Recent content by alva3

I think that it technically crossed the Antimeridian (180 meridian), but yes, on the move. The new WMM suggests that it has slowed, but that remains to be seen. The next two years will be critical in determining definitively.

Very good questions. My understanding and basic thinking were based upon curiosity more than anything else. GCRs have a clear anti-correlation with sunspot numbers (SSNs) <citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.660.3216&rep=rep1&type=pdf> due to them collecting along the magnetopause...

8/12; learn something new every day!

8, 9, & 10 got me. Enjoyed it. Really wish "Bill Barr" was an option for question #1. :)

I'm reminded of something I read years ago, that went something like this: "When I was 14 I couldn't stand to listen to my ole man blather about boring nonsense. By the time I was 30 I couldn't believe how much he had learned in 16 years." (If only we could get some updates here...

Curious about what the answers will be... Do you think that using global, ground and airborne GCR measurements as a proxy for real-time geomagnetic field strength is a bad idea? why/why not?

Agreed. Too many times we find ourselves measuring with a micrometer, marking with a crayon, and cutting with an axe. You're probably best off using a geographic coordinate system (WGS 84), with some kind of world spherical projection but keep in mind that in the U.S., the horizontal and...

This article does say however, that it's basically a "pile of rubble... with a bulk density much smaller than would be expected for a solid object." Admittedly, that is difficult to imagine. And, being such a low density pile of rocks, wouldn't landing on it seriously compromise not only the...

Thank you for the reply. Like I said, mathematically I get it. Conceptually (as a physical reality) I just do not. But hey, I've never been in space before.

This I get. Apparently the rotation rate is speeding up for no apparent reason, and stuff is flying off: rotation: https://news.agu.org/press-release/asteroid-bennu-target-of-nasas-sample-return-mission-is-rotating-faster-over-time/ particle plumes...

Unfortunately I do not remember the exact date, otherwise I would certainly look it up on USGS. Thanks for the information!

That would certainly do the trick, LOL! I wonder how many times washing machines have mistakenly been attributed to the paranormal?

Apparently they do: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/417518/small-asteroids-are-held-together-by-van-der-waals-forces/

Summary: Five questions about the structure of asteroids; specifically 101955 Bennu. Please forgive my ignorance, but I need help reconciling a few things... I'm curious about the images I've seen of asteroid Bennu: 1. If gravity is proportional to combined masses divided by their distance...

I did consider this. The apartment was two stories (so technically "multistory"), but I assume that a mechanical transfer mechanism that would otherwise go unnoticed by other senses would likely be passive and slow moving. The fact that the books were still upright leads me to believe that the...