Astronomy / The Universe

[Captain America]

Wife has bought me this http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5234015 as I was commenting on I fancied a telescope after reading this thread

 

Set it up the other day but been cloudy last few nights, hoping to take it out over next few nights. I am complete novice to all this so any tips are appreciated.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Wife has bought me this http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5234015 as I was commenting on I fancied a telescope after reading this thread

 

Set it up the other day but been cloudy last few nights, hoping to take it out over next few nights. I am complete novice to all this so any tips are appreciated.

Good luck.  You'll have lots of enjoyment from that once you get used to it.

 

There are plenty of good tips on this thread, so take a few minutes and scan through the posts to find them.

 

Clouds and light pollution are your biggest enemies.  Looking at the moon over the next few days won't be interesting as it's nearly full.  That means there are no shadows, and it's the shadows that make the moon's features visible.  Viewing the moon is much better during the first and third quarters.

[Bauld]

The views of the moon, mars and Venus have been tremendous this winter.

 

Been a real enjoyment to wrap up warm and sit out with the scope and watch them.

[Tommy Brown]

Going to sound a real dick here.

 

Love looking at the stars when walking the mutt. Orion & plough are my limit.

 

Lat week there has been a really bright light in the west.

I assumed it was Jupiter, tried looking a planet maps but struggle to understand.

 

So the first few stars you see at night, mostly facing south are they planets?

 

Need a good link to understand where to see the planets.

[Boab]

Going to sound a real dick here.

 

Love looking at the stars when walking the mutt. Orion & plough are my limit.

 

Lat week there has been a really bright light in the west.

I assumed it was Jupiter, tried looking a planet maps but struggle to understand.

 

So the first few stars you see at night, mostly facing south are they planets?

 

Need a good link to understand where to see the planets.

 

 

Probably Venus, mate. The brightest thing in the sky after the sun and the moon.

[Maple Leaf]

Going to sound a real dick here.

 

Love looking at the stars when walking the mutt. Orion & plough are my limit.

 

Lat week there has been a really bright light in the west.

I assumed it was Jupiter, tried looking a planet maps but struggle to understand.

 

So the first few stars you see at night, mostly facing south are they planets?

 

Need a good link to understand where to see the planets.

The bright light is Venus.  Slightly higher and to the left of Venus is Mars.

 

Here's a link you might find useful:

 

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury

[North Berwick Jambo]

Going to sound a real dick here.

 

Love looking at the stars when walking the mutt. Orion & plough are my limit.

 

Lat week there has been a really bright light in the west.

I assumed it was Jupiter, tried looking a planet maps but struggle to understand.

 

So the first few stars you see at night, mostly facing south are they planets?

 

Need a good link to understand where to see the planets.

I have one of those free star rover apps on my phone that shows you everything when you pan your phone about the night sky , it's pretty cool.

[maroonlegions]

For those interested in what lies out there.

 

A new website wants your help finding new nearby worlds!

 

Learn more and join the hunt:

 

Link;  www.backyardworlds.org

[maroonlegions]

NASA holding a press conference on a discovery outside our solar system this Wednesday.

 

Indications are pointing to a likely hood that it will be something to do with those exoplanets orbiting other stars other than our sun outside our solar system.  

 

This can be viewed on NASA TV at this link.

https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.ht

 

 

1 p.m., Wednesday, February 22 - Spitzer Exoplanet Science Briefing (all channels).

 

 

link;  NASA to Host News Conference on Discovery Beyond Our Solar System;

 

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-host-news-conference-on-discovery-beyond-our-solar-system.

 

 

Also another discovery made recently, this time on Ceres.The discovery of organic material on the surface of Ceres.

 

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/dawn-discovers-evidence-for-organic-material-on-ceres

Edited February 21, 2017 by maroonlegions

[maroonlegions]

Tomorrow's NASA news conference is likely to be about exoplanets  beyond our solar system and possibly the discovery of one or more particularly Earth-like planets - and not about extraterrestrial life.

