7/2, 2015
"Venus and Jupiter are typically the two brightest planets in the sky (Mars sometimes competes with Jupiter for second place), so whenever they get close together in the sky it is a spectacular sight to see. Beginning around June 24, a rather rare astronomical event will slowly unfold in the evening sky that is easy to see from Houston. It is something easy to show to children before bedtime. Between about 8:30pm and 10:30pm in the western sky you will see two bright objects: the brilliant one is Venus, and the somewhat fainter but still bright one is Jupiter. Within the next few days the planets will appear to approach one-another in the sky, and on Tuesday night will be closer together than the diameter of the Full Moon. They will make for a pretty sight. It is a great way to show that planets move in the sky. The planets are in actuality far-separated, with Jupiter on the opposite side of Sun as seen from the Earth, and Venus on the near side.
I looked into this a bit, and from the period 2000-2035 there does not seem to be as good of a combination of close approach and distance above the horizon at sunset in Houston as this one has. So the combination is quite special. The only one of comparable quality in the evening sky will be in 2023. There will be an even closer one between these two next year, but it will be much lower in the dusk sky. In our current event the planets are closer together than ~ 1 degree for 5 nights centered on next Tuesday."
Quote from: libby on July 01, 2015, 05:14:24 PM
Did anybody see the convergence of Venus and Jupiter last night? I went outside about 10:30 and it looked cloudy. I was really tired and sleepy so went in and to bed. Anyway, it may be visible again tonight if the sky is clear.
That convergence, according to some scientists, was most likely the "Star" described in the Bible that the three wise men followed to the birthplace of Christ.
The Washington Post
By Nick Kirkpatrick July 1 at 5:12 AM
Tuesday night stargazers across the globe captured Venus and Jupiter converging to their closest point. The two planets were within one-third of a degree of each other forming a celestial conjunction.
NASA explains: "A conjunction is a celestial event in which two planets or a planet and the moon or a planet and a star appear close together in the night sky. Conjunctions have no real astronomical value, but they are nice to view. While conjunctions aren't as rare as one might think, this conjunction of Jupiter and Venus will be more impressive than most."
While they aren't rare, Space.com reports that this will be the closest, and the last pairing for 24 years.
This is from Dr. Hartigan, Rice University:
Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter 6/28 - 7/2, 2015
"Venus and Jupiter are typically the two brightest planets in the sky (Mars sometimes competes with Jupiter for second place), so whenever they get close together in the sky it is a spectacular sight to see. Beginning around June 24, a rather rare astronomical event will slowly unfold in the evening sky that is easy to see from Houston. It is something easy to show to children before bedtime. Between about 8:30pm and 10:30pm in the western sky you will see two bright objects: the brilliant one is Venus, and the somewhat fainter but still bright one is Jupiter. Within the next few days the planets will appear to approach one-another in the sky, and on Tuesday night will be closer together than the diameter of the Full Moon. They will make for a pretty sight. It is a great way to show that planets move in the sky. The planets are in actuality far-separated, with Jupiter on the opposite side of Sun as seen from the Earth, and Venus on the near side.
I looked into this a bit, and from the period 2000-2035 there does not seem to be as good of a combination of close approach and distance above the horizon at sunset in Houston as this one has. So the combination is quite special. The only one of comparable quality in the evening sky will be in 2023. There will be an even closer one between these two next year, but it will be much lower in the dusk sky. In our current event the planets are closer together than ~ 1 degree for 5 nights centered on next Tuesday."
I went out but by the time the two were high enough for me to see them, they were very close but not "together". . . None-the-less, it was a sight to see. I actually saw that they were getting close a couple of days prior too. . . 8)
This is supposed to be good through around Saturday. I hope so, because I've tried seeing it the last two nights, and the weather has NOT cooperated.
Palehorse, I'm glad you got to see them. Not so here again tonight. I was hoping I could at least see Venus and Jupiter in the east and overhead, but by the time the sky darkened we also had rain clouds. I just looked and there is some sky visible between the clouds, but I have high trees in the back (west) so can't see the sun, moon, or stars set -- except in the winter months after the trees lose their leaves.
If this doesn't blow you away, then you're dead.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/07/galactic-pyrotechnics-display?et_cid=4660179&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
:confused:
Quote from: Henry Hawk on July 06, 2015, 12:16:56 PM
:confused:
Oops! :biggrin:
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/07/galactic-pyrotechnics-display?et_cid=4660179&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/07/galactic-pyrotechnics-display?et_cid=4660179&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
Quote from: Bo D on July 06, 2015, 12:14:32 PM
If this doesn't blow you away, then you're dead.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/07/galactic-pyrotechnics-display?et_cid=4660179&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
It is hard for me to even remotely wrap my head around this, but it IS beyond blowing ones head away. It amazes me to look at such pictures....it kind of put everything in perspective on just how insignificant we really are in the whole scheme of things.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on July 06, 2015, 12:30:10 PM
It is hard for me to even remotely wrap my head around this, but it IS beyond blowing ones head away. It amazes me to look at such pictures....it kind of put everything in perspective on just how insignificant we really are in the whole scheme of things.
You know ... it's hard for me to explain, but for me, it doesn't make me feel insignificant at all. Just to realize that I am made of the stuff of dying stars makes me feel like a part of all this.
Quote from: Bo D on July 06, 2015, 01:32:18 PM
You know ... it's hard for me to explain, but for me, it doesn't make me feel insignificant at all. Just to realize that I am made of the stuff of dying stars makes me feel like a part of all this.
I kind of know what you mean.....I guess more so, it makes me realize how incredible GOD is. That our human minds can never fully grasp the power this place we call "space" really is.
That is what blows my mind away when we see such pictures and what we have managed to learn.....incredible!
Quote from: Henry Hawk on July 06, 2015, 01:40:03 PM
I kind of know what you mean.....I guess more so, it makes me realize how incredible GOD is. That our human minds can never fully grasp the power this place we call "space" really is.
That is what blows my mind away when we see such pictures and what we have managed to learn.....incredible!
What blows my mind is how anyone can believe the stupid stuff about this invisible sky guy. :wacko: :dizzy2: :wacko:
Quote from: The Troll on July 06, 2015, 04:46:34 PM
What blows my mind is how anyone can believe the stupid stuff about this invisible sky guy. :wacko: :dizzy2: :wacko:
I posted this back in March of 2012.
Quote from: Bo D on March 29, 2012, 12:35:29 PM
I keep hoping that there would be at least one subject we could discuss without the animosity.
I keep hoping.
Quote from: Bo D on July 06, 2015, 04:57:46 PM
I posted this back in March of 2012.
I keep hoping.
Bo, it is like my father says,wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which one gets filled first! Lol
Quote from: Purplelady1040 on July 06, 2015, 05:00:59 PM
Bo, it is like my father says,wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which one gets filled first! Lol
Yep! But I keep hoping anyway knowing that I'll get a handful of crap. :biggrin:
Quote from: Bo D on July 06, 2015, 12:14:32 PM
If this doesn't blow you away, then you're dead.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/07/galactic-pyrotechnics-display?et_cid=4660179&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
It also affected me profoundly because it made me think about a book I've been reading a few lines at a time:
The Cosmic Code, by physicist Hans Pagels. It begins with a brief history of astronomy leading to physics to current beliefs about quantum physics. I understood what came next :spooked: but had not made the connection, so
I got up and did some laundry.
Quote from: Bo D on July 06, 2015, 12:14:32 PM
If this doesn't blow you away, then you're dead.
(http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/07/galactic-pyrotechnics-display?et_cid=4660179&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
It does indeed blow me away; and also explains just why it is we don't see our departed loved ones very often after they cross over. Who the heck wants to come back to this place when you can spend time in places like that? :big grin:
I'll be disappointed if I cannot visit these kinds of places once I expire. . . But if I can, well. . . you'll know where to find me! :yes:
Quote from: Bo D on July 06, 2015, 04:57:46 PM
I posted this back in March of 2012.
I keep hoping.
I suspect it depends on your personal definition of animosity.
I prolly would have made a similar point concerning Hank bringing gawd into the conversation. :wink:
:biggrin:
Quote from: libby on July 06, 2015, 05:06:01 PM
It also affected me profoundly because it made me think about a book I've been reading a few lines at a time: The Cosmic Code, by physicist Hans Pagels. It begins with a brief history of astronomy leading to physics to current beliefs about quantum physics. I understood what came next :spooked: but had not made the connection, so
I got up and did some laundry.
:food24: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Pluto (right) and its largest moon Charon as taken by the New Horizons spacecraft. As an interesting aside to this picture, I was actually in central Florida and watched the launch of this spacecraft from Merritt Island way back on January 19, 2006.
(http://i.space.com/images/i/000/048/757/original/pluto-charon-color-july-8-2015.jpg)
Here's a YouTube video of the launch that day. I was just to the south of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Merritt Island watching this.
https://www.youtube.com/v/KNJNaIoa5Hk
Quote from: Locutus on July 11, 2015, 03:19:06 PM
Pluto (right) and its largest moon Charon as taken by the New Horizons spacecraft. As an interesting aside to this picture, I was actually in central Florida and watched the launch of this spacecraft from Merritt Island way back on January 19, 2006.
