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Post by auntym on Oct 6, 2013 11:10:06 GMT -6
news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/moon-dances-with-three-planets-131006.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1
Moon Dances with Three Planets on Sunday, TuesdayOct 6, 2013 by Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist The moon will meet up with three different planets in the evening sky during two upcoming celestial encounters, one on Sunday (Oct. 6) and the other on Tuesday (Oct. 8). The ringed planet Saturn, sinking into the west-southwest twilight, is close to Mercury in early October. About 40 minutes after sunset on Sunday, try catching a glimpse of Saturn hovering about 5 degrees above a razor-thin sliver of a crescent moon that's just two days past new phase and a mere 4 percent illuminated by the sun. Brighter Mercury will be situated about 2.5 degrees to the moon's lower left. Your clenched fist held at arm’s length measures roughly 10 degrees, so Saturn and the moon will be separated by half a fist. And the separation between Mercury and the moon will be half of that. (Night Sky: Visible Planets, Moon Phases & Events, October 2013) Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013 Award Winners This will be a challenging observation, because all three celestial objects will be very low and possibly dimmed by haze, which is seemingly always thickest down near the horizon. In addition, the background sky will still be quite bright. (Binoculars will be a great help.) You might have a better chance of seeing this trio if you live in the southern United States, for all three will appear somewhat higher from there as opposed to the view from the northern U.S. or southern Canada. This will probably be your last chance to see Saturn in the evening sky before it transitions into the morning sky early next month. news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/moon-dances-with-three-planets-131006.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2013 11:40:06 GMT -6
Draconid Meteor Shower Tonight.Just after sunset when it gets dark look to the Northwest. There is a chance you may catch a meteor here or there . The annual draconid meteor shower from the head of the constellation draco (the dragon) will be spewing one here and there intermittently. It isn't expected to be an awesome show, but it has surprised observers in the past when Earth has gone through a swarm of leftover particles from a comet before. www.weather.com/news/science/draconid-meteor-shower-2013-what-you-need-know-20131008Enjoy !
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Post by auntym on Oct 22, 2013 13:40:35 GMT -6
blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100242431/its-about-to-get-exciting-in-the-search-for-life-as-we-know-it/ It’s about to get exciting in the search for life as we know itBy Tom Chivers October 21st, 2013 By the time you read this, the number of planets found outside our solar system may have hit the 1,000 mark: a historic landmark in astronomy. Or it might not. It depends on who you ask: the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia claims, at the time of writing, 999; Nasa admits to just above 900. However you count them, not one – as yet – has been “Earth-like”: small, rocky and located in that slender area around its star that allows for liquid water, which is known as the “Goldilocks zone”. It’s finding such worlds that most excites those whose job it is to look for places where alien life might exist. “I’m not particularly surprised that we haven’t yet found anything truly Earth-like, because most of our telescopes aren’t sensitive enough to detect Earth-like planets,” says Dr Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist (or alien-life-hunter) at the University of Leicester. “They’re fiendishly difficult to spot. Fat planets near to their stars are easiest to find; small, rocky ones with an orbit of one year are much harder.” The search for worlds other than those orbiting our sun is one of the most exciting fields in science. Before 1988, it was not known whether there were any extrasolar planets (“exoplanets”) at all. In the past few years, we have been discovering them at a rate of nearly one a day – or we were. The astonishing rate of discovery was due to a remarkable machine, the Kepler space telescope, which studied 145,000 stars at a time, looking for planets. “Kepler was so important because it had the capability to spot small planets in the habitable zone,” says Dr Dartnell. If we wanted to find a really plausible candidate for an alien homeworld, Kepler was our best tool. But sadly, it’s broken. Earlier this year, Nasa announced that it was giving up trying to repair it, after one, then a second, of its four “reaction wheels” – gyroscopes that can point it, with astonishing accuracy, to a given point in space – failed. It had enough redundancy built into the system to survive one such failure, but with the second gone, it was left with only its far cruder rocket thrusters. Unlike the Hubble space telescope, the Kepler is too far away to be fixed. Like most planet-spotting telescopes, Kepler didn’t actually see the planets directly – it detected tiny, brief dimmings of alien suns’ light that would indicate a planet passing in front of them, a technique known as the transit method. Other telescopes use the “radial velocity” technique, looking for wobbles in the star’s movement caused by a planet’s gravity. These indirect methods aren’t certain, which explains the dispute over the number of planets discovered: different authorities require different levels of confirmation. CONTINUE READING: blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100242431/its-about-to-get-exciting-in-the-search-for-life-as-we-know-it/
