DS Forums

 
 

Space and Astronomy Thread


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 29-10-2010, 10:34
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
I've just been reading Mike Mullane's Riding Rockets, as recommended upthread, and will be sad to see the shuttle go. However, I can understand why it is being retired.

On the subject of shuttle CT, I did manage to shut one tinfoil-hatter up in RL by asking them where the last crews of Challenger and Columbia are now, if they never went into space. Are they all hiding in a cupboard in Houston somewhere?
That is an excellent point.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 29-10-2010, 18:37
Carlos_dfc
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Bishop-Auckland / Darlington
Posts: 6,636
have i missed the comet

when can i see it
Moon is in the way right now - the link below shows Hartley's approx position at about 1am-2am oct 25
And also - in red - it's position at about Midnight on Halloween.
If you want to see it, try to catch it within about a fortnight after Halloween, as it drops down through Canis Minor and Monoceros. By Mid November the Moon will be back big and bright, spoiling the view again - and by the time the Moon is out of the way in early December, Hartley will be low to the South, around 3am-ish (to the left of Sirius) and fading fast.
Position of Hartley 2
It now seems that Comet Hartley 2 (103P) may have spawned a new meteor shower.
Many of the best meteor showers are assosciated with the dust trails left by well known comets.
The 'Orionids' in October, with Halley's comet (1P) - the 'Perseids' with Swift-Tuttle (109P) - 'Leonids' and Tempel-Tuttle (55P) etc...

Apparantly a couple of big fireball meteors seen recently are thought to have originated from the debris trail of Hartley 2.
Still only a slight possibility - but if the link turns out to be correct, than a mini-shower could possibly peak around 2nd/3rd November, with the Radiant in Cygnus.
(Very high to the South - almost overhead - as seen from UK around 6pm/7pm - dropping gradually to the west as the night progresses)
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news...ct_hartleyids/
Carlos_dfc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2010, 18:30
KJ44
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: location location
Posts: 28,248
http://www.planetary.org/news/2010/1...te_Spirit.html

“With Spirit, we’re just waiting. We’re in the any-day-now phase. And every time I check my email, I think: ‘Maybe this will be it,’” he said during a recent interview.

Hope.
KJ44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2010, 19:52
TelevisionUser
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927

...and here they are for your viewing and listening entertainment and enlightenment:

TV programmes

Horizon - What happened before the Big Bang? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vdkmj

C4 In the Shadow of the Moon http://www.channel4.com/programmes/i...f-the-moon/4od

Youtube Russian N1 Moon rocket http://xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=4736

Radio programmes

In Our Time - Mars http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00772rr

In Our Time - Asteroids http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003k9kh

Galaxies http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003c1cn

Cool Universe http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s7b6r

Universe's Origins http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00545j9

Life of Stars http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00548w8

The Planets http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p004y25b

The Alien Equation - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009rtr0

Big Bang Day http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/bigbang/programmes.shtml

I did this for someone else and I thought I might as well post the results here for all to see - enjoy!
TelevisionUser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2010, 20:23
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Thank TVU. Those are great.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-11-2010, 19:58
TelevisionUser
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927
Thank TVU. Those are great.
A votre service, Henry!

Indeed, I have even more goodies for you and everyone else. The Vega Science Trust have a whole load of videos of lectures and discussions on their website here http://vega.org.uk/ on all matters scientific including some which are astronomy related.

I have selected a few below for your viewing entertainment:

Astrophysical Chemistry http://vega.org.uk/video/subseries/16

Pulsars http://vega.org.uk/video/programme/69

Extraterrestrial life http://vega.org.uk/video/programme/9

Enjoy! (even more)
TelevisionUser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2010, 20:04
TelevisionUser
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927
In less than an hour's time on BBC2, there'll be a Horizon programme on Asteroids - more here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vv0w8.
TelevisionUser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2010, 20:05
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
In less than an hour's time on BBC2, there'll be a Horizon programme on Asteroids - more here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vv0w8.
Thanks for the reminder. That will be good.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2010, 20:21
balthasar
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Osaka
Posts: 2,007
In less than an hour's time on BBC2, there'll be a Horizon programme on Asteroids - more here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vv0w8.
Looks like it might be a good programme.
balthasar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2010, 20:26
Dan Fortesque
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 25,820
Looks like it might be a good programme.
Yes, it does sound interesting. Thanks for the reminder, would have missed it otherwise.
Dan Fortesque is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2010, 08:03
BeethovensPiano
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: ♫ At The Keyboard ♫
Posts: 11,556
Comet flyby this aftenoon - Hartley 2

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/epoxi/index.html

Close approach is about 2pm this afternoon. Will be on NASA TV channels online.
BeethovensPiano is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2010, 08:19
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Comet flyby this aftenoon - Hartley 2

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/epoxi/index.html

Close approach is about 2pm this afternoon. Will be on NASA TV channels online.
Thanks for that. Sadly I will not be able to follow it live.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2010, 10:55
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Shuttle delayed again!

See here.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2010, 15:20
BeethovensPiano
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: ♫ At The Keyboard ♫
Posts: 11,556
First of many images. Medium res image down

http://epoxi.umd.edu/3gallery/ENCOUN...02_001_001.jpg
BeethovensPiano is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2010, 19:22
KJ44
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: location location
Posts: 28,248
Laika was in orbit 53 years ago

The first living creature in space. Scroll down to the picture at the end ...
KJ44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2010, 21:12
TelevisionUser
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927
Comet flyby this aftenoon - Hartley 2

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/epoxi/index.html

Close approach is about 2pm this afternoon. Will be on NASA TV channels online.
If I recall correctly, didn't the core of Halley's comet also look like a peanut?

There's more about this story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11674694.
TelevisionUser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 19:28
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Shutlle launch off again until November 30 at least. See here.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 19:29
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
If I recall correctly, didn't the core of Halley's comet also look like a peanut?

There's more about this story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11674694.
Yes Giotto visited Halley back in 1986.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 20:10
Assa2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
Yes Giotto visited Halley back in 1986.
Weren't there 4 probes all making progressively closer passes? I remember the live coverage of Giotto's closest approach and the 'wow' of those hazy pictures of the nucleus. I don't think many of the experts seriously expected the probe to make it!

That was one of the moments that inspired my interest in astronomy.
Assa2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 20:38
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Weren't there 4 probes all making progressively closer passes? I remember the live coverage of Giotto's closest approach and the 'wow' of those hazy pictures of the nucleus. I don't think many of the experts seriously expected the probe to make it!

That was one of the moments that inspired my interest in astronomy.
Yes theres were a European probe (Giotto), an American probe and two Japanese ones.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 21:32
TelevisionUser
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927
Yes theres were a European probe (Giotto), an American probe and two Japanese ones.
That comet is discussed here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley%27s_Comet and even the then Soviet Vega probes had a look at it too http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega_program so it was a good example of international coordination to study a celestial object (more please!).
TelevisionUser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 21:40
gemma-the-husky
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 17,852
some photos here


http://www.nmm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitio...ar/exhibition/
gemma-the-husky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 21:43
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Yes theres were a European probe (Giotto), an American probe and two Japanese ones.
Oh yes it was a Russian probe rather than an American one (I think).
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 21:46
TelevisionUser
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927
Thanks for posting that link, gemma-the-husky. The pictures from the winners and finalists in that competition are excellent. In particular, I like Edward Henry's great picture of the Andromeda Galaxy.
TelevisionUser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2010, 09:54
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
It has been 10 years since the ISS welcomed astronauts aboard. See ISS.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 03:40.