 

 NASA announcements like these in the past  are often worded somewhat cryptically mainly to build and attract  interest and speculation.

 

But also a telling  fact is that these findings are under  an "embargo" by the highly credible science journal  called "Nature", this adds to the sense that possibly something big and mysterious has been discovered too.

 

I am watching with interest but i  don't expect any definitive announcement about the discovery/existence of extraterrestrial life though..  lol; 

[John Gentleman]

Maybe they've figured out what Tabby's Star is actually up to?

[maroonlegions]

Maybe they've figured out what Tabby's Star is actually up to?

 

good shout.

[North Berwick Jambo]

If i am correct this is live in just under two hours time at 6pm GMT or 7pm where i am yes? Also has any other announcement from NASA had an embargo on it before?

[maroonlegions]

If i am correct this is live in just under two hours time at 6pm GMT or 7pm where i am yes? Also has any other announcement from NASA had an embargo on it before?

 

Not sure about any other announcement having embargo on it.

 

Think embargoes are just a way of  protecting those  who  done the discovering do not get there results or work  copied or having others claim sole responsibility for the discovery at hand. 

Edited February 22, 2017 by maroonlegions

[maroonlegions]

Had a feeling it would be about new earth sized exoplanets orbiting their sun in there  habitual zones.

 

NASA has confirmed it just now.

 

These seven exoplanets are located in the system known as TRAPPIST-1.

 

 

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed the first known system of seven Earth-size planets around a single star. Three of these planets are firmly located in the habitable zone, the area around the parent star where a rocky planet is most likely to have liquid water.

 

The discovery sets a new record for greatest number of habitable-zone planets found around a single star outside our solar system. All of these seven planets could have liquid water ? key to life as we know it ? under the right atmospheric conditions, but the chances are highest with the three in the habitable zone.

 

 

?This discovery could be a significant piece in the puzzle of finding habitable environments, places that are conducive to life,? said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the agency?s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. ?Answering the question ?are we alone? is a top science priority and finding so many planets like these for the first time in the habitable zone is a remarkable step forward toward that goal.?

 

 

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-telescope-reveals-largest-batch-of-earth-size-habitable-zone-planets-around

 

 

Edited February 22, 2017 by maroonlegions

[maroonlegions]

They Found Us?: NASA Receive First Audio From New Planets;

http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2017/02/23/bollocks-they-found-us-nasa-receive-first-audio-from-new-planets/

 

 

   

[maroonlegions]

Seems this is the age on new discoveries in relation to space and the universe.

 

 

 

A Potential Dark Matter Signature Has Been Seen in The Andromeda Galaxy

NASA's Fermi Telescope has looked at the gamma-ray emission of M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, and discovered the largest fraction of this powerful radiation co

IFLSCIENCE.COM

 

 

[maroonlegions]

NASA taking "terraforming" to a whole new level. 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop is happening right now at NASA headquarters in Washington DC. The workshop is meant to discuss ambitious space projects that could be realised, or at least started, by 2050".

 

 

 

NASA Considers Magnetic Shield to Help Mars Grow Its Atmosphere

NASA Planetary Science Division Director, Jim Green, says launching a magnetic shield could help warm Mars and possibly allow it to become habitable.

POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 

 

Edited March 2, 2017 by maroonlegions

[maroonlegions]

Big discoveries being made by NASAs space telescope .The Kepler mission in particular is throwing up some very important findings.

 

 

NASA's Kepler Mission Findings --"Point to a Universe of Solar Systems Similar to Earth's"

Astronomers have found that far-away planet systems are shaped like the solar system, with multiple planets aligning with the host star on a flat plain, in a?

DAILYGALAXY.COM

 

 

Edited March 6, 2017 by maroonlegions

[maroonlegions]

And there"s more.

 

 

 

Undiscovered Giant Planets --"May Lurk in the Neighborhood of Our Own Sun"

There may be a large number of undetected bright, substellar objects similar to giant exoplanets in our own solar neighborhood, according to new work from a?

