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Astronomers are SUCH geeks!
Sep. 15th, 2011 03:41 pm
Really, just because the planet is in a double-star system, did you HAVE to name it Tattooine?
Posted via LiveJournal app for Android.
It's been a mystery that has been observed in deserts around the world, and has been noted by travelers including Marco Polo: the low thrumming sound that large sand dunes make, known as The Singing Sands.
Now, a team of engineers may have solved the mystery: according to them, the interaction between sliding sand on large dunes and the hard-packed cores set up a standing wave that makes the sounds. As this video shows, they picked an interesting experimental style to demonstrate the phenomenon:
Now, a team of engineers may have solved the mystery: according to them, the interaction between sliding sand on large dunes and the hard-packed cores set up a standing wave that makes the sounds. As this video shows, they picked an interesting experimental style to demonstrate the phenomenon:
I mean, we're talking frustration on a planetary scale here.
First though, congratulations to the Kepler mission, because as of now, they have identified multiple Earth-sized planets, and multiple planet systems.
As part of the press release states:
This is tremendous news, and a wonderful scientific discovery, because it shows again that Earth-sized planets (With the potential for Earthlike conditions and life) are fairly common.
It's also frustrating as hell.
Because here we are with Earthlike planets in abundance, and no starships. No prospect for an FTL drive. Hell, not even any prospect for STL starships in my lifetimel
We have a frontier out there, and we're as stuck as fish eying land before legs evolved. *sigh*
First though, congratulations to the Kepler mission, because as of now, they have identified multiple Earth-sized planets, and multiple planet systems.
As part of the press release states:
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA's Kepler mission has discovered its first Earth-size planet candidates and its first candidates in the habitable zone, a region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. Five of the potential planets are near Earth-size and orbit in the habitable zone of smaller, cooler stars than our sun.
Candidates require follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets. Kepler also found six confirmed planets orbiting a sun-like star, Kepler-11. This is the largest group of transiting planets orbiting a single star yet discovered outside our solar system.
"In one generation we have gone from extraterrestrial planets being a mainstay of science fiction, to the present, where Kepler has helped turn science fiction into today's reality," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "These discoveries underscore the importance of NASA's science missions, which consistently increase understanding of our place in the cosmos."
The discoveries are part of several hundred new planet candidates identified in new Kepler mission science data, released on Tuesday, Feb. 1. The findings increase the number of planet candidates identified by Kepler to-date to 1,235. Of these, 68 are approximately Earth-size; 288 are super-Earth-size; 662 are Neptune-size; 165 are the size of Jupiter and 19 are larger than Jupiter. Of the 54 new planet candidates found in the habitable zone, five are near Earth-sized. The remaining 49 habitable zone candidates range from super-Earth size -- up to twice the size of Earth -- to larger than Jupiter.
This is tremendous news, and a wonderful scientific discovery, because it shows again that Earth-sized planets (With the potential for Earthlike conditions and life) are fairly common.
It's also frustrating as hell.
Because here we are with Earthlike planets in abundance, and no starships. No prospect for an FTL drive. Hell, not even any prospect for STL starships in my lifetimel
We have a frontier out there, and we're as stuck as fish eying land before legs evolved. *sigh*
Happy Birthday Carl Sagan!
Nov. 9th, 2010 06:03 pmNovember 9, 1934, Carl Sagan was born. so here's a birthday song!
And as a birthday gift for everyone, The first part of Cosmos.
Seriously, if you haven't seen this series, take the next week or so off, find it, and watch the whole thing. To hear Carl Sagen speak at the height of the Cold War, is like hearing a completely secular canticle, a prayer of praise for the universe. His faith that the universe is a wonder that can, that should be explored and understood is an much-needed antidote to the short-sighted cynicism and pessimism that surrounds us these days.
And just for fun, here's Carl Sagan with some friends:
And as a birthday gift for everyone, The first part of Cosmos.
Seriously, if you haven't seen this series, take the next week or so off, find it, and watch the whole thing. To hear Carl Sagen speak at the height of the Cold War, is like hearing a completely secular canticle, a prayer of praise for the universe. His faith that the universe is a wonder that can, that should be explored and understood is an much-needed antidote to the short-sighted cynicism and pessimism that surrounds us these days.
And just for fun, here's Carl Sagan with some friends:
How Saturn Got its Rings
Oct. 17th, 2010 11:44 amHere's an interesting little article on a new theory about how Saturn's rings evolved, one involving a large moon that's no longer there.
Just posted for the "Cool science!" value.
Just posted for the "Cool science!" value.
Happy 100th Birthday, Jacques Cousteau
Jun. 10th, 2010 12:55 pmThe 100th birthday of the man who invented the aqualung and the diving saucer, and who popularized the importance of oceanography and ecology really needs to be recognized. Especially given current events.
Personally, Cousteau was a huge part of my childhood, both due to the beautiful TV undersea specials, and the collected volumes of the Undersea World that we owned. I loved the historical, mythical and science fictional aspects of the books the most, and it stimulated my fascination with inner space. The science fictional aspects of exploring and colonizing inner space (I was fascinated by the Conshelf and other experiments in living underwater) is why I believe that colonizing the oceans will happen long before we colonize space. It makes no sense to put habitats in the eternal desert of space (other than to be the ultimate in gated communities for the elite), when the frontier of the oceans beckons, and is so much closer and more accessible.
I just hope we learn to live in and with the ocean without destroying it, to temper our greed and carelessness. It's a sentiment I learned from Cousteau.
Personally, Cousteau was a huge part of my childhood, both due to the beautiful TV undersea specials, and the collected volumes of the Undersea World that we owned. I loved the historical, mythical and science fictional aspects of the books the most, and it stimulated my fascination with inner space. The science fictional aspects of exploring and colonizing inner space (I was fascinated by the Conshelf and other experiments in living underwater) is why I believe that colonizing the oceans will happen long before we colonize space. It makes no sense to put habitats in the eternal desert of space (other than to be the ultimate in gated communities for the elite), when the frontier of the oceans beckons, and is so much closer and more accessible.
I just hope we learn to live in and with the ocean without destroying it, to temper our greed and carelessness. It's a sentiment I learned from Cousteau.
