[QUOTE=BrainDeath;45331955]The [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cycle"]solar cycle[/URL] has an average period of about 11 years.
[editline]8th July 2014[/editline]
I'm not sure if it effects the solar wind speed though.[/QUOTE]
Right, and that's exactly what I mean. But the Sun isn't on some perfect cyclical track where we can predict it with any sense of accuracy. She can go from a quiet Star burning away to a violent sun-spot ridden and sun flare spewing monster over the course of a couple days. She's just generally akin to a cyclic nature. See [url=http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/]SOHO[/url] (When NASA's servers come back)
So i don't think its out of the question to say the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere]Heliosphere[/url] can fluctuate, possibly on a large scale, on a weekly- maybe daily basis.
The Heliosphere is defined as a distinct drop in solar wind activity, believed to be the point when the Sun's effect has largely been cancelled out by other 'space forces'. So when the Sun is blowing hard, maybe the [i]Heliospheric[/i] boundary is a little further out than on days/months/weeks when it's not. Given the whole proper time for the Solar Wind/Forces to travel, of course.
Then take into consideration we are running through a Solar Maximum currently, a period of high solar activity.
[QUOTE=slayer20;45330397]This would make a great opening to a movie about aliens.
[/QUOTE]
This is how Beast Wars starts, young'n.
Third time lucky?
[QUOTE=slayer20;45330397]This would make a great opening to a movie about aliens.
Sending the Voyager 1 way out into space. Scientists confirm that it has left Interstellar Space. Couple years later or whatever, one scientists brings up that the Voyager 1 has stopped moving. Scientists begin asking "why". Another few years later, the Voyager 1 is caught moving at insane speeds back to Earth. Aliens come.[/QUOTE]
"Bob, these humans want to play catch..."
Would crashing it into a star be the saddest or greatest thing to ever happen?
[QUOTE=Megadave;45337542]Would crashing it into a star be the saddest or greatest thing to ever happen?[/QUOTE]
Only 599,970 more years until Alpha Centauri to find out
How much would it suck if it was destroyed by a rogue asteroid? Think all those years building and launching Voyager and get taken out when it's just about to leave the Sol system? I just can picture a scientist some where crying.
[QUOTE=JPsRcE;45338092]rogue asteroid[/QUOTE]
There are friendly asteroids? :v:
So when do we find the mass relays?
[QUOTE=cartman300;45338106]There are friendly asteroids? :v:[/QUOTE]
The one who killed all the dinosaurs so that we could take over the planet, perhaps?
[QUOTE=FurrehFaux;45338385]So when do we find the mass relays?[/QUOTE]
A mission called New Horizons is going to Charon and Pluto mid 2015
[QUOTE=Falkok15;45330837]Well, does this mean Interstellar Marines can come true? I want to run around with UMP .45s and rifle-styled Kriss Vectors :v:[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=SPESSMEHREN;45331712]I hope we'll see faster than light travel in this generation.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=FurrehFaux;45338385]So when do we find the mass relays?[/QUOTE]
I know you guys are mostly joking but it's a little sad that when there's some tangible scientific achievement, the first reaction of so many people is 'that's neat I guess, call me when my impossible made-up fantasy universe becomes real'. The real universe around us is interesting enough as it is and we won't need physically-impossible FTL or implausible alien relics to explore it.
[QUOTE=catbarf;45338988]I know you guys are mostly joking but it's a little sad that when there's some tangible scientific achievement, the first reaction of so many people is 'that's neat I guess, call me when my impossible made-up fantasy universe becomes real'. The real universe around us is interesting enough as it is and we won't need physically-impossible FTL or implausible alien relics to explore it.[/QUOTE]
This really gets to me too, it doesn't help that we already have the technology to reach the stars in a human timespan.
[QUOTE=Spleet;45335376]This is how Beast Wars starts, young'n.[/QUOTE]
What? Granted it's been a while, but doesn't Beast Wars start by involving a time warp to millions of years ago?
[QUOTE=cartman300;45338106]There are friendly asteroids? :v:[/QUOTE]
I used to hang out with an asteroid, he was one of the best friends ever, his name was Bob.
[QUOTE=BrainDeath;45339080]This really gets to me too, it doesn't help that we already have the technology to reach the stars in a human timespan.[/QUOTE]
What? Assuming a human lifespan is 100 years, what 'stars' can we reach in 100 years with current tech?
