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This is a great overview of dark matter

Seems to work for me. Trued it from tapatalk. Will double check when I get to a desktop

But maybe it's a bit big? No problem http://i.imgur.com/JjmObaa.jpg

Absolutely magnificent. As much as I wish for dark skies to be able to see this, I can imagine it makes finding constellations with the naked eye a little trickier.

I just found this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8ZOgKIsqEA which gives a brief overview of why people believe it to exist. The rest of the videos are very interesting too, both the astronomy and thought experiments... worth trawling through

I just found this and it looks pretty neat, so I thought I would share. Ideal for any astronomer skilled with woodworking. Folds down fairly compact and, correct me if I am wrong, is an equatorial mount http://thadlabs.com/MAPUG/AstroDesigns/TrpdSled/portable_scope_stand/Portable_Telescope_Stand.html

Yup, our galaxy is indeed a beauty. A different experience looking at a galaxy from the inside than it is from looking at one from the outside. Image what it'll be like when we merge with Andromeda.

As far as I understand it dark matter isn't in a place, so it's not where to look, but how to look. Given that they know it's there mathematically to make the motion of the universe work, it's clear it doesn't interact with anything. It doesn't interact with radio waves, light, or any other matter (so far) and thus it's not possible to be detected right know. So they need to work on how to detect/measure it. Neutrinos were undetectable for a long time because of how weakly they interact with matter, yet scientists believed them to exist and eventually built a device that could detect them. Wha

LA has had a large portion of their streetlights swapped for LEDs and they seem to have made a vast difference. Although it's hard to tell if these photos have been "enhanced" or not, but still, people are sounding positive about them http://cleantechla.international.ucla.edu/projects/article.asp?parentid=1308 http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/20/los-angeles-has-swapped-out-140-000-street-lights-for-highly-efficient-leds.html

"You will be able to see the rings around Saturn in all their pixelated splendor" Or perhaps "Product image similar to the quality of resulting photos when enlarged to sufficient viewing size"

ronin: Yes, perhaps evolve was not the best word to use to convey what I meant. I meant for life to form in different, or what we would deem, unsuitable environments. But reading what James read got me thinking that perhaps the life we have here is how it is because it's the easiest way to exist. Specifically the properties of the various compounds life on this planet metabolises. But then, if there's nothing else available, then whatever there is, ammonia or other, would be come the simplest thing to break down. I find the whole matter of what could be very interesting, and I totally accept

I think it was a local body they had probed, but I cannot recall from memory, I am sorry. Clearly the level of salt will be a factor, but the question I was wondering about is whether it is ever wise to say "this cannot support life" but yes, then we need to discuss what "life" is. Cath: I am pretty sure there is life out there somewhere. I know us being here is a huge coincidence and required a lot of things to happen by chance, and yet here we are. So given the number of other bodies out there, statistically something similar could have happened elsewhere. I was just a bit taken aback by th

I've heard this on a science podcast (naked astronomy if I'm not mistaken) where it was said that planet X does not have the right conditions for life as its water contains too much salt. I understand what they mean, but surely that's only the case for life as we know it. Is it not possible that an organism can evolve to survive in salty conditions, or conditions we currently think are unsuitable? I am aware that there are certain limited number of building blocks for life across the entire universe, so I am sure there are conditions that are entirely unsuitable for all life, but I was just a

Interestingly it's the apparently dark sky friendly LED lamps that will cause him issue. I started a thread about LED lights a while back and in there there is some good info on how effective they are in reducing the night sky glare. But the draw back is that they cannot be so easily filtered. Although in that same thread there's also talk that the sodium lamps also have a fairly broad spectrum. Thread here: http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/202474-led-streetlamps-do-you-have-them/ Still, a very nice setup he has there.

A lot of valid points have been said, and I totally understand how you feel. I used to go diving a fair bit, but now my kit has been sitting in its box for over 2 years. Mostly because the amount of effort required to pack up, drive to the coast for two 1 hour dives is quite a lot. The same goes for lugging out a big scope. I haven't had my scope (compact mak) out because we have two small kids and I don't want them to damage it. But I am looking forward to teaching them how to use it when they are older. Much in the same way I hope one of them might take an interest in diving some day - that