The chains of the Pleiades, the cords of Orion II

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Comments

  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    Yes, when they found the neutrino, they could detect the direction it came from. Numbers of telescopes (from visual to X-ray) where then immediately pointed in that direction. They already knew that there was a blazar at that point, but the telescopes could see that blazar was flaring up right at that moment. Maybe a gas cloud fell into the black hole at the centre of that blazar, causing it to become more active.

    By combining information from the neutrino (for example how much energy it had, which can be measured) with that of the telescopes, we can now improve our understanding of how these super-massive black holes work a bit. That's exciting, combining neutrino measurements with other observations, which we've now done for the first time.
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    Very good points. Thank you for them.

    In more frivolous news, look at who is today's Google Doodle!
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    Climacus wrote: »
    In more frivolous news, look at who is today's Google Doodle!
    Go Lemaître!

  • I didn't - for financial reasons - get a 50th birthday gift and it's been a couple of years since I got a significant present. So this Christmas - now we are a little more solvent - I want a telescope. I will be able to go up to £1000 but it needs to be...

    (a) Portable - I will probably use it most on the back patio which is reasonably dark, but as I live on the edge of the Peak District I will want to lob it in the car and drive ten minutes to somewhere with better all-round views and much darker.

    (b) Flexible - I want to look at all of it! From the moon and planets to objects beyond our Milky Way!

    (c) Easy to Maintain - If I do move it about regularly I worry that the mirror of a reflector will become dislodged and need correcting regularly, which will be a pain.

    (d) Available in the UK - Speaks for itself really. I don't mind driving to somewhere to buy it within the UK but I don't want something only available in the US.

    I suspect that I will be advised to spend as much - if not more - on the mount as on the scope itself, which is fair enough. But the budget will be fixed at £1000. It's like buying an electric guitar; those of us experienced will know to spend as much, if not more, on the amplifier than the guitar itself. You don't want to plug a £1200 guitar into a £100 amplifier. It won't do it justice.

    Any suggestions?
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    My viewing is now limited to the Internet or naked eye (though my first major purchase when I started working was a telescope!) so my only suggestion would be to check with your local astronomy club. They can be very helpful.

    Happy 50th!
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    I can't say I'm too thrilled about this dozen new moons they found around Jupiter. Some of these are half a mile across. At some point you need to ask yourself: can we still call this a moon, or is this just a piece of debris?
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    I hadn't heard of this. It does seem a bit extreme to be labelling them moons, but I guess they fit a definition somewhere.
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    Some information on the current place of Mars in the sky, and the solar system.

    http://maas.museum/observations/2018/07/20/the-2018-favourable-opposition-of-mars/
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    Climacus wrote: »
    Some information on the current place of Mars in the sky, and the solar system.

    http://maas.museum/observations/2018/07/20/the-2018-favourable-opposition-of-mars/
    Yes, I'll surely try to have a look!
  • SparrowSparrow Shipmate
    Climacus wrote: »
    I hadn't heard of this. It does seem a bit extreme to be labelling them moons, but I guess they fit a definition somewhere.

    As far as I can remember, if it is big enough to have strong enough gravity to be able to pull itself into a sphere, then it's a moon. Otherwise it's a satellite.
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    edited July 2018
    Sparrow wrote: »
    As far as I can remember, if it is big enough to have strong enough gravity to be able to pull itself into a sphere, then it's a moon. Otherwise it's a satellite.
    I hadn't heard of this myself, but it sounds reasonable. A bit parallel to the definition of a planet.


    BTW Two of these new Jupiter "moons" are predicted to smash into each other. At least that's nice.
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    Ha ha.

    These are also nice too:
    https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2018/07/some-of-the-most-spectacular-astronomy-images-of-2018/


    Thanks Sparrow. I had thought a satellite and moon were the same. Thanks for the correction.
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    edited July 2018
    Ah, and that's no moon. Just saying.
  • SparrowSparrow Shipmate
    Actually satellite is used pretty interchaneably for both! But a moon has to be spherical.
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    Thanks Sparrow!

    Anyone in the path of theJuly 27 lunar eclipse? Longest this century, with all bodies in the right place.

