The Universe - Digest

in need of an overview of the basic things

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:21:35 GMT

The Universe : in need of an overview of the basic things

I started (and that's it merely, have to continues someday) reading a book about the M-string theory ("Our superstring Universe") a bit before christmas, and only read a few pages before I got consumed by tedious everyday life things, then my library lease ran out (with a fine) and I had to bring the book back, having barely started it.
Nevertheless the very first page surprised me,
it said that before the Big Bang occured, all our universe was very condensed with all the dimensions (i believe it was 7...or 10, can't remember) tighly packed up, but it had a dimension! A measurable one!
I was surprised because I grew up being told it was a singularity...

Anyone as kind as to shed some light on my ignorance?

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UFO, or an advanced spy ship...? (Iran Missile UFO video)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:13:18 GMT

The Universe : UFO, or an advanced spy ship...? (Iran Missile UFO video)

How likely would it be that a UFO just happened to be passing by as Iran was testing it's short-range missiles?

More proof that

somebody

with Earthly priorities has

something

fast-as-hell for spying on other countries.

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Stats : 15 Replies

Have you ever seen a UFO? Tell us about it!

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:41:28 GMT

The Universe : Have you ever seen a UFO? Tell us about it!

Have you ever seen a UFO? Tell us about it!

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Stats : 77 Replies

Time: Before the Big Bang

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:48:20 GMT

The Universe : Time: Before the Big Bang

A few minutes ago I finished watching the final episode of Michio Kaku's four part documentary series about Time entitled Cosmic Time. Kaku claims that before the big bang time was non-existent but I have thought of something, which makes me question this claim.

I believe I am correct in saying that in a vacuum virtual particles are created and destroyed (annihilated, I suppose) all the time. Surely, before the big bang all of space would have been a vacuum? If this is the case then, intuitively, virtual particles would be created and destroyed within it and there would be time, although perhaps 'not as we know it'. This issue is solved if it isn't so simple: if there wasn't a vacuum before the big bang. But if that is the case then I still don't understand and therefore would still like an explanation.

Can anyone help me to understand this issue? Thanks!

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Free Solar System Widget!

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:42:53 GMT

The Universe : Free Solar System Widget!

I am so happy about the new science forums, and I want to share my creation with all of you!

Please come to AstroTwister.com and download my widget for the Yahoo widget engine

I have poored myself into this project and it fills a dream that I had to have the planets spinning on my desktop, and developing the widget has lead to cool upgrades like digital and analog clocks.

AstroTwister.com is full of panetary information and it's an attempt to start cataloging information about our solar system that you need to know, and have easy access to.

I hope you guys enjoy this, and that it will inspire you to contribute to the project!

I will return to this forum often as it really hits home for me and my efforts on the internet. I love to read space info, your opinions of what we are experiencing together, and I have spent hours diving into 'space related' sciences and I'm sure that I am going to love sharing what I have learned with each of you!!

We live in such an exciting universe ... if you don't realize that then I would suggest hanging out in the science forums as I'm sure it's going to quickly grow into an awesome place to become aware of everything that is possible for us in this life time!

Bondings...you remain my hero!

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Stats : 6 Replies

NASA restores moon landing film

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:18:38 GMT

The Universe : NASA restores moon landing film

In the light of a thread in this forum regarding the controversy surrounding the moon landing
I wish to bring it to notice that NASA has yesterday released the restored film of the landing
Please read this
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8155045.stm
What I see as surprising is that "The space agency says it probably deleted the original footage in the 1970s and 80s, when it had a tape shortage and needed to reuse them."
I just cant believe that NASA which sent men the moon deleted the film because of "tape shortage"
Any views?

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Stats : 12 Replies

phone use at speed of light

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:12:04 GMT

The Universe : phone use at speed of light

Theoretically, if you were traveling in a space ship at or near the speed of light going away from planet Earth, and you were somehow able to make a phone call to someone on earth, how would that work? Since you're getting farther away from Earth (c*time), would the amount of time that you've spent traveling be equal to the amount of time that it takes the signal to reach earth (assuming the waves from the phone travel at the speed of light)? Also, if someone was observing this, so time dilation was occurring, and you talked to that person on the phone, how would that work out? I've been spending a lot of time thinking about this lately and I thought I would ask people who know more about science than me...

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Stats : 29 Replies

Is the Universe Rotating?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:30:52 GMT

The Universe : Is the Universe Rotating?

