Astronomical story of a life time

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Geoff

We wouldn't reach the end of the saga, even if the questions were Encylodedic size!

Bob

[Geoff RoyleParticipant @geoffroyle15964]

The front end of a radio telescope is the aerial system and is the part which is most likely to annoy the neighbours. Bernard Lovell in his "Story of Jodrell Bank" tells an amusing tale about the very early days when a local famer tried to stop the erection. He put his prize bull in the field !

My system requires two aerials aimed toward the southern sky of the Yagi type separated by about 30 metres. Just like its smaller brothers, the TV aerials, a Yagi has a number of directional elements each of which is about half a wavelength long at the frequency of interest. The elevation of the virtual 'beam' is controlled by the splay of the legs of the trestle.

Below the trestle, part of the connectioning cable is a small amplifier which serves to assist the received signal in overcoming temperature crackles from the long connecting cables.

Enough is enough I think, Geoff Royle

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Heavy stuff, Geoff, but interesting all the same……I'm suitably impressed!……Well done, Prof

I used to observe a very difficult Nebula in that direction, what was it's name?

Was it the Smoke Ring?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Geoff has sent me an Email describing a microphone system, used in WW1…..Too frightening to publish!

The Brits had two microphones about a mile apart, pointing towards the enemy

The Mikes listened for the cannon explosion, and going off the difference in the explosion timings, the Mikes could work out where the cannons were and receive a fearsome reply!

Clever stuff……Must be a good deterrent to discourage more shellfire?

Thanks Geoff

Bob

PS…. This is the basis of a Radio Telescope

Edited By Bob Abell on 28/03/2015 17:24:45

[Geoff RoyleParticipant @geoffroyle15964]

Bob, Was the missing link M87, the Ring Nebula ? GR

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Geoff

Yes it was and also, the Dumbell Nebula

Once spotted, they are very disappointing…….Just faint grey shapes

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Geoff

I have a crazy question, which has deep undertones!

It may not have an answer!……It's very deep and profound and is a type of space travel which is faster than light!

If we look at Andromeda, with the naked eye……It's 2.5 million light years away……Right?

If we look again, but with a telescope set at 100X

We have just travelled 250,000 miles!

Well?

 

I would like your observations on this enigma, please

Bob doing a wobbler

Edited By Bob Abell on 29/03/2015 07:24:24

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Looking through a telescope doesn't allow you to travel 250,000 miles it just means that the image is in greater resolution.

You are about to open a Pandora's box of relativity paradoxes so hold onto your grandfather whilst you bottle feed him.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Paul

It takes 2.5 million years for the image of Andromeda to reach Earth

Looking through a 100X scope, somehow produces a clearer picture, by enlarging the light source

It's something we take foe granted, without stopping to think what is happening

Somehow, we are enlarging an image that is coming at us at 186000 miles a second

I need an Aspirin and a sit down!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Its all down to lenses and mirrors carefully ground to exact specifications……..as an engineer I would have thought the mechanics and science of astronomy would be second nature to you.

I agree that the concept of traveling huge distances at light speed is mind bending but the mechanics are straightforward.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

My word, Paul……You're full of it today!

Here's another optical cracker for you to scratch your head over

Suppose a chap with normal eyesight, focus's his camera and takes a picture

Result…..Perfect picture

Suppose a chap wearing glasses like milk bottle bottoms, focus's the same camera and takes a picture

Result……Perfect picture

The camera settings must be the same for the two pix to be perfect?

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

The sight belonging to chap wearing glasses has been adjusted by the glasses themselves before he looks through the camera.

Result …perfect picture.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

What would the picture look like if the chap took his glasses off before using the camera?

Paul

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Just use the autofocus!

Incidentally, re Bob's comment about astronomical objects being just misty in appearance to the human eye, you will never overcome that. Those wonderful pictures taken by the Hubble telescope are effectively time exposures which allows lots of photons to impact on the sensor and build up a detailed image with the various colour tones. The human eye cannot take time exposures as the photons impacting on your eye are sent directly to the brain so the image will never be strong enough to bring out the rich detail and colour. Having a telescope helps to some extent by amplifying the image but it will never be as good as an astronomical photo which collects lots of photons over a period of time to build up the image.

That is also why it is possible to take some good photos of the Milky Way using a time exposure on your camera but when you look up into the sky it is just a fuzzy cloud.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop, Website Editor on 29/03/2015 20:40:49

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Here is a question to challenge Bobs special theory of relativity.

What is the shortest route from A to B

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

This is obviously a catch question, so I won't say the middle route………But maybe I will!

I give up…..Sock it to me

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Bring A & B together and simply step from one to the other.

This is warping space/time to enable instantaneous travel over massive distances.

Kevin must understand the theoretical possibilities of creating a warp bubble inside a space ship that encloses the entire ship whilst being inside it.

 

Paul

Edited By Paul T on 29/03/2015 19:49:41

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Blimey, Paul….I wasn't expecting a way out solution like that,……..Warping?

What are you on today?……You've not shut up for five minutes!

Early night for you, m'lad?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Colin is quite correct about the lack of light gathering abilities of our eyes

I believe Andromeda is equivalent to six Moons across!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

You were kind enough to open our eyes to astronomy so I thought it only fair that I returned the favour and introduce you to the possibilities of astro physics.

For instance is it possible to travel faster than light?

Paul

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

If you are being chased by a hungry wolf then probably yes….

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Astro physix?…..Don't really know what that is?

Tell us more, please …….Can we make use of it in the VGC?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

I've been thinking about the Asteroid Belt for some reason

I've never given it much thought, 'till now……Why don't we see it as a fuzzy area in the sky?

Is it too far away?

Look at this………Didn't realise there were so many?

Don't fancy the flight to Mars anymore!

Bob

[Geoff RoyleParticipant @geoffroyle15964]

Capt. Bob has collared me again in spite of my fear of rocking the Boats. He has suggested posting a photograph of a model locomotive I made recently. During a family history search I discovered that in 1836 one of my eight g.g.grandfathers was driver of the Stockton and Darlington Railway's / "Coronation no.13". The reason I built the model was to determine its appearance from what remains of the very sketchy images and word pictures. It is very much what is known as a Conjectural model. Note the vertical cylinders, the motion of which is converted through a crankshaft to the horizontal as required at the wheels. Below the cylinders the straight-line motion is guided by a Watt linkage due to the high cost of planing slide-bars. GR

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

I've been thinking about the Asteroid Belt for some reason I've never given it much thought, 'till now……Why don't we see it as a fuzzy area in the sky? Is it too far away?

Perhaps we don't them because they are too small and too far away to reflect sufficient sunlight back to us on Earth.

Why don't you fancy Mars anymore (have you noticed the bars have been getting smaller)

Paul

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