I cannot imagine that we represent the only sentient life in this multi- galactic Universe. Like your deck gazing, TC, it does snap things into perspective. We are "dots" but we are intelligent, self- reflective ones!! To even have the thought needed to project ourselves " out there" and then to painstakingly, over years of telescopes, to develop the James Webb-- our eyes to "see" more and more....intelligence absolutely significant!!! But what we know is mostly what we don't know.
Carol, I so agree with you....as a species, our hubris is great. I've often applied the "Horton Hears a Who" story to our little world. Nice to have this happening this month.
'The ultimate goal of NASA's exoplanet program is to find unmistakable signs of current life on a planet beyond Earth. How soon that can happen depends on two unknowns: the prevalence of life in the galaxy and how lucky we get as we take those first, tentative, exploratory steps.'
'Sara Seager looks into the camera.'
'MIT astronomer Sara Seager, is a McArthur Genius Fellow and leader in the scientific race to find another Earth in the near future.'
'Our early planet finding missions, such as NASA’s Kepler and its extended incarnation, K2, or the coming James Webb Space Telescope, could yield bare bones evidence of the potentially habitable worlds. James Webb, designed in part to investigate gas giants and super Earths, might find an outsized version of our planet. NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope or the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope, could zero in on a distant planet’s reflected light to detect the signatures of oxygen, water vapor, or some other powerful indication of possible life.'
'But unless we get lucky, the search for signs of life could take decades. Discovering another blue-white marble hidden in the star field, like a sand grain on the beach, will probably require an even larger imaging telescope. Designs are already underway for that next-generation planet finder, to be sent aloft in the 2030s or 2040s.'
'MIT physics professor Sara Seager looks for possible chemical combinations that could signal the presence of alien life. She and her biochemistry colleagues first focused on the six main elements associated with life on Earth: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, sulfur and hydrogen.'
'To find out how about the advanced, space-based telescope technology being developed at NASA to search for life among the stars, read 'Inventing the Future'' (NASA) See link to 'Inventing the Future' below.
Fern, thanks for great article. Since I have covered the Space Program for TV news here in Orlando since the early 70's and now can see those rockets going off from my front lawn, I vitally interested. You always give us great info and links. Thank you so much. So glad you are here with all of us!!
'President Joe Biden will unveil the much-anticipated first full-color image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope on Monday, agency officials confirmed.'
'The image, known as "Webb's First Deep Field," will be the deepest and highest-resolution view of the universe ever captured, showing myriad galaxies as they appeared up to 13 billion years in the past, according to NASA.' (NBCnews)
'NASA Shares List of Cosmic Targets for Webb Telescope’s First Images'
'Below is the list of cosmic objects that Webb targeted for these first observations, which will be released in NASA’s live broadcast beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, July 12. Each image will simultaneously be made available on social media as well as on the agency’s website.'
'Carina Nebula. The Carina Nebula is one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, located approximately 7,600 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina. Nebulae are stellar nurseries where stars form. The Carina Nebula is home to many massive stars, several times larger than the Sun.'
'WASP-96 b (spectrum). WASP-96 b is a giant planet outside our solar system, composed mainly of gas. The planet, located nearly 1,150 light-years from Earth, orbits its star every 3.4 days. It has about half the mass of Jupiter, and its discovery was announced in 2014.'
'Southern Ring Nebula. The Southern Ring, or “Eight-Burst” nebula, is a planetary nebula – an expanding cloud of gas, surrounding a dying star. It is nearly half a light-year in diameter and is located approximately 2,000 light years away from Earth.'
'Stephan’s Quintet: About 290 million light-years away, Stephan’s Quintet is located in the constellation Pegasus. It is notable for being the first compact galaxy group ever discovered in 1877. Four of the five galaxies within the quintet are locked in a cosmic dance of repeated close encounters.
SMACS 0723: Massive foreground galaxy clusters magnify and distort the light of objects behind them, permitting a deep field view into both the extremely distant and intrinsically faint galaxy populations.'
'The release of these first images marks the official beginning of Webb’s science operations, which will continue to explore the mission’s key science themes. Teams have already applied through a competitive process for time to use the telescope, in what astronomers call its first “cycle,” or first year of observations." (NASA)
"Intelligence is not insignificant." I wholeheartedly agree but also feel dismay that on our world it has been wasted in so many petty and broken vessels.
I imagine the possibility to go back into the past because time and events are permanent. Oh, yes. We might get an inkling into what was as it happened. Not conjecture, but the cosmic events revealed. I wish I were 11 years old.
Tom, may I copy and paste this anecdote as a comment (with or without attribution) under the same article I posted earlier on my Facebook page? We are small and insignificant but (for many but not all of us) with intelligence that is not insignificant.
This brief observation and your ever so eloquent letter on the history of your families fight, no, contributions to your country made me reach deep into my crusty , dusty and cobwebbed wallet to renew my subscription just so I could tell you that.
The only earthly experience I have (that doesn't even come close to the unknowable universe) is our own Grand Canyon. Both leave me speechless and feeling less than miniscule and in total awe.
The stars is one of the things I really miss after moving to town from my 10 semi rural acres. The light pollution in my new house/neighborhood is overwhelming.
I cannot imagine that we represent the only sentient life in this multi- galactic Universe. Like your deck gazing, TC, it does snap things into perspective. We are "dots" but we are intelligent, self- reflective ones!! To even have the thought needed to project ourselves " out there" and then to painstakingly, over years of telescopes, to develop the James Webb-- our eyes to "see" more and more....intelligence absolutely significant!!! But what we know is mostly what we don't know.
Loved this post!!
Carol, I so agree with you....as a species, our hubris is great. I've often applied the "Horton Hears a Who" story to our little world. Nice to have this happening this month.
'Is there life on other planets?'
'The ultimate goal of NASA's exoplanet program is to find unmistakable signs of current life on a planet beyond Earth. How soon that can happen depends on two unknowns: the prevalence of life in the galaxy and how lucky we get as we take those first, tentative, exploratory steps.'
'Sara Seager looks into the camera.'
'MIT astronomer Sara Seager, is a McArthur Genius Fellow and leader in the scientific race to find another Earth in the near future.'
'Our early planet finding missions, such as NASA’s Kepler and its extended incarnation, K2, or the coming James Webb Space Telescope, could yield bare bones evidence of the potentially habitable worlds. James Webb, designed in part to investigate gas giants and super Earths, might find an outsized version of our planet. NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope or the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope, could zero in on a distant planet’s reflected light to detect the signatures of oxygen, water vapor, or some other powerful indication of possible life.'
'But unless we get lucky, the search for signs of life could take decades. Discovering another blue-white marble hidden in the star field, like a sand grain on the beach, will probably require an even larger imaging telescope. Designs are already underway for that next-generation planet finder, to be sent aloft in the 2030s or 2040s.'
'MIT physics professor Sara Seager looks for possible chemical combinations that could signal the presence of alien life. She and her biochemistry colleagues first focused on the six main elements associated with life on Earth: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, sulfur and hydrogen.'
'To find out how about the advanced, space-based telescope technology being developed at NASA to search for life among the stars, read 'Inventing the Future'' (NASA) See link to 'Inventing the Future' below.
https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/the-search-for-life/inventing-the-future
Fern, thanks for great article. Since I have covered the Space Program for TV news here in Orlando since the early 70's and now can see those rockets going off from my front lawn, I vitally interested. You always give us great info and links. Thank you so much. So glad you are here with all of us!!
Carol, your deep spirit, curiosity and kindness bring us together. Salud.
'President Joe Biden will unveil the much-anticipated first full-color image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope on Monday, agency officials confirmed.'
'The image, known as "Webb's First Deep Field," will be the deepest and highest-resolution view of the universe ever captured, showing myriad galaxies as they appeared up to 13 billion years in the past, according to NASA.' (NBCnews)
'NASA Shares List of Cosmic Targets for Webb Telescope’s First Images'
'Below is the list of cosmic objects that Webb targeted for these first observations, which will be released in NASA’s live broadcast beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, July 12. Each image will simultaneously be made available on social media as well as on the agency’s website.'
'Carina Nebula. The Carina Nebula is one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, located approximately 7,600 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina. Nebulae are stellar nurseries where stars form. The Carina Nebula is home to many massive stars, several times larger than the Sun.'
'WASP-96 b (spectrum). WASP-96 b is a giant planet outside our solar system, composed mainly of gas. The planet, located nearly 1,150 light-years from Earth, orbits its star every 3.4 days. It has about half the mass of Jupiter, and its discovery was announced in 2014.'
'Southern Ring Nebula. The Southern Ring, or “Eight-Burst” nebula, is a planetary nebula – an expanding cloud of gas, surrounding a dying star. It is nearly half a light-year in diameter and is located approximately 2,000 light years away from Earth.'
'Stephan’s Quintet: About 290 million light-years away, Stephan’s Quintet is located in the constellation Pegasus. It is notable for being the first compact galaxy group ever discovered in 1877. Four of the five galaxies within the quintet are locked in a cosmic dance of repeated close encounters.
SMACS 0723: Massive foreground galaxy clusters magnify and distort the light of objects behind them, permitting a deep field view into both the extremely distant and intrinsically faint galaxy populations.'
'The release of these first images marks the official beginning of Webb’s science operations, which will continue to explore the mission’s key science themes. Teams have already applied through a competitive process for time to use the telescope, in what astronomers call its first “cycle,” or first year of observations." (NASA)
"Intelligence is not insignificant." I wholeheartedly agree but also feel dismay that on our world it has been wasted in so many petty and broken vessels.
Too true.
I imagine the possibility to go back into the past because time and events are permanent. Oh, yes. We might get an inkling into what was as it happened. Not conjecture, but the cosmic events revealed. I wish I were 11 years old.
Yes, it is going to be amazing with what's to come
My intelligence anyhow has a hard time imagining that what I see in the night sky is a deep image of time.
I am — and have always been — in awe of space and the magnificence of the universe.
Thank you, TC!
Tom, may I copy and paste this anecdote as a comment (with or without attribution) under the same article I posted earlier on my Facebook page? We are small and insignificant but (for many but not all of us) with intelligence that is not insignificant.
Go right ahead Mim. With or without.
Thanks.
TC … I love you!
This brief observation and your ever so eloquent letter on the history of your families fight, no, contributions to your country made me reach deep into my crusty , dusty and cobwebbed wallet to renew my subscription just so I could tell you that.
TC you are a Mench, flaws’nall.
Thank you!
The only earthly experience I have (that doesn't even come close to the unknowable universe) is our own Grand Canyon. Both leave me speechless and feeling less than miniscule and in total awe.
The stars is one of the things I really miss after moving to town from my 10 semi rural acres. The light pollution in my new house/neighborhood is overwhelming.
Tuesday. What a day this week.
Ditto. Wow.
Sizzlin’, TC, sizzlin’.
Bravo!