Originally posted by Nrg2Nfinit
all this sounds fascinating.. I always wanted to know how do they actually figure out how wide and far away planets or stars are with just a telescope?
wouldnt you lose depth perception when your looking at something so far away. what is the frame of reference?
Im not very knowledged in this subject so maybe someone could explain it in basic terms.
I forget where in the lecture he talks about distance but the whole thing is fascinating so you'll probably want to watch.
P.S. I'm bumping this thread cuz I got a chain email that reminded me of it..and also to give you your response.
God I love that video.
Feb-13-2010 00:49
Lews
Platipus And Prog Addict
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Hugging Whales And Saving Trees
Read the Bill Bryson book A Short History of Nearly Everything, it's just amazing if you want to know tons of facts about space and how scientists know what they know. Was a really informative and fun read
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Hugging Whales And Saving Trees
quote:
Originally posted by Omega_M
Carl Sagan's pale blue dot should support the first part of my statement. As for the other, until we find extra-terrestrial superior civilizations, we should consider ourselves to be the god damn winners in this universe.
The pale blue dot was showing how small and insignificant we are.
