tagged w/ planetary
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Project Icarus is a 21st century theoretical study of a mission to another star. Icarus aims to build on the work of the celebrated Daedalus project. Between the period 1973-1978 members of the BIS undertook a theoretical study of a flyby mission to Barnard's star 5.9 light years away. This was Project Daedalus and remains one of the most complete studies of an interstellar probe to date. The 54,000 ton two-stage vehicle was powered by inertial confinement fusion using electron beams to compress the D/He3 fusion capsules to ignition. It would obtain an eventual cruise velocity of 36,000km/s or 12% of light speed from over 700kN of thrust, burning at a specific impulse of 1 million seconds, reaching its destination in approximately 50 years. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/submit-an-article/42972-project-icarusProject Icarus is a 21st century theoretical study of a mission to another star.... more
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worrg
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12 months ago
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Astronomers, including a NASA-funded team member, have discovered a new class of Jupiter-sized planets floating alone in the dark of space, away from the light of a star. The team believes these lone worlds probably were ejected from developing planetary systems. The discovery indicates there are many more free-floating Jupiter-mass planets that can't be seen. The team estimates there are about twice as many of them as stars. In addition, these worlds are thought to be at least as common as planets that orbit stars. This adds up to hundreds of billions of lone planets in our Milky Way galaxy alone. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/submit-an-article/42964-free-floating-planets-no-longer-sci-fi-Astronomers, including a NASA-funded team member, have discovered a new class of... more
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worrg
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1 year ago
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worrg
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2 years ago
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The Hubble Space Telescope's legendary Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 has produced one of its last images, a gorgeous shot of a planetary nebula. The nebula, a colorful cloud of gas and dust named Kohoutek 4-55 (or K 4-55), has an eye that appears to be looking right back at Hubble.The Hubble Space Telescope's legendary Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 has... more
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Kanye West's career said to be out there somewhere as well.
Amateur astronomers are monitoring a shiny tool bag that has been orbiting Earth ever since it was dropped last week by an astronaut during a spacewalk outside the international space station.
[see the 'bag that got away' » http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27905284#27905284]
Veteran spacewalker Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper, a member of the shuttle Endeavour's visiting crew, lost her grip on the backpack-sized bag on Nov. 18. At the time, she was cleaning up a mess from a leaking grease gun she was carrying to help mop up metal grit from inside a massive gear that turns the space station's starboard solar wings.
The tool bag cost $100,000. and its loss meant astronauts had to share the remaining tool bag for subsequent spacewalks.
Once the tool bag floated away, some thought they'd seen the end of it. Not quite. A satellite tracker at Spaceweather.com now is monitoring both the space station and the tool bag.
After sunset on Saturday, Edward Light, using 10 x 50 binoculars, spotted the bag in space while he scanned the sky from his backyard in Lakewood, N.J., Spaceweather.com reported. On the same night, Keven Fetter of Brockville, Ontario, video-recorded the bag as it passed by the star Eta Pisces in the constellation Pisces.
More bag-viewing opportunities are expected.Kanye West's career said to be out there somewhere as well.
Amateur... more
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