Astronomy and Space

Advances in the investigation of the physical universe we live in.
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monster_gardener
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Back to Space/At the Core........

Post by monster_gardener »

Thank You Very Much your post, Azari and the Links.......

Quite interesting.........

I do hope we get seriously back into space.........
seems Joe affraid of Iranian nulcear program and that WannaBee (Natanyaho) Samson complex :lol:
I am reminded of a Larry Niven quote about the Pierson Puppeteer Culture, which has a reputation for being cowardly, to the effect that whatever their reputed cowardice, Puppeteers NEVER pretend a threat does not exist like many human chaos monkeys often do.......

Niven wondered if perhaps human chaos monkeys were more coward At the Core than Puppeteers.......
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Endovelico
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Life in Space

Post by Endovelico »

FOSSIL DIATOMS IN A NEW CARBONACEOUS METEORITE
N. C. Wickramasinghe, J. Wallis, D.H. Wallis and Anil Samaranayake

1. The Polonnaruwa meteorite

Minutes after a large fireball was seen by a large number of people in the skies over Sri Lanka on 29 December 2012, a large meteorite disintegrated and fell in the village of Araganwila, which is located a few miles away from the historic ancient city of Polonnaruwa. A small piece of the meteorite was sent by one of us (AS) for study at the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology and Cardiff University.

The meteorite when examined under a light microscope exhibits a highly porous and composite structure characteristic of a carbonaceous chondrite, with fine-grained olivine aggregates connected with mineral intergrowths. A few percent carbon as revealed by EDX analysis confirms the status of a carbonaceous meteorite. The general characteristics of the new meteorite bear a striking similarity to those of the unusual Maribo CM chondrite that fell over Denmark on January 17, 2009 (Haach et al, 2011). This meteorite was identified as arising from an extinct cometary fragment in the Taurid complex associated with comet Encke. In view of the proximity of occurrence within the calendar year between the Maribo and Polonnaruwa events we provisionally identify the latter as arising from an extinct cometary fragment belonging to the same Taurid complex. We shall henceforth refer to this meteorite as the Polonnaruwa CM chondrite or the Polonnaruwa meteorite.

2. Meteorite analysis

Fragments from a freshly cleaved interior surface of the Polonnaruwa meteorite were mounted on aluminium stubs and examined under an environmental scanning electron microscope at the School of Earth Sciences at Cardiff University. Images of the sample at low magnification displayed a wide range of structures that were distributed and enmeshed within a fine-grained matrix, of which Fig.2 is an example. EDX studies on all the larger putative biological structures showed only minor differentials in elemental abundances between the structures themselves and the surrounding material, implying that the larger objects represent microfossils rather than living or recently living cells. For the smallest structures, however, such a distinction could not be easily made from EDX studies alone. Other criteria will be required.

The donut-shaped structure seen in the bottom left corner of Fig.2 is one of many that were found in the Polonnaruwa meteorite that bears a striking similarity to the SEM images of the Kerala red rain cells (Louis and Kumar, 2004; Gangappa et al, 2010). We discuss elsewhere the possible link between these structures and the red rain that followed the meteorite fall.
Diatom 1.jpg
Diatom 1.jpg (39.97 KiB) Viewed 3970 times
Fig.2
Other structures of various shapes, including large numbers of slender cylinders of lengths 5 -10[j,m, and a few micrometres in diameter are seen to be distributed extensively throughout the sample. It is of interest to note that precisely such types of dielectric particles, which may have a pre-solar origin, have been invoked to explain both the linear and circular polarization of starlight (Wickramasinghe, 1967). As early as 1976 the presence of clumps of biogenic material in carbonaceous chondrites was inferred from spectroscopic studies at ultraviolet wavelengths (Hoyle and Wickramasinghe, 1976). The identification of infrared spectroscopic features of interstellar and cometary dust with the spectra of diatoms has also been discussed (Hoover, Hoyle, Wickramasinghe et al 1986). The discovery of diatoms in a carbonaceous chondrite therefore comes as no surprise.
The larger ovoidal object in Fig 2 possesses a microstructure and morphology characteristic of a wide class of terrestrial diatoms. Diatoms are unicellular phytoplankton characterised by elaborately sculptured frustules comprised of a hydrated silicon dioxide polymer. The intricately woven microstructure of these frustules would be impossible to generate abiotically, so the presence of structures of this kind in any extraterrestrial setting could be construed as unequivocal proof of biology. Diatom fossils of a wide range of types are found marine sediments dating back to the Cretaceous Tertiary boundary 65 million years ago.
Diatom 2.jpg
Diatom 2.jpg (57.79 KiB) Viewed 3970 times
Fig3

In the higher resolution image of Fig3 we can unambiguously identify an object as being a a diatom from its complex and highly ordered microstructure and morphology, that cannot result from any conceivable mineralisation or crystallisation process. The structure has been mineralised to a high degree over millions of years and displays close similarities in elemental abundances with the surrounding material.

