I mentioned earlier this week about a discovery of a peculiar radio signal coming from a red dwarf star named Ross 128 located about 11 LY away in the constellation Virgo.

 

Back in May at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico , astronomers were going through some data when they discovered some very peculiar signals coming from the direction of Ross 128, unlike anything they had ever heard before. Ross 128, like all red dwarfs , is smaller and much dimmer than our sun and is too dim to be seen with the naked eye.

 

For about ten minutes back in May, a radio signal came from Ross 128 that was at a frequency astronomers hadn't ever detected before in red dwarf stars.

 

Could it be artificial intelligence? Aliens? At the time, astronomers admitted that the signal was theoretically consistent with the transmission from an alien civilization but they put the alien hypothesis at the bottom of the list of explanations. Leading candidates were said to be flares coming from Ross, emissions coming from objects in the same field of view as Ross, and a burst from one or more high orbiting satellites.

 

Fast forward from May to this week. New, follow-up observations point to the latter hypothesis as the likely source of the strange signal. Yesterday, the director of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico said that the best explanation is that the signals are transmissions from one or more geostationary satellites. By the way, these satellites circle Earth at an altitude of about 22,300 miles.

 

Since Ross 128 is close to the celestial equator, where many geosatellites are placed, it makes sense that the signals were within the satellite's frequencies and only appeared and persisted in Ross 128. While this still doesn't explain the strong dispersion-like characteristics in the signals, it is possible that multiple reflections could explain the distortions. So, it doesn't appear that these signals came from aliens (darn it!!!). However, it's just a matter of time, especially as astronomers discover more and more exoplanets. Who knows, the signal we're all hoping for may be on its way to Earth as I type this.

Gamma ray burst would definitely do the job. I read an article about that in one of the science magazines, maybe ID magazine. Scary scenario.

 

I'll follow-up on those possible end of life scenarios soon...

Here's a meteor calendar for those who are "shooting star" watchers like me.

 

Notice the Moon won't be a hindrance to observation in the Orionids shower with only 4% illumination during peak time.

 

The Geminids shower in December should be some really nice viewing as well w/ 120+ meteors possible during peak hours and only 16% illumination of the Moon.

 

FYI, the radiant is the point in the sky(relative to the observer) from which meteors appear to originate. For example, the Perseid meteors appear to come from a point within the constellation Perseus. If the radiant is at or below the horizon, very few meteors will be visible since the atmosphere shields the Earth from most of the debris and only meteors that are travelling very nearly tangential to the Earth's surface will be visible.

 

 

Edited July 23, 20179 yr by Science Friction

Wow, you are some kinda picker.

 

I bought one, I don't remember the name, for Papaw at Christmas about 2004. Now I'm anxious to put it on our patio, I can work with it thru my laptop to focus certain objects. He will have to unpack it, we haven't used it for some time. Now Science Friction has given me the sky bug. You're going to drag me out of my depression over the 10 & 1/2 hours of back surgeries and my slow recovery that I didn't count on. So, Papaw, my sons and all my family will thank you for forcing me to try harder to be up and out. I thank you too.

I hope I'm not boring you guys with my cosmic musings. Just because I find this stuff fascinating, I know some may not. Feel free to add your own thoughts on our cosmos. I love hearing what you have to say about the mysteries of the universe.

 

I don't know about anyone else but I'm enjoying this so much. And you are very informative. I'll have to look back at this when I get Papaw to bring out his telescope. He is very protective of it so only he unpacks and moves it. He loves this stuff too.

Appreciate the humor.

Thanks for sharing that. What did you think of Hale-Bopp when it made it's appearance in the late nineties? I was mesmerized. H-B put on a much greater show than the most famous comet, Halley's, did back in 1986.

 

Btw, stay tuned for some info on the 2017 Perseid meteor shower.

 

I could not believe the brightness of Hale-Bopp, we could see it for several days. We had a small very basic telescope when Haley's came across and decided to buy a better one. But with two boys and school and all their extracurricular activities. We had not gotten a better one when Hale-Bopp made it's spectacular night show. We have a good telescope now and just haven't been using it. Now you have me hooked for sure. August meteor showers hope the moon isn't bright? And then the Eclipse, the meteor showers in October, November and December. Back to Hale-Bop, but it was so special to see the unexpected. And twin tails! Surprised us! Sad thing I remember those people who all died in that Heaven's Gate Cult. Thanks for all your knowledge you share. S.F.

I bought one, I don't remember the name, for Papaw at Christmas about 2004. Now I'm anxious to put it on our patio, I can work with it thru my laptop to focus certain objects. He will have to unpack it, we haven't used it for some time. Now Science Friction has given me the sky bug. You're going to drag me out of my depression over the 10 & 1/2 hours of back surgeries and my slow recovery that I didn't count on. So, Papaw, my sons and all my family will thank you for forcing me to try harder to be up and out. I thank you too.

 

Mamaw, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you reading my thoughts. It means a lot. I really love astronomy. I feel a real connection to the cosmos . It's a very spiritual thing for me.

