Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

The Space Thread


Section_31
 Share

Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, littletedwest said:

Even as a kid this freaked me out. Whats at the end of the universe? Nothing.But even nothing is something 

Ive puzzled over this- it cant have a defined edge/barrier?? 

 

Ive also pondered, if Space is infinite, how we decide what route to take. In my infantile assumption, you get yourself into Space, then go left or right?

 

What happens if we just go up? Or indeed, down? 

 

Most images of the Solar system suggest it broadly level, orbiting the Sun- any craft that has left the solar system is adjudged to have done so by getting to the edge, somewhere around Pluto. 

Missing a trick there, just go up or down 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Dave D said:

Ive puzzled over this- it cant have a defined edge/barrier?? 

 

Ive also pondered, if Space is infinite, how we decide what route to take. In my infantile assumption, you get yourself into Space, then go left or right?

 

What happens if we just go up? Or indeed, down? 

 

Most images of the Solar system suggest it broadly level, orbiting the Sun- any craft that has left the solar system is adjudged to have done so by getting to the edge, somewhere around Pluto. 

Missing a trick there, just go up or down 

 

dig-up.gif

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Dave D said:

Ive puzzled over this- it cant have a defined edge/barrier?? 

 

Ive also pondered, if Space is infinite, how we decide what route to take. In my infantile assumption, you get yourself into Space, then go left or right?

 

What happens if we just go up? Or indeed, down? 

 

Most images of the Solar system suggest it broadly level, orbiting the Sun- any craft that has left the solar system is adjudged to have done so by getting to the edge, somewhere around Pluto. 

Missing a trick there, just go up or down 

Good question.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, Dave D said:

Ive puzzled over this- it cant have a defined edge/barrier?? 

 

Ive also pondered, if Space is infinite, how we decide what route to take. In my infantile assumption, you get yourself into Space, then go left or right?

 

What happens if we just go up? Or indeed, down? 

 

Most images of the Solar system suggest it broadly level, orbiting the Sun- any craft that has left the solar system is adjudged to have done so by getting to the edge, somewhere around Pluto. 

Missing a trick there, just go up or down 

Infinite would be in all directions. 

 

So whatever way you tell the cabbie to go, he's going to rip you off.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
2 hours ago, Gnasher said:

 

We'd create our own 'Tabby's star' effect for any alien astronomers gazing our way when the Earth \ Moon system passed in front of the Sun!

 

They'd wonder WTF was going on in that star system?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 28/01/2023 at 15:15, Rico1304 said:

This is the wiki page for one of the astronauts killed in the challenger disaster.  
 

Trigger warning: it’ll make you feel pretty hopeless. 
 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Resnik

My 5 year old asked me when I'm going to be an astronaut. I think she just assumes everyone gets a go. I had to let her down gently, since I'm 43 and of average intelligence.

 

There's a 'good' documentary on Netflix about the Challenger disaster (not that a disaster can be good). It's thought the crew may have been conscious (possibly but probably not awake) after the explosion - they spent almost three minutes falling to earth and hit the ocean at 200mph.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 24/01/2023 at 16:29, Dave D said:

Ive puzzled over this- it cant have a defined edge/barrier?? 

 

Ive also pondered, if Space is infinite, how we decide what route to take. In my infantile assumption, you get yourself into Space, then go left or right?

 

What happens if we just go up? Or indeed, down? 

 

Most images of the Solar system suggest it broadly level, orbiting the Sun- any craft that has left the solar system is adjudged to have done so by getting to the edge, somewhere around Pluto. 

Missing a trick there, just go up or down 

 

Bit late, I know but:

 

If the Universe is infinte, it has no boundary or edge. By definition, infinite means never ending so even if the stars and galaxies get fewer and fewer the further away from Earth you go, that doesnt mean those fewer stars and galaxies are at the' edge' of the Universe, just that there's what we call 'nothing' beyond them. That makes people thing there's an edge. Reality would be there's still be some atoms of gas etc and emptyness that goes on and on and on.

 

As for what route do we take, the answer is depends where you want to go. It's like the perenial question where is the centre of the Universe? The answer is, because it may be infinite, the centre is wherever you are at the time of asking. This would mean if you were an alien civilisation in Andromeda, the centre of the Universe would be where you \ they are compared to anyone in the Milky Way Galaxy.

 

There's no up or down in space and this goes back to the where is the centre of the Universe. Again, if it is infinite, you can go 'up' or 'down' or 'sideways' as much as you want but really, that direction is only relative to Earth and your intended destination because humans are conditioned to travelling in a 'direction.'

 

The Solar System is only level to your reference point on Earth. It isnt level with the plane of the galaxy or many other galaxies. It in fact rises and falls relative to that plane over a period of about 60 odd million years.

 

Then again, when you start talking about the 'observable' Universe you can argue from our perspective that there is an edge to it. But again, if someone was 10 billion light years away from us, they'd only 'see' 30 odd billion light years beyond us one way and 40 + 10 billion light years the other way from our perspective.

 

All fascinating stuff and blows my mind!

