Author Topic: Space. The Final Frontier. (Read 91567 times)

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #25:** February 25, 2011, 11:36:38 AM »

Quote from: UMDNats on February 25, 2011, 11:35:29 AM

Yea when I went to FLA last spring my dad and I went around the kennedy space center too. some pretty cool stuff there.

One of my favorite places ever. It really is a jewel and worth every penny.

mitlen · « **Reply #26:** February 25, 2011, 11:53:19 AM »

NLD ... the Strasburg 2010 picture is classic.

*Update ... looking at the picture again today as your avatar, the "balance" and composition are outstanding. Did you pose it that way or did it just turn out that way?

cmdterps44 · « **Reply #27:** February 25, 2011, 01:47:38 PM »

Quote from: Nat of the Living Dead on February 25, 2011, 11:30:19 AM

(Image removed from quote.)
Me in 2008 touring Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

(Image removed from quote.)
And again in 2010.

amazing.

Nathan · « **Reply #28:** February 25, 2011, 10:01:18 PM »

Some cool sites:

Real time ISS tracker:
http://www.n2yo.com/?s=25544

Find out when you can see the ISS:
http://www.heavens-above.com/?lat=39.611&lng=-77.4038&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=EST

Lintyfresh85 · « **Reply #29:** March 05, 2011, 12:50:13 PM »

Video from Discovery's rockets as they leave the ship. So amazing, so breathtaking!

10:05 on is so so so cool to see. That's not special effects, that's real life!!!

15:15 on is cool because there's sound.

Things like this is why I hate that space flight is being put to the back burner. So interesting and some great visuals we usually wouldn't get to see!

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #30:** March 05, 2011, 01:24:33 PM »

Current view of the Vehicle Assembly Building across the Indian River Lagoon from Camp NQ.

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #31:** March 05, 2011, 06:04:41 PM »

freak ME!

They just launched a privatized rocket from KSC! I've never seen a shuttle launch so that was freaking awesome! There was this roar and this thing went up (no boosters or tanks, just a single rocket) and it left a brief smoke trail before you saw this little dot of light and fire. Then it crashed through the atmosphere and BOOM! Disappeared into space.

freaking incredible!

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #32:** March 05, 2011, 08:01:41 PM »

I have confirmed what I saw launch this evening was the X37b unmanned space plane.

Nathan · « **Reply #33:** March 05, 2011, 08:03:22 PM »

I'd love to go down to Florida and visit KSC. Even more so to witness a launch, even if it's an unmanned one.

imref · « **Reply #34:** March 09, 2011, 11:02:37 AM »

for those of you into sky watching, there are absolutely fantastic programs at Sky Meadows State Park near The Plains. The programs are run by the National Air and Space museum and typically start with a lecture from an astronomer, then once it's dark you can get in line and view various objects in the sky through the couple of dozen or so telescopes that the amateurs bring for everyone to share. Given how dark it is out there you can also simply lay on your back and see all sorts of objects and satellites as they cross the sky. We bring our scouts out there every year so they can earn their astronomy belt loop.

See: http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/skywatching/ (summer schedule isn't yet available)

There are also events put on by the Northern Virginia Astronomy club:
http://www.novac.com/outreach/

Their "Astronomy Day" is May 7 at Sky Meadows - http://www.novac.com/astronomy-day/ - 3PM until whenever.

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #35:** March 09, 2011, 11:10:31 AM »

Quote from: mitlen on February 25, 2011, 11:53:19 AM

NLD ... the Strasburg 2010 picture is classic.

*Update ... looking at the picture again today as your avatar, the "balance" and composition are outstanding. Did you pose it that way or did it just turn out that way?

I just sort of stood there and asked my wife to take a picture. That was the result.

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #36:** March 09, 2011, 11:10:59 AM »

Jets are flying around KSC right now like crazy. Must be clearing the area.

imref · « **Reply #37:** March 09, 2011, 11:36:21 AM »

watching the live feed on CNN.com right now while trying to create a presentation.

CALSGR8 · « **Reply #38:** March 09, 2011, 12:00:45 PM »

Discovery has landed. Watching on C-span.

PANatsFan · « **Reply #39:** March 09, 2011, 12:10:10 PM »

Quote from: Lintyfresh85 on March 05, 2011, 12:50:13 PM

Things like this is why I hate that manned space flight is being put to the back burner. So interesting and some great visuals we usually wouldn't get to see!

Fixed, and I'm for it.

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #40:** March 09, 2011, 12:31:08 PM »

imref · « **Reply #41:** March 09, 2011, 01:14:38 PM »

the WP has an interesting article on the prospects of severe "space weather" over the next few years as we come out of the solar minimum, the last time we peaked I believe was in the 1970's. Society, and its vulnerability to solar storms, is much much different now.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2011/03/space_weather_what_you_need_to.html#more

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #42:** March 11, 2011, 10:56:32 PM »

Nothing Like A Night Of Nats Baseball And Rocket Launches: http://www.natsnq.com/?p=5286

cmdterps44 · « **Reply #43:** March 16, 2011, 06:04:49 PM »

http://player.vimeo.com/video/11386048

fly through of saturn using only pictures.

Nathan · « **Reply #44:** March 17, 2011, 05:24:48 PM »

Wow, Titan has rain (it's methane, but still)! The darker areas are where the rain has fallen, and you can see the white clouds.

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/newsreleases/newsrelease20110317/

Nathan · « **Reply #45:** March 18, 2011, 05:47:46 PM »

There will be a Super full moon tomorrow night, appearing 14% bigger than normal. Just like how Super Mario is bigger and badder-ass than regular Mario. The moon will be closer than it has been since March 1993.

cmdterps44 · « **Reply #46:** March 18, 2011, 05:52:55 PM »

Why it look big?!!?!@

Nathan · « **Reply #47:** March 18, 2011, 05:55:36 PM »

Because it will be closer than it ever has been since 1993. MOON IMPACT

BLOW UP THE MOON!

cmdterps44 · « **Reply #48:** March 18, 2011, 06:04:35 PM »

but then we lose the Poseidon of the sky!

Nathan · « **Reply #49:** March 24, 2011, 05:09:08 PM »

A new "pale blue dot" image from the Saturn probe Cassini. In the zoomed view in the upper left you can see the moon orbiting the earth.