    Morning of July 28 for us. As an early riser I hope to see the part of it I can. Though knowing my luck I'll sleep in! Good explanation of the lunar eclipse phenomenon on that page too.
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    Liquid water 'lake' revealed on Mars - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44952710

    I always get excited about Martian discoveries...there is something about that planet to me.
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    Climacus wrote: »
    Liquid water 'lake' revealed on Mars - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44952710

    I always get excited about Martian discoveries...there is something about that planet to me.
    Yes, I'm excited about this too. Thanks for mentioning this.

    Climacus wrote: »
    Anyone in the path of theJuly 27 lunar eclipse? Longest this century, with all bodies in the right place.
    I think this Guardian article also give tips on how to see it.
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    I've been enjoying the eclipse. Started watching at 04:30am and went out every 15 mins or so.

    Currently [06:05] the moon is deep red, and sadly disappearing beneath the roof of a house so I'll soon miss it from my backyard. Still in my PJs so I won't wander the streets.

    There is something primal [?], maybe mystical, about watching the moon slowly dim and turn red. How often we, unlike our ancestors, fail to look up and see the majesty of the vault of heaven above us.
  • NenyaNenya Shipmate
    Cloud cover here in south west UK - no chance of seeing it. :disappointed:
  • SparrowSparrow Shipmate
    Same in London, heavy overcast.
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Ditto eastern Scotland, where the clouds are gathering for the promised thunderstorms (bring it!). But otoh anything up to 11pm is, at this time of year, still daylight, so I don’t think we would have seen much impact.
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    We looked at 6 this morning (supposed to be at its best at 6.22) but too much cloud to see anything.
  • TurquoiseTasticTurquoiseTastic Shipmate
    edited July 2018
    I didn't - for financial reasons - get a 50th birthday gift and it's been a couple of years since I got a significant present. So this Christmas - now we are a little more solvent - I want a telescope. I will be able to go up to £1000 but it needs to be...

    (a) Portable - I will probably use it most on the back patio which is reasonably dark, but as I live on the edge of the Peak District I will want to lob it in the car and drive ten minutes to somewhere with better all-round views and much darker.

    (b) Flexible - I want to look at all of it! From the moon and planets to objects beyond our Milky Way!

    (c) Easy to Maintain - If I do move it about regularly I worry that the mirror of a reflector will become dislodged and need correcting regularly, which will be a pain.

    (d) Available in the UK - Speaks for itself really. I don't mind driving to somewhere to buy it within the UK but I don't want something only available in the US.

    I suspect that I will be advised to spend as much - if not more - on the mount as on the scope itself, which is fair enough. But the budget will be fixed at £1000. It's like buying an electric guitar; those of us experienced will know to spend as much, if not more, on the amplifier than the guitar itself. You don't want to plug a £1200 guitar into a £100 amplifier. It won't do it justice.

    Any suggestions?

    I would recommend a Dobsonian reflector. In terms of "bang for buck" (essentially, aperture per pound) they are by far the best way to go. About 12 years ago I bought a 10-inch "Revelation" reflector and it has done me proud. In a not-particularly-dark-sky location can see many Messier objects, clusters etc. quite clearly with only a few minutes dark adaptation (obviously better the longer you wait). When I bought it it was under 400 pounds and a quick google shows it is still available around the 500 pound mark. It may not quite match your "portable" criterion unless you have a largish car since the tube is about 1.5 metres long but a smaller Dobsonian might well fit the bill. It is very quick to put on its mount though which you may find a boon.

    If you want more portability and are prepared to pay a bit more then some sort of Cassegrain might be better. In this case I would probably recommend an alt-azimuth mount rather than an equatorial since it's easier to get the hang of and I assume you mainly want to look through it rather than doing astrophotography.

  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    We didn't really get the redness - the eclipse happened before the moon had fully risen on this side of the Pond - but we got a lovely, bright full moon appearing and disappearing behind thin, quite fast-moving clouds.
  • I was sort of outside at the relevant time*, but heavy cloud cover and absolutely nothing on view. A noticeable slight red hue to the moon the night before, when it was clear, so I would have liked to see last night's eclipse.

