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Space and Astronomy Thread |
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#1526 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: The Sticks
Posts: 9,831
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Quote:
I thought I'd share some wonderful pictures of Earth taken from space by NASA astronaut Douglas Wheelock: http://triggerpit.com/2010/11/22/inc...naut-wheelock/
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#1527 |
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,288
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A press conference tonight from the Kepler Mission Team announcing the discovery of a new exoplanet; coverage starts at 20.30 GMT on NASA TV.
You can search for new planets yourself by sifting through the Kepler data at http://www.planethunters.org/ It's easy and fun
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#1528 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,104
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Quote:
I thought I'd share some wonderful pictures of Earth taken from space by NASA astronaut Douglas Wheelock: http://triggerpit.com/2010/11/22/inc...naut-wheelock/
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#1529 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,288
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Reminder for the press conference starting soon giving details of the first Earth-sized planet discovered by the Kepler Mission Team.
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#1530 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,916
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Quote:
A press conference tonight from the Kepler Mission Team announcing the discovery of a new exoplanet; coverage starts at 20.30 GMT on NASA TV.
You can search for new planets yourself by sifting through the Kepler data at http://www.planethunters.org/ It's easy and fun ![]() They've gone and done exactly the same thing again when this new exoplanet discovery was described as: Quote:
among the most profound in human history
That is total hype and distortion; yet another un-Earthlike planet, Kepler 10b, has been found - that's all.It's 4x the mass of Earth, it's surface temperature is 1300*C and it orbits round its parent in 0.84 Earth days meaning that this planet's roasted alive - permanently! Just compare that with our Mercury which orbits round the Sun in 88 Earth days. It is nothing like Earth and NASA's report and claims were wholly unjustified as well as being irresponsible. If they'd found an Earth-mass planet in a stable orbit sufficiently far away from the parent star so that liquid water could exist then that would be an exciting find. But certainly not some mega-Mercury hell planet! |
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#1531 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,288
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Here's a cool site: Eyes on the Solar System: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eyes/
Explore the Solar System, hitching rides on planets, satellites, comets and spacecraft in real time, with 100 years' worth of data, from 1950 to 2050. |
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#1532 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
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Quote:
NASA were, quite rightly in my view, accused of hyping up the arsenic metabolising bacteria a few weeks ago and they received public criticism from New Scientist magazine and the Independent newspaper.
They've gone and done exactly the same thing again when this new exoplanet discovery was described as: That is total hype and distortion; yet another un-Earthlike planet, Kepler 10b, has been found - that's all. It's 4x the mass of Earth, it's surface temperature is 1300*C and it orbits round its parent in 0.84 Earth days meaning that this planet's roasted alive - permanently! Just compare that with our Mercury which orbits round the Sun in 88 Earth days. It is nothing like Earth and NASA's report and claims were wholly unjustified as well as being irresponsible. If they'd found an Earth-mass planet in a stable orbit sufficiently far away from the parent star so that liquid water could exist then that would be an exciting find. But certainly not some mega-Mercury hell planet! |
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#1533 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Lichfield, Staffs
Posts: 8,642
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Quote:
NASA were, quite rightly in my view, accused of hyping up the arsenic metabolising bacteria a few weeks ago and they received public criticism from New Scientist magazine and the Independent newspaper.
They've gone and done exactly the same thing again when this new exoplanet discovery was described as: That is total hype and distortion; yet another un-Earthlike planet, Kepler 10b, has been found - that's all. It's 4x the mass of Earth, it's surface temperature is 1300*C and it orbits round its parent in 0.84 Earth days meaning that this planet's roasted alive - permanently! Just compare that with our Mercury which orbits round the Sun in 88 Earth days. It is nothing like Earth and NASA's report and claims were wholly unjustified as well as being irresponsible. If they'd found an Earth-mass planet in a stable orbit sufficiently far away from the parent star so that liquid water could exist then that would be an exciting find. But certainly not some mega-Mercury hell planet! But it is one of the smaller Exo-planets we have discovered and is more earth like than the usual objects they discover that are just gas giants. Its shows we are advancing and getting closer to discovering an Earth like planet. Surely this is welcome news and its not as if it was first on BBC News at Six O'clock. |
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#1534 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
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Quote:
If they'd found an Earth-mass planet in a stable orbit sufficiently far away from the parent star so that liquid water could exist then that would be an exciting find.
