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Space and Astronomy Thread |
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#1226 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Apparently the moon astronauts are disappointed with Obama for calling off future missions to the moon.
According to the story Neil Armstong is in London just now. Did anyone know that? See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8565243.stm Former Nasa astronauts who went to the Moon have told the BBC of their dismay at President Barack Obama's decision to push back further Moon missions. Jim Lovell, commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, said Mr Obama's decision would have "catastrophic consequences" for US space exploration. The last man on the Moon, Eugene Cernan, said it was "disappointing". |
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#1227 |
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Join Date: Feb 2010
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I'm amazed no one has been on the moon since 1972, those first astronauts probably thought they were paving the way for others. And now it's possible they won't see anyone else on the moon in their lifetimes.
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#1228 |
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
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Quote:
Apparently the moon astronauts are disappointed with Obama for calling off future missions to the moon.
According to the story Neil Armstong is in London just now. Did anyone know that? See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8565243.stm Former Nasa astronauts who went to the Moon have told the BBC of their dismay at President Barack Obama's decision to push back further Moon missions. Jim Lovell, commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, said Mr Obama's decision would have "catastrophic consequences" for US space exploration. The last man on the Moon, Eugene Cernan, said it was "disappointing". The only good news is that the International Space Station is safe for the time being. Ares 1 (http://blogs.physicstoday.org/politi...-ares-1-i.html) is also being cancelled in favour of cheaper, but not yet crew-rated, launchers from private sector providers like SpaceX (http://www.spacex.com/) and Orbital Sciences (http://www.orbital.com/). I remember the late Arthur C. Clarke saying that humans only got to the Moon fifty years before they otherwise would have because of the Cold War and the competition for dominance between the USA and Soviet Union. It might be a long wait before humans get back to the Moon let alone Mars! |
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#1229 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Interesting programme on Telescopes on BBC2 right now. It is "Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections".
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#1230 |
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Quote:
Interesting programme on Telescopes on BBC2 right now. It is "Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections".
And yes, he is the very same Brian Cox who was the keyboard player for pop band D:Ream. They are perhaps most famous for 'Things can can only get better' here http://www.last.fm/music/D%3AReam/_/...nly+Get+Better. |
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#1231 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: ♫ At The Keyboard ♫
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Solar Dynamics Observatory is nearly in it's final orbit:
TMF-2 Complete, On to TMF-3 and Final Orbit! Sun, 14 Mar Trim Motor Firing #2 was successfully completed this morning. This was different from our previous burns in being a perigee burn to raise apogee. The final orbit trim maneuver, TMF-3, is scheduled for Tuesday evening. It will be an apogee burn to raise perigee to geosynchronous and our period to one day per orbit. http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ |
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#1232 |
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Join Date: May 2004
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New alien planet found...
...by the CoRoT space probe.
It's interesting because it has more moderate atmospheric temperatures when compared with some of too-close-to-their-sun roasted planets and iceballs at the other end of the scale. Although an interesting find, it may not necessarily harbour life. More on this story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8572760.stm http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...100318-04.html http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...ture08856.html |
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#1233 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Wonder if that film on now will have the usual side effect?
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#1234 |
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Join Date: Feb 2010
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Capricorn One?
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#1235 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Quote:
Capricorn One?
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#1236 |
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Join Date: Feb 2010
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Hoax! I just spend half an hour searching but couldn't find anything, I've been had.
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#1237 |
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Join Date: Nov 2004
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Good news that the UK Space Agency becomes a reality next week, unless it's actually a huge and elaborate April Fool's! Actually, considering the pitiful amount the UK Govt spends on space compared with France, Germany & Italy it is a joke, really. We only just out-spend Belgium for f's sake!
On a happier note I got a Canon DSLR at the weekend so am looking forward to doing some night-time photography over the summer. |
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#1238 |
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Europe
Posts: 84
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Quote:
Good news that the UK Space Agency becomes a reality next week, unless it's actually a huge and elaborate April Fool's! Actually, considering the pitiful amount the UK Govt spends on space compared with France, Germany & Italy it is a joke, really. We only just out-spend Belgium for f's sake!
On a happier note I got a Canon DSLR at the weekend so am looking forward to doing some night-time photography over the summer. |
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#1239 |
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Join Date: Nov 2004
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That's cool, I just bought a Nikon DSLR and wish I knew how to do some night time photography!
http://www.astropix.com/INDEX.HTM I'm sure people will recommend others. Astrophotography can be as simple as stepping outside and snapping away. If you've got a reasonable lense you'll be able to get good shots of the Moon at the very least. With a tripod you should be able to get some nifty long-exposure shots too. One of my aims is to get some nice shots of the ISS as it goes over. |
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#1240 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
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Quote:
Astrophotography can be as simple as stepping outside and snapping away. If you've got a reasonable lense you'll be able to get good shots of the Moon at the very least.
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With a tripod you should be able to get some nifty long-exposure shots too. One of my aims is to get some nice shots of the ISS as it goes over.
I guess something like this has to be the ultimate aspirational ISS photograph (I think someone posted a link to it previously). Needs a bit more than just a good SLR lens though!
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#1241 |
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Join Date: May 2004
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Proper debate on life elsewhere in the universe...
There's a very good and serious interview with leading cosmologist and astrobiologist Professor Paul Davies on the subject of the possibility of life existing elsewhere in the universe. It's a BBC radio documentary which can be listened to here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rkdnp for the next six days - highly commended. Quote:
Good news that the UK Space Agency becomes a reality next week, unless it's actually a huge and elaborate April Fool's! Actually, considering the pitiful amount the UK Govt spends on space compared with France, Germany & Italy it is a joke, really. We only just out-spend Belgium for f's sake!
On a happier note I got a Canon DSLR at the weekend so am looking forward to doing some night-time photography over the summer. |
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#1242 |
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Quote:
There's a very good and serious interview with leading cosmologist and astrobiologist Professor Paul Davies on the subject of the possibility of life existing elsewhere in the universe. It's a BBC radio documentary which can be listened to here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rkdnp for the next six days - highly commended.
Indeed Assa2. There's the press release confirming the launch of the UK Space Agency here http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail...3&NewsAreaID=2. It is a welcome development for an advanced industry which employs thousands in the UK and is worth hundreds of milliions (in any currency). |
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#1243 |
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Quote:
I vaguely recall reading somewhere that one of the problems with photographing the Moon is that it lies "beyond infinity" as far as the calibration of a typical SLR lens is concerned. Is there any truth in that?
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#1244 |
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Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: United States of Europe
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Really interesting story about Apollo 13 here.
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#1245 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Love this pic. See http://astronomy.fm/aapod/2010-03-25...cent-Moon.html
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#1246 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Amazing images of Saturn's moon Mimas from Cassini
http://www.ciclops.org/view_event/13...Cratered_Mimas |
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#1247 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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Quote:
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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#1248 |
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Join Date: Jul 2003
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Quote:
Amazing images of Saturn's moon Mimas from Cassini
http://www.ciclops.org/view_event/13...Cratered_Mimas http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8594101.stm |
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#1249 |
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.. what do you all think of Brian Cox's wonders of the solar system, then?
![]() It's all very pretty and lovely in HD but pretty thin on the actual science content. Just looks like an excuse for him and the film crew to go on a massive global jolly. Not a patch on The Planets - can't believe that series in 10 years old now! |
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#1250 |
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I think the Prof must have an obscene amount of airmiles!
![]() It's all very pretty and lovely in HD but pretty thin on the actual science content. Just looks like an excuse for him and the film crew to go on a massive global jolly. Not a patch on The Planets - can't believe that series in 10 years old now! |
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