Any Astronomy Buffs Here?

budwom said:
great New Yorker read on perils of solar storms:https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/03/04/what-a-major-solar-storm-could-do-to-our-planet
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Enjoyable history lesson.
The physics of what happens when charged particles hits the earth's magnetic field is well understood, but that doesn't mean we've dealt with it. Non-charged particles like Gamma Rays (i.e., photons) are less affected by the earth's atmosphere and are ignored by the magnetic field.
I expect someday that we will do as the article suggests and improve our satellites and infrastructure to withstand CME's other solar phenomena. But the philosophy seems to be that it is less expensive to deal with the aftermath than to spend a lot more as a preventative.

Oddly, looking back at history, I think the Y2K 'threat', and the computer world's response to it, was more encouraging (and somewhat similar); mainly because we knew when it would happen, there was no chance that the last 2 digits of the year would change values to 00, and there was plenty of advanced time to work on it. Not sure what would have been the response if Y2K happened at the dawn of the computer age. From what I hear, no planes fell out of the sky.

Larry
DevilHorse
 
DevilHorse said:
Enjoyable history lesson.
The physics of what happens when charged particles hits the earth's magnetic field is well understood, but that doesn't mean we've dealt with it. Non-charged particles like Gamma Rays (i.e., photons) are less affected by the earth's atmosphere and are ignored by the magnetic field.
I expect someday that we will do as the article suggests and improve our satellites and infrastructure to withstand CME's other solar phenomena. But the philosophy seems to be that it is less expensive to deal with the aftermath than to spend a lot more as a preventative.

Oddly, looking back at history, I think the Y2K 'threat', and the computer world's response to it, was more encouraging (and somewhat similar); mainly because we knew when it would happen, there was no chance that the last 2 digits of the year would change values to 00, and there was plenty of advanced time to work on it. Not sure what would have been the response if Y2K happened at the dawn of the computer age. From what I hear, no planes fell out of the sky.

Larry
DevilHorse
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Giant solar flare is on my list of doomsday triggers that will "send us back to the stone age."

Also on the list:
Yellowstone eruption
Really big meteor strike.
Nuclear war used to be at the top of my list.

There's more. :eek::eek:
 
camion said:
Giant solar flare is on my list of doomsday triggers that will "send us back to the stone age."

Also on the list:
Yellowstone eruption
Really big meteor strike.
Nuclear war used to be at the top of my list.

There's more. :eek::eek:
Click to expand...

The upper most doomsday (for me anyway) concern is half of La Palma Canary Island sliding into the ocean causing a huge east coast tidal wave.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbre_Vieja_tsunami_hazard

I've dodged a few tornados, but EF-2/3s are not EF-5s.

Larry
DevilHorse
 
DevilHorse said:
The Boeing Starliner is planned to launch today (5/6/2024) at 10:34pm.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/05/world/boeing-starliner-launch-preview-scn/index.html

Of course, YMMV with regards to launch times.

The goal is to demonstrate a second, US based, option to get to the International Space Station. SpaceX is the only option for US based launches to the ISS, as of this morning anyway.

Larry
DevilHorse
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Here's hoping Boeing blows the doors off with that launch.


On second thought here's hoping for no doors blown off. :eek::eek:
 
Depending where you are, the aurora may be visible tonight. It's said that it's possible they will be seen as far south as Alabama. Supposedly the best viewing is between 10 and midnight (away from city lights), regardless of where you are located.
 
CameronBornAndBred said:
Depending where you are, the aurora may be visible tonight. It's said that it's possible they will be seen as far south as Alabama. Supposedly the best viewing is between 10 and midnight (away from city lights), regardless of where you are located.
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Couldn't see to much tonight cloudy sky.but nearby towns did .going to thr Beach tomorrow evening.we had a cook out then a storm .

I have no idea what that silver orb looking thing is on top left.must have been something on the lense.
 
wavedukefan70s said:

Couldn't see to much tonight cloudy sky.but nearby towns did .going to thr Beach tomorrow evening.we had a cook out then a storm .

I have no idea what that silver orb looking thing is on top left.must have been something on the lense.
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Same here, clouds (clearing now but I don't have a great view of the sky) but I've enjoyed photos from friends. We actually thought about beaching it tomorrow night too, but there are darker skies just a few miles drive from us so that's our plan. We'll park next to some cornfield.


The orb is obviously cow probing aliens enjoying the light show.
 
CameronBornAndBred said:
Same here, clouds (clearing now but I don't have a great view of the sky) but I've enjoyed photos from friends. We actually thought about beaching it tomorrow night too, but there are darker skies just a few miles drive from us so that's our plan. We'll park next to some cornfield.


The orb is obviously cow probing aliens enjoying the light show.
Click to expand...

From what I can figure from positioning and travel time and locations .that probably is the ISS it just ended up fuzzy in our camera.
 
DevilHorse said:
The Boeing Starliner is planned to launch today (5/6/2024) at 10:34pm.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/05/world/boeing-starliner-launch-preview-scn/index.html

Of course, YMMV with regards to launch times.

The goal is to demonstrate a second, US based, option to get to the International Space Station. SpaceX is the only option for US based launches to the ISS, as of this morning anyway.

Larry
DevilHorse
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The wait continues.

A Saturday target date for the highly anticipated crewed maiden voyage of Boeing’s Starliner is now off the table — and NASA has not immediately named a new one.

“The team has been in meetings for two consecutive days, assessing flight rationale, system performance, and redundancy,” NASA said in a statement. “There is still forward work in these areas, and the next possible launch opportunity is still being discussed.”
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https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/22/worl...ed-launch-delayed-indefinitely-scn/index.html
 
Opophis Heading Our Way in 2029

OK, so if you are interested in seeing a near earth asteroid up close, Opophis may be the asteroid for you:
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/apophis/

Apophis is estimated to be between 600 and 1100 feet in size (perhaps an ellipsoid) and will be sliding by the Earth at 1/10th the distance (20k miles) to the moon. The earth's diameter is only about 8k miles.

Also of interest is that the spacecraft OSIRIS, that retrieved (and dropped off) a sample from the asteroid Bennu, will be repurposed to approach Opophis and follow it for move than a year.

Apophis apparently returns near earth every 40 years or so; detailed calculations suggest there is no earth 'hit' for at least the next 100 years.

Larry
DevilHorse
 
Alllmost there...

At T minus 3:39, the clock stopped as a hold was announced at 3:50 minutes. They have the crew access arm back in place, and while it's still only in a hold, it's not looking promising that Starliner leaves Earth today.

In fact, they just announced the scrub.

Boeing sucks.

Kind of funny in that the hold was announced only seconds after the pilot gave his "America should be proud" speech.
 
DevilHorse said:
OK, so if you are interested in seeing a near earth asteroid up close, Opophis may be the asteroid for you:
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/apophis/

Apophis is estimated to be between 600 and 1100 feet in size (perhaps an ellipsoid) and will be sliding by the Earth at 1/10th the distance (20k miles) to the moon. The earth's diameter is only about 8k miles.

Also of interest is that the spacecraft OSIRIS, that retrieved (and dropped off) a sample from the asteroid Bennu, will be repurposed to approach Opophis and follow it for move than a year.

Apophis apparently returns near earth every 40 years or so; detailed calculations suggest there is no earth 'hit' for at least the next 100 years.

Larry
DevilHorse
Click to expand...

Nothing ominous about an asteroid named after the lord of chaos.
 
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