Hi,

We all know that everything in the universe rotates, is it possible the entire universe is also rotating?

I read somewhere the universe does rotates and the rotation is merely measured to be small, one rotation in 6 quadrillion years (300,000 times the age of the universe). How true it is?

And if you say it doesn't rotate, how do we know the universe isn't rotating? We are inside it, not outside. We can't see if it's spinning. At first, we thought the earth didn't rotate. The only reason we figured out that it does was because we could see the sun, stars, moon, planets and andromeda.

Any clear answer?

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Stats : 30 Replies

Welcome to Dugway; Area 52

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:48:43 GMT

The Universe : Welcome to Dugway; Area 52

All persons with even a mild interest in covert US military operations, UFO theories, or even the

X-Files

TV programme will recognize references to Area 51, a USAF base located near Groom Lake, Nevada. In recent years, however, activity at the famous top-secret facility has noticeably decreased. There are fewer contractors and staff on the daily bus that breaches the restricted-access perimeter, fewer sightings by the locals, and accordingly, less attention from UFO theorists.

So where is the action going? Sources suggest the barren landscape of Dugway, Utah, where lies the Dugway Proving Ground.

Like Area 51, Dugway is located on a mostly-dry lake bed, providing a wide expanse of flat ground ringed with hills and mountains. It is similarly isolated and devoid of public roadways. Whereas Area 51 was a top-secret base with a top-secret purpose, however, Dugway has existed as a range for the testing of nuclear, biochemical, and traditional ordnance since the late 1940s. In fact, the range is infamous for testing the effects of these weapons on human subjects.

Dugway may now be the heart of the most sensitive experimental aircraft and weapons programs as well. UFO sightings at Dugway have taken off since the late 90's, as have sightings of a newer phenomenon; a giant beam of concentrated light, described as an impossibly huge laser beam, firing into the night sky.

An episode of "UFO Hunters" (a decidedly sensationalist program, but they do good research) covers these sightings by several persons who live and work in the area. The episode can be watched across the following links, divided into 5 parts:

Part 1/5
Part 2/5
Part 3/5
Part 4/5
Part 5/5

Personally, I'm fascinated by the idea of this giant beam of light. I don't bet much on UFOs being the transportation of extraterrestrial beings, nor that the US government has captured or reverse-engineered any such alien craft. I do believe, however, that the top priority of the US Department of Defense is development of a stop-all weapon that would detonate long-range nuclear missiles at high altitudes and bring down enemy satellites from orbit, and that they need somewhere relatively open and barren, without much attention, to build their prototype.

Such a weapon would be extremely attractive. ...

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Anyone that likes to look at the stars in his free time?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:26:54 GMT

The Universe : Anyone that likes to look at the stars in his free time?

Hello,

I recently got interested in watching documentaries about space, etc. Thats why I'm thinking about buying a telescope and do some starspotting at night. I was wondering if there are any of you who enjoy looking at the stars at night, and have some time to explain how, when, etc they do this.

Here are some questions that I would like to start with.
- When would I best perform this. When is the peak time to look at the stars. Does it mather? Eg. does 1AM give you a better view than midnight? Is there some kind of peak?
- Where would I do this? I live in a small city, with a lot of lighting. Would you recommend me to go in the forrest, at an open spot, ... ...

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Protogalaxies

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:01:32 GMT

The Universe : Protogalaxies

I heard that scientists are not sure how galaxies form, but know that protogalaxies is a galaxy in formation. Some scientist have found one such protogalaxies? can someone pass me a picture if possible for me to see if they are different from other galaxies? Thanks

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Launching a Satellite into Orbit...

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:51:06 GMT

The Universe : Launching a Satellite into Orbit...

So here's an interesting thought experiment. Does the rotation rate of the Earth about its spin axis slow down when an artificial satellite is launched into orbit around the planet?

I would argue yes because in the post-launch state, the new system's moment of inertia is greater and so to conserve energy, Earth must rotate at a slower rate.

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Stats : 6 Replies

The hole through the center of earth?

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:49:17 GMT

The Universe : The hole through the center of earth?

I've seen this question in another forum and in a magazine, i think the questiong is just amazing, but reading peoples theories is more amazing

What if someone could make a hole in the earth: from one side to another, let's say from north pole to south pole, passing right throught the center of earth. Then this same person (who have much spare time ) place ping-pong ball right in the middle of this hole, and let it fall down. What would happen to the ping-pong ball?

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Stats : 27 Replies

Stellarium

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:19:16 GMT

The Universe : Stellarium

Does anyone here use Stellarium to see what is overhead at the time in your area? I've been using it for a few months now, and have found it useful. It's shown me things I didn't know were there (such as the Dubne system), and has helped me get a better understanding of the sky (of which I don't know much). Still, what do you guys think of Stellarium (if you've used it)?

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not the first BIG BANG

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:42:28 GMT

The Universe : not the first BIG BANG

I heard at the coffetable that scientists have discovered traces of "big bang"s before the latest...

Anyone heard of this???

So with revision is this of the universe?

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Sun spot and Skywave propogation

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:57:37 GMT

The Universe : Sun spot and Skywave propogation

Hai,

Ameture Radio operators have noticed that there is
connection between position of

Sunspot

and Reflecting nature
of our Ionosphere.

Do you agree that
position of Sunspots can affect reflecting nature (radio wave)
of ionosphere?

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Stats : 1 Post

Reflecting telescopes

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:52:56 GMT

The Universe : Reflecting telescopes

Has anyone ever built their own reflecting telescope? After a lab in my physics class on light behavior and reflection and refraction, my professor mentioned that reflecting telescopes are, compared to others, an inexpensive type of telescope, and probably one of the easier ones to make. I thought maybe this would be a cool project to do someday. He said that people build their own often as home projects. Although to build a good one, I bet it takes some accurate calculations, decent parts, and good lenses. I'm not asking for instructions as I've seen some online, but does anybody have any experience?

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Warning about copy-paste

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:31:14 GMT

The Universe : Warning about copy-paste

I've noticed quite a few 'copy-paste' postings appearing in the science forums. This won't do at all. Simply copying a chunk of text from another site and posting it here as your own is not within the TOS. Use quote tags, acknowledge the site the material comes from, and add something of your own. Otherwise I will simply delete any such posting and issue a warning to repeat offenders.

If you don't know how to quote third-party material properly:

enclose

QUOTE

in square brackets at the start of the copied passage
enclose

/QUOTE

in square brackets at the end of the copied passage

Be sure to add your source as an http reference at the end of the posting or passage.

Here is how it should look (thanks to James007 for the visual aid).

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I always think what is on the end of universe?

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:04:11 GMT

The Universe : I always think what is on the end of universe?

What do you think think - what is on the end of universe? What will you see on the edge of the universe?

Is there only a darkness and nothing else....
Our universe is like a terrarium for fishes and we are this fishes - world in world...

So what can it be there...

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Stats : 38 Replies

LHC results???

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:10:59 GMT

The Universe : LHC results???

When will we get to see the results of LHC
and hows my new signature quote?

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Space-Time, Relitivity, and Phone Calls

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:16:00 GMT

The Universe : Space-Time, Relitivity, and Phone Calls

We all know that one could not travel at speed c (186,000 miles per second), but the closer you travel to c, the slower your time goes around you. Example: if you traveled in a spaceship at a super high speed for 10 years, earth would have aged 100 years (you age 10 years, earth ages 100). Therefore, people on earth view your time as "slowing down". If it were possible, and you travel at a great rate of speed, and made a phone call to earth; would the phone call seem "normal" to you, but sound slower to people on earth (the speed of your voice seem slower and longer to speak)?

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Would you like to visit space? Where would you go?

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:14:18 GMT

The Universe : Would you like to visit space? Where would you go?

Would you like to visit space? Where would you go?

Me, I would like to go firstly into space to look at the Earth from up there. Then I'd like to go to the moon and play some ball games, maybe football (socker), it'd be so fun to be able to jump that high! IMAGINE THE FUN!!! lol

Neilos

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IS there an Earth like planet somewhere in else

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:10:21 GMT

The Universe : IS there an Earth like planet somewhere in else

in the universe?
Before I go into this topic I want reactions

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Total Solar Eclipse [22nd July 2009]

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:03:49 GMT

The Universe : Total Solar Eclipse [22nd July 2009]

On Wednesday, 2009 July 22, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half of Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in India and crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. After leaving mainland Asia, the path crosses Japan's Ryukyu Islands and curves southeast through the Pacific Ocean where the maximum duration of totality reaches 6 min 39 s. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean.

More info available @ http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009.html

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Stats : 6 Replies

most fascinating universal body

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:13:02 GMT

The Universe : most fascinating universal body

Which universal body has always fascinated you the most always ?

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Stats : 15 Replies