(http://i.space.com/images/i/000/048/757/original/pluto-charon-color-july-8-2015.jpg)
How exciting for you now to follow up. :thumbsup: For a while I actually thought the mission failed because of a story the Washington Post ran on Saturday about how contact was lost and they hadn't a clue what was going on. Thanks a lot for posting the real story. And that picture! It's awesome! :happy:
Quote from: AbbyTC on July 29, 2015, 10:36:28 PM
On Friday we all get to experience a blue moon, which happens once every three years. At the same time, the Delta Aquarid meteor shower occurs. I've read that it will be hard to see it because of the blue moon, but it will last into August, overlapping the Persieds meteor shower on August 11 and 12. Hope you're a night owl-best viewing time is around 2 am!
^^ AbbyTC posted that on another thread so I thought I would bring it over here for all who may be inclined to check it out.
Quote from: Locutus on July 29, 2015, 10:44:41 PM
^^ AbbyTC posted that on another thread so I thought I would bring it over here for all who may be inclined to check it out.
Thanks, Locutus. Still trying to find my way around here!
Quote from: Locutus on July 29, 2015, 10:44:41 PM
^^ AbbyTC posted that on another thread so I thought I would bring it over here for all who may be inclined to check it out.
I would love to see it but I am not a night owl!! Lol
Quote from: AbbyTC on July 29, 2015, 11:13:19 PM
Thanks, Locutus. Still trying to find my way around here!
Good luck with that! As you have seen we are all over the place here! :biggrin:
Quote from: AbbyTC on July 29, 2015, 11:13:19 PM
Thanks, Locutus. Still trying to find my way around here!
Welcome AbbyTC, and thanks Locutus. I'm still waiting for some good stuff from Pluto. Have been so busy I haven't been following what may be available right now.
A little more from Pluto - 1939 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca97XYHLbac)
:razz:
:biggrin:
Quote from: Y on August 27, 2015, 04:25:41 PM
A little more from Pluto - 1939 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca97XYHLbac)
:razz:
:biggrin:
See? I knew it! You are way older than me! :icon_twisted:
I'm old?!?!?!?
You're just an old dinosaur! :razz:
(http://orig13.deviantart.net/b6d6/f/2014/313/8/1/triceratops_horridus__bass_player_by_phodyr-d85wo3h.jpg)
:biggrin:
Yesterday morning just before daylight I went out to get the newspaper, and a neighbor was standing there looking up at the sky. He was using opera glasses and said he wondered what was going on at Ft. Belvoir, that helicopters seemed to be hovering around something that was not moving. I looked up and saw what he was referring to -- a small light just above the horizon. And there was the sound of 'copters . I said maybe it was a training exercise at FB or maybe a traffic monitoring 'copter and went back in because I was getting ready to leave. (I'd been watching the news and there had been no mention of anything amiss in the area).
This morning, when I went out to get the paper and out of habit looked up, there was the light again, and it :rolleyes: dawned on me that it was the planet Jupiter, which rises a few minutes after 6 a.m. this time of year.
Spectacular Pluto pictures!
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/articles/2015/09/stunning-crystal-clear-images-pluto-%E2%80%93-what-do-they-mean?et_cid=4829081&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/articles/2015/09/stunning-crystal-clear-images-pluto-%E2%80%93-what-do-they-mean?et_cid=4829081&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
:yes: :science:
Quote from: Bo D on September 22, 2015, 11:20:10 AM
Spectacular Pluto pictures!
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/articles/2015/09/stunning-crystal-clear-images-pluto-%E2%80%93-what-do-they-mean?et_cid=4829081&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/articles/2015/09/stunning-crystal-clear-images-pluto-%E2%80%93-what-do-they-mean?et_cid=4829081&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
Looks like and ideal place for my new place of residence given the mood I am in. . . :kickcan:
Super moon and eclipse tomorrow night. Last "blood moon" of the tetrad.
Jeezus is coming!! :spooked: ;D
Quote from: Locutus on September 26, 2015, 01:04:40 PM
Super moon and eclipse tomorrow night. Last "blood moon" of the tetrad.
Jeezus is coming!! :spooked: ;D
It's cloudy here today. Just hope the clouds part long enough for us to see it! My house sits east/west so will be able to sit on my front steps and watch as the moon rises. :yes:
Quote from: libby on September 27, 2015, 03:30:12 PM
It's cloudy here today. Just hope the clouds part long enough for us to see it! My house sits east/west so will be able to sit on my front steps and watch as the moon rises. :yes:
Same here. I suspect the cloud cover will remain thick, as it has for most of this day.
Quote from: libby on September 27, 2015, 03:30:12 PM
It's cloudy here today. Just hope the clouds part long enough for us to see it! My house sits east/west so will be able to sit on my front steps and watch as the moon rises. :yes:
Mostly sunny today, but the clouds started rolling in quite thickly in the evening. Doesn't look promising for tonight.
The clouds broke up just in time last night. It was beautiful! And I'm here this morning writing about it so it's safe to say the nutjobs were wrong!
It remained too cloudy here but my ex SIL in the southern part of the state got to view it.
Quote from: Bo D on September 28, 2015, 08:37:35 AM
The clouds broke up just in time last night. It was beautiful! And I'm here this morning writing about it so it's safe to say the nutjobs were wrong!
Well, over here on the other side of the Potomac River, the clouds came and went, and parted enough for me to keep up with the beginning and progression of the eclipse until there was just a tiny sliver of moon left. Then another cloud obscured it and when it passed, all was dark.
My daughter stayed up and took this picture....I think she did a great job. She was SOOO excited doing this.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2AIPW-_BfQo/Vgk3kmmC5OI/AAAAAAAACQQ/harfevV8Jd8/w960-h640-no/lunar%2Beclipse.jpeg)
Quote from: Henry Hawk on September 28, 2015, 10:33:37 AM
My daughter stayed up and took this picture....I think she did a great job. She was SOOO excited doing this.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2AIPW-_BfQo/Vgk3kmmC5OI/AAAAAAAACQQ/harfevV8Jd8/w960-h640-no/lunar%2Beclipse.jpeg)
:thumbsup: :clap: :yeah: :music1:
Quote from: Henry Hawk on September 28, 2015, 10:33:37 AM
My daughter stayed up and took this picture....I think she did a great job. She was SOOO excited doing this.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2AIPW-_BfQo/Vgk3kmmC5OI/AAAAAAAACQQ/harfevV8Jd8/w960-h640-no/lunar%2Beclipse.jpeg)
Nice work!
I wasn't very hyped over it this time around anyway. I have a series of pics very similar to hers, but of a lunar eclipse driven blood moon from several years ago. . .
Quote from: Henry Hawk on September 28, 2015, 10:33:37 AM
My daughter stayed up and took this picture....I think she did a great job. She was SOOO excited doing this.
Tell her all of us at the Zone approve. ;D
Nice to see young people taking an interest in things like this.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on September 28, 2015, 10:33:37 AM
My daughter stayed up and took this picture....I think she did a great job. She was SOOO excited doing this.
Cool. The clouds parted a little bit so we could see some of it, but it really wasn't clear enough to enjoy.
Quote from: AbbyTC on September 28, 2015, 10:15:33 PM
Cool. The clouds parted a little bit so we could see some of it, but it really wasn't clear enough to enjoy.
Same here.
The really cool thing about it in my area was that the clouds started clearing up just as the eclipse started. Then I could see the bats flying with the moon and clouds as the backdrop. The was awesome!
:bat:
Bats???
Quote from: Locutus on September 29, 2015, 10:40:36 AM
:bat:
Bats???
Yes, that kind of bats! They swarm over my back yard this time of year. There is a nice little tree-lined stream that runs through the back of my yard and as long as I have lived here, the bats have loved it. I guess the stream and trees provide them with lots of bugs to eat.
I'm not a big fan of bats. :no:
My daughter posted her picture on Flickr and NASA Goodard Space Flight Center (https://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/favorites/) liked it and used it on their Flickr site. She had nearly 900 likes.
I think it is pretty cool...
That's awesome HH!!
Quote from: Henry Hawk on September 28, 2015, 10:33:37 AM
My daughter stayed up and took this picture....I think she did a great job. She was SOOO excited doing this.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2AIPW-_BfQo/Vgk3kmmC5OI/AAAAAAAACQQ/harfevV8Jd8/w960-h640-no/lunar%2Beclipse.jpeg)
That is an awesome picture.
Is your daughter an astronomer, HH? Her photo made me think of something I did years ago in Bluefield. A friend who knew I was a stargazer gave me a camera and showed me how to use for timed photos. I knew that if you pointed the camera at the North Star and left it there during the night you would get a picture of star trails -- they look like little dashes in a circular pattern with the North Star in the center. I waited for a clear moonless night and set the camera up and after a while went to bed. The next day I took the film to Grubb Photo to get it printed, and got a call that there was nothing on the film. I said "print it anyway," and sure enough there were the star trails encircling the North Star. I still have that picture somewhere.
