Comet now approaching the Sun , very bright
This was the view 10 mins ago
http://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/javagi...01_1424_c2.gif
This was the view 10 mins ago
http://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/javagi...01_1424_c2.gif
Space and Astronomy Thread
75 of 137
Originally Posted by Assa2:
“China is due to launch it's first 'space laboratory' in the next few days. Based on Russian technology (which I assume means it's a derivative of Mir as I assume Russia's ISS partners wouldn't allow Russia to sell ISS technogoy to China) the small module will spend several months in automated mode while China sends up two unmanned capsules to attempt automatic docking before manned missions start next year.
All pretty impressive stuff given China's manned space programme started less than 10 years ago. My concern is that it's all bought and re-engineered technology from Russia, is all vbetween 40 & 20 years old and as with anything that is reproduced will not be as good as the original. That said I've been impressed how China has taken thing slow and steady rathetr than throwing Taikonauts up at every opportunity. They seem to have a definite plan for progressing towards a permenant space station and moon missions and are sticking to it.”
“China is due to launch it's first 'space laboratory' in the next few days. Based on Russian technology (which I assume means it's a derivative of Mir as I assume Russia's ISS partners wouldn't allow Russia to sell ISS technogoy to China) the small module will spend several months in automated mode while China sends up two unmanned capsules to attempt automatic docking before manned missions start next year.
All pretty impressive stuff given China's manned space programme started less than 10 years ago. My concern is that it's all bought and re-engineered technology from Russia, is all vbetween 40 & 20 years old and as with anything that is reproduced will not be as good as the original. That said I've been impressed how China has taken thing slow and steady rathetr than throwing Taikonauts up at every opportunity. They seem to have a definite plan for progressing towards a permenant space station and moon missions and are sticking to it.”
Despite their nationalist rhetoric, Assa2, the Chinese still lag behind in both experience and capabilities, e.g. launcher power.
Their first space stations will almost certainly be more modest affairs like the earlier Russian Salyut space stations which can be read about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salyut
...in Chile's Atacama desert:
Alma: World's most powerful radio telescope up close
The Alma (Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimetre Array) telescope in Chile's Atacama desert has begun its quest to view the formation of the first stars in the Universe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15141357
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15127395
http://www.almaobservatory.org/en/pr...opens-its-eyes
http://www.almaobservatory.org/
Alma: World's most powerful radio telescope up close
The Alma (Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimetre Array) telescope in Chile's Atacama desert has begun its quest to view the formation of the first stars in the Universe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15141357
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15127395
http://www.almaobservatory.org/en/pr...opens-its-eyes
http://www.almaobservatory.org/
Europe is to lead the most ambitious space mission ever undertaken to study the behaviour of the Sun.Known as Solar Orbiter, the probe will have to operate a mere 42 million km from our star - closer than any spacecraft to date.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15146082
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120384_index_0_m.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Orbiter
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15146082
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120384_index_0_m.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Orbiter
Originally Posted by International Meteor Organisation:
“Draconids Meteor Shower on 8 October 2011
What will happen?
Several studies1 predict that on 8 October 2011, Earth will encounter several trails of dust produced by comet 21P/Giacobini–Zinner in the late 19th and early 20th century. This is expected to cause a moderate enhancement in the meteor activity. The precise number of meteors is highly uncertain, but estimates suggest a peak level of up to 1 to 10 shooting stars per minute. Unfortunately, only 5 to 20% of these meteors will be visible because of the disturbing light from a nearly full moon, so observers are likely to see only 1 meteor per minute or less. However, the event is of great interest to scientists because it will help them understand how meteor showers form and evolve.”
“Draconids Meteor Shower on 8 October 2011
What will happen?
Several studies1 predict that on 8 October 2011, Earth will encounter several trails of dust produced by comet 21P/Giacobini–Zinner in the late 19th and early 20th century. This is expected to cause a moderate enhancement in the meteor activity. The precise number of meteors is highly uncertain, but estimates suggest a peak level of up to 1 to 10 shooting stars per minute. Unfortunately, only 5 to 20% of these meteors will be visible because of the disturbing light from a nearly full moon, so observers are likely to see only 1 meteor per minute or less. However, the event is of great interest to scientists because it will help them understand how meteor showers form and evolve.”
http://www.imo.net/draconids2011
Should be peaking in the UK between about 8-10pm. Don't think it's the light from the moon that's the problem though - probably going to be rediculously cloudy here. Rained all day.
