I have always thought of the universe as a giant's fart - a big bang, then expansion as the gas rushes and then diffuses away. I suppose some bright spark could disprove (without igniting!) my idea?
Joined: Feb 17 2002 Posts: 28357 Location: MACS0647-JD
ESA's LISA Pathfinder is another part of the search for gravitational waves, and this has now passed a milestone, which is just an amazing feat of technology.
[ (c) Copyright ESA/ATG medialab ]
Basically, the plan was, to have two detectors, in perfect and permanent freefall through space, so effectively completely "weightless", taking the measurements. T
How they did it (very briefly) was 1. Position the satellite at a point approx 1.5m km towards the Sun, where the gravity from Earth and Sun balance out (orbiting the first Sun–Earth ‘Lagrangian point’, L1.) 2. Release the two detectors so that they float freely within their respective containers 3. Using an incredibly sensitive steering mechanism, "fly" the spacecraft around the detectors! - no force will ever be applied to the free-floating detectors again, save the gravity that keeps them in orbit, and the spacecraft will when necessary make minute adjustments to its position, to keep the freefalling detectors in the centre of their housings.
So, the theory goes, the only thing that can cause a disturbance of the detectors would be a passing gravitational wave.
ESA's LISA Pathfinder is another part of the search for gravitational waves, and this has now passed a milestone, which is just an amazing feat of technology.
[ (c) Copyright ESA/ATG medialab ]
Basically, the plan was, to have two detectors, in perfect and permanent freefall through space, so effectively completely "weightless", taking the measurements. T
How they did it (very briefly) was 1. Position the satellite at a point approx 1.5m km towards the Sun, where the gravity from Earth and Sun balance out (orbiting the first Sun–Earth ‘Lagrangian point’, L1.) 2. Release the two detectors so that they float freely within their respective containers 3. Using an incredibly sensitive steering mechanism, "fly" the spacecraft around the detectors! - no force will ever be applied to the free-floating detectors again, save the gravity that keeps them in orbit, and the spacecraft will when necessary make minute adjustments to its position, to keep the freefalling detectors in the centre of their housings.
So, the theory goes, the only thing that can cause a disturbance of the detectors would be a passing gravitational wave.
That's an incredible feat of engineering and science. Hopefully, they'll get some results back in the future.
...Diagnosing SBD (Sporting Bipolar Disorder) since 2003... Negs bringing down the tone of your forum? Keyboard Bell-endery tiresome? Embarrassed by some of your own fans? Then you need... TheButcher I must be STOPPED!! Vice Chairman of The Scarlet Turkey Clique Grand Wizard Shill of Nibiru Prime & Dark Globe Champion Chairman of 'The Neil Barker School for gifted Clowns' "A Local Forum. For Local People"
Joined: Feb 17 2002 Posts: 28357 Location: MACS0647-JD
Awesome new images of the plane of our galaxy, the Milky Way, from the Southern hemisphere
Quote:A spectacular new image of the Milky Way has been released to mark the completion of the APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy (ATLASGAL). The APEX telescope in Chile has mapped the full area of the Galactic Plane visible from the southern hemisphere for the first time at submillimetre wavelengths — between infrared light and radio waves — and in finer detail than recent space-based surveys. http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1606/
To the right of the main page are links to various sizes of image, zoomable etc.
Awesome new images of the plane of our galaxy, the Milky Way, from the Southern hemisphere
Quote:A spectacular new image of the Milky Way has been released to mark the completion of the APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy (ATLASGAL). The APEX telescope in Chile has mapped the full area of the Galactic Plane visible from the southern hemisphere for the first time at submillimetre wavelengths — between infrared light and radio waves — and in finer detail than recent space-based surveys. http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1606/
To the right of the main page are links to various sizes of image, zoomable etc.
I have only been wrong once and thats because I thought I was wrong but I was wrong I was right!
Petty authoritarians aren’t man enough to challenge the actions of a person face to face; instead they incite a forum of rumour, innuendo and half truths, and impose rude sanctions to discourage those who dare question fairness.
...Diagnosing SBD (Sporting Bipolar Disorder) since 2003... Negs bringing down the tone of your forum? Keyboard Bell-endery tiresome? Embarrassed by some of your own fans? Then you need... TheButcher I must be STOPPED!! Vice Chairman of The Scarlet Turkey Clique Grand Wizard Shill of Nibiru Prime & Dark Globe Champion Chairman of 'The Neil Barker School for gifted Clowns' "A Local Forum. For Local People"
Ferocious Aardvark wrote:Pluto's icy plains - truly astonishing detail, the resolution is around 80 metres per pixel This is a screengrab of a partial image, but for the best view go to the page and click on the full length image and scroll. Awesome.
Ferocious Aardvark wrote:Pluto's icy plains - truly astonishing detail, the resolution is around 80 metres per pixel This is a screengrab of a partial image, but for the best view go to the page and click on the full length image and scroll. Awesome.
I have only been wrong once and thats because I thought I was wrong but I was wrong I was right!
Petty authoritarians aren’t man enough to challenge the actions of a person face to face; instead they incite a forum of rumour, innuendo and half truths, and impose rude sanctions to discourage those who dare question fairness.
Joined: Feb 17 2002 Posts: 28357 Location: MACS0647-JD
An awesome new view of the shadow of the Moon crossing the face of the Earth during the 9th March solar eclipse - as seen from the DSCVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory), from a distance of 1 million miles.
An awesome new view of the shadow of the Moon crossing the face of the Earth during the 9th March solar eclipse - as seen from the DSCVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory), from a distance of 1 million miles.
Joined: Feb 17 2002 Posts: 28357 Location: MACS0647-JD
Congrats to Toynbee School in Chandler’s Ford whose magnificent and intrepid teddy bear, Derek, has soared to 95,000 feet and in so doing, proved the shape of the globe!
Sadly, at the moment poor Derek is missing, probably abducted by aliens, but his achievement will forever make him a giant among bears. The amazing and heart-wrenching video of his epic and fearless journey here:
Congrats to Toynbee School in Chandler’s Ford whose magnificent and intrepid teddy bear, Derek, has soared to 95,000 feet and in so doing, proved the shape of the globe!
Sadly, at the moment poor Derek is missing, probably abducted by aliens, but his achievement will forever make him a giant among bears. The amazing and heart-wrenching video of his epic and fearless journey here:
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