Our Vast Universe

Discussion in 'The Chatterbox' started by Redrock, Jan 25, 2017.

  1. Keithmax

    Keithmax Breeds Pet Rocks

    I miss camping in the AZ desert. We would sleep in cots so we could stare into space, at just the right you could watch satellites traverse they sky.
     
  2. RetLEO-07

    RetLEO-07 likes his penguin deep fried, with pink sparkles

    I'm a big fan of Orion too. Even here in the North East you see him very well. I see you're a High Frontier booster. That's great. It's sad that there is no real sense of urgency about getting off this rock.
     
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  3. Jim99

    Jim99 Gold Water Shaver

    I still have a telescope in my garage that I used as a kid. I would find the planets and decide what stars, star clusters and nebulae to view at night. One of my favorites was the Orion Nebula, aka Messier 42. It was an easy one to find as it's right on Orion's sword just below the belt. It's truly a beautiful sight!

    Growing up during the "space race" was an amazing time. I remember following the flights from the Mercury program all the way through Apollo 17. The progress made in such a short time was nothing short of spectacular! I thought we would be on Mars by the 1980's, but the public support and funding simply was not there.
     
  4. macaronus

    macaronus Sir Nice-a-Lot

    Reminds me of Douglas Adams:

    Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.
    A few years ago my son and me watched the sun set over the North Sea. We managed to see the earth's rotation around its axle in stead of seeing the sun move. It was a special experience which I still treasure. You should try to experience it that way sometime. You'll see it best when the sun is almost touching the horizon. Makes you feel smaller, but at the same time part of something really big. At least, that is what I felt. ;)
     
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  5. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    They did use computers and have since the 1950's.
     
  6. Herm2502

    Herm2502 off to elf practice

    They just took up an entire building.

    HERM
     
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  7. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    True- and the first computer "bug" was an actual insect that got into the computer and damaged it.
     
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  8. Jim99

    Jim99 Gold Water Shaver

    In 1947, Grace Murray Hopper was working on the Harvard University Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator (a primitive computer).

    On the 9th of September, 1947, when the machine was experiencing problems, an investigation showed that there was a moth trapped between the points of Relay #70, in Panel F.

    The operators removed the moth and affixed it to the log. The entry reads: "First actual case of bug being found."

    The word went out that they had "debugged" the machine and the term "debugging a computer program" was born.

    Although Grace Hopper was always careful to admit that she was not there when it actually happened, it was one of her favorite stories.
     
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  9. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    Now that is heavy metal!
     
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  10. Col C

    Col C Well-Known Member

    Agree - but the vast amount of the calculations were still done the old fashion way.
     
  11. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    True, but (OK I'm nitpicking here) that means many but not all were done with a slide rule.
     
  12. Bama Samurai

    Bama Samurai with Laser-like Focus

    Makes the Manhattan Project even more impressive.
     
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  13. Col C

    Col C Well-Known Member

    It was actually a moth that shorted the circuitry. The operators at the time - kept the moth and taped it inside their log book to show the cause of the problem. The log book and moth are on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Why do I know such inane facts you ask - when I lived in Washington DC (several times over the years) I volunteered as a docent at the museum giving tours. One of most fun things I ever did.
     
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  14. Bama Samurai

    Bama Samurai with Laser-like Focus

    Tonight at 23:15 Jupiter is low on the SE horizon near Denver and brighter than many airplane lights.
     
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  15. macaronus

    macaronus Sir Nice-a-Lot

    Sorry, that's Dave on a ladder. He has lost his wits and is looking for them.

    flashlight.jpg
     
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  16. Col C

    Col C Well-Known Member

    The past few days we have had overcast skies at night. Tonight however was clear. Coming home from taking the wife out to dinner Venus was low in the western sky - the brightest it will be for the season. Really bright. The brightest object in the sky.
     
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  17. Bama Samurai

    Bama Samurai with Laser-like Focus

    Look for Jupiter in the East. Venus was awesome near Denver tonight.
     
  18. Col C

    Col C Well-Known Member

    I checked a website on it and it said that tonight is the brightest Venus will be. Hard for me to see to the east as there is a hill blocking the view. I should have looked before I got close to home.
     
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  19. Bama Samurai

    Bama Samurai with Laser-like Focus

    Where in North America are you?
     
  20. Bama Samurai

    Bama Samurai with Laser-like Focus

    Jupiter rises at 21:55 tonight near Denver. It should be shining at about magnitude -1.6
     
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