Astronomy / The Universe

[JFK-1]

Sky-watchers across much of the UK can look forward to a stunning spectacle on Sunday evening when a total lunar eclipse will turn the full Moon red. As it passes through Earth's shadow, it will take on a deep red hue, creating a striking "Blood Moon".

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8739rrez23o

 

[inspector]

17 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

Sky-watchers across much of the UK can look forward to a stunning spectacle on Sunday evening when a total lunar eclipse will turn the full Moon red. As it passes through Earth's shadow, it will take on a deep red hue, creating a striking "Blood Moon".

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8739rrez23o

 

Oh good. Rain forecast on Stornoway 

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

1 hour ago, inspector said:

Oh good. Rain forecast on Stornoway 

Being on the wrong side of the world forecast for Kalamazoo

 

[inspector]

4 hours ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

Being on the wrong side of the world forecast for Kalamazoo

 

Don't worry. It's still pissing down here. I'll just use my imagination (or my colouring pencils). It'll happen again, but not sure if it will happen in my lifetime.🤔

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

43 minutes ago, inspector said:

Don't worry. It's still pissing down here. I'll just use my imagination (or my colouring pencils). It'll happen again, but not sure if it will happen in my lifetime.🤔

December 31, 2028 so hang on in there  

 

[JFK-1]

In pictures: Blood Moon captivates sky-gazers around the world

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx25nyjl4pdo

[Horatio Caine]

1 hour ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

December 31, 2028 so hang on in there  

 

Too much cloud that night.

[hughesie27]

Had a look at about half 8 but it just looked like it bodes any other night.

[JFK-1]

Makes some great points describing how unlikely it is we are here at all far less building technology. It would appear he agrees with me on that, the odds against any complex multicellular life at all far less technologically advanced life are literally astronomical. The rare earth hypothesis.

 

 

[Cade]

SpaceX hoping to perform Test Flight 11 of the Starship programme tonight, lift-off scheduled for around 11:30pm UK time, 13th Sept.

This is the last test flight of the current configuration of the booster and ship, with new revised versions coming down the pipeline for future launches, as well as a new launch pad.

 

 

 

[Mikey1874]

On 20/07/2025 at 23:57, Lone Striker said:

Very interesting texture and colour on that rock in the foreground.   Its mind-blowing that we can actually sit at home and watch such detail from fecking Mars.    Insane.

 

Sunset 

 

 

[scott herbertson]

On 17/04/2025 at 14:07, Maple Leaf said:

I get your point, but it's not that far away.

 

 

is it just very small instead?

[scott herbertson]

https://www.wired.com/story/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-is-spewing-water-like-a-cosmic-fire-hydrant/

 

[JFK-1]

Northern Lights set to dazzle UK this week due to possible 'severe' geomagnetic storm

 

There is a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the early hours of Wednesday or on Wednesday night in many parts of the UK. That is because the Sun is going through an active phase experiencing a number of eruptions, called Coronal Mass Ejections. These send solar particles towards the Earth.

 

https://www.bbc.com/weather/articles/cpv13jpmxw7o

[DG_HMFC]

The Aurora Borealis put on a bit of a show over the last couple of hours until the cloud started to roll in.

 

Deep red colour above and a greenish colour towards the horizon.

 

First I've seen them.

 

I imagine it'd be a much better show away from all the light pollution.

[JFK-1]

I always thought lightning required clouds.

Lightning detected on Mars for the first time, scientists say

 

Scientists believe they have recorded electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere for the first time, suggesting the planet is capable of lightning. Nasa's Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars in 2021, was sent to search for signs of biology and has spent the last four years exploring the Jezero Crater region.

Electrical discharges nicknamed "mini lightning" were picked up from audio and electromagnetic recordings made by the rover's SuperCam instrument. Scientists hope new instruments for measuring atmospheric discharges and more-sensitive cameras could be sent to Mars to try to confirm the findings.

 

Full article https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q5w13e58zo

[Jingle Bells]

17 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

I always thought lightning required clouds.