One of the many of the slender cylinders seen in Fig.2 is examined under higher magnification in Fig.5. The intricacy of the regular patterns of "holes", ridges and indentations are again unquestionably biological, and this is impossible to interpret rationally as arising from an inorganic crystallisation process. Here too the near identity of elements inside and outside the structures point to a mineralised fossil rather than a recent diatom.
Diatom 3.jpg
Diatom 3.jpg (34.83 KiB) Viewed 3970 times
Fig5

3. Microfossil identifications

Reports of microfossil discoveries in meteorites have a long and tangled history stretching over half a century. Early claims of microfossils in carbonaceous chondrites by Claus and Nagy (1961) were quickly dismissed as arising from contaminants because there were indeed some instances in which contaminants (eg pollen grains) were mistakenly attributed to microfossils (Anders, 1962; Anders and Fitch, 1962). H.D. Pflug's more careful studies in the 1980's provided much stronger evidence of microfossils (Pflug, 1984; Hoyle and Wickramasinghe, 1982). Richard Hoover at NASA Marshall Space Flight Centre has continued to discover structures in carbonaceous meteorites that he identified as fossils of cyanobacteria (Hoover, 2005,2011). Despite the growing strength of Pflug's and Hoover's evidence counter claims that they are most likely to be crystallographic artefacts still dominate the literature, and the matter is seen at best as being unresolved. Whilst cyanobacterial filaments of the type found by Hoover may, by stretching credulity to a limit, be perceived as possible mineralogical artefacts, the highly characteristic diatom morphologies and microstructure seen in Figures 3 and 5 cannot be remotely construed as anything other than biologically defined structures that have undergone a high degree of fossilisation.

Comparison of the SEM images of another fossil diatom in the Polonnaruwa meteorite with a modern diatom Sellaphora blackfordensis (Mann, 1989,1999) leaves scarcely any room to doubt the identity of the former. Again we stress that contamination is decisively ruled out because the structure in the meteorite is deemed to be a fossilised object, and fossils diatoms were not present near the surface of the Earth to contaminate a new fall of meteorites.
We conclude therefore that the identification of fossilised diatoms in the Polonnaruwa meteorite is firmly established and unimpeachable. Since this meteorite is considered to be an extinct cometary fragment, the idea of microbial life carried within comets and the theory of cometary panspermia is thus vindicated (Hoyle and Wickramasinghe, 1981,.1982, 2000; Wickramasinghe, Wickramasinghe and Napier, 2010). The universe, not humans, must have the final say to declare what the world is really like.

[Complete article to be seen here:http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/wp-content/ ... eorite.pdf]
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Re: Life in Space

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Endovelico wrote:
FOSSIL DIATOMS IN A NEW CARBONACEOUS METEORITE
N. C. Wickramasinghe, J. Wallis, D.H. Wallis and Anil Samaranayake

. . .

[Complete article to be seen here:http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/wp-content/ ... eorite.pdf]
Bad Astro | No, Diatoms Have Not Been Found in a Meteorite
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Re: Life in Space

Post by Endovelico »

Typhoon wrote:
Endovelico wrote:
FOSSIL DIATOMS IN A NEW CARBONACEOUS METEORITE
N. C. Wickramasinghe, J. Wallis, D.H. Wallis and Anil Samaranayake

. . .

[Complete article to be seen here:http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/wp-content/ ... eorite.pdf]
Bad Astro | No, Diatoms Have Not Been Found in a Meteorite
Although I'm not convinced the authors were correct in identifying diatoms in a supposed meteorite fragment, I'm not sure either that Phil Plait is totally unbiased in his criticism. He seems to have an ax to grind with N. C. Wickramasinghe, and he fails to question the authority of the other authors (J. Wallis, D.H. Wallis and Anil Samaranayake, who are attached to the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, University of Buckingham, Buckingham, UK, the School of Mathematics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, and the Medical Research Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka). Trouble is scientists do not seem to be any more honest than anybody else, and one has indeed to question whatever they say. That goes for N. C. Wickramasinghe as well as for Phil Plait. Conclusion: we aren't any closer to knowing whether there is life in space, and whether life on Earth has come from over there...
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Re: Astronomy and Space

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Mathematical Breakthrough Sets out Rules for More Effective Teleportation

Jan. 16, 2013 — For the last ten years, theoretical physicists have shown that the intense connections generated between particles as established in the quantum law of 'entanglement' may hold the key to eventual teleportation of quantum information.

Now, for the first time, researchers have worked out how entanglement could be 'recycled' to increase the efficiency of these connections. Published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the result could conceivably take us a step closer to sci-fi style teleportation in the future, although this research is purely theoretical in nature.

