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For the other Astronuts out there

Discussion in 'Free Fire Zone' started by Biak, Nov 2, 2011.

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  1. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    DUCK !

    A giant asteroid will make a flyby of Earth over the next few days, and armchair astronomers can watch the action live on their computers.
    The near-Earth asteroid 4179 Toutatis[​IMG], which is about 3 miles wide, will zoom within 4.3 million miles of Earth during its closest approach early Wednesday morning, Dec. 12. That's too far away to pose any impact threat on this pass, but close enough to put on a pretty good show through top-notch telescopes, researchers say.
    And some of those scopes will be tracking Toutatis' movements for the benefit of skywatchers around the world. The online Slooh Space Camera and Virtual Telescope Project, for example, will both stream live, free footage of the asteroid[​IMG] from professional-quality observatories.
    Slooh will webcast Toutatis views from a scope in the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa beginning at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) Dec. 11. Another show will follow at 10 p.m. EST tonight (0300 GMT Wednesday), with footage from an instrument in Arizona. You can watch them at Slooh's website: http://www.slooh.com.[​IMG]
    Both shows will feature commentary from Slooh president Patrick Paolucci and Astronomy Magazine columnist Bob Berman. [Photos: Asteroids in Deep Space[​IMG]]
    "Slooh technical staff will let the public follow this fast-moving asteroid in two different ways. In one view, the background stars will be tracked at their own rate and the asteroid will appear as an obvious streak or a moving time-lapse dot across the starry field," Berman said in a statement.
    "In a second view, Toutatis itself will be tracked and held steady as a tiny pointlike object, while Earth's spin makes the background stars whiz by as streaks," Berman added. "Both methods will make the asteroid's speedy orbital motion obvious as it passes us in space."
    Meanwhile, the Virtual Telescope Project — which is run by Gianluca Masi of Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Italy — will offer its own free webcast Thursday at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT), complete with commentary from astrophysicists.
    You can see that video stream here: The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0: Virtual Telescope’s WebTV[​IMG]
    Asteroid Toutatis was first viewed in 1934, then officially discovered in 1989. It makes one trip around the sun every four years.
    The Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass., lists Toutatis as a potentially hazardous object, meaning that it could pose a threat to our planet at some point in the future. The current flyby is no cause for concern, however. At its closest approach, which comes at 1:40 a.m. (0640 GMT) Wednesday, Toutatis will still be 18 times farther away from Earth than the moon is.
    Toutatis would cause catastrophic damage if it ever did slam into Earth. In general, scientists think a strike by anything at least 0.6 miles wide could have global consequences, most likely by altering the world's climate for many years to come.
    For comparison, the asteroid thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was an estimated 6 miles across.

     
    Biak, Dec 11, 2012
    #81
  2. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    Oh to slip the surly bonds of Earth;

    From the attached link;

    "Cernan always felt warm about the dark — and the light and the gray and the million brilliant colors that were part of his space experiences. Forty years later he still does. ”Picture my environment,” he says of the last look he took around at the moonscape before he ascended the LEM ladder. “I’m a quarter million miles from home on the surface of the moon. I’m looking down at my footprints and then over my shoulder at the crescent Earth, with its blues and whites, hovering over the southwest rim of the mountains. And I’m seeing that the Earth doesn’t just tumble through space. It moves with purpose and logic. It was too beautiful to have happened by accident. I felt like I was standing in a place where science had met its match. Science could no longer explain to me where I was.”
     
    Biak, Dec 13, 2012
    #82
  3. syscom3

    syscom3 Member

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    I gave a presentation to some classes at my daughters school this morning. All about the solar system. I started off with a couple of pictures from Apollo 17 and that today was the anniversary of the last moon walks.

    Good thing I can do this at a private school. Because a public school would demand to see my teacher qualifications, a lesson plan that must include minority and GLBT contributions to science, and I must not include anything that heaps praise on the JPL and NASA.
     
    syscom3, Dec 13, 2012
    #83
  4. Poppy

    Poppy grasshopper

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    What... Lesson plan including glbt?...Damn Hollywood...Can't wait for their influence to wane...Computers will take their power away. Human actors fail miserably against their CGI counterparts. Actors are on their way out, thankfully. The lesbians can stay though...Beowulf (2007) - IMDb
     
    Poppy, Dec 16, 2012
    #84
  5. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    urqh, Dec 19, 2012
    #85
  6. syscom3

    syscom3 Member

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    You learn some thing every day.

    "The fallen astronaut and Apollo 15"

    Fallen Astronaut - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Fallen Astronaut is an 8.5 cm (slightly over 3") aluminium sculpture of an astronaut in a spacesuit, which commemorates astronauts and cosmonauts who have died in the advancement of space exploration. It is at Hadley Rille on the Moon, placed there by the crew of Apollo 15 on August 1, 1971.

    On August 1, 1971,[1] Fallen Astronaut was placed on the Moon by the crew of Apollo 15, along with a plaque bearing the names of eight American astronauts and six Soviet cosmonauts who had died:

    Theodore Freeman (October 31, 1964, aircraft accident)
    Charles Bassett (February 28, 1966, aircraft accident)
    Elliott See (February 28, 1966, aircraft accident)
    Gus Grissom (January 27, 1967, Apollo 1 fire)
    Roger Chaffee (January 27, 1967, Apollo 1 fire)
    Edward White (January 27, 1967, Apollo 1 fire)
    Vladimir Komarov (April 24, 1967, Soyuz 1 re-entry parachute failure)
    Edward Givens (June 6, 1967 automobile accident)
    Clifton Williams (October 5, 1967, aircraft accident)
    Yuri Gagarin (March 27, 1968, aircraft accident)
    Pavel Belyayev (January 10, 1970, disease)
    Georgi Dobrovolski (June 30, 1971, Soyuz 11 re-entry pressurization failure)
    Viktor Patsayev (June 30, 1971, Soyuz 11 re-entry pressurization failure)
    Vladislav Volkov (June 30, 1971, Soyuz 11 re-entry pressurization failure)

    Scott, Commander of the Apollo 15 mission, noted that "Sadly, two names are missing (from the plaque), those of Valentin Bondarenko and Grigori Nelyubov." He explained that because of the secrecy surrounding the Soviet space program at the time, they were unaware of their deaths.

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    syscom3, Dec 20, 2012
    #86
  7. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    Could be worth waiting for. Wonder if it'll be as bright as Hale-Bopp?
    "Astronomers around the world are tracking with eager anticipation the arrival of a comet next year which could even outshine our Moon in the night sky.
    Comet ISON is expected to draw millions into the dark to witness what is likely to be the most brilliant comet seen in many generations.
    It is visiting the inner solar system for what is thought to be the first time and is set to put on spectacular views for the Northern Hemisphere across November and December as it heads towards the sun.
    It may prove to be brighter than any comet of the last century - visible even in daylight - and this may end up being its one and only trip to the solar system, as its trajectory may see it plunge into the sun in a fiery death.
    It is currently moving inwards from beyond Jupiter, and as it approaches the Earth, the 'dirty snowball' could produce a dazzling display, burning brighter than the moon and potentially being visible in broad daylight.
    Astronomer Dr David Whitehouse, writing in The Independent, says the comet will be visible to the naked eye in the night sky by late November."
    The comet that could outshine the MOON: Sky-gazers anticipating 'unaided eye' object which could be the brightest for generations | Mail Online

     
    GRW, Dec 27, 2012
    #87
  8. Poppy

    Poppy grasshopper

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    As a kidlet in the 70's, remember an episode of Time Tunnel. I just recall them walking around with this huge comet on the horizon- blocking out the light, causing havoc. ..Scared me. sniff...tried to find a clip of that particular show with the comet in it...but noooo. This is all I got: TV Trailer for The Time Tunnel, 1960s - YouTube
     
    Poppy, Dec 30, 2012
    #88
  9. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Boy, I hope those Mayan's weren't off by a year :p I'll have the telescope set-up !
     
    Biak, Dec 31, 2012
    #89
  10. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    Oh Great! We make it pass the Mayan Apocalypse now we gotta worry about:

    A 300 metre-wide asteroid is making a close pass to the Earth.
    Apophis - named after the Egyptian demon of destruction and darkness - has been put on a watch list by scientists.

