A salty ocean is lurking beneath the surface of Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede, scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope have found.
See a A salty ocean on Ganymede
See a A salty ocean on Ganymede
Space and Astronomy Thread
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NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has performed a record-setting maneuver to adjust its approach to Pluto ahead of its historic flyby this summer.
See record setting burn
See record setting burn
Hydrothermal vents, warm mineral rich oceans - the odds for abiogenesis away from earth just keep getting better and better.
Sod Mars - as interesting as it is it has nothing on the huge moons of the gas giants - if we are going to find alien life it will probably be on one of them and Enceladus is currently the front-runner just ahead of Europa.
A totally astounding thing to contemplate.
I just wish I had been born far later - what incredible wonders I am going to miss once I am gone.
http://astronomynow.com/2015/03/12/h...oon-enceladus/
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astro...mal_vents.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2...-space-planet/
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/discov...182029759.html
Edit.
I have just seen the news on Ganymede as well - remarkable.
Sod Mars - as interesting as it is it has nothing on the huge moons of the gas giants - if we are going to find alien life it will probably be on one of them and Enceladus is currently the front-runner just ahead of Europa.
A totally astounding thing to contemplate.
I just wish I had been born far later - what incredible wonders I am going to miss once I am gone.
http://astronomynow.com/2015/03/12/h...oon-enceladus/
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astro...mal_vents.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2...-space-planet/
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/discov...182029759.html
Edit.
I have just seen the news on Ganymede as well - remarkable.
There is quite a bit of magnetic activity in the polar regions at the moment. The Kp Index, which runs from 0-9, is currently 8 and so there is a possibility of visible aurora tonight if it keeps going, but probably only in the northern part of the UK, but of course it might reduce again before dark.
However, if it intensifies to 9, who knows how far south it could reach.
This and this might be worth watching.
And before anyone asks, this is nothing to do with tomorrow's eclipse.
However, if it intensifies to 9, who knows how far south it could reach.
This and this might be worth watching.
And before anyone asks, this is nothing to do with tomorrow's eclipse.
Update of aurora possibility.
The 1800 UTC Kp Index figure was still at 8 and the outer limit of the auroral oval is showing as about as far south as Fort William.
The 1800 UTC Kp Index figure was still at 8 and the outer limit of the auroral oval is showing as about as far south as Fort William.
The outer limit of the auroral oval is now showing as about as far south as about The Humber and the southern part of N. Ireland.
Edit: It is fluctuating and has now moved back to southern Scotland.
Edit: It is fluctuating and has now moved back to southern Scotland.
Originally Posted by albertd:
“And before anyone asks, this is nothing to do with tomorrow's eclipse.”
“And before anyone asks, this is nothing to do with tomorrow's eclipse.”
I did, of course, mean Friday's eclipse
Originally Posted by albertd:
“I did, of course, mean Friday's eclipse”
“I did, of course, mean Friday's eclipse
”
It's always the same - you wait ages for one bloody eclipse and then two turn up at once!
Originally Posted by Keyser_Soze1:
“It's always the same - you wait ages for one bloody eclipse and then two turn up at once!”
“It's always the same - you wait ages for one bloody eclipse and then two turn up at once!
”
That's a good summary of Lunar orbital mechanics actually
The magnetic activity has now subsided again with the Kp Index back down to 4 this morning and the Auroral Oval well north of the UK. No obvious signs of further activity for now.
Looking at news reports it seems that the oval was showing just about the same as people were observing visually (where it was clear enough).
Looking at news reports it seems that the oval was showing just about the same as people were observing visually (where it was clear enough).
Originally Posted by Keyser_Soze1:
“It's always the same - you wait ages for one bloody eclipse and then two turn up at once!”
“It's always the same - you wait ages for one bloody eclipse and then two turn up at once!
”
Although I realise that you were joking about my mistake, you are, in fact, more correct than it seems. There is a partial lunar eclipse in two weeks time, though not visible from the UK.
