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Lots of interesting stuff happening above our heads in the next few days!

The "New Horizons Probe" will be sending pictures and data back to Earth as it skims past Pluto, in the outer reaches of our Solar System...a very long way away!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33517532

..its interesting to note how long it takes to transfer messages and data back and forth...."Turn left at Neptune"... ...!

...and there's more stuff even farther away!....>>>

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26737376

...and after you have absorbed all that, when it comes to distances, its time to remember that our tiny little "Solar System" is located right on the edge of our enormous Milky Way Galaxy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way

...and that there are loads of other Galaxies out there!.... ...!

There's a lot of stuff out there which is difficult to get our heads around, the distances are so vast!... ...!

We are an insignificant blip in the overall scheme of things!

I just wish that all those fancy Science Folks would use the measurement of; "MILES" for me to understand....instead of annoying; "KILOMETRES"!.... ...!

Paul...Star-gazing...with the more familiar Galaxy...>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_%28chocolate%29

I must say I'm quite excited about this. It will be interesting to know more about our own solar system and its contents. I'll be following this closely on Aunty Beeb

from BBC News:
"New Horizons' flyby of 2,370km-wide Pluto is a key moment in the history of space exploration.
Its successful execution will complete the initial reconnaissance of the "classical" nine planets in our Solar System.
It will mark the fact that every body in that system - from Mercury through to Pluto - will have been visited at least once by a space probe."

It's supposed to pass within 7,600 MILES (that's miles, not km's) at a speed of 30,000+ mph.

Yep, that's some real accurate shooting, I'd say.

A nine billion mile journey, aiming for a Target 'box' 60 x 90 miles in size... and they hit it almost dead center!

It's like scoring a hole in one from New York City to Los Angeles.

GO NEW HORIZONS! We'll talk to you tonight, when you phone home! (20:53 to 21:09 EST)

Alan

When Gustav Holst completed The Planets suite in 1916 he did not include a movement for Pluto because it had not yet been discovered.

Although he was still alive in 1930 when it was discovered he declined to compose an additional movement.

The Berlin Philharmonic commissioned "Pluto" from composer Colin Matthews in 2000.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_v8G0fo4Ws[/youtube]

The speed of these things always amazes me....
New Horizons is travelling through space at 31,000 Miles per hour....

...or 8 Miles per second!

Mind you, even at that speed.....It still takes AGES to get anywhere even in our Solar System!

...and as to places out side of it....forget it!..... ....!

Voyager1, launched in 1977, and travelling at a speed of 38,000 MPH for 38 years is still within our Solar back yard!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_program

Still propelled by Solar Wind...or some other method?

Our nearest neighbour, Alpha Centauri, is 4.24 light years away from us. It would take a Greyhound 'Bus nearly 5 years, travelling at a speed of 186,000 MILES PER SECOND to reach there!
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronom ... sest-star/

Hang on to your hat!.... ...!

Distances in outer space are mind-boggling, even in our own Milky Way Galaxy!....
and there are lots more Galaxies out there!...>>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nearest_galaxies

The "Universe" is full of STUFF!.... ...!
...and where did it all come from?....my garage?.... ...!

Paul....anyone want my Greyhound 'Bus ticket?... ...!

ozzy72 wrote:https://www.simviation.com/phpupload/uploads/1437022250.jpg

...race you down the Trench!.... ...!

...and some more stuff from "up there"....>>>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXR_1uskpB0

Paul.... ...!

Monty Python's Universe Song and The Animaniacs Universe Song were both going through my head reading your first post, Foz.

Travis wrote:Monty Python's Universe Song and The Animaniacs Universe Song were both going through my head reading your first post, Foz.

Many thanks for that, Trav.... ...!

The Monty Python version is a wealth of fascinating information....

I must play it back very slowly, and write down all the technical data, bit by bit!

I love all this Space stuff!.... ....!

Paul....a little piece of algae at the bottom of a pond...a very long time ago....(not much different now).... ..!

I just hope that when the images finally appear on our screens, that we wont be bombarded by computer-generated graphics, and people waving their arms, purporting the images to be the real thing...

...to fool everyone...(easily done).... ....

...and the pictures wont be accompanied by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra playing annoyingly in the background...(or foreground), as generally happens with modern documentaries.... ....!

I just want to see the real; "Photographs"......quietly.... ...!

Paul... ...!

Just a tiny little glimpse!...>>>

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpspro ... 2142c6.jpg

...and a measurement in...MILES!... ...!

Paul.... ...!

NOVA (PBS in US) tonight (July 15)

Chasing Pluto

Images of Pluto captured by the New Horizons probe are featured. The flyby of the dwarf planet, which is located in the Kuiper Belt at the edge of the solar system, is the culmination of the spacecraft's three-billion-mile journey, which began in 2006.

A bit more info, and technical data, including information on the progress of the Pioneer and Voyager space probes....>>>

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation- ... 79819.html

Interesting stuff!

Paul... ...!

Hmmm . . . need to go find the right forum to post a significant and brilliant tale . . .