Powdered Toastman
Member
Supercomputer ready to start crunching numbers. The array should be operational in march 2013.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Space: The Final Frontier
- Thread starter Windu
- Start date
lilbaby Jesus
Member
Yep, as humans we are basically blind compared to whats out there. There are more spectrums of light that we cannot see without the use of our instruments. The universe is full of the different spectrums that we cant see. So yes this is indicative to how its actually looks, if we see it with a blind eye it would look diff.
teruterubozu
Member
It's also super long exposure, so it's collecting "continual" light - something our eyes can't do. So yeah, it's black and white if you look at it with naked eyes.
People are always disappointed when I show Andromeda or Orion Nebula through my telescope - they say, "Why is it Black and white and fuzzy?"
People are always disappointed when I show Andromeda or Orion Nebula through my telescope - they say, "Why is it Black and white and fuzzy?"
Not sure where to ask this... so, here.
I'm trying to build a world for a scifi (PnP) RPG for our games, my problem is that i want to avoid magic as much as possible. By magic i mean faster than light travel. I don't want to confine the game to our solar system or deal with inconveniently long interstellar travel (decades or centuries of travel, heck even just years of travel is just too much for what i need) either though. Months is fine (and years for unmanned spacecraft).
So, i got this wonderful idea of setting the game to a single solar system with 3 stars, each one having a habitable zone, and thus having multiple habitable (after terraforming) planets, along with moons and asteroids, enough to create pretty damn large empires, to get sort of space opera (or maybe "solar opera"?) feel. Also allows quality, in a real space opera setting planets are merely cities (Planetville) that don't really differ from each other. Want uniqueness.
But for the same reason as i want to avoid FTL: Is this possible? Could a star system have 3 stars, with multiple rocky planets suitable for terraforming, with a few gas giants (with multiple, large moons like Jupiter and Saturn) and asteroids? Can such a system form?
Probabilities be damned, all i need is such system to be theoretically possible.
The system would consist a double star and a companion star (as usual for a trinary). The double stars AB would each have their own planets... but could they ALSO have planets that orbit both?
The companion C would have its own planetary system. And the system shouldn't be too far away to make traveling to it impractical (ie not like Alpha Centauri with Proxima, which orbits Alpha Centauri a quarter lightyear away...).
Could such a system truly work?
EDIT the stars need to be K or G (or F if such wouldn't present problems) class stars all. Or some combination of them. Ms wouldn't have a human habitable zone really, would they?
I'm trying to build a world for a scifi (PnP) RPG for our games, my problem is that i want to avoid magic as much as possible. By magic i mean faster than light travel. I don't want to confine the game to our solar system or deal with inconveniently long interstellar travel (decades or centuries of travel, heck even just years of travel is just too much for what i need) either though. Months is fine (and years for unmanned spacecraft).
So, i got this wonderful idea of setting the game to a single solar system with 3 stars, each one having a habitable zone, and thus having multiple habitable (after terraforming) planets, along with moons and asteroids, enough to create pretty damn large empires, to get sort of space opera (or maybe "solar opera"?) feel. Also allows quality, in a real space opera setting planets are merely cities (Planetville) that don't really differ from each other. Want uniqueness.
But for the same reason as i want to avoid FTL: Is this possible? Could a star system have 3 stars, with multiple rocky planets suitable for terraforming, with a few gas giants (with multiple, large moons like Jupiter and Saturn) and asteroids? Can such a system form?
Probabilities be damned, all i need is such system to be theoretically possible.
The system would consist a double star and a companion star (as usual for a trinary). The double stars AB would each have their own planets... but could they ALSO have planets that orbit both?
The companion C would have its own planetary system. And the system shouldn't be too far away to make traveling to it impractical (ie not like Alpha Centauri with Proxima, which orbits Alpha Centauri a quarter lightyear away...).
Could such a system truly work?
EDIT the stars need to be K or G (or F if such wouldn't present problems) class stars all. Or some combination of them. Ms wouldn't have a human habitable zone really, would they?
Partial Gamification
Banned
Planets in Trinary systems have been found.
It really depends on how tight you want to try and pack the system(s). The closer it all is, the higher the tidal forces due to gravity. Theoretically, it is just a matter of finding an equilibrium for the orbits of all the masses inconsideration. Another thought is to scale it down, having Dyson Spheres and habitable stations (like the pics above) in order to create diverse environments within a certain distance of each other, but it sounds like you have a specific direction in mind. Good luck!
Powdered Toastman
Member
http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/orbits.html, but it might not be very likely to exist, plus it doesn't show if there are any stable planetary systems possible in such a configuration.
A more likely scenario might be a few Jupiter+ sized planets orbiting a large sun with a relative large habitable zone. With each planet having multiple near earth (variably) sized moons, you could have live originating on a few of the moons. That could possibly create pretty unique life forms.
Not a fan of Dyson Spheres. Swarms. Whatever.
