|
||||||||
Space and Astronomy Thread |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#2451 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Mars
Posts: 1,489
|
There is a new class of planet out there that astronomers are calling the "mega-Earth". Quote:
It is an object with a hard surface like our own world but much, much bigger. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27669572The necessity for the new designation follows the discovery of a planet which has a mass some 17 times that of Earth. Known as Kepler-10c, it orbits a star about 560 light-years away. Scientists described its properties at an American Astronomical Society meeting in Boston. They confess it is something of a head-scratcher. Theorists had always thought that any planet that large would pull so much hydrogen on to itself that it would look more like a Neptune or a Jupiter. "We were very surprised when we realised what we had found," said Xavier Dumusque of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), who led the research team. Super interesting article. Going on holiday abroad would be quite laborious on a planet 17 times larger than ours, especially with our current technology. |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2452 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
|
Quote:
[
Going on holiday abroad would be quite laborious on a planet 17 times larger than ours, especially with our current technology. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2453 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 456
|
Quote:
One and a half times the density and double the diameter would imply what sort of surface gravity? It's too early in the morning for me for that sort of calculation. The distances wouldn't be all that much of a strain, although perhaps sub orbital flight might make things easier, and of course we don't know the orbital period but if long enough you would get more holidays.
If you plan on flying anywhere it had better be somewhere warm as the luggage allowance will be enough for a pair of shorts, a few t shirts and your duty-frees, assuming the plane can get off the ground at all
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2454 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 2,088
|
LINK
Nice article on NASA's warp drive research and a possible Interstellar Starship to go with it. I read a different article about the warp drive research a few months ago and was very surprised that we've come to the stage where it's actually possible - maybe within our lifetime. Amazing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2455 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,830
|
Marcus du Sautoy's on BBC4 tonight at 10.25pm with the 'faster than light particles' story.
I guess that means this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17560379 I hope the documentary has been updated with the correct results and findings. And I'm sure I've watched it before, but will watch again. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2456 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: The Green Hills of Earth
Posts: 80,418
|
45 years ago today.
A giant leap for mankind. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2457 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 24,096
|
manned moon landings lasted a much shorter time than the beatles ...... lunar bases got relegated back to "a vision thing" ......
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2458 |
|
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,041
|
Supermoon tonight! Looks absolutely beautiful, and it's shining right into my bedroom. I love it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2459 |
|
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,041
|
Did nobody see the moon last night? It was stunning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2460 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
|
Quote:
Did nobody see the moon last night? It was stunning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2461 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 3,640
|
Quote:
Did nobody see the moon last night? It was stunning.
![]() I wanted to take some pictures. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2462 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 935
|
Today is the 15th anniversary of the Total Solar Eclipse of Aug 11, 1999, which crossed part of south-west England.
Historical info:- http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsearc...p?Ecl=19990811 http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/eclipse/0411999/ I had booked the train to go down to Cornwall, but decided to cancel due to the poor weather forecast for the SW. So, I stayed at home and watched the partial eclipse instead. Tbh, even though the maximum obscuration was just under 94% (at my location), there wasn't any discernable light change at street level. What I remember most, was that the sky took on a 'watercolour blue' appearance and feel to it. I still have some video recordings of the news clips and special programmes that took place that day on ITV, BBC and CNN. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2463 |
|
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,041
|
Quote:
More stunning than normal?
At one point it was like it was close enough to touch, so big and bright. Just magnificent. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2464 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
|
Quote:
Yes.
At one point it was like it was close enough to touch, so big and bright. Just magnificent. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2465 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
|
Quote:
Today is the 15th anniversary of the Total Solar Eclipse of Aug 11, 1999, which crossed part of south-west England.
