Astronomy General Space Discussion

[CD Xbow]

This is video of about ALICE fuelled rockets and the link below talks about an ALICE rocket launch. These are rockets using an aluminum-ice propellant (not the bomber Thomson variety), these get thrust from a chemical reaction between water and aluminum, which produces oxygen & hydrogen which combust. The flight test only went a modest 1300 feet.

New Rocket Fuel Mixes Ice and Metal

A propellant made of water and aluminum nanoparticles could provide greener rocket propellant and store hydrogen for fuel cell usage.

www.space.com

ALICE has some big environmental advantages over traditional rocket fuels and is safe and easy to handle. It still can't match a modern solid fuel booster but theoretically should. It's big advantage is that it is refuellable in situ, when folks are living in those cold places in the solar system which have ice. They also have enough grunt to achieve lunar orbit, unlike steam rockets and can use lunar resources, aluminum from regolith, water from ice deposits. Perhaps ALICE's time will come.

The latest article I could find was this one from 2024 that looked at formulations and stability, it's for the scholars only. Not much development has happened since then except use in fuel cells.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265726891_Detailed_Characterization_of_AlIce_Propellants

 

[CD Xbow]

Water has always been thought to be necessary for 'life' although there has been speculation whether 'life' could exists in other substrates. Recently scientists studying Venus’ atmosphere, were trying to evaporate sulfuric acid. Something odd happened, they discovered a persistent liquid layer, an ionic liquid, formed by the reaction of sulfuric acid with glycine. Ionic liquids are salts that remain in liquid form at temperatures below water’s 100°C.

They believe these liquids could support the development of complex protein like structures. These liquids could form in environments that liquid water can't exist. It's all speculative but there is some real science to support it.

Is water really a necessary ingredient for life? Aliens may swim in truly exotic pools

"This can dramatically increase the habitability zone for all rocky worlds."

www.space.com

 

[MP_]

For the comet watchers
Key Details for C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)

• Designation: C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)
  
  
• Discovery: Discovered in February 2025 by the Mount Lemmon Survey.
  
  
• Visibility: Will be visible in the Southern Hemisphere from October to November 2025.
  
  
• Brightness: Predicted to brighten rapidly from its current magnitude of 11.8 to an estimated 4-5, possibly becoming visible to the naked eye.
  
  
• Perihelion: Closest approach to the Sun on November 8, 2025.
  
  
• Closest Earth Approach: On October 21, 2025.
  
  
• Orbit: A long-period comet, with its next return to the inner solar system expected around the year 3421.

 

[CD Xbow]

Most successful Starship launch to date.


This has the Starship 'splashdown'.

 

[Registered User]

There's a luna eclipse happening now

 

[Aristotle Pickett the3rd]

The Blood Moon is very great to see.

 

[MP_]

 

[CD Xbow]

View attachment 2424416

Nice image, MP. Have you ever been the first to ID one?

Change gears.....

Potential biosignature from t Perseverance rover on Mars

Scientists detected a potential biosignature on Mars – an astrobiologist explains what these traces of life are, and how researchers figure out their source

Unique, spotted rocks in Mars’ Jezero Crater could indicate that the planet once hosted life.

theconversation.com

Article is by Amy J. Williams, an astrobiologist at the University of Florida and it discusses in detail 'what it means'.

 

[MP_]

Nice image, MP. Have you ever been the first to ID one?

Change gears.....

Potential biosignature from t Perseverance rover on Mars

Scientists detected a potential biosignature on Mars – an astrobiologist explains what these traces of life are, and how researchers figure out their source

Unique, spotted rocks in Mars’ Jezero Crater could indicate that the planet once hosted life.

theconversation.com

Article is by Amy J. Williams, an astrobiologist at the University of Florida and it discusses in detail 'what it means'.

That’s not my image I just screenshot from a comet page I follow. I’ve photographed comets before but I don’t have access to equipment to find them. I think with all the new telescopes being deployed there will be a lot more comets found. This one is exciting as it is very bright and has a really long tail which makes for stunning images.

 

[MP_]

Also read an article yesterday about one of the planets in the Trappist solar system showing really good signs of a legitimate earth like atmosphere. It’s right on the verge of what the James Webb telescope can see but will be interesting following those discoveries.

 

[MP_]

If anyone can help out by signing this petition, it’s all about legislating against light pollution and protecting our dark sky reserves

e-petitions

e-petitions

www.aph.gov.au

 

[CD Xbow]

If anyone can help out by signing this petition, it’s all about legislating against light pollution and protecting our dark sky reserves

e-petitions

e-petitions

www.aph.gov.au

Signed.

For a long time astronomers have known there are many exoplanets of sub neptune size but bigger than Earth. These 'sub neptunes' are often close to their star. There has been speculation about water worlds and steam worlds. Recently the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) confirmed the presence of steam on a handful of sub neptune's.

