Starship Asterisk*

Would it be possible, and has it already been done, to construct a set of hand help binoculars, or maybe even a headset type device, that would use two mirrors instead of lenses? I.e. a set of reflector binoculars? It seems to me that some kind of lightweight headset with 2 mirrors of approximately ...

Here is a question I have often pondered - how would the universe appear to us humans from a different perspective than our current one? For example, the Andromeda galaxy appears as a bright shining spiral in photos taken with telescopes, but if we were located half as far away, would it appear any ...

I am glad to see these recent posts on my original question, which was "why is the speed of light 300K m/s" and not some higher or lower value, or put another way, does the fact that light travels at a certain speed reveal anything about the relationship between mass and energy? So, given ...

Not to mention the fact that Hubble is able to maintain its laser-like focus on one spot, or return to that exact same spot for multiple exposures! From all the preceeding discussion (which by the way is greatly appreciated!), I gather that Hubble goes through quite a lot of gyrations over the cours...

I would be interested to learn what the general consensus is here regarding manned space flight, especially long-term projects such as the ISS and a manned trip back to the moon or to Mars. Much, if not all, the rationale for the ISS seems to be about learning how to live in space in preparation for...

But doesn't this also get back to my very first question about how Hubble targets objects while orbiting at high speed? Since Mars and Earth are in the same plane, it would seem that any image of Mars by Hubble would require many repeated, short exposures, each taken as it orbits around Earth every ...

Excellent point! So if Hubble is looking north or south, it should be able to pivot around as it orbits the earth and maintain that view indefinitely!

Thanks to everyone that replied, but I am still having a little trouble getting my head around this. One of the Hubble links has this little tidbit: The PCS is designed for stable pointing to within .01 arcsec and is capable of holding a target for up to 24 hours while Hubble continues to orbit the ...

Ok, but how long can Hubble stare in one spot before it orbits too far along and is on the wrong side of earth? Is this a matter of minutes or hours? And for very long exposures, does it just go back to the same spot and looks some more?

Could some please explain how Hubble works? Specifically, how does it track objects for long exposures? Earth based telescopes have a little motor thing that keeps them pointed at the same point for hours on end for long exposures. How does Hubble deal with this whilst it is flying around in orbit g...

This was a very interesting and informative special on an important era in science and astronomy. I would be interested in any comments from astronomers who have worked at Palomar or any of the other observatories covered in this show, or who had any personal interaction with Hubble.

To Apodman - thanks so much for your insights on this!

Given that E = m c2, does this not mean that c = square root of E/m, or more generally that c is determined by the ratio of energy and matter (whatever that means)? And along these same lines, is there an equivalency between E = mc2 and F = m a? m should be the same in each equation, and is c2 an ex...

Can anyone provide a relatively brief answer or send a link that addresses why the speed of light is 300,000 kps, and not some other faster or slower speed? Why 300,000 kps and not 200,000 or 400,000? Thanks in advance!