Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with space

Is that red shift in your pocket...

sundri — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:24:40 -0800

Is that red shift in your pocket... O.k., this bugs me every time I see an article that states something along the lines of "hubble looks way back in time!" or " [we are] spotting galaxies that existed just 600 million years or so after the big bang"?

Since I am assuming we can not observe our own matter, what is it we are looking at?

I have been operating under the assumption that the matter we observe, who's light is reaching us 600 million years later, is matter that is more or less moving in a direction that is -- again more or less -- opposite of ours. A lot of time is spent talking about the when of it, but not the what.

Or did I miss something in cosmology for dummies....

Name that 2002 Japanese Movie

Beautiful Screaming Lady — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:26:52 -0800

Name that Japanese movie: seen onboard Japan Airlines in 2002-2003. Salaryman becomes obsessed with building a space rocket in his back garden. Easy-going but slightly melancholy mid-30s family man with a dissatisfying office job slowly retreats from his family and friends and becomes obsessed with building himself a rocket from scrap metal and assorted spare parts. Overall tone was poignant and gently humourous. Features a bizarrely out-of-place scene involving a doctor attacking a cabbage in an attempt to demonstrate a new medical robot.

I was sure it was called Tomorrow Is Another Day in English, but I can't any mention of it online. Can anyone help?

Branching-out cosmological models

MattS — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:46:31 -0800

In the realm of astrophysics, are there any charts, graphs, or models (or even physical examples of star clusters, etc) that somewhat resemble the branches of a tree? Asking for a friend.

I've heard of fractal trees, aka Pythagoras trees, but what concept (if any) might they illustrate that relates specifically to astrophysics?

Are there any other charts, models, systems of geometry, etc that have branches or "root systems" that, when drawn out, look like a tree?

It can be a bit of a stretch, but I'm looking for a tree-like illustration of some astrophysical, inter-dimesional, or space-related concept.

Thank you!

WTF

Nattie — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:44:18 -0800

Creep me out! Lately I've been on an "unsettling stuff" kick -- I like feeling unsettled and I find it creatively inspiring -- but I'm running low on things to explore. It's hard to articulate precisely what I'm looking for, but it tends to be stuff that almost certainly isn't true but for the few minutes you think about it, it's really unnerving. The underlying theme in what unnerves me seems to be that reality appears to be one way, but in fact it's this other, more sinister way. Examples of stuff is conspiracy theories -- New World Order theories, CIA experiments in mind control and paranormal stuff --, weird religious or spiritual ideas about "evil" supernatural phenomena, some theories of time and space (which I am not so quick to put in the "almost certainly not true" category), etc. Oh, and then lately Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" video and all those articles about the occult symbolism -- she has a lot of unsettling pictures where she doesn't seem human. Weird mysteries fit the bill, too, like the Taman Shud case. Other pseudo-scientific ideas, like the Parasite Eve idea that because mitochondria have different DNA they might actually "take over" a person completely, work too.

Also, this is even more subjective, but the more plausibly expressed the idea is without actually being realistic, the better; it has to lead me on a bit or else I never feel unnerved. So, for example, your standard Bilderberg Group conspiracy theory has some element of feasibility that David Icke's "oh btw they're all blood-drinking reptile ppl from another dimension lol" doesn't; the former is unsettling until you give it a few moments thought, the latter is just too ridiculous out of the gate. Anything that starts from some kind of evidence, even if misrepresented or misunderstood, seems to work, which is probably why pseudoscience is good for this sort of thing. Also, I've noticed that stuff that uses apparently made-up evidence works too, provided that the made-up evidence is of the kind that sounds possible and you'd have to actually look it up to know better; conspiracy theories tend to do this a lot, like they say that so-and-so noteworthy person said XYZ, or they make up noteworthy people altogether.

In other words, the sort of stuff that if you take what's presented on good faith instead of scepticism, the unsettling conclusions seem plausible.