But space stations, O'Neil cylinders, stuff like that i will use. In addition to some 6-8 planets, a bunch of moons and asteroids. It is enough to make the place diverse enough but without sacrifing too much quality, or making places really small (one village per planet or something like that). Might be a bit too much even now... Especially since i was planning on have a few, um, Empires/major faction sharing everything.
I suppose it is much easier to belive in a complex trinary system i'm thinking of than FTL, no? Plausible, feeling real is more important than strickly realistic... the problem with FTL is that i cannot create a single "realistic" enough system, not counting wormholes but wormholes are boring. This triple star system idea is far more plausible at least, and fulfils what i need without having to resort something that is really magic.
That typical triple star system is what i'm thinking of*. The question is, can such one have many planets? Can such one have planets orbiting both stars and planets orbiting invidual stars? The former isn't important if it is not compatible with the latter. And can such a system have gas giants too?
EDIT *it seems the triple star's binary component needs to be circular. If for nothing else than to make it possible for them to have planets.
EDIT most writers, creators, whatever wouldn't bother thinking whether this is possible, they'd only care if it sound plausible at most. Wonder if i'm a perfectionist.
EDIT interesting page BTW. Bookmark'd
Chittagong
Gold Member
Thought you fellow space enthusiasts would like to know that Universe Sandbox is on the Steam sale now at £1.74
http://store.steampowered.com/app/72200/
http://store.steampowered.com/app/72200/
Cuban Legend
Member
What would happen if a woman became pregnant and delivered a baby while travelling at the speed of light?
I presume no changes from her perspective right? but from the perspective of those on Earth, how would the gestation period be affected if at all?
I presume no changes from her perspective right? but from the perspective of those on Earth, how would the gestation period be affected if at all?
Chittagong
Gold Member
On earth, you'd be stuck watching a gaping vagina with a baby's head in it forever.
ripastraea
Member
Get a reflector.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UQ6E4Y/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Heard these were decent, but you get what you pay for.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002MI8RXA/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Same concept.
These will not be powerful planetary scopes, but they should do nicely for large swathes of the sky.
WeAreStarStuff
Member
You may be better off buying these if your budget is $100; I have a telescope and I still enjoy these quite a bit:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNTU/?tag=neogaf0e-20
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
Everything is normal from the mother and baby's perspective.
Goodacre0081
Member
Goodacre0081
Member
José Mourinho
cocknose
I'm currently reading "Why does E=mc2?" Where Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw attempt to explain the equation and what lead up to it in a reasonably simple manner. Needless to say I'm not finding it quite so simple. Almost to the point where I don't believe it. I should note, not that I actually don't believe it, but rather my puny mind cant really comprehend what some of the theories, or facts rather, suggest.
For example, they mention the idea of traveling at near lightspeed away from earth for 50 years and back again, and how in those 100 years the earth would of aged 59,000 years (If I remember correctly).
So reading this stuff and trying to comprehend it leaves my head like...
It's sort of like prehistory for me. When people talk so matter of factly about x amount of billions of years and what they think was happening/happened. I can't comprehend what say, 7 billion years ago could even be like. I can think about it as a number on a page, but that's about it.
For example, they mention the idea of traveling at near lightspeed away from earth for 50 years and back again, and how in those 100 years the earth would of aged 59,000 years (If I remember correctly).
So reading this stuff and trying to comprehend it leaves my head like...
It's sort of like prehistory for me. When people talk so matter of factly about x amount of billions of years and what they think was happening/happened. I can't comprehend what say, 7 billion years ago could even be like. I can think about it as a number on a page, but that's about it.
WeAreStarStuff
Member
I felt so small reading this...
Melchiah
Member
Symphonies of the Planets - Planetary frequencies converted into sound, unfortunately the planets weren't specified.
http://youtu.be/7lqc8Ttep6A
http://youtu.be/7lqc8Ttep6A
I was just browsing Apollo videos on youtube and came across this:
Apollo 4 launch
dat flawless launch...dat sound....dat Cronkite commentary
I must attend the first SLS launch in 2017 (although that'll only be the 70t variant)
Apollo 4 launch
dat flawless launch...dat sound....dat Cronkite commentary
I must attend the first SLS launch in 2017 (although that'll only be the 70t variant)
abstract alien
Member
That one Saturn photo may be the most beautiful natural shot ever taken, but this has to be second place.
Solar eclipse seen from space.
fierrotlepou
Member
What takes these pictures? Or are they artist renditions?
Sorry, but that's a fake picture. A cool one, though.
Melchiah
Member
http://www.space.com/19174-mars-one-colony-astronauts-wanted.html
More in the linkWanted: Mars Colonists to Explore Red Planet
If you think you have the right stuff to help colonize Mars, you'll soon get your chance to prove it.
The Netherlands-based nonprofit Mars One, which hopes to put the first boots on the Red Planet in 2023, released its basic astronaut requirements today (Jan. 8), setting the stage for a televised global selection process that will begin later this year.