DAILYGALAXY.COM

 

 

[maroonlegions]

This is going live tomorrow night on BBC"s Stargazing programme, the search for a possible ninth planet in our solar system.

 

I have been following this through a project called Zooniverse.

 

Anyone can get involved, its easy to join up and register.

 

 

Received this e-mail today from them below;

 

 

 

"Hi there,

 

We need your help to review a very special new project - Planet 9

 

We will be launching this project tomorrow evening on live television,(BBC Stargazing), and just want to make sure it's in the best possible shape before we do that.

 

The project involves looking through images from the SkyMapper telescope in Australia in a bid to discover the hypothesised 9th planet in our Solar System! It doesn't go live until tomorrow night.

 

Try it out now at www.zooniverse.org/projects/skymap/planet-9 and give us your feedback via this form https://goo.gl/forms/NyjOkgwbPV0Hokbg1 (which you can also reach by clicking the link on the project itself).

 

Cheers,

 

Grant & the Zooniverse Team.

 

link to join up or just check it out.

 

https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/skymap/planet-9

 

 

 

 

WORDS FROM THE RESEARCHER;

 

"We have the unique chance to do something that no human has done in over 150 years - discover a new planet in our Solar System. Imagine being the first person in human history to spot Planet 9. I can't wait!"

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2017 by maroonlegions

[Maple Leaf]

 

This is going live tomorrow night on BBC"s Stargazing programme, the search for a possible ninth planet in our solar system.

 

I have been following this through a project called Zooniverse.

 

Anyone can get involved, its easy to join up and register.

 

 

Received this e-mail today from them below;

 

 

 

"Hi there,

 

We need your help to review a very special new project - Planet 9

 

We will be launching this project tomorrow evening on live television,(BBC Stargazing), and just want to make sure it's in the best possible shape before we do that.

 

The project involves looking through images from the SkyMapper telescope in Australia in a bid to discover the hypothesised 9th planet in our Solar System! It doesn't go live until tomorrow night.

 

Try it out now at www.zooniverse.org/projects/skymap/planet-9 and give us your feedback via this form https://goo.gl/forms/NyjOkgwbPV0Hokbg1 (which you can also reach by clicking the link on the project itself).

 

Cheers,

 

Grant & the Zooniverse Team.

 

link to join up or just check it out.

 

https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/skymap/planet-9

 

 

 

 

WORDS FROM THE RESEARCHER;

 

"We have the unique chance to do something that no human has done in over 150 years - discover a new planet in our Solar System. Imagine being the first person in human history to spot Planet 9. I can't wait!"

 

 

 

 

Have your ever thought about the possibility of our sun as being part of a binary system, and that there is another sun in our solar system called Nemesis?

 

If there is a Nemesis, and it has an extremely elliptical orbit around Sol, that could explain the apparent regularity of mass extinctions on earth.

 

It's very hypothetical, but it's intriguing (at least to me).

[superjack]

Have your ever thought about the possibility of our sun as being part of a binary system, and that there is another sun in our solar system called Nemesis?

 

If there is a Nemesis, and it has an extremely elliptical orbit around Sol, that could explain the apparent regularity of mass extinctions on earth.

 

It's very hypothetical, but it's intriguing (at least to me).

I do enjoy a good thought provoking thread or reply on KB. This 1 will have my head stewing all day now.

[inspector]

I'd never heard of Nemesis but googled it after reading this thread

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemesis_(hypothetical_star)

Edited March 28, 2017 by inspector

[maroonlegions]

Have your ever thought about the possibility of our sun as being part of a binary system, and that there is another sun in our solar system called Nemesis?

 

If there is a Nemesis, and it has an extremely elliptical orbit around Sol, that could explain the apparent regularity of mass extinctions on earth.

 

It's very hypothetical, but it's intriguing (at least to me).

 Yes i have an open mind on most things, our solar system i feel could very well contain undiscovered objects .