Unusual Steam Worlds May Redefine Life Search

For astrobiologists, the search for life beyond our solar system could be likened to where one would look in a vast desert -- essentially, where

www.miragenews.com

 

[MP_]

A few more insights into 3I-Atlas/ alien spacecraft

Mysterious Object Headed Into Our Star System Is Now Changing Color

As interstellar object 3I/ATLAS approaches its closest point to the Sun next month, the mysterious visitor continues to fascinate.

futurism.com

 

[CD Xbow]

​

The Royal Observatory photographer of the year was announced last week. Image above is the winner of the Aurora section. I was a bit underwhelmed by the overall winner, but this might reflect my ignorance.

Astronomy photographer of the year 2025 – winners and finalists

Judges have announced the winning images from the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s annual competition. The photographs will be exhibited at the National Maritime Museum in London from Friday

www.theguardian.com

 

[MP_]

View attachment 2430918​

The Royal Observatory photographer of the year was announced last week. Image above is the winner of the Aurora section. I was a bit underwhelmed by the overall winner, but this might reflect my ignorance.

Astronomy photographer of the year 2025 – winners and finalists

Judges have announced the winning images from the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s annual competition. The photographs will be exhibited at the National Maritime Museum in London from Friday

www.theguardian.com

I reckon if you looked at that winning image on a huge screen with the best quality it would look amazing. On that site it looks pretty grainy and underwhelming.

 

[CD Xbow]

I reckon if you looked at that winning image on a huge screen with the best quality it would look amazing. On that site it looks pretty grainy and underwhelming.

Yes, it might just be the reproduction. It also might be more impressive if they explained a little bit about how it was taken and what exactly we are looking it. Which bit is the core of Andromeda and which bit are the galactic arms??

 

[MP_]

An amateur Aussie astronomer has discovered a nova which is visible in binoculars


Also mid October you may potentially see two comets near each other with the naked eye.

 

[MP_]

Here’s an image from a comet group of where to see one of the new comets. You would need good camera lens or binoculars, I’m not going to try until it gets a bit closer.

 

[CD Xbow]

Another information based theory of space-time, the quantum memory matrix (QMM). This treats information – not matter, not energy, not even spacetime itself, as the most fundamental ingredient of reality. It is attractive for a number of reasons - the 4 fundamental forces can be derived from it, the black hole information paradox is solved, dark energy is explained and best of all, it removes the need to make up a particle for dark matter. I'm going to keep an eye on this one.

Information could be a fundamental part of the universe – and may explain dark energy and dark matter

The true “informational age” of the cosmos may be 62 billion years, not just the 13.8 billion years of our current expansion.

theconversation.com

 

[MP_]

Some interesting information about 3i/atlas and the potential for it to be alien and not a comet

 

[MP_]

Some interesting information about 3i/atlas and the potential for it to be alien and not a comet

So the new picture supposedly of 3i atlas is a big talking point at the moment. Some are saying the image is of Phobos, there are question marks on why no “tail” can be seen. NASA is supposedly withholding images taken with high resolution cameras, why has that not been released. Others are suggesting if it is atlas then it is a lot bigger than they initially thought. It’s making for some really interesting reading even though most of it is over my head.

 

[CD Xbow]

So the new picture supposedly of 3i atlas is a big talking point at the moment. Some are saying the image is of Phobos, there are question marks on why no “tail” can be seen. NASA is supposedly withholding images taken with high resolution cameras, why has that not been released. Others are suggesting if it is atlas then it is a lot bigger than they initially thought. It’s making for some really interesting reading even though most of it is over my head.

It's a mothership, a giant bloody mothership full of those grey aliens with a penchant for cows (in parts) and a willingness to use the anal probe. Clench up boys and girls.

 

[MP_]

It's a mothership, a giant bloody mothership full of those grey aliens with a penchant for cows (in parts) and a willingness to use the anal probe. Clench up boys and girls.

It’s interesting because the direction it came from is the same direction as the wow signal. There are alot of interesting coincidences with this thing . Could very well be a scouting mothership , how amazing would it be if it were alien. It would imo be the greatest discovery of my lifetime if not all of time.

 

[CD Xbow]

It’s interesting because the direction it came from is the same direction as the wow signal. There are alot of interesting coincidences with this thing . Could very well be a scouting mothership , how amazing would it be if it were alien. It would imo be the greatest discovery of my lifetime if not all of time.

If it's alien it's the most world changing thing of all time but I think we will be disappointed. Perhaps there are folks on board and there will space brothers, like in "The Boy From the Stars" song. Poor old Jim Keays has been dead a long time now, perhaps time to listen to the song and remember him. It was one of my favourite songs from local bands when I was growing up.

 

[GreyCrow]

It's a mothership, a giant bloody mothership full of those grey aliens with a penchant for cows (in parts) and a willingness to use the anal probe. Clench up boys and girls.

I for one welcome our new overlords