Figured, why not...got every other kind of natural activity covered. ;-)

So this is the space discussion thread to cover space weather and the like. Some of the main sites out there to check out:

http://www.spaceweather.com/
http://www.space.com/
http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html
http://esa-spaceweather.net/
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/neo/groups.html
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html

Here are some images that will update automatically...

_____Current Auroral Oval __ _____ Latest Solar Surface Image ___

http://www.spaceweather.com/POES_PICS/poes_latest240_northamerica.gif http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/LATEST/current_eit_195small.gif

__Current Sunspot Map __ _______ Coronal Holes _____


http://www.spaceweather.com/images2011/29sep11/hmi200.gif http://www.spaceweather.com/images2011/29sep11/coronalhole_sdo_200.gif

Near Earth Object Information

Every now and then you'll hear about NEO's or asteroids getting too close for comfort. Each one is assigned a designated Torino Scale number based on their thread.
Currently Observed NEO's & Risk Assessment: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/

No Hazard (White Zone)
0 - The likelihood of a collision is zero, or is so low as to be effectively zero. Also applies to small objects such as meteors and bodies that burn up in the atmosphere as well as infrequent meteorite falls that rarely cause damage.

Normal (Green Zone)
1 - A routine discovery in which a pass near the Earth is predicted that poses no unusual level of danger. Current calculations show the chance of collision is extremely unlikely with no cause for public attention or public concern. New telescopic observations very likely will lead to re-assignment to Level 0.

Meriting Attention by Astronomers (Yellow Zone)
2 - A discovery, which may become routine with expanded searches, of an object making a somewhat close but not highly unusual pass near the Earth. While meriting attention by astronomers, there is no cause for public attention or public concern as an actual collision is very unlikely. New telescopic observations very likely will lead to re-assignment to Level 0.
3 - A close encounter, meriting attention by astronomers. Current calculations give a 1% or greater chance of collision capable of localized destruction. Most likely, new telescopic observations will lead to re-assignment to Level 0. Attention by public and by public officials is merited if the encounter is less than a decade away.
4 - A close encounter, meriting attention by astronomers. Current calculations give a 1% or greater chance of collision capable of regional devastation. Most likely, new telescopic observations will lead to re-assignment to Level 0. Attention by public and by public officials is merited if the encounter is less than a decade away.

Threatening (Orange Zone)
5 - A close encounter posing a serious, but still uncertain threat of regional devastation. Critical attention by astronomers is needed to determine conclusively whether or not a collision will occur. If the encounter is less than a decade away, governmental contingency planning may be warranted.
6 - A close encounter by a large object posing a serious but still uncertain threat of a global catastrophe. Critical attention by astronomers is needed to determine conclusively whether or not a collision will occur. If the encounter is less than three decades away, governmental contingency planning may be warranted.
7 - A very close encounter by a large object, which if occurring this century, poses an unprecedented but still uncertain threat of a global catastrophe. For such a threat in this century, international contingency planning is warranted, especially to determine urgently and conclusively whether or not a collision will occur.

Certain Collisions (Red Zone)
8 - A collision is certain, capable of causing localized destruction for an impact over land or possibly a tsunami if close offshore. Such events occur on average between once per 50 years and once per several 1000 years.
9 - A collision is certain, capable of causing unprecedented regional devastation for a land impact or the threat of a major tsunami for an ocean impact. Such events occur on average between once per 10,000 years and once per 100,000 years.
10 - A collision is certain, capable of causing global climatic catastrophe that may threaten the future of civilization as we know it, whether impacting land or ocean. Such events occur on average once per 100,000 years, or less often.

Where is that green planet located?

Where is that green planet located?

In space. ;-)

Oh crap, this thread will surely light up in 2029 when Apophis makes its pass on our planet. Pray it doesn't go through The Keyhole!

Where is that green planet located?

That's our star. :-P

In space. ;-)

I know, but where in space?

Is something happening, Venture? I'm getting a very bad vibe about this. Are you preparing us to understand these warning levels? If you know something, please spill it. I'd like to know of imminent collusion, cuz there is just so many things that I want to try and do.

Edit Update - Our star, as in our sun? Interesting...

