Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Wondrous skies
Just because the Space Shuttle didn’t fly, sensor problems since you ask, it’s no reason not to look at the stars. Especially over the next few nights. The Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak on Friday night at 1745 GMT and the source is pictured left [taken from this article] - a 5 km wide object known as 3200 Phaethon. Discovered in 1983 by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, the asteroid/comet/something is responsible for the dependable December display which was first observed in 1862. Some technical data here and there’s a fun interactive 3-D orbit diagram here [Java req]. The Guardian science blog has some more links - including this wondrous Flash animation. You’ll notice from the diagram [Java again] that Phaethon passes close to the Earth.. on 10 December this year it passed at approximately 18 million km from the Earth. It’s a Near Earth Object and is now catalogued as a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA).. and they have been known not to miss.. as some mammoths appear to have discovered in the past.. Just don’t tell Lembit.. Adds And in related news, QUB scientists, et al, get recognition for their work. Oh, and they’re here!
Pete Baker @ 05:41 PM
I don’t know why some scientists say those mammoths, sabre toothed tigers etc died out 10,000 years ago.
We know for a fact that they were still around by at most 6000 years ago. ;-)Posted by on Dec 12, 2007 @ 10:36 PMIsn’t it wonderful that, even in cloudy Belfast, astronomers can make useful contributions due to the wisdom of earlier ones to site their telescopes in sunnier climes.
Awesome!Posted by on Dec 13, 2007 @ 12:22 AMWhat’s your best rate for the black type / red type mix in your posts Pete? Do you think we’ll see one soon which is all links?
I once read a long piece on straight speech which was all made up of words of one piece (like this).
I can’t tell you where as it’s too long a name!
Posted by on Dec 13, 2007 @ 11:53 AMPete,
Cheers for this, I saw at least a dozen in half an hour last night.
Posted by on Dec 14, 2007 @ 02:44 PMGrr. While we had wonderful skies for the Perseids, cloudy skies this past two nights and forecast for tonight.
Posted by on Dec 14, 2007 @ 05:31 PMA bit too cloudy here too, Joe.
Still, half a dozen spotted in a short 15 mins viewing just now.
Posted by on Dec 14, 2007 @ 10:15 PM