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2013 4:29:31 GMT -6
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Post by skywalker on Nov 28, 2013 15:23:53 GMT -6
I love pictures of outer space and nebulas. They are some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2013 8:14:09 GMT -6
I love pictures of outer space and nebulas. They are some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Me too Morgan. Recently, ground based astro-photographers reached the theoretical limit for Earth based optics resolution for visible light. carnegiescience.edu/news/highestever_resolution_photos_night_skyQuote from article ; It is impressive to finally make out for the first time in visible light the star(s)that causes most of the glow in orion's nebula with this much resolution. I think it is safe to say that many surprising discoveries and awesome photos will result from this.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2013 22:22:07 GMT -6
Ghost Nebula This ghostly apparition is actually an interstellar cloud caught in the process of destruction by strong radiation from a nearby hot star. This haunting picture, snapped by the Hubble telescope, shows a cloud illuminated by light from the bright star Merope. Located in the Pleiades star cluster, the cloud is called IC 349 or Barnard's Merope Nebula. space.about.com/library/weekly/blpostersa.htmHere's another I just had to share. Beautiful ! Variable star V838 MonocerotisFrom Astronomy Picture Of The Day archives- March 5, 2004 apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040305.html
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Post by Morgan Sierra on Dec 14, 2013 23:13:07 GMT -6
That bottom one looks like two dragons dancing with each other. Amazing!
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Post by auntym on Jan 1, 2014 12:36:01 GMT -6
www.davidreneke.com/get-set-for-two-supermoons-in-january/#December 30, 2013 Get Set For Two Supermoons In January.A supermoon graces the temple of Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the seas, in Cape Sounion, east of Athens, … January 1, 2014 presents the first of two supermoons to occur in a single calendar month. The second supermoon will come on January 30, 2014 and should be spectacular. January 30th applies for northern hemisphere readers and it’ll be early morning on the the 31st for us here in Australia. We won’t have a single calendar month with two supermoons again until January 2018. What, you say? Supermoon? But the moon isn’t anywhere near full! That’s right. These aren’t full supermoons. They are new supermoons; the moon is at the new phase for both the January 1 and January 30 supermoon. Follow the links below to learn more about the supermoons of 2014. What is a supermoon? The term supermoon didn’t come from astronomy. We used to call these moons perigee new moons or perigee full moons. Perigee means “near Earth.” An astrologer, Richard Nolle, is credited with coining the term supermoon. He defines them as: . . . a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth. By this definition, a new moon or full moon has to come within 361,863 kilometers (224,851 miles) of our planet, as measured from the centers of the moon and Earth, in order to be a supermoon. That’s a very generous definition, and it’s why supermoons are common. The year 2014 gives us a total of five supermoons: two January new moons, and the full moons of July, August and September. CONTINUE READING: www.davidreneke.com/get-set-for-two-supermoons-in-january/#
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2014 17:26:26 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2014 18:38:02 GMT -6
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Post by lois on Jan 20, 2014 14:37:14 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2014 16:21:35 GMT -6
It's another rock (little less than a half mile in diameter)discovered last year. It isn't a threat at the moment and may not ever be but it could.The closest it will get this time around is about the Moons distance, or just a bit further. The unknowns is what effect gravity will have upon this body when it experiences the Earth and Moons tug. This could effect the next orbit(s). The window is very small for it to collide in the future, but there are candidates which are constantly being monitored.
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Post by skywalker on Jan 21, 2014 18:10:30 GMT -6
One of those suckers is gonna plow into us sooner or later. It's just a matter of time.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2014 6:49:37 GMT -6
One of those suckers is gonna plow into us sooner or later. It's just a matter of time. Yep. Chelyabinsk,,,although sad for the victims,,,, was a much needed wake up call to reality.
