DogOnPorch Posted November 9, 2018 Report Posted November 9, 2018 Plus...if you have a knack for modding your installs (need to be to get the good stuff going...like FS)...Celestia is well worth having as they share similar resources...also free. https://celestia.space/ http://celestiamotherlode.net/ (Black Hole stuff a ways back Celestia) Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
DogOnPorch Posted November 9, 2018 Report Posted November 9, 2018 (edited) There are a few different Soyuz projects...also a good starter. https://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5160 https://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4545 As is Project Gemini which I'm sure you'd enjoy. https://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=7000 (might include below link) https://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1206 Most Gemini missions have their own sound pack if you search Orbiter Hangar. Vinka's Multistage modules...hard to find...but needed for many classic rockets. direct d/l https://www.tuttovola.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=downfile&id=956 Spacecraft 4 http://francophone.dansteph.com/?page=addon&id=202 Plus a great forum... https://www.orbiter-forum.com/index.php Though Orbiter comes with some good interplanetary flight computers, this one is a good one to have on the side bar. http://users.kymp.net/p501474a/Orbiter/Orbiter.html Whew...like launching a mission. Edited November 9, 2018 by DogOnPorch Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
Bonam Posted November 10, 2018 Report Posted November 10, 2018 3 hours ago, bush_cheney2004 said: Indeed....Orion is arguably the biggest fave for winter and spring for many observers because it has so many objects. I'm surprised there is no movement yet to ban all the sexist names...like "Witch Head" nebula, or "Witch's Broom" in the Veil Nebula. Shh! You'll catch their attention. 1 Quote
DogOnPorch Posted November 10, 2018 Report Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) Apollo AMSO CM interior (part)...an easier...but still very difficult Apollo. https://www.orbiterwiki.org/wiki/AMSO https://www.acsoft.ch/AMSO/amso.html Edited November 10, 2018 by DogOnPorch Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
DogOnPorch Posted November 10, 2018 Report Posted November 10, 2018 The other main Apollo for Orbiter...not sure if it has been updated for the 2016 version. I used it in the previous 2010 build. https://www.orbiterwiki.org/wiki/NASSP Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
DogOnPorch Posted November 12, 2018 Report Posted November 12, 2018 Some random Celestia shots. Celestia includes the known Universe. You can use Carl's Space Ship Of The Mind to travel from place to place...you can do incredible speeds. Well beyond what relativity and physics...etc...allows. Yet even doing 10,000 ly/second....you've still got a LONG trip ahead. Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
DogOnPorch Posted November 16, 2018 Report Posted November 16, 2018 (edited) Great shot from Hubble of the disrupted barred spiral Tadpole Galaxy. An intruder galaxy can be seen just beyond the gap in the disc causing lots of star formation. 420 mly away...early Devonian time on Earth....relative. https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_573.html Same with a CDK600. Nice! Full... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Tadpole_Galaxy_(Wide).jpg Edited November 16, 2018 by DogOnPorch Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
JamesHackerMP Posted November 17, 2018 Author Report Posted November 17, 2018 These are some amazing shots! I've been wanting to get a wide-angle lens, someone suggested that some objects are easier to see with them, particularly larger ones like the Andromeda Galaxy (so I am told). Pity the human eye cannot see the color in most of them. Any other accessories I ought to get? I have a small selection of different-powered lenses (which are parfocal so I don't need to refocus). They're the celestron X-cel series. It shoudl magnify at most 200x, but that I understand is contingent upon atmospheric conditions. I have a light pollution reduction filter, though that's not as necessary where I live as it would be closer to Baltimore or Washington. I have a lunar filter that has only gotten a little bit of use. The thing about my Nexstar is making the thing track once I have an object centered I want to keep it on. I don't know why, really. 1 Quote "We're not above nature, Mr Hacker, we're part of it. Men are animals, too!" "I know that, I've just come from the House of Commons!" [Yes, Minister]
DogOnPorch Posted November 17, 2018 Report Posted November 17, 2018 Somewhere... Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
DogOnPorch Posted November 20, 2018 Report Posted November 20, 2018 Europa...with Jupiter's aurorae glowing bright. Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
DogOnPorch Posted November 20, 2018 Report Posted November 20, 2018 (edited) Successful orbital alignment with Phobos. Now to just let Phobos's gravity gently tug the craft to a landing... Edited November 20, 2018 by DogOnPorch Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
JamesHackerMP Posted November 21, 2018 Author Report Posted November 21, 2018 That would be cool if there really were life forms under the ice of Europa! 1 Quote "We're not above nature, Mr Hacker, we're part of it. Men are animals, too!" "I know that, I've just come from the House of Commons!" [Yes, Minister]
DogOnPorch Posted November 21, 2018 Report Posted November 21, 2018 Just now, JamesHackerMP said: That would be cool if there really were life forms under the ice of Europa! Due to tidal heating by Io and Jupiter, Europa is likely to have a warmish subsurface ocean...quite possible there is something. There is a probe due to land on Mars in an old lake bed at the mouth of an ancient river...some real hope in finding something there. Fossils...or who knows? Some microbes are very sturdy... Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
DogOnPorch Posted November 21, 2018 Report Posted November 21, 2018 Here's the story...next week it lands (knock on wood) https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-rsquo-s-insight-mars-lander-touches-down-next-week/ Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
