The Outer Space Thread

[Corcaigh]

7:50 am launch Thursday 7/30

 

 

[Mr. Sinister]

 

 

 

[China]

Tiny Asteroid Flew By Earth at Closest on Record

 

An asteroid that flew by Earth on Saturday was the closest non-impacting asteroid on record.

[China]

Here's The Real Truth About That 'Election Day' Asteroid on Its Way to Earth

 

If you've looked at the news today, you'd be forgiven for thinking a huge asteroid is on track to collide with Earth the day before the 2020 US Presidential election.

 

At least that's the takeaway from quite a few news outlets. And, understandably, some people are freaking out. In a year with a literal pandemic, an asteroid collision really just puts a cherry on the top of a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad cake.

 

But we have good news for you! Despite the headlines, there's no need to worry about this particular asteroid – known as 2018VP1. 

 

2018VP1 is not a surprise to scientists. As its name suggests, it was discovered back in 2018 while it was around 450,000 kilometres (280,000 miles) away from Earth.

 

It's got a two-year orbital period, and it's currently on its way back around again towards us.

 

Fortunately, this is not one of the many asteroids that we don't know about until they've already exploded, or flown by.

 

This time though, the Apollo-class asteroid is estimated to come within 4,994.76 kilometres of Earth. That's really close in space terms.

 

And because it's so close, there's a slight chance (1 in 240 or 0.41 percent) that it'll hit Earth on 2 November 2020 – the day before the US Presidential election.

 

 

Click on the link for the full article

[PokerPacker]

At this point, bring it on.

[JCB]

I wonder if we should start a pool. If it *does* hit, all 6.5 feet across of it, where is the most karmically likely? Mar a Lago, right?

[GibbsGreen11]

[China]

I guess you guys missed this part:

 

Quote

it would disintegrate due to its extremely small size.

 

It won't be hitting anything.

[PokerPacker]

3 hours ago, JCB said:

I wonder if we should start a pool. If it *does* hit, all 6.5 feet across of it, where is the most karmically likely? Mar a Lago, right?

I was gonna say The White House, but let's face it: the oompa loompa will be out golfing.

[Renegade7]

We're overdue for a "stop being cute about this issue" movie:

 

 

[PokerPacker]

3 hours ago, Renegade7 said:

We're overdue for a "stop being cute about this issue" movie.

How I'd do the movie:

First 30 minutes: "We've discovered a comet/asteroid that's gonna crash into the Earth and kill everything."

Next 30 minutes: "Is there anything we can do to stop it?"

Final 30 minutes: Everybody dies.

Post-credits: Elon Musk on Mars sipping on a martini.

[Renegade7]

56 minutes ago, PokerPacker said:

How I'd do the movie:

First 30 minutes: "We've discovered a comet/asteroid that's gonna crash into the Earth and kill everything."

Next 30 minutes: "Is there anything we can do to stop it?"

Final 30 minutes: Everybody dies.

Post-credits: Elon Musk on Mars sipping on a martini.

 

The book I want to read or movie I want to see is our solar system colonized and abandoned by a complete collapse of earth.  Every system resents the hell out of them, clinging to survival, and debates furiously about how to rebuild earth to the brink of war. 

 

Mars of course would have the most leverage here for reasons like proximity and first teraformed planet, if they want to invade, not much anyone can do.

 

There's not much anyone can do if Musk brings an army with him to Mars, dont think he wont and jus call it privatized security.

Edited August 25, 2020 by Renegade7

[Renegade7]

https://www.inverse.com/science/venus-map-with-water

 

Some argue Venus would be easier to perform then Mars.  Not sure buying that with it spinning backwards that slowly.

 

But if we have time, and we do, why not give it a shot and see what happens?

Edited August 30, 2020 by Renegade7

[China]

3 hours ago, Renegade7 said:

https://www.inverse.com/science/venus-map-with-water

 

Some argue Venus would be easier to perform then Mars.  Not sure buying that with it spinning backwards that slowly.

 

But if we have time, and we do, why not give it a shot and see what happens?

 

I don't think Venus is plausible, what with the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere which would corrode everything, not to mention a temperature over 800 degrees.

 

Quote

Venus' atmosphere consists mainly of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid droplets. The thick atmosphere traps the Sun's heat, resulting in surface temperatures higher than 880 degrees Fahrenheit (470 degrees Celsius).

 

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/venus/in-depth/#:~:text=Venus' atmosphere consists mainly of,many layers with different temperatures.