Lightning detected on Mars for the first time, scientists say

 

Scientists believe they have recorded electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere for the first time, suggesting the planet is capable of lightning. Nasa's Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars in 2021, was sent to search for signs of biology and has spent the last four years exploring the Jezero Crater region.

Electrical discharges nicknamed "mini lightning" were picked up from audio and electromagnetic recordings made by the rover's SuperCam instrument. Scientists hope new instruments for measuring atmospheric discharges and more-sensitive cameras could be sent to Mars to try to confirm the findings.

 

Full article https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q5w13e58zo

Volcanic eruptions can generate lightening

[Lone Striker]

The story of Voyager 1 is mind-boggling.    

 

 Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 remains one of humanity’s most remarkable engineering achievements. Now in interstellar space over 15 billion miles from Earth, it relies on technology that predates modern computing, showcasing both the brilliance and limitations of its era.

Here’s why its aging systems are a marvel—and a challenge for today’s engineers:

 Obsolete Tech, Timeless Design

 8-Track Tape Recorder:
Voyager 1 uses a digital 8-track tape recorder to store data before transmitting it to Earth. While archaic by today’s standards, this system was cutting-edge in the 1970s. The recorder’s mechanical durability has allowed it to operate for decades in the vacuum of space.

 69.63 KB of Memory:
The spacecraft’s computer has less memory than a basic calculator (69.63 kilobytes). To put this in perspective, a single smartphone photo today is millions of times larger. This tiny memory stores critical flight software and scientific instrument commands.

 FORTRAN Code:
Voyager’s programming is written in FORTRAN, a language developed in the 1950s and rarely used today. Engineers must decipher decades-old code to troubleshoot issues, relying on paper documentation and the expertise of retired programmers.

 The Engineering Nightmare

 50-Year-Old Blueprints: With many original engineers retired or deceased, modern teams rely on handwritten notes, schematics from the 1970s, and institutional knowledge passed down through generations.

 Debugging Across Light-Hours: Commands take 22 hours to reach Voyager 1, and responses take another 22 hours to return. Engineers must anticipate problems and test fixes in software emulators that mimic the spacecraft’s vintage systems.

 Radiation Hardening: Unlike modern electronics, Voyager’s components are radiation-hardened to survive cosmic rays. Replicating or replacing these parts is nearly impossible today.

 Why It Still Works

 Redundancy: Voyager was built with backup systems, allowing engineers to switch to secondary thrusters or power supplies when primary ones fail.

 Simplified Systems: Its limited software and hardware reduce points of failure. The lack of modern complexities (like multitasking) ensures stability.

 Human Ingenuity: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) maintains a small team of specialists trained to “think in 1970s” to keep Voyager operationa

 

 

[JFK-1]

 

Why Going to Mars Is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE | Brian Cox

 

Why is going to Mars physically impossible?

In this science documentary, Brian Cox explains why sending humans to Mars may be physically impossible — not because of money or ambition, but because of the fundamental limits of physics, distance, radiation, gravity, and human biology.

Mars has long been presented as humanity’s next great destination.
But when you calculate the distances, energy requirements, radiation exposure, communication delays, and the limits of the human body, a far darker reality emerges.

This video explores why going to Mars may be physically impossible with current and near-future technology. Topics covered include:

– Why Mars is hundreds of times harder to reach than the Moon
– Why communication delays make real-time mission control impossible
– How radiation in deep space threatens human survival
– Why landing large payloads on Mars remains unsolved
– Why returning from Mars may be the hardest problem in spaceflight
– How physics, not optimism, sets the ultimate limits

Brian Cox walks through the cold, unforgiving physics behind interplanetary travel and explains why Mars is not just difficult — but fundamentally hostile to human life.
This is not science fiction. This is physics.

 

 

[Bigsmak]

6 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

 

Why Going to Mars Is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE | Brian Cox

 

Why is going to Mars physically impossible?

In this science documentary, Brian Cox explains why sending humans to Mars may be physically impossible — not because of money or ambition, but because of the fundamental limits of physics, distance, radiation, gravity, and human biology.