Saturn's largest moon looks a fascinating place:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44861704.../#.Tptq4XLZdBk
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44861704.../#.Tptq4XLZdBk
Analysis of data returned by the orbiting Dawn spacecraft shows this giant rock took a mighty double beating in its southern polar region.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15286950
Richard Branson dedicates Virgin Galactic spaceport
Sir Richard Branson has dedicated the launchpad for his space tourism venture in the New Mexico desert - with his usual eye for a photo opportunity.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15344836
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15286950
Richard Branson dedicates Virgin Galactic spaceport
Sir Richard Branson has dedicated the launchpad for his space tourism venture in the New Mexico desert - with his usual eye for a photo opportunity.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15344836
Richard Branson dedicates Virgin Galactic spaceport
Sir Richard Branson has dedicated the launchpad for his space tourism venture in the New Mexico desert - with his usual eye for a photo opportunity.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15344836[/quote]
I watched a recent Megastructures program on Discovery HD about this place the other week. Very interesting although it looks like it's been far from an easy build. Also a shame that the actual flights won't start for several years yet. It's looking like it will be nearly a decade between Branson announcing his plans for VG and any actual paying passengers going up. However the spaceport has a tennant, UP Aerospace, already attached launching micro-satellites so there will be activity (they put James 'Scotty' Doohan's ashes into space).
Sir Richard Branson has dedicated the launchpad for his space tourism venture in the New Mexico desert - with his usual eye for a photo opportunity.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15344836[/quote]
I watched a recent Megastructures program on Discovery HD about this place the other week. Very interesting although it looks like it's been far from an easy build. Also a shame that the actual flights won't start for several years yet. It's looking like it will be nearly a decade between Branson announcing his plans for VG and any actual paying passengers going up. However the spaceport has a tennant, UP Aerospace, already attached launching micro-satellites so there will be activity (they put James 'Scotty' Doohan's ashes into space).
Originally Posted by Assa2:
“I watched a recent Megastructures program on Discovery HD about this place the other week. Very interesting although it looks like it's been far from an easy build. Also a shame that the actual flights won't start for several years yet. It's looking like it will be nearly a decade between Branson announcing his plans for VG and any actual paying passengers going up. However the spaceport has a tennant, UP Aerospace, already attached launching micro-satellites so there will be activity (they put James 'Scotty' Doohan's ashes into space).”
“I watched a recent Megastructures program on Discovery HD about this place the other week. Very interesting although it looks like it's been far from an easy build. Also a shame that the actual flights won't start for several years yet. It's looking like it will be nearly a decade between Branson announcing his plans for VG and any actual paying passengers going up. However the spaceport has a tennant, UP Aerospace, already attached launching micro-satellites so there will be activity (they put James 'Scotty' Doohan's ashes into space).”
There'll no doubt have to be a load of testing, more testing and even more testing to ensure the reliability of the vehicles concerned, Assa2, since an early fatal incident could effectively kill off the young space tourism industry.
Soyuz launches probes into space...
...but the really interesting bit is that the Soyuz launcher concerned was launched from Kourou in French Guiana:
Europe's first satellite-navigation spacecraft have been sent into orbit. The two Galileo satellites were launched by a Russian Soyuz rocket from its new base in French Guiana at 07:30 local time (10:30 GMT; 11:30 BST).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15372540
Clicking on that link above will show a video of that historic launch of a Russian rocket from South America. It's doubly interesting because it raises some interesting long term possibilities since Soyuz is crew rated for the launch of people into space.