Before we talk more about what it would take to completely sterilize ALL life on Earth, keep in mind that I am not just talking about human life. Heck, a crazy , cultist dictator armed with enough nuclear weapons or a big ball or rock that falls from the sky and triggers a sudden, drastic change in global climate could get rid of our fragile butts.

 

When you consider what, if anything, could sterilize the Earth, think in terms of killing off every single living organism, including this resilient little microscopic, eight-legged, water inhabitant called a tardigrade. These little suckers can withstand temps of around -456 F and as high as +304 F for a few minutes. To date, they are the only animals that have been exposed to the naked vacuum of space and lived to tell about it. That's some kind of pesky creature if you are trying to exterminate them !!! If they are exterminated from the Earth, more than likely everything else will be gone too. What would do it???

 

Edited July 23, 20179 yr by Science Friction

Jupiter's Great Red Spot checks in at over 10,000 miles wide (10,159 mi as of April 3 ) and is 1.3 times as wide as the little blue dot we call home. With the help of a little NASA imagery, here's our Earth superimposed over the big red Jovian storm. The image of Jupiter was captured by astronomer Christopher Go, who clearly has a better telescope than I do.

 

Astronaut Jack Fischer, aboard the International Space Station , tweeted a time-lapse video of the Northern Lights yesterday. From 250 miles above the Earth and traveling at 17,500 miles per hour, Fischer described the light show this way: “People have asked me what a ‘burrito of awesomeness smothered in awesome sauce’ is… Well folks, it looks like this awesome sauce is green,” Fischer tweeted.

 

Northern lights are definitely on my bucket list.

One of my favorite classical pieces is Canon in D by Wagner. Here's the Aurora Borealis captured from the ISS in Ultra HD.

 

Northern Lights from space + Wagner= A spiritual Experience !!!!

 

Enjoy!!! Mamaw, this is for you and pawpaw !!!

 

Last night I decided to do an early(VERY early) morning walk/run. It was going on 3am when I began what would turn into a 9.8 mile trek. About three-quarters of the way into my sojourn, I came to a stretch that was very dark and out of the way of any light pollution. I decided to do a little skygazing.

 

I found me a spot to lie down on my back and just stare into the heavens above, much as I have done many times since I was a child. I focused my glare on the section of the dark sky where I expected to see some Perseid meteors. I watched for about 50 minutes, from around 4:40 to 5: 30 am . In that span I observed eight meteors. Of the eight, I would describe 2 of them, both Perseids, as really nice ones. The other six were rather faint and reminded me of little florescent fireflies darting across the night sky. A couple or three of these may have been Delta Aquariids that appear to radiate from the star Delta in the constellation Aquarius. Moonlight was not a hindrance to "shooting star" gazing last night/this morning, as the waxing crescent moon had already set before the clock struck midnight.

 

What really had be mezmerized this morning wasn't so much the meteors I saw but the Queen of the early morning sky, Her Magesty, Venus . She was beyond superlative this morning!!! Breathtaking !!!! Brilliant!!! Dominating the sky !!!! I watched her for almost two hours until I finally lost her at 6:32 this morning. She vanished into the dawn like a ghost in the fog. Eight minutes later, at 6:40 am , a big orangish-red sun peeked its head above the horizon to welcome a new day, just as it has done for he past 4, 543,000,000 years.

 

We are really are lucky and extremely blessed to have the opportunity to observe the kaleidoscopic beauty of the cosmos and the wonders of our mysterious, but magnificent universe.

 

Do yourself a favor sometime within the next few days. Wake up early some morning, maybe 4:30 or 5:00 am , and take a half hour or so to observe the early morning sky. Find yourself a nice dark place, unpolluted by city light, and observe the heavens above you. Spot a meteor or two, observe some of the star patterns we call constellations, and look to the Eastern sky and say good morning to" Earth's twin," goddess Venus, from 103,000,000 miles away!!!!

 

We are so lucky and so blessed to have this short interval of time in the history of the Universe to observe these celestial delights in the night sky. When I looked up into the dark starlit sky last night/this morning , I reflected upon how I was not only looking back in time but also looking back to my origin. Somewhere in that deep expanse of space is my celestial homeplace. Science tells us that the atoms that make up my body, and yours, originated from within a exploding star, or multiple exploding stars from the mysterious, chaotic, and violent past of our magnificent universe. Regardless of what you believe about how and why it happened this way, we are truly blessed!!!

Btw, while I am still preoccupied with the thought of Venus, let me share with you a little info about Earth to Venus distances. Some folks have the misconception that the distance pretty much says constant. However, because of the elliptical orbits the two planets take in their sojourns around the sun, such is not the case. As of tonight, Venus will be nearly 104 million miles away. Back on March 26, Venus was only about 26 million miles from Earth, four times closer than she is right now.

 

Just after the calendar turns to 2018(around the 8th or so), Venus will be 159 million miles from us. Yes, the lovely lady is currently moving away from us. However, on October 27, 2018, Venus will be at her closest approach to us(about 25.3 million miles) until the year 2022 when the "morning star" will come to with 24.7 million miles. Imagine how bright she will shine then!!!