My aunt wants to try and take a picture of the Milky Way at some point. I wouldn't mind doing that myself, but I lack the proper equipment to do it. Several of my friends have done it successfully. Here's one of them from his house:
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/10533894_10204413661201993_2559715256373540636_n.jpg?oh=25fcd2f72ee1ae8dc038619df9256620&oe=56A94AC5)
Quote from: Locutus on September 29, 2015, 06:14:42 PM
My aunt wants to try and take a picture of the Milky Way at some point. I wouldn't mind doing that myself, but I lack the proper equipment to do it. Several of my friends have done it successfully. Here's one of them from his house:
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/10533894_10204413661201993_2559715256373540636_n.jpg?oh=25fcd2f72ee1ae8dc038619df9256620&oe=56A94AC5)
Wow!
Quote from: Locutus on September 29, 2015, 06:14:42 PM
My aunt wants to try and take a picture of the Milky Way at some point. I wouldn't mind doing that myself, but I lack the proper equipment to do it. Several of my friends have done it successfully. Here's one of them from his house:
That's an awesome picture.
Quote from: libby on September 29, 2015, 05:46:26 PM
Is your daughter an astronomer, HH? Her photo made me think of something I did years ago in Bluefield. A friend who knew I was a stargazer gave me a camera and showed me how to use for timed photos. I knew that if you pointed the camera at the North Star and left it there during the night you would get a picture of star trails -- they look like little dashes in a circular pattern with the North Star in the center. I waited for a clear moonless night and set the camera up and after a while went to bed. The next day I took the film to Grubb Photo to get it printed, and got a call that there was nothing on the film. I said "print it anyway," and sure enough there were the star trails encircling the North Star. I still have that picture somewhere.
She LOVES photography and has become a fan of star gazing. We have spent many long evenings out in our back yard star gazing together.........sitting, talking and enjoying Gods (not trying to start anything) creation....I'm not sure if she don't realizes just how wonderful the memories she is giving me. I LOVE spending this kind of time with each of my kids.
Libby there is something mesmerizing about our solar system.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on September 30, 2015, 08:07:01 AM
She LOVES photography and has become a fan of star gazing. We have spent many long evenings out in our back yard star gazing together.........sitting, talking and enjoying Gods (not trying to start anything) creation....I'm not sure if she don't realizes just how wonderful the memories she is giving me. I LOVE spending this kind of time with each of my kids.
Libby there is something mesmerizing about our solar system.
HH, that's real quality time! I'm happy for you. :yes:
I hope it's clear tonight -- the peak time for the Orionid meteor shower.
And on the 26th, next Monday morning, there will be a conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. I can only hope the sky remains clear, as it has been here for several days now. The time to look up is early morning, before daylight (when the sky is still dark). I get up about 5:30 -- 6 a.m. and there they are. Look to the east and you can't miss Venus and then behind and slightly to the left, Jupiter. Mars is there also, but harder to find.
Quote from: libby on October 20, 2015, 10:47:51 AM
I hope it's clear tonight -- the peak time for the Orionid meteor shower.
And on the 26th, next Monday morning, there will be a conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. I can only hope the sky remains clear, as it has been here for several days now. The time to look up is early morning, before daylight (when the sky is still dark). I get up about 5:30 -- 6 a.m. and there they are. Look to the east and you can't miss Venus and then behind and slightly to the left, Jupiter. Mars is there also, but harder to find.
Been looking at it of weeks now. I typically get up at 0400 and am on the road, headed directly east by 0430. . . This sits directly in my windscreen the lions share of the way in every morning! :smitten:
:smile: :happy:
I think I need some time off -- in fact, I know it. I seem to have lost a day. :rolleyes: All I remember about yesterday is having to deal with a person who makes me want to :rant:
Quote from: libby on October 21, 2015, 06:47:37 PM
I think I need some time off -- in fact, I know it. I seem to have lost a day. :rolleyes: All I remember about yesterday is having to deal with a person who makes me want to :rant:
It must be contagious then. . . Today for me so I hear yah! :mad:
Hello friend ... Here's something to make you feel better: :flurries: :flurries: :flurries:
:flurries: :flurries: :flurries: :flurries: :flurries: :flurries: :flurries: :flurries: :flurries: :flurries:
As for me, I like the sound of rain on the roof and trees, so am going to go to my imaginary treehouse. I created it when I was a girl and wanted to get away -- back then it was just like a porch way up high in the treetops that I'd step onto after dark to get away from too many people in our small house.
This is cool!
Daily Views of Earth Available on New NASA Site
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/10/daily-views-earth-available-new-nasa-site?et_cid=4904341&et_rid=54725525&location=top (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/10/daily-views-earth-available-new-nasa-site?et_cid=4904341&et_rid=54725525&location=top)
That's very cool. It would have been nice to know about that last week while Hurricane Patricia was swirling around.
I kinda lost track of everything but absolute necessities for a while and then we had days of rain, but, yesterday and today, when I opened the front door at or before 6 a.m., there were Venus and a toenail* moon shining brightly in the dark sky. They were closer together yesterday (what a sight!).
*toenail moon: when my son was a little boy, he had the cutest way of expressing himself. Sometimes followed me when I went outside after dark and looked up at the sky. One time he said, "Look, mommy, the moon looks like a toenail!" Took me a minute or two to figure out what he meant ( toenail clipping). Another time he showed me one of his socks, and said, "I need a new sock. This one is dead."
The moon passed between NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory and the Earth, allowing the satellite to capture this rare image of the moon's far side in full sunlight. We don't see this side of the moon.
(https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12347907_10153046618742757_4416940032983772368_n.jpg?oh=cdb3bf21b232e15399418634847c3bd6&oe=56E48BD1)
Here's an animation of the crossing from NASA's website.
Link (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/from-a-million-miles-away-nasa-camera-shows-moon-crossing-face-of-earth)
(https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/dscovrepicmoontransitfull.gif?itok=m-pCEXqi)
Cool, thanks for sharing, Locutus
Quote from: Locutus on December 14, 2015, 03:49:24 PM
The moon passed between NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory and the Earth, allowing the satellite to capture this rare image of the moon's far side in full sunlight. We don't see this side of the moon.
(https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12347907_10153046618742757_4416940032983772368_n.jpg?oh=cdb3bf%20:yes:21b232e15399418634847c3bd6&oe=56E48BD1)
:yes: Thanks for posting that, Locutus.
This morning, 6 a.m., went out front to get the newspaper, looked up, and there, high in the southeast sky, was Venus and a sliver of moon -- very bright in the dark sky. Didn't look for long, though, because it was very cold. Went back inside, got my coffee, turned on the TV (Morning Joe) and quickly came back down to earth. What a contrast!
(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/usatoday/editorial/graphics/2016/01/011816-PlanetsAlignMobile.jpg)
Quote from: Locutus on January 18, 2016, 02:30:14 PM
(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/usatoday/editorial/graphics/2016/01/011816-PlanetsAlignMobile.jpg)
Dammit! I don't have a very good view of the southern skies thanks to a line of trees surrounding the acres of farmland to the south. . .
I may get a glimpse of this but that is likely it. . .
I don't even have a south facing window on the upper floor either! :mad:
I have a hard time getting up in the pre-dawn hours. I'm usually in about my 5th dream at that point. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on January 18, 2016, 02:30:14 PM
(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/usatoday/editorial/graphics/2016/01/011816-PlanetsAlignMobile.jpg)
Locutus, thanks for posting that! :yes: Lucky for me that the front of my house faces southeast. I'm up by 6 a.m. when it's still nice and dark, and always look up when I go out to get the paper.
Quote from: Locutus on January 18, 2016, 08:05:46 PM
I have a hard time getting up in the pre-dawn hours. I'm usually in about my 5th dream at that point. ;D
I am typically sitting behind my desk by 0500 hours each day. I may not get to see this at all. . . :-\
Quote from: Palehorse on January 19, 2016, 05:52:13 PM
I am typically sitting behind my desk by 0500 hours each day. I may not get to see this at all. . . :-\
Go outside for coffee if you won't freeze your ass off. :biggrin:
Quote from: Locutus on January 19, 2016, 06:40:02 PM
Go outside for coffee if you won't freeze your ass off. :biggrin:
Ummm. . . yeah. . . With single digit temps, wind, and the snowman pooping. . . ???? I think not. . .
I'll have eternity to see it up close and personal. . . :biggrin:
I saw them this morning -- at 6 a.m. -- but didn't linger outside too long. Too cold.
Quote from: libby on January 19, 2016, 10:36:21 PM
I saw them this morning -- at 6 a.m. -- but didn't linger outside too long. Too cold.
It was snowing at 4:30 am here. . . and still snowing at 9:00am. . . .
But I am going to try to see if I can lay eyes on those rascals! :yes:
Quote from: Palehorse on January 20, 2016, 07:35:17 PM
It was snowing at 4:30 am here. . . and still snowing at 9:00am. . . .
But I am going to try to see if I can lay eyes on those rascals! :yes:
If the sky is clear you can't miss Venus and Jupiter. The others in between are harder for me to see because of street and outside house lights.
We've got the snow here now, a surprise prelude this evening to a big storm heading this way -- starting Friday afternoon and lasting all day Saturday.
