The Outer Space Thread

[mistertim]

1 hour ago, Larry said:

I'm seriously "WTF-ing" at this. I mean, did he hire 200 people to cheer madly, no matter what happens?  
 

Countdown gets to -15 seconds, and the crowd goes wild. 
 

Rocket begins tumbling out of control, the cheering intensifies. 
 

Rocket explodes, and the crowd acts like it was a fireworks show. 
 

Cut to our broadcast crew explaining that the rocket experienced what we here technically call a "rapid unexpected deconstruction ". 
 

Me, I even saw that part of the thing, live. And they're cheerfully explaining that hey, all of the connectors on the launch pad successfully disconnected. And it even cleared the tower, and anything after that was just a bonus. 

 

He doesn't need to hire people to cheer. His cult members will cheer madly for whatever he does, regardless of whether it succeeds or not, or if it's dumb or not.

 

Honestly, at this point I think we should consider the fact that Elon didn't write "BOOBIES" in huge letters on the side of the rocket as a massive success.

Edited April 20, 2023 by mistertim

[China]

 

[mistertim]

15 minutes ago, China said:

 

 

Maybe there's an "Acts of Elon" clause?

[China]

Bus-sized asteroid to hurtle past Earth, followed by four more

 

A bus-sized asteroid will make its way past Earth today, while even larger asteroids are expected to blaze past our planet in the next few days, according to NASA.

At its closest orbit, the 12-metre comet will be 435,000 kilometres away from Earth.

For comparison, the moon is 384,000 kilometres away.

 

The asteroid, named 2023 HV5, will cross paths with Earth on Thursday.

It is hurtling through space at 8.9 kilometres per second, according to the National Space Agency's calculations.

Other larger asteroids will pass the planet in the next two days, with three large ones expected to pass us by on Friday.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[CobraCommander]

3 minutes ago, China said:

Bus-sized asteroid to hurtle past Earth, followed by four more

 

A bus-sized asteroid will make its way past Earth today, while even larger asteroids are expected to blaze past our planet in the next few days, according to NASA.

At its closest orbit, the 12-metre comet will be 435,000 kilometres away from Earth.

For comparison, the moon is 384,000 kilometres away.

 

The asteroid, named 2023 HV5, will cross paths with Earth on Thursday.

It is hurtling through space at 8.9 kilometres per second, according to the National Space Agency's calculations.

Other larger asteroids will pass the planet in the next two days, with three large ones expected to pass us by on Friday.

 

Click on the link for the full article

20,132 miles / hour

[ixcuincle]

 

[CobraCommander]

 

 

Happening now. ALMOST live stream of Mars. About 18 minute delay. Pretty neat. 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2023 by CobraCommander

[China]

Scientists discover huge, heat-emitting blob on the far side of the moon

 

Scientists have discovered an anomalous blob of heat on the far side of the moon. 

 

This mysterious hotspot has a strange origin: It's likely caused by the natural radiation emanating from a huge buried mass of granite, which is rarely found in large quantities outside of Earth, according to new research. On the moon, a dead volcano that hasn't erupted for 3.5 billion years is likely the source of this unusual hunk of granite. 

 

A map of the moon's far side taken by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. Recent observations of the moon's far side revealed a strange heat anomaly that could be a long-dead volcano. (Image credit: NASA/ARC/MIT)
 

"This is more Earth-like than we had imagined can be produced on the Moon, which lacks the water and plate tectonics that help granites form on Earth," lead study author Matt Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, said in a statement.

 

Siegler and his colleague Rita Economos of Southern Methodist University discovered the heat with a new method using microwaves to measure subsurface temperatures via the Chinese lunar orbiters Chang'E 1 and 2. They also used data from NASA's Lunar Prospector and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiters.