[Renegade7]

@China check this out 

 

40 minutes ago, China said:

 

I don't think Venus is plausible, what with the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere which would corrode everything, not to mention a temperature over 800 degrees.

 

 

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/venus/in-depth/#:~:text=Venus' atmosphere consists mainly of,many layers with different temperatures.

 

One idea is to limit the sunlight down to a level that a reverse climate catastrophe happens via solar shades, would start snowing dry ice.

 

direct sunlight fed the run away greenhouse, getting into an ice ball is more likely the oceans because the magnetosphere is pretty much gone. But so is Mars, so if that's the limiting factor, why bother with either?

[Renegade7]

Honestly, what never ceases to amaze me is possibility Venus, Earth, and Mars all had oceans at the same time or at one point each.

 

Quote

But that doesn't mean the map holds no value. Byrne notes that there's some evidence Venus may once have had Earth-like oceans, and it's something humanity can research in the future.

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by Renegade7

[GibbsGreen11]

I'm a carpenter by trade and worked on this project a couple years back. Colonization of Mars or Venus would require biodome communities in my opinion. Some of the labs we built according to project management, were going to be zero gravity containments. I overheard NASA employees talking about people being solicited to live in these containments for 2 years without contact from the outside world. 

[PokerPacker]

2 minutes ago, GibbsGreen11 said:

I'm a carpenter by trade and worked on this project a couple years back. Colonization of Mars or Venus would require biodome communities in my opinion. Some of the labs we built according to project management, were going to be zero gravity containments. I overheard NASA employees talking about people being solicited to live in these containments for 2 years without contact from the outside world. 

 

Colonization of Venus ain't happening without some serious terraforming.  No way we could get a biodome down there and get into the biodome in its current state.

Edited August 30, 2020 by PokerPacker

[GibbsGreen11]

Agreed, I'm not talking about my lifetime. 

[GibbsGreen11]

AMES wind tunnel across the street.

[China]

45 minutes ago, GibbsGreen11 said:

I'm a carpenter by trade and worked on this project a couple years back. Colonization of Mars or Venus would require biodome communities in my opinion. Some of the labs we built according to project management, were going to be zero gravity containments. I overheard NASA employees talking about people being solicited to live in these containments for 2 years without contact from the outside world. 

 

 

 

 

[Renegade7]

4 hours ago, PokerPacker said:

Colonization of Venus ain't happening without some serious terraforming.  No way we could get a biodome down there and get into the biodome in its current state.

 

Perfect place for a prison, but how do you get down there and not die craving a into aountain or something?

 

Again, like noted in video, some think terraforming venus is more realistic then mars, if we are talking about changing atmosphere so we can walk in the surface instead of making earth-like. Mars is more realistic to make earth-like, I think both are worth a shot, we have plenty of time in this system before we have to go.  

 

Could be lotta same materials a earth for mining operations. Bugger problem, imo, is the earth-like gravity.

[skinsmarydu]

5 hours ago, GibbsGreen11 said:

I overheard NASA employees talking about people being solicited to live in these containments for 2 years without contact from the outside world. 

 

We watched a doc on this, but I don't remember much, just that it was extremely difficult on the body. 

[PokerPacker]

9 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

Perfect place for a prison, but how do you get down there and not die craving a into aountain or something?

 

Again, like noted in video, some think terraforming venus is more realistic then mars, if we are talking about changing atmosphere so we can walk in the surface instead of making earth-like. Mars is more realistic to make earth-like, I think both are worth a shot, we have plenty of time in this system before we have to go.  

 

Could be lotta same materials a earth for mining operations. Bugger problem, imo, is the earth-like gravity.

I dunno about terraforming Mars.  It's got the problem of not being able to maintain an atmosphere.  Solar winds will blow it away with no magnetosphere to protect it.

 

Venus, though, also lacks a magnetosphere.  I don't recall off-hand why its managed to maintain such a dense atmosphere.

[Renegade7]

2 minutes ago, PokerPacker said:

I dunno about terraforming Mars.  It's got the problem of not being able to maintain an atmosphere.  Solar winds will blow it away with no magnetosphere to protect it.

 

Would still take millions of years to lose it again, think that's only reason why it's discussed, wed be renting just like we renting earth.

 

2 minutes ago, PokerPacker said:

Venus, though, also lacks a magnetosphere.  I don't recall off-hand why its managed to maintain such a dense atmosphere.

 

More atmosphere to lose, just taking longer.  Even no atmosphere would make it more useful then it is right now, not buying the cloud cities, at least I'm not going.