I know, but where in space?

Is something happening, Venture? I'm getting a very bad vibe about this. Are you preparing us to understand these warning levels? If you know something, please spill it. I'd like to know of imminent collusion, cuz there is just so many things that I want to try and do.

Edit Update - Our star, as in our sun? Interesting...

LOL nothing major...just figured we would get an organized thread to talk about all the things going on around our little spec of dust that we live on.

If they find something that's gonna hit and destroy earth, I'm blaming you venture.

I want to know why people are not smart enough to develop all those things in Star Trek. When people have an idea/invention, they build it. Well, this is a total area that is lacking development severely. Star Trek has given us everything that we need to do. C'mon, developers and builders should start doing this. I know, I know, its the money that is the issue... *sighs* There is so much to explore in space. So many lifeforms to meet and exchange knowledge, etc. I just wish it all happen in this lifetime. Sometime I feel sad for being born too early and not being able to enjoy space exploration in a time where anyone can be in space...not just astronauts. NASA just need to stop spending money on cheap rockets and stop spending money focusing on our planets, moons, asteroids, etc. Start spending money for long-term space exploration and travel. We have the capabilities...so just do it. As soon we succeed warp drive, other lifeforms from distance planets will engage in our civilizations and really boost our presence in space. Stupid government do not realize that lifeforms in space are watching us, learning from us, and waiting for us to get out there. Its a stupid policy that is universally known....never interfere with pre-warp civilizations, so this is why lifeforms will not make their presence known and help us go out in space instantly. The human race has to do it on our own. And, my gawd, how slow everyone has been. :'-(

If they find something that's gonna hit and destroy earth, I'm blaming you venture.

M'Kay. LOL We did have two come by on the 27th. One was 13 meters and the other 12 meters in diameter. One missed us by 1.2 LD (LD = lunar distance or 384,401 km) and the other by 0.6 LD. Next up is one on October 17th at 0.9 LD - 8 meters wide - and then November 8th at 0.8 LD - 175 meters wide.

As far as anything big. Looks like we have three at the Torino scale of 1.
2011SM86 - Will pass by between 2016 and 2019. It is roughly 400 meters in diameter.
2011AG5 - Will pass by between 2040 and 2047. It is around 140 meters in diameter.
2007VK184 - Will pass by between 2048 and 2057. It is around 130 meters in diameter.

Apophis mentioned earlier was the asteroid that got rated a 4 on the Torino Scale for a possible impact in 2029, but was dropped to a 1. It was dropped to a 0 when in 2009 it was discovered that it would miss the gravitational keyhole that was mentioned. If it would hit that, it would setup an impact on April 13, 2036.

There is your science lesson for the day. LOL Either way...there is a lot of space out there. I'm sure there are trillions of asteroids that we haven't discovered yet that will come make a visit to our pebble.

I'm glad you were here to guide me through that cause I would've had no clue what you meant but now I feel all smart and stuff. Lol but on a serious note, this is very cool as I have been a little interested in space and what goes on in it, now I can just get on here and check it out. :-)

I want to know why people are not smart enough to develop all those things in Star Trek. When people have an idea/invention, they build it. Well, this is a total area that is lacking development severely. Star Trek has given us everything that we need to do. C'mon, developers and builders should start doing this. I know, I know, its the money that is the issue... *sighs* There is so much to explore in space. So many lifeforms to meet and exchange knowledge, etc. I just wish it all happen in this lifetime. Sometime I feel sad for being born too early and not being able to enjoy space exploration in a time where anyone can be in space...not just astronauts.

It depends on the technology. Look up the videos by Michio Kaku on how some stuff could work, but others couldn't. Transporters are also being developed, but only at the atomic level. The problem is, is that it doesn't actual transfer that original physical object from one place to another. It copies it and re-creates it. So if people had issues with cloning, imagine what would happen with that. LOL Long distance space travel was another major one. Most of it comes back to playing with gravitational fields and bending space time to make it happen. Artificial gravity on ships...yeah probably not going to happen either unless you can spin the ship around.