The team have also devised a generalised form of teleportation, which allows for a wide variety of potential applications in quantum physics.

Once considered impossible, in 1993 a team of scientists calculated that teleportation could work in principle using quantum laws. Quantum teleportation harnesses the 'entanglement' law to transmit particle-sized bites of information across potentially vast distances in an instant.

Entanglement involves a pair of quantum particles such as electrons or protons that are intrinsically bound together, retaining synchronisation between the two that holds whether the particles are next to each other or on opposing sides of a galaxy. Through this connection, quantum bits of information -- qubits -- can be relayed using only traditional forms of classical communication.

Previous teleportation protocols, have fallen into one of two camps, those that could only send scrambled information requiring correction by the receiver, or more recently, "port-based" teleportation that doesn't require a correction, but needed an impractical amount of entanglement -- each object sent would destroy the entangled state.

Now, physicists from Cambridge, University College London, and the University of Gdansk have developed a protocol to provide an optimal solution in which the entangled state is 'recycled', so that the gateway between particles holds for the teleportation of multiple objects.

They have even devised a protocol in which multiple qubits can be teleported simultaneously, although the entangled state degrades proportionally to the amount of qubits sent in both cases.

"The first protocol consists of sequentially teleporting states, and the second teleports them in a bulk," said Sergii Strelchuck from Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, who led the research with colleagues Jonathan Oppenheim of Cambridge and UCL and Michal Horodecki of the University of Gdansk.

"We have also found a generalised teleportation technique which we hope will find applications in areas such as quantum computation."

Einstein famously loathed the theory of quantum entanglement, dismissing it as "spooky action at a distance." But entanglement has since been proven to be a very real feature of our universe, and one that has extraordinary potential to advance all manner of scientific endeavor.

"There is a close connection between teleportation and quantum computers, which are devices which exploit quantum mechanics to perform computations which would not be feasible on a classical computer," said Strelchuck.

"Building a quantum computer is one of the great challenges of modern physics, and it is hoped that the new teleportation protocol will lead to advances in this area."

While the Cambridge physicists' protocol is completely theoretical, last year a team of Chinese scientists reported teleporting photons over 143km, breaking previous records, and quantum entanglement is increasingly seen as an important area of scientific investment. Teleportation of information carried by single atoms is feasible with current technologies, but the teleportation of large objects -- such as Captain Kirk -- remains in the realm of science fiction.

Adds Strelchuck: "Entanglement can be thought of as the fuel, which powers teleportation. Our protocol is more fuel efficient, able to use entanglement thriftily while eliminating the need for error correction."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 111744.htm
Could this eventually allow for real time communications between the Earth and far spacecraft? Could, for instance, a rover on Mars be driven in real time from the Earth?...
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Inflatable Space Station - Gum and Duct Tape

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http://www.weather.com/video/an-inflata ... tion-33846


Wondering if Astronauts will be required to chew gum* ;) and always carry Duck/Duct Tape.......... :lol:

In case there are punctures.......... :shock:


*American Uz Astronauts will probably find this easy.. ;)

Naturally would be necesarry to find out what brand of gum and tape works best..........
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Re: Astronomy and Space

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RAS |
Did an 8th century gamma ray burst irradiate the Earth?

A nearby short duration gamma-ray burst may be the cause of an intense blast of high-energy radiation that hit the Earth in the 8th century, according to new research led by astronomers Valeri Hambaryan and Ralph Neuhӓuser.
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Re: Life in Space

Post by Endovelico »

Endovelico wrote:
Typhoon wrote:
Endovelico wrote:
FOSSIL DIATOMS IN A NEW CARBONACEOUS METEORITE
N. C. Wickramasinghe, J. Wallis, D.H. Wallis and Anil Samaranayake

. . .

[Complete article to be seen here:http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/wp-content/ ... eorite.pdf]
Bad Astro | No, Diatoms Have Not Been Found in a Meteorite
Although I'm not convinced the authors were correct in identifying diatoms in a supposed meteorite fragment, I'm not sure either that Phil Plait is totally unbiased in his criticism. He seems to have an ax to grind with N. C. Wickramasinghe, and he fails to question the authority of the other authors (J. Wallis, D.H. Wallis and Anil Samaranayake, who are attached to the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, University of Buckingham, Buckingham, UK, the School of Mathematics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, and the Medical Research Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka). Trouble is scientists do not seem to be any more honest than anybody else, and one has indeed to question whatever they say. That goes for N. C. Wickramasinghe as well as for Phil Plait. Conclusion: we aren't any closer to knowing whether there is life in space, and whether life on Earth has come from over there...
Extraterresterial Life Exists, Scientist Chandra Wickramasinghe Claims

(...)

But with any remarkable claim comes criticism of the scientist's research and conclusions.

Astronomer Phil Plait, writing in Slate magazine, raised several red flags and called into question the validity of Wickramasinghe's findings.

"Wickramasinghe is a fervent proponent of [panspermia]. Like, really fervent. So much so that he attributes everything to life in space," Plait wrote. "He's claimed living cells found in the stratosphere come from space. (There is no evidence at all they do, and it's far more likely they are terrestrial). ... Wickramasinghe jumps on everything, with little or no evidence, and says it's from outer space, so I think there's a case to be made for a bias on his part."

The Huffington Post contacted Wickramasinghe in the U.K. and asked him to respond to some of the criticisms leveled at him by Plait, beginning with Plait's assertion that Wickramasinghe is biased in his notion that there is an abundance of life in outer space.

"In 1962, [Hoyle and I] pioneered the theory of carbon grains in space to replace the old ice grain theory. This was vehemently resisted by the astronomical community at the outset, but with the dawn of infrared spectroscopy, the ice grain theory gave way to the carbon dust theory," Wickramasinghe told HuffPost in an email.

"Over a few years, after a great deal of model-fitting, we came to the conclusion that material similar to biomaterial fitted all the available data in astronomy ... We considered the possibility that biology (microbiology) had a universal character, and no observations in astronomy or new information from biology has provided contrary evidence."

In an earlier research paper he co-authored in 2012, Wickramasinghe wrote, "For nearly five decades evidence in favor of a non-terrestrial origin of life and panspermia has accumulated which has not been properly assessed. A point has now been reached that demands the serious attention of biologists to a possibly transformative paradigm shift of the question of the origin of life, with profound implications across many disciplines."

"If only ideas that are considered orthodox are given support through award of grants or publication opportunities, it is certain that the progress of science will be stifled as it was throughout the middle ages," Wickramasinghe wrote to HuffPost.

Plait claims that the diatoms Wickramasinghe found, "a type of algae, microscopic plant life," are simply a freshwater species found on Earth. Wickramasinghe doesn't deny that the meteorite sample his team studied contains freshwater diatoms.

"But -- there are also at least half a dozen species that diatom experts have not been able to identify," Wickramasinghe said.

Critics have also asserted that the meteorite in question may not, in fact, be from outer space. Could it simply be an Earth rock?

According to Wickramasinghe, "This was also the guess of the Sri Lankan geologists who first looked at the rock. They had considered the possibility that the rock may be ... a rock that was struck by lightning. We examined this possibility and found it to be untenable. From all the evidence we possess (and we are planning to publish this), I personally have no doubt whatsoever that this was a stone that fell from the skies."

The microscopic images produced from the Sri Lankan meteorite are certainly provocative -- as also seen in the video below -- but whether or not they truly prove the existence of extraterrestrial life will remain controversial until enough scientists sign off on the theory ... or not.

hRSIzYWf1TY

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/1 ... weird-news
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Re: Astronomy and Space

Post by Endovelico »

AUTHENTICITY OF THE LIFE-BEARING POLONNARUWA METEORITE
N.C. Wickramasinghe, J. Wallis, N. Miyake, Anthony Oldroyd, D.H. Wallis, Anil Samaranayake and K. Wickramarathne , Richard B. Hoover and M.K. Wallis

In two recent papers we reported the discovery of distinctly recognisable diatom frustules in rocks that were reported to have fallen over the skies in central Sri Lanka (Wickramasinghe, Wallis, Wallis et al, 2013a,b). The claim that this was a meteorite and the implied validation of the theory of cometary panspermia has, not unexpectedly, provoked criticism and controversy. We are of course aware that science must always proceed with cautious efforts to maintain a status quo until any particular convention or position is forced to collapse. Peer review is an essential component of this process, but vituperative personal attacks, such as we have seen on the internet and media do not contribute to the discussion and debate. In our opinion a vigorous scientific culture needs injection of new and challenging ideas as and when new facts demand them. It is in this spirit that we continue to support the Journal of Cosmology in its capacity to provide a platform for new ideas and interpretations that may otherwise become censored and prevented from being known.

The critics of our recent publications make two scientific points that we shall discuss in turn. First is the possibility that the stones in question are not meteorites, but fulgurites formed when sand is struck by lightning. If this were so we would have to discredit fully the weight of anecdotal and documented evidence that a fireball was seen, the fall witnessed, and stones collected by farmers in a rice field in Araganwila near Polonnaruwa. Two samples examined by us included one recovered by a farmer from his own property, and another that fell on a roof a few hundred metres away. Both stones, when examined using an electron microscope, displayed the diatom structures we described in our earlier papers.

