...and it might have been even further if the discovery of a "lava planet" didn't get in the way. damn earth-like planets obstructing the view and shit.

http://news.aol.com/article/lava-planet ... und/672139

This has all *just* begun. Corot, Kepler, and hopefully in a few years, the Darwin system (which will take *actual* photos of exoplanets, not this "artist rendering" stuff), will be turning up rocky exoplanets left and right. Pretty cool.

I was so excited to see we found Mustafar, hope Endor and it's moon is next, EWOKS 4 LIFE!

So awesome! I was stoked about lava planet.

Still no heaven pictures though, darn.

YOU love that movie.

I'd prefer Hoth and Dagobah.

Dagobah is in ROTJ

we can see 3 quadrillion miles away... but many still can't see beyond the ends of their noses.

On the other hand, it may take something like the discovery of life on another planet to shake the human race out of its many forms of mental bondage.

Agreed. I think the "looking" into outer space is fantastic and wonderful; I am just struck by the irony of human kind's usual shortsightedness.

I'm not sure how much folks here follow astronomy, but space based "transit method" exoplanet searches (meaning, basically, we determine the amount a star's light dims and, from that, learn a good bit about the planet passing in front of it) are very very new.

We're way beyond the days of merely "listening" for ET (though we still do that) and highly questionable "UFO" sightings and are on the verge of finding habitable planets in other systems. Once located, subsequent analyses of their atmospheres will determine if they're home to alien life. We may literally be a few years away from determining, with a high degree of acuracy, if there's life on other planets.

In terms of magnitude of importance, I know it's not quite on the scale of a wardrobe malfunction or video award mic grab, but it's still pretty exciting stuff.

Dude!! Last months National Geographic posted the latest and greatest in Telescopes.(Angkor Wat cover) 'Mobile' Radio telescope arrays, and they are working on a 100% field of view, globally. In 10 years we should have a time lapse 'MOVIE' of space which shows movement. Could be the greatest achievement of Man since Einstein. imho

Sounds pretty cool. I'll definitely look into it.

Personally, I'm excited about the potential of the ESA's Darwin system and (if it ever happens) NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder. Darwin's going to be this really cool flotilla of telescopes mounted on spacecraft positioned on the other side of the moon. The details and technical workings are mind blowing. But we're at least 5 years from that happening.

Hopefully, too, Virgin Galactic will get its butt in gear (and lower prices by a whole lot LOL) so we can all take trips into space.

I have to say Andy, I think you're being terribly optimistic.
Do you really think that bible bashers will change thier tune?
Or, as is more likely, adapt it into their own distorted views?
Alternately, they can and probably will just say it's all a lie and that science can't prove anything.

Space is fascinating, I know that goes with out saying, but still.
I was a bit put off why I was at a Q&A for Moon (a fantastic film, if you haven't seen it, do so!) and the director said that he saw the future of space exploration in the hand of private investors as the amount of funding required was so large that it becomes ridiculous for it to be funded by governments.
initially this really depressed me and angered me that he would say something like that. It still depresses me, but I understand it a bit more after thinking about it.
He also was looking forward to what Virgin is doing.
My obvious fear is that space will be exploited to the extreme and we will never end up learning anything... or what is learned will be sold to us.

That's what I'M waiting for!!! Can't wait!!!


Really? It seems to me that governments have FAR more money than private corporations. Last I checked Bill Gates doesn't have TRILLIONS of dollars like the US just blew in a matter of months.
Despite what Virgin is doing, I can't see NASA just throwing in the towel and calling it quits. I hope that both private and public research is conducted to more quickly and cheaply get me into space.

US gov't doesn't have trillions of dollars, it just spends like it does.

Cool thread, keep it going.

Eh, yeah in general I tend to be optimistic. That is, when things like Twitter don't deliver flashbacks of Idiocracy. "He broke my house!"

I reckon the private sector will be key in bringing to life innovations like SpaceShip One, and I'd definitely like to see more events like the Ansari Prize. But in terms of raw resources and experience, it's tough to knock what the ESA and NASA have pulled off. I don't think it's about throwing money at the problem, but about having the right vision and people at the helm. (eg, the Apollo program)

I think the ISS is another example of what international cooperation can accomplish. Even the Canadians added a cool robot arm.

In terms of changing the attitudes of people raised on more media and less information, I don't know. I think conclusive proof of life on other planets could be a game changer, at least for a certain percentage.

It is scary to think about, kind of. Not conclusive proof of life on other planets, which would be beyond words, but rather how people would react - they might all just flip out and start doing crazier things to each other than they do now. Not really sure that it would bring enlightenment to "the masses."

Maybe I have watched too many Sci-Fi movies...

Well, to start, the headline won't read "Three-headed insectoid found in the N-665 system!" but more like "A rocky planet 1.5 times the Earth's mass was found to contain carbon dioxide and oxygen in its atmosphere, with spectrascopic analysis revealing indications of surface life."

So, I don't think we'll see stampedes in Boise, unless there's a clearance sale at Walmart to celebrate the event.

Regarding the ISS, did anyone catch the news about the Japanese astronaut?

He wore the same underwear for a month and did not tell the other crew members. It was an experiment with odor eating and bacteria eating microfiber type stuff. No crew members noticed so it was successful I suppose. (he didn't use it like a diaper he just didn't change his drawers!)

Also, and get this. He was the first Astronaut ever to be able to walk unassisted when he got back on Earth. Some exercises or something prevented the atrophy that occurs in zero g.

Kool huh? Japanese also make the BEST swords, and ......toys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!