13 replies to this topic

[Borodog]

. . . is a fuzzy blue dot. My brother requested this image, otherwise I would not have bothered. I am not really super interested in taking pictures of fuzzy little blue dots. Also there is a wicked jet stream over St. Aug tonight so the seeing is pretty bad.

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Edited by Borodog, 17 October 2021 - 10:35 PM.

[Jeffmar]

Really large telescopes get a larger fuzzy blue dot. maybe the James Webb Telescope could do a lot better, if they ever launch it,  but who know what color of the planet would be.

[Kiwi Paul]

...except this is not just any fuzzy blue dot!!

[Kokatha man]

Really large telescopes get a larger fuzzy blue dot. maybe the James Webb Telescope could do a lot better, if they ever launch it,  but who know what color of the planet would be.

...I beg to differ..!

[dcaponeii]

...I beg to differ..!

Agreed and you've posted the images to prove it!!  However, the comment about the James Webb was spot on and what are they going to do when the complex unfolding goes awry beyond the reach of any ability to repair.  Can you say $12B boat anchor??  I've been having a running gag with my Astronomy classes since 2007 about this project.  Anyone taking bets on the December launch window???

[Ittaku]

However, the comment about the James Webb was spot on and what are they going to do when the complex unfolding goes awry beyond the reach of any ability to repair.  Can you say $12B boat anchor??  I've been having a running gag with my Astronomy classes since 2007 about this project.  Anyone taking bets on the December launch window???

Musk offered to provide a ship to get them to the JWT to service it if they need to (yes I know it was mostly tongue in cheek but SpaceX's history has proven many naysayers wrong.) It's just a crying shame the JWT will have no real visible light colour capability since it images only from 600nm upwards.

[lunardave]

Agreed and you've posted the images to prove it!!  However, the comment about the James Webb was spot on and what are they going to do when the complex unfolding goes awry beyond the reach of any ability to repair.  Can you say $12B boat anchor??  I've been having a running gag with my Astronomy classes since 2007 about this project.  Anyone taking bets on the December launch window???

Lets just hope that doesn't happen.

 

I have faith in engineering.

 

As long as they're over a certain "Adjustment Phase."

 

Too young and they are smart, but dumb Bunnies, OK?

 

Heck, even aged engineers are the same.

 

Speaking from the prospective of a 4 year Technician.

 

2 Associate Degrees Welding Engineering plus Electrical and Electronics Technologies.

 

Plus a background as a Radio traffic controller in the US Army.

 

FM voice/crypto. Cold War.

Edited by lunardave, 19 October 2021 - 05:03 PM.

[dcaponeii]

Musk offered to provide a ship to get them to the JWT to service it if they need to (yes I know it was mostly tongue in cheek but SpaceX's history has proven many naysayers wrong.) It's just a crying shame the JWT will have no real visible light colour capability since it images only from 600nm upwards.

You mean because Musk can waste lifting capacity to land his booster back onto a ship or the ground?  We'll see what becomes of Starship and Falcon Heavy before I pass judgement but so far I'm not impressed.  The only thing saving his bacon is that satellites are becoming smaller that previously to perform the same functions as older platforms.

 

As for JWT "color" the HST doesn't have any real color any other imager.  We synthesize color from data obtained and the JWT will do the same thing.  Even radio telescopes, UV telescopes, X-ray telescopes, etc. can produce synthetic color images ("false color") by using different wavelengths but nonetheless the "colors" still convey meaningful information and the images can be made to appear "correct".  How many "clown" Jupiter images have we seen over the years from the Hubble.  No wrong just emphasizing different aspects of the planetary data set.

[Borodog]

You mean because Musk can waste lifting capacity to land his booster back onto a ship or the ground?

 

This is like saying jumbo jets waste range by landing all of the passengers and crew instead of pushing them all out of the door with parachutes and ditching the plane every time.

[Ittaku]

As for JWT "color" the HST doesn't have any real color any other imager.  We synthesize color from data obtained and the JWT will do the same thing.  Even radio telescopes, UV telescopes, X-ray telescopes, etc. can produce synthetic color images ("false color") by using different wavelengths but nonetheless the "colors" still convey meaningful information and the images can be made to appear "correct".  How many "clown" Jupiter images have we seen over the years from the Hubble.  No wrong just emphasizing different aspects of the planetary data set.

Not quite. HST has some narrow bands in blue and green to work with JWT will only have deep red and higher, so it won't even be able to do that. Sure they can make false colour images from various infrared spectra, but there will be nothing from actual blue or green.

Edited by Ittaku, 21 October 2021 - 07:58 AM.

[John Kocijanski]

Nice.  Here is the fuzzy blue dot Uranus I imaged last night.  

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[dcaponeii]

This is like saying jumbo jets waste range by landing all of the passengers and crew instead of pushing them all out of the door with parachutes and ditching the plane every time.

Not quite the same thing when your booster is barely beyond 1960's lifting capacity.

[dcaponeii]

Not quite. HST has some narrow bands in blue and green to work with JWT will only have deep red and higher, so it won't even be able to do that. Sure they can make false colour images from various infrared spectra, but there will be nothing from actual blue or green.

Are you trying to suggest that there is blue and green in radio, x-ray and gamma telescopic observations from Earth Orbit?  Yet they create realistic false color images all the time in all of those non-visible light images.  I think you're underestimating the capability.  However, if you watch the 29 days video that NASA released yesterday you'll see that even NASA seems to be betting that the JWST will fail to unfold.  Prepping the world for failure is how I read the video.

[Ittaku]

Are you trying to suggest that there is blue and green in radio, x-ray and gamma telescopic observations from Earth Orbit? Yet they create realistic false color images all the time in all of those non-visible light images. I think you're underestimating the capability. However, if you watch the 29 days video that NASA released yesterday you'll see that even NASA seems to be betting that the JWST will fail to unfold. Prepping the world for failure is how I read the video.

No I don't consider false colour non visible light images. Hubble can see visible parts of blue and green. Big difference in my opinion.