You don't even know our Sun. (626 hits)
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Submitted by paperboy: world famous astrophysicist (View user info) at 2007-01-22 22:23:57 EST
Only 55% of all Americans know that the Sun is a star.
20% of Americans still think that the Sun orbits around the Earth.
Aztecs believed that the Sun died every night and needed human blood to give it strength to rise the next day. So they sacrificed 15,000 men a year to appease their sun god, Huitzilopochtli.
If the entire solar system were the size of a quarter, the Sun would be visible only under a microscope, and the nearest star would be 300 feet away. With all that said, the Sun contains more than 99.8% of the total mass of our Solar System.
The distance from the Earth to the Sun varies throughout the year. At perihelion (closest approach) the distance is 147 million km, and at aphelion (farthest) the distance is 152 million km. Due to this distance variation, the Sun will appear about 3% bigger at perihelion than at aphelion. At this point in geological time, perihelion occurs in early January, and aphelion in early July. Slowly but surely, however, the perihelion point precesses, so in 23,000 or so years, perihelion will occur in July.
The Sun provides our planet with 126,000,000,000,000 horsepower of energy every day. This means that 54,000 horsepower is delivered to every man, woman and child on earth in each twenty four hour period. This amount of energy equals only about two billionths of the total energy broadcast into our solar system by the Sun each day.
Lightening is 3-5 times hotter than the surface of the Sun. The surface temperature of our Sun is around 10,000 degrees Farenheit, while lightening can reach 50,000 degrees Farenheit.
If you were to drive a car at 65 miles an hour, 24 hours a day then you could reach the Sun in about 3 years.
The Sun's period of rotation at the surface varies from approximately 25 days at the equator to 36 days at the poles. Deep down, below the convective zone, everything appears to rotate with a period of 27 days.
If we could remove the bright, glowing surface of the Sun, we would see nothing other than blackness. Only the Sun's outer surface shines brightly. The inside of the Sun is complete darkness.
The Sun orbits around the centre of the Milky Way, taking 225,000,000 years to complete a full orbit, travelling at about 500,000 miles per hour.
The Sun is classified as a "Yellow G2 Dwarf". It is an average, middle-aged star.
The Sun's core is the hottest part at 27 billion° Fahrenheit.
An area of the Sun's surface the size of a postage stamp shines with the power of 1,500,000 candles.
The Sun loses approximately 4 million tons every second, this is the amount of hydrogen gas that the Sun turns into energy.
The umbra, or dark center, of a sunspot can vary from just a few hundred to over 50,000 miles across.
It takes about 8.5 minutes for sunlight to reach the Earth.
All totalled, the sunlight that strikes Earth at any given moment weighs as much as a large ocean liner.
The Sun's gravity is 28 times that of Earth.
On its trip around the Sun, the Earth travels over 1.5 million miles per day.
A rainbow can be seen only in the morning or late afternoon. It can occur only when the Sun is 40 degrees or less above the horizon.
You can see stars from the bottom of a well even in day light.
A star can be as small as 7,000 miles in diameter or as large as 900 billion miles.
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Try this at home to get an idea of the size of our solar system:
http://www.noao.edu/education/peppercorn/pcmain.html
For some great movies and pics of Sol:
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/gallery/
(check out 10 years of SOHO under LATEST MOVIES)
User Reviews
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-07-13 10:52:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by DCWoody (user info) at 2007-07-13 09:15:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I'm pretty sure that's not entirely true....seem to remember seeing one in Iceland at about 10pm for example
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Was the Sun roughly at 40 degrees or less in the sky at that time?
I know I said early morning and late evening but....
Submitted by DCWoody (user info) at 2007-07-13 09:15:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
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Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:44:58 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
If you were to drive a car at 65 miles an hour, 24 hours a day then you could reach the Sun in about 3 years.
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The sun is 93 million miles away. At 65 mph *24hr*365 days*3 years = 1.7 million miles.
Fuck, can't you multiply?
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Fuck that, if you can have a flying car then you can do anything.
"A rainbow can be seen only in the morning or late afternoon. It can occur only when the Sun is 40 degrees or less above the horizon."
I'm pretty sure that's not entirely true....seem to remember seeing one in Iceland at about 10pm for example
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2007-01-23 20:21:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You even cut and pasted the misspelling of the word lightning.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHHAAHAHAAAA!!!!!
<ducks>
:P
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2007-01-23 18:05:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
fusuions
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-23 15:45:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2007-01-23 09:58:18 (#)
Ranking: 2
You can see stars from the bottom of a well even in day light.
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explain
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This was an idea first proposed by Aristotle. But every astronomer who has ever tested this by experiment came away convinced it was impossible. The idea, a well could act as a telescope and capture enough starlight to allow you to see one, is false. You can however, see stars during the daytime with a telescope which lead me to believe this was plausible.
Just another one of those "facts" I didnt verify before posting this. I should have known better but in my haste to "impress" people and the fog that ensued my mind after many a bong, my judgement was thrown out the window.
I am truely suprised this hasnt been -2'ed into infinity. I will do better next time I promise.
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2007-01-23 14:53:32 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I simply can NOT believe no one has dropped a
FUSION
FUSION
FUSION
on this post yet. So I will.
