Astronomy!

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I figured I'd start a thread where amateur astronomers (or pros if there's any in here) can discuss things...

Since we're on the "Wrong Planet" it's fun trying to find the "right" one.

Currently all I have is a good pair of 7x50 binoculars, but I get to go to the observatory at school to see deeper objects.

I've been enjoying looking at Comet Holmes, and Mars is also very close and bright.

Has anybody had any luck finding Jovian moons with binoculars?

I`ve just bought a 12inch Dobsonian reflector and am going to be using it tomorrow night for the first time.

Wow, congradulations! That's pretty impressive, do you have any particular objects in mind for tomorrow? I have to wait a couple weeks for my time at my school's observatory. I hope to get a good view of Comet Holmes, and possibly a Nebula...

I love astromony and am admittedly an amateur (VERY amateur )

Gave daughter the computer before I finished the other day.
I'm currently finding my interests being drawn more towards parallel universes (as presented in 11 dimensional string theory) and also "M" theory, hyper space, black holes, and also super massive black holes.
For some reason I have the feeling this is gonna be a pretty quiet thread.

I happen to have always loved astronomy, BUT, my parents don't want me to have a telescope or binoculars. I think theyre against it

"WHY" Petal, I'm curious as to why your parents would't want you to broaden your interests?

I seriously wish I knew the answer to that

I do have a feeling its because they always wanted me to fit in, and knew astronomy wasnt going to help with that.

But, i wait 2 more years, and I can do what I like

Speaking of black holes,

I sometimes have a rather awful memory that messes things around and changes facts,

but I remember STEPHEN HAWKING (who if you didn't already know, he is pretty much the biggest name in astrophysics), say in a recent speech that after all of his years of research on black holes, he concluded that there was actually no such thing.

well I'm quite sure i heard this and it wasnt my imagination, but what do you guys think?

I remember Hawking having to retract on one of his theories back in 04 I think it was, but no one in the scientific community can deny the existence of black holes any longer.
They exist, and in fact there is one (I think a super-massive one if I remember correctly) at the center of our own galaxy.
And now the search for both wormholes and "white holes" (instead of sucking in every thing, they spew it forth.) has begun.

Sorry about your folks Petal. Doesn't make any sense to me but find it naively considerate that they at least think it will help you. At least you would fit in w/ the "geeky kids" (they're so much more fun to converse w/ anyhow!! !)

I’m very interested in astronomy. I’ve got a Sky-Watcher Newton 200/1000 on a Vixen Super Polaris mount with right ascension drive. Unfortunately the observation possibilities are not that good in my local area. In particular there's to much light pollution and I find it to exhausting always to put the whole telescope equipment into the car and search for an appropriate place outside the city. Especially now when its bloody cold here at night. Last time I did this many years ago my finger tips hurt for one week because of the coldness. I wasn’t able to use gloves at the telescope all the time because it was to difficult to handle it precisely with wearing them. So I’ve got to be content with the easier to view objects instead of doing deep sky astronomy.

Dr. Hawking was forced to conclude that the minimum size for quantum black holes created during the Big Bang was larger than he had first thought (he had thought the minimum mass would be on the order of kilograms; I think the new lower limit is more a matter of megatons). He's also been involved in a fierce discussion as to the nature of Hawking radiation, since some interpretations could result in information escaping a black hole, which would cause problems with mass/energy conservation (a pretty major cornerstone of the Universe as we understand it; tossing that would require reworking physics from the word Bang).

However, the first evidence of black holes was actually a marvelous case of a scientific theory making a prediction that was later borne out by experimental evidence. (General Relativity implied their existence; it wasn't until radio astronomy came into existence that the characteristic radio signals of black holes were detected, as well as the expected background radiation of the Universe, left over from the Bang. Later, UV astronomy found the photonic evidence. It would now appear that there is a supermassive black hole at the core of every spiral galaxy, including our own, and in fact the gravity waves of a spinning supermassive hole may be required in order for a spiral galaxy to form.)

Did any1 else in Australia or NZ see the lunar eclipse? It was so cool!

Anyone with a Supernova obsession? I have questions.

I'm currently studying Lie groups and algebras and catastrophe theory to help me gradually grasp some of the mathematics I need in order to get further into m-theory. Also, just getting into learning about coxeter graphs. (I don't presume m-theory will pan out, but am mostly interested because it gives me an excuse to learn more math. If it turns out to be a winner, then so much the better.) A friend is an active physicist in the field and he's been advising me about reading materials to move in that direction. It's been a deep wade for me, but I have particularly enjoyed studying Galois, and then general finite group and field theory before, so the Lie group study is a joy. The catastrophe theory, though, is taking me longer.

I enjoy general physics, some interest in Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction, also orbital mechanics, about a year training in basic quantum mechanics [not much, in other words], and some areas of thermodynamics (fascinated by Bekenstein's [grad student when he presented the idea] 1972 suggestion of a more generalized 2nd law that included black holes.) I certainly could discuss some insights I find interesting and some math, if desired.

Jon

An asteroid may or may not hit Mars this month. It would be spectacular if it did. (The projected impact zone is nowhere near any of the two incredible rovers, so don't worry)

An interesting thing from when Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter is that the sight of the impact kicked into gear the plans to protect Earth from wayward objects.

Stay Tuned.

To see Mars, in case you don't know (From the Northern Hemisphere) it's the bright reddish "star" above the constellation Orion.