The sky at night (meteors, Iridium flares, the moon)

[Scorrie]

Blimey.

 

Where would NASA be if it wasn't for cut and paste on an internet forum.....

[KOYAANISQATSI]

Blimey.

 

Where would NASA be if it wasn't for cut and paste on an internet forum.....

 

 

Well I guess they'll forever be playing catch up...

 

me wrote 27 September 2012

 

"Magical magnetics is the favourite get out of jail card; no electric fields needed.

No such thing as double layers needed when you got Magnetic reconnection to explain things away (or does it?)"

 

 

NASA wrote 30 November 2013

 

Huge electric fields in the radiation belts around Earth may help explain how electrons surrounding the planet can be accelerated to speeds near that of light, researchers have found in a new study.

 

 

These findings, detailed Dec. 2 in the journal Physical Review Letters, could help shed light on the radiation belts of planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, as well as the behavior of the sun during flares and of bodies beyond the solar system, such as stellar nurseries, neutron stars and incredibly energetic black holes known as quasars.

 

These belts generally consist of two rings: an inner zone with both high-energy electrons and very energetic positive ions that remains stable in intensity over the course of years to decades; and an outer zone made up mostly of high-energy electrons whose intensity swings over the course of hours to days, primarily depending on the influence from the solar wind, the deluge of radiation streaming from the sun.

 

The gigantic amounts of radiation the Van Allen belts generate can pose serious risks for satellites. To learn more about them, NASA launched twin spacecraft, the Van Allen probes, in the summer of 2012.

 

Now, using the Van Allen probes, scientists have detected structures that pop in and out of existence in the outer belt that could help explain the high-energy electrons seen in that zone.

 

The structures in question are known as "double layers." They are each made up of a pair of parallel layers of particles with opposite electrical charge.

 

These double layers were discovered "sort of by accident as the Van Allen probes passed through this region of space, and only captured a snapshot,"

 

The double layers can in combination generate strong electric fields, ones more than 1 million volts strong. The researchers suggest the combinations of double layers seen in the outer belt are powerful enough to drive electrons to relativistic speeds.

 

"The processes we're starting to define certainly could be at work in regimes like the sun, for example, and probably all throughout astrophysics.""

 

Giant Electric Fields May Supercharge Particles In Earth's Radiation Belts - Yahoo News

 

Who knew? 

[Scorrie]

I used to like Van Halen.

[KOYAANISQATSI]

I used to like Van Halen.

 

Interesting

[Colin]

I used to like this thread, after all, I started it.

 

Looks like it's about to be hijacked by 'mr electric universe' and his(?), as yet, unproven theories.

[KOYAANISQATSI]

Your opinions are not my problem.

I was only posting about ISON going through; Scorrie retorted with a joke about Nasa and I pointed out the fact, that I'd been saying planets and stars all have double layers for some time now and mostly getting poo poo'd by the narrow visioned like yourself.

NASA now have undeniable proof of these double layers and yet here you sit, whining about your little thread getting detracted by the absolute truth of our electric sky.

Truly pathetic! far be it from me though, to anymore attempt to bring some insight, into the tunnel vision of a backward little hole like this.

Do carry on!

Edited December 4, 2013 by KOYAANISQATSI

[trout]

Yay! Is it that hard for people to be civil with one another? Makes for far better reading and helps prove people with access to keyboards aren't [xxxxxxxxxx]

[Colin]

Your opinions are not my problem.

I was only posting about ISON going through; Scorrie retorted with a joke about Nasa and I pointed out the fact, that I'd been saying planets and stars all have double layers for some time now and mostly getting poo poo'd by the narrow visioned like yourself.

NASA now have undeniable proof of these double layers and yet here you sit, whining about your little thread getting detracted by the absolute truth of our electric sky.

Truly pathetic! far be it from me though, to anymore attempt to bring some insight, into the tunnel vision of a backward little hole like this.

Do carry on!

FWIW;

 

I happen to agree with a lot of the stuff you post but, forgive me for not being as educated as you in these matters (must have gone to the wrong university)

 

However, this thread was started for people who like to look at the night sky and admire what they see without the need of a degree in astrophysics.

 

Maybe if you could post an original thought sometime instead of what appears to be a 'cut and paste' job every time then, your  opinions might gain a little more respect.

[owre-weel]

Noo noo bairns, we might not all agree with each other's thoughts, but it can make interesting debate and discussion.

 

I came out my door at tea time last night, and for the first time in a long while I stopped to look up at the sky. I was amazed at the clarity of the stars and was able to pick out the usual groups etc. I can't remember the last time I stopped to have a good look at the sky.

 

Of course this is Shetland and within an hour I couldn't see anything as it clouded over, but it kinda renewed my interest and curiosity. Looking up at all those thousand if stars, I thought there has to be life of some description on some of them, we can't possibly be the only planet with life form.

[paulb]

did the same. star gazing with very light snow falling is new though

[mogling]

Just had a great idea for Star-gazing.

 

Have you ever tried floating on your back in the outdoor part of the Clickimin pool, in the dark, on a clear starry night?

 

That would really save the neck muscles, and, for those of us with balance problems - would cut out the falling-over bit of looking up

 

{It's even more lovely, & a bit surreal, when you're floating there, and a snowflake lands on your nose!}

[Frances144]

Is the outdoor pool open again?

[Frances144]

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e302/Frances144/IMG_0619_zpse9da8316.jpg

 

Michelangelo sky

Edited January 2, 2014 by Frances144

[stilldellin]

The aurora was on good form for hours last night :-

Aurora IMG_4055 by Ronnierob, on Flickr

plenty more on flickr...

[mogling]

Lyrid Meteor shower 

 

"By the night of April 20-21, the 2014 Lyrid meteor shower is picking up steam under the light of a bright, waning moon.

This shower is usually a nice one, when the moon is out of the sky.

It offers about 20 meteors per hour at its peak, but we won’t see that many this year.

The maximum number of Lyrid meteors will probably rain down during the predawn hours on April 22 and 23, yet under a moonlit sky.

This year, it might be to your advantage to watch this shower starting at late evening or before the moon rises into your sky."

 

 

http://earthsky.org/tonight/vega-lights-the-way-to-lyrid-meteor-radiant