Quote from: libby on January 20, 2016, 11:37:17 PM
If the sky is clear you can't miss Venus and Jupiter. The others in between are harder for me to see because of street and outside house lights.
We've got the snow here now, a surprise prelude this evening to a big storm heading this way -- starting Friday afternoon and lasting all day Saturday.
I don't believe we've had a clear pre-dawn sky in this area of the country since this was first reported! :mad:
We now have, post-blizzard, clear skies and moderate temperatures. This morning at 6, there was Venus, shining brightly in the southeast. And not only that, a few nights ago, a very bright meteor was seen streaking across the sky here in the east -- I didn't see it - :mad:
As my dear mother might've said, "Well, I'll be ...."
The Washington Post
Why Naval Academy students are learning to sail by the stars for the first time in a decade
By Andrea Peterson February 17, 2016
Petty Officer 1st Class Clarence Ilijic teaches Seaman Eden Boyd how to operate a sextant on the amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore in 2014. The Naval Academy has also resumed the training after a 10-year hiatus. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Amanda R. Gray/U.S. Navy)
Peter Hogan was surprised at how heavy the sextant felt in his hand when he squinted through its eyeglass this week, the first time he had ever held one. For centuries, sailors used sextants to plot their location on the trackless sea, lining up stars in the sky to find their own place on Earth.
Hogan is a sailor, too — a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, surrounded by some of the most advanced geolocation technology ever devised. But even though GPS can pinpoint Hogan and his shipmates on the most remote oceans on the planet, the Navy is once again teaching them the ancient art of celestial navigation.
....
That's because batteries run out, systems get hacked, and even advanced technology can be balky. In a pinch — or in a war — sailors need something to fall back on. And stars and sextants have been working pretty well for hundreds of years.
So the Naval Academy started teaching its sailors how to navigate ships by looking to the heavens again this academic year. The training was dropped altogether in 2006.
"I thought that we had computers and all that for navigation," Hogan, 20, a Charleston, S.C., native said this week during a class on the subject.
But amid concerns about cyberattacks and new weapons that can shut off the electricity of a ship or a plane, the Naval Academy made celestial navigation a requirement for third-year students.
"Redundancy is the best policy," said Lt. Alex Reardon, who taught three sections of the class. Especially because, when it comes to a Navy ship on the open seas, "we're typically alone in what we do."
That could be a major problem in the event of a cyberattack, said Salvatore Mercogliano, an assistant professor focused on naval history at Campbell University and a former merchant mariner.
"The big concern the Navy has is that some sort of event takes out the GPS system — that somehow a nefarious group or nation is able to disrupt it — and all of the sudden you have no means to cross the Atlantic or the Pacific because the system that you've come to rely on doesn't work anymore," Mercogliano said.
The fear of cyberattacks did not factor into the decision to resume celestial navigation training at the Naval Academy, said Lt. Commander Kate Meadows, a naval public affairs officer. But Reardon cited such risks as one of the reasons why students need the class.
Those students clearly had those threats in mind: When Reardon opened his class by asking them why they thought the Naval Academy brought celestial navigation training back, one said cyberattacks and another EMPs — electromagnetic pulses that could be weaponized to knock out power.
"Especially if you're in a wartime scenario, maybe the GPS or the satellites are shot down — radar isn't working or jammed — and you're forced to go dark, so you can't use your electronics," then celestial navigation might become invaluable to a ship needing to figure out its location, Hogan said.
But it's not just that sort of nightmare scenario that could cause a ship's high-tech gear to stop working, Reardon said. During one of his recent tours out at sea, flooding in his vessel's generators caused the whole ship to lose power — and while some systems had battery backups, they don't last forever, he said.
"It was a little bit scary not being very comfortable with celestial navigation and being in that situation," Reardon said.
Of course, power problems aren't limited to the Navy, noted David Raymond, the deputy director of Virginia Tech's IT Security Lab. He recalled when he was deployed in Iraq with the Army back in 2005, his base had regular power outages — sometimes just because people forgot to put fuel in the generators. So they always made sure to have paper maps tracking operations pinned to the walls in addition to the digital ones projected onto screens.
"You just couldn't always trust you were going to have power — and if you lose power, you lose all of your computers," said Raymond, a former West Point instructor.
A power loss on the open waters could be even more consequential because Navy ships are generally isolated at sea. A wrong turn could mean the difference between sailing in safe waters or those owned by Iran or North Korea.
In fact, over-reliance on emerging navigation tech has resulted in Navy disasters in the past. In 2013, a naval minesweeper called the USS Guardian went aground on a World Heritage site coral reef near the Philippines thanks in part to a digital chart that misplaced the obstacle and its navigation team relying "exclusively on electronic fixes derived from GPS" to guide them while failing to heed lighthouses, according to a Navy report on the incident.
Such problems, as well as the threat of losing access to high-tech tools altogether, are why basic celestial navigation training is important for sailors, said Mercogliano, the Campbell University professor. "We shouldn't get too comfortable with our technology — there should always be an ability to double check," he said.
Indeed, for much of human history, seafarers long looked to the sky for guidance. Even Homer's Odyssey referenced using the stars to stay on course, with the goddess Calypso telling Odysseus to keep "the Bear" — the constellation Ursa Major — on his left-hand side during part of his voyage in the fictional epic.
In the 1700s, sailors started using a device known as a sextant to track their position using the heavens. Sextants use a series of mirrors and a sliding arm to help measure the angle between celestial bodies and the horizon. Those measurements, the precise time they were taken, nautical almanacs, and a series of complex calculations, allow sailors to triangulate their location even when far out at sea.
Newer technologies have all but replaced the humble sextant. During World War II, the U.S. began using land-based radio beacons known as the LORAN system to help guide ships. And the space race helped further celestial navigation's decline: The Navy sponsored the development of the first operational satellite navigation system, dubbed TRANSIT, which went into active service in 1964 — providing navigation assistance for naval submarines and surface vessels. But TRANSIT was retired in the mid-'90s after the Air Force completed the modern GPS system, which uses dozens of satellites circling the globe.
GPS pinpoints a location by measuring how long it takes for messages from at least three of the satellites to arrive at a receiver — almost akin to an automatic version of the sextant measurements and calculations navigators once did by hand, but using satellites instead of the stars. And GPS can nail down an exact spot within meters, while even a skilled celestial navigator may be off by several miles, Reardon said.
GPS remains one of the most critical tools on the high-tech bridges of Navy ships. And given the limited training in the Naval Academy course — three hours of lectures and classroom exercises — the midshipmen who go through Reardon's class probably won't be plotting courses via the stars right away.
"These classes teach you the theory behind it very well," said Hogan, but actually using a sextant out in the field would be another set of challenges. "I think you could go through a whole year of class just trying to learn that."
The Navy at large also stopped training its fleet on celestial navigation in 2006 but restored lessons for navigator and assistant navigator officers in 2011, said Meadows, the naval public affairs officer. It's in the process of rebuilding a curriculum for some enlisted ranks, she said, as well as setting up pilot courses within some ROTC programs.
And there may be at least one other fringe benefit for sailors: It may give them extra appreciation for the nighttime views when out at sea.
"You just have stars from horizon to horizon — there's really nothing like it," Reardon said.
Ran across an interesting website last night that shows live streaming video from four cameras aboard the International Space Station. The cameras are part of the High Definition Earth Viewing Experiment (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/917.html) being conducted aboard the ISS. Ended up getting hooked on it and watched for almost a complete 90-minute orbit. The link also has audio communications between the crew and the controllers at JSC in Houston.
The stream can be found here:
http://www.n2yo.com/space-station/
Thanks for posting that, Locutus. I'm caught up in something :rant: right now involving a young extended family member, but will certainly check it out. Right now all I really feel like doing is disappearing for a while.
:spooked:
Good luck with whatever is going on. :yes:
I just tuned into the stream, and coincidentally, the ISS was just getting ready to pass over my home state. These images are from the stream just now. Tampa Bay and Lake Okeechobee are clearly visible.
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 01:23:48 PM
Ran across an interesting website last night that shows live streaming video from four cameras aboard the International Space Station. The cameras are part of the High Definition Earth Viewing Experiment (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/917.html) being conducted aboard the ISS. Ended up getting hooked on it and watched for almost a complete 90-minute orbit. The link also has audio communications between the crew and the controllers at JSC in Houston.
The stream can be found here:
http://www.n2yo.com/space-station/
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 04:11:26 PM
I just tuned into the stream, and coincidentally, the ISS was just getting ready to pass over my home state. These images are from the stream just now. Tampa Bay and Lake Okeechobee are clearly visible.
:yes: 8)
One thing noted PH, was that it doesn't work well with Safari, but does fine with Chrome and Firefox.
It should pass over, or close by the Great Lakes on its next pass in a little less than 90 minutes. It's already over Turkey.
(https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/12961612_10201640535412014_2945755566254339585_n.jpg?oh=4533422ffdbc4ff0610fe2f42b9e0192&oe=57BD1C8E)
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 04:32:39 PM
It should pass over, or close by the Great Lakes on its next pass in a little less than 90 minutes. It's already over Turkey.