NASA just need to stop spending money on cheap rockets and stop spending money focusing on our planets, moons, asteroids, etc. Start spending money for long-term space exploration and travel. We have the capabilities...so just do it. As soon we succeed warp drive, other lifeforms from distance planets will engage in our civilizations and really boost our presence in space. Stupid government do not realize that lifeforms in space are watching us, learning from us, and waiting for us to get out there. Its a stupid policy that is universally known....never interfere with pre-warp civilizations, so this is why lifeforms will not make their presence known and help us go out in space instantly. The human race has to do it on our own. And, my gawd, how slow everyone has been. :'-(

A bit too much Star Trek. :-P Warp Speed stuff - see link/video below. Not saying we can't be doing more but as long as the nation is more worried about the bottom line and not advancing technology and human bounds, it will remain like this. In reality, the best thing that could happen is a global space agency that all nations pool funds together for. Instead of 5 different countries competing for manned space flight, have one agency head the whole thing. There isn't anything except the lack of financial will power that is keeping us from living/exploring on the Moon, Mars, Venus, Titan, etc. Also the fact that we are being reduced back to capsules for space transport is just an embarrassment. Pretty shows any advancement we've made since the 60s has gone away.

Of course a lot of comes down to who is in power now. Back then...it was the WW2 generation. The greatest of all a lot would say. Today we are managed by the baby boomers and their over self indulgence. Not to get political but an article recently point out how the baby boomers are one of the most uncompromising generations and refuse to really work together. We see it every day. Luckily, the next generation has shown to be more open minded than our parents generation. So hopefully things will turn around once the baby boomers are out of power and start to die off, however even then we are probably 2-3 generations away from where we would like to be.

http://science.discovery.com/videos/sci-fi-science-exploring-the-universe.html

and

iJZXDEUOao0

http://news.discovery.com/space/should-nasa-fake-an-interplanetary-holy-war-110922.html

Funding fixt!

M'Kay. LOL We did have two come by on the 27th. One was 13 meters and the other 12 meters in diameter. One missed us by 1.2 LD (LD = lunar distance or 384,401 km) and the other by 0.6 LD. Next up is one on October 17th at 0.9 LD - 8 meters wide - and then November 8th at 0.8 LD - 175 meters wide.

Its on my birthday. I'll turn 17.

Its on my birthday. I'll turn 17.

I thought we weren't the same age?

I thought we weren't the same age?

Well, for the legal age, it is 27. Everyone know I'm way too dumb/stupid/slow, so I'm way down there on the mental level. LOL!!!

Well, for the legal age, it is 27. Everyone know I'm way too dumb/stupid/slow, so I'm way down there on the mental level. LOL!!!

So we aren't so differen't, you and I. I won't turn 17 till 8 days after you.

So we aren't so differen't, you and I. I won't turn 17 till 8 days after you.

Yup. We both still believe in Santa.

Yup. We both still believe in Santa.

I'm not alone! :sofa:

elenin is coming in november, its is affecting the earths gravity pull right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.. the poles will shift, chaos will take affect soon..stock up now on pork and beans now people before its to late

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/9789/tysoncosmos.png

I want to know why people are not smart enough to develop all those things in Star Trek. When people have an idea/invention, they build it. Well, this is a total area that is lacking development severely. Star Trek has given us everything that we need to do. C'mon, developers and builders should start doing this. I know, I know, its the money that is the issue... *sighs* There is so much to explore in space. So many lifeforms to meet and exchange knowledge, etc. I just wish it all happen in this lifetime. Sometime I feel sad for being born too early and not being able to enjoy space exploration in a time where anyone can be in space...not just astronauts. NASA just need to stop spending money on cheap rockets and stop spending money focusing on our planets, moons, asteroids, etc. Start spending money for long-term space exploration and travel. We have the capabilities...so just do it. As soon we succeed warp drive, other lifeforms from distance planets will engage in our civilizations and really boost our presence in space. Stupid government do not realize that lifeforms in space are watching us, learning from us, and waiting for us to get out there. Its a stupid policy that is universally known....never interfere with pre-warp civilizations, so this is why lifeforms will not make their presence known and help us go out in space instantly. The human race has to do it on our own. And, my gawd, how slow everyone has been. :'-(

We're simply a lot more gung ho on spending trillions to shoot up terrorists here on earth rather than spending trillions to go into outer space to find aliens to shoot up.

elenin is coming in november, its is affecting the earths gravity pull right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.. the poles will shift, chaos will take affect soon..stock up now on pork and beans now people before its to late

Thanks for the heads up, Jesseda. I will be making a fast trip to Walmart right now.

