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Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts

Off-Beat Science: Water on Europa?

Written By Editor on 1/19/14 | 1/19/14


After it was announced in December that the Hubble Space Telescope detected massive geysers (or vapor plumes) erupting on Jupiter's moon Europa, scientists immediately began calling for further exploration into the possibility of liquid water existing elsewhere in the solar system. Europa is Jupiter's second largest of the Galilean moons and its surface is made up entirely of frozen water.
 
Because we don't have enough of liquid H2O here...
Astrobiologists, understandably giddy over the discovery, are hoping the possible presence of liquid H2O on Europa could also lead to the uncovering of life outside of our immediate universe, as their field's central dogma maintains that water + carbon = life, with water being the near impossible piece to the galaxy's puzzle.
 
Do Astrobiologists have to justify their field's existence like
my Biology professor had to during sixteen weeks of classes?
But, and this is a big but, scientists are completely missing the most important aspect of this story: tidal force. Tidal force is a secondary component of gravity, responsible for oceanic tides and in some cases severe gravitational strain that could theoretically result in the self-implosion of planets or moons under the right circumstances.
 
Alderaan never stood a chance against the intense
gravitational effects of the Empire's Death Star
Also, and proven scientifically, Europa's geysers or vapor plumes erupt only when the smoothest moon in the galaxy and Jupiter are at their farthest points, in accordance with tidal force predictions. Since we know tidal force could possibly strain moons to the point of implosion (or having all of its ice ripped off), couldn't it also be simply breaking massive chunks of ice off of Europa's surface and into the abyss of space?

Because this moon screams breeding ground for organisms
Maybe, the science is unsettled. However, I suspect we'll never know until some country is fooled into investing millions of dollars into the search for life on Europa, after which we will all watch in horror as tidal force ironically causes the Galilean moon to shatter into a million pieces - revealing the lack of liquid H2O after all...

Off-Beat Science: ISON Survives Perihelion

Written By Editor on 11/29/13 | 11/29/13


Comet ISON, the topic of conversation amongst Astronomy enthusiasts worldwide, was formed in the Oort cloud near the orbit of Neptune and captured the world's attention as it approached our galaxy's dominant star - the Sun - and faced imminent annihilation. All of which set the stage for the comet's dramatic and Milky Way sized exit stage left yesterday afternoon.

Hottest exit ever
Or did it?

Astronomers predicted that either ISON would be obliterated by the Sun as it reached perihelion or that a small remnant of the comet would briefly survive and bathe the night sky in an galactic firework show. And at first it appeared the little comet was indeed destroyed, being confirmed within the scientific community when NASA declared it dead.

However...

It's alive!!!!!!!
Amateur astronomers continued to watch for signs of ISON and what soon emerged was a nucleus, albeit smaller, and tail of what had survived perihelion (Greek for near the god of the sun) and continuing on its orbit across the solar system, dumbfounding everyone in the process.

It remains to be seen whether ISON survives the next couple of days and does indeed self-destruct, or if the world's favorite little comet completely survives its brush with the solar system's twenty-seven million degree Fahrenheit flaming ball of death and completes its journey across our solar system and beyond.
 
Community Pipeline Meeting on Monday December 2, 2013 at 7PM inside of the Radez Elementary School Gym located on 319 Main Street, Richmondville, NY. The latest information on the proposed Constitution Pipeline from threats of eminent domain and legal efforts to landowner resistance and the pipeline company's safety record will be provided to the public. This advertisement is sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Rural Communities and the Stop the Pipeline Schoharie Action Committee

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