 

Lets hope the advancement of scientific technologies in the field of astronomy can yield more understanding of just what is lurking in the  vastness of not only our solar system but  others out there as well.

 

  NASAs Kepler and Hubble space telescopes have contributed so much in the way of all those extra-solar  planets that have been discovered.

 

Other suns beyond our solar system and in other galaxies that have planets orbiting their parent suns have now been conformed by the on going data from  NASAs Kepler Exoplanet mission.

 

Would be an outstanding discovery if indeed another sun or planet was confirmed within our solar system. 

 

Hope there are some answers  or insights in tonight's BBC Stargazing programme on this possible new planet within our solar system.

 

Space eh, whats really out there and what is still waiting to be discovered .

[deesidejambo]

I'd never heard of Nemesis but googled it after reading this thread

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemesis_(hypothetical_star)

Maybe ML should have googled this before posting.

 

Nah! Doing research? Nah!

[maroonlegions]

Maybe ML should have googled this before posting.

 

Nah! Doing research? Nah!

 

What the feck are you slavering about, 

 

Maybe you should  have actually visited the links i posted from Zoomiverse before posting such an idiotic remark.

 

Secondly since when did you become any kind of authority on the search for  a possible 9th planet.. hilarious post.Stinks of trolling but you new that two eh.

 

If anything  my last post  reinstates with  MapleLeafs  but again  you knew that , anything for a cheap dig eh.. sad.

 

Nice attempt at trying to derail the thread with a personal; dig, not the first time from you is it.

 

You taking part in the search for the 9th planet..  NAH!  of course you aint. You done any research on it from the links i posted?? NAH of course you aint.

 

Right back to Stargazing live as it was on live pause.

[deesidejambo]

What the feck are you slavering about,

 

Maybe you should have actually visited the links i posted from Zoomiverse before posting such an idiotic remark.

 

Secondly since when did you become any kind of authority on the search for a possible 9th planet.. hilarious post.Stinks of trolling but you new that two eh.

 

If anything my last post reinstates with MapleLeafs but again you knew that , anything for a cheap dig eh.. sad.

 

Nice attempt at trying to derail the thread with a personal; dig, not the first time from you is it.

 

You taking part in the search for the 9th planet.. NAH! of course you aint. You done any research on it from the links i posted?? NAH of course you aint.

 

Right back to Stargazing live as it was on live pause.

Yawn.

 

You post pash that, if you had any sense, would research yourself first and find that a lot of it is shite that has since been debunked.

 

You still believe crop circles are made by aliens zooming around in UFOs?

[Bigsmak]

I must have looked at 200 pictures on the hunt for planet 9 tonight... My eyes are starting to go funny? 

[maroonlegions]

Wee heads up from the Zooniverse project that is engaging with the public's help in trying to locate a possible planet 9 within our solar system.

 

Anyone who watched the BBCs Stargazing program last night will have heard about Zooniverse and what it is doing in regards to finding a possible planet 9.

 

Anyway one person has located two objects that have different colours to their background colour,this indicates that the objects in question have moved over a course of time. This movement is one indicator of a planets characteristic, thats if they are objects i may add. 

 

 

The below images of the night sky are made up of superimposed images taken on different nights using coloured filters,any object that is of a different colour to its background colour indicates that it has moved over a number of nights ,as a planet would do.

 

No other info is present  at the moment in regards to these two objects ,if indeed  that is what they are, but its an ongoing work in progress.

 

Below is a snap shot of an area of the night sky showing two objects  of different colour, one green and one red to their respective background colours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The image below is what is known as a "prime data" and is a fantastic example of what these astrophysicists/astronomers are looking for in regards to planet 9.

 

The circled dots in green the image below  are objects that have MOVED over a number of nights.

 

 

 

As in an earlier post regarding Zooniverse there are links provided below for more detail and a chance to either keep up to date with the project or even sign up and take part.

 

links;

 

https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/skymap/planet-9?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=P9Beta27Mar2017

 

 

Hi there,

 

We need your help to review a very special new project - Planet 9

 

The project involves looking through images from the SkyMapper telescope in Australia in a bid to discover the hypothesised 9th planet in our Solar System!

