Lunester Lounge 2017.... for ANY topic you wish to discuss

[Mythocentric]

Just to throw a curve ball into the conversation. Did you know that the closest living relatives of our modern birds are the crocodile's?

 

Regards

 

Bill

[Clive Mortimore]

Just to throw a curve ball into the conversation. Did you know that the closest living relatives of our modern birds are the crocodile's?

 

Regards

 

Bill

Wow Bill

 

I always wondered what the connection with the lovely looking girl across the road and her mum was.

[jukebox]

Jeff - not sure what website you are using, but this is a good link for updates on Philae and what it's status is!

 

http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10081/151_read-13918/#/gallery/16734

[Mythocentric]

Wow Bill

 

I always wondered what the connection with the lovely looking girl across the road and her mum was.

 

If she's anything like the ex-mother in law Clive it probably means she split off from the main branch back in the Jurassic Period with the theropod dinosaurs like T-Rex and Velociraptor!

 

Regards

 

Bill

Edited June 15, 2015 by Mythocentric

[Physicsman]

Jeff - not sure what website you are using, but this is a good link for updates on Philae and what it's status is!

 

http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10081/151_read-13918/#/gallery/16734

Thanks Scott - I'll have a look at that.

 

Btw, I bought an EOS 1200D. Only wanted it for the body, and it wasn't expensive. But I've been playing with the body and lens and it has a nice feel to it. Hopefully I'll get some photos through the telescopes over the next few weeks.

 

Jeff

[Jock67B]

Jeff - not sure what website you are using, but this is a good link for updates on Philae and what it's status is!

 

http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10081/151_read-13918/#/gallery/16734

Scott,

In case you missed my earlier post, I use the European Space Agency site as they are the agency responsible for the whole 'Rosetta' mission! Thanks for the link though, I've bookmarked it but for some reason, the days don't seem to have enough hours in them any more!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[jukebox]

Thanks Jock - I was in a hurry this morning, and that link was the one Brian May (!) tweeted, and I was impressed with the detail - so lacking in the newspaper reports.  I didn't get time to cross reference the ESA tweets, but it did cross my mind they would also be comprehensive.

 

I'm actually a fan of Twitter because of it's spontenaity: so long as you are "following" Angela Jodie or One Direction, you can get real news in very rapid time - some of it rumour, but much of the time, well ahead of websites updating.  The ESA twitter account has where I first heard Philae had woken up.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[Jock67B]

Morning all,

Been on the NASA web site again this morning - it does have some fascinating topics like yesterday's footage they released of an animated flyover of dwarf planet Ceres, generated using images taken by NASA's 'Dawn' spacecraft during its first mapping orbit at an altitude of 8,400 miles (13,600 Kms). It also gathered navigational images taken from 3,200 miles (5,100 Kms) away. Very impressive use of the computer!

There was also an interesting article on Saturn's moon 'Tethys', which has a single crater covering 18% of the total surface surface area which has baffled astronomers for some time!

I recommend the site to anyone interested in extra-terrestrial matters - for instance, they are currently running a countdown to the launch on June 26th of SpaceX CRS-7, the re-supply mission for the International Space Station as well as the big countdown to the 'New Horizon's' fly past of Pluto next month!

Happy star-gazing folks,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[Physicsman]

The Ceres animation IS impressive and will only get more so as Dawn spirals to lower orbits. Sometimes you have to sit back and realise that in the first part of this year the dwarf planet was just a smudge of light, even from Hubble. Now it's mapped to better than 500m per pixel. As for the bright spots in the craters - fascinating!

 

New Horizons slowed by 52cm/s with a course correction. Again, amazing precision when you think it's over 3 billion km from Earth.

 

Jeff

[Mythocentric]

Given New Horizons imminent arrival at Pluto, I thought you might like this magazine article from 1931: I wonder what Professor Stewart would have made of our progress today! I think he would have been delighted that his prediction was correct if not the method!

 

TO THE MOON

 

The prediction that man will fly to the moon within the next 100 years was made by John Q. Stewart, associate professor of astronomical physics at Princeton University, in a recent address at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences.

The first obstacle to be overcome is that of developing a speed of 25,000 miles an hour, the professor said, which means production of fuels more powerful than coal, gasoline, dynamite or any other source of energy now available. Such remarkable progress has been made in the speed of passenger carrying vehicles in the last century that scientists believe that a speed of 1,000 miles per hour will be reached in 1950 and 50,000 an hour will be surpassed before the year 2030, a century from now.

The one theoretically feasible method of making the journey to the moon, Stewart believes, is a vehicle propelled on the principle of the rocket. He visions a ship built in the form of a large metal sphere—110 feet in diameter, weighing 70,000 metric tons and carrying a crew of sixty and a dozen scientists. A dozen or more cannon would protrude slightly from the surface, shooting material the rate of 200 miles a second.

A half hour or so before noon and about three days before a new moon, Stewart would head his ship toward the sun, expecting it to rise twelve miles in the first six minutes and to soar out of the earth's atmosphere at 200 miles per hour.