This is moderately exciting in the context of the progress in exoplanet hunting. 16 years ago we did not know about a single one. |
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#1535 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Dirty thirty and proud!
Posts: 54,317
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Whooooooooooa ...just found this thread!
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#1536 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: ♫ At The Keyboard ♫
Posts: 11,556
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Quote:
While I agree the hype is slightly OTT, .
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#1537 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: ♫ At The Keyboard ♫
Posts: 11,556
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Quote:
While I agree the hype is slightly OTT, .
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#1538 |
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,916
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Quote:
I think you must have all read the official NASA press releases incorrectly, no where does it say Earth LIKE planet but Earth SIZED or "small rocky planet". Big difference
![]() 1. The implication is still there that it's similar to Earth; 2. At 4.6x Earth mass, it's also not correct to say it's similar to Earth in terms of mass (unlike Venus at 0.82 Earth masses); the best that can be said is that the mass of this planet is in the same order of magnitude as Earth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_magnitude which would not necessarily imply an especially close relationship. NASA ought to get their poor PR act together because if they don't then they'll start to lose credibility over their excessive and over the top claims. |
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#1539 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
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Quote:
NASA ought to get their poor PR act together because if they don't then they'll start to lose credibility over their excessive and over the top claims.
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#1540 |
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wessex
Posts: 4,874
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My daughter is studying the solar system at school at the moment so we got the old telescope out last night and had a look at Jupiter and its Galilean moons.
Later using Kstars I see that Uranus is pretty close to Jupiter at the moment. Never having seen Uranus is it difficult to identify with binoculars or a small scope. |
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#1541 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 11,055
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I've finally got my first telescope.
All rather exciting. Shame it's been throwing it down here for the last 36 hours. Itching to use it!!! |
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#1542 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Dirty thirty and proud!
Posts: 54,317
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Quote:
My daughter is studying the solar system at school at the moment so we got the old telescope out last night and had a look at Jupiter and its Galilean moons.
Later using Kstars I see that Uranus is pretty close to Jupiter at the moment. Never having seen Uranus is it difficult to identify with binoculars or a small scope. |
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#1543 |
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wessex
Posts: 4,874
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If you have got an Android phone, download for free Google Sky map. You can just point your phone at the sky and it will identify stars, planets ,etc. There is also a find facility....type what you want to see and follow the arrows
I do have a good idea where to look through the PC star map. I was wondering from anyone who has seen it through binoculars or small telescope, Is it obviously a planet or does it look like another faint star? |
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#1544 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Dirty thirty and proud!
Posts: 54,317
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Quote:
Thanks for that however I don't have an Android phone at the moment. It is my birthday soon and I have hinted.
I do have a good idea where to look through the PC star map. I was wondering from anyone who has seen it through binoculars or small telescope, Is it obviously a planet or does it look like another faint star? Very, very easy to use. You should be aware that the tool bars are hidden! just pass your cursor along the bottom of the screen or down the left hand side and they will appear! You may be able to recognize Uranus just by its hue with 10 x 50 binoculars, which most people find faintly blue or green. It is very difficult to spot though......you do need to be loking in the precise location and, unlike seeing jupiter and its moons, you will only see a pinpoint of light |
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#1545 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,916
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Quote:
If you have got an Android phone, download for free Google Sky map. You can just point your phone at the sky and it will identify stars, planets ,etc. There is also a find facility....type what you want to see and follow the arrows
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#1546 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
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Quote:
Thanks for that however I don't have an Android phone at the moment. It is my birthday soon and I have hinted.
I do have a good idea where to look through the PC star map. I was wondering from anyone who has seen it through binoculars or small telescope, Is it obviously a planet or does it look like another faint star? I have been sky watching for 35 years, but had never positively identified it before, even though I had looked! Now for Neptune... |
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#1547 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wessex
Posts: 4,874
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Thanks for the advice guys,
All I need now is another clear night. |
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#1548 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Stoke-On-Trent
Posts: 7,158
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More Testing for the new Mars Rovers has been completed
http://youtu.be/YasCQRAWRwU More details on how JPL hope the rover will actually reach the serface of Mars next year. http://youtu.be/_KLxmGLZQSY |
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#1549 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Osaka
Posts: 2,007
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If I was looking for a book about Russia and the space race, are there any titles that anyone
would care to recommend? |
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#1550 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Quote:
If I was looking for a book about Russia and the space race, are there any titles that anyone
would care to recommend? Lots of copies available very cheaply on abeBooks. |
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