The fulgurite hypothesis can be considered more closely by examining the rock by X-ray diffraction analysis. The sample was powdered, mixed with a small amount of acetone and pipetted out onto a glass slide. Analysis was carried out using X-ray diffraction. A scan was run using the Philips PW1710 Automated Powder Diffractometer using Cu K radiation at 35kV and 40mA, between 2 and 70 °2 at a scan speed of 0.04 °2/s. From the scan, phases were identified using PC-Identify software and from the peak areas, semi quantitative analysis was performed and a percentage of each phase present calculated. The analysis showed the bulk (95%) of the sample to be amorphous silica as represented by the broad hump. The two crystalline phases were present in much smaller quantities and are identified as quartz (3%) and anorthite (2%).

The presence of anorthite appears to support earlier contentions on the origins of the Polonnaruwa stones (Wickramasinghe et al, 2013). Whilst this mineral is abundant in the Earth’s crust its presence in surface rocks is far rarer due in part to its susceptibility to weathering (Goldich, 1938). Moreover, anorthite has been detected in Comet Wild/2 fragments obtained in the Stardust Mission (Simon et al, 2010) and its mineralogy, along with the observed low bulk density (< 1 g cm-3) points to a cometary origin.

FTIR data (obtained using diamond ATR instrumentation) also provides initial evidence against the fulgurite hypothesis. The spectra is dominated by silica (Si-O bending and stretching) vibrations in the 10μm region (800-1175cm-1) found in amorphous as well as crystalline phases. However, there are also strong peaks in the 20 μm region (400 – 700 cm-1) and these features correspond more closely with that of clay-type minerals not associated with fulgurites but thought to exist in IDPs and cometary particles (Lisse et al, 2005).

The presence of quartz at 3% was considered against all the possible explanations on the origins of the stones. Whilst quartz is associated with terrestrial rocks it should be noted that it has been found in some meteorites (Leroux and Cordier, 2006) and is also thought to exist in asteroids (Treiman et al, 2006). The 3% composition is larger than the trace amounts that we would expect following a shock event and previously reported in fulgurites (Saikia et al, 2008). However, we have not discounted the possibility that surface sand particles are responsible for the observed peaks and correlations between the percentage quartz compositions and distance from the stone’s surface is being investigated.

An average carbon content of a few percent combined with data from preliminary GC-MS studies show the presence of several organic fragments (retention time ranging from 2.79 to 29.84 minutes) consistent with high molecular weight PAHs and thus merit its classification as “a carbonaceous meteorite of unknown type.” This presumes that we accept the weight of anecdotal evidence in favour of the stones falling from the skies. Work on analysis of oxygen and carbon isotopes is in progress and we expect confirmation of the claim that the rocks did in fact emanate from the fireball event and fell from the skies.

Another point of contention relates to the evidence of well-preserved seemingly modern diatom frustules covering a wide range of genera and species. The possibility of these being introduced into the rocks after landing on Earth appears to be excluded by the presence of fossil diatoms that are firmly entrenched in the rock matrix. The absence of strong water bands in the IR spectra also counter arguments of recent terrestrial freshwater contamination. The further claim of critics that the presence of modern genera of terrestrial diatoms is inconsistent with their introduction from an alien cometary habitat, becomes less secure if terrestrial evolution is an externally driven process (Wickramasinghe, 2013). The sudden late appearance in the fossil record of diatoms is consistent with such a hypothesis.

http://www.journalofcosmology.com/JOC21 ... ruwa5R.pdf
This quote is dedicated to Typhoon, and may dispel some of his misgivings as to the scientific approach by the authors. It still doesn't prove their conclusions are beyond doubt, but it may contribute to a calmer discussion of their contentions.
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Re: Astronomy and Space

Post by Azrael »

cultivate a white rose
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Endovelico
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Meteor falls in Russia

Post by Endovelico »

Amazing videos of the meteor fall in Russia:

HXEuT7kgchU

KAAk0sB1mME

Scientists say this meteor has nothing to do with asteroid 2012 DA 14 which is expected to pass about 27,000 kilometres above the Earth later today, but one can't help wondering at the coincidence. Could 2012 DA 14 and the meteor which just fell be part of a larger meteor which broke up, maybe long ago, and that the fragments are traveling together, only the larger piece having been detected? If that's so, maybe the show is not yet over...
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Re: Astronomy and Space

Post by Endovelico »

Scientists have played down suggestions that there is any link between the event in the Urals and 2012 DA14, an asteroid expected to race past the Earth on Friday at a distance of just 27,700km (17,200 miles) - the closest ever predicted for an object of that size.

Prof Alan Fitzsimmons, of the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen's University Belfast, said there was "almost definitely" no connection.

"One reason is that 2012 DA14 is approaching Earth from the south, and this object hit in the northern hemisphere," he told BBC News.

