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Physics and astronomy thread (1 Viewer)

DART spacecraft to crash into asteroid on Monday

“On 26 September, at 7:14 p.m. US eastern time, NASA will strike a pre-emptive blow against the dangers of the Solar System. That’s when, 11 million kilometres from Earth, the agency is set to smash a spacecraft into an asteroid. The goal is to knock the harmless space rock into a slightly different orbit to test whether humanity could do such a thing if a dangerous asteroid were ever detected heading for Earth.”
 
Galileo said:
Galileo said:
You can watch the live feed from the camera onboard the DART spacecraft here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Z1E0mW2ag&ab_channel=NASA
Alternatively, there is a live broadcast with commentary to be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RA8Tfa6Sck&t=0s&ab_channel=NASA This site has a little trailer playing if you want a preview.
Click to expand...
Asteroid in view at 1st link...
Click to expand...
Getting larger in view...can see both rocks now. About 25 minutes until impact
 
We just targeted and hit a small space rock 7 million miles away and were able to watch it happen. Pretty cool. Dumbass dinosaurs couldn't figure this out...

ETA...of course whether it actually achieved its purpose or not remains to be seen.
 
Runkle said:
When do we find out how much it moved? And/or if we accidentally pushed it into a collision course with Earth?
Click to expand...
It will take some time...at least a few weeks for some preliminary data. Earth based telescopes will need to observe the asteroid system with the goal of measuring differences in the orbital period of Dimorphos from what it was prior to impact. Additionally, the European Space Agency has a mission planned for launch in 2024, arrival in 2026, with the goal of studying the aftermath in detail. So there should be some indication effects after a few weeks, but a lot more specific detail about 5 years.
 
Galileo said:
Runkle said:
When do we find out how much it moved? And/or if we accidentally pushed it into a collision course with Earth?
Click to expand...
It will take some time...at least a few weeks for some preliminary data. Earth based telescopes will need to observe the asteroid system with the goal of measuring differences in the orbital period of Dimorphos from what it was prior to impact. Additionally, the European Space Agency has a mission planned for launch in 2024, arrival in 2026, with the goal of studying the aftermath in detail. So there should be some indication effects after a few weeks, but a lot more specific detail about 5 years.
Click to expand...
Well, it seems to have worked! NASA had hoped to alter the asteroid's orbit by about 10 minutes, and measurements taken over the past couple weeks have shown Dimorphos' orbit to have been shortened by 32 minutes +/- 2 min.

www.nasa.gov

NASA Confirms DART Mission Impact Changed Asteroid’s Motion in Space - NASA

Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí.
www.nasa.gov www.nasa.gov
 
Last edited:
Galileo said:
Galileo said:
Runkle said:
When do we find out how much it moved? And/or if we accidentally pushed it into a collision course with Earth?
Click to expand...
It will take some time...at least a few weeks for some preliminary data. Earth based telescopes will need to observe the asteroid system with the goal of measuring differences in the orbital period of Dimorphos from what it was prior to impact. Additionally, the European Space Agency has a mission planned for launch in 2024, arrival in 2026, with the goal of studying the aftermath in detail. So there should be some indication effects after a few weeks, but a lot more specific detail about 5 years.
Click to expand...
Well, it seems to have worked! NASA had hoped to alter the asteroid's orbit by about 10 minutes, and measurements taken over the past couple weeks have shown Dimorphos' orbit to have been shortened by 32 minutes +/- 2 min.

www.nasa.gov

NASA Confirms DART Mission Impact Changed Asteroid’s Motion in Space - NASA

Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí.
www.nasa.gov www.nasa.gov
Click to expand...

Warning: Potentially Stupid Question... the article says "Before its encounter, NASA had defined a minimum successful orbit period change of Dimorphos as change of 73 seconds or more. This early data show DART surpassed this minimum benchmark by more than 25 times." How were the estimates off by so much, or, why was this degree of change not anticipated? I mean, we have a basic physics problem here, right? One object impacts another object in a vacuum, speeds and masses are known (or was the mass of Dimorphos unknown by factor of 25x?), what is the X factor that made the result such a surprise? I guess, in other words, I'm asking what we didn't know before that we will need to know in the future to anticipate redirecting another asteroid? Seems like if they were off by 25x it opens the door for all sorts of unintended consequences the next time they try something like this?
 
Galileo said:
Galileo said:
Runkle said:
When do we find out how much it moved? And/or if we accidentally pushed it into a collision course with Earth?
Click to expand...
It will take some time...at least a few weeks for some preliminary data. Earth based telescopes will need to observe the asteroid system with the goal of measuring differences in the orbital period of Dimorphos from what it was prior to impact. Additionally, the European Space Agency has a mission planned for launch in 2024, arrival in 2026, with the goal of studying the aftermath in detail. So there should be some indication effects after a few weeks, but a lot more specific detail about 5 years.
Click to expand...
Well, it seems to have worked! NASA had hoped to alter the asteroid's orbit by about 10 minutes, and measurements taken over the past couple weeks have shown Dimorphos' orbit to have been shortened by 32 minutes +/- 2 min.

www.nasa.gov

NASA Confirms DART Mission Impact Changed Asteroid’s Motion in Space - NASA

Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí.
www.nasa.gov www.nasa.gov
Click to expand...
Although I love astronomy, I don't think we should be altering other orbits.
 
