Search found 6 matches

by lankytom
Fri Mar 25, 2011 11:00 pm
Forum: The Bridge: Discuss an Astronomy Picture of the Day
Topic: APOD: Auroral Substorm over Yellowknife (2011 Mar 25)
Replies: 19
Views: 3183

Re: APOD: Auroral Substorm over Yellowknife (2011 Mar 25)

Hannes Alfvén is probably turning over in his honored grave! There are magnetic fields, but magnetic 'lines' do not exist - they are a figment of some astronomers' imaginations. Magnetic 'reconnection' is also a noted fallacy. The mechanism for aurora is simply the acceleration of charged particles ...
by lankytom
Wed Mar 23, 2011 7:12 pm
Forum: The Bridge: Discuss an Astronomy Picture of the Day
Topic: APOD: MWC 922: The Red Square Nebula (2011 Mar 23)
Replies: 56
Views: 66808

Re: APOD: MWC 922: The Red Square Nebula (2011 Mar 23)

It is not hard to visualize the 'Red Square Nebula' as the result of plasma jets. I can see how that can occur and give the image from our angle. I'll bet the folks at Los
Alamos labs could simulate it. I'd do it, but I don't have that kind of program on my IMAC - yet.
by lankytom
Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:41 pm
Forum: The Bridge: Discuss an Astronomy Picture of the Day
Topic: APOD: Happy People Dancing on Planet Earth (2010 Jul 25)
Replies: 94
Views: 6524

Re: APOD: Happy People Dancing on Planet Earth (2010 Jul 25)

No less than the stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae - we are all creatures of this universe. APOD regularly shows the dances of the cosmos. Totally good to show the dances of some of us lesser creatures. This bit was magnificent, wonderful, humorous, and deeply touching.
Thank you.
Lankytom
by lankytom
Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:49 pm
Forum: The Bridge: Discuss an Astronomy Picture of the Day
Topic: Sunspots, size? weather? (APOD 06 Feb 2008)
Replies: 36
Views: 11593

Sunspots, size? weather?

I would like to refer you to the subject of the "Maunder Minimum." That was a period from around 1645 - 1715 when sunspots were at a minimum or even absent and a mini ice age descended on Europe. I'm not sure of the mechanism. I saw a discussion relating to more heavy particles in the sola...
by lankytom
Tue May 22, 2007 7:14 pm
Forum: The Bridge: Discuss an Astronomy Picture of the Day
Topic: Dark Matter Ring (APOD 16 May 2007)
Replies: 26
Views: 9723

8) As in most 'articles' about dark matter, 'dark matter' can be replaced by 'plasma ******' and that makes much better sense. In this case: If 2 groups of galaxies crash, the reflections would probably be in a growing sphere. But the computer modeling shows a ring. Really wild that the ring could b...
by lankytom
Fri Sep 01, 2006 4:39 pm
Forum: The Bridge: Discuss an Astronomy Picture of the Day
Topic: Dark Matter Proof? Wow! (APOD 24 Aug 2006)
Replies: 20
Views: 6144

"Proof" of dark matter

I find myself cringing whenever someone talks about "proof" of dark matter. Dark matter is 18th century astro science and plasma physics is becoming the 21st century astro science. Dark matter is the 21st century version of the "Emperor's New Clothes." For a course in plasma phys...