 

What they found was an area about 31 miles (50 kilometers) across where the temperature is about 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) warmer than the surroundings. This region was below a 12.4 mile (20 km) diameter spot on the surface that is rich in silicon and that is thought to be a collapsed volcanic crater. The dead volcano last erupted 3.5 billion years ago, but magma from its plumbing system is likely still sitting below the surface, giving off radiation. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

[China]

 

A mere 390 light-years away, Sun-like stars and future planetary systems are forming in the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to our fair planet. The James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam peered into the nearby natal chaos to capture this infrared image at an inspiring scale. The spectacular cosmic snapshot was released to celebrate the successful first year of Webb's exploration of the Universe. The frame spans less than a light-year across the Rho Ophiuchi region and contains about 50 young stars. Brighter stars clearly sport Webb's characteristic pattern of diffraction spikes. Huge jets of shocked molecular hydrogen blasting from newborn stars are red in the image, with the large, yellowish dusty cavity carved out by the energetic young star near its center. Near some stars in the stunning image are shadows cast by their protoplanetary disks.

Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space

 

Link

[Larry]

I like the way the "diffraction spikes" make it easy to see the pairs of stars in top left and bottom left.  

[China]

Sex in SPACE: Scientists call for urgent research on the consequences of joining the 'Karman line club' – as they claim intercourse will happen between space tourists within 10 years

 

From Star Trek to Passengers, sex in space has been depicted in science fiction blockbusters for years.

 

And while NASA categorically insists that 'no humans have had sex in space', that could soon change with the proliferation of space tourism.

 

Private space firms including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic are now offering civilians the chance to venture into space, albeit for a hefty price.

 

With this new era of spaceflight, David Cullen, Professor of Bioanalytical Technology at Cranfield University, is calling for urgent research into the consequences of sex in space.

 

'My colleagues and I believe that space tourism companies haven't adequately prepared for the consequences of people joining what we could call the "Kármán line club",' he wrote in an article for The Conversation.

 

The Kármán line is a boundary 62 miles above sea level that marks the beginning of space. 

 

'Considering that space travel is no longer reserved for professional astronauts, the various motivations of space tourists and upcoming spacecraft developments, we concluded that in-space sex will probably happen within the next ten years,' he wrote.

 

But sex in space won't be straightforward. 

 

Speaking to MailOnline, Professor Anja Geitmann, Dean of the Department of Plant Sciences at McGill University in Montreal, who has done significant research on sex in space, explained that the main issue would be 'for the partners to try to remain in physical proximity, since one can't rely on gravity to push one partner against the other.'

 

'Another issue would be trying to avoid hitting one's head, since again, there is no gravity to prevent the partners to drift away from each other and against the nearest obstacle with each movement,' she added. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Just ask James Bond...

 

[China]

‘Devil Comet’ Heading Straight Toward Earth

 

A cryovolcanic meteor that will pass close to Earth underwent a cold volcanic eruption resulting in what looks like horns in telescopic images, but estimates say the closest it will get to us is 144 million miles - so it doesn’t seem like we have to worry about it colliding with our planet. 

 

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks will have its closest approach to earth on June 2, 2024 which may result in some great meteor showers but no impacts are expected. The chunk of celestial rock hurtling through space is still unusual though, due the apparent “horns” believed to be caused by a super-cold explosion of cryomagma, or ice-magma, into space.

 

Astronomers detected a huge burst of light from the comet this month, increasing its brightness about 100 times and giving it the apparent shape of horns, although according to some it looks more like the Millennium Flacon. It’s thought the pressure buildup was obstructed by the irregular shape of the comet causing the appearance of “horns” in the way the 22 billion pounds of dust and ice that were expelled are now reflecting the sun, but it will eventually disappear as the debris becomes too dispersed to catch the sunlight anymore.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Mr. Sinister]

Get it over with. We had a good run.

Edited August 1, 2023 by Mr. Sinister

[Renegade7]

I opened the link and it kinda pissed me off...the main article photo is a rendering of that devil comet hitting earth...