    * At a campfire concert that had been relocated to a partially covered venue.
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    Sadly I missed it also because of clouds.
  • RossweisseRossweisse Hell Host, 8th Day Host
  • NASA names nine astronauts.

    May need to book a holiday for one of the flights. I know nothing is guaranteed, but I'd love to see a launch (relatively) close up.
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    edited August 2018
    Will the Parker Probe launch this time?
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45058911

    Exciting mission! So close to the Sun. And so much to discover.
  • EigonEigon Shipmate
    Please tell me that Mission Control is called Penelope? :smiley:
  • Eigon wrote: »
    Please tell me that Mission Control is called Penelope? :smiley:

    <like>
  • Ha ha.
    :smile:

  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    edited August 2018
    New modelling suggests there are hundreds of alien exoplanets (or planets outside our solar system) out there that are dominated by water.

    Since 1992 we've known of exoplanets orbiting other stars, and pondered what they might look like or offer us here on Earth.

    What scientists now believe, thanks to data from the Kepler Space Telescope, is some of these may contain as much as 50 per cent water — well above Earth's 0.02 per cent by mass.

    What's more, scientists think as many as a third of all known planets bigger than Earth could fit this "water world" description.
    I find this stuff engaging. Fascinating. Not sure why; I'll never get there - but nice to have an image of the universe.

    And just because we've had a full moon I started at as it rose for far too long last night. here's a photo on Twitter I liked.
  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    edited September 2018
    Brisbane start-up creates app to make it possible for vision-impaired people to see into space
    Looking up at the night sky is something many of us take for granted, but when you're vision impaired it's a wonder that is out of reach.

    But two Brisbane engineering students have made it their mission to allow anyone, no matter their eyesight, to see space.



    "The app gives us a feeling of where planets are located using both sound and textile dimensions."

    What an app! Well done, gentlemen.
  • Japan has successfully landed two small rovers on the surface of an asteroid in a history-making mission that could provide clues to the origin of the solar system.

    Love the photos. When growing up I always thought travelling to distant planets would be exciting...in reality landing on asteroids fills me with just as much wonderment.
  • I've decided this fits here because the photo is by NASA.
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    Happy about the successful landing of Insight on Mars.
  • Indeed. Very exciting.

    And now the wait begins...
  • bassobasso Shipmate
    Have you ever seen Neptune? I haven't! Takes binocs or a scope, and some little skill.
    But there's a conjunction (with Mars) coming up next month that should make it almost easy.

    Starts With a Bang -- a favorite cosmology/physics blog -- has details.
    I'm going to have to consider a purchase.
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    basso wrote: »
    Have you ever seen Neptune? I haven't!
    Neither have I, and I'd like to. Good luck spotting!
  • RossweisseRossweisse Hell Host, 8th Day Host
    The Insight landing is very exciting! May it continue as it has begun: with spectacular success.
  • Having spent the night hearing the wind on Earth buffeting the front of the house, I still found that exciting.
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    Climacus wrote: »
    Yes, it's extremely cool. I'm in an African city right now and it took some effort to find a quiet enough space to hear this, but I managed.

    I guess this was processed in some way, turning the volume up. I doubt that in the theoretical case that you could stand on Mars without a space helmet you would hear it. The atmosphere is just too thin. Still, this is the sensation that to me comes closest to actually being on Mars.
  • Processing:
    The raw audio sample from the seismometer was released unaltered; a second version was raised two octaves to be more perceptible to the human ear — especially when heard through laptop or mobile speakers. The second audio sample from APSS was sped up by a factor of 100, which shifted it up in frequency.

    ---

    A long read from NASA for anyone interested...

    Life and death of a planetary system.

  • ClimacusClimacus Shipmate
    edited January 2019
  • RossweisseRossweisse Hell Host, 8th Day Host
    It is very exciting news indeed.
  • LeRocLeRoc Shipmate
    Yes very cool. I understand we'll need to wait for the photos a bit.
  • Chang'e-4 on the "dark" side of the moon.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46760729
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