 

Cheers,

 

Grant & the Zooniverse Team.

 

 

[maroonlegions]

I must have looked at 200 pictures on the hunt for planet 9 tonight... My eyes are starting to go funny? 

 

 Imagine you discovered it and were given the chance to name the new planet, what would you choose.

[maroonlegions]

Looking forward to tonight's final instalment of BBCs Stargazing.

 

Tonight they will look at the objects detected by some members of the public who took part online  in the search for the 9th planet.

 

Has been a very good response from the public but now the the experts take over and see if these objects have any real merit to be considered as  real candidates.

[Bindy Badgy]

BBC programme is available on Iplayer for the next month.

[maroonlegions]

BBC programme is available on Iplayer for the next month.

 

Yes i know, good  to know too.

 

Shit i should have googled that though, ML  researching nah!!   

[Maple Leaf]

Looking forward to tonight's final instalment of BBCs Stargazing.

 

Tonight they will look at the objects detected by some members of the public who took part online  in the search for the 9th planet.

 

Has been a very good response from the public but now the the experts take over and see if these objects have any real merit to be considered as  real candidates.

Interesting stuff, but I'm a wee bit surprised that they're visually searching for a possible 9th planet.  I would have thought that looking for perturbations in the orbits of the outer planets would have been a better clue.  And that is mainly mathematics.

 

Also, if there is a 9th planet, I'm assuming that they're looking for something bigger than Pluto.

[maroonlegions]

Interesting stuff, but I'm a wee bit surprised that they're visually searching for a possible 9th planet.  I would have thought that looking for perturbations in the orbits of the outer planets would have been a better clue.  And that is mainly mathematics.

 

Also, if there is a 9th planet, I'm assuming that they're looking for something bigger than Pluto.

 

Yes i agree with your point you made on "perturbations" in the orbits of outer planets, indeed this was touched upon by the professor on Stargaze in tonight's program who is   involved with  Zoomiverse"s search for the 9th planet.

 

I recall he said that there was  a lot of "unknowns"  discovered through this ongoing project , (members of the public have been engaging in this) , and that those "unknowns" will  be looked at, they are going to train their telescopes on such unknowns and see what comes up.

 

He also said that planet 9 could be smaller than first thought and that it could be further out in orbit,  way beyond Pluto in fact.  

 

Seems they agreed that the search for planet 9 continues and will be ongoing through Zoomiverse.

 

Those still interested should keep up to date with the site Zoomiverse  in which can be accessed buy the links i have provided on this thread.  

 

The bit on Black Holes covered by "Stargazing" was good too.

 

Always had the opinion that  deep space , our solar system,and beyond holds so many secrets  that are still  waiting to be discovered by science.

 

That is  the beauty of it,for my part anyway, that  no one really knows what is out there, hopefully projects like this with the aid of members of the public will help to loosen that noose of just what is out there even if its just  in our own solar system and not in the countless others out there in other galaxies 

 

Its like one big cosmic "tease" by  deep space its self. like its saying ..."come and find our secrets" ... "if you can" ...

Edited March 30, 2017 by maroonlegions

[Maple Leaf]

Yes i agree with your point you made on "perturbations" in the orbits of outer planets, indeed this was touched upon by the professor on Stargaze in tonight's program who is   involved with  Zoomiverse"s search for the 9th planet.

 

I recall he said that there was  a lot of "unknowns"  discovered through this ongoing project , (members of the public have been engaging in this) , and that those "unknowns" will  be looked at, they are going to train their telescopes on such unknowns and see what comes up.

 

He also said that planet 9 could be smaller than first thought and that it could be further out in orbit,  way beyond Pluto in fact.  

 

Seems they agreed that the search for planet 9 continues and will be ongoing through Zoomiverse.

 

Those still interested should keep up to date with the site Zoomiverse  in which can be accessed buy the links i have provided on this thread.  