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Post by skywalker on Jan 22, 2014 8:57:25 GMT -6
Doesn't that look an awful lot like neurons in the brain? What if the universe and all of the galaxies are really just electrical impulses traveling through god's brain? We all might be nothing more than a thought or an idea that God is creating with his imagination.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2014 11:48:08 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2014 1:32:43 GMT -6
Bright New Supernova Blows Up in Nearby M82, the Cigar Galaxyby Bob King on January 22, 2014Wow! Now here’s a supernova bright enough for even small telescope observers to see. And it’s in a bright galaxy in Ursa Major well placed for viewing during evening hours in the northern hemisphere. Doesn’t get much better than that! The new object was discovered last night by S.J. Fossey; news of the outburst first appeared on the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams “Transient Objects Confirmation Page” An animation showing a comparison between the confirmation image of supernova in M82 by the team from the Remanzacco Observatory and archive image by a 2-meter telescope FTN - LCOGT from November 22, 2013. Click on the image for a larger version. Credit: E. Guido, N. Howes, M. Nicolini. An animation showing a comparison between the confirmation image of supernova in M82 by the team from the Remanzacco Observatory and archive image by a 2-meter telescope FTN – LCOGT from November 22, 2013. Click on the image for a larger version. Credit: E. Guido, N. Howes, M. Nicolini. Astronomers are saying this new supernova is currently at magnitude +11 to +12, so its definitely not visible with the naked eye. You’ll need a 4 inch telescope at least to be able to see it. That said, at 12 million light years away, this is (at the moment) the brightest, closest supernova since SN 1993 J kaboomed in neighboring galaxy M81 21 years ago in 1993. M81 and M82, along with NGC 3077, form a close-knit interacting group. Read more: www.universetoday.com/108386/bright-new-supernova-blows-up-in-nearby-m82-the-cigar-galaxy/#ixzz2rCjYS1HE
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2014 15:10:10 GMT -6
Using a telescope with an aperture of at least 4 inches (100mm) diameter, this object will be detectable under dark sky conditions. I recommend using lower power for a wide field of view. Depending on the instrument used, you may see up to 3 galaxies within the same field. M82 is next to M81 but 82 is cigar shaped. Within that galaxy the sn should become visible. Once found, increase magnification for clarity. Ursa Major contains the big dipper. Use it as a guide to find this galactic cluster. I recommend using telescopes with an f5-8 f.l. for wider fields of view but others with higher focal lengths will work also. It will just make it more difficult to find. While your in the area, be sure to check out the whirlpool galaxy (M51) in Canes venatici right at the border of Ursa major constellation and M101 in Ursa Major. I use lower powers then increase once found. Again, use the big dipper as a guide if you do not have goto or right ascension and declination (equatorial) mounts. Equatorial coordinates for M82- Right ascension 09h 55m 52.2s Declination +69° 40′ 47″ M51- Right ascension 13h 29m 52.7s Declination +47° 11′ 43″ M101- Right ascension 14h 03m 12.6s Declination +54° 20′ 57″ It could be visible in Binoculars within the next few days as it continues to brighten. For reference, this image is similar to what I see through my scope when observing this region. I can usually find 3 galaxies within the same field however. This is a significant event in that it helps astronomers to understand the nature of exploding stars and the expansion of the universe. It also helps to determine distance accuracy and the nature of dark matter.If the weather permits, this will be my first observations of a supernova explosion. I have waited all my life to see one and this is a prime candidate. Cliff
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2014 15:54:18 GMT -6
For a live view through moderate sized telescopes go here: If it is unavailable, other astronomers will be broadcasting this image at random times. Keep checking day and night! www.nightskiesnetwork.com/I just saw it through a C11,,,it was really cool ! He has now switched to another galaxy.