    They have calculated that in 2036 there is a very small chance it could collide with our planet.
    However, its current fly-by is at a safe distance of about 14 million km - but this is close enough for astronomers to study the space rock and assess its future risk.

    The large rocky mass was first discovered in 2004. At the time, it raised alarm when scientists calculated that it had a one-in-45,000 chance of smashing into the Earth in 2029.

    Later revisions, lifted this threat; instead on the Friday 13 April 2029, it will make a close pass at a distance of about 30,000km.

    30,000 km?? That's like what 20,000 miles?

    BBC News - Apophis asteroid: Large space rock flies past Earth
     
    Biak, Jan 9, 2013
    #90
  11. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    "A nearby short duration gamma-ray burst may be the cause of an intense blast of high-energy radiation that hit the Earth in the 8th century, according to new research led by astronomers Valeri Hambaryan and Ralph Neuhӓuser.
    The two scientists, based at the Astrophysics Institute of the University of Jena in Germany, publish their results in the journalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
    Burst of radiation struck the Earth

    In 2012 scientist Fusa Miyake announced the detection of high levels of the isotope Carbon-14 and Beryllium-10 in tree rings formed in 775 CE, suggesting that a burst of radiation struck the Earth in the year 774 or 775. Carbon-14 and Beryllium-10 form when radiation from space collides with nitrogen atoms, which then decay to these heavier forms of carbon and beryllium. The earlier research ruled out the nearby explosion of a massive star (a supernova) as nothing was recorded in observations at the time and no remnant has been found.
    Prof. Miyake also considered whether a solar flare could have been responsible, but these are not powerful enough to cause the observed excess of carbon-14. Large flares are likely to be accompanied by ejections of material from the Sun’s corona, leading to vivid displays of the northern and southern lights (aurorae), but again no historical records suggest these took place.
    Following this announcement, researchers pointed to an entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle that describes a ‘red crucifix’ seen after sunset and suggested this might be a supernova. But this dates from 776, too late to account for the carbon-14 data and still does not explain why no remnant has been detected.
    Gamma rays

    Drs. Hambaryan and Neuhӓuser have another explanation, consistent with both the carbon-14 measurements and the absence of any recorded events in the sky. They suggest that two compact stellar remnants, i.e. black holes, neutron stars or white dwarfs, collided and merged together. When this happens, some energy is released in the form of gamma rays, the most energetic part of the electromagnetic spectrum that includes visible light.
    In these mergers, the burst of gamma rays is intense but short, typically lasting less than two seconds. These events are seen in other galaxies many times each year but, in contrast to long duration bursts, without any corresponding visible light. If this is the explanation for the 774 / 775 radiation burst, then the merging stars could not be closer than about 3000 light years, or it would have led to the extinction of some terrestrial life. Based on the carbon-14 measurements, Hambaryan and Neuhӓuser believe the gamma ray burst originated in a system between 3000 and 12000 light years from the Sun.
    If they are right, then this would explain why no records exist of a supernova or auroral display. Other work suggests that some visible light is emitted during short gamma-ray bursts that could be seen in a relatively nearby event. This might only be seen for a few days and be easily missed, but nonetheless it may be worthwhile for historians to look again through contemporary texts.
    Astronomers could also look for the merged object, a 1200 year old black hole or neutron star 3000-12000 light years from the Sun but without the characteristic gas and dust of a supernova remnant."
    Did an 8th century gamma ray burst irradiate the Earth? : Past Horizons Archaeology
     
    GRW, Jan 22, 2013
    #91
  12. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    Rest in Peace Gentlemen
    :poppy:

    In NASA’s early years, the agency learned by doing; developing tests and procedures as programs wore on. One test developed and used in the Mercury program was the “plugs-out test,” a prelaunch test of the spacecrafts systems through a simulated countdown on launch. It was never considered a dangerous test, but on Jan. 27, 1967, Apollo 1′s plugs-out test claimed the lives of the crew.
    Typical for the first flight of a new program, the plan for Apollo 1 was a simple shakedown cruise. The crew – Mercury astronaut Gus Grissom, Gemini veteran Ed White, and rookie Roger Chaffee – would take just the Command and Service Module (CSM) into Earth orbit.
    More at;
    NASA's First Disaster Happened on the Launch Pad : Discovery News