Runkle said:
Galileo said:
Galileo said:
Runkle said:
When do we find out how much it moved? And/or if we accidentally pushed it into a collision course with Earth?
Click to expand...
It will take some time...at least a few weeks for some preliminary data. Earth based telescopes will need to observe the asteroid system with the goal of measuring differences in the orbital period of Dimorphos from what it was prior to impact. Additionally, the European Space Agency has a mission planned for launch in 2024, arrival in 2026, with the goal of studying the aftermath in detail. So there should be some indication effects after a few weeks, but a lot more specific detail about 5 years.
Click to expand...
Well, it seems to have worked! NASA had hoped to alter the asteroid's orbit by about 10 minutes, and measurements taken over the past couple weeks have shown Dimorphos' orbit to have been shortened by 32 minutes +/- 2 min.

www.nasa.gov

NASA Confirms DART Mission Impact Changed Asteroid’s Motion in Space - NASA

Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí.
www.nasa.gov www.nasa.gov
Click to expand...

Warning: Potentially Stupid Question... the article says "Before its encounter, NASA had defined a minimum successful orbit period change of Dimorphos as change of 73 seconds or more. This early data show DART surpassed this minimum benchmark by more than 25 times." How were the estimates off by so much, or, why was this degree of change not anticipated? I mean, we have a basic physics problem here, right? One object impacts another object in a vacuum, speeds and masses are known (or was the mass of Dimorphos unknown by factor of 25x?), what is the X factor that made the result such a surprise? I guess, in other words, I'm asking what we didn't know before that we will need to know in the future to anticipate redirecting another asteroid? Seems like if they were off by 25x it opens the door for all sorts of unintended consequences the next time they try something like this?
Click to expand...
This is a small rock 7 million miles away. Although mass could be reasonably measured from its orbital interaction with Didymos, its structure was not really known. An asteroid can be a solid rock or possibly a collection of loosely bound rubble held together by gravitation and locked up via frictional forces. It was not clear how rigidly held together the material was making up Dimorphos. So, how well Dimorphos would actually absorb the impact was uncertain. The more inelastic the collision, the less kinetic energy is conserved. Furthermore, the precise location of impact and the precise angle/direction of impact make a difference. Try kicking a soccer ball in the middle and then kick it slightly off center and the resulting behavior can be significantly different. So, there were definitely uncertainties that opened the door to a range of potential outcomes. I believe the 73 seconds was a very minimum amount of change that they would consider as "successful". I am not sure how/why that particular threshold was determined. I saw an interview with someone from the NASA team who said they were really hoping for at least a 10 minute adjustment in orbit.
 
Last edited:
I woke up for reasons only God knows, but one of which was that my younger daughter was up watching tv, with a sore throat. I gave her some cough medicine, and went outside to try to catch the launch. My goodness, it was like a column of flame, and then I saw it separate, which was cool, too
 
Imaging expert quit his job to remaster the original flight films from the Apollo missions. The results are amazing and are in a new book.

www.apolloremastered.com

Apollo Remastered - The Ultimate Photographic Record

The ultimate photographic record of humankind's greatest adventure. Remastered from the original flight film, the Apollo photos are the highest quality ever produced and feature in a book and exhibitions of the same name. Apollo prints are available to purchase - fine art, archival space photos for
www.apolloremastered.com www.apolloremastered.com
 
Sign a petition to preserve the Holmdel Horn Antenna. This is the antenna utilized by Nobel prize winners, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson in the detection of the cosmic microwave background. It appears as though some folks think the area ought to be re-developed as high density housing. :crying:
actionnetwork.org

Save Holmdel's Horn Antenna

The historic Horn Antenna, which confirmed the “Big Bang Theory” of cosmology, sits on 42 beautiful acres of Holmdel Township named Crawford Hill. The location is the highest point in Monmouth County. The antenna and land are being endangered to become a high-density residential development...
actionnetwork.org actionnetwork.org
 

The World-Changing Race to Develop the Quantum Computer​

www.newyorker.com

The World-Changing Race to Develop the Quantum Computer

Such a device could help address climate change and food scarcity, or break the Internet. Will the U.S. or China get there first?
www.newyorker.com www.newyorker.com

A full-scale quantum computer could crack our current encryption protocols, essentially breaking the Internet. Most online communications, including financial transactions and popular text-messaging platforms, are protected by cryptographic keys that would take a conventional computer millions of years to decipher. A working quantum computer could presumably crack one in less than a day. That is only the beginning. A quantum computer could open new frontiers in mathematics, revolutionizing our idea of what it means to “compute.” Its processing power could spur the development of new industrial chemicals, addressing the problems of climate change and food scarcity. And it could reconcile the elegant theories of Albert Einstein with the unruly microverse of particle physics, enabling discoveries about space and time. “The impact of quantum computing is going to be more profound than any technology to date,” Jeremy O’Brien, the C.E.O. of the startup PsiQuantum, said recently. First, though, the engineers have to get it to work.
Click to expand...
 
