Physics and astronomy thread (4 Viewers)

[Galileo]

This year's Christmas gift...

 

[Sand]

This year's Christmas gift...

If you ever wanted to see 10,000 scientists collectively hold their breath for 5 minutes this is your chance.  Anal pucker factor off the charts.

--------

On another note, the Solar Probe breached the sun's corona.  Way cool.  Very happy on this as I did substantial work on the vehicle.

 

[The Z Machine]

If you ever wanted to see 10,000 scientists collectively hold their breath for 5 minutes this is your chance.  Anal pucker factor off the charts.

It's gonna be 3 months straight of that as they unfurl all the stuff on Webb and get it operational.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Watch what happens after the James Webb Space Telescope launches

Looks like 180 days after launch it will be ready to go into full operation.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Does anyone know long until we get information back in which our collective minds are blown? We are going to learn some super weird stuff and see some outrageous pictures. 

 

[El Floppo]

Does anyone know long until we get information back in which our collective minds are blown? We are going to learn some super weird stuff and see some outrageous pictures. 

of uranus.

huh. it DOES get old...

but not just yet.

 

[El Floppo]

On another note, the Solar Probe breached the sun's corona.  Way cool.  Very happy on this as I did substantial work on the vehicle.

I saw that- very cool. and had forgotten you worked on that- even more cool.

 

[El Floppo]

Percy's drill reveals a surprise...

--------------------------------------------------

The rover's latest finding suggests that the bedrock it has been driving over since landing was once formed by volcanic lava flows -- something that was "completely unexpected," according to mission scientists. Previously, they thought the layered rocks Perseverance took photos of were sedimentary.

The rocks that Perseverance has sampled so far also revealed that they interacted with water multiple times, and some of them include organic molecules.

These discoveries could help scientists create an accurate timeline for the events that have taken place in Jezero Crater, the site of an ancient lake, and has wider implications for understanding Mars.

 

[El Floppo]

she's flying so much I completely missed #16.

but 17 is in the books for Ginny on Dec 5th. they apparently had some telemetry issues- this time she went up 33' and to the NE 600+', but lost radio contact with Percy when she dropped behind a rock outcropping on her descent. but supposedly everything went perfectly (although they're still receiving data).

#18 upcoming in the next week or two.

considering this was all just supposed to be a proof of concept experiment with a hoped for 5 flights... it's all pretty incredible.

Yawn...

18 a success.

Ingenuity covered 754 feet (230 meters) of ground while cruising at 5.6 mph (9.0 kph) during the flight, which took place on Wednesday (Dec. 15), JPL officials added. 

 

[Sinn Fein]

NASA prepares to launch the James Webb Space Telescope, perhaps the most extraordinary piece of technology in history. What could go wrong? @JoelAchenbach asks. NASA actually has an answer: The mission faces 344 possible "single-point failures."
 

 

[Andy Dufresne]

10 Webb telescope facts

Wait. It's only supposed to be operational for 5-10 years?

 

[El Floppo]

10 Webb telescope facts

Wait. It's only supposed to be operational for 5-10 years?

better than most modern appliances.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

better than most modern appliances.

Most modern appliances don't cost eleventy bibillion dollars.

 

[El Floppo]

Most modern appliances don't cost eleventy bibillion dollars.

speak for your own appliances.

 

[El Floppo]

but of course, I agree... considering we're getting that much use and more out of our Mars rovers.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

If we go through all this effort to just get an answer of "42", I'm asking for my money back.

 

[El Floppo]

btw... Ingenuity was the answer on Final Jeopardy yesterday.

 

[Tom Servo]

FBGs surely have an extra half million lying around in the couch cushions.  Who's going?

I’d drop that coin to get to see space. 

 

[El Floppo]

I’d drop that coin to get to see space. 

for a fraction of that I can you you put you in contact with uranus.

 

[Sinn Fein]

btw... Ingenuity was the answer on Final Jeopardy yesterday.

Interesting - the "theme" for the NYT crossword puzzle yesterday was "Martian Missions"

Jovial seasonal mood: christmasSPIRIT

Cost of not doing business, maybe: lostOPPORTUNITY

Why everyone loves a good train wreck: morbidCURIOSITY

Uniquely American cleverness: yankeeINGENUITY

 

[Tom Servo]

for a fraction of that I can you you put you in contact with uranus.

<_<

 

[foxco]

If we go through all this effort to just get an answer of "42", I'm asking for my money back.

Now that's a Deep Thought. 

 

[FBG26]

If we go through all this effort to just get an answer of "42", I'm asking for my money back.

Now that's a Deep Thought. 

Does anybody even know the question? 

 

[Runkle]

Does anybody even know the question? 

Of course. "What do you get when you multiply six times nine?"