The Saturn North Pole Hexagon has always interested me.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/cassini/pia09187-200.gif

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/media/cassini-20070327.html

Found this interesting in this morning's read. Good thing we are farther away from the Sun.


At a NASA teleconference yesterday, researchers working with data from the Messenger spacecraft offered new evidence that gusts of solar wind are penetrating Mercury's magnetic field and eroding material off the planet's surface. The spacecraft has actually flown through plumes of ionized sodium scoured from the surface and escaping from weak points in Mercury's magnetosphere.

http://www.spaceweather.com/images2011/30sep11/twocmes_strip.jpg

Other Mercury news: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/news_room/telecon7_multi.html

There have been widespread sightings of the Aurora all across the southern US tonight. Not from my porch though!

Looks like we have a visitor coming by on Tuesday of next week.

http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/03/asteroid-to-pass-closer-to-earth-than-the-moon/?hpt=hp_t2


NASA has classified the asteroid as a “potentially hazardous object” and it will pass to within .8 lunar distances on November 8. It is the closest approach to Earth of an object this size in over 30 years.


he asteroid will approach Earth from a sunward direction and it will be a daylight object until the time of its closest approach on November 8. The best time to see the asteroid will be after the hours of 4 pm EST (21:00 UTC).

During the discussion of the asteroid that just passed by, I found a neat little simulator from Purdue to determine the impacts on Oklahoma should 99942 Arophis hits the early in 20 years.

http://www.purdue.edu/IMPACTEARTH

Project the closest area of impact, which would be off the Mexican coast in the Pacific, about 1500 miles away.

- No ejecta will reach us.
- No thermal radiation with the fireball below the horizon.
- No shaking from 4.8 earthquake.
- Air blast of 1.55 mph (LOL) will arrive 2.03 hours after impact.
- Tsunami of 5 feet is obviously not going to make it here. LOL

So not really a bit deal. So what if it hits land...nearest point would be Panama...2100 miles away. Pretty much the same thing. Okay, so totally random, same asteroid specs but hits say...downtown Oklahoma City and you are in Norman 20 miles away. Just a crazy hypothetical since the projected flight path wouldn't even take it this way, so just keep that in mind. Thunder. ;-)

- Crater: 3.5 miles wide, 1630 ft deep.
- Ejecta: Will reach Norman in 1.36 minutes, average thickness 4.68 inches, average diameter of 27.7 inches ... ouch!
- Thermal Radiation: 28.8 times larger than sun's appearance, 54.1 duration, visible fireball has a radius of 2.54 miles.
- Radiation Human Impact: Clothing ignites, 3rd degree burns over most of body, newspapers/deciduous trees/grass ignites, and plywood flames up.
- Seismic Effects: 6.8 mag earthquake 6.44 seconds after impact
- Airblast: Arrives 1.63 minutes after impact, sound of 100 dB, wind velocity of 392 mph - most buildings damaged/knocked down, highways collapse, and 90% of trees blown down with remaining stripped.

Luckily with something like that, there would be plenty of advanced warning to evacuate since survivability would be very low.

Just found the site interesting. It helps to control a lot of doomsday myth on what will happen if it hits. Really, for the planet itself, almost a non-event. In other news...

A CME took place yesterday, but not sure if it was directed right at us.

http://www.spaceweather.com/images2011/10nov11/cm3_c3.gif?PHPSESSID=qn6ku371sfvu61etpf1shlfe40

I thought Apophis was a 36 mile long asteroid... also, is there a website that shows effects like that of what would happen here in Oklahoma if the culdera beneath Yellowstone blew? And if so, would you be able to post that info in your Volcano thread?

Oh and Apophis has to go through a keyhole first to have a chance at hitting the earth on its return trip. OSU has a greater chance at winning the national championship than for that to happen (and by a long shot)!