The Astronomy Thread

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Captain Suave

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I thought those things destroyed electronics that were powered up.

The probe is shielded. And it's not so much about being powered up as the total voltage/current experienced by the circuit, which is probably larger if the device is on during the event where more is induced. For example, if a big enough coronal mass ejection hit Earth, the electric grid, basically being a giant unshielded antenna at that scale, would be fried no matter what was going on.
 
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meStevo

I think your wife's a bigfoot gus.
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Some footage there, since it looks like Threads doesnt embed.
 
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Tuco

I got Tuco'd!
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I bet we're going to yeet the biggest telescopes of all time into space in the next ~20 years. Like, multi-satellite telescopes with fairly large fields of view that are built to detect and track small, cold objects in our solar system.
 
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Burns

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I bet we're going to yeet the biggest telescopes of all time into space in the next ~20 years. Like, multi-satellite telescopes with fairly large fields of view that are built to detect and track small, cold objects in our solar system.
If we get space construction going, then sure, but is robotic construction in space even in serious development atm? I would think there would need to be a decade, or at least many years, of in space testing to get the tech good enough to build something that has such small tolerances as those telescopes.
 

Tuco

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If we get space construction going, then sure, but is robotic construction in space even in serious development atm? I would think there would need to be a decade, or at least many years, of in space testing to get the tech good enough to build something that has such small tolerances as those telescopes.
My bet is that we'll be creating some massive space telescopes that can fit on a Starship and yeet them up. No extra construction from multiple-launches required. The JWST's diameter is 6.5 meters, it looks like the Very Large Telescope is 8.2 meters. It probably won't be that hard to beat these. Like, as in a huge team of scientists working on that project as their pinnacle achievement can do it.
 

Burns

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NASA Eclipse tracker for today and the one early next year. Can click various cities to see times too:

2023-10-14 08.00.51 eclipse-explorer.smce.nasa.gov 691b3a9d94f3.png
 
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Aldarion

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I'm pretty much dead center of the path..... and its cloudy as shit with predictions for 100% cloud cover all day. fml
 
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Captain Suave

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NASA Eclipse tracker for today and the one early next year. Can click various cities to see times too:

View attachment 495191

I went to Idaho to see the total eclipse in 2017. Well worth it. The totality was so far beyond the experience your brain is calibrated for it just cuts out for a while. I'm going to Indianapolis for a mini family reunion to see the one next year.

As some astronomer said, the difference between seeing a partial and total eclipse is like that between almost and totally losing your virginity.

1697305226277.jpeg
 
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Cybsled

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The 2024 eclipse is the next big one in the states, but it happens at a time of year where it feels like it is overcast 90% of the time.
 
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Gravel

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I went to Idaho to see the total eclipse in 2017. Well worth it. The totality was so far beyond the experience your brain is calibrated for it just cuts out for a while. I'm going to Indianapolis for a mini family reunion to see the one next year.

As some astronomer said, the difference between seeing a partial and total eclipse is like that between almost and totally losing your virginity.

View attachment 495217
Yeah, my wife's family is in Southern Illinois and we went for the 2017 one, and it's also getting the 2024 one. I'd say it should be a bucket list item for everyone, because it's fucking crazy. Gets instantly dark, the temperature falls rapidly, and it looks cool as hell.

From what I've heard, annular isn't really anything to get excited about.
 
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