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royable

(1,263 posts)
28. Your information on STEREO is incomplete.
Fri Mar 15, 2019, 09:24 PM
Mar 2019

The two STEREO spacecraft, labeled "STEREO A" and "STEREO B," are each in their own orbit around the sun. They are quite free of Earth's gravity. After their launch, NASA used the Moon for a gravitational slingshot to move them into orbits where one is slightly closer to the sun than the Earth, the other slightly more distant. As a result, the closer-to-the-sun one orbits faster than the Earth and has moved "ahead" of us (STEREO A), and the further-from-the-sun one orbits more slowly than Earth and has moved "behind" us (STEREO B). They moved ahead and behind, and then further ahead and further behind, until first the A , then the B, passed around the far side of the sun several years ago. They are now continuing in those orbits and are halfway back to Earth. See
https://gong2.nso.edu/products/scaleView/view.php?configFile=configs/pfssModels.cfg&productIndex=6
for a map, generated hourly, showing where they are right now in a view looking down at the Sun's and Earth's north poles.

While the spacecraft were behind and almost behind the sun, indeed, we would not have been able to receive their signals, and so they were put into a standby mode for a few weeks.

If there were an Earth-sized body on the opposite side of the sun, the orbits of these two spacecraft would have been altered by it and those who aim the antennas to pick up their signals would have not found the space craft to be where they were expected to be. There is no hidden planet opposite the Sun from us.

See https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stereo/main/index.html for lots of info on the STEREO mission and findings.

His nickname with his friends was "Herschey" underpants Mar 2019 #1
Did he use a mirror? Sneederbunk Mar 2019 #2
No, a refractor. DavidDvorkin Mar 2019 #3
No. Just his fingers. NurseJackie Mar 2019 #11
I actually got to see Uranus during my astronomy lab last year. LastLiberal in PalmSprings Mar 2019 #4
Neptune is a little blue dot. roamer65 Mar 2019 #6
Philosophical question. Blue_true Mar 2019 #7
It wouldn't be able to maintain its orbital relationship because of Jupiter. LastLiberal in PalmSprings Mar 2019 #8
Melancholia /nt aka-chmeee Mar 2019 #9
Horribly depressing movie. nt Ilsa Mar 2019 #22
Isn't that analysis conditional? Blue_true Mar 2019 #19
Gravity isn't just a theory, it's the law. LastLiberal in PalmSprings Mar 2019 #21
Both STEREO crafts are oriented to the Earth, one in front, one behind. Blue_true Mar 2019 #25
I don't understand why something like Voyager couldn't see the mirror Earth? mr_lebowski Mar 2019 #27
They were oriented to Earth and the Sun is extrodinarily massive. nt Blue_true Mar 2019 #31
Okay, so it's just because the path they were on wouldn't allow it, not that it's mr_lebowski Mar 2019 #34
Anything is possible, but it has not been done yet. Blue_true Mar 2019 #36
I just brought it up cause I thought it was said above that it would be impossible to see a ME even mr_lebowski Mar 2019 #39
I am saying that the force is causing miscalculations not only Blue_true Mar 2019 #40
Your information on STEREO is incomplete. royable Mar 2019 #28
Given the size of the Sun relative to Earth. Blue_true Mar 2019 #33
My professor taught only one theory of solar system formation in the astronomy class LastLiberal in PalmSprings Mar 2019 #35
The discussion was beyond my abilities a few posts ago. Blue_true Mar 2019 #37
That is absolutely gorgeous! Thank you! Hekate Mar 2019 #38
There is strong suspicion that there's a Planet 9 very far out, past the Kuiper Belt. lagomorph777 Mar 2019 #14
Pluto just said "fuck you" to hypothetical Planet 9. nt Tommy_Carcetti Mar 2019 #16
I spent 20 yesrs MFM008 Mar 2019 #29
My theory if it exists, it is a vagabond planet from another solar system. roamer65 Mar 2019 #17
More likely one of our own; Jupiter expelled many objects early on. lagomorph777 Mar 2019 #18
Uranus is the smallest gas giant in the solar system and the farthest out normally. Blue_true Mar 2019 #20
Neptune is farther than Uranus lagomorph777 Mar 2019 #24
Indeed more on that.... GeoWilliam750 Mar 2019 #32
There is a nice museum dedicated to him in Bath MissB Mar 2019 #5
Just saw Uranus for the first time about a month ago in my telescope... cbdo2007 Mar 2019 #10
You will see it. roamer65 Mar 2019 #13
The other pale blue dot.. Princess Turandot Mar 2019 #12
I think "Uranus" was a nickname for George III; he thought it was "Your Highness" lagomorph777 Mar 2019 #15
And then, in 2016, the country elected it as President. MineralMan Mar 2019 #23
Question: What goes around Uranus and wipes out Klingons? El Supremo Mar 2019 #26
A few years ago I saw a circle drawn on a bike trail labeled Uranus, at first I thought it was doc03 Mar 2019 #30
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