 

 

Is that Brian Cox - it doesn't sound like him?  Its more AI? also - I'm about 4 or 5 mins in and some of the stuff said is just wrong - 

 

Actually - Its even in the description - 

 

This channel is not affiliated with Brian Cox. All content is created for education, reflection, relaxation, and appreciation of science — for those who seek truth, not comforting illusions, and who understand that the universe is beautiful, powerful, and indifferent… yet endlessly fascinating. Subscribe and journey with us into the cosmos.

 

[hughesie27]

1 hour ago, Bigsmak said:

 

Is that Brian Cox - it doesn't sound like him?  Its more AI? also - I'm about 4 or 5 mins in and some of the stuff said is just wrong - 

 

Actually - Its even in the description - 

 

This channel is not affiliated with Brian Cox. All content is created for education, reflection, relaxation, and appreciation of science — for those who seek truth, not comforting illusions, and who understand that the universe is beautiful, powerful, and indifferent… yet endlessly fascinating. Subscribe and journey with us into the cosmos.

 

The actual post from JFK actually reads as AI too but I never bothered watching the video.

[JFK-1]

I was aware it's AI generated but everything he's saying appears to be accurate. I did wonder if Cox himself is aware of it, you would think so.

[hughesie27]

20 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

I was aware it's AI generated but everything he's saying appears to be accurate. I did wonder if Cox himself is aware of it, you would think so.

Accurate based on what?

 

 

[JFK-1]

1 hour ago, hughesie27 said:

Accurate based on what?

 

 

 

Based on known science, almost everything he is saying I have heard before and it all checks out. If anything I would say it's a pessimistic view of going to Mars but realistic for a long time to come. For the foreseeable future we cannot even go there far less live there.

[Ulysses]

2 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

 

Based on known science, almost everything he is saying I have heard before and it all checks out. If anything I would say it's a pessimistic view of going to Mars but realistic for a long time to come. For the foreseeable future we cannot even go there far less live there.

 

It's also more AI slop.  When watching videos, it's generally a good idea to set your critical faculties switch to the ON position.

[JFK-1]

2 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

It's also more AI slop.  When watching videos, it's generally a good idea to set your critical faculties switch to the ON position.

 

I always have critical faculties on, it's an accurate representation of the challenges involved in travelling to Mars. If you can dispute anything stated in it go ahead, I would be interested in that. Science fact isn't slop. 

[Ulysses]

1 minute ago, JFK-1 said:

 

I always have critical faculties on, it's an accurate representation of the challenges involved in travelling to Mars. If you can dispute anything stated in it go ahead, I would be interested in that. Science fact isn't slop. 

 

Why would I add wasting my time to the fact that you wasted yours?  The only reason the video even looks like it might be interesting is because it pretends to be connected with Brian Cox.  If nobody could be bothered actually scripting and making the video, why bother watching it at all?  It's cheap synthetic crap, regardless of what it says.

[Ulysses]

8 hours ago, hughesie27 said:

The actual post from JFK actually reads as AI too but I never bothered watching the video.

 

Fair comment.  He didn't even write the post.  It's a cut and paste from the description posted with the video.  Probably wasn't even written by whichever account uploaded the video.

[JFK-1]

7 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

Why would I add wasting my time to the fact that you wasted yours?  The only reason the video even looks like it might be interesting is because it pretends to be connected with Brian Cox.  If nobody could be bothered actually scripting and making the video, why bother watching it at all?  It's cheap synthetic crap, regardless of what it says.

 

Well there's where we disagree. I don't give the proverbial where information comes from or how it's compiled, all I care about is the validity. It's valid and if you didn't watch it you can't even comment on it. I learn from it, if you don't want to fine, you're wasting my time on pointless nonsense while having SFA to say about the actual topic it's presenting. While talking about not wasting time. 
 