[QUOTE=catbarf;45338988]I know you guys are mostly joking but it's a little sad that when there's some tangible scientific achievement, the first reaction of so many people is 'that's neat I guess, call me when my impossible made-up fantasy universe becomes real'. The real universe around us is interesting enough as it is and we won't need physically-impossible FTL or implausible alien relics to explore it.[/QUOTE]
You must be great at parties. Let people have fun, sheesh.
[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;45342882]What? Assuming a human lifespan is 100 years, what 'stars' can we reach in 100 years with current tech?[/QUOTE]
Sol
[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;45342882]What? Assuming a human lifespan is 100 years, what 'stars' can we reach in 100 years with current tech?[/QUOTE]
Assuming a fuckload of resources pooled together, I suppose we could accelerate a small piece of whatever to 4% the speed of light, meaning we could reach proxima centauri in about a 100 years.
I have no idea of whether this is [I]really [/I]possible or not with current technology, but it's definitely not feasible.
[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;45342882]What? Assuming a human lifespan is 100 years, what 'stars' can we reach in 100 years with current tech?[/QUOTE]
Project Orion was envisioned to be capable of interstellar travel even with technology from the 1970s. It would need advances in cryogenic storage, however, as the fastest design has a travel time of 133+ years to Alpha Centauri :v:
[t]http://i.imgur.com/DWp1Y2H.jpg[/t]
[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;45342882]What? Assuming a human lifespan is 100 years, what 'stars' can we reach in 100 years with current tech?[/QUOTE]
Well if we had a 100% efficient engine we could get there in less than 4 years if we just had 38kg of fuel per kg of payload. Not bad!
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;45343358]Well if we had a 100% efficient engine we could get there in less than 4 years if we just had 38kg of fuel per kg of payload. Not bad![/QUOTE]
Are we talking complete conversion of matter into energy?
[QUOTE=GoDong-DK;45343369]Are we talking complete conversion of matter into energy?[/QUOTE]
Yeah. But don't worry too much about it. That's a problem for the engineers.
[QUOTE=Saber15;45343206]Project Orion was envisioned to be capable of interstellar travel even with technology from the 1970s. It would need advances in cryogenic storage, however, as the fastest design has a travel time of 133+ years to Alpha Centauri :v:
[t]http://i.imgur.com/DWp1Y2H.jpg[/t][/QUOTE]
Plus the whole nuclear propulsion thing is a bit difficult to pull off.
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;45343498]Yeah. But don't worry too much about it. That's a problem for the engineers.[/QUOTE]
Monopole-catalyzed total conversion.
We just need a circumstellar particle accelerator.
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;45343498]Yeah. But don't worry too much about it. That's a problem for the engineers.[/QUOTE]
I'd be more worried about the invoice they send back for that one.
[QUOTE=Camundongo;45343606]I'd be more worried about the invoice they send back for that one.[/QUOTE]
Having shit tons of cash is perfectly consistent with the known laws of physics so I don't see any reason to worry about it.
[QUOTE=Saber15;45343206]Project Orion was envisioned to be capable of interstellar travel even with technology from the 1970s. It would need advances in cryogenic storage, however, as the fastest design has a travel time of 133+ years to Alpha Centauri :v:
[t]http://i.imgur.com/DWp1Y2H.jpg[/t][/QUOTE]
forget cryogenic storage, we'd need to figure out how to safely launch and store in orbit thousands of high yeild thermonuclear warheads
[editline]9th July 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=Eudoxia;45343583]Monopole-catalyzed total conversion.
We just need a circumstellar particle accelerator.[/QUOTE]
too bad the ancient aliens already took all the monopoles in this solar system
[QUOTE=Saber15;45343206]Project Orion was envisioned to be capable of interstellar travel even with technology from the 1970s. It would need advances in cryogenic storage, however, as the fastest design has a travel time of 133+ years to Alpha Centauri :v:
[t]http://i.imgur.com/DWp1Y2H.jpg[/t][/QUOTE]
who said you'd be sending people on the journey? this is a thread about a space probe
plus you can do a flyby (dont have to use fuel to slow down) in roughly half the time
a [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_salt-water_rocket"]nuclear salt water rocket[/URL] (very cool and more sensible) could do it in 120 years
[editline]10th July 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=Sableye;45343661]forget cryogenic storage, we'd need to figure out how to safely launch and store in orbit thousands of high yeild thermonuclear warheads
[/QUOTE]
orion warheads are actually very low yield
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;45343498]Yeah. But don't worry too much about it. That's a problem for the engineers.[/QUOTE]
Physicists: the trolls of science
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