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Old 08-09-2014, 22:18
njp
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Comets.

here's the truth. when you read "worlds in collision" you realise that comets are not billions of years old. they are young, and decaying quickly as their comas stream off into space. that's is why Halley's comet was a mighty thing in 1066, but a damp squib a few years ago.

Read "worlds in collision" now.
It's crackpot nonsense. Why would anyone bother?
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Old 08-09-2014, 22:29
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Comets.

here's the truth. when you read "worlds in collision" you realise that comets are not billions of years old. they are young, and decaying quickly as their comas stream off into space. that's is why Halley's comet was a mighty thing in 1066, but a damp squib a few years ago.

Read "worlds in collision" now
.
That, I'm afraid, is discredited espoo. Actualité turns out to be even more interesting with the Asteroid Belt, Oort Cloud, Kuiper Belt with Sedna, Quaoar, etc. and Chiron and the Centaurs (sounds like but isn't a band!)

Good news: Slooh are doing an autumn Supermoon feature; Bad news: it's on at 2.30am Tuesday morning http://live.slooh.com/stadium/live/t...r-harvest-moon Dang!
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Old 14-09-2014, 00:39
The Martian
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Curiosity Reaches Mount Sharp to Look for Life's Niches

More than two years after touching down inside Gale Crater, NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has arrived at the place that drove scientists to select the landing site at the outset - Mount Sharp.

The three-mile high mountain of layered rock rises from the center of the impact basin. Each strata holds clues about a different time in Martian history, including periods when warmer temperatures and a thicker, wetter atmosphere made the planet more hospitable to life, or at least life as we know it on Earth.
http://news.discovery.com/space/curi...hes-140912.htm

All the latest images: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/ The best ones are usually from the mast camera (Mastcam)

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Old 22-09-2014, 07:10
BeethovensPiano
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Maven has arrived at Mars

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/news/whatsn...ws&NewsID=1712

NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft successfully entered Mars' orbit at 7:24 p.m. PDT (10:24 p.m. EDT) Sunday, Sept. 21, where it now will prepare to study the Red Planet's upper atmosphere as never done before. MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars.
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Old 22-09-2014, 10:00
The Martian
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Recent photo from curiosity: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multime...E01_DXXX&s=753

What is that in the image at the top left?
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Old 22-09-2014, 19:41
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Maven has arrived at Mars

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/news/whatsn...ws&NewsID=1712

NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft successfully entered Mars' orbit at 7:24 p.m. PDT (10:24 p.m. EDT) Sunday, Sept. 21, where it now will prepare to study the Red Planet's upper atmosphere as never done before. MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars.
This is a very interesting mission and I hope it can shed light on the significant cilmate and atmospheric changes in early Mars' history. More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29253788

Recent photo from curiosity: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multime...E01_DXXX&s=753

What is that in the image at the top left?
It might be differentially eroded layers of alternating hard and soft rock strata or an artifact created by Curiosity's wheels. Either way, it's nothing suspicious that's worth investigating.

All too often people see bones or skull forms in Martian rocks when that's impossible because Mars was only potentially hospitable for life during part of the Noachian era and there just wasn't time for anything more complex than bacteria or actinomycetes to have evolved before the planetary climate deteriorated.

In other news, NASA has selected two companies to provide crew transport to Earth orbit and the International Space Station and the world's first photographs has been taken with a 3D printed telescope:

Nasa picks astronaut crew ship designs
The US space agency Nasa has picked the companies it hopes can take the country's astronauts back into space. It is giving up to $6.2bn to the Boeing and SpaceX firms, to help them finish the development of new crew capsules. Since the space shuttles were retired in 2011, the Americans have relied on Russia and its Soyuz vehicles to get to the International Space Station.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29228900

University launches world's first photographs taken with telescope made by 3D printing
The telescope in question costs just £100 to make and is constructed from parts readily available on the internet. The entrepreneurs responsible, Institute of Physics member, Mark Wrigley, and University of Sheffield Physics and Astronomy research associate, Andy Kirby, have even made the plans available online so that any budding astronomers can build their own telescope, saving a minimum of £800 compared to models of the same capabilities.
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/3...onomy-1.404562
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Old 24-09-2014, 20:46
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...and now, to complement NASA's Maven mission, we have the on budget and on time Mangalyaan probe from India which is now in orbit around Mars:

Why India's Mars mission is so cheap - and thrilling
India's space programme has succeeded at the first attempt where others have failed - by sending an operational mission to Mars. The Mangalyaan satellite was confirmed to be in orbit shortly after 0800, Indian time. It is, without doubt, a considerable achievement. This is a mission that has been budgeted at 4.5bn rupees ($74m), which, by Western standards, is staggeringly cheap.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29341850

India puts interplanetary probe in orbit at Mars
The mission carries about 33 pounds, or 15 kilograms, of scientific instrumentation to gather data on the history of the Martian climate and the mineral make-up of its surface. The mission carries a color imaging camera to return medium-resolution pictures of the Martian surface, a thermal infrared spectrometer to measure the chemical composition of rocks and soils, and instruments to assess the Mars atmosphere, including a methane detector.
http://www.astronomynow.com/news/n14.../#.VCMfO8cmh9g
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Old 24-09-2014, 20:56
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...and now, to complement NASA's Maven mission, we have the on budget and on time Mangalyaan probe from India which is now in orbit around Mars:

Why India's Mars mission is so cheap - and thrilling
India's space programme has succeeded at the first attempt where others have failed - by sending an operational mission to Mars. The Mangalyaan satellite was confirmed to be in orbit shortly after 0800, Indian time. It is, without doubt, a considerable achievement. This is a mission that has been budgeted at 4.5bn rupees ($74m), which, by Western standards, is staggeringly cheap.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29341850

India puts interplanetary probe in orbit at Mars
The mission carries about 33 pounds, or 15 kilograms, of scientific instrumentation to gather data on the history of the Martian climate and the mineral make-up of its surface. The mission carries a color imaging camera to return medium-resolution pictures of the Martian surface, a thermal infrared spectrometer to measure the chemical composition of rocks and soils, and instruments to assess the Mars atmosphere, including a methane detector.
http://www.astronomynow.com/news/n14.../#.VCMfO8cmh9g
It is very impressive.

But if I could be cynical, isn't this no more than a higher budget Helium balloon, with a camera, type 6th Form experiment to Mars rather than Earth upper-atmosphere?

It won't descend to the surface and should we put more and larger craft onto, safe landings, on Mars before all the hype over Manned and return explorations?

JFK managed to set NASA in motion for Apollo to the Moon.
It's a bit tricky for Mars.

I don't want to be unduly negative, I love Science.
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Old 24-09-2014, 21:21
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It is very impressive.

But if I could be cynical, isn't this no more than a higher budget Helium balloon, with a camera, type 6th Form experiment to Mars rather than Earth upper-atmosphere?

It won't descend to the surface and should we put more and larger craft onto, safe landings, on Mars before all the hype over Manned and return explorations?

JFK managed to set NASA in motion for Apollo to the Moon.
It's a bit tricky for Mars.

I don't want to be unduly negative, I love Science.
Well, RobinOfLoxley, take a look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Or...ission#Payload at the scientific instruments that are on board that probe. Not only can you do some serious and proper science with those instruments but, as the Mullard Space Science Laboratory's Professor Andrew Coates pointed out below, it really will be useful to have three sets of data coming in from three different orbital probes. This is an area where I'd like to see collaboration and data sharing between all three mission teams.

Its measurements of other atmospheric components will dovetail very nicely with Maven and the observations being made by Europe's Mars Express. "It means we'll be getting three-point measurements, which is tremendous," says Prof Coates.
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Old 24-09-2014, 21:34
RobinOfLoxley
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Sorry I was unduly negative and projecting these advancements onto a possible future set of missions.
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Old 25-09-2014, 03:18
The Martian
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Cool Martian ball: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multime...E01_DXXX&s=746

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Old 25-09-2014, 09:33
FIN-MAN
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It is obviously martian poo. From your username I can gather that you didn't pick up after yourself?
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Old 25-09-2014, 10:08
BeethovensPiano
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Old 26-09-2014, 19:55
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Sorry I was unduly negative and projecting these advancements onto a possible future set of missions.
By all means feel free to comment in any way. Personally, I'd like to see the development of a nuclear thermal rocket (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_thermal_rocket) to explore the solar system. A propulsion system like that would cut the journey time to Mars right down.

i.e. a pebble eroded by wind and perhaps water too from a bygone era.