Two hours and 29 minutes after the take-off the firing from the lower cannon would be stopped with the ship going upward, the professor estimates, at 190 miles per minute and having reached a height of 13,200 miles. Seventy hours later, crossing the moon's orbit, Stewart would fire the forward cannon and the ship would coast around the moon, becoming the temporary satellite of a satellite.

"The rest would be easy," said Stewart, "owing to the lesser gravity of the moon. The cannon would be fired to cushion the fall to the moon as the ship was gradually sucked toward the satellite.

"The moon is airless, waterless and lifeless, days and nights are two weeks long, temperatures range from that of boiling water at noon down perhaps to that of liquid air at midnight. The men of the ship would walk on the moon clad in diving suits. Gravity being only one-sixth that of the earth, a man would carry several hundred pounds of apparatus for providing air and for regulating the temperature.

"To leave the moon the ship would fire her rear cannon and coast back to earth. By firing its forward cannon it would cushion its landing on the earth, which would have to be made on a desert, because of the tremendous charges the cannon would fire."

 

Regards

 

Bill

Edited June 17, 2015 by Mythocentric

[Physicsman]

Nice post, Bill. From the same era as the amazing fiction work "First and Last Men" by Olaf Stapledon. A difficult read at times, because of the writing style, but a brilliant view of how the world appeared from a 1930 perspective.

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

To all who may be interested...

 

BBC4 repeated "Light", part 1 of a 2 part series "Light and Dark" by Prof Jim Al-Khalili, last night. Excellent, as usual. Part 2, "Dark" is on Tuesday evening next week. Probably on iPlayer.

 

Great programmes - there should be more stuff like this.

 

Jeff

[Allegheny1600]

^^^

We just returned home last night, fussed the cats and gave the house a once over, popped the telly on for a quick relax, caught a few minutes of "The Sky at Night" then saw the above!

Agreed, Jeff!

Well worth watching.

John.

[Mythocentric]

Nice post, Bill. From the same era as the amazing fiction work "First and Last Men" by Olaf Stapledon. A difficult read at times, because of the writing style, but a brilliant view of how the world appeared from a 1930 perspective.

 

Jeff

 

It was an amazing period with more than its fair share of visionaries, not surprising I suppose given that the world was just recovering from a world war and people were actually looking forward again! Ten years earlier Harlow Shapley had worked out the size of the Milky Way and our sun’s place in it using Cepheid variable stars by determining their distance and locations. Strangely enough he also believed that the Milky Way was the Universe and that other galaxies, etc. were part of it! His views caused great controversy amongst his peers until Edmund Hubble (whom Shapley dismissed as a ‘junk scientist’) determined the actuality. In the thirties he also proposed that the scientific community collaborate on establishing laboratories 4 miles deep into the earth’s crust (using existing deep mines as a starting point) to aid geological studies. In passing he added that they could also serve to study exotic particles passing through the earth.

Sad to think that within a few years the world would be plunged into war again. Even so, I have to wonder if, without that great motivator of technological advances, we would have made so much rapid progress. Our ventures into space, for example are largely based on principles produced by WW2 and its aftermath. There’s a book called ‘Coming Home’ by Roger D. Launius and Dennis R. Jenkins available as a free download from the NASA website which gives an excellent overview of the subject and is essential reading. As an aside UFO buffs will recognise many familiar shapes which will, hopefully but probably not, cause some disillusionment to some of the more extreme fanatics!

 

Stapledon’s ‘First and Last Men’ is on my shortlist of books to read soon, together I must admit, with Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’. More Super-Science?

 

Regards

 

Bill

 

PS: Incidentally, if anyone is in need of an e-book reader/converter (edit: to use on your PC!) I can highly recommend Calibre here: http://calibre-ebook.com/

Edited June 17, 2015 by Mythocentric

[HeeleyBridge]

Ok, it's official, I'm losing it.

 

Was heading to the front door this morning to attempt a quick run to the supermarket and get back before todays ODI.

 

As I put my hand on the handle,  through the glass I see a figure stood outside,

 

Tall, slim,  short hair, beard. Well dressed, shirt, tie and a yellow hi-vis. OOer, methinks, who's this?

 

I open door and the apparition turns around and speaks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Hello Dad"

 

Duh, completely forgot that the little 'erbert was bus driving now. 

 

Edited to add : He'd just finished work so he gave me a lift to Asda and back he's a good lad  (whoever he is).

Edited June 17, 2015 by HeeleyBridge

[Andrew P]

Hi Guys, I have a question that I cant ask in here so I'm off to the other room now.

 

 

Bye.   :acute:        

 

8)

[Physicsman]

Hi Guys, I have a question that I cant ask in here so I'm off to the other room now.

 

 

Bye.   :acute:        

 

8)

You little rascal, you!!!

 

Jeff

[Anotheran]

I wonder what Professor Stewart would have made of our progress today! I think he would have been delighted that his prediction was correct if not the method!