 

The bit on Black Holes covered by "Stargazing" was good too.

 

Always had the opinion that  deep space , our solar system,and beyond holds so many secrets  that are still  waiting to be discovered by science.

 

That is  the beauty of it,for my part anyway, that  no one really knows what is out there, hopefully projects like this with the aid of members of the public will help to loosen that noose of just what is out there even if its just  in our own solar system and not in the countless others out there in other galaxies 

 

Its like one big cosmic "tease" by  deep space its self. like its saying ..."come and find our secrets" ... "if you can" ...

Please excuse me if my questions seem inane. I don't see the same TV programs that you watch, so I'm just dribbling on with my own knowledge on this subject.

 

Are they suggesting that the 9th planet is more than a dwarf planet like Pluto?  As you know, Pluto isn't the only dwarf, so finding another dwarf planet would be less than exciting.

 

But if they find, say, Neptune-sized planet beyond the Kuiper Belt, that would definitely be newsworthy.

[John Gentleman]

 Imagine you discovered it and were given the chance to name the new planet, what would you choose.

 

"Outlier" At least it gets away from mythical Greek names.

[deesidejambo]

"Outlier" At least it gets away from mythical Greek names.

Pedantry but the planets are named after Roman mythology.

[maroonlegions]

Please excuse me if my questions seem inane. I don't see the same TV programs that you watch, so I'm just dribbling on with my own knowledge on this subject.

 

Are they suggesting that the 9th planet is more than a dwarf planet like Pluto?  As you know, Pluto isn't the only dwarf, so finding another dwarf planet would be less than exciting.

 

But if they find, say, Neptune-sized planet beyond the Kuiper Belt, that would definitely be newsworthy.

 

Hi ML, please dont take the following as in any way a personal gripe at you , its just i often find myself at some point in a debate having to go on the defensive and not  letting myself rise to the usual troll/s.

 

After all "man maketh manners".

 

Listen i am  just passing on knowledge from Zoomiverse and what was said on the BBC programme Stargazing.

 

Why dont you visit those links if you have not already??

 

I am no astronomer as you well know, This is an ongoing project that BBC Stargazing included over the nights it aired its programs.

 

This also has nothing to do with what  TV programmes i watch, i merely included BBC Stargazing  for the reasons highlighted in several posts.

 

Why dont you visit the links i have provided and you will find all the answers to your questions there.

 

Also see all your questions above why dont you sign up from the links below and ASK  the experts who can answer them, again if fir any reason you have not done so already.

 

This project is run by qualified scientific individuals who wanted to engage the public, NASA have done similar in the past and will in the future like the SETI project.

 

Zoomiverse is now collecting all the data it has received from those that bothered to take part in its search for the 9 planet.

 

It has now started a new one called "Backdoor Worlds" and is now stepping up its hunt not only for a possible 9th planet i may add.

 

In essence they still believe something is causing a gravitational "pull" on  some of the orbits of some  of Kuiper Belt Objects that POINTS to the presence of a possible 9th planet.

 

Hope this can answer some of your questions as i believe visiting and reading up from the site Zoomiverse is a better option than posing such questions to me directly.

 

Hopefully i am not wasting my time in providing yet more links for this ongoing project??

 

Also good to see that  a particular troll is getting away with  posting "OFF TOPIC"  personal insults AGAIN. This thread could very well do without such childish and sad slaverings or from those that offer nothing to the debate but creepy stalking like posts aimed at the poster and not the topic. 

 

If any one has doubts over the credibility of this Zoomiverse project or has issues with it then let them  contact the scientific team on there and put their points to them, i know from engaging with some of them that they would be happy to explain just what they are doing in regards for the hunt for planet 9.

 

  

Here is a diagram below from the "Backyard Worlds;Planet 9" project team.

 

Here is a diagram showing some of the orbits of some Kuiper Belt Objects (L91, FT28, SR349 etc.) that point to the presence of planet nine. It also shows a possible orbit for planet nine. Source: (Diagram) G. Grull?n/Science; (Data) Scott Sheppard/Michele Bannister.