Now for some more astro news:

Curiosity Mars rover drills into base of Mount Sharp
The Curiosity rover has drilled its first full hole in Martian rock since May. The robot used its power tool to grind out a sample from a pale, flat slab at a location dubbed "Pahrump Hills". Curiosity has previously drilled into three rocks to collect powdered tailings for analysis in its sophisticated onboard laboratories.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29361606

India's Mars Orbiter Mission sends first images of Red Planet
BANGALORE/NEW DELHI: India's Mars spacecraft has beamed back the first images of the red planet and they were made public by ISRO with a caption "The view is nice up here", a day after it was placed in orbit in the very first attempt scripting space history.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/43414311.cms
https://www.facebook.com/isromom

More on the exploration of Mars here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explora...ars#Mars_Curse

Rosetta: Date fixed for historic comet landing attempt
The date has been fixed for Europe's daring attempt to land on a comet: Wednesday 12 November. It will see the Rosetta satellite, which is currently orbiting the huge "ice mountain" known as 67P, drop a small robot from a height of 20km. If all goes well, the lander will free-fall towards the comet, making contact with the surface somewhere in a 1km-wide zone at roughly 15:35 GMT.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29380448
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Old 26-09-2014, 21:00
RobinOfLoxley
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Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock's Horizon last night was excellent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...-need-the-moon

'Do we really need the Moon' examined ..the Moon!

Amongst nuggets it let fall, is that as the Moon recedes, the Earth will become unstable.
We may only have a billion years left of habitable life, not 5 billion


But one interesting point it discussed is building a space port 'hub' on the Moon and using that as a jumping off point for the rest of the Solar System and perhaps beyond.
Still very difficult, but a lot easier than setting off directly for Mars.

Perhaps it could be called Moonbase Alpha?

(the cost would still be astronomical)
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Old 29-09-2014, 21:18
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Rosetta's lander Philae's touchdown on comet 67/P should be confirmed at 4pm on Wednesday 12 November: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Sp...on_12_November
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Old 01-10-2014, 13:26
The Martian
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Cool Martian wheels and axle: http://i.imgur.com/T8iARcE.jpg

Original: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multime...E01_DXXX&s=729
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Old 06-10-2014, 14:50
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The bid to reinstate Pluto's planet status gathers momentum:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...t-9769753.html
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Old 06-10-2014, 15:33
atg
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Anybody who wants to call Pluto a planet can do so. They are still wrong though.

That article starts off incorrectly. The were once thirteen planets, and some of the other ex planets would still qualify under the 'smallest spherical lump' definition.

Pluto just needs to suck it up, except that obviously, it can't easily do that.
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Old 06-10-2014, 20:48
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The bid to reinstate Pluto's planet status gathers momentum:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...t-9769753.html
Anybody who wants to call Pluto a planet can do so. They are still wrong though.

That article starts off incorrectly. The were once thirteen planets, and some of the other ex planets would still qualify under the 'smallest spherical lump' definition.

Pluto just needs to suck it up, except that obviously, it can't easily do that.
This is an interesting debate and I suspect it will reach a peak next year when the New Horizons mission reaches the double world of Pluto and Charon.

In the current definition (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet#2006_definition), astronomers are trying to rationalise an essentially chaotic and random system that the formation of the solar system has served up. That current system seems to make better sense than having the old system whereby 40+ planets would ultimately comprise the solar system, most of which would be relatively insignificant ice asteroids at the far reaches of the solar system.

The alternative to both of the above is to have entirely arbitrary system so that, for example, a planet is defined as having a radius of 1000km which would include both Pluto and Eris but would exclude all the rest. That also has the potential to generate anomalies though because billions of kilometres away, there might very well be undiscovered icy bodies with radii 998km and 999km and so the argument gets reopened again. It's kind of a no win situation really.

By the way, l recommend this book here:

How I Killed Pluto and why it Had it Coming by Mike Brown
https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/pr...ed=0CGAQpiswAA

...and this item here: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zuJjR8Pmqt...from_ceres.jpg
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Old 25-10-2014, 20:35
BeethovensPiano
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Giant sunspot AR2192 timelapse, largest spot of the current solar cycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_tNpRMApJs
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Old 25-10-2014, 20:40
gemma-the-husky
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This is an interesting debate and I suspect it will reach a peak next year when the New Horizons mission reaches the double world of Pluto and Charon.

