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


This video of the sun based on data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, shows the wide range of wavelengths -- invisible to the naked eye -- that the telescope can view. SDO converts the wavelengths into an image humans can see, and the light is colorized into a rainbow of colors.

As the colors sweep around the sun in the movie, viewers should note how different the same area of the sun appears. This happens because each wavelength of light represents solar material at specific temperatures. Different wavelengths convey information about different components of the sun's surface and atmosphere, so scientists use them to paint a full picture of our constantly changing and varying star.

Yellow light of 5800 Angstroms, for example, generally emanates from material of about 10,000 degrees F (5700 degrees C), which represents the surface of the sun. Extreme ultraviolet light of 94 Angstroms, which is typically colorized in green in SDO images, comes from atoms that are about 11 million degrees F (6,300,000 degrees C) and is a good wavelength for looking at solar flares, which can reach such high temperatures. By examining pictures of the sun in a variety of wavelengths -- as is done not only by SDO, but also by NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and the European Space Agency/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory -- scientists can track how particles and heat move through the sun's atmosphere.
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So to Mars we go:


The innermost moon of Mars, Phobos, is seen here in full 360 degree glory. The images were taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on ESA's Mars Express at various times throughout the mission's 10 years.

The moon's parallel sets of grooves are perhaps the most striking feature, along with the giant 9 km-wide Stickney impact crater that dominates one face of the 27 x 22 x 18 km moon.

The origin of the moon's grooves is a subject of much debate. One idea assumes that the crater chains are associated with impact events on the moon itself.

Another idea suggests they result from Phobos moving through streams of debris thrown up from impacts 6000 km away on the surface of Mars, with each 'family' of grooves corresponding to a different impact event.

Mars Express has imaged Phobos from a wide range of distances, but will make its closest
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Here's a cool factoid video about our Moon and its event filled life.


"Where did the moon come from? What is it made of? And what events created the distinctive pattern of light and dark on its surface? To find out, we have sent satellites out to crash onto its surface, astronauts to comb its craters and hillsides and collect rocks, and high-tech spacecraft to map its nooks and crannies.

A half-century of study has brought us closer to the answers. Many scientists now believe that the moon was born in a monumental collision between Earth and a Mars-sized body early in the history of the solar system, some 4.5 billion years ago.

From the remains of the impact, a giant ball of magma coalesced in Earth orbit. Gravity sculpted this hot mass into a sphere. In time, its surface cooled, forming a hard crust with magma just underneath.

Around 4.3 billion years ago, a giant impact battered the moon's south pole, sending debris as far as the opposite side of the moon. The impact formed the Aitken basin. At roughly 2,500 kilometers in diameter and 13 kilometers deep, it is one of the largest known impact craters in the Solar System.

Its formation marked the beginning of a period of large-scale changes to the moon's surface. Over several hundred million years, the lunar terrain was rocked by a succession of heavy impacts. Some formed large basins that would eventually fill in to become the dark colored patches of the moon known as maria.

These impacts punched enormous holes in the relatively thin lunar crust. Because the moon had not yet fully cooled on the inside, lava began to seep out through cracks opened up by the impacts.

Lava spread throughout the craters, gradually filling them in and cooling. Because of the high iron content of this lava, the mare regions reflect less light and therefore appear darker than the surrounding highlands. Around one billion years ago, volcanic activity ended on the near side of the moon as the last of the large impacts made their mark on the surface. The impacts did not cease, although they were much smaller than the ones that formed the largest basins.

Some of the largest and best-known impacts from this period formed the Tycho, Copernicus, and Aristarchus craters. They feature distinctive "rays" that stretch out from the crater sites, formed by material blasted out at the moment of impact.

Finally, after billions of years of relative quiet, we arrive at the moon we see today. Though its surface continues to be affected by impacts, the bombardment has slowed dramatically.

The features we now see on the Moon's surface are a permanent record of its early history. Within them, too, we are finding clues to the evolution of Earth itself."
 



On 29 December 2013, ESA's Mars Express will make the closest flyby yet of the Red Planet's moon Phobos, skimming past only 45 km above its surface.

As the spacecraft passes close to Phobos, it will be pulled slightly off course by the moon's gravity, by a few tens of centimetres. This small deviation will be measured using the spacecraft's radio signals, and then translated into measurements of gravity, mass and density at different locations on the moon.

This animation shows the flyby (speeded up) as if you were standing on Phobos, with Mars in the background and Mars Express sweeping out an arc above. Toward the end of the sequence, Mars Express disappears behind Mars and out of sight of Phobos.
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I've been scouting through this thread but thought I'd post asking a few questions.

1) What books / magazines do people recommend?

2) What sort of lens / camera is required for astrophotography? (Currently have my old Nikon D3000)

Cheers :)
 
Spook187 said:
The Northumberland site becomes Europe’s biggest Dark Sky Park :)
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I really must go at some point. Great having something like that within an hour (or so)! :cool:

I've always just picked up the occasional Sky at Night, but I had a read of the Astronomy Now magazine and it seems rather good!
 
Xein said:
I've been scouting through this thread but thought I'd post asking a few questions.

1) What books / magazines do people recommend?

2) What sort of lens / camera is required for astrophotography? (Currently have my old Nikon D3000)

Cheers :)
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1. There are a lot of recommended books for different reasons. Are you looking to learn more about cosmology/astronomy or more about practical (amateur) astronomy?? As for magazines I find Astronomy Now is the best one available :)

2. Generally for astrophotography people use telescopes as lenses, and either specialized CCD cameras or Canon cameras (Nikons are rarely used for AP, Canon are far preferred for performance). Webcams are used for planets too.
 
Tibbz2 said:
1. There are a lot of recommended books for different reasons. Are you looking to learn more about cosmology/astronomy or more about practical (amateur) astronomy?? As for magazines I find Astronomy Now is the best one available :)

2. Generally for astrophotography people use telescopes as lenses, and either specialized CCD cameras or Canon cameras (Nikons are rarely used for AP, Canon are far preferred for performance). Webcams are used for planets too.
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I've been following Professor Brian Cox lately and his documentaries are phenomenal and iirc he has released books which I think I'll take a look at but as I'm an amateur it's probably best to start with the basics?

Thank you for that, I'll have to look into getting a Canon but for now my Nikon will have to suffice.

Cheers for the reply :)

Edit: For those interested the BBC posted 'Best Space Images of 2013' and thought I'd link :)
 
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Xein said:
I've been following Professor Brian Cox lately and his documentaries are phenomenal and iirc he has released books which I think I'll take a look at but as I'm an amateur it's probably best to start with the basics?

Thank you for that, I'll have to look into getting a Canon but for now my Nikon will have to suffice.

Cheers for the reply :)

Edit: For those interested the BBC posted 'Best Space Images of 2013' and thought I'd link :)
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Well a good place to start is always with Hawking's A Brief History of Time, great book on everything space-y etc.
COSMOS by Carl Sagan (book/tv series) is a really good bet too without any background knowledge needed.

Cosimo said:
Stargazing Live is back on Tuesday 7th January at 20:00 on BBC 2:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019h4g8

:)
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Unfortunately I will miss the one on Wednesday as I will be down the local venue with our club doing a SGL event for the public, however I can always watch that on iplayer I guess!
 
Tibbz2 said:
Well a good place to start is always with Hawking's A Brief History of Time, great book on everything space-y etc.
COSMOS by Carl Sagan (book/tv series) is a really good bet too without any background knowledge needed.
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Brilliant, thank you very much for the recommendations :) Will definitely be taking a look and purchasing.
 
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