On approach to Mexico now and should pass right through the middle of Chicagoland within an hour or so. . . :big grin:
It's working acceptably in Safari, but FFX gives you the fourth window with the axis. . . Which is useful but not necessary . . . I did try it when the second camera went off line to check to see if it was a Safari thing or not. It apparently wasn't. Interesting that it went off line as it passed over Saudi Arabia though. . . :yes:
Going to watch the Chicagoland pass? ;D
It'll be much more quicker than an hour though. :yes:
Looks like it went offline over Chicago too. :mad:
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 05:47:14 PM
Looks like it went offline over Chicago too. :mad:
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
It's supposed to pass back over Florida tonight at 00:18 local, so I might see if the cameras are operating then to see if I can capture a night image of Florida.
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 06:10:37 PM
It's supposed to pass back over Florida tonight at 00:18 local, so I might see if the cameras are operating then to see if I can capture a night image of Florida.
It's presently stuck over Sudan in Africa. . . according to the map with the tracking on it. . . :icon_evil:
Night views are somewhat disappointing though. . .
Yes, unless it passes over a cloudless urban area. Have the cameras been off ever since before Chicago?
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 06:18:47 PM
Yes, unless it passes over a cloudless urban area. Have the cameras been off ever since before Chicago?
More off than on. . . They come on for a stretch then they crash it would appear. . . Or they're blacking them out for some reason. . .
Nothing but the micro-sucks blue screen of death right now. . . :mad:
Yeah that happened a few times last night as well. I took that to mean that the ISS was possibly over some area where transmission was impossible due to reception stations on the ground, but that shouldn't be the case over mid-America. Maybe they're having some sort of trouble with it.
Back up and south of the Land Down-Under. . .
Are you getting the image on the top right? That was the one that was forward facing when I captured Florida.
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 06:58:30 PM
Are you getting the image on the top right? That was the one that was forward facing when I captured Florida.
Nope. It has been down for quite sometime now. . .
:mad:
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 07:01:54 PM
:mad:
The one on the bottom right takes some getting used to, as it is visually moving opposite the orientation shown on the map at top left. Plus you've got ISS in the way on some of it; which is kind of cool but still. . .
I was trying to figure out that orientation as it passed over Florida, but never quite got which way it is facing.
Coming up on the coast of California just north of San Luis Obispo.
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 07:12:16 PM
I was trying to figure out that orientation as it passed over Florida, but never quite got which way it is facing.
Upside down, north facing I believe. . . But it seems to be a bit "amid-ship" if you know what I mean. Kind of hard to tell given the 180 degree inversion. . .
Remember that there are 4 cameras that switch in and out as well.
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 07:20:22 PM
Remember that there are 4 cameras that switch in and out as well.
Yeah, I've seen two of them thus far. . .
It's going directly over the Great Salt Lake in moments. We should be able to see that.
Maybe not with this cloud cover. :mad:
Actually refresh that image. If you refresh it, it shows the station now north of Lake Superior. :confused:
Yes it is. The station is farther ahead than depicted on the map. It's passing the terminator now back into darkness.
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 07:28:31 PM
Yes it is. The station is farther ahead than depicted on the map. It's passing the terminator now back into darkness.
Yeah I noticed that just before I read your post. Hard to keep track without major landmarks to orient location with. I saw it crossing toward the darkness divide and refreshed and sure enough. . .
I guess you have to refresh every 10 minutes or so to keep the positioning current on the map.
It fades to blackness once again. . . This time around it should pass off the SE tip of the Land Down Under. . .
And just south of the island of Kauai as it comes up toward the mainland of the US again. . .
It's very compelling to watch. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 07:39:19 PM
It's very compelling to watch. :yes:
Indeed it is. That thing zips around the planet every 90 minutes? My insomnia would be on steroids if I were on that ISS! :spooked:
It's in Africa again, so lets see if we lose the feed again. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on April 10, 2016, 07:43:12 PM
Indeed it is. That thing zips around the planet every 90 minutes? My insomnia would be on steroids if I were on that ISS! :spooked:
Yep! It completes an orbit every 90 minutes.
Quote from: Palehorse on April 10, 2016, 07:30:12 PM
Yeah I noticed that just before I read your post. Hard to keep track without major landmarks to orient location with. I saw it crossing toward the darkness divide and refreshed and sure enough. . .
Orientation would be easier with the forward looking view at the top right being functional.
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 07:48:07 PM
Orientation would be easier with the forward looking view at the top right being functional.
Just think. . . In under 30 minutes it is going to be Monday again for those folks aboard. :biggrin:
Quote from: Palehorse on April 10, 2016, 07:53:03 PM
Just think. . . In under 30 minutes it is going to be Monday again for those folks aboard. :biggrin:
Yep. You can sit there and watch and see sunrises and sunsets every 90 minutes. ;D
If you go to full screen on the current view you'll see a very faint light at about 11-12 o'clock position, and tow smaller fainter lights at the 4-5 o'clock positions. They have been there each time the feed has been live in darkness, and they never move. I believe they may be a reflection of light either fro the inside of ISS or of sunlight off of it.
Feed dropped again. . .
Also, you'll begin to see flashes of blues, greens, reds, and oranges on the cameras at it approaches the daylight terminator. It's caused by electromagnetic radiation similar to the Aurora Borealis.
There are always between 550 and 700 viewers on line at any given moment thus far, and 68 million viewers cumulatively have been on the site. :spooked:
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 01:23:48 PM
Ran across an interesting website last night that shows live streaming video from four cameras aboard the International Space Station. The cameras are part of the High Definition Earth Viewing Experiment (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/917.html) being conducted aboard the ISS. Ended up getting hooked on it and watched for almost a complete 90-minute orbit. The link also has audio communications between the crew and the controllers at JSC in Houston.
The stream can be found here:
http://www.n2yo.com/space-station/
Very cool! Particularly when the cameras work. :wink:
Just saw Australia / Tasmania through the clouds. :biggrin:
Quote from: AbbyTC on April 10, 2016, 08:20:56 PM
Very cool! Particularly when the cameras work. :wink:
The closest this old man is ever going to get to seeing earth from space; a life long wish. . . :smile:
Getting ready to hit the great Pacific Northwest almost directly between Seattle and Portland.
<sidebar>
If any of you wonder why PH and my post counts are so high, you're witnessing it now. ;D
</sidebar>
Quote from: Locutus on April 10, 2016, 04:00:44 PM
:spooked:
Good luck with whatever is going on. :yes:
Thank you. I need it. Have no one but myself to blame. Yesterday I was actually day dreaming about going back in time and changing a thing or two. :( :rolleyes:
Quote from: libby on April 10, 2016, 11:32:51 PM
Thank you. I need it. Have no one but myself to blame. Yesterday I was actually day dreaming about going back in time and changing a thing or two. :( :rolleyes:
That just makes you human. I don't think there's one of us who doesn't occasionally think about going back in time. :wink:
Quote from: libby on April 10, 2016, 11:32:51 PM
Thank you. I need it. Have no one but myself to blame. Yesterday I was actually day dreaming about going back in time and changing a thing or two. :( :rolleyes:
As Locutus said above, this just makes you normal. Now me, I have a VERY long list of stuff I'd give anything to go back and change. It's astounding how time/experience and the "wisdom" that comes with age changes your mind on a thing or two. . :yes:
Quote from: Palehorse on April 11, 2016, 05:40:55 PM
As Locutus said above, this just makes you normal. Now me, I have a VERY long list of stuff I'd give anything to go back and change. It's astounding how time/experience and the "wisdom" that comes with age changes your mind on a thing or two. . :yes:
Try telling that to a 20-year-old who thinks he knows everything. :mad:
BTW, all ISS cams were operational a short time ago.
http://www.n2yo.com/space-station/
Quote from: Locutus on April 11, 2016, 05:41:41 PM
Try telling that to a 20-year-old who thinks he knows everything. :mad:
Damned, how well I know that! :mad: :yes: In fact, as of late that age seems to have increased by a decade or so. . . I've reached a decision that I am determined to stand by fro this point forward; let them make their mistakes and learn their lessons. It is far less stressful than trying to provide them the advice that comes with experience and age, and helps one avoid the wrath of the unenlightened.
A painful choice, I know; but at this point in my lifespan it provides me with "diplomatic immunity" surrounding the impending compounding of those mistakes that I can see coming. . . And an opportunity to invoke the "I tried to tell you" salt to apply to the gaping wound(S). (Which I will mercifully avoid at all costs simply because it involves loved ones). :mad: :rolleyes:
Quote from: Locutus on April 11, 2016, 05:42:09 PM
BTW, all ISS cams were operational a short time ago.
http://www.n2yo.com/space-station/
Pulled it up on my phone at work today, and the ISS to dart coms were active. It blew my colleagues away, and they wanted the link too. :biggrin:
Excellent. I never tried it on my phone. Are you still using the iPhone?
Quote from: Palehorse on April 11, 2016, 08:12:05 PM
Pulled it up on my phone at work today, and the ISS to dart coms were active. It blew my colleagues away, and they wanted the link too. :biggrin:
Much better on the computer than the phone. I need to show my co-workers this; you never know when a patron might need this type of information at the library! ;D
Quote from: Locutus on April 11, 2016, 08:25:25 PM
Excellent. I never tried it on my phone. Are you still using the iPhone?