Originally Posted by albertd:
“Although I realise that you were joking about my mistake, you are, in fact, more correct than it seems. There is a partial lunar eclipse in two weeks time, though not visible from the UK.”
“Although I realise that you were joking about my mistake, you are, in fact, more correct than it seems. There is a partial lunar eclipse in two weeks time, though not visible from the UK.”
It's because the lunar nodes, which are the two places where the Moon crosses the ecliptic in its orbit around the Earth, are currently lined up with the Sun, therefore after a solar eclipse the Moon takes 14-ish days to travel half way round its orbit and you get a lunar eclipse. Sometimes it has time to get all the way back round again and you get another solar eclipse (of some sort).
Then, after approximately 6 months during which the Earth goes about half way round its own orbit, the nodes are again lined up perfectly with the Sun and the sequence of two or three eclipses separated by two weeks happens again.
You can have anywhere from 4 to 7 eclipses of both kinds in any year, but two of the 4 minimum could be the very elusive penumbral lunar eclipses, as in 2016.
Check it out:
Eclipses in 2015
March 20: Total solar eclipse
April 4: Total lunar eclipse
September 13: Partial solar eclipse
September 28: Total lunar eclipse
Eclipses in 2016
March 9: Total solar eclipse
March 23: Penumbral lunar eclipse
September 1: Annular solar eclipse
September 16: penumbral lunar eclipse
So you do wait 6 months for one, then two turn up at once.
Although the penumbral lunars are almost indistinguishable as seen from Earth, on the Moon they represent a partial eclipse of the Sun by the Earth, and with the atmosphere glowing red and possibly night time city lighting (I don't know if it would be visible from that distance) must be quite spectacular. Probably worth the trip to see actually.
Originally Posted by atg:
“It's because the lunar nodes, which are the two places where the Moon crosses the ecliptic in its orbit around the Earth, are currently lined up with the Sun, therefore after a solar eclipse the Moon takes 14-ish days to travel half way round its orbit and you get a lunar eclipse. Sometimes it has time to get all the way back round again and you get another solar eclipse (of some sort).
Then, after approximately 6 months during which the Earth goes about half way round its own orbit, the nodes are again lined up perfectly with the Sun and the sequence of two or three eclipses separated by two weeks happens again.
You can have anywhere from 4 to 7 eclipses of both kinds in any year, but two of the 4 minimum could be the very elusive penumbral lunar eclipses, as in 2016.
Check it out:
Eclipses in 2015
March 20: Total solar eclipse
April 4: Total lunar eclipse
September 13: Partial solar eclipse
September 28: Total lunar eclipse
Eclipses in 2016
March 9: Total solar eclipse
March 23: Penumbral lunar eclipse
September 1: Annular solar eclipse
September 16: penumbral lunar eclipse
So you do wait 6 months for one, then two turn up at once.
Although the penumbral lunars are almost indistinguishable as seen from Earth, on the Moon they represent a partial eclipse of the Sun by the Earth, and with the atmosphere glowing red and possibly night time city lighting (I don't know if it would be visible from that distance) must be quite spectacular. Probably worth the trip to see actually.”
“It's because the lunar nodes, which are the two places where the Moon crosses the ecliptic in its orbit around the Earth, are currently lined up with the Sun, therefore after a solar eclipse the Moon takes 14-ish days to travel half way round its orbit and you get a lunar eclipse. Sometimes it has time to get all the way back round again and you get another solar eclipse (of some sort).
Then, after approximately 6 months during which the Earth goes about half way round its own orbit, the nodes are again lined up perfectly with the Sun and the sequence of two or three eclipses separated by two weeks happens again.
You can have anywhere from 4 to 7 eclipses of both kinds in any year, but two of the 4 minimum could be the very elusive penumbral lunar eclipses, as in 2016.
Check it out:
Eclipses in 2015
March 20: Total solar eclipse
April 4: Total lunar eclipse
September 13: Partial solar eclipse
September 28: Total lunar eclipse
Eclipses in 2016
March 9: Total solar eclipse
March 23: Penumbral lunar eclipse
September 1: Annular solar eclipse
September 16: penumbral lunar eclipse
So you do wait 6 months for one, then two turn up at once.
Although the penumbral lunars are almost indistinguishable as seen from Earth, on the Moon they represent a partial eclipse of the Sun by the Earth, and with the atmosphere glowing red and possibly night time city lighting (I don't know if it would be visible from that distance) must be quite spectacular. Probably worth the trip to see actually.”
Indeed - there are an awful lot more eclipses than most people realise - including the moronic religious nutjobs who are always predicting the end of the world.
Is anyone watching Buzz Aldrin on Stargazing Live - what a great bloke he really is - a true legend in a world full of famous non-entities.
And this never gets old - the repulsive shit deserved it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wptn5RE2I-k
Originally Posted by Keyser_Soze1:
“Indeed - there are an awful lot more eclipses than most people realise - including the moronic religious nutjobs who are always predicting the end of the world.
Is anyone watching Buzz Aldrin on Stargazing Live - what a great bloke he really is - a true legend in a world full of famous non-entities.
And this never gets old - the repulsive shit deserved it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wptn5RE2I-k”
“Indeed - there are an awful lot more eclipses than most people realise - including the moronic religious nutjobs who are always predicting the end of the world.
Is anyone watching Buzz Aldrin on Stargazing Live - what a great bloke he really is - a true legend in a world full of famous non-entities.
And this never gets old - the repulsive shit deserved it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wptn5RE2I-k”
yes i was watching!!! i love Buzz fantastic enthusiasm....loved him still being competitive with the navy
Originally Posted by planets:
“yes i was watching!!! i love Buzz fantastic enthusiasm....loved him still being competitive with the navy”
“yes i was watching!!! i love Buzz fantastic enthusiasm....loved him still being competitive with the navy
”
Yeah that was funny - and he looks in great shape for a man of his years!
Originally Posted by planets:
“yes i was watching!!! i love Buzz fantastic enthusiasm....loved him still being competitive with the navy”
“yes i was watching!!! i love Buzz fantastic enthusiasm....loved him still being competitive with the navy
”
Wasn't the Apollo 12 crew all Navy? Perhaps they should have mentioned it.
Proposals for future Titan expeditions
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31854559
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31854559
Martian aurora http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31953800
Latest from Rosetta http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31965458
and Ceres http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31985284
and Ceres http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31985284
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4pGWgfVfgU
Awesome timelapse of the total eclipse from a plane - showing the approach and departure of the Moon's shadow.
Awesome timelapse of the total eclipse from a plane - showing the approach and departure of the Moon's shadow.
Originally Posted by Billy_Value:
“Death is the last great adventure”
“Death is the last great adventure”
Not really - you are dead after all - not very conducive to a stimulating experience.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4521
And
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4516
Curiosity Rover Finds Biologically Useful Nitrogen on Mars
Quote:
“There was no tape draped across a finish line, but NASA is celebrating a win. The agency's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity completed its first Red Planet marathon Tuesday -- 26.219 miles (42.195 kilometers)”
“There was no tape draped across a finish line, but NASA is celebrating a win. The agency's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity completed its first Red Planet marathon Tuesday -- 26.219 miles (42.195 kilometers)”
And
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4516
Curiosity Rover Finds Biologically Useful Nitrogen on Mars
Astronomy related: LHC restart: Short circuit slows preparations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32038186
Great article. Gives an idea of what's required to steer just a little bit of plasma at those speeds.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32038186
Great article. Gives an idea of what's required to steer just a little bit of plasma at those speeds.
Theory about the early solar system, derived from the study of exoplanets, where Jupiter moved much closer to the Sun and caused the destruction of the original inner planets before the pull of Saturn took it outwards and left Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars to form from the debris:
http://www.latimes.com/science/scien...323-story.html
http://www.latimes.com/science/scien...323-story.html
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