Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: BGP's Astronomy Thread

[Science Friction]

For those who stayed in bed this morning or didn't have a good viewing location, here's a 60 sec. time lapse of this morning's eclipse from Griffith Observatory in LA.

 

[Science Friction]

You know, sometimes I wonder about these Flat-Earthers. Do they deny that Earth is flat just for attention or do they REALLY believe? Why is it so important to them that our planet be flat? Do they distrust science so much that they will deny the obvious(round Earth, moon landing, climate change, etc...)I know for some it is tied in with their religious convictions. Let's face it, for centuries people believed the Earth was the center of the universe until Copernicus came along and disputed Ptolemy some 1400 years later. Hell, Galileo was jailed for heresy just for holding to the "far-fetched" idea that the earth was not the center of everything in the universe.

 

But in this day and time how could anyone with a sane mind seriously doubt the shape of the earth? I mean , once Man first realized what an eclipse was, why would there be any further debate? What do they think about seeing Earth's shadow moving across the face of the moon like it did this morning? I , mean, seriously... Kyrie Irving, the earth is the shape of your basketball. It's your brain that's flat! Flat-Earthers, bless your hearts. Here's what a lunar eclipse would look like if the earth were flat...DUH!

 

[The Professor]

I think that most people who believe silly things like flat earth and moon hoax don’t actually believe it themselves. They love to see the shocked looks from people when they bring those subjects up. They love being different and argumentative even if the know they’re wrong. It’s just the way some people roll.

[Science Friction]

I think that most people who believe silly things like flat earth and moon hoax don’t actually believe it themselves. They love to see the shocked looks from people when they bring those subjects up. They love being different and argumentative even if the know they’re wrong. It’s just the way some people roll.

 

I've often wondered about it. I know there are tons of stuff on the internet where people are espousing the flat Earth model. A lot of the arguments seem to have a religious basis. Go figure.

[Science Friction]

Total lunar eclipse over Hong Kong:

 

[Science Friction]

Next week I'm going to rank my top five or so astronomy stories for 2017. I bet you can guess what will be my #1. Stay tuned....

[Science Friction]

Where's the top of the sun???

 

After last year's GAE, I am so into eclipses now. Last week, there was a partial solar eclipse that could be viewed in parts of the southern hemisphere. This image was captured off the coast of Uruguay, overlooking Buenos Aires, Argentina. This was near the end of the eclipse.

 

Edited February 20, 2018 by Science Friction

[doomer]

I think that most people who believe silly things like flat earth and moon hoax don’t actually believe it themselves. They love to see the shocked looks from people when they bring those subjects up. They love being different and argumentative even if the know they’re wrong. It’s just the way some people roll.

 

I've had friends that will argue the sky is green just to argue.

[doomer]

This has me wondering...

 

If the Earth really was flat, how far could we see in the horizon (trees and weather permitting)?

[Science Friction]

Over the next week or so I'll begin counting down my top astronomy stories for 2017. Basically, I am just ranking these according to the impact and interest they had on me. My ranking is not necessarily the most important or far-reaching events but just what I considered interesting and what stood out to me. See if you can guess what will top my list. Today, is #8.

 

 

8. Atmosphere Discovered on a Distant Planet

 

For the first time , scientists observed the atmosphere of a distant planet. The planet, named GJ1132b is 39 LY from Earth and is only slightly larger than Earth. It's radius is about 1.4 times that of the Earth and its mass is about 1.6 times that of our own pale blue dot.

 

The direct observation of this planet's atmosphere is significant because, up until now, astronomers had only been able to study the atmospheres of gas giant planets the size of Jupiter. The atmosphere of GJ1132b is very hot and thick, which means it is likely more like Venus than Earth.

 

Studying Earth-sized exoplanet atmospheres remains a huge challenge for our current telescopes but look for future instruments to be targeted for just this purpose. Because alien planet atmospheres may contain evidence for life, scientists are working hard to understand just what to look for in these atmospheres and how to look for it. Maybe sometime in the near future we will know whether planets such as GJ1132b show evidence of life-supporting environments.

[Science Friction]

This is my #7 story in astronomy for 2017:

 

7. World Ceres Victory: Building Blocks for Life Discovered on Dwarf Planet

The largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is the dwarf planet, Ceres, roughly the size of Texas. Glance at a photo of the big rock and it doesn't look much different from the Moon with its barren and cratered surface. But looks can be deceiving.

Back this time last year, research scientists announced that they had detected organic molecules on the surface of Ceres. Of course, organic molecules are a necessity for life as we know it. When you combine this discovery with the fact that is believed that Ceres may have a liquid ocean beneath those carbon compounds on the surface , this Texas-sized rock suddenly becomes more exciting than José Altuve and the World Series Champion Houston Astros.

 

The presence of both liquid H2O and carbon compounds on Ceres raises the possibility that primitive life forms may have emerged from there.

Ceres was the first dwarf planet to be visited by a spacecraft( Dawn spacecraft visited Ceres in 2015 just a few months before New Horizons flew by Pluto).

 

Ceres is likely a future destination for human colonization given its abundance of ice, water, and minerals.

[Science Friction]

This is my #6 story of 2017:

 

6. It's a Comet , it's a Rock , .... No , it's an Interstellar Asteroid!!!"

 

For the first time ever, a visitor from interstellar space was spotted in our solar system in October of 2017. The object, detected by researchers using the Pan-Starrs 1 telescope in Hawaii, was first thought to be a comet but, when no coma was spotted, the comet designation was amended to that of an asteroid.

 

A/2017 U 1 , or "Oumuamua" as its friends call it , could be about as much ice as rock. Believed to be less than 1,300ft. wide, Oumuamua approached our solar system from the direction of the constellation Lyra at about 57,000 mph. The icy rock, or whatever it is, entered the solar system nearly perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic, and crossed the plane in early September inside the orbit of Mercury.

 

Oumuamua made its closest approach to Earth in mid-October at a distance of about 15 million miles. If you are wondering where the damned thing is now(and I just know you are), it is high above the ecliptical plane and speeding toward the outer reaches of the solar system at a speed of more than 97,000 mph in the direction of the constellation Pegagus.

 

Scientists want to study this object before it disappears from view forever because knowledge of its origin could shed light on the processes of planet formation in our cosmic neighborhood.

 

One wonders just how many of these strange objects there are out there flying through interstellar space. How long will it be before the next one finds its way into our little planetary system? How do we go about finding more of them???