The Beauty of the Moon

[Zippy]

Utter bollocks. No it does not.

FOAD, superstitious, ignorant, lie-spreading god-botherer.

You seem upset. Have you had god-botherers doorstepping you today?

[Menelaus]

Absolutely.

Btw, is there anything that humans have left up there that can be seen with a telescope?

Apparently not. I saw a programme over the weekend about conspiracy theories and people suggesting that Hubble be turned around and pointed at the moon: the resolution achievable by Hubble would be insufficient to see any human detritus up there, which I assume would be limited to:

6 x bases of lunar module (Apollos 11 - 17, -13)
6(?) x flags
3 x lunar rovers (Apollos 15 - 17)
2 x Lunokhod

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ts_on_the_Moon (full list)

[Paddy]

Apparently not. I saw a programme over the weekend about conspiracy theories and people suggesting that Hubble be turned around and pointed at the moon: the resolution achievable by Hubble would be insufficient to see any human detritus up there, which I assume would be limited to:

6 x bases of lunar module (Apollos 11 - 17, -13)
6(?) x flags
3 x lunar rovers (Apollos 15 - 17)
2 x Lunokhod

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ts_on_the_Moon (full list)

But there is this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_L...ing_Experiment

[RichardCranium]

But there is this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_L...ing_Experiment

The reflected light is too weak to be seen with the human eye, but under good conditions, one photon will be received every few seconds.

Blimey!

[RichardCranium]

You seem upset. Have you had god-botherers doorstepping you today?

There is something about the "moon is a perfect fit for an eclipse" fallacy that, when posted, attracts hordes of manic god-botherers, hell bent on converting the existing population. It is a vanguard posting; a test of weakness.

I have seen it happen perhaps just a handful of times on the 'net over the years, typically on Usenet, but I thought it best to nip it in the bid now before it turns into an invasion of evangelists spouting false rubbish.

Next was going to be the "but every time a missing link is found it merely creates two more gaps, therefore evolution is impossible therefore god made everything" illogicality.

I cannot be doing with the use of poor science, especially physics, to convert the misguided and ignorant into handing over money to the owners and managers of make-believe-fantasy-kingdoms that were invented specifically to rob the stupid.


For the record, they are NOT the same size otherwise an eclipse would not last for minutes, it would be instant as the moon passes over. And the relative sizes vary as the orbits are elliptical. It is pure chance we are alive when an eclipse happens this way. And anyway, eclipses that happen when the moon is farthest away (at apogee) are not total anyway.

It's bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocksy bollocks and trying to use that to say there must be a god is barking mad behaviour. I cannot be doing with it.

[Menelaus]

Blimey!

So how the hell do we detect them? Or is it down a mine somewhere in Butt****, Alabama?

[AlfredJPruffock]

What telescope do you have?

Do you have any moon filters for it? I was considering buying some, cos it's a little too bright.

I used the telescope at a 'MoonParty' - in fact there were two reflector telescopes and about a dozen people at the event as part of the International Year of Astronomy (ie 2009!) - I shall ask the owner for the spec for you - am I correct in thinking you have a telescope at home ?

I shall ask him about Moon Filters - I know he was also using a camera with one of the scopes - when we observed the moon it was just rising over the horizon and had a kind of yellow/orange hue to the naked eye - perhaps the moon filter wasnt required as it was not a dazzling white moon which you tend to see as it rises higher in the sky.

The last time I looked at the Moon from a telescope - was a very much younger Alf at seven years Old in 1968.

I still had that same curious feeling of awe as I had way back then - thats what inspired this post .

Last year , I was in Edinburgh one evening - and I saw the most fantastic Moon I have ever seen in my life .

The kind of Moon which you can only look at in wonder.

This kind of spectacle - somehow makes you feel very alive.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Have you seen the 87 megapixel image of the moon? Made from 288 separate images stuck together.

Many thanks Bunk - that is an excellent link !

[EternalOptimist]

Just imagine, you live on a moon and never see the sun but the planet comes up every few days

and it has rings

[Menelaus]

Just imagine, you live on a moon and never see the sun but the planet comes up every few days

and it has rings

Ah yes, but which planet?