Yup. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on April 12, 2016, 06:01:17 PM
Yup. . .
:thumbsup:
I'll have to try it on mine then.
Quote from: Locutus on April 12, 2016, 06:15:18 PM
:thumbsup:
I'll have to try it on mine then.
Kind of "funky" compared to a tablet or laptop, but it still displays once you figure it out and it loads. . .(best with WiFi)
Yeah, with two streams on the same page, I'd imagine it would eat some data out of your data plan pretty damn quick.
Quote from: Locutus on April 12, 2016, 06:24:48 PM
Yeah, with two streams on the same page, I'd imagine it would eat some data out of your data plan pretty damn quick.
Yeah, I've got unlimited everything plan so its not an issue for me, but it could with some plans. . . :yes:
This whole conversation reminded me of this about a year and a half ago. :biggrin: :biggrin:
http://theunknownzone.dailynuisanceproductions.com/index.php?topic=2623.msg495957#msg495957
Quote from: Locutus on April 12, 2016, 06:40:28 PM
This whole conversation reminded me of this about a year and a half ago. :biggrin: :biggrin:
http://theunknownzone.dailynuisanceproductions.com/index.php?topic=2623.msg495957#msg495957
:biggrin: Indeed. Ironically, now I am trying to spot my state from the view of the "white light" I first saw a year and a half ago! :biggrin:
Yeppers!! It has come full circle. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on April 12, 2016, 06:50:03 PM
Yeppers!! It has come full circle. ;D
And yes, I am yet again going to go buy a lottery ticket. . . Not expecting anything short of major disappointment from it though. . . as usual. . . :rolleyes:
Heard that. We apparently share the same results.
Quote from: Locutus on April 12, 2016, 07:04:28 PM
Heard that. We apparently share the same results.
I sincerely hope that we continue to share those results when it comes time to hit too! Wouldn't that be a story for the media to ruin our newly found financial independence with!? :big grin: 2 guys in different states win without sharing their numbers, (I do quick picks), and they know each other! :biggrin:
I do quick picks too; so there's hope. ;D
Quote from: Locutus on April 12, 2016, 07:10:16 PM
I do quick picks too; so there's hope. ;D
OUTSTANDING! I will hope for just such an event to transpire this Saturday then. (And increase the level of soul crushing disappointment I experience when it doesn't!) :rolleyes: :biggrin:
:biggrin:
Mercury transited the sun today.
Today is the summer solstice...the longest day of the year. Tonight will also be a full moon, which in June is known as a 'strawberry moon' because it's the historic beginning of the strawberry season.
The last time the two events coincided was in 1967. The next occurrence won't happen until 2062, so don't miss it! For many, it will be a once in a lifetime event.
"Keep looking up."
--- Jack Horkheimer
Jupiter and Saturn are also clearly visible in the night sky right now. They were in close proximity to the almost full moon a couple of nights ago.
Quote from: Locutus on June 20, 2016, 12:33:06 PM
Jupiter and Saturn are also clearly visible in the night sky right now. They were in close proximity to the almost full moon a couple of nights ago.
I hate to say I haven't looked up in a while -- except to notice the full moon last night; couldn't miss it just above the treetops when I looked out the front door. My excuse is that not only am I dealing with a very difficult person, I have lost a dear friend, and the latter hurts most.
Anyway, Locutus, thanks for sky watching and reporting. I'll take time tonight to sit on the front steps and look up if there aren't too many neighbors out, coming and going, etc.
Sorry to hear about your rough times Libby.
Quote from: libby on June 20, 2016, 02:39:23 PM
I hate to say I haven't looked up in a while -- except to notice the full moon last night; couldn't miss it just above the treetops when I looked out the front door. My excuse is that not only am I dealing with a very difficult person, I have lost a dear friend, and the latter hurts most.
Anyway, Locutus, thanks for sky watching and reporting. I'll take time tonight to sit on the front steps and look up if there aren't too many neighbors out, coming and going, etc.
Sorry about the loss of your friend.
Quote from: Locutus on June 20, 2016, 03:33:52 PM
Sorry to hear about your rough times Libby.
Thank you Locutus.
Quote from: Purplelady1040 on June 20, 2016, 04:47:04 PM
Sorry about the loss of your friend.
Thank you, Purplelady.
Sorry for tough times Lib. They sure make the good times seem much better.
Best regards,
Duke (lookin' forward to some good times) Jupiter
Quote from: duke jupiter on June 20, 2016, 10:29:18 PM
Sorry for tough times Lib. They sure make the good times seem much better.
Best regards,
Duke (lookin' forward to some good times) Jupiter
Hello Duke! Thank you and good to see you! It's been a while. :yes:
I will be headin' for the hills of home on Thursday. When I'm there with friends and family (some in the graveyard) I forget everything but the moment. Some of us drive around -- last year we drove from Route 52 in Bluewell to the turn towards Ashland, then up and over the mountain, through McComas, Montcalm and on to Princeton.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on June 20, 2016, 08:06:16 AM
Today is the summer solstice...the longest day of the year. Tonight will also be a full moon, which in June is known as a 'strawberry moon' because it's the historic beginning of the strawberry season.
The last time the two events coincided was in 1967. The next occurrence won't happen until 2062, so don't miss it! For many, it will be a once in a lifetime event.
Thanks for posting that HH. I have a stack of Washington Posts to read -- and when I sit down to watch TV, including the news, I go to sleep.
Quote from: libby on June 21, 2016, 03:07:05 PM
Hello Duke! Thank you and good to see you! It's been a while. :yes:
I will be headin' for the hills of home on Thursday. When I'm there with friends and family (some in the graveyard) I forget everything but the moment. Some of us drive around -- last year we drove from Route 52 in Bluewell to the turn towards Ashland, then up and over the mountain, through McComas, Montcalm and on to Princeton.
That's quite a ride Libby. I rode me steel horse to dad's on father's day and came back home later that evening. It was a short stay of 5 hours or so but very enjoyable. I hope you enjoy your trip to the hills as I always do. I will be headin' back soon to do some off road 4-wheelin' with a few friends.
Best regards,
Duke (hillbilly cousin) Jupiter
Quote from: duke jupiter on June 21, 2016, 06:16:53 PM
That's quite a ride Libby. I rode me steel horse to dad's on father's day and came back home later that evening. It was a short stay of 5 hours or so but very enjoyable. I hope you enjoy your trip to the hills as I always do. I will be headin' back soon to do some off road 4-wheelin' with a few friends.
Best regards,
Duke (hillbilly cousin) Jupiter
:biggrin: Enjoy!
And about short visits to see your dad -- do it as often as you can. Follow those hunches. I once decided to take an unplanned trip, a quick trip to see my mother. She seemed fine, happy to see me, but a week later she died suddenly of a heart attack.
If you're awake and the sky where you are is clear tonight, you may be in for a real treat: the Perseid meteor shower, after about 1 a.m. until the sky begins to lighten. Look to the Northeast. Palehorse?
Makes me think of a postcard a friend gave me -- "West Virginia at night" -- pitch black. :smile: dream, girl, dream.
Quote from: libby on August 11, 2016, 09:24:44 PM
If you're awake and the sky where you are is clear tonight, you may be in for a real treat: the Perseid meteor shower, after about 1 a.m. until the sky begins to lighten. Look to the Northeast. Palehorse?
Makes me think of a postcard a friend gave me -- "West Virginia at night" -- pitch black. :smile: dream, girl, dream.
Lots of clouds and possible thunderstorms here. Wish it was clear so I could see it.
Hope I'll be able to stay up for it. I'm usually up that late or later but I know how my luck runs.
Facebook up in smoke!! SpaceX just blew up! Locutus, did you see this?
(https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nintchdbpict000263461077-e1472744518152.jpg?w=511)
Yes, I saw that on the news earlier. Apparently it happened during the test firing of the rocket in preparation for a launch this weekend. :spooked:
:eek: I heard about it on my car radio. Nothing but Trump on any of the local TV stations the last time I looked.
The real shame about that is the loss of the satellite and the delays it will cause FB global Internet initiative. Although, I'm sure it was insured, the project will certainly face a substantial setback as a replacement satellite will now have to be built.
Anyone who wants to read more about Facebook's global Internet initiative can find information here:
http://internet.org
Here's a video (with volume) of the event. The explosion happens at slightly more than the one minute mark in the video. Listen to the shock waves from the blast as they reach the camera's location.
http://www.wftv.com/news/local/zuckerberg-deeply-disappointed-over-satellites-destruction-in-spacex-explosion-/434865764
:spooked:
Did you hear the shock waves HH?
Yes, I didn't get the full effect because it kept buffering while I was watching it....but DAMN! :spooked:
It was buffering for me too. I'm going to try it later tonight and see if there might be a better quality when there aren't so many people who may be watching.
I think the video changed.
It did. :mad:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/world/new-years-eve-comet/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/world/new-years-eve-comet/index.html)
New Years Eve Comet viewable near the moon tonight!
. . .NASA says as we ring in the new year, a comet will near the moon and be visible to those looking west.
But here's the catch - you'll need a pair of binoculars to see it.
NASA says comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková, named after the astronomers who discovered it in 1948, takes 5.25 years to complete its orbit.
. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on December 29, 2016, 10:12:03 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/world/new-years-eve-comet/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/world/new-years-eve-comet/index.html)
New Years Eve Comet viewable near the moon tonight!
. . .NASA says as we ring in the new year, a comet will near the moon and be visible to those looking west.
But here's the catch - you'll need a pair of binoculars to see it.
NASA says comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková, named after the astronomers who discovered it in 1948, takes 5.25 years to complete its orbit.
. . .
Well, I can hope because the back of my house faces west, but, there's a row of tall trees that blocks most of the sky except when looking straight up so there's little to no hope I will see it. And, it rained last night and it's now cold with overcast sky. However, if it clears up by dark, I'll be able to see the moon in bits and pieces through the tree branches, so ... but I'm not optimistic.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/comet-eclipse-and-full-moon-light-friday-night-180962086/ (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/comet-eclipse-and-full-moon-light-friday-night-180962086/)
Rare night time triple play tonight for you insomniacs ; especially on the east coast. Full moon (Snow moon as Native Americans called it), a lunar eclipse, (happening now), and a comet flyby in the constellation Hercules.
If that elusive mistress sleep treats me like a red headed step-child, I'll be out looking for that comet. . . :yes:
The comet will require a telescope or some high power binoculars.
Quote from: Locutus on February 10, 2017, 09:40:22 PM
The comet will require a telescope or some high power binoculars.
I happen to have both! :biggrin:
I've been looking up for a while -- but the moon, almost overhead, has been barely visible most of the time because of fast moving broken clouds which make it look as if the moon and not the clouds is moving. I guess it looks less bright, but it's hard to tell because of the clouds.
Just went out again, and it's not visible at all.
SpaceX announced today that they will be flying two space tourists around the moon in 2018. If we have any takers from the Zone, this will be your opportunity to be one of the first people to be spotted here personally on the Skywatch topic. ;D
http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/27/14754404/spacex-moon-mission-2018-elon-musk-announces-private-citizen-passengers
Quote from: Locutus on February 27, 2017, 05:09:27 PM
SpaceX announced today that they will be flying two space tourists around the moon in 2018. If we have any takers from the Zone, this will be your opportunity to be one of the first people to be spotted here personally on the Skywatch topic. ;D
http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/27/14754404/spacex-moon-mission-2018-elon-musk-announces-private-citizen-passengers
I think I'll keep my feet planted on mother earth! :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on February 27, 2017, 05:09:27 PM
SpaceX announced today that they will be flying two space tourists around the moon in 2018. If we have any takers from the Zone, this will be your opportunity to be one of the first people to be spotted here personally on the Skywatch topic. ;D
http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/27/14754404/spacex-moon-mission-2018-elon-musk-announces-private-citizen-passengers
It isn't me, but I would go in a heartbeat if the opportunity were provided. :yes:
Quote from: Palehorse on February 27, 2017, 09:02:50 PM
It isn't me, but I would go in a heartbeat if the opportunity were provided. :yes:
I have to agree with Abby. :yes:
Quote from: libby on February 27, 2017, 11:47:38 PM
I have to agree with Abby. :yes:
It would be incredibly thrilling, but the trip there and back would bother me. I've thought about a trip like that often, and have to say the only way I would do it would be by transporter.
Beam me up, Scotty!
That would require a Werner Heisenberg Compensator. ;D
Quote from: Locutus link=topic=18062.msg527790#msg52 7790 date=1488325276
That would require a Werner Heisenberg Compensator. ;D
Ah, you got me on that one. Had to look it up. :yes: Thanks.
Quote from: libby on February 28, 2017, 05:01:31 PM
It would be incredibly thrilling, but the trip there and back would bother me. I've thought about a trip like that often, and have to say the only way I would do it would be by transporter.
Beam me up, Scotty!
Just make sure there isn't a fly in the chamber with you.
I have always wanted to go into space. The moon would be a bonus.
If I were gong to die tomorrow evening I would still want to go. I want to see the sky turn from blue to black. I want to see if the stars are brighter, larger, and more numerous than standing on this parasite infested planet.
I would go even if I knew I could not return. I would go to Mars on a one way ticket if the opportunity presented itself. If I died on that planet, or in transit to it, I would die happy. :yes:
Quote from: Palehorse on March 01, 2017, 12:46:59 AM
I have always wanted to go into space. The moon would be a bonus.
If I were gong to die tomorrow evening I would still want to go. I want to see the sky turn from blue to black. I want to see if the stars are brighter, larger, and more numerous than standing on this parasite infested planet.
I would go even if I knew I could not return. I would go to Mars on a one way ticket if the opportunity presented itself. If I died on that planet, or in transit to it, I would die happy. :yes:
Your words could be straight out of science fiction, Palehorse.
All this talk about the trip made me think of the movie "Space Cowboys." Loved it, watch it every chance I get.
Quote from: Palehorse on March 01, 2017, 12:46:59 AM
If I were gong to die tomorrow evening I would still want to go. I want to see the sky turn from blue to black. I want to see if the stars are brighter, larger, and more numerous than standing on this parasite infested planet.
I was on an A320 Airbus one time and they had that puppy flying right at the service ceiling of 39,000'. Being approximately 7 miles up at that point, and at the upper limits of the troposphere, the sky above the plane was demonstrably darker than the sky below. It was pretty cool.
Quote from: Locutus on March 01, 2017, 11:33:56 AM
I was on an A320 Airbus one time and they had that puppy flying right at the service ceiling of 39,000'. Being approximately 7 miles up at that point, and at the upper limits of the troposphere, the sky above the plane was demonstrably darker than the sky below. It was pretty cool.
8) Never been that high that I am aware of. . . :-[
Quote from: Palehorse on March 01, 2017, 12:46:59 AM
I have always wanted to go into space. The moon would be a bonus.
If I were gong to die tomorrow evening I would still want to go. I want to see the sky turn from blue to black. I want to see if the stars are brighter, larger, and more numerous than standing on this parasite infested planet.
I would go even if I knew I could not return. I would go to Mars on a one way ticket if the opportunity presented itself. If I died on that planet, or in transit to it, I would die happy. :yes:
Right on!!! Same here!
Quote from: libby on February 28, 2017, 11:03:27 PM
Ah, you got me on that one. Had to look it up. :yes: Thanks.
Yup! Without it, the transporter is nothing more than an atom scrambler. ;D
It was a big fear of Dr. McCoy.
Quote from: Palehorse on March 01, 2017, 12:46:59 AM
I have always wanted to go into space. The moon would be a bonus.
If I were gong to die tomorrow evening I would still want to go. I want to see the sky turn from blue to black. I want to see if the stars are brighter, larger, and more numerous than standing on this parasite infested planet.
I would go even if I knew I could not return. I would go to Mars on a one way ticket if the opportunity presented itself. If I died on that planet, or in transit to it, I would die happy. :yes:
I would like to be in a safe space craft and see the earth floating in space by its self. Going to the Moon or Mars is not for me. There is nothing there, no air but a vacuum on the Moon and you have to be in your own space craft, a space suit unable to feel anything. Looking back at earth where all history for the human race has happened would be a great sight. How ever I would like to see, feel and smell the moon rock they have brought back. Right now those rocks are more valuable than diamonds.
Mars another dead planet, no air to breath and below freezing cold, no place for a human being. Looking at how small earth would be from Mars would be a sight. Just showing how small we really are in the endless universe. Just how small are we, just think, there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all of the beaches on earth. And how long have we been here on earth, humans, just a blink of an eye in the age of the universe. :yes:
Quote from: The Troll on March 01, 2017, 10:09:27 PM
I would like to be in a safe space craft and see the earth floating in space by its self. Going to the Moon or Mars is not for me. There is nothing there, no air but a vacuum on the Moon and you have to be in your own space craft, a space suit unable to feel anything. Looking back at earth where all history for the human race has happened would be a great sight. How ever I would like to see, feel and smellta the moon rock they have brought back. Right now those rocks are more valuable than diamonds.
Mars another dead planet, no air to breath and below freezing cold, no place for a human being. Looking at how small earth would be from Mars would be a sight. Just showing how small we really are in the endless universe. Just how small are we, just think, there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all of the beaches on earth. And how long have we been here on earth, humans, just a blink of an eye in the age of the universe.
Thinking about that too much can mess with the mind. :yes: :spooked:
From today's Washington Post: Not a word about Trump! :biggrin:
washingtonpost.com
Speaking of Science
NASA finds ingredients for life spewing out of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus
By Sarah Kaplan April 13 at 2:00 PM
Saturn's moon could have the right conditions for life
Play Video5:50
NASA announced Thursday, April 13 that Saturn's moon shows signs of an ocean's worth of salt water hiding beneath thick crusts of ice. Here's what you need to know about ocean worlds other than Earth.
(NASA)
The geysers of Saturn's moon Enceladus are gushing food for life, scientists say.