 

 

 

 

Also here is some more info on the next part of the hunt for a possible planet 9.

 

 

We need your help searching for new objects at the edges of our solar system. In this project, we'll ask you to help us distinguish real celestial objects from image artefacts in data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission.

 

The real objects are brown dwarfs and low-mass stars, the Sun's nearest neighbours. You may find an object closer than Proxima Centauri (the closest star to the Sun) or even discover the Sun's hypothesised ninth planet, which models suggest might appear in these images.

 

 

https://youtu.be/P8pRUP3jNIY

 

 

What are the Sun's nearest neighbors? 

 

You may have heard of Proxima Centauri, the star nearest the sun. But most of the Sun's nearest neighbours are not stars, but brown dwarfs, balls of gas too big to be called planets but too small to be called stars.

 

We've learned by extrapolating from recent discoveries that there is likely a hidden population of brown dwarfs floating by the solar system. This population contains the coldest known brown dwarfs, known as "Y dwarfs," which are very similar to planets that just don't orbit other stars. Together, we will try to find these rogue worlds to better understand how both stars and planets form.

 

 

 

Yip more links;

 

https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9

 

Link for signing up and answers to any questions, AGAIN.

 

Send us your questions through the TALK network!

We'll pick the most frequently asked ones and answer them here.

 

https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9/about/faq

[maroonlegions]

"Outlier" At least it gets away from mythical Greek names.

 

Mines would be ..  FTH...

 

No but seriously i would name it "Rudi 5-1" 

 

Imagine in a science class,

 

"right boys and girls who can name the 9th planet in our solar system??

 

"Rudi 5-1 miss"  

Edited March 31, 2017 by maroonlegions

[maroonlegions]

For anyone still interested in taking part in the hunt for planet 9 or just plain curious here is NASAs take on it.

 

 

 

  "On the website, people around the world can work their way through millions of "flipbooks," which are brief animations showing how small patches of the sky changed over several years. Moving objects flagged by participants will be prioritised by the science team for follow-up observations by professional astronomers.

 

"Participants will share credit for their discoveries in any scientific publications that result from the project".

 

"Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 has the potential to unlock once-in-a-century discoveries, and it's exciting to think they could be spotted first by a citizen scientist," said team member Aaron Meisner, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in analyzing WISE images.

 

Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 is a collaboration between NASA, UC Berkeley, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Arizona State University, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and Zooniverse, a collaboration of scientists, software developers and educators who collectively develop and manage citizen science projects on the internet.

 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages and operates WISE for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The WISE mission was selected competitively under NASA's Explorers Program managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center. The science instrument was built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah. The spacecraft was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colorado. Science operations and data processing take place at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. 

 

 

Above a brown dwarf shows up as a moving brown dot. This was taken from the WISE images spanning five years. The point here is that by viewing movies like this anyone has the potential to discover more of these objects and possibly planet 9.

 

   Above we have Mike Brown  professor of planetary  astronomy at the California Institute of Technology pointing to the gold ring showing a potential orbital path of planet 9 in relation to the orbits of "Trans-Neptunian Objects.  

 

Links;

For more information about Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, visit: http://backyardworlds.org/

For more information about NASA's WISE mission, visit:    http://www.nasa.gov/wise            

[Bigsmak]

I think I'd go with Rudi 5-1 as well.. class name..

[maroonlegions]

MARK YOUR AGENDA!

 

NASA to Reveal New Discoveries in News Conference on Oceans Beyond Earth.

 

NASA will discuss new results about ocean worlds in our solar system from the agency?s Cassini spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope during a news briefing 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 13.

 

The event, to be held at the James Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, will include remote participation from experts across the country.

The briefing will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's website...

 

More here: https://www.nasa.gov/?/nasa-to-reveal-new-discoveries-in-ne?

[Ulysses]

Aliens spotted surfing.

 

Nap.

