Astronomy & Space - May 2007

is everything infitine? is there a such thing is "nothing" ?

2007-05-02 21:34:20 · 6 answers · asked by Chris 2

I need To return to the year 2087 by time traveling machine

2007-05-02 21:29:05 · 6 answers · asked by labrat 2

Does the statement, "We've always done it that way" ring any bells?

The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet,
8.5 inches That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used?

Because that's the way they built them in England, and English
expatriates built the US Railroads.
Why did the English build them like that?
Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the
pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.

Why did "they" use that gauge then?

Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools
that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.

Okay! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing?

Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would
break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's
the spacing of the wheel ruts.

So who built those old rutted roads?

Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England)
for their legions. The roads have been used ever since.

And the ruts in the roads?

Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to
match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made
for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing..

The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is
derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot!!
And bureaucracies live forever.

So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's
*** came up with it, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Roman
army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two
war horses.

Now the twist to the story

When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big
booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are
solid rocket boosters or SRBs.

The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory at Utah. The engineers who
designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the
SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad
line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel.
The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad
track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds.

So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's
most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand
years ago by the width of a horse's ***.

2007-05-02 21:07:19 · 9 answers · asked by mr_spike432 2

With all the high-tech stuff, do u think there will be time-travel at all.

2007-05-02 20:17:22 · 8 answers · asked by darraghruless 2

2007-05-02 19:55:51 · 8 answers · asked by melvenwong 3

Could you give me a scientific approximation on the possibility that the Big Bang was a natural occurrence?

2007-05-02 19:24:19 · 14 answers · asked by sww_35 2

Is a group of stars called a solar system, star system, or neutron star?

2007-05-02 18:47:35 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-05-02 18:38:59 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous

What are the effets of it on our planet?

2007-05-02 18:03:22 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous

i have seen that scientists dont have that good english, but many agree and disagree, so are they good in english??

2007-05-02 16:50:21 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous

a) molecular motion
b) average denstiy
c) the positions of molecules relative to one another
d) number of chemical bond between te atom

2007-05-02 16:33:36 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous

a) size b) mass c) temperature d)location

2007-05-02 16:28:04 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous

Dont need to tell me about anyting over $500. cant afford at this point.
just a beginer.
i dont, however want to get ripped off.
I heard that a large aperture is favorable.
I heard reflectors give you more bang for your buck, so to speak.
how about a wal-mart version?( i personaly thought they were junk)

do i have to travel to the middle of nowhere where there is less light from the city?

2007-05-02 16:24:09 · 9 answers · asked by angry youngman 1

i want to upgrade a 2x barlow and think that i've found just the one.

my telescope is an 8" Celestron dobsonian reflector f/6

i have caught sight on the Celestron Ultima Barlow Lens (2x - 1.25"). the Ultima Series Barlow (2x - 1-1/4") is an air-spaced, 3-element apochromatic design with a 27mm clear aperture.

Here comes my question:
Do apochromatic barlows work better on refractors or are they just as good for slow reflectors like my telescope? I have a normal barlow and it works OK. not exceptional viewing just OK. would an apo barlow be better?

Another question I'm wondering about. What does "27mm clear aperture" mean in the barlow product description?

2007-05-02 16:14:54 · 2 answers · asked by crackerjack113 3

2007-05-02 15:57:09 · 10 answers · asked by Neima S 2

2007-05-02 15:50:01 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous

I am a beginner but I don't want one that is limited. I am willing to pay about Aus $800. Please don't advice me of those for children. I am so desperate. Thank you.

2007-05-02 15:03:59 · 8 answers · asked by Noona 4

2007-05-02 14:53:43 · 8 answers · asked by gehonney 2

As the Moon was rising tonight, it had an orange/yellow color. Can someone explain the significance of this?

2007-05-02 14:23:51 · 9 answers · asked by Ray 3

Most launch accidents happen due to the rapid expenditures of energy and the high aerodynamic loads. If you wait to accelerate until you are 10 miles high, the loads would be much lower. Why does a rocket have to use its fuel up so quickly.

2007-05-02 14:14:55 · 7 answers · asked by Zefram 2

2007-05-02 14:11:47 · 10 answers · asked by anonymous 4

since energy cannot be created nor destroyed?

- the law of conservation of energy-

I myself struggle to understand both viewpoints (Athiesm) and (Christainity or any other religion) and am unbiased towards both sides...Please help me out

2007-05-02 14:02:19 · 34 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-05-02 13:57:35 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous

where is a cool kids site for science that has tons of science pictures and experaments ?

2007-05-02 13:56:34 · 1 answers · asked by Ken N 1

what can I do to become a scientist ?
( I am under thirteen )

2007-05-02 13:52:48 · 5 answers · asked by Ken N 1

doing it for a project

2007-05-02 13:18:26 · 3 answers · asked by My Poetry Is Deep I Neva Fail 4

Is there a different name for the moon because all other moons have a name like Io or Ganymede.

2007-05-02 12:20:30 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous

Suppose out in space, you have a telephone pole, that is 1 light year long. You have the means to push it 20 feet away from you.

Does the other end move immediately, or does it take some amount of time for the far end to move?

2007-05-02 12:12:58 · 5 answers · asked by quantumclaustrophobe 7

www.youtube.com

2007-05-02 11:56:29 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous

if so how would any life on the planet be affected

2007-05-02 11:12:44 · 8 answers · asked by 22 4