Astronomy and Space

[dyqik]

First day since June 2022 when there are no visible sunspots.

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That's because we've been in blizzard conditions all day...

[dyqik]

Our Minor Planet Center has announced the discovery of four more moons of Jupiter, bringing the total to 101.

[IvanV]

Our Minor Planet Center has announced the discovery of four more moons of Jupiter, bringing the total to 101.

Many of them are very small. About half them are about 1km or 2km across. We have so far found rather more that are approx 2km than are approx 1km. But statistically there should be rather more in the 1km size range. And then many, many more in the hundreds of metres size range. And boulders and rocks and...

I read there is no established minimum size for a moon. So where does it end? We finally realised it was silly to call Pluto a planet. Is it silly to have potentially millions of moons of Jupiter? Should we reserve the word moon for sufficiently significant objects? Where can we draw the line? Or doesn't it matter?

[dyqik]

High

[Brightonian]

High

Atacama Desert? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atacama_L ... eter_Array

[dyqik]

High

Atacama Desert? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atacama_L ... eter_Array

Yes

[IvanV]

High

Atacama Desert? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atacama_L ... eter_Array

Atacama, but Puna de Atacama, rather than Desierto de Atacama. The dry puna is a distinctive eco-region.

[dyqik]

Higher

5,400m on Cerro Toco, looking down on ALMA and APEX and up at CCAT and TAOS.

(ALMA make you use oxygen above 3000m. I'm fine at 5,400m without it)

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