"This is literally a cosmic coincidence, although a spectacular one."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21468116
So they seem to be unconnected, after all.

One thought just came up to my mind:

If ever scientists find out there is a meteor on a collision course with the Earth, and there is nothing one can do to prevent the collision, will we ever be warned in advance?... Not knowing where it would fall until it would be too late to do anything useful, the chances are that governments would not warn us, to avoid the incredible consequences of world panic. A reassuring thought, no doubt...
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Re: Astronomy and Space

Post by Endovelico »

Another interesting video, with a loud noise:

b0cRHsApzt8
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Re: Astronomy and Space

Post by Doc »

Strength of blast shown 23 seconds into the video.

k6nMvHd_vzY
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Re: Astronomy and Space

Post by Doc »

Endovelico wrote:
Scientists have played down suggestions that there is any link between the event in the Urals and 2012 DA14, an asteroid expected to race past the Earth on Friday at a distance of just 27,700km (17,200 miles) - the closest ever predicted for an object of that size.

Prof Alan Fitzsimmons, of the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen's University Belfast, said there was "almost definitely" no connection.

"One reason is that 2012 DA14 is approaching Earth from the south, and this object hit in the northern hemisphere," he told BBC News.

"This is literally a cosmic coincidence, although a spectacular one."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21468116
So they seem to be unconnected, after all.

One thought just came up to my mind:

If ever scientists find out there is a meteor on a collision course with the Earth, and there is nothing one can do to prevent the collision, will we ever be warned in advance?... Not knowing where it would fall until it would be too late to do anything useful, the chances are that governments would not warn us, to avoid the incredible consequences of world panic. A reassuring thought, no doubt...
This was the size of a SUV 20,000 lbs. Exploding 20 to 30 miles up in the sky. A very small rock compared to what is out there. Probably millions more around this size. We would probably never see it coming.

Not to mention Apophis at 325 meters in diameter.
"I fancied myself as some kind of god....It is a sort of disease when you consider yourself some kind of god, the creator of everything, but I feel comfortable about it now since I began to live it out.” -- George Soros
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Russia meteorite

Post by Endovelico »

Fragments of the Russia meteorite have been found.
Meteorite Fragments Found in Icy Urals Lake - Scientists
MOSCOW, February 17 (RIA Novosti)

The fragments of a meteorite that hit Russia’s Urals on Friday, injuring more than 1,000 people in the area, have been found by scientists in Lake Chebarkul, in the Chelyabinsk Region.

“We have just completed the study, we confirm that the particulate matters, found by our expedition in the area of Lake Chebarkul indeed have meteorite nature,” Viktor Grohovsky of the Urals Federal University said.

“This meteorite is an ordinary chondrite, it is a stony meteorite which contains some 10 percent of iron. It is most likely to be named Chebarkul meteorite,” Grohovsky said.

NASA estimates the Russian meteorite was roughly 50 feet (15 meters) in diameter when it struck Earth's atmosphere on Friday, travelling faster than the speed of sound, and exploded into a fireball brighter than the sun.

A flaming meteorite streaked across the sky and slammed into Russia’s Urals with a massive boom that blew out windows and damaged thousands of buildings around the city of Chelyabinsk, injuring 1,200 people in the area. According to the Health Ministry, 52 were hospitalized.

The rare and spectacular phenomenon sparked confusion and panic among residents of the region and was captured by numerous witnesses on video that quickly spread to television and computer screens around the world.

Image

Image

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130217/17953 ... tists.html
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Endovelico
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Meteorite

Post by Endovelico »

Picture of the largest (1 kg) piece of the Russian meteorite found so far:

Image

http://en.rian.ru/photolents/20130225/1 ... lasti.html
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Doc
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Newly Discovered Comet May Hit Mars

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http://www.scienceworldreport.com/artic ... -earth.htm
Newly Discovered Comet May Hit Mars: Watch for Two Others Near Earth


Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Mar 04, 2013 10:20 AM EST
Comet
(Photo : NASA/JPL-Caltech/NOAO/Gemini) This year seems to be one for comets. In addition to the two projectiles that will zoom near Earth this year, a third one has recently been discovered. This image shows off comet Hergenrother splitting apart.

This year seems to be one for comets. In addition to the two projectiles that will zoom near Earth this year, a third one has recently been discovered. The newest one, though, won't fly by our planet. Instead, it will zoom uncomfortably close to Mars in 2014.

Named C/2013 A1, the comet will fly near the Red Plant on Oct. 19 2014 according to preliminary orbital prediction models. The icy missile is thought to have first originated from the Oort Cloud, which is a hypothetical region located around our solar system containing billions of cometary nuclei. Comets have struck planets in the past. In fact, it's thought that some of Earth's water was partly created by comets crashing into our planet. Due to the uncertainty in predicting the path of this particular comet, though, NASA scientists are unsure whether the comet will sail harmlessly past the Red Planet or will slam into it.

