The Amateur Astronomy Thread

[icowden]

What you're proposing is essentially an Air B&B in the ISS

Yes if you like. Your tourist offsets some of the cost of the journey. Win / win.

 

[Psamathe]

It does seem like a lot of money, and a lot of fuel and resources to give a few people some jollies.

I think space tourism has a role, but I'd prefer to see it working side by side with necessary work rather than just "cos".

Or spend the money giving public access to telescopes with people to explain the wonders of what they are seeing.

That said, I do confess to being maybe too focused on "useful"? A few years back one module on my Astronomy degree course for a course assessment essay I won a prize of observing time on the Liverpool Telescope (remote 2 m scope in the Canaries) and rather than me choosing something of personal interest (likely a Globular Cluster) where my time would have served no useful purpose I told the University to give the time to a researcher of their choice for their research (eg somebody whose bid for time was to be not granted), put to resource to use.

Ian
Edit: To clarify, I don't have an Astronomy degree but for a time was doing different modules on UCLAN and Liverpool JMU Astronomy degree courses.

 

[Psamathe]

I think space tourism has a role, but I'd prefer to see it working side by side with necessary work rather than just "cos".

Yes if you like. Your tourist offsets some of the cost of the journey. Win / win.

(Without wanting to get into NACA areas), Do you trust the tech bros billionaires to carry out any useful research work? Maybe "research" into schemes to make even more money whilst further polluting our night skies or maybe some work into life extension/anti-aging some of them seem so interested in. Useful research to further out understanding of the universe ... they'd just need to know where's the profit?

Ian

 

[classic33]

On the 10th August, 6 planets — Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune — will align in the sky.
Last chance until February next year, to see a similar number in the night sky.

 

[stephec]

I bought a cheap Skywatcher 90mm refractor a few weeks ago, to use as a travel jobbie for when I'm working away, that should give me an excuse to test it tonight.

 

[classic33]

Two to watch for,

 

[wheresthetorch]

View attachment 784219

That's pretty funny! Basically, it's a second New Moon in a month, or in thois case the third New Moon of a season which contains four, so neither 'extremely rare' nor going to darken the skies in any way.

 

[MontyVeda]

That's pretty funny! Basically, it's a second New Moon in a month, or in thois case the third New Moon of a season which contains four, so neither 'extremely rare' nor going to darken the skies in any way.

it's ironic that what was once called the information super-highway is mostly full of complete bollocks

 

[classic33]

 

[classic33]

The Geminids peak overnight on December 13th–14th, and the timing couldn’t be better.

 

[classic33]

Tomorrow, 19th December 2025, an extraordinary visitor from beyond our solar system will make its closest approach to Earth. Known as 3I/ATLAS, this object is only the third confirmed interstellar comet ever detected—after ‘Oumuamua and Borisov.

Tomorrow’s close pass offers one of our best chances to study this ancient traveler before it continues its silent journey back into the darkness between the stars. For a brief moment, the universe is letting us examine a fragment of another solar system—up close, yet still full of secrets.