The thread for space cadets!

[Samson]

Astrophotographer Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau captured the moment an enormous solar flare erupted from near the Sun’s south pole on 17 February. Most solar flares happen around the Sun’s equator — the unusual location of this one could be a sign that the Sun is about to enter the most active phase of its roughly 11-year cycle, the solar maximum. The 200,000-km-high jet of plasma eventually broke off and flew into space as a gigantic cloud, known as a coronal mass ejection.

 

[Comrade Ceasefire]

First antenna is installed on Square Kilometre Array Low telescope, as traditional owners welcome project

As first antenna is installed on groundbreaking 'time machine' telescope, traditional owners welcome project

As the first antenna is installed on the world's largest radio telescope in outback Western Australia, traditional elders say the $3 billion project brings hope for more opportunities in the desert region.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Samson]

Died by a "self inflicted wound" while in the process of testifying against Boeing in a whistleblower lawsuit? Sounds a little fishy to me.

Boeing whistleblower found dead in US

A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the firm's production standards has been found dead in the US.

In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.

It said the 62-year-old had died from a "self-inflicted" wound on 9 March and police were investigating.

 

[Kaitzilla]

The telemetry stopped at 8:04 with a flash as Starship blew part of itself up to abort.
The Flight Termination System (FTS)

Emergency Flight Termination System for SN10 is in place; Starship test flight imminent - SpaceFlight Insider

SpaceX recently installed the flight termination system on Starship SN10 in what has proven to be a key event that signals a flight attempt.

www.spaceflightinsider.com

Here is a telescope that saw the flash and zoomed in at 8:10 to see the following minute

Death spiral at 100 miles up.

If anyone watches the original full video, at 7:06 Starship turns from a large glowing dot into a bushy-tailed comet
The Liquid Oxygen Gauge (LOX) starts falling a lot faster than the Liquid Methane Guage (CH4) over the next 60 seconds.
Fuel leak?

After a minute of that I guess the computer calculated there was no way to achieve the mission.
CH4 needs the Liquid Oxygen to combust and burn in space.

So a bunch of months later, Starship Launch #3 was attempted today on March 14th, 2024.

It worked!
Mostly.
Didn't quite get the re-entry.

If they can get it to work, we can have crazy good satellite internet, moon missions, and Mars missions because not everything will have to be folded up like an accordion.
Starship is very roomy.

 

[ls612]

SpaceX effectively has demonstrated they now have an expendable rocket with more payload to orbit than a Saturn V. That is absolutely incredible! Hopefully they can figure out landing faster for this than for the Falcon 9.

 

[Qactus]

Solar Orbiter has sent some beautiful footage from the sun's surface, captured with its Extreme-Ultraviolet Imager:

 

[stfoskey12]

NASA had to scrub the launch of the Boeing Starliner craft due to a buzzing valve on the associated Atlas V rocket. It would have been the first launch of Starliner with humans aboard. However, it appears the problem will likely be fixed within a week or two.

MSN

 

[really]

Northern Lights over my house in Ireland tonight. Clearest I've ever seen it.
I woke my daughter up to see.

 

[Comrade Ceasefire]

South Australia can into space (with a little German help) and a candle powered rocket!

 

[Samson]

Pictures of the milky way

Spoiler More :

 

[Narz]

I want that camera (or eyes that can see that)

 

[Samson]

I want to know what the red swirls and stuff is. These came from nature, so I do not think they are just cosmetic add ons, but I cannot think what they are.

There are so many more on the award site and they have the details of the gear.

Spoiler THE 2024 MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR :

EXIF

Sky Panorama: 17 x 30s @ F2.5 / ISO 3200
Foreground/Reflection Panorama: 18 x 30s @ F1.8 / ISO 6400
Including Focus Stack

So that means a 30 second exposure?

CAMERA GEAR

• Nikon Z6 Astromodified
• Sigma 28mm F1.4 Art
• iOptron Skyguider Pro
• Benro TMA28A Tripod

Total cost by my maths = $2272.94

 

[Michkov]

Those should be HII regions. Basically ionized bubbles of hydrogen gas. Usually there is a hot massive star in its center those have enough power to ionize the hydrogen. They also carve out the bubbles in the gas clouds due to their massive radiation output.

 

[Samson]

Those should be HII regions. Basically ionized bubbles of hydrogen gas. Usually there is a hot massive star in its center those have enough power to ionize the hydrogen. They also carve out the bubbles in the gas clouds due to their massive radiation output.

You think they are at astronomical distances? I guessed that they took so much for the visual field they had to be atmospheric phenomena, but I know nothing.

 

[uppi]

You think they are at astronomical distances? I guessed that they took so much for the visual field they had to be atmospheric phenomena, but I know nothing.

Yes, I would say that these are mundane clouds with spectular illumination.

 

[Cutlass]

Pictures of the milky way

Spoiler More :

Do you know why there are areas in the otherwise brightest part of the pictures that look like they are obscured by something dark?

 

[EnglishEdward]

Two things:

(a) Dust clouds

(b) Perspective,

Novas have a spherical wave front that lights things up in a bubble.

Looking at the centre of the bubble where the nova was, one is looking
perpendicular to the bubble and one merely sees the light emitted from
the transverse width of the thin section of the light emitting edge.

But looking at up, down, left or right of the bubble, one sees that bubble
edge obliquely i.e. sideways on, and the length of the light emitting edge that
one can can see is longer than the transverse edge, so it appears brighter.

 

[Samson]

Do you know why there are areas in the otherwise brightest part of the pictures that look like they are obscured by something dark?

I do not know if the dark areas of those pictures are the same as the dark bits of real astronomical pictures of the milky way, but I think those are dust in our arm of the galaxy obscuring the main body.

 

[Michkov]

You think they are at astronomical distances? I guessed that they took so much for the visual field they had to be atmospheric phenomena, but I know nothing.

They are at astronomical distances, but they are close compared to the disk structure you pointed out to Cutlass. You have to keep in mind that we are sitting in the disk ourselves that skews the perspective. Here is some further reading if you are interested http://galaxymap.org/drupal/node/35

 

[Kaitzilla]

After years of delays and 2 scrubbed launches, the Boeing Starliner got 2 astronauts to the space station.
Docking was delayed a bit due to helium leaks with the docking thrusters.

Boeing’s Starliner finally soars, but mission control reports more helium leaks

Despite new leaks, mission control says Starliner can still dock with the space station.

arstechnica.com

Brave folks.
I'm sure most know my opinion on modern-day Boeing.