The Outer Space Thread

[Mr. Sinister]

On 1/31/2020 at 1:50 AM, Monk4thaHALL said:

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615113/these-are-the-highest-resolution-photos-of-the-sun-ever-taken/

 

Astronomers have just released the highest-resolution image of the sun. Taken by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Maui, it gives us an unprecedented view of our nearest star and brings us closer to solving several long-standing mysteries.

 

It's beer honey.

 

Looks like a bagillion synchronized atom bomb explosions going off all at once

[mistertim]

 

[TheGoodBits]

I purchased a starter telescope, an Astronomers without Borders Onesky, and it arrived today. Working on getting the spotting scope dialed in, but I was able to manually find the moon and observe it for a few seconds until I felt I was risking my vision. The moon is nearly full and incredibly bright through the telescope. I’ll have to get a moon filter. 

[No Excuses]

Amateur telescopee are great. I had a Dobsonian for a long time but that thing was a behemoth to carry around so ended up selling it two years ago.

 

Gave incredible views of the moon and Mars, Jupiter and Saturn even when viewed from DC. Would drive a few hours to the rural country side and could spot several nebulas and andromeda with the right filters.

 

 

Edited February 8, 2020 by No Excuses

[PokerPacker]

14 minutes ago, No Excuses said:

Amateur telescopee are great. I had a Dobsonian for a long time but that thing was a behemoth to carry around so ended up selling it two years ago.

 

Gave incredible views of the moon and Mars, Jupiter and Saturn even when viewed from DC. Would drive a few hours to the rural country side and could spot several nebulas and andromeda with the right filters.

I saw one of those at a yard sale a few years ago as I was driving back to my folks' home.  Told my Dad about it and he went out there and bought it.  It's a nice telescope; just wish we had more opportunity to really use it.

 

Also, I believe it's "nebulae".

Edited February 8, 2020 by PokerPacker

[China]

Strange signal: Scientists find radio waves from space pulsing in 16-day pattern

 

Scientists in Canada have identified a powerful radio signal coming from some 500 million light years from Earth, which broadcasts in a 16-day cycle, the first time they have seen these kinds of signals in a repeating pattern.

 

These are the first Fast Radio Bursts to show periodicity, the researchers wrote in a paper published at the end of January and expressed hope this could help identify the source of these mysterious signals.

The FRB, labeled FRB 180916.J0158+65, transmits its burst of radio waves over four days and then goes silent for another twelve before starting the cycle again.

 

“We conclude that this is the first detected periodicity of any kind in an FRB source,” the researchers wrote in their report.

 

“The discovery of a 16.35-day periodicity in a repeating FRB source is an important clue to the nature of this object,” they said.

 

One possible explanation for the periodicity of the signals could be that the FRB source is orbiting a black hole which masks the bursts as the source moves around it. Another possibility is a powerful solar wind from a large star interfering with signals from an orbiting source.

 

Or it could just be that the source is producing periodic bursts.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

  at this part:

Quote

One possible explanation for the periodicity of the signals could be that the FRB source is orbiting a black hole which masks the bursts as the source moves around it. Another possibility is a powerful solar wind from a large star interfering with signals from an orbiting source.

 

Or it could just be that the source is producing periodic bursts.

 

In other words they don't know.

[PokerPacker]

3 hours ago, China said:

In other words they don't know.

"I don't know" is the beginning of wisdom.

[China]

Huge red star might explode soon and next few weeks are critical

 

Supergiant star Betelgeuse has been getting dimmer at an unprecedented pace over the past few months, leading some astronomers to wonder if it might be in the process of the collapse that precedes a supernova explosion. But there are other possible explanations, and we should have a better idea of what's happening to the massive star by the end of the month.

 

Veteran Villanova University astronomer Edward Guinan has been watching Betelgeuse for decades and reported earlier this month that the star appears to be "the least luminous and coolest yet measured from our 25 years of photometry."

 

It's well known Betelgeuse has no more than about 100,000 years left to burn and could start its death throes just about anytime between now and then. When it does go supernova, it's expected to result in a dramatic light show that could be visible in daylight and appear brighter than the full moon for a few weeks. The last time humans were treated to such a sight was the 17th century. 

 

But as astronomer Tony Phillips points out on Spaceweather.com, the sudden fainting of Betelgeuse could also have less catastrophic explanations like a giant sunspot or clouds of stellar dust. 

