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Space and Astronomy Thread |
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#1151 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,916
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New alien world reported...
...here by National Geographic http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...tmosphere.html.
It looks a bit like a boiling water world with high gravity and an inhospitable atmosphere. At best, a world like that might harbour microbial life forms. Still, it makes a change from the reports of Jupiter-like gas giants being found. |
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#1152 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Anyone want to spot Jupiter then tonight is a good night. It is shining brightly to the upper left of the moon.
It should be real near the moon tomorrow night. |
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#1153 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Alacant
Posts: 7,773
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Quote:
Anyone want to spot Jupiter then tonight is a good night. It is shining brightly to the upper left of the moon.
It should be real near the moon tomorrow night. |
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#1154 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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On this day 41 years ago Apollo VIII blasted off to the moon. I always think this was the bravest of all the missions.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_8 |
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#1155 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Alacant
Posts: 7,773
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Quote:
On this day 41 years ago Apollo VIII blasted off to the moon. I always think this was the bravest of all the missions.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_8 |
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#1156 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Bishop-Auckland / Darlington
Posts: 6,636
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Ursids Peak
A quick heads-up that tonight is the peak of the 'Ursids' meteor shower - named because the radiant of the shower is in the constellation Ursa Minor.
The Ursid shower is often overlooked because it's so close to Christmas, has a relatively narrow duration, and the rate (Zhr) is comparatively low compared to the big-name showers. The Ursid shower however, does have a history of throwing up some spectacular 'fireball' meteors, so it's worth keeping an eye out. The shower is caused by Earth passing through the trail of debris left by the periodic comet 8P/Tuttle, with the peak coming between 9pm and 10pm (GMT) this year. The radiant is next to the star 'Kochab' (beta U-minor), which is less than 15° from the pole - so it will be roughly to the North all night long. Best place to watch for shower meteors - as always - is 30° or more AWAY from the radiant - so keep an eye out to the North-East, or North-west, there's also chances of them streaking southwards as the pass overhead. Zhr (zenithal hourly rate) is only about 20 - so there won't be many to see, especially if you are in a town or city. But if you do see a bright 'shooting star' tonight - chances are, it will have been an Ursid. |
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#1157 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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I think I spotted Venus today at about 4pm. I saw this bright object near the horizon and I thought it was an aeroplane. However it did not move and I came to the conlusion it must be Venus. I have just checked and Venus was in the right place at the right time.
So look out over the coming months for Venus in the evening sky. Not sure if it going to be one of those stunning apparitions but it could be. |
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#1158 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Quote:
I think I spotted Venus today at about 4pm. I saw this bright object near the horizon and I thought it was an aeroplane. However it did not move and I came to the conlusion it must be Venus. I have just checked and Venus was in the right place at the right time.
So look out over the coming months for Venus in the evening sky. Not sure if it going to be one of those stunning apparitions but it could be. Oh someone missed a big opportunity here. On further consideration this could not have been Venus. I guess it has to be a UFO! |
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#1159 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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This is a lovely picture. See http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091223.html
and this one has been repeated from 2007. See http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091220.html |
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#1160 |
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Posts: n/a
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When's the ISS next passing over UK?
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#1161 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Quote:
When's the ISS next passing over UK?
I suspect you mean when can we see it? Well there was a pass at 6.30am this morning. However you are probably wanting the next evening passes. Well they start on January 7 2010. You can always go on a virtual ride on the ISS at http://winearth.terc.edu/appISSFlight/index.html It is currently west of Africa heading toward Cape Town. |
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#1162 |
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Posts: n/a
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Well the ISS passes over the UK every day in life!
I suspect you mean when can we see it? Well there was a pass at 6.30am this morning. However you are probably wanting the next evening passes. Well they start on January 7 2010. You can always go on a virtual ride on the ISS at http://winearth.terc.edu/appISSFlight/index.html It is currently west of Africa heading toward Cape Town.
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#1163 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Quote:
Thanks, yeah I meant the evening passes. I have that page bookmarked already
![]() You can select your location from a map or a database and then the predictions will be specific to you. |
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#1164 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,916
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New Views from Herschel...
The space probe Hershel is now returning very good, detailed images from its instruments. More on the story here http://www.astronomynow.com/news/n0912/21%20herschel/.
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#1165 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: location location
Posts: 28,248
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Gravity Wells
Nice illustration of gravity wells
http://xkcd.com/681 http://xkcd.com/681_large/ Neptune is cool ... |
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#1166 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: ♫ At The Keyboard ♫
Posts: 11,556
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#1167 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Anyone looking out for the partial eclipse of the moon due at about 6.50pm?
Anyone got a clear sky? |
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#1168 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: London
Posts: 41,694
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Quote:
Anyone looking out for the partial eclipse of the moon due at about 6.50pm?
Anyone got a clear sky? Happy New Year |
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#1169 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Quote:
Cloudy here in East London Henry, you can tell where the moon is but that is about it.
Happy New Year |
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#1170 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Still no clear sky for anyone?
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#1171 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Darn Sarf
Posts: 28,728
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South Coast - lots of stratoculumus with few breaks.
Saw the moon through cloud within a minute of the moment of greatest eclipse, 19:24, when the moon (just) revealed itself. Got a dim and poor photo of it, 1/2 sec exposure handheld was never going to be great. A once in 91 years occurrence according to spaceweather.com... blue moon and eclipse at the same time! |
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#1172 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Quote:
South Coast - lots of stratoculumus with few breaks.
Saw the moon through cloud within a minute of the moment of greatest eclipse, 19:24, when the moon (just) revealed itself. Got a dim and poor photo of it, 1/2 sec exposure handheld was never going to be great. A once in 91 years occurrence according to spaceweather.com... blue moon and eclipse at the same time! The problem with quoting "blue moons" is that this term is a mistake resulting from an error in the Sky and Telescope in 1946. For discussion see http://www.skyandtelescope.com/obser...tml?page=1&c=y |
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#1173 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Darn Sarf
Posts: 28,728
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Yes, I knew about that... but it's a nice expression anyway. And it still only occurs only once in 91 years on average, whatever we call it!
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#1174 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
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One good thing about the cold snap has been the crystal clear skies. Has anyone braved the elements to do some observing? I would but with the temperature dipping to -5 I'm too worried about bits freezing!
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#1175 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: United States of Europe
Posts: 1,652
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Kepler Discovers Planets-like Objects Hotter Than Stars
The Kepler mission announced the discovery of 5 new extrasolar planets today at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Washington, DC, each with some very unusual properties. But additionally, the space telescope has spotted some Jupiter-sized objects orbiting stars, and these objects are hotter than the host star.
Full story on Universe Today. |
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