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Ditto:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamwoven
Finding planets beyond our Solar System is already tough, laborious work. But when it comes to confirmed exoplanets, an even more challenging task is determining whether or not these worlds have their own satellites – aka. “exomoons”. Nevertheless, much like the study of exoplanets themselves, the study of exomoons presents some incredible opportunities to learn more about our Universe."
https://www.universetoday.com/137615...-sized-planet/
Yes, it seems to be so. I have never heard of the Minor Planet Center. Couple of post being advertised. I'm too old for that, happy enough to be retired and with a pension I can live on.
And now that:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/...ystem-a2017-u1
I thought this was interesting!
https://www.universetoday.com/137642...ide-milky-way/
Those patches of snow are probably the remnants of Ceres' ocean.
https://www.universetoday.com/137656...t-ceres-ocean/
Yes, where there is snow there is water. At least, that´s how it used to be.
This article is related, what regards the constitution of planets.
"Astronomers discover sunscreen snow falling on hot exoplanet
Date:
October 26, 2017
Source:
Penn State
Summary:
Astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to find a blistering-hot giant planet outside our solar system where the atmosphere 'snows' titanium dioxide -- the active ingredient in sunscreen. These observations are the first detections of this 'snow-out' process, called a 'cold trap,' on an exoplanet. The research provides insight into the complexity of weather and atmospheric composition on exoplanets, and may someday be useful for gauging the habitability of Earth-size planets."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...1026135325.htm
Yes, its strange how we keep getting caught out by such phenomena like snow falling on a planet that is very close to its star...
There are quite advanced plans to build a space telescope whose main task would be to investigate the planets round the nearest star to us Alpha Centauri: https://www.universetoday.com/137618...lpha-centauri/
Again a very expensive project.
About the blue moon...
"What Is a Blue Moon?
A "Blue Moon" is a fairly infrequent phenomenon involving the appearance of an additional full moon within a given period. But which period — there are two definitions of the term, and one was borne out of a misunderstanding of the other.
The older meaning defines a Blue Moon as the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. Called a seasonal Blue Moon, this occurs about every 2.5 years, according to NASA. Why the third moon? There are roughly 29.5 days between full moons, making it unusual for two full moons to fit into a 30- or 31-day-long month. (This means that February will never have a blue moon.) Seasons normally have three full moons, and some of them, for traditional and religious reasons, must occur at specific times of the year. So, the "Moon Before Yule" is always the one before Christmas.
The other meaning is that a Blue Moon is the second full moon within a single calendar month. This definition — a monthly Blue Moon — has gained popularity in recent years because of a misinterpretation of an almanac's original definition... "
https://www.space.com/15455-blue-moon.html
This is a neat topic, thank you, Danik!
https://www.universetoday.com/137641...hrust-records/
This is a post that indicates savings in both power and thrust while doing so very effectively. Just a small advance, perhaps but never the less worth noting.
https://astronomynow.com/2017/10/26/...ling-galaxies/
This is unexpected but potentially exciting. Evidence of the new physics?
Just registering:
"If this “wobbling” is not an unknown astrophysical phenomenon and in fact the result of the behaviour of dark matter, then it is inconsistent with the standard model of dark matter and can only be explained if dark matter particles can interact with each other – a strong contradiction to the current understanding of dark matter. This may indicate that new fundamental physics is required to solve the mystery of dark matter."
https://astronomynow.com/2017/10/26/...ling-galaxies/
Well, off to Mars!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamwoven
"When it comes to the future of space exploration, a number of new technologies are being investigated. Foremost among these are new forms of propulsion that will be able to balance fuel-efficiency with power. Not only would engines that are capable of achieving a great deal of thrust using less fuel be cost-effective, they will be able to ferry astronauts to destinations like Mars and beyond in less time.
...
Hall-effect thrusters have garnered favor with mission planners in recent years because of their extreme efficiency. They function by turning small amounts of propellant (usually inert gases like xenon) into charged plasma with electrical fields, which is then accelerated very quickly using a magnetic field. Compared to chemical rockets, they can achieve top speeds using a tiny fraction of their fuel."
Yes, that is my view too. It can still revolutionise our thinking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Danik 2016