The Space and Astronomy Thread

43 years ago today, the last manned mission to the moon landed at Taurus Littrow. Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt are the last humans to have walked on another celestial body.
 
Blast off for Tim Peake today! The first British ESA astronaut, and first Britain in space for years.
 
Despite all the years that rockets have been launched into space the impressiveness of the spectacle never seems to diminish.
 
Just watching this on catch up. I love a space launch, great to see lots of enthusiasm for it again
 
News 24 showing live coverage as Soyuz prepares to dock with the ISS.

They've switched to manual docking for some reason.

Left a bit...
Right a bit...
To me...
To you...
 
Agreed, watching stargazing live, slightly delayed. I find it all very fascinating and exciting. Brings out the wee boy in me
 
LASTOLITE said:
This is hard to take in......
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4M6wlBjU38
Click to expand...

Interesting video and very good - I really enjoyed it, but at the end it says " no, you are not the centre of the universe"
I'm not sure that's true.
I think it would be more technically correct to say we are at the exact centre of the universe - but inconveniently, so is every other point in space.
James
 
jbw said:
Interesting video and very good - I really enjoyed it, but at the end it says " no, you are not the centre of the universe"
I'm not sure that's true.
I think it would be more technically correct to say we are at the exact centre of the universe - but inconveniently, so is every other point in space.
James
Click to expand...


I am sure James you are the centre of your universe:eek:
 
Teriffic image on APOD today. The explanation is really worth reading. Who would ever imagine *predicting* that a supernova would be visible in a certain place?

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151221.html
 
StewartR said:
Teriffic image on APOD today. The explanation is really worth reading. Who would ever imagine *predicting* that a supernova would be visible in a certain place?

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151221.html
Click to expand...

That is cool isn't it. This was being talked about on one of the podcasts I subscribe to, and I thought at the time how incredible it is that light from the same event can arrive at moments in time separated by years.
 
Thanks for that. The first 6 or so seconds of launch is about the same as Mrs Nod's car being let off the leash but it runs out of puff by about 41s in.
 
AndyB1976 said:
A Shuttle launch from a camera angle I hadn't seen before (and return of the SRBs).......

Click to expand...

What is also interesting is the way the video documents the rate of free fall back to earth - I find I have to keep reminding myself that both the Shuttle and the International Space Station are also in free fall whilst in orbit and that's why the astronauts are apparently weightless ( people often wrongly assume they are weightless because the gravity up there is zero and obviously this is not the case)
 
Finally those science fiction books and comics written in the 40's and 50's showing V2 like rockets landing and taking off vertically, as daily transport for astronauts, comes true... Except not on other planets... With monsters.
 
Yet.
 
I don't know how strong it will be but it's forecast for the Aurora to show on new years eve following 2 x M1 solar flares earlier today sending a CME aimed directly towards the earth. It's also forecast clear skies for me in South Wales although it will have to be a big one to be visible here.
 
ianp5a said:
Finally those science fiction books and comics written in the 40's and 50's showing V2 like rockets landing and taking off vertically, as daily transport for astronauts, comes true... Except not on other planets... With monsters.
Click to expand...

Plenty of monsters on this planet for them to deal with, just need a ray gun now:D
 
jbw said:
For those of you with a brain not too addled by seasonal Booz there is this interesting video on ' loop quantum cosmology'
James
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IFcQuEw0oY8
Click to expand...

At the "Planck Press Conference" The child within needed to giggle at that, sorry:D

Some amazing new theory to the expansion though must admit to not understanding some of that, takes some imagination and streching of some quantum theories already explored to get to there....but intresting. and not a little mind bending for me:confused:
 
Been watching the space walk live all afternoon, some amazing shots. Seems strange to hear a true English voice speaking. He takes every opportunity to point to the flag on his spacesuit when taking photo's of each other. Truly a proud man.
 
Interesting article about a claim that there are indications that a 9th planet does indeed exist in our solar system.

Link.
 
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