The Astronomy Thread

Dandain

Dandain

Trakanon Raider
2,092
917
Its not so much about going there. 40 Light years, while still an unattainable distance is hardly any distance in just our own galaxy. If this is accurate googling, there are 1400 star systems within 50 light years of us, with ~2000 stars total.

Stars within 50 light years

Any planetary transits we find in this sphere are ripe for long term study. Any planets we learn about not found in our Solar system are value. I'm assuming JWST is gonna do some heavy lifting for objects with in this reasonably short distance to our Sun given how far away everything else is. We clearly know very little about these kinds of systems. Its just the next step of what we get to look at. I also don't expect by their explanations that they will be all that habitable.
 
Cad

Cad

scientia potentia est
<Bronze Donator>
26,794
55,754
Dandain_sl said:
Its not so much about going there. 40 Light years, while still an unattainable distance is hardly any distance in just our own galaxy. If this is accurate googling, there are 1400 star systems within 50 light years of us, with ~2000 stars total.

Stars within 50 light years

Any planetary transits we find in this sphere are ripe for long term study. Any planets we learn about not found in our Solar system are value. I'm assuming JWST is gonna do some heavy lifting for objects with in this reasonably short distance to our Sun given how far away everything else is. We clearly know very little about these kinds of systems. Its just the next step of what we get to look at. I also don't expect by their explanations that they will be all that habitable.
Click to expand...
I don't think even JWST will be able to see any details about earth-sized planets around other stars. Other than seeing that they are there from the distortion of their transits.
 
I

Itzena_sl

shitlord
4,609
6
Send up an array of smaller telescopes, spread them out over a few thousand kms, use interferometry to link them together. Voila, you have a telescope with a virtual aperture a few thousand kilometers wide.
 
ZyyzYzzy

ZyyzYzzy

RIP USA
<Banned>
25,295
48,789
Itzena_sl said:
Send up an array of smaller telescopes, spread them out over a few thousand kms, use interferometry to link them together. Voila, you have a telescope with a virtual aperture a few thousand kilometers wide.
Click to expand...
Soooo easy, why haven't you done it yet?
 
Palum

Palum

what Suineg set it to
29,215
48,944
The British barely have a country, you think they can put telescopes into space?
 
Dandain

Dandain

Trakanon Raider
2,092
917
Cad_sl said:
I don't think even JWST will be able to see any details about earth-sized planets around other stars. Other than seeing that they are there from the distortion of their transits.
Click to expand...
Planets & Origins of Life - NASA JWST

Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy is simply the science of measuring the intensity of light at different wavelengths. The graphical representations of these measurements are called spectra, and they are the key to unlocking the composition of exoplanet atmospheres.

When a planet passes in front of a star, the starlight passes through the planet's atmosphere. If, for example, the planet has sodium in its atmosphere, the spectrum of the star, added to that of the planet, will have what we call an "absorption line" in the place in the spectra where would expect to see sodium (see graphic below). This is because different elements and molecules absorb light at characteristic energies; and this is how we know where in a spectrum we might expect to see the signature of sodium (or methane or water) if it is present.

Why is an infrared telescope key to characterizing the atmospheres of these exoplanets? The benefit of making infrared observations is that it is at infrared wavelengths that molecules in the atmospheres of exoplanets have the largest number of spectral features. The ultimate goal, of course, is to find a planet with a similar atmosphere to that of Earth.
Click to expand...
 
Ukerric

Ukerric

Bearded Ape
<Silver Donator>
8,493
10,705
Cad_sl said:
More like .0001% for the fastest man made object ever.
Click to expand...
I was ready to swear it would be the Voyagers, because they've gone the furthest (at a whopping 0.005% of the speed of light, or 17km/s), but it turns out that it's a different probe set (Helios) who are the record holder with 70km/s, or a bit over 0.02% of the speed of light.
 
Scoresby

Scoresby

Trakanon Raider
796
1,476
Dandain_sl said:
Its not so much about going there. 40 Light years, while still an unattainable distance is hardly any distance in just our own galaxy. If this is accurate googling, there are 1400 star systems within 50 light years of us, with ~2000 stars total.

Stars within 50 light years

Any planetary transits we find in this sphere are ripe for long term study. Any planets we learn about not found in our Solar system are value. I'm assuming JWST is gonna do some heavy lifting for objects with in this reasonably short distance to our Sun given how far away everything else is. We clearly know very little about these kinds of systems. Its just the next step of what we get to look at. I also don't expect by their explanations that they will be all that habitable.
Click to expand...
^ a bit of a derail, but this is actually something I have thought about when it comes to efforts like that of SETI. Why look at a large path of the sky? Why not focus on this small subset of stars that are actually in our galactic backyard. I would logically conclude that if there were an alien civilization (even a space faring one) it would a) still have to obey the cosmic speed limit and b) live a comparable life-time to our own. I say this only because we haven't broken those barriers yet so assuming that they even can be (or in the case of longevity that life models itself differently) are both hypotheticals leading to a less-likely outcome. Assuming those hold true, then a space faring group that has visited us (or we can visit) would be nearby.

...and yes, I kind of do know why SETI doesn't limit themselves in such a way (they don't necessarily believe aliens have visited Earth). They were just a familiar group to name and I just woke up and don't feel like finding the scientific equivalent of MUFON.
 
Cad

Cad

scientia potentia est
<Bronze Donator>
26,794
55,754
Ukerric_sl said:
I was ready to swear it would be the Voyagers, because they've gone the furthest (at a whopping 0.005% of the speed of light, or 17km/s), but it turns out that it's a different probe set (Helios) who are the record holder with 70km/s, or a bit over 0.02% of the speed of light.
Click to expand...
I failed to move the decimal place over 2 when I put the % sign on. /hangs head in shame
 
LachiusTZ

LachiusTZ

Rogue Deathwalker Box
<Silver Donator>
14,472
27,162
Itzena_sl said:
Send up an array of smaller telescopes, spread them out over a few thousand kms, use interferometry to link them together. Voila, you have a telescope with a virtual aperture a few thousand kilometers wide.
Click to expand...
This has been suggested for years.
 
Fadaar

Fadaar

That guy
11,215
12,276
ZyyzYzzy_sl said:
Suggested, but it is a bit harder than just launching a bunch of small satellites andviola.
Click to expand...
viola-lessons.jpg
 
K

Kharza-kzad_sl

shitlord
1,080
0
Lifetime of beings on board a ship wouldn't be much of an issue if they can somehow survive high acceleration. Ship time can be less years than the distance in light years with length contraction. I don't remember any specifics but seems like if you can get up to 0.9999 c fairly quickly a 100 lightyear trip takes about 10 years for the people on board?
 
khorum

khorum

Murder Apologist
24,338
81,363
A little over 2 years at 1g to get to .9996c or something. You can keep accelerating at 1g so long as you know where you're going and flip the ship over halfway for an equal amount of time decelerating also at 1g.
 
khorum

khorum

Murder Apologist
24,338
81,363
That's a LOT of moving parts... but why did they schedule it to start unpacking en route instead of once it's situated at L2?

They could've kept the ballistic fairing on it till it was a few thousand km from its L2 station then started unpacking everything when there's no risk of micrometeor or LEO debris.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.