Historical info:- http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsearc...p?Ecl=19990811 http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/eclipse/0411999/ I had booked the train to go down to Cornwall, but decided to cancel due to the poor weather forecast for the SW. So, I stayed at home and watched the partial eclipse instead. Tbh, even though the maximum obscuration was just under 94% (at my location), there wasn't any discernable light change at street level. What I remember most, was that the sky took on a 'watercolour blue' appearance and feel to it. I still have some video recordings of the news clips and special programmes that took place that day on ITV, BBC and CNN. Yes I often try to explain that there is a huge difference between even a 99% partial and a total. I was lucky enough to see the "Big one" from Baja on 11 July 1991. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2466 |
|
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,041
|
Quote:
So you actually watch the moon regular are could see the difference with the human eye?
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2467 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,404
|
Quote:
There is a new class of planet out there that astronomers are calling the "mega-Earth".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27669572 Super interesting article. Going on holiday abroad would be quite laborious on a planet 17 times larger than ours, especially with our current technology. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2468 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,916
|
Quote:
Did nobody see the moon last night? It was stunning.
On the subject of the Moon, Japanese scientists think that the Moon might still have a tiny molten outer core thanks to gravitational tidal heating (compare Io & Jupiter): “The previous studies indicated that there is the possibility that a part of the rock at the deepest part inside the lunar mantle may be molten. This research result supports the above possibility since partially molten rock becomes softer,” the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan stated. “This research has proven for the first time that the deepest part of the lunar mantle is soft, based upon the agreement between observation results and the theoretical calculations.” http://www.universetoday.com/113761/...rmation-study/ More lunar pics & info below: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mk7h/galleries https://www.flickr.com/groups/bbcskyatnight http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/arti...es-moon-guides |
|
|
|
|
|
#2469 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
|
Quote:
I had booked the train to go down to Cornwall, but decided to cancel due to the poor weather forecast for the SW. So, I stayed at home and watched the partial eclipse instead. Tbh, even though the maximum obscuration was just under 94% (at my location), there wasn't any discernable light change at street level. What I remember most, was that the sky took on a 'watercolour blue' appearance and feel to it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2470 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
|
Quote:
If you mean did the moon look larger and brighter than usual, then yes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2471 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Taedet animam meam vitae
Posts: 40,368
|
Quote:
Today is the 15th anniversary of the Total Solar Eclipse of Aug 11, 1999, which crossed part of south-west England.
Historical info:- http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsearc...p?Ecl=19990811 http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/eclipse/0411999/ I had booked the train to go down to Cornwall, but decided to cancel due to the poor weather forecast for the SW. So, I stayed at home and watched the partial eclipse instead. Tbh, even though the maximum obscuration was just under 94% (at my location), there wasn't any discernable light change at street level. What I remember most, was that the sky took on a 'watercolour blue' appearance and feel to it. I still have some video recordings of the news clips and special programmes that took place that day on ITV, BBC and CNN. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2472 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Osaka
Posts: 2,007
|
Quote:
Is it really 15 years ago?? I was walking on southern Dartmoor at the time. It was cloudy unfortunately but it did go remarkably dark very very quickly. It was uncanny and eerie and something I'll never forget.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2473 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,916
|
It certainly has been a stormy time weather-wise...on Uranus:
A telescope on Earth has spotted huge storms brewing on the planet Uranus. Scientists using the Keck Observatory in Hawaii have recently seen a number of storms develop on the planet. One image, taken on Aug. 5, shows a few bright spots in infrared photos taken of the planet. The bright bits show storms in the planet's atmosphere. A second photo of Uranus, taken on Aug. 6, reveals more bright spots. http://www.space.com/26794-uranus-gi...ms-photos.html What is interesting is that now terrestrial telescopes are beginning to rival what the Hubble Space Telescope can see in terms of detail and resolution. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2474 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
|
Quote:
What is interesting is that now terrestrial telescopes are beginning to rival what the Hubble Space Telescope can see in terms of detail and resolution. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2475 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
|
ESA presser (87min) from last week detailing progress and objectives of Rosetta orbiter at comet 67P: http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Vid...cience_results
|
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 13:48.




