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APOD: Fire in Space (2021 Aug 10)

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 4:05 am
by APOD Robot
Image Fire in Space

Explanation: What does fire look like in space? In the gravity on Earth, heated air rises and expands, causing flames to be teardrop shaped. In the microgravity of the air-filled International Space Station (ISS), however, flames are spheres. Fire is the rapid acquisition of oxygen, and space flames meet new oxygen molecules when they float by randomly from all directions -- creating the enveloping sphere. In the featured image taken in the ISS's Combustion Integration Rack, a spherical flame envelopes clusters of hot glowing soot. Without oxygen, say in the vacuum of empty space, a fire would go out immediately. The many chemical reactions involved with fire are complex, and testing them in microgravity is helping humanity not only to better understand fire -- but how to put out fire, too.

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Re: APOD: Fire in Space (2021 Aug 10)

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:00 am
by Eclectic Man
There is an interesting article in New Scientist online concerning the shape of flames in zero or micro gravity environments:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg ... -on-earth/

Re: APOD: Fire in Space (2021 Aug 10)

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 11:20 am
by Tszabeau
Looks like what I’d imagine a cluster of black holes might look like.

Re: APOD: Fire in Space (2021 Aug 10)

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 12:36 pm
by orin stepanek
SpaceFlame_nasa_1100.jpg
Cool; the way fire burns in micro gravity! Cool flames are neat!
642x361-excercise.jpg
Try this while exercising

Re: APOD: Fire in Space (2021 Aug 10)

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 2:18 pm
by johnnydeep
How big is that ball of flame? The "featured image" link didn't say. I'd guess less than an inch in diameter.

Also - see Chris, the ISS is still used to perform valuable experiments to help humanity! :)

Re: APOD: Fire in Space (2021 Aug 10)

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 4:44 pm
by ta152h0
So having a BBQ in space is not possible? pass the ice cold one

Re: APOD: Fire in Space (2021 Aug 10)

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 5:52 pm
by neufer
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virions with visible coronae