Space and stuff

[TheBlueGibbon]

Not aimed at you mate, but it does spin. Only at such a rate that is day is the same length as its year. The same way that the Moon spins at the same rate as it orbits the Earth, so an Earthbound observer only sees one side. It's called tidal locking.

 

[summerisle]

Not aimed at you mate, but it does spin. Only at such a rate that is day is the same length as its year. The same way that the Moon spins at the same rate as it orbits the Earth, so an Earthbound observer only sees one side. It's called tidal locking.

I just watch the pictures.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Still not big enough to see a flat earthers brain

I believe you'd need a microscope for that, not a telescope

 

[Dylan]

I remember reading that if you were to build an actual scale model of our solar system and made the Earth the size of a pea, Pluto would be 10km away and the size of a pin-head.

Not sure how accurate that is, but it's staggering if anywhere near correct. That's just our tiny little solar system... my head hurts now...

Some space expert involved with this voyage to the Sun explained how close it would get.

If Earth is a metre from the Sun, the probe will be a few centimetres away from it.

Type in to your search engine - scale model of solar system in sweden

 

[chrismpw]

If it does not spin, all I can think about is how does it have an atmosphere and therefore how can it possibly support life.

Its sun facing side will never experience the cooling effect of the night and become impossibly hot. I would guess that light atmospheric molecules would soon achieve escape velocity and boil off into space. Either that it find themselves in the permanent shadow facing extreme cold where they could end up condensing and not returning to the daylight side.

The twilight zone at best might see horrendous winds as hot gases shot to the cold side, but what would ever drive them to return?

 

[Dylan]

If it does not spin, all I can think about is how does it have an atmosphere and therefore how can it possibly support life.

Its sun facing side will never experience the cooling effect of the night and become impossibly hot. I would guess that light atmospheric molecules would soon achieve escape velocity and boil off into space. Either that it find themselves in the permanent shadow facing extreme cold where they could end up condensing and not returning to the daylight side.

The twilight zone at best might see horrendous winds as hot gases shot to the cold side, but what would ever drive them to return?

Just looking at it's characterstics.....it is 1.6 earth radius's.....so likely enough mass to retain an atmosphere. Also it's orbital period is only 17.9 days.

The way the winds work is by convection currents, and if there is life, it would be along the transition area between the two distinct sides of the planet. There will be the life supporting temperatures and conditions.

Also, it is worth pointing out that the tidal lock of its orbit is a theory due to it's proximity to it's parent star.

 

[chrismpw]

Just looking at it's characterstics.....it is 1.6 earth radius's.....so likely enough mass to retain an atmosphere. Also it's orbital period is only 17.9 days.

The way the winds work is by convection currents, and if there is life, it would be along the transition area between the two distinct sides of the planet. There will be the life supporting temperatures and conditions.

Also, it is worth pointing out that the tidal lock of its orbit is a theory due to it's proximity to it's parent star.

Can't just base a planets ability to retain an atmosphere on its mass. Sure, its a factor, but so is proximity to the star, heat output, spectral output and its affect on the specific molecules making the atmosphere.

As for the convection currents, sure I'm in agreement there, but factor in the losses as the gases condense on the cold side, which will drop atmospheric pressure so that any returning gases will be less in volume than the gases that are being supplied. Eventually what was the atmosphere could well be transported to the cold side of the planet for deposition, leaving the sunny side greatly thinned. I think the chances of a life supporting environment in the transition zone would be minimal.

 

[dholliday]

really good read musing about the future of building things in space via 3D-printing...some of it reads like a hard sci-fi novel:

'It's about expanding Earth': could we build cities in space?

 

[Vegas Toffee Girl]

 

[summerisle]

 

[Dharma]

 

[Eggs]

...Breaking News; two astronauts from the US and Russia are making an emergency landing after a Russian booster rocket carrying them into orbit to the International Space Station failed to launch.

 

[chrismpw]

...Breaking News; two astronauts from the US and Russia are making an emergency landing after a Russian booster rocket carrying them into orbit to the International Space Station failed to launch.

Yikes. Any updates?

 

[Eggs]

Yikes. Any updates?

..NASA saying they have made a successful emergency landing.

Sadly, I suppose such journey’s are taking place regularly these days but we are so blasé it only makes the news if something goes wrong.

 

[chrismpw]

..NASA saying they have made a successful emergency landing.

Sadly, I suppose such journey’s are taking place regularly these days but we are so blasé it only makes the news if something goes wrong.

50 years ago we were getting ready to land on the moon. The world watched, the media lapped it up and generations were inspired into science, myself included.

Today tv is filled with unknown 'celebrities', tv about tv and they watch the likes of "made in Chelsea."

I'm told we've progressed.