[Ulysses]

2 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

 

Well there's where we disagree. I don't give the proverbial where information comes from or how it's compiled, all I care about is the validity. It's valid and if you didn't watch it you can't even comment on it. I learn from it, if you don't want to fine, you're wasting my time on pointless nonsense while having SFA to say about the actual topic it's presenting. While talking about not wasting time. 
 

 

The person who made the video didn't even bother their arse to script and film it, they just used a computer to generate it.

 

You didn't even bother your arse to write the post where you barfed it onto JKB, you just copied and pasted it.

 

It's meant to be a bit of a science thread.  Make a bit of an effort, eh?

[JFK-1]

3 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

The person who made the video didn't even bother their arse to script and film it, they just used a computer to generate it.

 

You didn't even bother your arse to write the post where you barfed it onto JKB, you just copied and pasted it.

 

It's meant to be a bit of a science thread.  Make a bit of an effort, eh?

 

Look make a bit of an effort to **** off and stop bothering me with this mindless babble. I write posts containing hundreds or even thousands of words on this thread, so you can **** off with the make an effort too. Tell you what to ensure it I will now put you in ignore now, you're welcome to do the same since you're so obsessed with a video you don't even know the content of.

[Ked]

1 minute ago, JFK-1 said:

 

Look make a bit of an effort to **** off and stop bothering me with this mindless babble. I write posts containing hundreds or even thousands of words on this thread, so you can **** off with the make an effort too. Tell you what to ensure it I will now put you in ignore now, you're welcome to do the same since you're so obsessed with a video you don't even know the content of.

 

 

I know mate.

Uly probably just bored and picking a fight.

To be honest I couldnae be ****ed going to mars anyway.

 

[Ulysses]

1 minute ago, JFK-1 said:

 

Look make a bit of an effort to **** off and stop bothering me with this mindless babble. 

 

Did you even watch the video?  I mean, you couldn't be bothered spending a couple of minutes writing a post, so did you spend and hour and a bit actually watching the video?

 

While you're thinking about that one...

 

 

'Human race needs to expand beyond Earth,' says Prof Brian Cox

 

Professor Brian Cox doesn't think humans will get to Mars until the 2040s | Daily Mail Online

 

 

Two sets of comments about actually going to the actual planet Mars by some fella called Professor Brian Cox, though maybe it's a different Professor Brian Cox to the one you thought you were watching, or maybe the BBC and the Daily Mail didn't bother talking to the actual Professor Brian Cox, and just made up an AI version and got it to say whatever they wanted.

 

[Ked]

34 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

Did you even watch the video?  I mean, you couldn't be bothered spending a couple of minutes writing a post, so did you spend and hour and a bit actually watching the video?

 

While you're thinking about that one...

 

 

'Human race needs to expand beyond Earth,' says Prof Brian Cox

 

Professor Brian Cox doesn't think humans will get to Mars until the 2040s | Daily Mail Online

 

 

Two sets of comments about actually going to the actual planet Mars by some fella called Professor Brian Cox, though maybe it's a different Professor Brian Cox to the one you thought you were watching, or maybe the BBC and the Daily Mail didn't bother talking to the actual Professor Brian Cox, and just made up an AI version and got it to say whatever they wanted.

 

I'm tempted to quote a scientific piece regarding quantum physics about how he could be right but you seem a bit grumpy.

😂😂

[Jacques de Gauthier]

JFK-1 is AI, no? Or at least A.

[hughesie27]

11 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

 

Based on known science, almost everything he is saying I have heard before and it all checks out. If anything I would say it's a pessimistic view of going to Mars but realistic for a long time to come. For the foreseeable future we cannot even go there far less live there.

If it's physically Impossible to go then why are NASA and Musk investing Billions on going? 

 

[superjack]

4 hours ago, hughesie27 said:

If it's physically Impossible to go then why are NASA and Musk investing Billions on going? 

 

I think it's more a case of, with other current technology available, it is impossible for now.

[hughesie27]

3 hours ago, superjack said:

I think it's more a case of, with other current technology available, it is impossible for now.

In that case I could have saved JFK an hour of his time.