 

Perhaps the most boring explanation of all is that the star is just doing its thing. See, Betelgeuse is a well-known variable star that pulsates over a variety of time periods. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

[PokerPacker]

Maybe if we say its name three times it'll super-nova for us

Edited March 14, 2020 by PokerPacker

[Renegade7]

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/02/11/world/repeating-fast-radio-burst-pattern-scn-trnd/index.html?__twitter_impression=true

 

Mysterious radio signal from space is repeating every 16 days

 

 

30 minutes ago, PokerPacker said:

Maybe if we say it's name three times it'll super-nova for us

 

Technically it probably already did : )

[PokerPacker]

2 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/02/11/world/repeating-fast-radio-burst-pattern-scn-trnd/index.html?__twitter_impression=true

 

Mysterious radio signal from space is repeating every 16 days

China linked to something about that the other day
 

2 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

Technically it probably already did : )

Depends on how fast you're moving.

[Renegade7]

6 hours ago, PokerPacker said:

China linked to something about that the other day
 

 

Brain fart, thanks.

 

6 hours ago, PokerPacker said:

Depends on how fast you're moving.

 

Geniuenly curious what you mean by this.  I was thinking outloud in terms of it being 640+ light-years away so by time we see it here, it'll mean it blew up 640+ years ago.

[PokerPacker]

3 hours ago, Renegade7 said:

Geniuenly curious what you mean by this.  I was thinking outloud in terms of it being 640+ light-years away so by time we see it here, it'll mean it blew up 640+ years ago.

 

[Renegade7]

 

[Renegade7]

 

[Fan since a Fetus]

 

[Renegade7]

[88Comrade2000]

New 'mini-moon' orbiting Earth — for now, astronomers say

[Mr. Sinister]

https://www.space.com/mars-rover-curiosity-biggest-panorama-photo-ever.html

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by Mr. Sinister

[Renegade7]

 

[TheGoodBits]

The asteroid belt/ Jupiter gravity gif is one of the keys to the rare earth hypothesis. Earth appears to suffer an extinction level event every few hundred million years, but if we were being pelted by giant asteroids every million years or so, intelligent life would never have a chance to get off the ground. 

[PeterMP]

27 minutes ago, skinsfan_1215 said:

The asteroid belt/ Jupiter gravity gif is one of the keys to the rare earth hypothesis. Earth appears to suffer an extinction level event every few hundred million years, but if we were being pelted by giant asteroids every million years or so, intelligent life would never have a chance to get off the ground. 

 

But the flip of that is there isn't really any reason to believe our solar system is rare.  Our understanding of solar system dynamics suggest that most solar systems will have large gas giants further out from their star so most Earth like planets will likely have a Jupiter playing the same role.

 

Based on what we know, we expect to see the design of small rocky planets closer to the star with larger gas giants further from the star.

 

(far from the sun where it is cold gasses will liquefy and the suns gravity won't prevent them from consolidating to make planets.  Close to the sun, gases more likely to be gases and be burned away or prevented from forming into planets by the sun's gravity.

 

Though, it is possible our solar system was special from formation.

 

https://io9.gizmodo.com/why-doesnt-our-solar-system-have-any-gas-giants-close-t-5806578)

 

But even if the gas giant is close to the rocky planet, in terms of collisions, you get the same effect.  The gravity of the gas giant close by pulls things towards it and away from the smaller rocky planet.  Either case, you get protection for the Earth-like planet by the larger gas giant.)

Edited March 6, 2020 by PeterMP

[PeterMP]

Organic molecules on Mars evidence of (past) life.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/06/world/curiosity-rover-organic-molecules-thiophenes-scn/index.html

[China]

 

[China]

NASA Warns Of 128-Foot Asteroid Approaching Earth; Will It Cause An Airburst?

 

NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) is currently monitoring a massive asteroid that’s expected to approach Earth tomorrow. Based on the data collected by the agency, there’s a chance the incoming asteroid could cause a violent mid-air explosion if it hits the planet.

 

According to CNEOS, the approaching asteroid is known as 2020 FB2. The agency estimated that it is about 128 feet wide. It is currently moving across the Solar System toward Earth at an incredible speed of over 24,000 miles per hour.

 

Based on 2020 FB2’s natural orbit, the asteroid is a member of the Apollo family of space rocks. As an Apollo asteroid, 2020 FB2 follows an Earth-crossing orbit, which means it occasionally intersects the path of Earth as it travels around the Sun.

 

Aside from Earth, 2020 FB2 is also known to cross the orbits of other planets such as Mars and Venus.

 

The asteroid’s natural orbit indicates that it could hit Earth if its trajectory changes. Due to its size and speed, 2020 FB2 will most likely not hit the ground during a collision. Instead, the asteroid will burn up in the sky and cause a violent explosion in the atmosphere.

 

Given its size, 2020 FB2 could detonate at an altitude of about 29,000 to 55,000 feet in the air. Although this may seem like a safe distance from the ground, the blast from the asteroid could release kinetic energy equivalent to around 60 atomic bombs.

 

Click on the link for the full article