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Yet this comet isn't the only one that's due to sail through our solar system. On Tuesday, the comet, PANSTARRS, will zoom past Earth, flying about 100 million miles distant in its trajectory toward the sun. Although it will be closest on Tuesday, you may want to wait for stargazing. The comet will gain in brightness as it closes in on the sun. The comet itself should be visible just above the western horizon as early as March 6 through 8, but you'll need a superb view in order to actually see it.

Fortunately, it will be visible higher in the sky later this month, though it will be slightly dimmer. On March 10, it will dip inside the orbit of Mercury and by March 12, it will emerge from the sun's glare and could be visible close to the western horizon shortly after sunset.

If you miss this one, though, don't worry. Comet ISON will arrive this November and is predicted to be both higher in the sky and very bright.
"I fancied myself as some kind of god....It is a sort of disease when you consider yourself some kind of god, the creator of everything, but I feel comfortable about it now since I began to live it out.” -- George Soros
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Typhoon
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Re: Astronomy and Space

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Endovelico wrote:
AUTHENTICITY OF THE LIFE-BEARING POLONNARUWA METEORITE
N.C. Wickramasinghe, J. Wallis, N. Miyake, Anthony Oldroyd, D.H. Wallis, Anil Samaranayake and K. Wickramarathne , Richard B. Hoover and M.K. Wallis

In two recent papers we reported the discovery of distinctly recognisable diatom frustules in rocks that were reported to have fallen over the skies in central Sri Lanka (Wickramasinghe, Wallis, Wallis et al, 2013a,b). The claim that this was a meteorite and the implied validation of the theory of cometary panspermia has, not unexpectedly, provoked criticism and controversy. We are of course aware that science must always proceed with cautious efforts to maintain a status quo until any particular convention or position is forced to collapse. Peer review is an essential component of this process, but vituperative personal attacks, such as we have seen on the internet and media do not contribute to the discussion and debate. In our opinion a vigorous scientific culture needs injection of new and challenging ideas as and when new facts demand them. It is in this spirit that we continue to support the Journal of Cosmology in its capacity to provide a platform for new ideas and interpretations that may otherwise become censored and prevented from being known.

The critics of our recent publications make two scientific points that we shall discuss in turn. First is the possibility that the stones in question are not meteorites, but fulgurites formed when sand is struck by lightning. If this were so we would have to discredit fully the weight of anecdotal and documented evidence that a fireball was seen, the fall witnessed, and stones collected by farmers in a rice field in Araganwila near Polonnaruwa. Two samples examined by us included one recovered by a farmer from his own property, and another that fell on a roof a few hundred metres away. Both stones, when examined using an electron microscope, displayed the diatom structures we described in our earlier papers.

The fulgurite hypothesis can be considered more closely by examining the rock by X-ray diffraction analysis. The sample was powdered, mixed with a small amount of acetone and pipetted out onto a glass slide. Analysis was carried out using X-ray diffraction. A scan was run using the Philips PW1710 Automated Powder Diffractometer using Cu K radiation at 35kV and 40mA, between 2 and 70 °2 at a scan speed of 0.04 °2/s. From the scan, phases were identified using PC-Identify software and from the peak areas, semi quantitative analysis was performed and a percentage of each phase present calculated. The analysis showed the bulk (95%) of the sample to be amorphous silica as represented by the broad hump. The two crystalline phases were present in much smaller quantities and are identified as quartz (3%) and anorthite (2%).

The presence of anorthite appears to support earlier contentions on the origins of the Polonnaruwa stones (Wickramasinghe et al, 2013). Whilst this mineral is abundant in the Earth’s crust its presence in surface rocks is far rarer due in part to its susceptibility to weathering (Goldich, 1938). Moreover, anorthite has been detected in Comet Wild/2 fragments obtained in the Stardust Mission (Simon et al, 2010) and its mineralogy, along with the observed low bulk density (< 1 g cm-3) points to a cometary origin.

FTIR data (obtained using diamond ATR instrumentation) also provides initial evidence against the fulgurite hypothesis. The spectra is dominated by silica (Si-O bending and stretching) vibrations in the 10μm region (800-1175cm-1) found in amorphous as well as crystalline phases. However, there are also strong peaks in the 20 μm region (400 – 700 cm-1) and these features correspond more closely with that of clay-type minerals not associated with fulgurites but thought to exist in IDPs and cometary particles (Lisse et al, 2005).

The presence of quartz at 3% was considered against all the possible explanations on the origins of the stones. Whilst quartz is associated with terrestrial rocks it should be noted that it has been found in some meteorites (Leroux and Cordier, 2006) and is also thought to exist in asteroids (Treiman et al, 2006). The 3% composition is larger than the trace amounts that we would expect following a shock event and previously reported in fulgurites (Saikia et al, 2008). However, we have not discounted the possibility that surface sand particles are responsible for the observed peaks and correlations between the percentage quartz compositions and distance from the stone’s surface is being investigated.

