The Astronomy Thread

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UnobservantBastard_sl

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Depends on what you want to look for and how far away it is. Some of the new planet surveyors are WFOV because they want to search large chunks of the sky for planets around stars in our own Galaxy. You don't necessarily need a large mirror for that.
You'd want large mirrors for long distance pinpoint imagery, which is what JWST will do. We should get better pictures out of it than those of the Hubble ultra deep field. That science is looking for the oldest formations in our universe, 10s of billions of light years away. You need large mirrors and low noise sensors for the best sensitivity you can get. That's why they are putting it out at a Lagrange point with a large sun shade. They'll be able to point radiators at deep space and chill down the sensors to extremely low temperatures, which lowers thermal noise in the sensor. With what they are trying to do even being in orbit around earth with earth albedo would heat up the spacecraft too much to get good images.
 
Borzak

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I know in telescopes (used here on earth) they use a long focal length for planetary viewing for high magnification and can get more detail, like an f 11. The scopes used to DSO's (deep space objects), IE the faint and fuzzy stuff they use something like an F 4.0 or even a F 2.9 for astrophotography.
 
U

UnobservantBastard_sl

shitlord
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If you have the sensitivity and can forego a long focal length you generally want a WFOV for survey (search a lot of sky quickly), and when you find a signal then switch to longer focal length NFOV to zoom in and study in detail.
 
meStevo

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ExoMars launch tonight, 1:30am PST.

Watch ExoMars launch / ExoMars / Space Science / Our Activities / ESA

ExoMars is a joint endeavour between ESA and Russia's Roscosmos space agency, and comprises the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Schiaparelli, an entry, descent and landing demonstrator.

TGO will make a detailed inventory of Mars' atmospheric gases, with particular interest in rare gases like methane, which implies that there is an active, current source. TGO aims to measure its geographical and seasonal dependence and help to determine whether it stems from a geological or biological source.

Meanwhile, Schiaparelli will demonstrate a range of technologies to enable a controlled landing on Mars in preparation for future missions. After a seven-month cruise, the lander will separate from the TGO on 16 October and land on Mars on 19 October, for several days of activities.

TGO will then enter orbit around the Red Planet ahead of its exciting multiyear science mission. It will also serve as a data relay for the second ExoMars mission, comprising a rover and a surface science platform, planned for launch in 2018. It will also provide data relay for NASA rovers.
Click to expand...
 
meStevo

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Launch successful to this point, signal acquired and spacecraft will reach Mars in October.
 
meStevo

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Wow.

rrr_img_129414.jpg


Lots of bright spots/ejecta/etc all over Ceres:http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/fi...e/pia20351.jpg

BIG image!http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/fi...e/pia20350.jpg

Bright Spots and Color Differences Revealed on Ceres | NASA
 
iannis

iannis

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well it's not circular like you'd expect, right? Something has deformed it and they're suggesting that is geologic activity.

Maybe ceres is half made of diamond, and that's why it's shiny in spots. Also why it has irregular craters
 
Ukerric

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Iannis_sl said:
Maybe ceres is half made of diamond, and that's why it's shiny in spots. Also why it has irregular craters
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The shiny spots are apparently salt deposits from upwellings of ice that sublimated when exposed to vacuum and solar light.
 
opiate82

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The big question about Ceres is if it has an ocean below it's crust (which it is looking more and more like it does) than what the heck is keeping it warm?

Same question with Pluto really.
 
Palum

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Iannis_sl said:
well it's not circular like you'd expect, right? Something has deformed it and they're suggesting that is geologic activity.

Maybe ceres is half made of diamond, and that's why it's shiny in spots. Also why it has irregular craters
Click to expand...
This actually reminds me of something I was thinking lately as we get more targeted and better analysis of objects within travel range of Earth0. Imagine we found an asteroid somewhere approachable (< 1 yr travel time) that was 100% stupid expensive rare earth materials. Like quadrillions of dollars in platinum or titanium or something. Do you think any companies would actually work towards retrieving it at this point or are we still to far from space tugs?
 
Abefroman

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Palum_sl said:
This actually reminds me of something I was thinking lately as we get more targeted and better analysis of objects within travel range of Earth0. Imagine we found an asteroid somewhere approachable (< 1 yr travel time) that was 100% stupid expensive rare earth materials. Like quadrillions of dollars in platinum or titanium or something. Do you think any companies would actually work towards retrieving it at this point or are we still to far from space tugs?
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I think something like that would cause world war 3.
 
Tuco

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Palum_sl said:
This actually reminds me of something I was thinking lately as we get more targeted and better analysis of objects within travel range of Earth0. Imagine we found an asteroid somewhere approachable (< 1 yr travel time) that was 100% stupid expensive rare earth materials. Like quadrillions of dollars in platinum or titanium or something. Do you think any companies would actually work towards retrieving it at this point or are we still to far from space tugs?
Click to expand...
That would be the kind of thing that would transform the space race for sure. I imagine that another high value asteroid would be one that is basically solid ice and very retrievable. Moving a big hunk of ice into orbit around the earth would make space a lot cheaper.


I'm super biased toward asteroid mining, but I really do think it's the catalyst for space exploration.

 
iannis

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I do think space x is trying to get dominance into that sort of market about fifty years before it exists.

I'm not quite as biased for it, but I do think it would be plenty neat. To justify the investment though you might have to find an asteroid made of seventeen year old horny blondes. And they're all twins. With sapphic tendencies.
 
Burnem Wizfyre

Burnem Wizfyre

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Tuco_sl said:
That would be the kind of thing that would transform the space race for sure. I imagine that another high value asteroid would be one that is basically solid ice and very retrievable. Moving a big hunk of ice into orbit around the earth would make space a lot cheaper.


I'm super biased toward asteroid mining, but I really do think it's the catalyst for space exploration.

Click to expand...
Sure fire way to MAGA and insure our dominance for a millennium, if the religious people object to much we can just convince them that god wanted us to expand off our planet in search of him which would probably give all of Utah an erection and help spur the population growth required for such an endeavor.
 
Jysin

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None of you see an issue with "space tugs" to insert one of these priceless asteroids into earth orbit? What about the inevitable "Oops, we fucked up the trajectory because [insert human error here]. Asteroid is set to impact [insert country here]!"
 
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