I'm looking mostly for shorter things, like ideas, short stories, and maybe short films. I'm not entirely opposed to books and movies, but my inability to "believe" anything creepy for more than a few minutes greatly dilutes my enjoyment of longer things. Long stuff takes an investment of seriousness I just can't muster for anything like that. When it comes down to it, I don't believe in anything supernatural and I don't think any grand scale conspiracies are likely. "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro, for example, didn't unsettle me as much as it would have done in a shorter format, although it was fairly unsettling. I'd be willing to try more things like that, even though it's less likely to be effective.

To be clear, fiction or nonfiction or fiction-masquerading-as-non-fiction are all cool.

Stuff I am *not* looking for:
- Certified real scenarios, at least for the most part, because those tend to be genuinely upsetting or just piss me off, and that's not the feeling I'm looking for with this question. However, if the certified real scenario *sounds* like something that's so bizarre as to be made up, it might qualify; so something like "however many people die because of Corporation X's negligence and that's unsettling" isn't what I'm looking for, but some real CIA experiments seem to fit anyway, like the mind control experiments are just weird to imagine. Things that allegedly happened but are under dispute work pretty well, too.

- Edging into "scary story" kind of stuff, gore doesn't unsettle me. When it comes to horror genre things, I need weird paranormal stuff going on to feel freaked out, not blood. I don't care if blood/violence is present as long as there's weird stuff going on, but it needs to be more inspired than something like the Jason movies. The Ring/Ringu is the best example I can come up with of something that was violent but that wasn't the main scary part; the scariness mostly came from how alien the girl was and how little was explained.

To put it another way, what's something you read/watched/heard about that gave you an eerie, upsetting feeling, even though you knew better? I realize none of my criteria are precise and I'll probably get a lot of answers that don't effect me much, but give it your best shot.

Please help me find when the moon disappears, so I can watch it.

Kickstart70 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:27:55 -0800

Back about a decade ago, I happened to be watching in early evening as the moon went from thin sliver to complete disappearance. It was one of those unexpected and somewhat wondrous moments of my life (due to many circumstances of the time, and the unplanned coolness of it). I'd like to see it again. Is there some schedule for me to tell when this is going to happen again visible from my area? 53N,-122.36W, if that helps.

Is there a perfect orbit?

doublehappy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:56:05 -0800

Is there a distance at which a satellite will orbit a body indefinitely? Is this distance a universal constant? As I understand it, satellite bodies are generally getting closer or further away from the body they orbit. Our moon, for example, is getting further away.

This morning I was reading a great essay by Amy Leachin the Best American Essays 2009.

In the second paragraph, it is noted that unless you [a satellite] happen to roll onto a track precisely 18,254 miles above your planet, the law ejects you or dashes you down. One moon in our solar system has achieved synchronous orbit, being pledged forever to its planet--Pluto's moon Charon. The other 168 moons have not.

According to google, 18,154 miles = 29,216 kilometers.

The wikipedia article about Charon cites a distance of 17,536 ± 4 km to system barycenter, 19,571 ± 4 km to the center of Pluto
. The radius of Pluto is, apparently, 1,153 ± 10 km. 19,571-1,153=18,418, which is close to 18,254 (though not 'precisely'), but nowhere near 29,216.

Am I missing something obvious (I'm not very good at space, so I am pretty sure this must be the case) or is Leach using poetic license, or is it a bit of both?

I find it hard to believe that there would be a universal perfect orbit distance, as celestial bodies are of varying mass, and there are also external tidal forces acting on them. However, I also find it hard to believe that there are big balls of rock and ice in mutual orbit, and that these systems are, themselves, in orbit around a huge ball of gas.

Help me remember this 4X space game...

CarlRossi — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:54:44 -0800

Looking for a 4X style empire game from my youth. Difficulty: Played it on a VT-100 terminal. Crazy boring details inside. Here's what I remember. Game was made prior to 1993, single player, turn-based, ASCII characters on a VT-100 terminal. (Could be VT-102, but don't hold me to that, let's say it's in the VT-100 family.)

1. It was an Empire style game that took place on a single screen.
2. The screen did not scroll to show more territory.
3. Each planet was represented by a letter. i.e. A, B, C, D...
4. Planets were randomly populated around the screen and the player and computer player started at opposite corners.
5. When ships crossed paths in space, or when your ships attempt to take an enemy planet, they battled. What was unique was an animated counter that showed real-time losses. The victor was the one who had ships remaining at the conclusion of the battle.
6. The winner was the one who controlled all the planets. (Like Empire)
7. One could expect the game to take about 15 - 20 minutes to play.
8. I think I played this on my university's (URI) PR1ME/PrimOS, as opposed to another mainframe. I don't think there was another one, I think the other one was an internet server.

I'm hoping this game wasn't just limited to URI, but was a common PR1ME program for geeks to kill time.

Google searches turn up results that point me to Sins of a Solar Empire and the like, but sometimes I want a game that'll take 15 mins to play instead of days. If there's even a version that will still work today. But nonetheless, I want to know its name.

Fit two bikes in a Toyora Matrix?

lonelyeconomist — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:32:59 -0800

Can two road bicycles fit in a Toyota Matrix Wagon? I would fold the back seats down, lay them flat and take the front tires off.

I would like to see a rocket launched into space

jjjjjjjijjjjjjj — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:57:00 -0800

I'd like to watch a rocket launched into space (from the continental U.S.). I've researched it as best I can, but would like guidance from someone who knows more about it or has seen one before. I'm in St. Louis, Missouri, and I'd like to keep my travel time/expense to a minimum. That said, I'd like to do it right and see the most awesome rocket launch that I can... and see it in the best possible way.

Feel free to correct the following assumptions, which may very likely be wrong:
* If I want to watch a launch in the Continental U.S., I must choose between Cape Canaveral in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
* The launch platforms I have to choose from are: Minotaur I, Taurus, Atlas V, Delta II, Delta IV, and the Space Shuttle.
* These lists, for 2009 and 2010 represent the most comprehensive and accurate information regarding launch schedulings available online.

I have no preference for manned vs. unmanned, and am not favoring launches with any historical import -- I am only wanting to see the most visually impressive launch that I can.

Am I correct in assuming that I want to be as close as is possible? NASA provides instructions on good public viewing positions, but I'd like to be closer, if possible. Who do I schmooze in order to get the best seats in the house? (I'm guessing that the CEO of SatelliteMegaCorp isn't watching the launch with binoculars from his pickup bed on the state highway...) Could choosing a poorly-attended launch help my chances of getting closer? Do different launch providers have different policies on this?

What are the differences in appearance of the various launch platforms? Is bigger better? If so, what's the closest-modern-equivalent to the Saturn V? Are launches to GTO cooler looking than launches to LEO? (Forgive all of this if they are foolish questions... I have no idea).

What am I not asking that I should be? I know there must be an enthusiast community for such things (kindred spirits to Railfans and Roadgeeks), but I'm not finding any online. Do you know of any (are you one?). Many thanks.

Is co-working best for us?

christopherbdnk — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:38:19 -0800

Is co-working best for us? My business which had been run out of home offices for the past few months has grown large enough that we'll need a central location for working sometimes, a conference room where meetings can be held, and most importantly, maybe, a legitimate address where packages can be delivered and queued for shipping. I've read about local offerings in NYC/Brooklyn, where a group of entrepreneurs and established businesses share a central space, but I'm not sure if it's the best thing for us.

Are there other options? We're not yet at the point where we want to budget for our own office ($1500+), but we do need something a bit more sophisticated than a UPS Store box.

How far could a starship travel in 900?

marcuswebb — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:19:47 -0800

What distance could a ship circumnavigate, using theoretically proven technologies, by the end of the century, traveling as far into space as possible and still returning home in 900 years? Ie., A craft propelled by (you specify) could travel X distance achieving Y velocity before needing to start on its return mission. Assume breakdown of components is not a problem, crew is irrelevant, just a radio-telescope trying to go on the best sight-seeing mission it can in that time. For kicks, let's assume a mass of 10,000 (just under the Hubble).

A little distance, please, people!

lottie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:39:47 -0800

Help me say, nicely, "Please don't touch my child". I am the mother of a two year old boy. Lately, it seems like in public he's getting a lot of attention. When we get public transport, people can't help but reach out and touch his cheeks, pat his legs or feet, stroke his hair or tickle his ribs, saying things like "Oh, how cute..." etc. People even kiss his head before I get a chance to say anything. The attention is a daily thing if I take him out. This reached a point of complete lunacy yesterday on a crowded bus when no fewer than three people AT ONCE were pawing him from different angles - a nice elderly lady who had helped us onto the bus, a young, sweet handicapped guy with no sense of personal space (really, truly meant no harm - sort of petting his legs and playing peek-a-boo, which my son enjoyed heartily), and a friendly, middle-aged lady - oh, and the elderly man sitting across from saying "what a good boy, how sweet" etc, while reaching out towards him. It really started to get overwhelming for me, but my kid seems to take it in stride, if not enjoy the attention. I watch him carefully to see if he's uncomfortable at all, and want to put a stop to it before it comes to that.

I don't mind that he seems to be liked - I get a kick out of watching people make cute faces at him while we're sitting in a cafe or something.

What can I say? I don't want to lie, and say something like he's sick with a cold, because son doesn't need to learn to lie casually like that. I just want to say something firm, clear, yet still friendly.

Yes, yes, this should be easy for an adult to handle, but I am looking for some well-worded suggestions that I can feel good about, particularly since these people just seem to be good, well-meaning folk on the whole - you know, nice people who give up seats for us, or help us onto trains. I just don't think it's a good idea for my son to learn that it's OK for people to touch him whenever they feel like it. It's really getting kind of wierd and cloying.

To squat or not?

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:09:06 -0800

I am considering renting out an artist's studio space and squatting in it temporarily, does anyone have any experience in this? Good idea, bad idea? So, I have been staying at a friends place in Chicago for the past few months and am ready to move out. Only problem is finding a good roommate/apartment combination hasn't quite happened yet. Because of this I am considering getting artist's studio space to move all of my stuff into and sleep in while I keep looking for a proper apartment. This could really be an ideal situation for me, because having studio space is really more of a concern to me than having a swanky apartment and most of the time I would actually use the space for art making etc. I figure in the future, if I find a better apartment situation I can just share my studio space with someone else to help offset the cost.

I have an older friend who has managed to squat in her studio in NYC for years and years, even after getting married for a while, so it seems like something I could manage. What I am more curious about are peoples experiences trying to do this in Chicago, and what the worst legal ramifications would be if I was found out. How do landlords even check for this or prove it if they are suspicious?

Thanks in advance.

Which of these vehicles will give me the most luggage space?

gfrobe — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:29:02 -0800

What vehicle should I rent from the airport if I need to transport 4 people and a load of luggage (at least 8 big suitcases)? We're a family of four that will be landing at Newark with 8 large suitcases. I then have to go back to Newark the next day and pick up around 15 small and medium sized boxes so I'm essentially looking for a vehicle that will fit at least four for the first trip but then allow me to fold down all unneeded seats for the next day.

I'm looking at the airport vehicles and I see Dodge Caravans, Chevy Trailblazers, Chevy Express Passenger Van (seats 12) and Jeep Commanders. The vehicle listings do estimate how much luggage will generally fit but I'm assuming that is with all seats upright.

Does anyone know which of the above vehicles will allow the most seats to fold down for the most cargo space?

That boy needs therapy

benzenedream — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:34:19 -0800

What are some of your favorite obscure electronic music singles? I'm looking for the kind of stuff where an otherwise unremarkable or unrecognized artist managed to release one perfect song. I am not interested in one-hit wonders as Wikipedia defines it -- I don't care if the song was ever popular or a club hit, just that it's good and interesting. Songs that creep onto your playlists despite not knowing or liking anything else by the same band are what I'm looking for, perhaps an excellent remix that managed to redeem a weak song. I tend towards artists such as Negativland, Lionrock, Aphex Twin, Prefuse 73, Amon Tobin, Girl Talk, DNTEL, Autechre, Avalanches, Jason Forrest, etc. but am looking for stuff far off the Pandora similarity radar.

I like to make plans, he doesn't. What now?

CatherineK — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:14:00 -0800

What do you do when one partner likes to make advance plans and the other likes to be spontaneous, in a relationship? A little bit of background info: Dating one year, don't live together (about 20 mins away from each other), see each other about 1-2x during the week and at least one weekend day/night together.

I'm having some conflict in my relationship because I like to plan out my week as far as what activities I'm doing, what friends I'm hanging out with, and when I see my BF. On the opposite end of the spectrum, my BF likes to make plans to see each other on the day of or only about one day in advance. His friends are the same way as him and my friends are the same way as me. Some months, I have every weekend and many weekdays planned with events and activities.

Lately, this has become an ongoing, repetitive fight between my boyfriend and I. We both want to understand each other's styles more and somehow find a way for both of us to win. We're looking for a middle ground solution here.

Has anyone had any experience within a relationship where two people have opposite ways of functioning?

Short notice renting art/party space in San Francisco?

dual_action — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:20:36 -0800

How can I find a small art gallery/event space to rent this upcoming Saturday night in San Francisco? I'm going to be in SF this weekend for a convention and would like to host a small gathering of poets/live musicians outside the hotel for a little shindig. I'm thinking about 20-30 people and would like to keep costs down below $500 for the evening. A gallery space would be perfect, but since it is short notice (long story) I know that will be difficult. I'd like to stay away from the 'hotel conference room' vibe and would prefer it to be within walking distance of Union Square. One that looked great but is unfortunately booked is here. Thanks!

In space no one can here you scream, he wrote

fearfulsymmetry — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:41:29 -0800

What's the best literary equivalent of Alien/Aliens? Well obviously there's the Alan Dean Foster adaptations for a start... and the comics.

And I'm not limiting it to 'monster on a spaceship' or 'monsters on a planet + space marines' but anything that successfully merges Space Fiction/Opera and Horror.

Are satellites built from old metals to avoid post-A-bomb radiation levels?

metaBugs — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:49:45 -0800

Are satellites (or satellite parts) ever made from metal salvaged from pre-1945 shipwrecks? Possibly to ensure that those metals were refined before atmospheric A-bomb explosions increased the background radiation levels? A friend of mine recently visited the ESA site (Europe's answer to NASA) in the Netherlands. While there, he was told by one of the guides that some satellite components are made from metals salvaged from old (WW2 or earlier) shipwrecks. The reasoning ran:

i) The planet's atmospheric background radiation is measurably higher now than it was before the A-bomb detonations.
ii) Therefore, some materials manufactured before the war (presumably referring to steel here) have a lower background radiation than the equivalents manufactured today.
iii) For some scientific applications, having slightly less radioactive materials is worth the extra expense of hauling old shipwrecks up from the seabed and re-processing the materials. Examples given were very sensitive radiation sensors and building radiation shields around delicate equipment.

I've heard this before from another source, although can't remember what that source was. I can just about imagine a mechanism (an increased proportion of Carbon-14 in the Carbon used to make steel from iron?), and Europe certainly has enough WW2-era shipwrecks available for this to be logistically possible.
However, a phycisit friend of ours reckons that this is probably nonsense. She argues that radiation isn't contagious; there's no way a slightly increased atmospheric radiation level could affect the radioactivity of a newly refined slab of steel.
So my questions are:

1) Have you heard that satellites or their components are sometimes made with metal from shipwrecks? What's your source for this?
2) If satellite parts are made from shipwrecks, could it be due to different radiation levels? If so, why is old metal less radioactive?
Bonus question:
3) Is my hypothesis about increased levels of Carbon-14 in modern steel completely insane? If not, could an archaeologist in the future apply Carbon-14 dating techniques to chunks of steel in the same way that we do to our archaeological finds?