Cambridge team first to explore Antarctic lake's secrets
Cambridge scientists are setting out to see if Lake Ellsworth, two miles under Antarctica's ice, holds the key to climate change.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15275193
At first glance, this terrestrial development might not seem anything to do with space but the types of technologies that are being developed to explore Lake Ellsworth in Antarctica are going to the similar to what's needed to explore sub-surface ocean worlds like Europa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_%28moon%29
...but the really interesting bit is that the Soyuz launcher concerned was launched from Kourou in French Guiana:
Europe's first satellite-navigation spacecraft have been sent into orbit. The two Galileo satellites were launched by a Russian Soyuz rocket from its new base in French Guiana at 07:30 local time (10:30 GMT; 11:30 BST).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15372540
Clicking on that link above will show a video of that historic launch of a Russian rocket from South America. It's doubly interesting because it raises some interesting long term possibilities since Soyuz is crew rated for the launch of people into space.
Cambridge team first to explore Antarctic lake's secrets
Cambridge scientists are setting out to see if Lake Ellsworth, two miles under Antarctica's ice, holds the key to climate change.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15275193
At first glance, this terrestrial development might not seem anything to do with space but the types of technologies that are being developed to explore Lake Ellsworth in Antarctica are going to the similar to what's needed to explore sub-surface ocean worlds like Europa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_%28moon%29
Originally Posted by TelevisionUser:
“There'll no doubt have to be a load of testing, more testing and even more testing to ensure the reliability of the vehicles concerned, Assa2, since an early fatal incident could effectively kill off the young space tourism industry.”
“There'll no doubt have to be a load of testing, more testing and even more testing to ensure the reliability of the vehicles concerned, Assa2, since an early fatal incident could effectively kill off the young space tourism industry.”
Agreed, also the Virgin Galatic title, at least the "vomit comet"
said what in did on the tin...
Fair play to all involved but the title rankles.
This may seem like a silly question but is the ISS visible from the UK anytime soon? I remember it was visible a couple of months ago and when I try to look up an accurate sighting online, I don't get much luck.
Originally Posted by StarSupernova:
“This may seem like a silly question but is the ISS visible from the UK anytime soon? I remember it was visible a couple of months ago and when I try to look up an accurate sighting online, I don't get much luck.”
“This may seem like a silly question but is the ISS visible from the UK anytime soon? I remember it was visible a couple of months ago and when I try to look up an accurate sighting online, I don't get much luck.”
Go to www.heavens-above.com and enter your location
edit:
For 23rd Oct... 6:45pm, and 8:20pm
Times vary slightly depending where you are. For exact times check the site using your own location.
Originally Posted by lex parsimoniae:
“Go to www.heavens-above.com and enter your location
edit:
For 23rd Oct... 6:45pm, and 8:20pm
Times vary slightly depending where you are. For exact times check the site using your own location.”
“Go to www.heavens-above.com and enter your location
edit:
For 23rd Oct... 6:45pm, and 8:20pm
Times vary slightly depending where you are. For exact times check the site using your own location.”
Thankyou.
There's a very good radio programme featuring the real discoverer of pulsars, Dame Jocelyn Bell- Burnell, and it can be heard here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016812j
As a 24-year old PhD student, Jocelyn spotted a tiny smudge on a graph buried within 100 feet of printed data from a radio telescope...Her curiosity about such a tiny detail led to one of the most important discoveries in 20th century astronomy - the discovery of pulsars - those dense cores of collapsed stars.
Unfortunately, the combination of a chauvanistic awards committee and two chauvanist recipients (who remembers them now?) who declined to recognise her great contribution to this discovery meant that she did not get a Nobel Prize which she really did deserve. Nevertheless, Dame Jocelyn has received many honours and awards since then by those other institutions who have fully recognised her great contribution to the science of astronomy.
There are other science documentaries to be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features...burnell/?nonjs
As a 24-year old PhD student, Jocelyn spotted a tiny smudge on a graph buried within 100 feet of printed data from a radio telescope...Her curiosity about such a tiny detail led to one of the most important discoveries in 20th century astronomy - the discovery of pulsars - those dense cores of collapsed stars.
Unfortunately, the combination of a chauvanistic awards committee and two chauvanist recipients (who remembers them now?) who declined to recognise her great contribution to this discovery meant that she did not get a Nobel Prize which she really did deserve. Nevertheless, Dame Jocelyn has received many honours and awards since then by those other institutions who have fully recognised her great contribution to the science of astronomy.