 

DF they tryin to do here if it ain't comin closer then 144 million miles of us?  For context, the earth is 93 million miles from the sun 😒

[Mr. Sinister]

4 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

I opened the link and it kinda pissed me off...the main article photo is a rendering of that devil comet hitting earth...

 

DF they tryin to do here if it ain't comin closer then 144 million miles of us?  For context, the earth is 93 million miles from the sun 😒

 

Like, if I can't feel the heat from that bad boy, why bother

[Fan since a Fetus]

Just thought I’d share an old timey space photo of my wife and I 

 

 

[Jabbyrwock]

5 minutes ago, Fan since a Fetus said:

Just thought I’d share an old timey space photo of my wife and I 

 

 

 

Early launch problems, eh?

[Fan since a Fetus]

1 hour ago, Jabbyrwock said:

 

Early launch problems, eh?

Not at all. she has always lifted my Solid Rocket Booster. 

[mistertim]

10 hours ago, Jabbyrwock said:

 

Early launch problems, eh?

 

My issue is mostly performance anxiety. I tend to get tensor when I'm in certain situations.

[FrFan]

[kfrankie]

So was Bill Lazar lying when he said that the U.S. had alien craft propelled by anti-gravity reactors powered by element 114, which had been given to the U.S. by Zeta Reticulans?

[Corcaigh]

4 hours ago, kfrankie said:

So was Bill Lazar lying when he said that the U.S. had alien craft propelled by anti-gravity reactors powered by element 114, which had been given to the U.S. by Zeta Reticulans?

Which part are you questioning?

[Corcaigh]

16 hours ago, Fan since a Fetus said:

Just thought I’d share an old timey space photo of my wife and I 

 

 

Fun fact. The couple also likes art. Here they are enjoying the painting ‘Ivan Tsarevich riding the gray wolf.’

 

’riding the gray wolf’ … is that a euphemism for granny sex?

[China]

NASA hears signal from Voyager 2 after days of silence

 

NASA has heard a signal from Voyager 2 billions of miles away following days of silence after flight controllers sent the wrong command nearly two weeks ago, cutting off the spacecraft’s communications with Earth.

 

NASA’s Deep Space Network, an array of giant radio antennas across the world, detected a “heartbeat signal,” indicating the spacecraft is alive and working, project manager Suzanne Dodd told The Associated Press in an email.

 

Voyager 2 is more than 12.3 billion miles from Earth, according to NASA. The wrong command on July 21 caused the attendant to point 2 degrees from Earth, taking away its ability to receive commands or transit data back to Earth. 

 

Dodd said the signal “buoyed our spirits,” as flight controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California are now attempting to turn Voyager 2’s antenna back towards Earth. If this does not work — and controllers doubt it will — operators will have to wait for its program to reset its orientation on Oct. 15, which should resume communications. NASA previously said it expects the nearly 46-year-old craft to stay on its planned trajectory in the meantime. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

[CousinsCowgirl84]

22 hours ago, China said:

‘Devil Comet’ Heading Straight Toward Earth

 

A cryovolcanic meteor that will pass close to Earth underwent a cold volcanic eruption resulting in what looks like horns in telescopic images, but estimates say the closest it will get to us is 144 million miles - so it doesn’t seem like we have to worry about it colliding with our planet. 

 

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks will have its closest approach to earth on June 2, 2024 which may result in some great meteor showers but no impacts are expected. The chunk of celestial rock hurtling through space is still unusual though, due the apparent “horns” believed to be caused by a super-cold explosion of cryomagma, or ice-magma, into space.

 

Astronomers detected a huge burst of light from the comet this month, increasing its brightness about 100 times and giving it the apparent shape of horns, although according to some it looks more like the Millennium Flacon. It’s thought the pressure buildup was obstructed by the irregular shape of the comet causing the appearance of “horns” in the way the 22 billion pounds of dust and ice that were expelled are now reflecting the sun, but it will eventually disappear as the debris becomes too dispersed to catch the sunlight anymore.

 

Click on the link for the full article

Headline don’t match the story.