[Thunder and Lightning]

On 03/01/2026 at 01:47, JFK-1 said:

 

Look make a bit of an effort to **** off and stop bothering me with this mindless babble. I write posts containing hundreds or even thousands of words on this thread, so you can **** off with the make an effort too. Tell you what to ensure it I will now put you in ignore now, you're welcome to do the same since you're so obsessed with a video you don't even know the content of.

Wow, hundreds or even thousands of words? 

 

And yet you still manage to say nothing of note. 😂 

 

 

 

 

[Lone Striker]

NASA says Crew-11 astronaut is ill. ISS crew to return early

 

January 8, 2026

 

 

This is Crew-11, which has been aboard the International Space Station since August. From bottom left: Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman. From top left: cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui. Now one crew member is ill. All 4 are returning home a month early. Image via Robert Markowitz/ NASA.

 

Crew-11 astronaut is ill, triggering early return to Earth

NASA officials said in a news conference on January 8, 2026, that they are bringing the four astronauts of Crew-11 home early from the International Space Station (ISS). The day before, NASA had postponed a planned January 8 spacewalk due to what it said was a “serious medical condition” with one of the astronauts. NASA isn’t naming the astronaut or the specific illness, due to what it calls “privacy issues.” Crew-11 consists of Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui. The astronauts arrived at ISS in August 2025. They were set to return to Earth in February 2026.

 

During the news conference, NASA stressed that crew safety is its highest priority. So, due to the medical situation, NASA has decided to bring the astronauts home early. Because of privacy issues, NASA said, it will not name the astronaut nor the specific condition from which they are suffering. But it did say that the astronaut is stable but “needs help from doctors and equipment on the ground.”

 

NASA also said it is the first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station. But, NASA said, its actions are an effort to err on the side of caution. It stressed this is not an emergency.

 

NASA was able to say that the medical incident isn’t related to space station operations, or due to an injury.

 

The return to Earth will happen in the next couple days.

 

When Crew-11 leaves the space station, there will still be three other astronauts on board to maintain the operations there, including one American. The next astronauts to journey to the space station – Crew-12 – are not scheduled to launch until February 15. This is the first time NASA has cut a mission short to return an ailing astronaut to Earth.

 

[Fxxx the SPFL]

Just looking out the window towards Arthur Seat and positive that I can see the Space Station looks quite close although I could be talking 💩

[hughesie27]

12 hours ago, **** the SPFL said:

Just looking out the window towards Arthur Seat and positive that I can see the Space Station looks quite close although I could be talking 💩

It is easy to spot and there are websites that tell you exactly where in the sky it will appear and for how long (usually just a couple of minutes).

 

If it looked like a bright star and was moving across the sky about as fast or even faster than a plane would and then suddenly disappeared then it will have been.

 

Could also have been a random satellite too but for those youd really need to be focusing on a certain part of the sky as they wouldn't be as bright.

[Fxxx the SPFL]

3 minutes ago, hughesie27 said:

It is easy to spot and there are websites that tell you exactly where in the sky it will appear and for how long (usually just a couple of minutes).

 

If it looked like a bright star and was moving across the sky about as fast or even faster than a plane would and then suddenly disappeared then it will have been.

 

Could also have been a random satellite too but for those youd really need to be focusing on a certain part of the sky as they wouldn't be as bright.

Cheers probably wasn’t the space station then.

[hughesie27]

11 minutes ago, **** the SPFL said:

Cheers probably wasn’t the space station then.

Here is a site to track when you could see it.

 

https://www.astroviewer.net/iss/en/observation.php

 

Looks like the current opportunities are early morning just now. 

[Fxxx the SPFL]

4 hours ago, hughesie27 said:

Here is a site to track when you could see it.

 

https://www.astroviewer.net/iss/en/observation.php

 

Looks like the current opportunities are early morning just now. 

👍

[Cade]

NASA's SLS heavy lift rocket is rolling out to the pad this weekend in preparation for a crewed mission looping around the Moon, which is scheduled to launch on Feb 6th.

 

4 Astronauts will be aboard for this 10-day mission.