Elite / Frontier A view from the aft window?

[Sir.Tj]

Dont think this is on here anywhere. found this on a website, so I'd thought I'd post it here.

Michael etc.. Delete it if it is on here already

Posted in Science & Math by Greg Ross on December 29th, 2006

Earth seen from 4 billion miles away, photographed by Voyager 1 on June 6, 1990.

Of the "pale blue dot," astronomer Carl Sagan said, "That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar,' every 'supreme leader,' every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there — on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."


Makes you think.....

Or..Damn my hyperdrives not been serviced...how do I get home now?

 

[Steve O B Have]

Humbling isn't it.

 

[Sir.Tj]

Humbling isn't it.

Just a bit.

 

[Steve]

Makes you think.....

Damn my hyperdrives not been serviced...how do I get home now?

On a note of pure unabashed pedantry, 4 billion miles is only about 43AU, so you could probably coast home with your Stardreamer on max
Very thought-provoking picture though...

 

[Adrena1in]

Very thought-provoking picture though...

Funny, but when I start to try and comprehend the hugely, massively, mind-bogglingly bigness of space, my thoughts tend to just evaporate and everything in my head just goes into a hissy silence.

Must be very lonely out there.


And for another bit of mindless trivia, 4 billion miles is only about one seven-thousandth of the distance between us and the nearest star. That's roughly equivalent to making a journey from Land's End to John O'Groats (bottom left to top right of the UK), and only getting about 150 yards! Or travelling directly across the United States, from Central Park New York to San Franciso, and you still wouldn't have even crossed Central Park yet.

*hissy silence*

 

[Sir.Tj]

And for another bit of mindless trivia, 4 billion miles is only about one seven-thousandth of the distance between us and the nearest star. That's roughly equivalent to making a journey from Land's End to John O'Groats (bottom left to top right of the UK), and only getting about 150 yards! Or travelling directly across the United States, from Central Park New York to San Franciso, and you still wouldn't have even crossed Central Park yet.

When you put it like that it's very scary how bigh the universe is.

I think I may crawl under my desk for the rest of the day and refuse to come out!

 

[Alien]

Funny, but when I start to try and comprehend the hugely, massively, mind-bogglingly bigness of space, my thoughts tend to just evaporate and everything in my head just goes into a hissy silence.

"Space is big
Really big
In fact you can't just believe how mind bogglingly big it is."
Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy
Douglas Adams
Literary Genius

forgive me if I got that Hitchikers quote slightly wrong.

 

[Adrena1in]

When you put it like that it's very scary how bigh the universe is.

Yeah, and that star is "only" 4 light years away. I read somewhere they reckon the nearest possible life-bearing system is probably 200 to 2000 lights years away? Imagine if it really is 2000 light years...500 times further than Proxima Centauri, (or is it Alpha Centauri that's closer?). That means start off on a bench in central park, stand up and take one step towards San Franciso. That's it...that's how far Voyager's got.........in almost 13 years!!

And Alien, that was close enough, I assumed my post would make people think of DNA, RIP.

"Space is big. Really big. You won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space!"

 

[Steve]

500 times further than Proxima Centauri, (or is it Alpha Centauri that's closer)

No, Proxima's about 0.1ly closer.
The missus and I were watching a documentary the other evening which mentioned Alpha Centauri as the closest star beyond our Sun, which prompted me to bellow at the tv, purple with rage. My wife just looked at me and said "Steve, stop shouting at the telly"

 

[Sir.Tj]

No, Proxima's about 0.1ly closer.
The missus and I were watching a documentary the other evening which mentioned Alpha Centauri as the closest star beyond our Sun, which prompted me to bellow at the tv, purple with rage. My wife just looked at me and said "Steve, stop shouting at the telly"

I can picture the scene...

TV "Blah blah Alpha Centauri"
Steve "GRRR!"
Mrs Steve "TUT"
Steve "....."

 

[Steve O B Have]

LOL that's gotta be a first - Star RAGE!!!!

 

[Sir.Tj]

LOL that's gotta be a first - Star RAGE!!!!

Star Rage.....didn't that used to be on in the 80's?

 

[Steve O B Have]

amongst a whole other range of fantastic programmes Automan, Streethawk, Knightrider

 

[turwhitt]

...Blue Thunder, Airwolf....

those were the days. When will producers realise that shows about high-tech modes of transport and their drivers is better entertainment than desperate z-list "celebrities" thrashing about in muddy puddles?

 

[Alien]

"Space is big. Really big. You won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space!"

Thanks for correcting me, i knew it wasnt right i was quoting from memory.

amongst a whole other range of fantastic programmes Automan, Streethawk, Knightrider

Bring back Automan !!!!
(unless it was too ebarrassing and cringe making and generally bad tv in which case i say Burn in hell Automan !!!!)

 

[Sir.Tj]

Here in the Uk, if you have satellite/cable a lot of these programs are on every day. Knightrider/Airwolf etc. think streethawk was on a while back.

aahh nostalga

 

[Adrena1in]

I'm so glad other people remember Automan...one of my favourites as a kid, (though I never did understand how he, the human, was able to stay within Automan's holographic car, and pass through things.

What about Hardcastle and McCormack?

 

[CaptProton]

Home sweet Home....

8000000 km away from Home