Space Discussion Thread

[H2Oxide]

 

[NightExplorer96]

^I saw those pictures of Juno as it was approaching Jupiter too! Awesome science going on

-Alex

 

[H2Oxide]

^I saw those pictures of Juno as it was approaching Jupiter too! Awesome science going on

-Alex

Actually, this is the first image Juno has sent back since orbital insertion. It was released a few hours ago.

 

[NightExplorer96]

Actually, this is the first image Juno has sent back since orbital insertion. It was released a few hours ago.

weird. Hopefully we get some close up shots soon!

-Alex

 

[Pi R Squared]

weird. Hopefully we get some close up shots soon!

-Alex

August 27 when it makes its next close pass, I suppose a couple of days after that when it swings back out again before it transmits its data but it should be really good.

Alan

 

[DashApple]

Seems like some cool movie plots though. The LHC opening a gateway to Hell/Aliens/Another dimensions etc.

Lets hope its not like the even horizon movie : P .

 

[CurtisOliver]

lol, better not be.

 

[NightExplorer96]

Just watched the movie Apollo 13, very good movie! I wouldn't change planet Earth for anything. It's our home

-Alex

 

[CurtisOliver]

Yes, I think I might have watched that many years ago. Good movie IICR. I wouldn't change our home either. These are two of my favourite images of the UK and USA.

 

[Benm]

I would not go so far as not trade it for 'anything', but at the moment there is no other place we know about i'd rather live.

Not that earths overall climate is that good though. Just on our own planets we have hardly survivable poles, and due to axial tilt also freaky seasons on many parts of the planet.

I for one wish we did not have the axial tilt at all. Without that climate would mostly be a factor of lattitude and constant year round, allowing us to settle in places that are always comfortable.

 

[NightExplorer96]

I would not go so far as not trade it for 'anything', but at the moment there is no other place we know about i'd rather live.

Not that earths overall climate is that good though. Just on our own planets we have hardly survivable poles, and due to axial tilt also freaky seasons on many parts of the planet.

I for one wish we did not have the axial tilt at all. Without that climate would mostly be a factor of lattitude and constant year round, allowing us to settle in places that are always comfortable.

I heard that if Earth didn't have an axial tilt the tropics would be impossible to live in! Although I agree, having constant year-round temperatures in different locations would be nice

-Alex

 

[Benm]

The equatorial regions might be too hot to survive in such a case indeed, just like the polar regions are too cold.

Interestingly at the moment the equator is a fairly good habitat that alllows people to thrive by growing crops, herding cattle and fishing. Despite being the region that gets most sun exposure, it's also a region where rain is commonly seen.

The worst places actually are those a bit removed from the equator like the sahara where rainfall is very rare and many countries lack resources to mitigate that problem.

Counties very close to the equator tend to thrive, just look at singapore, malaysia and indonesia. Due to how weather systems work these receive a fair amout of rain over the year.

I've been to places like luxor egypt where rain is a really rare thing. They even had outdoor power sockets there with no rain protection since that was only a problem once a decade or less

 

[Rivem]

Speak for yourselves guys. The axial tilt causes some amazing stuff. Most temperate crops wouldn't grow at all without seasonal change. Seasons are awesome, and they're arguably part of a lot of life's evolutionary pressures. Sure sometimes it's uncomforatble, but we live in an age of indoor climate control and clothing.

As for equatorial countries thriving, I'm not so sure. Equador, Colombia, Sao Tome & Gabon, Maldives, Kiribati, Indonesia, Kenya, and the Congos are all economically at fairly different standings. Might just as well say countries close to the poles (or pretry much any other latitude) are inherently successful.

Edit: As for seeking constant temperatures Hap, islands in most parts of the world tend to have a pretty consistent temperature range. I was amazed visiting the Florida Keys. Honestly did not expect it to be that much cooler in the summer or warmer in the winter than Miami.

 

[Pi R Squared]

In other space news, China has built the worlds largest radio telescope, they relocated 9000 people to do this. Here is a short video, there are other videos if your interested. The telescope is expected to be activated in September and is expected to pick up signals from as far as 1,000 light-years away. The main goal of this radio telescope is to search for intelligent alien life beyond Earth.

Alan

 

[Rivem]

In other space news, China has built the worlds largest radio telescope, they relocated 9000 people to do this. Here is a short video, there are other videos if your interested. The telescope is expected to be activated in September and is expected to pick up signals from as far as 1,000 light-years away. The main goal of this radio telescope is to search for intelligent alien life beyond Earth.

Alan

I've been following this telescope for a while, and though it can definitely be a great instrument, I think China built it simply to burn money as they usually do. I wouldn't expect much at all out of it yet since there's still no clear organized plan for its scientific work, and it still seems pretty much closed to the international scientific community. Definitely cool though.

 

[Benm]

Speak for yourselves guys. The axial tilt causes some amazing stuff. Most temperate crops wouldn't grow at all without seasonal change. Seasons are awesome, and they're arguably part of a lot of life's evolutionary pressures. Sure sometimes it's uncomforatble, but we live in an age of indoor climate control and clothing.

As for equatorial countries thriving, I'm not so sure. Equador, Colombia, Sao Tome & Gabon, Maldives, Kiribati, Indonesia, Kenya, and the Congos are all economically at fairly different standings. Might just as well say countries close to the poles (or pretry much any other latitude) are inherently successful.

Edit: As for seeking constant temperatures Hap, islands in most parts of the world tend to have a pretty consistent temperature range. I was amazed visiting the Florida Keys. Honestly did not expect it to be that much cooler in the summer or warmer in the winter than Miami.

I think evolution would have produced sentient life on earth regardless. Variations put pressure to develop coping mechanisms, but without those things would be fine as well.

As for economical welfare versus latitute: there seems to be no causal relation there.

Look at an island like hispanionla: Haiti and the dominican republic both reside on that same, not overly large, landmass. One is piss poor and the other quite wealthy and developed. This cannot be blamed on climate (although in haiti they burned most of the trees for firewood, so it looks quite different).