 

"...The one theoretically feasible method of making the journey to the moon, Stewart believes, is a vehicle propelled on the principle of the rocket. He visions a ship built in the form of a large metal sphere—110 feet in diameter, weighing 70,000 metric tons and carrying a crew of sixty and a dozen scientists. A dozen or more cannon would protrude slightly from the surface, shooting material the rate of 200 miles a second."

 

Hi Bill,

 

That's a fascinating article and I think that he could even take a credit for the prediction of the method. I read through it a couple of times and from what I see the word "cannon" is simply used here for what we would call the nozzle of the rocket as it uses the word "rocket" before going on to describe the "cannon". To me that sounds a fairly accurate description of main rocket nozzles and smaller manoeuvring nozzles.

 

Though he was a bit out in the crew of 60 and a dozen scientists and the Saturn V was less than 3,000 metric tons!

[Anotheran]

Just to throw a curve ball into the conversation. Did you know that the closest living relatives of our modern birds are the crocodile's?

 

Jeff - not sure what website you are using, but this is a good link for updates on Philae and what it's status is!...

 

I have to admit that in catching up on a few days posts and so reading fairly quickly I read these entries one after the other and assumed a relation causing my mind read Phyla instead of Philae. Confusion lasted a second or two when I followed the link in the second and saw a picture of a shiny spacecraft!

[Jock67B]

Afternoon all,

Watched an interesting programme last night (recorded), wherein Dara O'Briain met with Professor Stephen Hawking. It would appear that when it comes to the subject of 'mind over matter', it helps to have one as powerful as the professors - still going after more than fifty years beyond the original prognosis. What inspirational determination!

Kind regards,

Jock.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Jock67B

[Mythocentric]

Hi Bill,

 

That's a fascinating article and I think that he could even take a credit for the prediction of the method. I read through it a couple of times and from what I see the word "cannon" is simply used here for what we would call the nozzle of the rocket as it uses the word "rocket" before going on to describe the "cannon". To me that sounds a fairly accurate description of main rocket nozzles and smaller manoeuvring nozzles.

 

Though he was a bit out in the crew of 60 and a dozen scientists and the Saturn V was less than 3,000 metric tons!

 

I believe so! I suspect the use of the word 'cannon' was a bit of journalese on the part of the reporter in an attempt to put the professors views in layman's terms for a general public in an age when the 'cutting' edge' of technology was in radio, electricity and aviation, all of which were still pretty much in their infancy. The magazines and newspapers of the time were full of advertisements recruiting people to train in those fields! (i.e. Generally the biplane was still considered to be the future of avionics rather than the much less common monoplane which were still something of an experiment!). When I mentioned the method, I was thinking more in terms of the staged launch vehicles in use today. I can't imagine anything powerful enough to lift the good professors vehicle unless Jeff would be willing to contribute some of his Nuclear Rabbit Repellents!

Incidentally, the other chap I mentioned, Harlow Shapley, went on to become one of the founders of the Cosmic Evolution Model which is generally accepted today. Perhaps Jeff would like to contribute his view? Again I have a copy of the address he gave outlining his (Shapley's) views which I'll post if anyone is interested! See also 'Cosmos and Culture' by Stephen K. Dick & Mark l. Lupisella available to download from the NASA website!

 

Regards

 

Bill

Edited June 18, 2015 by Mythocentric

[Allegheny1600]

Howdy chaps!

Didn't want anyone to miss this news, I find this kind of thing fascinating!

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/Hot_lava_flows_discovered_on_Venus

Enjoy!

John.

[45156]

Yet again some interesting discussion going on here on various topics.  I've just not been here to contribute of late.  I do like Bill's take on things and the article that he unearthed by Prof Stewart is most interesting - Jules Verne also predicted going to the moon using a cannon, but a land based one, and I think that he may there have overlooked the fact that the initial acceleration needed to propel his vehicle moon-wards might just have been sufficient to mash the occupants a tad. 

 

Bill, as a Morecambe resident, we may meet up one of these days in Aldi or Morrisons, as I go there as needed - also enjoy a glass of the frothing amber nectar from time to time in the Palatine.  BTW Bill, do you know what's happening at The Train Shop?  Richard was most un-forthcoming when I tried to find out, and I've not been down towards the end of a week to see for myself?

Edited June 19, 2015 by 45156

[Donw]

Train shop we are not allowed to mention train shop on here ( oh no I have said it twice self flagellation needed now!) mind you looking for a shop selling unmentionables might raise a few eyebrow's.

Actually am I the only one who finds it confusing knowing which to post in. Half the time I just know I am in a Lunster thread. Then there is the fact that alongside the campsite is an unmentionable.

Confused

[45156]

Train shop we are not allowed to mention train shop on here ( oh no I have said it twice self flagellation needed now!) mind you looking for a shop selling unmentionables might raise a few eyebrow's.

Actually am I the only one who finds it confusing knowing which to post in. Half the time I just know I am in a Lunster thread. Then there is the fact that alongside the campsite is an unmentionable.

Confused

I think you can use the T word, as long as you don't actually talk about the Ts in detail.  If you were over in ERs then you would incur the wrath and fury of one lady poster there for mentioning the subject.