Kawasaki Concours Forum
Mish mash => Open Forum => Topic started by: Conrad on February 21, 2012, 01:02:05 PM
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http://spaceweather.com/ (http://spaceweather.com/)
Today, the new Moon passed in front of the sun, off-center, producing a partial solar eclipse. The only place to see it was from space. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) sends this picture from geosynchronous orbit approximately 36,000 km above Earth's surface:
(http://spaceweather.com/images2012/21feb12/eclipsered.jpg?PHPSESSID=p7pcf21etsg9d9qs5iit4qmo35)
Using a bank of 16 megapixel cameras, SDO observed the event at multiple extreme ultraviolet wavelengths. Scan the edge of the Moon in this 171 Å image: The little bumps and irregularities you see are lunar mountains backlit by solar plasma.
(http://spaceweather.com/images2012/21feb12/eclipsegold.jpg?PHPSESSID=p7pcf21etsg9d9qs5iit4qmo35)
Beyond the novelty of observing an eclipse from space, these images have practical value to the SDO science team. The sharp edge of the lunar limb helps researchers measure the in-orbit characteristics of the telescope--e.g., how light diffracts around the telescope's optics and filter support grids. Once these are calibrated, it is possible to correct SDO data for instrumental effects and sharpen the images even more than before.
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http://spaceweather.com/ (http://spaceweather.com/)
Today, the new Moon....
Whoah here, Conrad! New Moon? What about the old one? No one told me there was going to be a new Moon! What's going on here, someone is :nuts: . I was perfectly happy with the old Moon and now I have to break in another one? It looks the same as the old one so what's the point? Change for change sake? Can I still howl at it or will I now have to growl?
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Whoah here, Conrad! New Moon? What about the old one? No one told me there was going to be a new Moon! What's going on here, someone is :nuts: . I was perfectly happy with the old Moon and now I have to break in another one? It looks the same as the old one so what's the point? Change for change sake? Can I still howl at it or will I now have to growl?
The side of the new moon that you can see has already been broke in and it looks just like the old one Jim. They saved the 'dark side' for you to break in. Pack your bags buddy! You've got some work to do, for a change...
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Isn't there always, at all times a solar eclipse in space somewhere? That said, cool pics!
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Isn't there always, at all times a solar eclipse in space somewhere? That said, cool pics!
That's true Rhino, but we don't always have cameras in a position to take pics.
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That's true Rhino, but we don't always have cameras in a position to take pics.
Good point!