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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mobius on November 15, 2010, 11:57:29 am

Title: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Mobius on November 15, 2010, 11:57:29 am
Did you follow them on stream? As far as I could understand, they found out something new about black holes. Any clues? What's going on?
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: General Battuta on November 15, 2010, 11:58:36 am
Chandra spotted a young black hole. Exciting and scientifically valuable.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Mobius on November 15, 2010, 12:00:50 pm
The funny thing is that, if I got it right, they're working with Russians on this one.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: General Battuta on November 15, 2010, 12:01:41 pm
NASA has been working with the Russians in one capacity or another for years. Decades, even.

Although I actually hadn't heard about any Russian involvement on this find.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Mobius on November 15, 2010, 12:05:07 pm
It's a surprise...
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: General Battuta on November 15, 2010, 12:08:00 pm
Unless it involves Putin wrestling a singularity shirtless I don't think it's going to surprise anybody.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: StarSlayer on November 15, 2010, 12:48:11 pm
Unless it involves Putin wrestling a singularity shirtless I don't think it's going to surprise anybody.

"Putin on the Ritz"
(http://usera.imagecave.com/giavasan/putin%20on%20the%20ritz.gif)
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: newman on November 15, 2010, 01:05:24 pm
US and European astronauts have been hitching rides to and from the ISS onboard the russian Soyuz craft for years, cooperation with the Russians on the space program is hardly a new thing. They're the ones with the most affordable space vehicle, and (as a consequence) the busiest space port in the world (Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan).
Haven't heard anything about their involvement in this thing either, but I could have just missed it.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Jeryko on November 15, 2010, 01:40:03 pm
Baby Blackhole (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/youngest-nearby-black-hole-discovered-101115.html)
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Ghostavo on November 15, 2010, 01:48:44 pm
It's a 50 million year old black hole.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Galemp on November 15, 2010, 02:16:49 pm
Chandra spotted a young black hole. Exciting and scientifically valuable.
The funny thing is that, if I got it right, they're working with Russians on this one.

Paging Dr. Bowman...
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Mongoose on November 15, 2010, 02:36:10 pm
Awwww, baby black holes are soooo cuuuuuute. :3
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: The E on November 15, 2010, 02:37:09 pm
I think they suck.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: iamzack on November 15, 2010, 02:41:17 pm
OMG THEY FOUND A PIRATE DINOSAUR IN SPAAAAAAAACE

http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Raptor-Pirates-Patrick-OBrien/dp/0802795714#reader_0802795714
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: General Battuta on November 15, 2010, 02:54:59 pm
Chandra spotted a young black hole. Exciting and scientifically valuable.
The funny thing is that, if I got it right, they're working with Russians on this one.

Paging Dr. Bowman...

omg it's full of stars
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Mobius on November 15, 2010, 03:08:35 pm
I think they suck.

In the literal sense? :lol:
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: watsisname on November 15, 2010, 03:38:30 pm
Chandra spotted a young black hole. Exciting and scientifically valuable.
The funny thing is that, if I got it right, they're working with Russians on this one.

Paging Dr. Bowman...

omg it's full of stars

no o, just mg
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: General Battuta on November 15, 2010, 03:39:03 pm
It was a silent O.

that's what she said
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: watsisname on November 15, 2010, 03:46:38 pm
equals O !

More seriously, I wonder how much this baby weighs.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Bobboau on November 15, 2010, 03:54:25 pm
probly more than the sun.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: watsisname on November 15, 2010, 04:20:17 pm
Aye, the upper limit for forming a neutron star is about 3 solar masses, so it's bound to be at least that.
I just think it'd be interesting to know since they believe the parent star's mass was about at the lower limit for producing a black hole.  I'd expect some form of loose relationship between the two.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Mongoose on November 15, 2010, 04:43:42 pm
Baby got back.
Title: Re: What is NASA up to?
Post by: Goober5000 on November 15, 2010, 09:30:54 pm
Chandra spotted a young black hole. Exciting and scientifically valuable.
Chandra is awesome.  It was so big that they had to launch it on Columbia, which was the only shuttle that had enough room in the cargo bay for it to fit.  (All the other shuttles had previously had their internal airlocks removed and replaced with external airlocks, which took up space in the cargo bay.)  But Columbia was also the heaviest shuttle, so they had to use the super light-weight version of the external tank, AND previous-generation main engines that were lighter and more powerful but also less safe, AND partially disassemble the shuttle to remove still more weight -- all of which required a whole bunch of engineering waivers.  And THEN during launch, two of the main engine controllers shorted out and one of the engines developed a fuel leak, resulting in a premature main engine cutoff.  It was the first mission to have a female shuttle commander, too.  Despite all this, the mission was a smashing success.

The launch was pretty epic.  I highly recommend watching this video (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=442.0) about it, or reading the transcript.  Edge-of-your-seat NASA stuff.

So I guess this post was more about how Columbia was awesome.  But Chandra is awesome too. :nervous: