Recent comments in /f/space

jormungandrsjig OP t1_j2c5jpu wrote

Reply to The most distant spacecraft in the solar system — Where are they now? by jormungandrsjig

We now have five spacecraft that have either reached the edges of our solar system or are fast approaching it: Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Voyager 2 and New Horizons.

From close fly-bys of the outer planets to exploring humans' furthest reach in space, these two spacecraft have contributed immensely to astronomers' understanding of the solar system.

Now, the spacecraft will provide better-than-ever measurements of the background of light and cosmic rays in space, trace the distributions of dust throughout our solar system, and obtain crucial information on the sun's influence, complimentary to the Voyagers.

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CrayonDelicacies t1_j2c5df4 wrote

Reply to comment by Psychological_Wheel2 in Question by Psychological_Wheel2

It’s about scale and expense more than anything. The more you need to clean, the more difficult and expensive it is. The source quality will make a difference too. I treat mostly ground water, it’s about the easiest and cheapest. Most expensive part is the electricity to run the pumps. Then there’s desalinization, reverse osmosis, surface water treatment too.

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TheSkewsMe t1_j2c54nt wrote

Reply to Question by Psychological_Wheel2

Potable water is the issue when it comes to humans. Spring water is needed to grow planaria, so that's what I got my cat in the city.

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AmAProudIdiot t1_j2c4u46 wrote

Reply to Could we find a Pandora-like planet in real life? by lemonny3663

Alpha Centauri A is not an M-type red dwarf, it is a G2V, something similar to Sol. I don't know Avatar lore, so I'm not sure if you mean Proxima Centauri.

If you're discussing such an exomoon in AC-A, it's definitely feasible, the problems are whether or not a natural satellite can be that large.

If you're discussing Proxima Centauri, then it's still feasible, but less likely. The exomoon will have to be located within the gas giant's magnetosphere, since M-type stars are so active, potentially close enough for a large object like the exomoon to be ripped apart. This wouldn't be an issue with ultra-cool M-types, but PC is not one of them.

I'll have to say though, the plants and other wildlife would be completely inaccurate, especially the color.

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EvilWooster t1_j2c3swx wrote

Reply to Question by Psychological_Wheel2

It would be quite the trick to drain the oceans of all the water they contain in 1000 years. Please refer to this:

https://i.redd.it/7t81ljatuh8a1.jpg

Please repeat this, clapping your hands together with each word

We. Are. Not. Going. To. Run. Out. Of. Water. On. Earth.

However, FRESH WATER... that's a tricky one.

The most brute force way would be desalination, of which there are a few ways to do this (evaporative, osmotic, etc). All can be resource or energy expensive (evaporative can be done with either a huge solar still, if you have a handy desert climate, or by using energy to boil salt water and then allow fresh water to condense)

Both have the problem of what to do with the highly concentrated brine (if you don't mind killing local fish/destroying your local fishery, sure just dump it back into the ocean).

But lets say that, yes, somehow we have squandered 321,003,271 cubic miles of ocean, and we need water from somewhere else. The outer solar system is _loaded_ with water ice. Often in combination with Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide/Monoxide, Cyanide (HCN), and other hydrocarbons in smaller amounts. Just bring a few comets in to the vicinity of Earth and that material could be mined. Just don't let the comets _hit_ the Earth--you will make no friends that way, no matter how thirsty they are.

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