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Post by jacob09 on Apr 13, 2021 12:23:38 GMT
This is the aim of everything that scientists do — to make us, people, understand that Mars is real. Mars isn't another world; Mars is just a neighbor planet that will soon be explored, that's all. Such videos and images make me believe that people have enough power to do anything they want. I would like to live in an era when space tourism will be developed enough to let everyone travel to any explored planet he or she wants, and it won't cost a fortune. Or do I want too much?
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Post by petea on Apr 13, 2021 12:27:20 GMT
You'll be wanting the moon next!  |
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 13, 2021 12:43:35 GMT
It all depends how old you are, I guess.
If you're in your 20s or 30s I think you're in with a decent chance of achieving a reasonable part of your dream.
Although I suspect a century, probably two, will be needed to do a proper solar system tour.
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Post by MartinT on Apr 13, 2021 12:47:47 GMT
I would like to live in an era when space tourism will be developed enough to let everyone travel to any explored planet he or she wants, and it won't cost a fortune. The reality is that the solar system is almost completely beyond our means for human exploration (as opposed to robotic exploration). Journey times will be measurable in months or years, apart from The Moon. The cost will be staggering for a good time yet. We are nowhere close to tourism for other worlds, even 'local' ones. Very few could even be landed on - ever. |
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 13, 2021 12:59:30 GMT
It's all down to technology, and maybe to a lesser extent timing (planetary alignment).
Ion drives could be developed to make Mars a tourist destination.
Maybe a rapid flyby of Saturn (those rings!) or Jupiter using their gravity to sling the spacecraft back to the inner solar system.
I won't see it, but my great-nephew and -niece might, imo.
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 14, 2021 4:49:54 GMT
Another article on the most recent evidence for the possible detection of phosphine and other possible biosignatures in the atmosphere of Venus "A new analysis of data from the 1978 Pioneer Venus mission, by researchers at Cal Poly Pomona, finds evidence not only for phosphine, but also possible chemical disequilibrium in Venus’ atmosphere, an additional possible sign of biological activity. "Bottom line: A new analysis of data from the 1978 Pioneer Venus mission finds evidence not only for phosphine, but also possible chemical disequilibrium in Venus’ atmosphere, an additional possible sign of biological activity. Source: Venus’ Mass Spectra Show Signs of Disequilibria in the Middle Clouds Via Cal Poly Panoma earthsky.org/space/phosphine-disequilibrium-venus-atmosphere-pioneer-venus-1978 |
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 14, 2021 6:02:53 GMT
The newly discovered Muon Force rewrites our understanding of physics. Or then again maybe not. A different approach to calculating what muons should do according to the long established Standard Model show that the strange and unexpected experimental results are actually precisely in accord with the Standard Model. The arguments will continue for a while, I think! sciencex.com/news/2021-04-proof-physics-muon-magnetic-moment.html |
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 15, 2021 5:56:34 GMT
If you want some mind-boggles take a closer look at this particular galaxy. phys.org/news/2021-04-explores-extremely-luminous-infrared-galaxy.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter"The results indicate that WISEJ0909+0002 has an infrared luminosity of about 179 trillion solar luminosities. The study also revealed that WISEJ0909+0002 has a mass of nearly 500 billion solar masses, while the mass of its supermassive black hole is estimated to be at a level of some 7.4 billion solar masses. The star-formation rate of this galaxy was calculated to be around 3,850 solar masses per year." Something seems to have kicked off a tumultuous burst of star formation, which would explain much of the data. The star formation rate is about 2,000 times greater than our own galaxy achieves. Maybe a recent galaxy collision and merger. |
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Post by MartinT on Apr 15, 2021 8:22:14 GMT
while the mass of its supermassive black hole is estimated to be at a level of some 7.4 billion solar masses My mind is suitably boggled. |
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 18, 2021 4:39:49 GMT
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Post by jacob09 on Apr 20, 2021 13:28:02 GMT
I would like to live in an era when space tourism will be developed enough to let everyone travel to any explored planet he or she wants, and it won't cost a fortune. The reality is that the solar system is almost completely beyond our means for human exploration (as opposed to robotic exploration). Journey times will be measurable in months or years, apart from The Moon. The cost will be staggering for a good time yet. We are nowhere close to tourism for other worlds, even 'local' ones. Very few could even be landed on - ever. Oh, I know it, but try to convince myself that humans will develop a technology that'll make space tourism a reality... |
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Post by MartinT on Apr 21, 2021 12:50:38 GMT
I agree that it'll happen eventually.
I think the near-future SF stories of asteroid mining and workforce settlement will come first.
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 22, 2021 3:33:13 GMT
Extra terrestrial life may take too much of a hammering from stellar flares from the most common type of star to survive. It's been known for years that these small and dim M class red dwarfs emit strong flares on a frequent basis, but a recent study has shown quite how powerful these can be. A multi telescope 40 hour observing run, across a huge range of wavelengths, of the star Proxima Centauri (the nearest star to us apart from the Sun) showed that in the space of a second or so the star's ultraviolet output increased by a factor of 14,000! In all, across the electromagnetic spectrum, the observed flare was roughly 100 times more powerful than any similar flare seen from Earth's sun. Over time, such energy can strip away a planet's atmosphere and even expose life forms to deadly radiation. Of course, life on Earth has proven to be very adaptable, existing and thriving in some extreme environments. Even so, conditions around the majority of stars may prove a big challenge for "life as we know it". phys.org/news/2021-04-humungous-flare-sun-nearest-neighbor.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter "The team's findings hint at new physics that could change the way scientists think about stellar flares. They also don't bode well for any squishy organism brave enough to live near the volatile star. "If there was life on the planet nearest to Proxima Centauri, it would have to look very different than anything on Earth," MacGregor said. "A human being on this planet would have a bad time." |
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Post by MartinT on Apr 22, 2021 5:42:07 GMT
Regular 'cleaning' of planets taking place.
We're an exception, a bit of 'mould' that has survived. Cleaning will still come.
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 22, 2021 6:47:46 GMT
Regular 'cleaning' of planets taking place. We're an exception, a bit of 'mould' that has survived. Cleaning will still come. For some reason that reminds me of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy... Great Green Arkleseizure, The The Jatravartid People of Viltvodle Six firmly believe that the entire universe was sneezed out of the nose of a being called The Great Green Arkleseizure. They live in perpetual fear of the time they call The Coming Of The Great White Handkerchief. |
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 29, 2021 8:37:43 GMT
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Post by MartinT on Apr 29, 2021 11:02:30 GMT
Almost a binary system, then, if the red giant is not hugely massive?
It'll end in tears.
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 29, 2021 11:17:25 GMT
Definitely a binary system.
The companion is a 1 solar mass star, but older than the Sun and has enlarged into a red giant star,probably larger than the Earth's orbit.
It's what the Sun will do in a few billion years time.
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Post by Slinger on Apr 30, 2021 17:25:21 GMT
I'm cheating as this is not really "astronomy," but I though it deserved to be posted. You may have heard the story before, I know I had, but...  |
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Post by MartinT on Apr 30, 2021 19:29:40 GMT
I'm paraphrasing but when Neil Armstrong was asked what he would do if the ascent stage didn't fire, he replied "learn how to fix a rocket engine real fast".
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