Researchers report Thursday in the journal Science that the jets of ice and gas coming from the moon's south pole contain molecular hydrogen, a chemical characteristic of hydrothermal activity. On Earth, hydrogen provides fuel for communities of organisms that live around vents on the seafloor. Its presence on Saturn's icy moon suggests that this alien world, which harbors a saltwater ocean encased in a frozen crust, has the right conditions to give rise to microbial life.
"For a microbiologist thinking about energy for microbes, hydrogen is like the gold coin of energy currency," said Peter Girguis, a deep sea biologist at Harvard University who was not involved in the research. "If you had to have one thing, one chemical compound, coming out of a vent that would lead you to think there's energy to support microbial life, hydrogen is at the top of that list."
"It makes the Enceladus ocean seem a heck of a lot more habitable than we were thinking yesterday," agreed Ariel Anbar, an astrobiologist at Arizona State University. "And wouldn't we like to know, is there life living there?"
[Deep-sea life on Earth gives us a clue to what aliens would be like]
Everything scientists know about biology on Earth suggests that life is irrepressible. It thrives in clouds, in caves, in lakes of meltwater buried half a mile beneath the ice sheets of Antarctica, in boiling water plumes that gush from the ocean's deepest, darkest depths. Almost no environment is too extreme, as long as water, organic molecules and a bit of energy are available for organisms to exploit.
Enceladus (pronounced "en-SELL-a-dis") provides all three. It's looking more and more like the most habitable spot in our solar system beyond Earth, and scientists' best target yet in the search for alien organisms.
And it might not be alone. Images from the Hubble Space Telescope suggest that plumes much like those on Enceladus are also spewing from Jupiter's moon Europa, NASA announced today.
Like Enceladus, Europa harbors a subsurface saltwater ocean and could contain organic molecules. NASA hopes that Europa's geysers are likewise connected to the moon's watery interior. In the coming decade, the space agency will send a probe called the Europa Clipper to seek signs of life on Jupiter's moon by flying through those plumes.
'Is there really life on Enceladus?' Play Video1:52
NASA's Cassini spacecraft will take the deepest dive ever through the plume of Saturn's moon Enceladus. Scientists hope this close flyby will shed light on if the moon's icy surface has the ingredients needed to support life. (YouTube/NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
"In the NASA strategy for searching for life, the key ingredients have always been water, building blocks like carbon, oxygen, nitrogen ... and a source of energy," said Mary Voytek, a senior scientist for astrobiology at NASA who was not involved in the research. Knowing that two worlds in the solar system might meet these requirements, "it's very possible that we have life out on one of those moons," Voytek said.
Enceladus's geysers have made it a target in the search for extraterrestrial organisms ever since the NASA space probe Cassini detected them in 2005. The plumes are rich with water and organic molecules, and the force with which they gush from the surface suggests that they are driven by a hydrothermal system 2½ times as powerful as the one that powers Yellowstone's geysers and bubbling hot springs. They are also physical evidence of the water in the moon's interior, which is heated by the gravitational pull of Saturn.
In October 2015, Cassini flew deeper into the geysers than it ever had before, skimming a mere 30 miles above the moon's surface. The probe trapped particles from the plume inside its Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer — a "sniffing" instrument that sorts material into its component parts based on mass — and analyzed the icy spray.
[Looking for aliens on ocean worlds: 'You'd be in denial to believe there isn't life out there']
The results suggest that the geysers contain a surprising ratio of molecular hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. The molecules are in "thermodynamic disequilibrium," the researchers say; that is, they're chemically out of whack. Molecular hydrogen (a compound made of two hydrogen atoms) is a very volatile gas, and is not easily trapped on a small, icy world like Enceladus. Its presence in the geyser plume indicates that there are processes beneath the surface constantly replenishing the supply of molecular hydrogen.
The paper's authors examined a number of possible reasons for this chemical imbalance in their paper. The most likely explanation, they conclude, is something called serpenitinization. As hot water from Enceladus's ocean flows through cracks in the seafloor, it reacts with the iron-rich rock to form molecular hydrogen.
This graphic illustrates how scientists on NASA's Cassini mission think water interacts with rock at the bottom of the ocean of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus, producing hydrogen gas. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Southwest Research Institute)
This exact phenomenon is known to happen around Earth's hydrothermal vents, where it fuels entire ecosystems of chemosynthetic organisms. Instead of deriving energy from the light of the sun, as photosynthetic plants do, these creatures feed on chemical imbalances. They power themselves by getting hydrogen to react with carbon dioxide to form methane, a process called methanogenesis, just as a lightbulb is powered by electric charges moving across a circuit.
Methanogenesis is one of the oldest metabolic processes on the planet. It predates photosynthesis; it may even have powered Earth's very first life. The fact that Enceladus produces the same chemical imbalances that drive chemosynthetic life on Earth is intriguing.
"But it's not necessarily an indication for or against life" on Saturn's moon, cautioned co-author Hunter Waite of the Southwest Research Institute in Texas (SWRI).
[New photos of the ocean-filled, potentially habitable moon Enceladus]
Waite compared the surplus of molecular hydrogen on Enceladus to a stack of pizzas piled up outside a house. On the one hand, if there was anyone living in the house, you would think that the inhabitants would be eating it. The fact that the hydrogen persists could be evidence that there are no microbes around to use it for fuel. On the other hand, maybe there's so much pizza arriving every day that the residents can't keep up. There may be other factors limiting how much hydrogen the hypothetical microbes can process, allowing some molecules to escape up to the surface.
If there is life on Enceladus, the scientists know how much energy is available for it to consume based on the ratio of hydrogen in the plume. Co-author Christopher Glein, a geochemist at SWRI, called it "the first assessment of the calorie count in an alien ocean." He and his colleagues found that the moon's hydrothermal activity supplies more than enough energy to power a chemosynthetic ecosystem — the equivalent of 300 pizzas per hour.
As Enceladus orbits Saturn, it leaves a trail of particles from its geysers in its wake, forming Saturn's "E ring." (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)
Clearly, Enceladus's sea floor is a veritable hydrogen pizza party. But is anyone eating?
"We're going to have to go back with new missions and more focused instrumentation to answer that question," Waite said.
Cassini won't have any more opportunities to sample the geyser plumes. After orbiting Saturn for more than a decade, the spacecraft is scheduled to start dives between the planet and its rings next week. In September, Cassini will plunge straight into Saturn, burning up almost as soon as it hits the gas giant's atmosphere. The command sequence for this final mission was transmitted to the probe by NASA's Deep Space Network on Tuesday.
It's Enceladus's fault that Cassini must die — NASA doesn't want to risk the spacecraft inadvertently contaminating the potentially habitable moon, so they cannot leave it hanging out in space after it runs out of fuel.
Hot water clue to life on Saturn moon Play Video1:27
Scientists found that Enceladus, a 300 mile-wide moon of Saturn, has hot water under its icy crust, raising the possibility that it may host life. (Reuters)
Yet the space probe has already dramatically exceeded scientists' expectations. When Cassini launched toward Saturn in 1997, NASA didn't even know that Enceladus had geysers, let alone an ocean that could harbor life, and the spacecraft wasn't equipped with instruments that could test for biomarkers (the instrument used in this study was initially designed to study a different moon entirely). If scientists want to search for life on Enceladus in earnest, they will need to send another probe to the moon.
Glein is working on a proposal for exactly such a mission. But right now, NASA has no project in the works to revisit the Saturnian system. It could be more than a decade before we go back.
"It's frustrating and thrilling at the same time," Glein said.
Fortunately, Enceladus no longer appears to be the only ocean world spitting its contents into space. The news that Europa also has geysers comes just as NASA begins the preliminary design phase of the Europa Clipper mission, which is slated to orbit Jupiter and perform 45 flybys of the planet's icy moon.
This is not the first time scientists have detected evidence of geysers on Europa; Hubble has spotted similar plumes several times before. But this detection provides further evidence for the activity and will help scientists figure out the timing of Europa's geysers in advance of the Clipper mission.
LEFT: Europa's icy surface is fractured and crisscrossed with broken ice — one hint that there is a liquid water ocean hiding underneath. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute) RIGHT: This illustration of Europa's interior cuts into its rock and ice crust to reveal a liquid water interior and a rocky core. (NASA/JPL)
The plumes were detected by the Hubble Space Telescope as Europa passed in front of Jupiter. Silhouetted against the hot, glowing form of its host planet, scientists could see gusts of material shooting upward. The jets were so powerful that they extended 50 kilometers above the moon's surface — Old Faithful, the famous geyser at Yellowstone, only reaches 184 feet.
When the Clipper arrives in the mid-2020s, it will carry instruments specifically designed to sample Europa's plumes and test for organic molecules. Unlike Cassini, which had no idea what it would encounter when it detected Enceladus's geysers for the first time, the spacecraft should be well-equipped to detect life — if there's any life to be found.
Voytek said that her boss, NASA's planetary science director Jim Green, is determined to find organisms beyond Earth before he retires. "You've got a couple of years," he told her, jokingly, when they heard about the Enceladus discovery.
Green is optimistic about his chances.
"We're just on the precipice of moving this whole activity forward," he told The Washington Post. "I think in our lifetime we'll be able to answer the question, 'Are we alone?' "
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