There are other science documentaries to be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features...burnell/?nonjs
Originally Posted by wildwestwales:
“Lovely pass of the ISS over my home at 19.40. Clear sky with stars visible.”
“Lovely pass of the ISS over my home at 19.40. Clear sky with stars visible.”
Yes I saw it too - passed right overhead in a star filled sky !
China completed their first automated docking of two spacecraft yesterday.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15562928
A major milestone in their plans for a spacestation by 2020. As earlier discussed, China have ambitious plans for space in the near future as they are launching a rover to the Moon, a Mars mission and continue to build their own GPS satellite network (5 so far).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15562928
A major milestone in their plans for a spacestation by 2020. As earlier discussed, China have ambitious plans for space in the near future as they are launching a rover to the Moon, a Mars mission and continue to build their own GPS satellite network (5 so far).
400m wide asteroid passing within the moon's orbit - 2005 YU55. Now that's pretty close!!
http://news.sky.com/home/technology/article/16103728
http://news.sky.com/home/technology/article/16103728
Originally Posted by Mandark:
“400m wide asteroid passing within the moon's orbit - 2005 YU55. Now that's pretty close!!
http://news.sky.com/home/technology/article/16103728”
“400m wide asteroid passing within the moon's orbit - 2005 YU55. Now that's pretty close!!
http://news.sky.com/home/technology/article/16103728”
Well, Mandark, the bad news is that it's a planet killer asteroid of the type that wiped out the dinosausrs but the good news is that it'll miss Earth completely. It's also good that the the great majority of the asteroids that could potentially pose a threat have now had their orbits mapped in detail: http://www.astronomynow.com/news/n1110/01asteroids/
This asteroid will probably be visible in binoculars and could be tracked over successive nights. Not only will some studies be able to be done about its mass, composition, etc. but its orbit can be refined even more so that we'll know precisely where it is.
And now for a news roundup...
China has joined two space vehicles together in orbit for the first time.
The unmanned Shenzhou 8 craft, launched earlier this week, made contact with the Tiangong-1 space lab at 1729 GMT. The union occurred over China itself.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15562928
China is perhaps where the USA and Soviets were in the mid-1960s and this docking procedure shows that they are on the way to launching their own modest space station within the next few years.
British scientists and engineers want a piece of the Moon.
They're keen to participate in the European Space Agency's (Esa) Lunar Lander mission which will attempt to put down on the body's southern pole later this decade.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15574653
By coincidence, the Moon was also the subject of this week's In Our Time and that good documentary can be listened to here:
Mankind first walked on the Moon in 1969, but it is debatable how important this huge political event was in developing our scientific knowledge. The advances of space science, including data from satellites and the moon landings, have given us some startling insights into the history of our own planet, but many intriguing questions remain unanswered.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016lh15
TelevisionUser, I was reading that you would need a telescope with at least a 6in mirror to be able to view it.
Originally Posted by *marv*:
“TelevisionUser, I was reading that you would need a telescope with at least a 6in mirror to be able to view it.”
“TelevisionUser, I was reading that you would need a telescope with at least a 6in mirror to be able to view it.”
It will be around 10th to 11th magnitude on the night of the 8th (tuesday)
Should be possible with big binoculars, if you know where to look
I'll be trying with bins on Tues night, clouds permitting - I'll only be getting a scope out if the bins don't work out.
Wednesday night, it'll be dimmer, but better positioned - though it will gradually head into the skyglow caused by the Moon, making it tougher to see, and then a decent scope will probably be neccesary to pick up YU55.
Tuesday night it'll be low to the West, clinbing through Aquila, but not climbing fast enough to avoid setting around 1am-1:30am.
Though it'll likely be lost among the horizon murk long before midnight.
Wednesday night, it'll be above-right of the Moon - East/SouthEast in Pisces, around 7pm
The bright 'star', below-right of the Moon will be Jupiter btw
By 11pm it'll be to the South, to the right of the Moon, with Jupiter below the Moon
Anyone taking a look with scope or binocs with 15x magnification or more, I'd recommend taking a look at Jupiter while you're on.
The 4 little spots to the right of the planet are it's biggest moons, Io, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede.
