The Astronomy Thread

iannis

iannis

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It reminds me of Asimov. "If one billion events happen at any given moment in the universe, one of those events will be one in a billion."

It would be stranger to not find anything strange.
 
Cybsled

Cybsled

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The article doesn't even mention the name of the star or how far away it is. Even if it was potentially the result of aliens, if the damn thing is 10k+ light years away, it doesn't do us much good ;p
 
earthfell

earthfell

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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/sc...ty-letter.html

That sucks. This guy has done a lot for the study of exoplanets, but he has pushed so many young women out of the field--who knows what potential brilliant research we have forever lost because of him, or how many decades he has set the field back from that loss of talent. Really embarrassed to be an alum.

Anyway, the amazing Carolyn Porco:
Warning, this is a real lecture, not any of that TED talk shit.

 
Aaron

Aaron

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Iannis_sl said:
It reminds me of Asimov. "If one billion events happen at any given moment in the universe, one of those events will be one in a billion."

It would be stranger to not find anything strange.
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Isn't that the whole point behind Fermi's paradox?
 
Aaron

Aaron

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R

Running Dog_sl

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New Horizons has been sending back stunning images of Pluto and its system for a while now. As we've collectively feasted on them, they've given researchers a chance to study the ex-planet and its satellites in unprecedented detail. The first results of that work are now out, and while some of the conclusions are expected, there is plenty of new information and detail.

The paper containing those details, published in the journal Science, covers more than just Pluto itself-it also examines the curious geology of Charon, its largest moon, and an unexpected result from its two smaller moons, Hydra and Nix. It details the search for extra moons, or even rings, in the system. Spoiler alert: none was found.
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First science results come in from New Horizons | Ars Technica UK
 
Agraza

Agraza

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In 2015, the annual Orionid meteor shower is expected to rain down the greatest number of meteors before dawn on October 21 or 22, with the nod going to October 22. Perhaps as many as 10 to 20 meteors per hour can be seen at this shower's peak.
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Everything you need to know: Orionid meteor shower | Astronomy Essentials | EarthSky



On the the evening of October 21st, Slooh will capture the Orionid Meteor Shower with dynamic visuals and engaging audio -- giving viewers another unique way to experience the "shooting stars" by tracking their ionization "sounds." Slooh provided an ionization track during the 2014 Perseids Meteor Shower and the feature was well received by the viewing public.

Coverage will begin on Tuesday, October 21st starting at 5 PM PDT / 8 PM EDT / 00:00 UTC - International Times: goo.gl/mFlx1X- live from Slooh's flagship observatory at the Institute of Astrophysics, Canary Islands (IAC) and later from Prescott, Arizona at Prescott Observatory. At the Prescott observatory site, Slooh will be using special low light imaging equipment specifically configured to track meteors, and the results are expected to be spectacular.

Viewers can watch and listen free on Slooh.com using their favorite PC or mobile device. The live image stream will be accompanied by a multitude of video segments on meteors from different personalities, including Slooh Astronomer Bob Berman and EarthSky Editor-in-Chief Deborah Byrd.
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Watch and Listen to the Orionid Meteor Shower Sensation Live on Slooh

I've never watched a meteor shower, but I'm going to try to watch this IRL or streaming.
 
Abefroman

Abefroman

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Asteroid making surprise flyby at an 'unusually high' velocity

A newly discovered asteroid (not pictured) will make Halloween more thrilling by passing within 1.3 lunar distances (310,000 miles) of Earth. The object, which measures between 300 and 600 meters (1,000 and 2,000 feet) across, was discovered last week by the asteroid-hunting Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii, according to NASA. It'll streak by on October 31st at an "unusually" high encounter velocity of 35 km/s, or around 78,000 mph. By contrast, the Russian meteorite caught by vehicle cameras in 2013 was 17 meters (55 feet) across and traveled at a top speed of 19 km/s, while the one that flattened a Russian forest in 1908 measured 40 meters (130 feet).


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Furry

Furry

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ShakyJake_sl said:
I still don't understand how a cloud of comets could blot out 20% of the star's light. That's a shit load of comets considering a Jupiter sized planet only reduces illumination by ~1%.
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You'd also expect a lot less variation over time in a comet filled system. If it happens to be a comet filled system, it is also a very unusual comet filled system. A spectroscopic analysis of light from the star should be able to determine how likely that answer is. Too lazy to check if its been done, though.
 
Eomer

Eomer

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They are booking time on other observatories. Gonna be a few months before they know more.
 
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