What's happening in space (that's interesting)

Woolen_Horde · 2022-09-21T18:08:31.454Z

Put a ring on it

NASA

New Webb Image Captures Clearest View of Neptune’s Rings in Decades

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows off its capabilities closer to home with its first image of Neptune.

for_nasa.gov_imagea-neptune1059×1059 66 KB

jpinard · 2022-09-21T19:29:09.303Z

Quite concerned about this.

Universe Today – 20 Sep 22

Uh oh, There's a Problem With one of Webb's Science Instruments

James Webb is currently experiencing problems with its MIRI instrument. The team decided to stop observations in the MRS mode.

Est. reading time: 2 minutes

Woolen_Horde · 2022-09-22T22:30:29.280Z

France 24 – 22 Sep 22

Water in asteroid dust offers clues to life on Earth

Specks of dust retrieved by a Japanese space probe from an asteroid some 300 million kilometres from Earth have revealed a surprising component: a drop of water, scientists said Friday.

HideousRex · 2022-09-22T23:58:03.844Z

Space.com – 22 Sep 22

NASA's planetary defense mission will test asteroid deflection, but how...

It's pretty close to what we would do if an asteroid threatened, but there are some key differences.

On Sept. 26, NASA will crash a spacecraft into an asteroid to disrupt its path. The space rock isn’t predicted to collide with Earth, nor is any other known asteroid or large object. The impact is a test — the crux of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. Though there is no true impending collision, the DART mission closely mimics what NASA scientists would do if an asteroid were headed toward Earth. The mission will also give scientists valuable data that will better prepare them to redirect a large asteroid or comet if one were to head toward us.

Strollen · 2022-09-23T21:42:55.994Z

It seems that NASA is feeling the pressure to launch Artemis.

Ars Technica

NASA seems to be in full “send it” mode for the Artemis I mission

Space agency officials seem OK with leaving the rocket out in a tropical storm.

Tortilla · 2022-09-23T21:53:08.454Z

Strollen:

It seems that NASA is feeling the pressure to launch Artemis.

After this mean years and billions of dollars, they’d better be. If they don’t get that thing to orbit prior to SpaceX getting a Super Heavy/Starship up there then the SLS will lose all of its bragging rights. The SpaceX offering is, if the projected capabilities are true, superior to the SLS in pretty much every way.

dgallina · 2022-09-24T01:00:07.198Z

Tortilla:

If they don’t get that thing to orbit prior to SpaceX getting a Super Heavy/Starship up there then the SLS will lose all of its bragging rights.

Is that even worse than blowing them up from being overly hasty to launch, though? I agree that SLS has mostly been a boondoggle, but we don’t want to create our own Soviet-style N1 either.

Ginger_Yellow · 2022-09-26T22:07:43.445Z

DART impact in a little over an hour.

Woolen_Horde · 2022-09-26T22:12:38.623Z

Alistair · 2022-09-26T23:16:42.710Z

Impact!

I feel safer already.

sillhouette · 2022-09-26T23:18:35.474Z

Last guidance report was under 20m from target center, there should be great measurable results visible.

Woolen_Horde · 2022-09-26T23:19:28.631Z

There’s an Italian satellite that piggybacked with DART to observe. Wonder how long it’ll be before we get the images.

TimJames · 2022-09-26T23:19:50.182Z

I was moments too slow to make this joke post. Glad someone thought of it!

I mean sending another probe, not making the joke.

Woolen_Horde · 2022-09-26T23:22:07.575Z

So many ground-based telescopes were observing. C’mon, someone put those imagse up already.

sillhouette · 2022-09-26T23:23:51.998Z

hat trick

twitter.com

D4RKW3B HQ

@D4RKW3B_HQ

@washingtonpost This is fake. Earth is flat. God wouldn’t let that happen to us

11:21 PM - 26 Sep 2022 1

Nightgaunt · 2022-09-26T23:52:55.983Z

If you haven’t used binoculars or a telescope (don’t need a fancy one) to see Jupiter’s moons, you really must–and now is the time to do it.

No exaggeration, the first time I did this several years ago with my kids it was a life-changing moment. We’d looked at the moon and Venus and Mars before. But something about seeing five celestial bodies in one view, arrayed in a line that describes their plane of orbit so you can almost feel them spinning… Nothing else I’ve seen takes the hypothetical knowledge in your head that there are worlds out there and crunches it down to hard facts: There Are Worlds Out There.

Went out and saw them again last night and it’s still the same. Amazing that it was only some 400 years ago that they–the first objects, excepting our moon, to be seen orbiting a planet–were first sighted by a human being (guy named Galileo). Imagine the feeling of watching them move night after night, spinning like a tiny top through the sky and stretching your understanding of the whole cosmic order.

Maybe everyone following this thread has had this experience already, but in case someone hasn’t, get out there with whatever equipment you have and see it for yourself.

Nightgaunt · 2022-09-27T00:02:12.734Z

Just saw this:

twitter.com

Daniel Solis: Das Kartenspiel

@DanielSolis

This one's for the Yucatan!#DARTMission https://t.co/6q3OWSB2Qr

11:26 PM - 26 Sep 2022 5 1

Woolen_Horde · 2022-09-27T02:10:44.865Z

Go to http://www.google.com

Type in “NASA Dart”

Hit enter.

sharaleo · 2022-09-27T03:29:33.648Z

Nightgaunt:

No exaggeration, the first time I did this several years ago with my kids it was a life-changing moment. We’d looked at the moon and Venus and Mars before. But something about seeing five celestial bodies in one view, arrayed in a line that describes their plane of orbit so you can almost feel them spinning… Nothing else I’ve seen takes the hypothetical knowledge in your head that there are worlds out there and crunches it down to hard facts: There Are Worlds Out There.

First time I looked at Saturn through my telescope and saw the rings myself, was exactly the same feeling.

CraigM · 2022-09-27T03:34:51.038Z

I was actually out last night looking at Jupiter and Saturn. Seeing the moons of Saturn aligned with the rings and seeing the ring separation is magical.

I actually just ordered a set of light filters for my telescope. While looking at Jupiter is incredible, the reality is it is so bright that I can only just barely make out color bands.

Supposed to arrive Wednesday, which is still pretty close to perfect viewing conditions.