The Astronomy Thread

Dandain

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This is a pretty amazing visualization of Electromagnetic Radiation. It's pretty remarkable how little of it that we actually see, you can see the band in the middle. We are so awesome we have designed machines to detect all the rest of this shit. Quite incredible when you really start understanding all the detail found in ER. The side panels are a pretty good guide as even the central wrap of the chart seems potentially intimidating. JWST getting closer and closer. This also helps when you look at astrophysical pictures that are colorized such as nebula to show distinction our eyes cannot naturally discern.
gos68u2sml7y.png
 
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meStevo

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The latest discovery missions announced. One craft to observe six Jupiter trojan asteroids including a binary, and another to go check out a metallic asteroid.

NASA Selects Two Missions to Explore the Early Solar System

Two proposals to return to Venus for the first time since the 90s were passed on. Lots of happy/sad scientists on my twitter timeline.



This thread sums up the problem w/ the selections pretty well:

 
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meStevo

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MRO took a couple shots of us from Mars.

PIA21260_hires.jpg


Related:

 
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iannis

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I wish I could say that I knew where that was in the sky, but I honestly have no idea.

Is that the little dipper? I think it is, but i'm not sure.

For having looked at them so much I sure know jackfuck about stars.
 
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Tuco

I got Tuco'd!
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I thought they said they couldnt say it didnt work. And eliminated X factors as possibilities for why it seemed to work. I know someone that is, arms length from the research? Maybe forearm's length? I asked him about it a year or so ago (whenever it first flashed on here, and we had the spaceflight forums linked by Tuco) and the question seemed to annoy him a bit.

Either way, the real test is being done now (in theory) by the Chinese. Put the goddamned thing in space, turn it on, and if it slowly starts to fly off . . . it works. If not, welp, maybe one of those ancient alien spinning mercury things is the ticket.
What if if is put in space, turned off, theoretically moves at an imperceptible rate, and then overheats and turns off?
 
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Tuco

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Am I the only one who really likes astronomy but has little more than a passing interest in any kind of eclipses?
 
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Prodigal

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Am I the only one who really likes astronomy but has little more than a passing interest in any kind of eclipses?

I've seen a partial eclipse in person and not been overly impressed - but every account I've heard/read about a total eclipse has been "must see".
 
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Kiroy

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Am I the only one who really likes astronomy but has little more than a passing interest in any kind of eclipses?

You're not. I saw one when I was younger and it was kinda cool, but if you've lived through a nighttime or have gone into a pretty dark room, you basically get the jist.
 
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LachiusTZ

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Eclipses arent huge to me either. I will take the time to go see one of the upcoming ones here. Provided I am able.

As far as the EM drive, no idea. BUT!


2hrs old. Best youtube show (PBS space time, dunno about this episode, havent watched it yet, but will in the next 30 min, thought it was ironic it was the most recent and pop'd up after Tuco's response) by far.
 
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iannis

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Am I the only one who really likes astronomy but has little more than a passing interest in any kind of eclipses?

Not really. I saw a full solar eclipse in grade school and I've seen I think three partial solar eclipses in my life.

I mean, neat. But when you know from like age 5 that we live on a giant ball of rock spinning around the sun... it's just "neat". It's kinda like "well, yeah that's gonna happen sometimes, isn't it?"

Spring Thunderstorms are much more visceral and mysterious. I can see though that before real astronomy solar eclipses were a WHAT THE FUCK sort of event.
 
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AngryGerbil

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Same. Saw the one in grade school. I agree storms are way more fascinating.

I think eclipses bore me because they are so geocentric and non Copernican. Besides nothing is actually 'happening'. It's just a positioning thing.

On the scale of supernovae, colliding galaxies, and expanding spacetime, a brief shadow on a single rock isn't all that impressive. I'm not saying I wouldn't go outside to see it if it was hitting my area. But to drive 600 miles to see a shadow? Meh.
 
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Kiroy

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I'm not saying I wouldn't go outside to see it if it was hitting my area. But to drive 600 miles to see a shadow? Meh.

If I was going to take a trip to see a celestial event I'd head up and go check out the northern lights. Always wanted to see that.
 
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Ukerric

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And perfect landing shot.

(apparently a first for that drone landing pad)
 
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