In the current definition (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet#2006_definition), astronomers are trying to rationalise an essentially chaotic and random system that the formation of the solar system has served up. That current system seems to make better sense than having the old system whereby 40+ planets would ultimately comprise the solar system, most of which would be relatively insignificant ice asteroids at the far reaches of the solar system.

The alternative to both of the above is to have entirely arbitrary system so that, for example, a planet is defined as having a radius of 1000km which would include both Pluto and Eris but would exclude all the rest. That also has the potential to generate anomalies though because billions of kilometres away, there might very well be undiscovered icy bodies with radii 998km and 999km and so the argument gets reopened again. It's kind of a no win situation really.

By the way, l recommend this book here:

How I Killed Pluto and why it Had it Coming by Mike Brown
https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/pr...ed=0CGAQpiswAA

...and this item here: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zuJjR8Pmqt...from_ceres.jpg
So why does Terra/Luna not count as 2 planets then (ie a binary planet sub system)?
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Old 26-10-2014, 20:09
atg
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Giant sunspot AR2192 timelapse, largest spot of the current solar cycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_tNpRMApJs
Get the eclipse glasses out again, this is a rare naked eye spot.
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Old 31-10-2014, 14:57
The Martian
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Cassini Spies a Sunny Day on Titan's Seas

Cassini has spotted sun glint before on Titan’s surface, but this is the first set of observations (stitched together as a mosaic) where the boundaries of the seas and the sunlight glint are visible in the same view.

As Titan’s surface is so cold, water cannot exist in a liquid state. Instead, the world cycles liquid methane (a substance that has a lower freezing point than water) from Titan’s “great lakes”, into the atmosphere as vapor, which condenses as clouds, raining methane back down onto the hydrocarbon surface. Much like Earth’s water cycle, Titan’s methane cycle creates rivers, deltas, valleys and large masses of liquid methane as observed here.
http://news.discovery.com/space/cass...eas-141030.htm

Really great image.

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/d...141030-jpg.jpg
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Old 31-10-2014, 20:17
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It's Hallowe'en and it's scary time in the skies:

Ghost craters - - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gh...w&ved=0CDIQsAQ http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclo...st_crater.html http://astronomynow.com/2014/10/31/g...-at-halloween/

The Skull Nebula - double - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ng...ed=0CAYQ_AUoAQ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_246

And now back to the serious stuff...

So why does Terra/Luna not count as 2 planets then (ie a binary planet sub system)?
Very good question indeed. In the case of Pluto and Charon the mutual centre of gravity of the two worlds, the barycentre, lies between them - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ble_planet.png - so it's a double dwarf planet situation.

In the case of the Earth and Moon, the barycentre lies underneath the Earth's crust because the Earth is 81x more massive than the Moon - http://scienceprojectideasforkids.co...balancejpg.jpg - and so it's not technically regarded as a double planet.

It's now time for a news update starting with an unfortunate tragedy:

One dead in Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo test crash
At least one person is dead and another injured after Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo space tourism craft crashed in a California desert, the California Highway Patrol has said. The craft was undergoing manned testing when it experienced what the company described as "a serious anomaly".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29857182

Hubble Space Telescope sees ‘ghost light’ from dead galaxies
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has picked up the faint, ghostly glow of stars ejected from ancient galaxies that were gravitationally ripped apart several billion years ago. The mayhem happened 4 billion light-years away, inside an immense collection of nearly 500 galaxies nicknamed “Pandora’s Cluster,” also known as Abell 2744. The scattered stars are no longer bound to any one galaxy, and drift freely between galaxies in the cluster.
http://astronomynow.com/2014/10/30/h...-dead-galaxies

Moon probe’s impact crater found
“The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) team recently developed a new computer tool to search Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) before and after image pairs for new craters, the LADEE impact event provided a fun test, said Mark Robinson, LROC principal investigator from Arizona State University in Tempe. “As it turns there were several small surface changes found in the predicted area of the impact, the biggest and most distinctive was within 968 feet (295 metres) of the spot estimated by the LADEE operations team. What fun!”
http://astronomynow.com/2014/10/30/m...-crater-found/


Now it's time for some audio astronomy:

The Making of the Moon

Nuclear Fusion

A MESSENGER From Mercury
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