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Post by auntym on Apr 4, 2014 11:05:39 GMT -6
www.davidreneke.com/take-part-in-global-astronomy-month/# Take Part In Global Astronomy Month by Dave Reneke Apr 4th, 2014 Get up close and personal with the cosmos. The world’s largest event dedicated to sharing the wonders of the universe kicks off an exciting series of events for space geeks throughout April. This year’s Global Astronomy Month (GAM2014) brings together astronomy enthusiasts and organizations worldwide to share the passion for the night sky with everyone, celebrating the motto of “One People, One Sky.” Founded and coordinated by the international astronomy advocacy organization Astronomers Without Borders (AWB), this month-long star party is in its fifth year and is better than ever with a jam-packed schedule of out-of-this-world programs. Here are just some of the highlights: Global star party. Wondering what the rings of Saturn or a galaxy far, far away looks like through a telescope? Well, here’s your chance. Mark April 5 on your calendar and get set for the ultimate sky-watching event—the Global Star Party, where your local astronomy clubs share their views of the starry skies and their sky-watching expertise. Find out what’s happening in your neck of the woods here. Virtual telescope tours. Have no telescope of your own or just have bad weather? Then why not join fellow armchair astronomers around the world for a series of exciting virtual tours of the starry heavens, courtesy of online observation sessions provided by the Virtual Telescope in Italy, with a professional astronomer guide by your side. Each night brings the universe into sharper focus, with stunning views through a large telescope brought straight to your home computer or mobile device. Topics will include a whirlwind tour of tonight’s sky, exploration of the mysterious planet Mars, and a hunt for one of the largest asteroids in the solar system. See Stars For All, The Night of the Red Planet, www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1499&catid=269&Itemid=1159 and Vesta Watch (Online). www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1469&catid=269&Itemid=1159AstroPoetry contest. Maybe a certain classic constellation or stellar pattern has caught your eye? Or perhaps a lunar eclipse or flurry of meteors has set your heart racing? The beauty and romance of the night sky cannot be denied, and it can really set the mind alight. Why not put it into words and enter the GAM2014 AstroPoetry Contest? It’s open to all ages, so come join in on the fun and send us your best poem. Read more here. www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2014-programs/program-schedule-2014.html?id=1467These are just some of a broad range of activities AWB has in store in the coming weeks. Check out AWB’s full listing here. See you all under the stars! Adapted via National Geographic. Posted by Andrew Fazekas in StarStruck www.davidreneke.com/take-part-in-global-astronomy-month/#
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 14:23:07 GMT -6
Bright flashing object I recall Lois talking about a bright flashing object that I too had seen a few times before. I have continued to see this object illuminate on several other occasions since ( a few nights ago was the latest). Evidently, many other stargazers have also. cs.astronomy.com/asy/observing/f/33/p/35081/390469.aspxIt is similar to camera flash. That's the best way I can describe it. It usually illuminates three - four times. It travels slowly,silently, and is very bright. It's always traveling in a Southern trajectory.
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Post by auntym on May 17, 2014 14:46:09 GMT -6
www.davidreneke.com/astrology-skeleton-in-astronomys-closet/ THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASTRONOMY & ASTROLOGYAstrology: Skeleton in Astronomy’s Closetby Dave Reneke May 17th, 2014 Although astronomy and astrology share a common origin dating to antiquity their current statuses are altogether different. Astronomy is a natural physical science involving the study ofthe heavens. In particular the motions, composition, origin, and eventual demise of celestial objects. Basically it helps to put into perspective mankind’s place in the cosmos. Astrology is a pseudo-science whereby the motions of Sun, Moon, and planets are tracked and plotted in a self-indulgent attempt to determine how their configuration might be advantageous for the individual person. Amateur and professional astronomers cringe and blush when asked if they are astrologers and through their vigorous denial fail in acknowledging the shared roots of astronomy and astrology. A notable exception was the late astronomer George O. Abel who included in his college-level astronomy textbooks historical overviews of astrology and directions for casting and interpreting horoscopes. Abel believed that in order to attack superstition it was necessary to first understand its workings. Astrology is presumed to have originated perhaps 4,000 years ago in the Tigris-Euphrates valley. The planets were viewed as agents of the gods and in some cases were considered to be the gods themselves. In Mesopotamia and Babylonia the belief that planets influenced kings and kingdoms developed. The practice of “mundane” astrology, in which motions of celestial bodies was believed to influence entire nations, was