JamesHackerMP Posted November 21, 2018 Author Report Posted November 21, 2018 Have any of you seen or read 2010? Quote "We're not above nature, Mr Hacker, we're part of it. Men are animals, too!" "I know that, I've just come from the House of Commons!" [Yes, Minister]
DogOnPorch Posted November 21, 2018 Report Posted November 21, 2018 (edited) 34 minutes ago, JamesHackerMP said: Have any of you seen or read 2010? Of course. Orbiter also has numerous 2001/2010 missions you can download as mods. https://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5014 Edited November 21, 2018 by DogOnPorch Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
DogOnPorch Posted November 21, 2018 Report Posted November 21, 2018 For myself, I'd like to see a proper mission to Titan. Not so much to look for life...low low low probability on the surface...but to get a look at those oceans and lakes of ethane. Titan is also suspected to have a subsurface water ocean. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_(moon) Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
JamesHackerMP Posted November 22, 2018 Author Report Posted November 22, 2018 I've read a bit about Titan. I've also seen the documentary The Farthest voyager in Space about the Voyager mission, and they mention Titan. They said it was like looking at the Earth as it was billions of years ago, before life started to transform the atmosphere. Too bad all I can see through my telescope is just a tiny point of light, basically all anybody could see before the Voyager probes. I think Cassini-Huygens extensively photographed Titan in several fly-bys. 1 Quote "We're not above nature, Mr Hacker, we're part of it. Men are animals, too!" "I know that, I've just come from the House of Commons!" [Yes, Minister]
DogOnPorch Posted November 22, 2018 Report Posted November 22, 2018 50 minutes ago, JamesHackerMP said: I've read a bit about Titan. I've also seen the documentary The Farthest voyager in Space about the Voyager mission, and they mention Titan. They said it was like looking at the Earth as it was billions of years ago, before life started to transform the atmosphere. Too bad all I can see through my telescope is just a tiny point of light, basically all anybody could see before the Voyager probes. I think Cassini-Huygens extensively photographed Titan in several fly-bys. Yes...Cassini took lots of photos through the thick haze surrounding Titan with various imaging devices. I'd like a floating probe with a drone or a balloon released to snap shots from above. So would NASA/JPL... https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20459-nasa-floats-titan-boat-concept/ Plus...it rains on Titan. Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
DogOnPorch Posted November 22, 2018 Report Posted November 22, 2018 Titan in Celestia and Orbiter respectively... Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
JamesHackerMP Posted November 22, 2018 Author Report Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) I think a probe descending to Europa would get more support. There's the possibility of life in its ocean, supposedly. That would make (at least a few) congressmen say "ooh, neat" who might usually balk at the kind of mission they're proposing to Titan. But either mission would yield scientific paydirt, I'm sure. Not to change the subject, but what about Iapetus? What is on Iapetus that causes one side to be extremely bright and reflecting, the other, to be dark? I was wondering about that. In "2001" the book it was a reflective surface put on there by aliens around the big monolith. I'm wondering what it was in reality that causes the bright/dull effect depending on its position around Saturn. Wait a sec, maybe I should look it up on Wikipedia LOL. I'm such a lazy bastard. I'll get back to y'all. Edited November 22, 2018 by JamesHackerMP Quote "We're not above nature, Mr Hacker, we're part of it. Men are animals, too!" "I know that, I've just come from the House of Commons!" [Yes, Minister]
JamesHackerMP Posted November 22, 2018 Author Report Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) OK, something must have smacked into it. It's a different material. Anywho, back to Titan & Europa. But before we proceed, have any of you observed Neptune or Uranus in your 'scopes? Edited November 22, 2018 by JamesHackerMP Quote "We're not above nature, Mr Hacker, we're part of it. Men are animals, too!" "I know that, I've just come from the House of Commons!" [Yes, Minister]
DogOnPorch Posted November 22, 2018 Report Posted November 22, 2018 6 minutes ago, JamesHackerMP said: I think a probe descending to Europa would get more support. There's the possibility of life in its ocean, supposedly. That would make (at least a few) congressmen say "ooh, neat" who might usually balk at the kind of mission they're proposing to Titan. But either mission would yield scientific paydirt, I'm sure. Not to change the subject, but what about Iapetus? What is on Iapetus that causes one side to be extremely bright and reflecting, the other, to be dark? I was wondering about that. In "2001" the book it was a reflective surface put on there by aliens around the big monolith. I'm wondering what it was in reality that causes the bright/dull effect depending on its position around Saturn. Wait a sec, maybe I should look it up on Wikipedia LOL. I'm such a lazy bastard. I'll get back to y'all. There is actually a lot of support to NOT send a probe for the same reason...lest we become the Monolith giving Europan microbes bright ideas...etc. Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
JamesHackerMP Posted November 22, 2018 Author Report Posted November 22, 2018 1 minute ago, DogOnPorch said: There is actually a lot of support to NOT send a probe for the same reason...lest we become the Monolith giving Europan microbes bright ideas...etc. Aren't our space probes made in a "clean room" so that that sort of thing doesn't happen? Quote "We're not above nature, Mr Hacker, we're part of it. Men are animals, too!" "I know that, I've just come from the House of Commons!" [Yes, Minister]
DogOnPorch Posted November 22, 2018 Report Posted November 22, 2018 3 minutes ago, JamesHackerMP said: OK, something must have smacked into it. It's a different material. Anywho, back to Titan & Europa. But before we proceed, have any of you observed Neptune or Uranus in your 'scopes? Uranus, yes...in an old scope I don't have anymore. Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
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