Depending what time you look, there may appear to be fewer than 4, but that's because they pass very close to each other at various times through the night.
20x or more, and you should be able to see the main dark cloud belts on Jupiter's surface.
Originally Posted by *marv*:
“TelevisionUser, I was reading that you would need a telescope with at least a 6in mirror to be able to view it.”
“TelevisionUser, I was reading that you would need a telescope with at least a 6in mirror to be able to view it.”
Originally Posted by Carlos_dfc:
“It will be around 10th to 11th magnitude on the night of the 8th (tuesday)
Should be possible with big binoculars, if you know where to look
I'll be trying with bins on Tues night, clouds permitting - I'll only be getting a scope out if the bins don't work out...”
“It will be around 10th to 11th magnitude on the night of the 8th (tuesday)
Should be possible with big binoculars, if you know where to look
I'll be trying with bins on Tues night, clouds permitting - I'll only be getting a scope out if the bins don't work out...”
Unfortunately, the reports have been inconsistent in this respect. There was even one I read today that said that asteroid 2005 YU55 would be visible to the naked eye which seemed doubtful given the dark nature of the surface.
Apparently, the Arecibo dish in Puerto Rico will be used to try to radar map the asteroid as it passes.
The US Army's plans for the Moon
It's not very well known, but in 1959, the US Army produced a concept study for a crewed base on the Moon for scientific and military purposes. It was done as there was a perceived threat that the Soviets would get to the Moon first and that this would undermine US prestige and security.
Project Horizon would have been a mammoth undertaking that would have dwarfed Project Apollo if it had ever been followed up. The report can be downloaded from here: http://www.2shared.com/document/NsEX...zonReport.html
Europa really does have a liquid ocean after all
Scientists have found the best evidence yet for water just beneath the surface of Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. Analysis of the moon's surface suggests plumes of warmer water well up beneath its icy shell, melting and fracturing the outer layers. The results, published in the journal Nature, predict that small lakes exist only 3km below the crust.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15754786
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...ture10608.html
New Mars rover to be launched on Saturday
The Curiosity rover has 10 science instruments to search for evidence about whether Mars had environments favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. The rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release their gasses so its spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. The latest online information on the Mars Science Laboratory mission is at: http://www.nasa.gov/msl . JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/news/whatsn...ws&NewsID=1187
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00lmx11
Russian dust collecting probe bites the dust
The Russian space agency has conceded there is now little chance of reviving its Mars mission, Phobos-Grunt. The probe has been stuck circling the Earth since its launch on 9 November, unable to fire the engine that would take it on to the Red Planet.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15841896
Scientists have found the best evidence yet for water just beneath the surface of Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. Analysis of the moon's surface suggests plumes of warmer water well up beneath its icy shell, melting and fracturing the outer layers. The results, published in the journal Nature, predict that small lakes exist only 3km below the crust.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15754786
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...ture10608.html
New Mars rover to be launched on Saturday
The Curiosity rover has 10 science instruments to search for evidence about whether Mars had environments favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. The rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release their gasses so its spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. The latest online information on the Mars Science Laboratory mission is at: http://www.nasa.gov/msl . JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/news/whatsn...ws&NewsID=1187
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00lmx11
Russian dust collecting probe bites the dust
The Russian space agency has conceded there is now little chance of reviving its Mars mission, Phobos-Grunt. The probe has been stuck circling the Earth since its launch on 9 November, unable to fire the engine that would take it on to the Red Planet.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15841896
Originally Posted by TelevisionUser:
“Europa really does have a liquid ocean after all
Scientists have found the best evidence yet for water just beneath the surface of Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. Analysis of the moon's surface suggests plumes of warmer water well up beneath its icy shell, melting and fracturing the outer layers. The results, published in the journal Nature, predict that small lakes exist only 3km below the crust.”
“Europa really does have a liquid ocean after all
Scientists have found the best evidence yet for water just beneath the surface of Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. Analysis of the moon's surface suggests plumes of warmer water well up beneath its icy shell, melting and fracturing the outer layers. The results, published in the journal Nature, predict that small lakes exist only 3km below the crust.”
Can't wait for that probe to go and dive in...
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