Interesting facts about space:
Light: What is it, and how fast is it?
Light is a form of pure electromagnetic radiation and as such it travels faster than anything in the universe. The distance that light travels in one year is known as a light-year. If a star or planet is a thousand light-years away, it takes light a thousand years for its light to get to us, and for our light to get there. The speed of light is exactly 299,792,458 m/s (186,282 miles per second) and all forms of electromagnetic radiation move at this same speed in a vacuum. Physicists have been measuring the speed of
light for many years, and Einstein was one the first to theorize that light is the absolute fastest thing in the universe.
Lasers: a special type of light
A laser emits light (a form of electromagnetic
radiation) through amplification from the stimulated
emission of photons. The term "laser" stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser light is noted for its high degree of "coherence" which refers to the output
being a directed narrow beam -- also called a
"pencil beam." Laser beams can be launched into focused beams in order to concentrate their power at a large distance. In other words, the beam stays somewhat focused and doesn't quickly spread out and dissipate.
Messages on lasers: How?
An modulator is a device that uses an information signal to control another, usually more powerful, signal. An electro-optic modulator is an optical device in which a signal is used to control or modulate a beam of light. The signal modulates, or changes, the phase, frequency,
amplitude, or polarization of the modulated beam. The message information is contained in those changes. Modulation rates in the gigahertz range are possible. Outer Space Message Service uses advanced and well established laser modulation technology. We have practical experience successfully encoding laser beams with messages and transmitting them over long distances. We now use the same technology to send messages into outer space. Your message will be used to directly digitally encode the laser beam.
The Wow! Signal
In 1977 we (yes, we Earthlings) detected a signal from space. It did not appear to be random and appeared to be non-terrestrial origin. It is known as the “Wow! Signal.” It remains unexplained and many believe the Wow! Signal was a short message from another intelligence. The radio signal was detected by Jerry Ehman while he was working on a SETI project in Ohio. It lasted for 72 seconds, and has not been detected since. When Ehman saw it, he circled the signal on the printout and wrote "Wow!" beside it. The name stuck. The origin of the signal appeared to be in the constellation Sagittarius
The Nibiru cataclysm and 2012
The Nibiru cataclysm is a theoretical catastrophic encounter between the Earth and a large space object. Some believe it will take place in the early 21st century. It is usually referred to as Planet X or Nibiru. While it’s not impossible, it is not supported by any scientific evidence and is generally rejected by most astronomers and scientists.The idea is from an individual by the name of Nancy Lieder, who describes herself as a “contactee.” She claims to receive messages from aliens (extra-terrestrials) from the Zeta Reticuli star system through an implant in her brain. The name "Nibiru" is a derivation from interpretations of Babylonian and Sumerian mythology.
Space Coordinates: So where is that star, exactly?
If somebody wanted to point out a particular star in the sky, they could just point to it. But what if they aren't standing right beside you? Could they use East-West coordinates? That would work, until the Earth moved. Since the Earth keeps spinning and moving, the latitude and longitude move with the spinning Earth, constantly moving under different parts of the sky. Clearly, there has to be a frame of reference that is NOT moving -- a set of space coordinates.
Right Ascension is the right-left (or East-West type) space coordinate.
Declination is the up-down (North-South type) coordinate.
The Right Ascension angle is measured eastward. But East of what? It is measured eastward from the vernal equinox to the point in question. The vernal equinox is the point in space where two planes, or disks intersect: one disk is the celestial equator, a plane formed by simply projecting the Earth's equator into space. The other plane is formed by projecting the Earth's entire orbit into space. Those two disks are at angles to each other. The spot where they intersect in the Spring time is known as the vernal equinox. The vernal equinox is the reference point and Right Ascension is measured eastward from there, along the celestial equator. It is usually measured in hours and minutes, where 24 hours simply represents one full circle.
Declination is the up-down (North-South) coordinate. It is comparable to latitude on Earth, except it is just projected onto the celestial sphere. It is measured positive northward from the celestial equator. The celestial equator is a circle on the celestial sphere that is the same plane as the Earth's equator. It is simply a projection of our Earth's equator out into space. As you would expect, locations north of the celestial equator have positive declinations, and points south have negative declinations.
For any Star Trek fans, you will recall that they would say "Sulu, come to heading 440, Mark 7." This is not the same coordinate system. The fictional Star Trek coordinate system is explained very well at this site here.
Right Ascension is the right-left (or East-West type) space coordinate.
Declination is the up-down (North-South type) coordinate.
The Right Ascension angle is measured eastward. But East of what? It is measured eastward from the vernal equinox to the point in question. The vernal equinox is the point in space where two planes, or disks intersect: one disk is the celestial equator, a plane formed by simply projecting the Earth's equator into space. The other plane is formed by projecting the Earth's entire orbit into space. Those two disks are at angles to each other. The spot where they intersect in the Spring time is known as the vernal equinox. The vernal equinox is the reference point and Right Ascension is measured eastward from there, along the celestial equator. It is usually measured in hours and minutes, where 24 hours simply represents one full circle.
Declination is the up-down (North-South) coordinate. It is comparable to latitude on Earth, except it is just projected onto the celestial sphere. It is measured positive northward from the celestial equator. The celestial equator is a circle on the celestial sphere that is the same plane as the Earth's equator. It is simply a projection of our Earth's equator out into space. As you would expect, locations north of the celestial equator have positive declinations, and points south have negative declinations.
For any Star Trek fans, you will recall that they would say "Sulu, come to heading 440, Mark 7." This is not the same coordinate system. The fictional Star Trek coordinate system is explained very well at this site here.