radically different than the popular astrology of today which centers on the purported effects of heavenly bodies on the individual. The Greeks assimilated the Babylonian culture and astrology flourished throughout the western world even spreading into the Orient. Under the Greeks the idea was developed that heavenly motions affected the lives of everyone and that the celestial configuration occurring at the time of one’s birth predisposed that person’s personality and fortune. Enter the horoscope, astrology’s central tool. The rules of interpretation were contained in a 2nd century A.D. book written by Ptolemy, the “Tetrabiblos”. For the time of a person’s birth the astrologer plots the position of the Sun, Moon, and planets with respect to the stars and the horizon at the place of birth. CONTINUE READING: www.davidreneke.com/astrology-skeleton-in-astronomys-closet/
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Post by auntym on Dec 13, 2014 22:43:23 GMT -6
www.space.com/10663-astronomy-religion-cosmos-intersection-part2.html?adbid=543767334335164416&adbpl=tw&adbpr=15431856&cmpid=514648_20141213_37000827Religion & Astronomy: From Galileo to AliensLeslie Mullen, Astrobiology Magazine January 21, 2011 Galileo explaining lunar topography to two cardinals. Painting by Jean Leon Huens. Credit: Jean Leon HuensOne of the most famous examples of the clash between religion and science is the trial of Galileo Galilei. Galileo supported Copernicus' view that the Earth orbited the sun, a "heliocentric" theory which the church declared contrary to Scripture. Galileo was warned to abandon his support for this theory and instead embrace the traditional "geocentric" notion that the Earth was an unmovable point around which the universe revolved. Instead, in 1632 Galileo published "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems." The book was structured as a conversation between Salviati, a heliocentric philosopher, Simplicio, a geocentric philosopher, and Sagredo, a neutral layman. Pope Urban VIII had actually given Galileo permission to write the book as long as he didn't promote one viewpoint over the other. However, Salviati forcefully argued Galileo's beliefs, while Simplicio was often ridiculed as a fool. An often-repeated view about the furor which followed the publication of Galileo's book is that the pope was insulted by having his words expressed by Simplicio. Not only was the character made to look ridiculous, but the name itself likely was a double entendre for "simple-minded" (simplice in Italian). However, Vatican astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno disputes this analysis. "First, 'Simplicio' was a well-established name in philosophical discourses, not something invented by Galileo, to represent a person who was able to see through the fog generated by the more clever and learned philosophers who invent elaborate theories and lose sight of simple obvious truths, like the innocent child who can recognize that the emperor has no clothes," said Consolmagno. "In this context, its use could be seen as a compliment. Second, this kind of punning is quite common in English but my impression is that it is not really done all that much, or in the same way, in Italian; I do not know if anyone at that time and place would have interpreted it the way we English speakers do. And finally, the book was originally approved by the Pope's censors before being published; if he were going to be insulted by the name, he'd have noticed it long before it was ever printed." Still, the political fallout eventually led the church to withdraw its permission to publish the book. Galileo faced a specially convened panel of ten judges, who found him guilty of suspicion of heresy. By abjuring – saying that he never believed in the heliocentric point of view expressed in the book – Galileo's sentence was reduced to house arrest. CONTINUE READING: www.space.com/10663-astronomy-religion-cosmos-intersection-part2.html?adbid=543767334335164416&adbpl=tw&adbpr=15431856&cmpid=514648_20141213_37000827
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Post by auntym on Jan 21, 2015 11:26:01 GMT -6
www.davidreneke.com/welcome-to-crash-course-astronomy/ Welcome To Crash Course Astronomy!by Dave Reneke Jan 17th, 2015 Published on Jan 15, 2015 Welcome to the first episode of Crash Course Astronomy. Your host for this intergalactic adventure is the Bad Astronomer himself, Phil Plait. We begin with answering a question: "What is astronomy?" It is my pleasure to introduce you to the very first episode of my new online video series, Crash Course Astronomy. I’m not gonna lie to you: I’m pretty happy about this. It was a lot of fun to write, and a lot of fun to film it. I hope y’all like it. We have a lot more episodes planned, going from naked-eye astronomy (hubba hubba), through the solar system, out to the stars, to the galaxies and the Universe itself. There’s a lot of stuff out there, so there’s a lot of cosmos to cover. And allow me to indulge myself for a sec here. I’m really excited about this series. I’ve wanted to do something like this for years, but lacked the resources to do it myself (also, I’d rather pull my own head off than edit video). Working with the Crash Course team has been fantastic. They’re dedicated, talented, smart, fun, curious—pretty much all the characteristics I like to see in human beings. And the thing