 

 

[maroonlegions]

Aliens spotted surfing.

 

Nap.

 NASA debunks such nonsense NAP. 

[maroonlegions]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[maroonlegions]

We update on the search for planet 9, seems that 4 candidates have been found but more investigations and research is needed.

 

 

A concentrated three-day search for a mysterious, unseen planet in the far reaches of our own solar system has yielded four possible candidates. The search for the so-called Planet 9 was part of a real-time search with a Zooniverse citizen science project, in coordination with the BBC?s Stargazing Live broadcast from the Australian National University?s Siding Spring Observatory.

 

 

 "Tucker said he and his team at ANU will work to confirm whether or not the unknown space objects are Planet 9 by using telescopes at Siding Spring and around the world, and he encouraged people to continue to hunt for Planet 9 through Zooniverse project, Backyard Worlds: Planet 9.

[maroonlegions]

Looking like this evenings live  NASA TV broadcast about its  latest discovery on ocean worlds beyond earth concerns Saturn"s icy moon Enceladus".

 

This might have to do with with recent findings that some parts of Enceladus surface are warmer than usual.

 

This points to  "hydro-thermal vents" below those areas. 

 

If there is life beyond earth in any form then this is were if will be found, the building block of future understanding and deep space missions .

 

 

What secrets is she hiding??  .. this mysterious and beautiful moon of Saturn named Enceladus.

 

Image of Enceladus credit NASA;

 

?This discovery opens new perspectives to investigate the emergence of habitable conditions on the icy moons of the gas giant planets,? says Nicolas Altobelli, ESA?s Project Scientist for Cassini?Huygens.

 

?If Enceladus? underground sea is really as close to the surface as this study indicates, then a future mission to this moon carrying an ice-penetrating radar sounding instrument might be able to detect it.?

 

?Finding temperatures near these three inactive fractures that are unexpectedly higher than those outside them adds to the intrigue of Enceladus,? said Cassini Project Scientist Linda Spilker at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. ?What is the warm underground ocean really like and could life have evolved there?

 

These questions remain to be answered by future missions to this ocean world.?  

 

Feel free to submit your mission proposals in the comment section below?  

 

Sources: Universe Today - ESA, JPL

 

Paper: Thermally anomalous features in the subsurface of Enceladus?s south polar terrain? by A. Le Gall et al. (2017), published in Nature Astronomy

Edited April 13, 2017 by maroonlegions

[maroonlegions]

I see Tabbys Star is at it again.

 

This is all about the sudden dimming of an otherwise unremarkable star 1300 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. KIC 8462852 or ?Tabby?s star? .

 

It has dimmed like this several times before, prompting some researchers to suggest that the mega-structures of an advanced alien civilisation might be blocking its light.

 

 Of course this has still to be proved but based on new data from numerous telescopes?it?s doing it again, the dimming that is,giving rise to the claim that something is passing by the star that is causing its light to dim.

 

One other theory is that the star is "variable" or is surrounded by dusty clouds or dusty comets or that planets around it had collided  or were still forming  and that was causing the dimming. 

 

 

?This is the first clear dip we have seen since [2013], and the first we have ever caught in real time,? says Jason Wright, an astronomer at Pennsylvania State University in State College. If they can rope in more telescopes, astronomers hope to gather enough data to finally figure out what?s going on. ?This could be the first of several dips about to come,? says astronomer David Kipping of Columbia University. ?Many observers will be closely watching.?

 

KIC 8462852 was first noticed to be dipping in brightness at seemingly random intervalsbetween 2011 and 2013 by NASA?s Kepler telescope. Kepler, launched to observe the stellar dimming s caused when an exoplanet passes in front of its star, revealed that the dimming of Tabby?s star was much more erratic than a typical planetary transit. 

 

It was also more extreme, with its brightness sometimes dropping by as much as 20%. This was not the passage of a small circular planet, but of something much larger and more irregular.

 

link; http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/star-spurred-alien-theories-dims-again

Edited May 25, 2017 by maroonlegions