Starship Asterisk*

That some galaxies have more dark matter than others somehow surprised me. That the smallest ones have the most dark matter appears to be quite profound . I guess we are back to that same confounding principle- size does matter. There's proof though that "big" is an illusion that won't las...

While walking last night shortly after sunset in Idaho looking up to see the Moon and Jupiter conjunction there was a bright light just south of the two heading East. We followed it for a very long period of time; around 5 minutes, and suspected it was a chance run-in with ISS in the sky. It was onl...

Well, as with the other planets in the Solar System, there's no reason for humans to set foot there. So it's unlikely unless for political purposes (like with current Mars missions under design), or for some future explorer ("because it's there"). Mercury is a very difficult place to get ...

I always like looking at Mercury (in real life) when I can. Does anyone think that human beings will ever set foot on Mercury? Well, as with the other planets in the Solar System, there's no reason for humans to set foot there. So it's unlikely unless for political purposes (like with current Mars ...

<<By 1891, [Sir James Dewar (20 September 1842 – 27 March 1923)] had designed and built, at the Royal Institution, machinery which yielded liquid oxygen in industrial quantities, and towards the end of that year, he showed that both liquid oxygen and liquid ozone are strongly attracted by a magnet....

Meteorites sure tell that tale. http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35741#p255473 "Widmanstätten pattern -From the Gibeon meteorite discovered in 1836 in Nambia. This particular alloy (nickel-iron) in this type of pattern is found only in meteorites. According to scientists, the o...

Meteorites sure tell that tale. http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35741#p255473 "Widmanstätten pattern -From the Gibeon meteorite discovered in 1836 in Nambia. This particular alloy (nickel-iron) in this type of pattern is found only in meteorites. According to scientists, the on...

The first link looks like he or she is heading off into the "Unset" Well I guess it was actually the "Unrise" but down there – it's hard to tell. :? How do they get their bearings in Antarctica? Their " Tales of Navigation " must have lots of history; some amusing. :ssm...

This was fun to watch

I suspect cameras can improve the seeing of color but how much is lost in viewing color with the naked eyes compared to a telescope? Maybe I'll try the lesson then investigate adding this gadget onto my telescope which claims to "bring stunning views of the night sky to a screen in just seconds...

You should probably know your neighborhood before venturing out into the wider cosmos. To do that in a great ride is even better. Now to get the best bang for your buck if you want to drive yourself.

Or you could just see them daily on APOD. Nice view of the neighbors!!

Sorry to overrule here, Art but Neptune is assuredly a GAS giant. Exactly what lies beneath the upper atmosphere layer of methane is uncertain, but it probably isn't frozen, or at least solidly so. But onto the Jovian aurorae: At that scale, any one of the flashes could easily outsize the planet Ea...

Quite the sight if we could see it that way in the night sky.

Jupiter's space is quite dynamic.

Lots of people have put some thought into this topic.

I suppose this is more common than most think. I guess better Jupiter than us.

Pretty amazing that for $70 you get a recent update on The Search for Exoplanets from an excellent professor. I've seen these courses recommended though their content can be searched and found on the internet for free. I think it sounds worth the cost but everyone as their own budget. I don't mind s...

May's S & T has a good review on Adaptive Optics.

I'm attracted to this concept though it could be repulsive to nuns.

Do you suppose the Europans would be subject to The Jupiter Effect?

. What is a "huntsman" doing carrying a sword A club, a spear, a knife, a bow & arrow... fine ...but a sword :?: I suspect it has something to do with symbolism . Like a kerchief :?: : Exactly. His fold is huge! Wonder what you'd call that one? The "Cacciatore" :?: Handkerch...

When an astronomical image makes one want to get keep looking deeper and deeper into its content I think the goal of imagery coupled with artistry has been accomplished. Great job!

neufer wrote:.
What is a "huntsman" doing carrying a sword

A club, a spear, a knife, a bow & arrow... fine ...but a sword

I suspect it has something to do with symbolism. Men have been symbolized over and over until it's thought it's all we think about. Imagine that.

The rovers have made many amazing discoveries . A while back there was a TV series in the US, United Kingdom and Australia called Life After People . One of the reoccurring themes was how short a period of time within a viable environment it really took to eliminate all evidence of our existence. On...

Thank you for reinforcing my belief, neufer! I've watched the prog again, in which Al-Khalili is discussing the history of cosmology, and the "Alphabetical Article", by Alpher, Bethe and Gamow which proposed Big Bang nucleosynthesis (as I now learn to call it). He never got to Eddington's...

For those un-versed here is a X-Ray Ted Talk - Exposing the invisible

Who would guess which author might be attributed with the first work of science fiction? I think many might say Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. And that's probably correct but some think an earlier work would qualify. Johannes Kepler A "waking dream" at the age of 18 was the inspiration for h...