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    Biak, Jan 24, 2013
    #92
  13. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    NASA will launch a rocket tonight (Jan. 29) on a mission that promises to put on a spectacular, albeit brief, light show over the U.S. East Coast that may be visible to stargazers along the Atlantic Seaboard, weather permitting.
    Unsuspecting observers of the artificial night sky display may be puzzled and amazed, so before you make that phone call to your local media outlet or police station, here is why this is happening and when you might see it.
    The bright phenomenon will be caused by an experiment aboard a NASA sounding rocket. As part the mission, the rocket will release a chemical tracer that should create two bright, red-colored lithium vapor trails in space that may be seen by observers across the mid-Atlantic region, and possibly from even further away.

    NASA Rocket Sparks Light Show Over US East Coast Tonight | Space.com

    [​IMG]
     
    Biak, Jan 29, 2013
    #93
  14. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    urqh, Feb 12, 2013
    #94
  15. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    Balances and counter-balances like a Chess board.

    Los Angeles Air Force Base - Fact Sheet (Printable) : INFRARED SPACE SYSTEMS DIRECTORATE

    SBIRS features a mix of geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellites, payloads in highly elliptical earth orbit (HEO), and associated ground hardware and software. SBIRS offers improved sensor flexibility and sensitivity compared to DSP. Sensors will cover short-wave infrared like its predecessor, expanded mid-wave infrared and see-to-the-ground bands allowing it to perform a broader set of missions as compared to DSP. Both HEO payloads and associated ground systems have been certified for Integrated Tactical Warning/Attack Assessment (ITW/AA) operations. HEO - 1 has also been certified by the National Geospatial -Intelligence Agency (NGA) for use in Technical Intelligence. The first GEO satellite is expected to launch in fiscal year 2011.

    The SBIRS constellation supports the warfighter in four distinct mission areas:

    Missile Warning (MW)
    Missile Defense (MD)
    Technical Intelligence (TI)
    Battle Space Awareness (BA).


     
    Biak, Feb 12, 2013
    #95
  16. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    "A giant sunspot that is at least six times the diameter of Earth has formed on the Sun in less than 48 hours, Nasa has announced.
    Sunspots are dark spots on the surface of the Sun which appear as turbulent magnetic fields in its surface rearrange and realign.
    The massive sunspot, which formed over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, quickly evolved into an unstable configuration, and could lead to solar flares, which can interrupt our radio communications.
    Nasa scientists spotted the huge sunspot forming through instruments on the agency's Solar Dynamics Observatory, one of several spacecraft that monitor the Sun's weather.
    'Over the course of February 19-20, 2013, scientists watched a giant sunspot form in under 48 hours,' said Karen Fox, a spokesman for Nasa.
    'It has grown to over six Earth diameters across but its full extent is hard to judge since the spot lies on a sphere not a flat disk.'
    The sunspot identified by Nasa is formed of several dark blemishes on the surface on the Sun which have evolved rapidly over the past couple of days.
    Sunspots are caused by intense magnetic activity and are actually cooler than the rest of the Sun, which leaves them clearly visible as dark spots in the photosphere.
    In reality, if the sunspot were isolated from the surrounding photosphere it would be brighter than an electric arc."
    Giant sunspot that's SIX TIMES the diameter of Earth has formed in less than 48 hours - and could lead to solar flares | Mail Online
     
    GRW, Feb 21, 2013
    #96
  17. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    Thanks Gordon, have to keep an eye out now for possible Northern Lights in the coming days. Interesting how "Giant" spot on the Sun appears as a mere speck. Relativity I guess :)
     
    Biak, Feb 21, 2013
    #97
  18. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    Stepped outside just in time to watch the ISS pass over. (6:58pm) Anyone want to see it - go here -

    Human Space Flight (HSF) - Realtime Data

    and find your Country, City for sighting opportunities.
     
    Biak, Feb 23, 2013
    #98
  19. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    Biak, Feb 25, 2013
    #99
    GRW likes this.
  20. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    I love it!:cool:
     
    GRW, Feb 25, 2013
    #100
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