is: They’re honestly excited and motivated to work on these series (which also include SciShow and Sexplanations). Visiting Montana to film these episodes is like pure fuel for the brain; seeing everyone work so diligently makes me want to work harder to make better content. So my sincere thanks to Hank and John Green, and to the folks who work on my show: Blake de Pastino, Nicholas Jenkins and Michael Aranda, Nicole Sweeney, and of course my dear friend Dr. Michelle Thaller, who has been essential in helping me not forget to mention obvious stuff in the videos (and correcting me when—rarely, of course—I’m totally off base). Thanks also to Derek Muller of Veritasium for being there at the very start, and to the folks at Thought Café, who make the adorable videos, including me as, apparently, a Canadian from South Park.* And of course, thanks to PBS Digital Studios for making this all possible. And don’t forget to subscribe to Crash Course on YouTube! You can also support us on Subbable if you’d like. But mostly, just thanks for watching. I was pleased to find I learned things writing these episodes. I hope you do too www.davidreneke.com/welcome-to-crash-course-astronomy/
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Post by auntym on Apr 15, 2015 12:23:19 GMT -6
www.universetoday.com/119800/firefly-astronomy/ Firefly Astronomyby David Dickinson April 13, 2015 Image credit and copyright: Steed Yu & NightChina.net Light makes life, and sometimes, life returns the favor. There’s nothing more magical than watching fireflies flit across a starlit field on a summer’s night. Growing up in Northern Maine, summer was an all-too swiftly passing season, and fireflies had to put on their displays in a brief profusion of frenzied activity around late July and early August before the weather turned once again towards another long harsh winter. Fireflies remind us of the ephemeral nature of existence, that’s for sure. And they’re much more welcome by summertime campers on vigil for the August Perseids than oh, say the ubiquitous mosquito or vicious black flies… A recent amazing capture (see the intro image) came to us courtesy of Steed Yu. Shooting from the shores of Lake Natron in Tanzania, he managed to capture an amazing composition of fireflies and those ‘fireflies of the cosmos,’ in the form of a star-dappled southern hemisphere sky. Taken on February 24th 2015 just south of the equator, this is simply an amazing image. Don’t forget, though it’s towards the end winter time up here in the northern hemisphere in late February, it’s the tail end of the summer south of the equator. The photographer had this to say about his ‘Carnival of Fireflies’:
The Night of Lake Natron belongs to the stars. Without any artificial light disturbing the pure sky, one can easily see the Southern Milky Way, as well as sparkling starlights scattered in it, such as the most distinctive constellation Southern Cross and our nearest stellar neighbours Alpha Centauri. The Night of Lake Natron belongs to the firefly too. These glowing elves were flying up and down among the lush grass on both sides of a ravine stream, like a flowing “Firefly Way”, as if to contest with the Milky Way. On the quiet starry night, the fireflies held a grand carnival. CONTINUE READING: www.universetoday.com/119800/firefly-astronomy/
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2015 7:07:14 GMT -6
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Post by auntym on Oct 2, 2022 20:56:29 GMT -6
avi-loeb.medium.com/do-astronomers-exist-on-other-habitable-planets-b0f32b6549f7Do Astronomers Exist on Other Habitable Planets?by Avi Loeb / avi-loeb.medium.com/Sep 30, 2922 The Jocelyn Bell Burnell Observatory in Madison, Wisconsin (Photo credit: Bill Linton) Do Astronomers Exist on Other Habitable Planets?Yesterday, I gave a keynote lecture about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence at the International Forum on Consciousness in Madison, Wisconsin. The conference organizer, Bill Linton (CEO of Promega), gave me a tour to his new astronomical observatory, recently named after the distinguished astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell based upon my recommendation. While visiting the observatory with Bill, it occurred to me that 13.8 billion years ago the early universe started as a hot soup of elementary particles and radiation, but no sentient beings with consciousness to reflect on it. Fifteen million years after the Big Bang, at a redshift of about 110, the Universe had room temperature everywhere. In a paper I wrote a decade ago, I labeled this as the “the habitable epoch of the early Universe.” Unfortunately, this era predated the formation of the first stars and planets by tens of millions of years, and so it could not have given birth to astronomers on a rocky foundation. The first generation of planets in the early Universe were warmed up by the cosmic microwave background to the same temperature as Pluto is warmed by sunlight, irrespective of how far they were from a star. Their frozen surface could not have allowed for the chemistry of life-as-we-know-it, let alone astronomers that reflect on the cosmos. We know for a fact that awareness of the cosmic scene eventually emerged for humans on Earth over the past few million years. Are astronomers possible on other habitable exoplanets? A rocky planet is considered habitable if it can