Starship Asterisk*

My thanks to Chris Peterson for his prompt answer dated Feb 28, 9.07pm. (My question was just above Chris' answer)

Just a question: "Known as a white oval, the swirling cloud is a high pressure system equivalent to an Earthly anticyclone. " Does this statement include the assumption that the rotation of Jupiter 's axis and the rotation of Jupiter in its orbit round the sun are in the the same way as fo...

I wish to thank geckzilla and Cousin Ricky for their comments and link provided. They are a big help. And the promethium-fact mentioned by Cousin Ricky is new the me!

AFAIK element 43 Tc (Technetium) is also manmade, hence it's name.
At least the Dutch Wikipedia agrees with me.
Any comment or rectification on my knowledge or on Wikipedia(Dutch)?

Beautifully asymmetric. No spirograph-drawing seen.

rstevenson wrote: The video clearly shows the planet orbiting both stars, though there is an ambiguous moment as the point of view zooms away from the planet. Have another look. I beg to differ: From 0" until 23" (movie-time) observer and planet are clearly this ( = the same) side of the ...

Where is the centre of the orbit of this planet in the movie?
The planet seems to remain always at the viewers side of the yellow sun!
Yes, I think I know where it should be, (at the centre of gravity of the two suns) that is the inducement of my question.

Thanks neufer Turbulent subsonic & supersonic gas jets are produced (or simulated) in laboratories all the time. Supersonic gas jets are unique in producing shock waves and those are precisely the features which are visible in today's APOD. & chris peterson Yes. It means that the material ma...

@ Guest: as 500pesos states: there is no sound in vacuum. @ 500pesos: speed of sound depends on the kind of gas, its temperature and a few more variables; I'm fully aware of that. My thoughts are based on the fact that Mach(speed)numbers vary with all these. So what is the use and extra information ...

Okay, there is a jet, so there is gas to propagate (even sound)waves, but is it meaningful to speak of:

is the supersonic jet

? Please, enlighten me.

What struck me most is the fact that you land at the foot of the Miranda-cliff with about the same speed as a free-faller would have on Earth (the so called terminal velocity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_velocity )

What should have been mentioned: (Stars/)constellations are painted as their mirror-image

Congratulations on the third lustrum of a very well executed idea!
Many hapy returns.

To get a better overview of this region, see APOD 31-dec-2007, Hearth and Soul and Holmes.

Thank you, bystander,

I should not only have looked up the properties of sulfuric acid, but of Venus' surface too.

Taught me a good lesson for next time!

Bye.

Please, ladies and gentlemen, Will you please realise how few of the "answers/replies" above relate to my initial question and how many "answers/replies" are just wandering away? To quote myself:"How comes sulfuric acid is called volatile in this text?" (Unquote myself)...

I guess it's taking account of the temperatures & pressions in Venus's atmosphere...

Volatylity is a relative notion, I'm aware of that; so OK for ocurring temperature, but nót for occuring pressure (on ground level of course) therefore I'm asking here.

The text going with today's APOD states: "...recombined into the volatile sulfuric acid." Wikipedia states about sulfuric acid: Melting point 283 K (10 degrees C); Boiling point 610 K (337 degrees C) Substances with boiling- and meltingproperties like these do not seem to be volatile to me...

Orin, the picture is great! I fully agree to that.
It is the caption that I am referring to.

Please, a solar eclipse is not due to the "New Moon's shadow" but to the moon's silhouette. And of course, when the moon's silhouette covers the Sun it is New Moon.

I wonder if round the "head"of the shadow a Heiligenschein is visible.
See: http://www.weather-photography.com/albu ... igenschein and if so, if it is another proof of a martian atmosphere.

THX for any comments

Thanks!!
Happy New Year

From today's APOD comment:
1. Its title: NGC 5067;
2. Its comment: IC 5067, also known as The Pelican Nebula;
And 3. From the link to November 30th: Also known as IC 5070.

My question is: What is the exact name of the nebulae of today and of Nov. 30th?

@ starnut: try this one: http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/CO2_Science_rel/

I'm sure however that we all would be better off with a more sober lifestyle.

Newbee here, but...with a question: Telesto orbits Saturn always just ahead of the much larger moon Tethys This is an ordinary troyan-system: Saturn-Thetys-Telesto, I assume. What is the role of te Sun in view of the stability of this system? See: http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/ContentMedia/lagrange.pdf T...