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, dockers_strike said:

 

Bit late, I know but:

 

If the Universe is infinte, it has no boundary or edge. By definition, infinite means never ending so even if the stars and galaxies get fewer and fewer the further away from Earth you go, that doesnt mean those fewer stars and galaxies are at the' edge' of the Universe, just that there's what we call 'nothing' beyond them. That makes people thing there's an edge. Reality would be there's still be some atoms of gas etc and emptyness that goes on and on and on.

 

As for what route do we take, the answer is depends where you want to go. It's like the perenial question where is the centre of the Universe? The answer is, because it may be infinite, the centre is wherever you are at the time of asking. This would mean if you were an alien civilisation in Andromeda, the centre of the Universe would be where you \ they are compared to anyone in the Milky Way Galaxy.

 

There's no up or down in space and this goes back to the where is the centre of the Universe. Again, if it is infinite, you can go 'up' or 'down' or 'sideways' as much as you want but really, that direction is only relative to Earth and your intended destination because humans are conditioned to travelling in a 'direction.'

 

The Solar System is only level to your reference point on Earth. It isnt level with the plane of the galaxy or many other galaxies. It in fact rises and falls relative to that plane over a period of about 60 odd million years.

 

Then again, when you start talking about the 'observable' Universe you can argue from our perspective that there is an edge to it. But again, if someone was 10 billion light years away from us, they'd only 'see' 30 odd billion light years beyond us one way and 40 + 10 billion light years the other way from our perspective.

 

All fascinating stuff and blows my mind!

 

I cant fathom it in my mind- the Earth is a round sphere. We launch out of it rising above it.

 

Surely you could then change course and go underneath it?  As you say, a quick google explains in some depth (that I dont fully comprehend) that its not possible as we only get our "up and down" sense from Gravity with Earth being central.

 

But with that in mind- how do you land on the moon? At some point you have to lower yourself onto it- which in itself is a very definite change of direction. Or even reach it in the first place? Is it, that as long as you are central with Earth you could pretty much fly in any direction and reach the moon?

 

My head hurts     

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Dave D said:

 

I cant fathom it in my mind- the Earth is a round sphere. We launch out of it rising above it.

 

Surely you could then change course and go underneath it?  As you say, a quick google explains in some depth (that I dont fully comprehend) that its not possible as we only get our "up and down" sense from Gravity with Earth being central.

 

But with that in mind- how do you land on the moon? At some point you have to lower yourself onto it- which in itself is a very definite change of direction. Or even reach it in the first place? Is it, that as long as you are central with Earth you could pretty much fly in any direction and reach the moon?

 

My head hurts     

 

A lot of it is because as humans, we're conditioned to ups and downs, edges and borders and something being finite. I think it helps if you ignore that conditioning when you talk about space.

 

As regards launching a rocket upwards if you're in the northern hemisphere and a rocket is launched from say Australia in the Southern hemisphere, rising or underneath becomes relevant to your perspective only. It can only be one to you but to someone in the southern hemisphere, that would be different.

 

The only common thing is a rocket launches away from the planet's centre of gravity or mass. Similarly when landing on the Moon, the landing is towards its centre of gravity or mass.

 

It's not wrong to think of launches as up and landings as down, but those terms are only really relevant to the centre of gravity or mass for those objects. Once freed from them in space, every direction is up, down and sideways at the same time.

 

Not saying all this is definitive, just the way I try and reconcile myself with it all!

 

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 'Are we alone?' question is fascinating. Some people frequently say the galaxy \ universe is so big, the sheer number of stars and planets means it is inevitable that we are not.

 

But, just because there are so many stars and planets, that might not be the case. This first vid uses the Drake Equation and what we know about star and planetary formation etc to be able do realistic number crunching. The result might surprise you.

 

 

 

The 2nd vid takes a different approach and theorises why complex life such as us, is a virtual one off in the whole universe!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

It was only in response to thebitch post who said that's what they were, I thought they were incoming planes but obviously they were to close together. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

KidD is determined to be a "space scientist" when she grows up and has asked for a telescope for her birthday in July. I've just picked up an entry level national geographic reflector telescope off of eBay for a good deal to stash away until then. 

 

Thinking of giving it to her earlier though if I can subtly set it up and get used to it. 

 

Anyone in Liverpool a star gazer? Are there any decent places to escape the light pollution? I see there's an a astronomer society who meet weekly near widnes with open public events, has anyone ever gone? 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Paulie Dangerously said:

KidD is determined to be a "space scientist" when she grows up and has asked for a telescope for her birthday in July. I've just picked up an entry level national geographic reflector telescope off of eBay for a good deal to stash away until then. 

 

Thinking of giving it to her earlier though if I can subtly set it up and get used to it. 

 

Anyone in Liverpool a star gazer? Are there any decent places to escape the light pollution? I see there's an a astronomer society who meet weekly near widnes with open public events, has anyone ever gone? 


That will be at Pex Hill in Widnes. There is an observatory there and also great for a walk around the old Quarry. I used to take the dog for a walk around there and imagine it would be an ideal place for star gazers due to the low light levels.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Fugitive said:


That will be at Pex Hill in Widnes. There is an observatory there and also great for a walk around the old Quarry. I used to take the dog for a walk around there and imagine it would be an ideal place for star gazers due to the low light levels.

Yeah that's it. Every week they meet there. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...