An average carbon content of a few percent combined with data from preliminary GC-MS studies show the presence of several organic fragments (retention time ranging from 2.79 to 29.84 minutes) consistent with high molecular weight PAHs and thus merit its classification as “a carbonaceous meteorite of unknown type.” This presumes that we accept the weight of anecdotal evidence in favour of the stones falling from the skies. Work on analysis of oxygen and carbon isotopes is in progress and we expect confirmation of the claim that the rocks did in fact emanate from the fireball event and fell from the skies.

Another point of contention relates to the evidence of well-preserved seemingly modern diatom frustules covering a wide range of genera and species. The possibility of these being introduced into the rocks after landing on Earth appears to be excluded by the presence of fossil diatoms that are firmly entrenched in the rock matrix. The absence of strong water bands in the IR spectra also counter arguments of recent terrestrial freshwater contamination. The further claim of critics that the presence of modern genera of terrestrial diatoms is inconsistent with their introduction from an alien cometary habitat, becomes less secure if terrestrial evolution is an externally driven process (Wickramasinghe, 2013). The sudden late appearance in the fossil record of diatoms is consistent with such a hypothesis.

http://www.journalofcosmology.com/JOC21 ... ruwa5R.pdf
This quote is dedicated to Typhoon, and may dispel some of his misgivings as to the scientific approach by the authors. It still doesn't prove their conclusions are beyond doubt, but it may contribute to a calmer discussion of their contentions.
I don't have strong views on this particular claim.

However, the problem I have with panspermia in general is that it simply shifts the origin of life question off into outer space.

Anyways, re the 2nd claim of the authors, the counterargument:

Bad Astro | No, Life Has Still Not Been Found in a Meteorite
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Typhoon
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Re: Astronomy and Space

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rpBnurznFio
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Typhoon
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The Universe is 13.81 billion years old

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Planck Sattelite Data Analysis | What The Entire Universe Is Made Of
The amount of dark energy in the Universe is appreciably less than we had previously thought, while the amount of dark-and-normal matter is appreciably greater than we thought! Instead of a Universe made up of 73% dark energy, the best post-Planck estimate puts it at just 68-to-69%. Instead of a Universe with around 22% dark matter, Planck put that figure at more like 26-to-26.5%. And instead of 4.6% of the Universe (including us) being made of normal, baryonic matter (i.e., standard-model particles), Planck pushes that number up to 4.9%.
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Re: Astronomy and Space

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.


Nice



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Re: Astronomy and Space

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Apollo 11 Moon Landing
This project is an online interactive featuring the Eagle lunar landing. The presentation includes original Apollo 11 spaceflight video footage, communication audio, mission control room conversations, text transcripts, and telemetry data, all synchronized into an integrated audio-visual experience.

Until today, it has been impossible to comprehensively experience mankind’s shining exploratory accomplishment in a singular experience. We have compiled hours of content available from public domain sources and various NASA websites. Thamtech staff and volunteers generously devoted their time to transcribe hours of speech to text. By using simultaneous space and land based audio and video, transcripts, images, spacecraft telemetry, and biomedical data—this synchronized presentation reveals the Moon Shot as experienced by the astronauts and flight controllers.

Our goal is to capture a moment in history so that generations may now relive the events with this interactive educational resource. The world remembers the moon landing as a major historical event but often fails to recognize the scale of the mission. This interactive resource aims to educate visitors while engaging them with the excitement of manned-spaceflight to build a passion for scientific exploration.

Visitors begin the experience by hearing the words of Buzz Aldrin while simultaneously viewing the moon through the lunar module window. Moments later, the audience hears capsule communicator Charlie Duke inform flight director Gene Kranz that the astronauts are on schedule to start the descent engine. Throughout the presentation, visitors are able to customize their experience by jumping to key moments in the timeline. The timeline guides visitors to the crucial moments in the mission, including: program alarms (computer alerts), famous Go No-Go polls in the control room, low level fuel milestones, and landing.

“The Eagle has Landed.” Neil Armstrong’s words signal a technical milestone and successful execution of John F. Kennedy’s vision to land a man on the moon safely. Prior to these famous words, visitors see the synchronized audio communications, transcripts, video of the lunar module’s casting a shadow on the lunar surface, and biomedical telemetry of Armstrong’s heart rate surpassing 150 beats per minute!

The footprints from Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969 paved the way for five additional successful trips to the lunar surface over the following years. Thamtech takes pride in providing visitors with a glimpse into this and mankind’s enduring spirit for exploration.
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