Galileo said:
Sign a petition to preserve the Holmdel Horn Antenna. This is the antenna utilized by Nobel prize winners, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson in the detection of the cosmic microwave background. It appears as though some folks think the area ought to be re-developed as high density housing. :crying:
actionnetwork.org

Save Holmdel's Horn Antenna

The historic Horn Antenna, which confirmed the “Big Bang Theory” of cosmology, sits on 42 beautiful acres of Holmdel Township named Crawford Hill. The location is the highest point in Monmouth County. The antenna and land are being endangered to become a high-density residential development...
actionnetwork.org actionnetwork.org
Click to expand...
Could it become a National Landmark? Not sure how something gets to be one
 
The Man With No Name said:
Galileo said:
Sign a petition to preserve the Holmdel Horn Antenna. This is the antenna utilized by Nobel prize winners, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson in the detection of the cosmic microwave background. It appears as though some folks think the area ought to be re-developed as high density housing. :crying:
actionnetwork.org

Save Holmdel's Horn Antenna

The historic Horn Antenna, which confirmed the “Big Bang Theory” of cosmology, sits on 42 beautiful acres of Holmdel Township named Crawford Hill. The location is the highest point in Monmouth County. The antenna and land are being endangered to become a high-density residential development...
actionnetwork.org actionnetwork.org
Click to expand...
Could it become a National Landmark? Not sure how something gets to be one
Click to expand...
It already is a National Historic Landmark, but apparently that does not guarantee protection.
 
I've seen a video around of a scientist explaining how we would age when traveling in space at the speed of light, but I can't seem to find it. It was fascinating. Anyone know what Im referring to and that could point me in the right direction to find it online? I thought it might have been discussed in this thread but I didnt find it.

TIA
 
Been waiting until closer to the dates to post about this since finding out last week, but not waiting any more. A comet is coming that could be visible to the naked eye, depending on the sky in your area. Get your binoculars and telescopes out. It's not just any comet, but a once in 50,000 year comet. The last time the comet passed Earth was during the Upper Paleolithic period, when Neanderthals still roamed Earth.

phys.org

Once in 50,000-year comet may be visible to the naked eye

A newly discovered comet could be visible to the naked eye as it shoots past Earth and the Sun in the coming weeks for the first time in 50,000 years, astronomers have said.
phys.org phys.org
 
BroncoFreak_2K3 said:
I've seen a video around of a scientist explaining how we would age when traveling in space at the speed of light, but I can't seem to find it. It was fascinating. Anyone know what Im referring to and that could point me in the right direction to find it online? I thought it might have been discussed in this thread but I didnt find it.

TIA
Click to expand...
Carl Sagan?
 
higgins said:
BroncoFreak_2K3 said:
I've seen a video around of a scientist explaining how we would age when traveling in space at the speed of light, but I can't seem to find it. It was fascinating. Anyone know what Im referring to and that could point me in the right direction to find it online? I thought it might have been discussed in this thread but I didnt find it.

TIA
Click to expand...
Carl Sagan?
Click to expand...
The one I remember was a guy sitting at his desk and computer and with computer graphics describing what happens as one would travel through the universe at light speed. It was very well done. He described where you'd be age-wise at different intervals.
 
Scientific American details new gas cloud discovered near Andromeda. Not sure if it's a nebula forming or part of the Milky Way?

A Recently Discovered Gas Cloud Near Andromeda Stumps Astronomers​

Clues to the origin of this enormous cloud of gas have been maddeningly vague
The recent discovery of a huge cloud of gas floating near the Andromeda galaxy—one of the most extensively studied objects in the heavens—is the latest proof that the sky still offers a vast amount of celestial real estate to sift through. This cloud has been hiding in plain sight for decades. And the best part is that its origin is a mystery.

The advent of inexpensive but very high-quality digital detectors has made astronomical photography easier than ever before. This has sparked a new trend among astronomy enthusiasts to focus on one select area of the sky and take what are effectively very long exposures in the hopes of finding whatever faint fuzzies might lie there.
Click to expand...

The photos were also posted to reddit by the astronomer who discovered them, u/SPACESHUTTLEINMYANUS
 
Galileo said:
The European Southern Observatory is planning a global press conference to announce "groundbreaking Milky Way results"
Click to expand...
Nice but this guy's Scottish maid could do better.
-----------------------------------------------
Historic Vids
@historyinmemes

In the 1880s, the Harvard Observatory director was frustrated with his staff, and would say "My Scottish maid could do better!" So, he hired his Scottish maid. Williamina Fleming, who went on to discover tens of thousands of stars and more.

Picture
 
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