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Old 14-01-2008, 17:05
xflare
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A thread to discuss all things space related..

I'll get the ball rolling.

In exactly two hours NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft will pass 124 miles from the surface of Mercury, the first visit to the planet since 1975.. Follow the mision with latest images etc here: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/ and http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/
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Old 14-01-2008, 17:20
xflare
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Pic from 470,000 miles out:
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/...108693445M.jpg
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Old 14-01-2008, 17:21
swingaleg
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Cool...........looks just like the Moon

Venus looks like a billiard ball..............
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Old 14-01-2008, 17:36
Ricardodaforce
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Nice idea for a thread.
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Old 14-01-2008, 19:08
Ricardodaforce
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Anyone know any good space websites? Don't tell me about Space.com as I hate the design and navigation of it!
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Old 14-01-2008, 19:14
xflare
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Anyone know any good space websites? Don't tell me about Space.com as I hate the design and navigation of it!
Anything in particular you were looking for? There are many.

http://www.planetary.org/home/
http://www.spaceflightnow.com
http://www.spacetoday.net/
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Old 14-01-2008, 19:15
MadgeBishop
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Nice pics!

I love anything to do with astrology and space.

I regularly look up the Nasa web site, it's got some good stuff on there. I particularly like watching the shuttle launches.
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Old 14-01-2008, 19:27
Tidosho
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Site below is one i use for wallpapers, apart from being just interesting to look at.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
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Old 14-01-2008, 19:29
kyresa
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Now that is a beautiful picture.

So peaceful.
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Old 14-01-2008, 23:18
xflare
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MESSENGER Flyby of Mercury

At 2:04 p.m. EST MESSENGER skimmed 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the surface of Mercury in the first of three flybys of the planet. Initial indications from the radio signals indicate the spacecraft is still operating nominally. The first science data return from the flyby was received today, just minutes before the closest approach point with the planet, as planned.

“The engineers and operators at the Deep Space Network (DSN) in Goldstone, Calif., in conjunction with engineers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., pulled off a tremendous feat, acquiring and locking onto the downlink signal from the spacecraft within seconds, providing the necessary Doppler measurements for the Radio Science team” said MESSENGER Mission Systems Engineer Eric Finnegan, of APL.“ The spacecraft is continuing to collect imagery and other scientific measurements from the planet as we now depart Mercury from the illuminated side, documenting for the first time the previously unseen surface of the planet.”

Tomorrow at noon EST, the spacecraft will turn back towards the Earth to start down-linking the on-board stored data. Measurements of this Doppler signal from the spacecraft will allow improve knowledge of Mercury’s gravity field.
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Old 14-01-2008, 23:22
Dibbledooski
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Wow am glad you started this

Me and my hubby decided to take on a joint indoor hobby this year- something we could do when kids were in bed but also that they could join in with (well maybe not the 6 month old)

When we were at uni we both did a subsidiary in Astronomy and really enjoyed it so we decided to buy a telescope and do some star gazing...

Its a really good one and apparently you can see planets and the moon and stuff although since we bought it it has been too cloudy!

Can you recommend any beginners sites or something to get us started? Some software came with it that my husband is getting his head round..

Am rather sadly quite excited... although I hope the neighbours dont see us
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Old 14-01-2008, 23:29
xflare
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The forums on "cloudy nights" might be a good place to start with questions on telescopes,

http://www.cloudynights.com/index.php

And maybe this site:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgo
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Old 14-01-2008, 23:32
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[quote=Dibbledooski;20877076]

When we were at uni we both did a subsidiary in Astronomy and really enjoyed it so we decided to buy a telescope and do some star gazing...

Its a really good one and apparently you can see planets and the moon and stuff although since we bought it it has been too cloudy!
QUOTE]

That Sums up exactly what makes Astronomy so blooming frustrating in this country. I often like to look out for the perseids or other meteor showers and it's invariably raining or cloudy. You get to miss all the decent "big" astronomy events because of the weather. That's why I couldn't take it up seriously as a hobby.
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Old 14-01-2008, 23:33
Dibbledooski
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The forums on "cloudy nights" might be a good place to start with questions on telescopes,

http://www.cloudynights.com/index.php

And maybe this site:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgo



That Sums up exactly what makes Astronomy so blooming frustrating in this country. I often like to look out for the perseids or other meteor showers and it's invariably raining or cloudy. You get to miss all the decent "big" astronomy events because of the weather. That's why I couldn't take it up seriously as a hobby.
We are taking it up VERY seriously as a hobby

Thanks for the links
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Old 15-01-2008, 00:32
koantemplation
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Space, it's big. Really, really big.

4. odd light years just to the nearest star in this galaxy.

Even at the speed of light it'll take ages to get anywhere useful.
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Old 15-01-2008, 06:41
Ricardodaforce
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Space, it's big. Really, really big.

4. odd light years just to the nearest star in this galaxy.

Even at the speed of light it'll take ages to get anywhere useful.
Yeah, about 4 odd years to the nearest star eh
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Old 15-01-2008, 07:09
MadgeBishop
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http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/kippsphotos/5903.jpg

That's one of my faves.

The whole section of images from here are amazing imo.
http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/kippsphotos/apollo.html

Particularly:
http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/kippsphotos/6667.jpg
http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/kippsphotos/6692.jpg

I could look at those all day....
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Old 15-01-2008, 07:09
Blackhorse47
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We are taking it up VERY seriously as a hobby

Thanks for the links
Best at the start I reckon to avoid the telescope and learn the star signs. This time of year is perfect with Orion up there and unmissable, providing great pointers to many of the winter constellations.
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Old 15-01-2008, 07:12
MadgeBishop
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Avoid the telescope and use binoculars instead! I always find them better for the money
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Old 15-01-2008, 07:35
Blackhorse47
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Avoid the telescope and use binoculars instead! I always find them better for the money
Agreed, except at this time of year when it's so cold you get the shakes and the stars go flitting round in dizzying ways. I know you can get a tripod but I haven't! The thing that annoys me the most though is what to do with glasses. I spend more time worrying were they are.
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Old 15-01-2008, 09:36
tvd
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If the Earth and the other planets in the solar system are all on one side of the sun, and travel on a continual orbit, is it possible there could be other planets on the other side of the sun that we can never see because it/they are travelling round the sun at the same speed as us?
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Old 15-01-2008, 10:08
koantemplation
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Yeah, about 4 odd years to the nearest star eh
yeah 4.3 light years to Proxima centauri. :shrug: (not counting the sun of course)
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Old 15-01-2008, 10:14
leo
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Ummmmm....

I WENT TO SPACE CAMP FOR A WEEK LAST JUNE

THERE! I said it
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Old 15-01-2008, 10:14
koantemplation
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If the Earth and the other planets in the solar system are all on one side of the sun, and travel on a continual orbit, is it possible there could be other planets on the other side of the sun that we can never see because it/they are travelling round the sun at the same speed as us?
I think they could tell if there was any planets by their gravitational effects.
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Old 15-01-2008, 10:16
MadgeBishop
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Agreed, except at this time of year when it's so cold you get the shakes and the stars go flitting round in dizzying ways. I know you can get a tripod but I haven't! The thing that annoys me the most though is what to do with glasses. I spend more time worrying were they are.
That's true isn't it. Big problem with binoculars in the cold weather.
I used to have an awesome pair of binoculars that were really strong. I used to be able to look at the moon for hours and pick out the craters.
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