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Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:24 pm
by Trantor
Arioch wrote:Kind of wonder how accurate the new calculated Formalhaut b orbit is. They somehow went from an 875-year orbit to a 2000-year one with the addition of just one more data point (which doesn't appear to deviate significantly from the previous three).
Reminds me of us playing around with the new mounting and the new software it came with on our local observatory a few years ago. Took quite a time (and "some" points) until the orbits of known GEO-satellites converged to 1436 minutes...

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:31 am
by Victor_D
Seems that the size of star systems scales up pretty consistently with the mass of the central star.

I'd expect the red dwarf systems to be, conversely, pretty tiny - even 10 times as smaller.

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:04 pm
by GeoModder
Victor_D wrote:I'd expect the red dwarf systems to be, conversely, pretty tiny - even 10 times as smaller.
It all comes down to gravity. :geek:

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:29 pm
by Trantor
No mention of the meteoroid in russia here?

http://zyalt.livejournal.com/722930.html?nojs=1


Image

:D :D

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:06 am
by Mikk
Quite the epic contrail con there :ugeek:

PS: that was a heck of an airburst those folks got slapped with over there.

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:55 am
by fredgiblet
Does it still count as astronomy when it's in the atmosphere?

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 3:57 am
by Trantor
fredgiblet wrote:Does it still count as astronomy when it's in the atmosphere?
Came from outside, was captured from above, too - so i dare to say yes:

Image

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 4:39 am
by Absalom
Between this and Tunguska, I'm not certain whether to think meteoroids love Russia, or hate it. :lol:

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 2:21 am
by Fotiadis_110
amusingly, we've discovered that actual meteorites are fairly common :p

And that a couple decent ones touch down every year, however most cities are small compared to the surrounding terrain. As our world becomes more urban, expect more meteorite stories,

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 3:08 pm
by GeoModder
It came down a bit late for the centennial celebration of Tunguska. :|

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:01 pm
by Alexandr Koori
And all forgot about Sikhote-Alin meteorite.
Yes, we loves meteorites and meteorites loves us)

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 7:19 pm
by GeoModder
Can you blame us? It was in the middle of the Cold War! :P

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 12:39 am
by Karst45
I like how they put some of the "hell door" picture and claimed it was that meteorite that did it... when we all know (after i tell you) it actually a minin operation gone wrong 40 year ago (more or less)

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 6:46 am
by Trantor
Next one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2013_A1

Oh please please please, let us see THAT spectacle!

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 6:59 am
by Arioch
The closest estimates still have the comet passing more than 40,000 km from the centerpoint of Mars; since the diameter of Mars is less than 7,000 km, that doesn't sound like it's going to get the job done.

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 8:44 pm
by GeoModder
Oh boy, if the comet would be at the upper limit of its size, and if an impact would happen, good-bye to plans of colonising Mars. :o

But at 0.08% chance, I don't see it happen.

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:28 am
by fredgiblet
If it's smaller and hits it might help terraforming.

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:49 pm
by GeoModder
fredgiblet wrote:If it's smaller and hits it might help terraforming.
By making the planet surface even frostier?

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:26 pm
by fredgiblet
Adding water.

Re: The Astronomy Thread

Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:36 pm
by GeoModder
Which sublimes right into space again over time, until the atmosphere gets denser. :shrugs: