Star Talk ☆ Let's Hang - All Are Welcome!!

[Of the Stars]

Welcome back Polaris!

I hope you had a good time with your family and friends and have a happy new year!

[Polaris]

Ah man, I've been grinding so hard for exams that I forgot about Windlyn again ahh...
Exam season still isn't over, but I'm back! (And I'll probs be randomly popping in and out for the next 2 weeks).

Yes, you saw it right -- the full moon on January 31st is going to be a Full Moon, Blue Moon, AND Supermoon! Exciting, isn't it?

[Lemon Cheesecake]

aww I am so sorry you have to be going through exams! But your avatar looks like she's having fun... I'll take a snowball fight break with you...we can see who can throw the farthest!

I am so excited about the super moon! I hope to be able to get some pics!

[Polaris]

Exams are finally over woohoo!! I'm ready for that snowball fight, haha

Apparently, not only will the Super Blue Moon on Jan 31st be a Full, Blue, Supermoon, but it will also be a Blood Moon (in select parts of the world)! This is due to the moon passing through the Earth's full shadow, also known as the umbra (not be confused with penumbra, which is the Earth's partial shadow), as it orbits the Earth.

Unfortunately your location in the world will determine whether you'll be able to observe 2018's Total Lunar Eclipse. For those in Europe, such as myself, and most of South America and Africa, there will be no Total Lunar Eclipse to observe. At least that leaves us more room to see the Blue Moon uninterupted, haha... Man, I wish I was back home in the states to see the eclipse since I already missed the solar eclipse back in August 2017

See the image below to find out if you'll be able to see the Lunar Eclipse!

[+] SPOILER

[galled]

Saw this--kinda silly, but kinda cool concept... but I can see it going all awry and having advertisements in the sky in a few years...

Rocket Lab secretly launched a disco ball satellite on its latest test flight
The Humanity Star can be seen with the naked eye


https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/24/16926426/rocket-lab-humanity-star-secret-satellite-electron-test-launch

[Polaris]

Ooh!! I've heard about that! A friend of mine gave me an earful while angry ranting about it (I've never heard an astrophysics major vent so angrily about a satellite o.o)

I dunno about this one. As much as I appreciate the message/theme of unity and a reminder of, to quote them, "our fragile place in the universe," there's a ton of criticism about it adding to the "space garbage" in orbit around the Earth. Space junk is pretty dangerous, too! Many of the pieces of space junk orbiting the Earth travel fast enough to cause some serious damage to satellites and spacecrafts should they come into collision.

Should we commercialize Space (since we're running out of space on Earth, ahahaha) or leave it to the astronomers to study and then tell us about it?

[Gingerale]

I agree there is too much garbage in space. As much as I like the internet it is so sad what we have done to get it. Scientist need to find some other source then satellites, I think.

[galled]

I had this discussion with a good friend (a futurist/technologist) and he said as wonderful as technology is and can be, he feels it's hurt the human race more than it's helped. I don't like that idea to be true, but my feelings are he's right. And when i think about it, I can't argue that he's wrong.

Space junk is a big problem. It's only a matter of time before there are very visible accidents. There are a couple of companies doing trials with tech to try and clean up things, but we're many years from progress being made.

[Polaris]

Tonight, the moon will be a Waning Crescent just before tomorrow's New Moon, which is perfect to take your s/o out for an evening of romance and stars! And if you're still a single pringle, well you may just get starstruck by the one!

Though if you're like me and prefer the company of just the stars, then grab yourself a box of chocolates and/or a telescope and bask in the beauty of the night sky!
(not just on Valentine's Day, but every day!)

[Lemon Cheesecake]

or a box of chocolates AND the telescope!

[Polaris]

Tonight's the night of the new moon (and apparently a partial solar eclipse, but only in select few areas of the world: Chile, Argentina, and Antarctica!

Perhaps some of our pengwings will be in attendance for the partial solar eclipse? take me with you

[murmurlade]

Do we have any Chil-y Argentenian Antartican Windlyans here?

[Polaris]

What's the weather like where everyone's at?

It's rainy for me where I am, though a friend did once tell me that the clearest skies always come after a storm! (Except it's England, and clear skies are quite rare)

[Lemon Cheesecake]

It's sunny but windy here however we desperately need rain or it will be a very dry year and that means heightened fire alert.

[Gingerale]

Anything new coming up in the skies?