possess liquid water on its surface, and give rise to the chemistry of life-as-we-know-it. It must reside at the appropriate distance from a star, the so-called habitable zone, to be warmed enough by starlight and maintain Earth-like temperatures on its surface. The planet should also possess roughly the mass of the Earth with sufficient gravity to retain its atmosphere, since water exists in liquid form only under an external atmospheric pressure. The chemicals on a habitable planet could combine over time, like Lego pieces, to make complex biological systems, which might ultimately acquire consciousness and be curious about their cosmic neighborhood. Would sentient exo-observers notice other stars and galaxies? Would cosmic awareness through observatories, like the Burnell Observatory, emerge on the most common habitable exo-planets? The most common stars are red dwarfs, also known as M-dwarfs, with a mass in the range between 8%-60% of the mass of the Sun. An example is the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, which possesses 12% the mass of the Sun. Since red dwarfs are fainter than the Sun, the habitable region around them is closer in. It is located 20 times closer than the Earth-Sun separation for Proxima Centauri, which happens to host a planet, Proxima b, in its habitable zone. Earth-mass planets in the habitable zone around a red dwarf are likely to be tidally locked, facing the star with the same side at all times. The locking by gravitational tides is familiar to us from the Moon showing Earth the same side at all times. Its realization for the most common habitable planets, implies that they have permanent daysides and nightsides. Whereas natural selection might lead to creatures with eyes on the permanent dayside, the exo-animals on the permanent nightside will not need eyes for their survival since their immediate environment is permanently dark. The eyes of any sentient observers on the permanent dayside would be flooded by light from their host star and not recognize other stars or galaxies in their sky, just as we fail to see stars other than the Sun during a bright day. Although the Universe would be visible on the permanent nightside, its glow would be too faint for the blind creatures there to notice. All in all, the habitable planets near red dwarfs might fail to give rise to astronomers. Even if dayside observers travel to the permanent nightside and notice distant stars, they would find it difficult to escape from their planetary system to interstellar destinations. Since their home planet is closer to their host star, they are trapped in a deeper gravitational-potential-well than the Earth is in its orbit around the Sun. Chemical rockets would not be able to escape from the habitable region around red dwarfs like Proxima Centauri, as I showed five years ago in an essay and a follow-up paper. There are other habitable environments in which astronomers are unlikely to exist. As I argued in a paper with my former postdoc, Manasvi Lingam, the most common life forms might arise under the frozen surface of objects outside the habitable zone of their host star. In the Solar system, Saturn’s moon Enceladus or Jupiter’s moon Europa are suspected to contain liquid water under their icy surface. The ice is tens of kilometers thick, and so the Universe is hidden from view under the ice, except through vertical cracks in the ice through which plumes of water vapor appear to come out. Altogether, most of the sentient exo-beings might simply be unaware of the cosmos outside their immediate habitat, and this is why they do not venture to interstellar space. In that case, it is our cosmic duty to inform them about the splendor of the amazing Universe that we all share. At the same time, we should be open minded to the possibility that we are also missing important facets of the cosmic reality outside the Solar system. We already know that the dominant constituents of the cosmic mass budget, the dark matter and dark energy, are invisible and of nature that is unfamiliar from the Solar system. The first three interstellar objects, CNEOS 2014–01–08 (IM1), CNEOS 2017–03–09 (IM2) and `Oumuamua, discovered over the past decade, also exhibited characteristics that are distinct from the population of Solar system rocks. Our missing knowledge may be imprinted on a letter in the form of a thin, flat interstellar object — like `Oumuamua, informing us what we should know about the cosmos. The search for unfamiliar interstellar objects is the rationale behind the Galileo Project, described in my lecture on our cosmic consciousness. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Avi Loeb is the head of the Galileo Project, founding director of Harvard University’s — Black Hole Initiative, director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the former chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University (2011–2020). He chairs the advisory board for the Breakthrough Starshot project, and is a former member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a former chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. He is the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth” and a co-author of the textbook “Life in the Cosmos”, both published in 2021. avi-loeb.medium.com/do-astronomers-exist-on-other-habitable-planets-b0f32b6549f7
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