The Astronomy Thread

[icebags]

14th july has started, the day of the closest approach in the flyby :

*pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/pics/Pluto%20Annotated%207-12-15.jpg

*pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/pics/Charon%20Annotated%207-12-15.jpg

*planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/9-small-bodies/2015/20150710_pluto_charon_150709_color_final.png

*planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/9-small-bodies/2015/20150713_nh-7-13-15_pluto_charon_image_nasa-jhuapl-swri.png

 

[Desmond]

Wow, the size ratio seems pretty small between Charon and Pluto.

 

[icebags]

Wow, the size ratio seems pretty small between Charon and Pluto.

yea, charon is 1/5 th of pluto as per the data given, and as new horizons is approaching from the top, and charon being nearer in the last pic, it seems bigger than usual.

also, to celebrate this event, there is this pluto time link :
Solar System Exploration: : Pluto Time

while sitting on pluto, scientists figured out it is not completely dark, light conditions on earth sometimes matches pluto. check it out, share your neighboring image of that time.

for me, just found out, before sunrise on july 14 at 4:56 am matches the light conditions of pluto noon time.

 

[Desmond]

This is awesome. I never though we would get to see such clear images of Pluto ever.

- - - Updated - - -

Looks like Pluto time from my location will be at 7:19 PM today.

- - - Updated - - -

Here are some pics of Saturn and its moon taken by the Cassini probe: Cassini - Album on Imgur

 

[icebags]

yah they said there will be images with 10 times higher resolution and enormous amount of data from now on. so, we can expect the cassini - saturn like images soon.
check this qna if have not yet.
[YOUTUBE]4BmybiFW6_8?t=9m54s[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Faun]

Latest updated images

*i.imgur.com/ra38TRa.png


Neptune looks scary
*i.imgur.com/WWcJT21.jpg

 

[Desmond]

That is Neptune, not Uranus.

 

[Faun]

That is Neptune, not Uranus.

Corrected.

 

[doomgiver]

i want all 9 marbles!

 

[rowdy]

Yes that is neptune not uranus.

 

[Anorion]

*i.imgur.com/QdehqOB.jpg
planets and moons

 

[Desmond]

Whose moons are these?

 

[Anorion]

Jupiter, and Saturn

 

[Desmond]

Reimagined with water I hope.

 

[Anorion]

terraformed

 

[Desmond]

I wonder where you'd get all the water to terraform a planet or moon which does not have much water to begin with.

One possibility could be to crash a comet on it somehow.

 

[Anorion]

yes
a lot of comets would be necessary
think there will have to be some kind of material relay pipeline across the solar system to get stuff from where it is abundant to where it is rare.

 

[Desmond]

yes
a lot of comets would be necessary
think there will have to be some kind of material relay pipeline across the solar system to get stuff from where it is abundant to where it is rare.

Not possible in practice. Even if it were possible, how would you account for the rotation and revolution of the source and destination planets? Both source and destination would have to be geosynchronous with one another.

Comets are the best bet.

 

[Anorion]

not saying actual pipeline
maybe some kind of railguns or mass drivers at particular locations. It's not just water, like we may need to remove some of the nitrogen on Titan and move it to Mercury and Venus, then take metals from Mercury and dump it into Venus. Some of the greenhouse gasses on Venus can help melt down some of the ice on Europa, and then it would be useful to get rid of the extra water, which can be used on Mercury.
terraforming some of these (mercury, venus) would need large mirrors to simulate day/night cycle and/or create shade...

 

[Desmond]

Can't imagine how much funds all that would require.

If only we could develop wormholes somehow.