Are there professional organizers?

rahnefan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:02:01 -0800

Is there such a thing as a professional organizer? What about for the common man? By which I mean someone who can come to your (average) home, assess your living space and the crap stacked up in it, and the people and animals living in it, and give affordable suggestions that will make your (average) home more functional and less stressful? I am talking logistics, shelving, wiring, storage, throwing things out, even feng-freaking-shui. Even knocking down walls, whatever, my mind is open. I used to think I had a handle on it but there's too much on my mind.

The stuff now owns us. To me, it can be stifling (word chosen carefully). It can ruin a weekend; I feel pulled in umpteen directions but often don't getting much of anything done, maintenance-wise or recreational.

Preferably there's someone far more persuasive than I am when it comes to suggesting we get rid of things or place them more usably. Or make that conceptual garage sale become a reality. I give away as much as I can, when I can. There are breaks when, for a short season, things stay neater and cleaner, and therefore at least a little more productive and enjoyable; but no enduring solutions. And I think the underlying problem is greater than the amount of stuff or the lay of the house...it's not just about "stuff" and I'm open to practical and theoretical suggestions. Unfortunately the SO functions consistently in any situation, no difference, and therefore does not or cannot sympathize.

There has got to be people who do this for a living and are good at it. Aren't there?

Under Pressure

smoke — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:29:39 -0800

How would you get through a black hole? I've been thinking about this one for a while, I've found some info about the possibility but not anything that gets into the mechanics.

Say we did find one of these "milder" singularities - presumably the gravity would still be almost neutron star crushing levels, what kind of ship/situation would we need to get through this? I was thinking maybe some kind of oxygenated liquid to inhale and fill the ship?

I have no idea. My physics knowledge is effectively nil. Help me, Mefites, you're my only hope!

Yey, Moon?

leotrotsky — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:51:23 -0800

Planetary magnetic fields and life: Is there any reason to believe that strong magnetic fields on rocky inner planets are relatively uncommon? If so, is there any reason to believe that the hypothetical giant impact 4.5 billion years ago that created the moon could have spun the earth up sufficiently to create that magnetism?

Finally, assuming the first two questions aren't ridiculous, couldn't the combination help explain the apparent dearth of other complex life in the universe?

Not an expert in the field, I'm just curious if I'm completely off base in seeing a connection here.

What has the Moon done for us in the last 39 years?

tip120 — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:56:51 -0800

What terrestrial technologies did the Apollo program, in particular the manned missions to the Moon, yield? While the space race provided many advances in computers, communications and knowledge about what goes on beyond the Earth's atmosphere, what specific technological advances were gained through the moon landings?

During the uptick of Apollo 11 nostalgia the last few days, many news stories talked about the "technological advances" that the moon shot have created. What technologies, specifically, can we claim our physical presence on the moon brought?

(Please bear in mind, I am an adult who still hasn't recovered from the realization I will not be an astronaut. I am not disparaging the overall effort of the endeavor, not dismissing it, just curious.)

Apollo HD

run"monty — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:01:05 -0800

Where on the internets can I find HD raw footage of the Apollo programme? (for free) ...particularly footage of the LM leaving the CSM.

There's plenty of video around but it all seems to be low res, low quality tape transfer.

What would happen if I stuck my hand into outer space?

Tavern — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:20:21 -0800

What would happen if I stuck my hand into outer space? Lets say I was somehow able to stick my hand into space somewhere between the Earth and the Moon. What would happen to it? Would it freeze immediately? Would I be able to move it for a brief moment? What would it feel like if I could? Does it matter if the sun shines on it from that distance?

I've found This Site and this site that seem to say the temperature of space around Earth is a mild 45 F. Am I reading that wrong?