Traveler's Guide to the Planets

[Hoopz]

Has anyone caught this short series on National Geographic the last few nights?  I've watched about 3/4 of it so far and found it pretty good.  Educational and informative.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/travelers-guide-to-the-planets/4688/Overview

[RayB]

No, but I just finished watching Apocalypse. (6 hours of actual WWII footage from all sides of the war, in HD).

[Ginsu Victim]

Traveler's Guide to the Planets?

Does that also have "Don't Panic" written on it?

[Ed_McCarron]

Traveler's Guide to the Planets?

Does that also have "Don't Panic" written on it?

Pretty much the first thing I thought of too.

[pinballwizard79]

looks awesome, thanks for the  heads up

Oh yeah...um 42

[flashiv]

I saw the ones on Jupiter and Saturn and parts of the Mars, Moon and Mercury/Venus one.  Very very interesting.
Disclaimer : My original major in college was astronomy. 

[Hoopz]

Since Neptune was discovered in 1846, it's made ONE orbit around the sun.  Amazing...

Article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/neptunefinallymakesfirstorbitaroundthesunsincediscoveryin1846

[JeepMonkey]

I have seen most of the episodes.  It is a good show.  I can't wat until we get to the point where we are sending probes through all the feet of ice to the liquid parts of moons to see what is there.

[shmokes]

Since Neptune was discovered in 1846, it's made ONE orbit around the sun.  Amazing...

Article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/neptunefinallymakesfirstorbitaroundthesunsincediscoveryin1846

Yeah . . . I read a book called a A Short History of the World, or something like that and the guy talked about how people generally don't comprehend how big the solar system is because it's impossible to make a representative scale model.  Like if you put Mercury one milimeter away from the Sun, Neptune would still be miles away on your scale.  Or something like that.  He also illustrated the enormous size of our solar system in this way:  The fastest space ship we have ever built is on it's way to Pluto, a trip that will take it ten years to complete.  If it then continues past Pluto and flies to the edge of our solar system (not to another solar system, mind you, just to the end of ours) it would take the ship another 10,000 years.

So . . . yeah . . . unfortunately we're not going to be flying to any Alien planets in our lifetimes (or ever) 

[Frigo]

Since Neptune was discovered in 1846, it's made ONE orbit around the sun.  Amazing...

Article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/neptunefinallymakesfirstorbitaroundthesunsincediscoveryin1846

Yeah . . . I read a book called a A Short History of the World, or something like that and the guy talked about how people generally don't comprehend how big the solar system is because it's impossible to make a representative scale model.  Like if you put Mercury one milimeter away from the Sun, Neptune would still be miles away on your scale.  Or something like that.  He also illustrated the enormous size of our solar system in this way:  The fastest space ship we have ever built is on it's way to Pluto, a trip that will take it ten years to complete.  If it then continues past Pluto and flies to the edge of our solar system (not to another solar system, mind you, just to the end of ours) it would take the ship another 10,000 years.

So . . . yeah . . . unfortunately we're not going to be flying to any Alien planets in our lifetimes (or ever) 

It's called A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. I've had the audio book for a few years now, and it's a nice high level overview of the how  we came to be. The first part talks about the creation and size of the solar system (the part you mentioned), and it's one of my favorite parts in the book. Good stuff. 

On a related note, I caught two episodes of Through the Wormhole on the Science Channel last night, and it talked about time travel and how space and time can coexist, yet at the same time be independently manipulated. Another high level overview, this time of quantum physics, but it was pretty entertaining, nonetheless.

[Hoopz]

I'll look for that book.  Thanks for the info guys.

I think we'll be lucky to see a trip to Mars in our lifetime.  That's depressing.  I'd love to know more about what else is out there.

[Frigo]

I'll look for that book.  Thanks for the info guys.

I think we'll be lucky to see a trip to Mars in our lifetime.  That's depressing.  I'd love to know more about what else is out there.

It's on the 'net if you know where to look. That's all I'll say on the subject. 

I'm with you on us knowing that we'll never see anything more than what we already know in our lifetimes. Even the pictures taken from the Hubble show us snapshots of what already happened millions of years ago. On the upside, however, is knowing that the door swings both ways, meaning that if there is another advanced life form out there, they won't be seeing us, they'll be seeing life as it was however far away they are from Earth they are. This was actually referenced in the book, with the narrator saying that if there was a life form 200 light years away looking in on us, they'd be seeing life as it was in the 1800's. So at least we're not the only ones that are screwed in our quest to find out what's out there. 

[Hoopz]

I'll look for that book.  Thanks for the info guys.

I think we'll be lucky to see a trip to Mars in our lifetime.  That's depressing.  I'd love to know more about what else is out there.

It's on the 'net if you know where to look. That's all I'll say on the subject. 

I'm with you on us knowing that we'll never see anything more than what we already know in our lifetimes. Even the pictures taken from the Hubble show us snapshots of what already happened millions of years ago. On the upside, however, is knowing that the door swings both ways, meaning that if there is another advanced life form out there, they won't be seeing us, they'll be seeing life as it was however far away they are from Earth they are. This was actually referenced in the book, with the narrator saying that if there was a life form 200 light years away looking in on us, they'd be seeing life as it was in the 1800's. So at least we're not the only ones that are screwed in our quest to find out what's out there. 

Yeah, but they have crazy telescopes made out of stuff we don't know about yet so they can see us in real time, right now.  Selfish ---daisies--- won't share though.

Time to go put more tinfoil on the roof to protect my family from them.   

[Frigo]

I'll look for that book.  Thanks for the info guys.

I think we'll be lucky to see a trip to Mars in our lifetime.  That's depressing.  I'd love to know more about what else is out there.

It's on the 'net if you know where to look. That's all I'll say on the subject. 

I'm with you on us knowing that we'll never see anything more than what we already know in our lifetimes. Even the pictures taken from the Hubble show us snapshots of what already happened millions of years ago. On the upside, however, is knowing that the door swings both ways, meaning that if there is another advanced life form out there, they won't be seeing us, they'll be seeing life as it was however far away they are from Earth they are. This was actually referenced in the book, with the narrator saying that if there was a life form 200 light years away looking in on us, they'd be seeing life as it was in the 1800's. So at least we're not the only ones that are screwed in our quest to find out what's out there. 

Yeah, but they have crazy telescopes made out of stuff we don't know about yet so they can see us in real time, right now.  Selfish ---daisies--- won't share though.

Time to go put more tinfoil on the roof to protect my family from them.   

Make sure you turn off that single light bulb hanging from the room you're in, and finish your angry letter to the government before you do.