*** The Official Astronomy & Universe Thread ***

[Kutter]

I need to get a new telescope. since I moved to the middle of nowhere there isn't any light polution. the sky looks fantastic at night when I'm leaving for work. its that dark I can't see the car until I'm about 5feet away.

 

[Jongo]

New Pic of Jupiter taken stacked from 2000 frames through a 2x barlow, easily my best yet!

 

[Kutter]

great piccy jongo

 

[Cosimo]

 

[mrk]

Galaxy 13.3 billion light years away pictured: http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astr...ly_observed_using_hubble_space_telescope.html

It's hard to imagine that light has had to travel almost the entire distance of the known Universe to reach us!

 

[Cosimo]

Galaxy 13.3 billion light years away pictured: http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astr...ly_observed_using_hubble_space_telescope.html

It's hard to imagine that light has had to travel almost the entire distance of the known Universe to reach us!

It's not that hard to imagine.

 

[Cosimo]

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?4000!

 

[Tibbz2]

Anyone seen this yet?

I wonder what it could be

 

[PermaBanned]

Anyone seen this yet?

I wonder what it could be

It could be a complete non-story, since it's about the lack of news?

 

[Tibbz2]

It could be a complete non-story, since it's about the lack of news?

Is it?

For the records i'm very tired atm

 

[Glaucus]

I'm going for non story, people have second guessed NASA like this several times and all have been non story's.

Looks like ESA mars missions are back on, with help from Russia after america pulled out. All which is left is signing the treaty which is expected before the end of the year.

 

[mrk]

It could be one of 2 things I imagine.

1: Sample contains signs of active life.
2: Sample contains evidence of life once on Mars.

It's always been said that Mars was once like Earth before it lost its atmosphere!

He does say it's for the history books so I'm optimistic!

 

[Tibbz2]

I won't trust this fully just yet then, but even if there is a slight possibility of this being true I will keep hoping for it, just because it could be interesting

 

[Cosimo]

It could be a complete non-story, since it's about the lack of news?

I think it's a non story and he's trying to make one. .

 

[Tibbz2]

I think it's a non story and he's trying to make one. .

Surely he wouldn't claim something so extravagant if it was something unimportant? (However I'm only going off what I would think)

 

[Cosimo]

A little late night viewing:

 

[SlyReaper]

Anyone seen this yet?

I wonder what it could be

 

[Tibbz2]

 

[Spook187]

Some news from the Mars rover soil sample which could be ground breaking.


http://www.npr.org/2012/11/20/165513016/big-news-from-mars-rover-scientists-mum-for-now

 

[mrk]

A thought on this^ in fact,

However, that would not constitute proof of life — modern or ancient — because meteorites carry organics to Mars, Stoker added. "Detection of organic compounds has limited relevance to detection of modern life. Curiosity's instrumentation and the choice of landing sites for MSL were optimized for exploring ancient habitable environments, not modern ones," she said.

Stoker said that even if there is modern life on Mars, it can grow only where liquid water is available. Therefore, since Gale Crater has no evidence of modern water or ice, life can't grow there, she noted.

"Furthermore, Curiosity's instrumentation is geared towards characterizing rocks and minerals. Different choices of landing sites and instrumentation are needed to look for evidence of modern life," Stoker said.

Quoted from here: http://www.space.com/17306-mars-rover-curiosity-red-planet-life-search.html

So curiosity doesn't have the ability to confirm modern life but visually or from mineral samples could confirm ancient life.

Unless the cameras have picked up a bug walking in the area then can't see it being anything else surely?