Mars One isn't zeroing in on scientists or former fighter pilots; anyone who is at least 18 years old can apply to become a Mars colony pioneer. The most important criteria, officials say, are intelligence, good mental and physical health and dedication to the project, as astronauts will undergo eight years of training before launch.
Maklershed
Member
I can't even wrap my head around this ...
http://phys.org/news/2013-01-astronomers-largest-universe.html
An international team of astronomers, led by academics from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), has found the largest known structure in the universe. The large quasar group (LQG) is so large that it would take a vehicle travelling at the speed of light some 4 billion years to cross it.
http://phys.org/news/2013-01-astronomers-largest-universe.html
An international team of astronomers, led by academics from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), has found the largest known structure in the universe. The large quasar group (LQG) is so large that it would take a vehicle travelling at the speed of light some 4 billion years to cross it.
Insane Metal
Member
Yeah I read it at NewScientist today. They actually say this find questions Einstein's theory that the Universe should look relatively the same in all directions, imposing a limit to the size of stuff. This is clearly way bigger than anything so far, and there's nothing quite like it in any other part of the universe.
By the way, the lead astronomer for this research had already found a ridiculously big structure back in 1991, with 1 billion light years across.
I love deep space objects "in action". If you watch the video, you can see what looks like a little wobble occurring.
Video link here: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=158178731
Video link here: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=158178731
This movie from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows a fast moving jet of particles produced by a rapidly rotating neutron star, and may provide new insight into the nature of some of the densest matter in the universe. The star of this movie is the Vela pulsar, a neutron star that was formed when a massive star collapsed. The Vela pulsar is about 1,000 light years from Earth, spans about 12 miles in diameter, and makes over 11 complete rotations every second, faster than a helicopter rotor. As the pulsar whips around, it spews out a jet of charged particles that race out along the pulsars rotation axis at about 70% of the speed of light. In this still image from the movie, the location of the pulsar and the 0.7-light-year-long jet are labeled. The Chandra data shown in the movie, containing 8 images obtained between June and September 2010, suggest that the pulsar may be slowly wobbling, or precessing, as it spins.
abstract alien
Member
4 billion years to cross it? Nah, can't fathom it. I tried.
I knew it was too good to be real :^/
I knew it was too good to be real :^/
Melchiah
Member
Goodacre0081
Member
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/...scribed-the-most-important-find-in-500-years/
Extraterrestrial Life?
Extraterrestrial Life?
Insane Metal
Member
Nope.
Just do a quick Google search and you'll learn that this 'scientist' is a crazy sob.
So that thing is roughly 10^23 kilometers in size or ~6,67x10^14 times longer than the distance between the earth and the sun(one astronomical unit).
universalmind
Member
God I would buy that on iPad or Surface in a heartbeat. Don't care about PC. Get this in my bed/lounge.
I think with 10x50s, you should be able to make out some definition of craters on the Moon, Jupiter's Gallilean moons (as small points of light) and some definition of Jupiter as a disc. A tripod would probably help to keep your view steady.
Deadly Cyclone
Pride of Iowa State
Solar eclipse seen from space.
There bigger versions of this? Need wallpaper.
orientalNoodle
Banned
They will have to manufacture the fuel using resources on mars.
Cheers. So I'll get decent views of the moon but planets won't be much better? Are there any pictures of what realistic results I might expect to see.
I love the universe ever since i was a little kid. Star gazing in france at the beach away from the city and bright lights. I got loads of books,dvd's,blu ray's. It boggles the mind how big it is and the new things people are discovering and that we as a race can think about and see what is happening in space is absoluty amazing. We live in a golden age of this.
Goodacre0081
Member
costsoflivingonmars.jpg
does anyone else see a problem with putting costs on these types of monumental leaps in human exploration? I know were a long way off from a society free of currency, poverty and hunger but how will we ever colonize mars when we're limited to being so materialistic in everyday life?
does anyone else see a problem with putting costs on these types of monumental leaps in human exploration? I know were a long way off from a society free of currency, poverty and hunger but how will we ever colonize mars when we're limited to being so materialistic in everyday life?
If you're willing to stay up a bit later, you might be able to make out Saturn's rings (might be a bit of a challenge though ... in binos they'd be quite small). After a quick look, I couldn't find any pictures. The internet is terrible for talking about amateur astronomy and then posting ridiculous HST images alongside it.
Thug Waffle
Member
Realistically, we don't know the cost. The numbers posed by that infographic seem insurmountable, but really, it depends on the technology we create to bring us to Mars. We might end up with less (or more) expensive fuel, for example, depending on the propulsion system we ultimately rely on to get us there.
Slightly Live
Dirty tag dodger
Better yet, hypernova.
Eh, hypernova? Those can be so massive they leave no remnant (neutron star or black hole), right? I think i read that somewhere...
And... near future? People mean the light will be arriving soon? It seems Eta Carinae is some 7.5k ly away, which means it blew up ages ago. I know, i know, nitpicking.