42. Checks out. 

 

[The Z Machine]

Just launch the damn thing already!

 

[Galileo]

10 Webb telescope facts

Wait. It's only supposed to be operational for 5-10 years?

Hubble was shooting for 15 yrs. 30 and counting...

 

[Sand]

10 Webb telescope facts

Wait. It's only supposed to be operational for 5-10 years?

Conservatism on top of conservatism.  There is a limit to the fuel in the telescope to allow for aiming, etc.  The real timeline is much, much longer.

NASA prepares to launch the James Webb Space Telescope, perhaps the most extraordinary piece of technology in history. What could go wrong? @JoelAchenbach asks. NASA actually has an answer: The mission faces 344 possible "single-point failures."
 

If it makes you feel any better the program lead for JW came to our place a while back (we worked on this one a ton, too, including one super duper critical path that we kicked ### on) and he was very confident on everything but the launch.  And Arianne is the most mature system out there right now, so this is as good as it gets.  They have tested the mechanisms here to death. 

BTW, fun fact, this is the program lead's brother.

 

[joffer]

alarm set

 

[The Z Machine]

BTW, I can't figure out why they don't build 3x of each of these things in case something goes awry. 

 

[jamny]

Let's do this!

 

[Sand]

Let's do this!

Nice Christmas present.  Looks like it is going well.

 

[Sand]

BTW, I can't figure out why they don't build 3x of each of these things in case something goes awry. 

It worked in Contact, right?

 

[joffer]

Lookin good

 

[Mjolnirs]

Wonderful to watch. When they were showing the computer generated image of the telescope as a black box atop the Rocket, I texted my buddy that works at Goddard. I told him THAT looked like the black box I saw packed in the corner when I visited him and he took us to see it. 

 

[Captain Cranks]

This has been 15 years in the making for my Dad who does scheduling for Hubble and now JW at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.  He's breathing a big sigh of relief.  

 

[Sand]

This has been 15 years in the making for my Dad who does scheduling for Hubble and now JW at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.  He's breathing a big sigh of relief.  

Not over yet, but I am glad for him. I know how much blood and sweat people have dedicated to this.

Similarly, I have a colleague who did 10k experiments that enabled the design of JW.  A full decade+ of his life.  Very happy for him as this is probably his major life work.

Unless the next one gets off the ground.  They're working on it.

 

[The Gator]

Live tracking of Webb 

https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html

 

[Sand]

James Webb fuel update.

 

[The Z Machine]

James Webb fuel update.

Sounds like things are going very very well for JWST.  Keep up the good work.

 

[Kal El]

So there’s a news article claiming that Pluto should be a planet again. Mostly it sounds like a debate thing, but if it happens, the list of planets in our Solar System would suddenly be much, much longer.

 

[2Squirrels1Nut]

Most modern appliances don't cost eleventy bibillion dollars.

Hopefully someone got the extended warranty and didn't just click through.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

So there’s a news article claiming that Pluto should be a planet again. Mostly it sounds like a debate thing, but if it happens, the list of planets in our Solar System would suddenly be much, much longer.

I feel like these brilliant minds could be spending their time on better things. We can circle back to this later. 

 

[Kal El]

I feel like these brilliant minds could be spending their time on better things. We can circle back to this later. 

I’m not sure, but I think they’re overestimating the gravity of the situation here.

 

[Galileo]

So there’s a news article claiming that Pluto should be a planet again. Mostly it sounds like a debate thing, but if it happens, the list of planets in our Solar System would suddenly be much, much longer.

But a study announced in December from a team of researchers in the journal Icarus now claims the IAU’s definition was based on astrology

Huh???

The researchers say Pluto should instead be classified as a planet under a definition used by scientists since the 16th century: that “planets” are any geologically active bodies in space.

Then we get to argue about what "geologically active" means...

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Huh???

Then we get to argue about what "geologically active" means...

Hey, you’re the expert around here. 

 

[Yo Mama]

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has flown through the sun’s upper atmosphere. 
 

Twitter link with images

 

[Yo Mama]

Live tracking of Webb 

https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html

Thanks for posting this - I’ve been having fun tracking this and following along with all the different stages/deployments. 

 

[The Z Machine]

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has flown through the sun’s upper atmosphere. 
 

Twitter link with images

That's misinformation in that Twitter link. Kim Jong Il already landed on the sun.

 

[2Squirrels1Nut]

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has flown through the sun’s upper atmosphere. 
 

Twitter link with images

Mama, that's where the fun is

 

[The Gator]

Thanks for posting this - I’ve been having fun tracking this and following along with all the different stages/deployments. 

It's constantly in an open tab for me. Love seeing the difference between time in days vs distance. 

Agreed, the info on all the deployments is fantastic, too.