Submitted by homer42 (user info) at 2007-01-23 12:33:25 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
What he said
Submitted by St_Jimmy (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:33:19 (#)
Ranking: 0
+2 astronomy post
-2 because the first two "facts" are unverifiable bullshit.
Submitted by Flack (user info) at 2007-01-23 10:10:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
k...
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2007-01-23 10:06:10 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
There are many here - present company excluded - that want to hear about your anus.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2007-01-23 09:58:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You can see stars from the bottom of a well even in day light.
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explain
Submitted by Cadrach (user info) at 2007-01-23 09:39:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I was edutained.
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2007-01-23 09:00:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2007-01-23 08:11:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
If you were to drive a car at 65 miles an hour, 24 hours a day then you could reach the Sun in about 3 years.
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erm... dude.... it's probably a bit quicker than that.
Fairly entertaining otherwise.
Submitted by w_t_a_y_s_t_r_m (user info) at 2007-01-23 07:25:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I see no evidence. No photos from inside the sun to show how dark it is beneath the surface.
And even if I did, I'd think it was bullshit and not believe it until I went there and saw it for myself.
And even if I did that I'd still be cynical enough to think I'd been drugged.
Submitted by rorrim (user info) at 2007-01-23 05:43:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Hey , sagan got back from the dead ?
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2007-01-23 05:00:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
But the world's flat isn't it? and everything revolves around us. Damn when does global warming hit? I'm fucking freezing.
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-23 01:28:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
and "w"
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-23 01:26:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
and now my "E" key is sticking.
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-23 01:24:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
This post is actually full of errors and I apologize. Most have been corrcted below but if anyone else finds one feel free to -2 me along with a correction.
I have no idea if the first to stats are real. They are meant to be attention grabbing statments.
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-23 01:02:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by PhillipTheGreat (user info) at 2007-01-23 00:57:27 (#)
Ranking: -1
Tou made up those statustucs, didn't you?
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I made all this up...not just the stats. When was the last time you seen the sun with your own unfiltered eyes?
Submitted by PhillipTheGreat (user info) at 2007-01-23 00:57:27 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Tou made up those statustucs, didn't you?
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-23 00:54:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
A star can be as small as 7,000 miles in diameter or as large as 900 billion miles.
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Should read million not billion. I utterly failed on this one folks.
Submitted by intellismartness (user info) at 2007-01-23 00:39:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
That is so hot.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2007-01-23 00:08:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
yea for us
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-23 00:03:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2007-01-23 00:01:06 (#)
Ranking: 0
go here to see pretty pictures and learn something
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
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Have had it as a bookmark for a few years now :)
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2007-01-23 00:01:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
go here to see pretty pictures and learn something
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:56:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Only 55% of all Americans know that the Sun is a star.
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And 30% of Americans think that the Earth is 6,000 years old, including 5% of scientists with PhDs.
Americans are retarded.
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:20:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by locksly (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:15:44 (#)
Ranking: 2
-2 shenanigans
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So you figured out I am not an astrophysicist?
Good work, my dear Watson.
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:18:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Istaros (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:09:40 (#)
Ranking: 1
i call bullshit on the ocean liner weight stat
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Sunlight, composed of photons of various energies, has momentum but no mass.
While you are correct in assuming photons have no weight, they have energy. Take the equation E=mc2 and an equivalent mass to energy can be found.
Submitted by locksly (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:15:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
-2 shenanigans
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:15:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
source(s)?
Submitted by STIXS (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:14:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Thanks for reminding me of my Astro class
Submitted by Istaros (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:09:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
i call bullshit on the ocean liner weight stat
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-22 23:03:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:44:58 (#)
Ranking: -1
If you were to drive a car at 65 miles an hour, 24 hours a day then you could reach the Sun in about 3 years.
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The sun is 93 million miles away. At 65 mph *24hr*365 days*3 years = 1.7 million miles.
Fuck, can't you multiply?
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Didnt check the math before copy and pasting. Not even sure if that was suppose to be in there.
The correct speed you would have to travel to reach the Sun in 3 years is 3538.8 MPH
Sorry...looks like I have made a few mistakes on this one. Promise to proofread better next time.
Submitted by snagglepuss (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:58:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
The Gods Play Texas Hold'Em:
You're bluffing.......I'll see your yellow G2 dwarf, and raise you one naked singularity (gravitational singularity without an event horizon)....bitch, I'm all in.
Submitted by 8track (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:58:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:44:58 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
If you were to drive a car at 65 miles an hour, 24 hours a day then you could reach the Sun in about 3 years.
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The sun is 93 million miles away. At 65 mph *24hr*365 days*3 years = 1.7 million miles.
Fuck, can't you multiply?
Submitted by NetProphet (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:42:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
You haven't been sacrificing human blood to the Sun each night?
Dude... Huitzilopochtli's gonna be PISSED.
Don't blame me if we get stuck in eternal darkness. I did MY part.
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:41:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Coyote (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:38:44 (#)
Ranking: 1
27 million at the core, not 27 billion. Otherwise close enough.
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Doh! Thanks for the correction.
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:40:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:37:19 (#)
Ranking: 1
did you know it is impossible to draw the solar system to scale in any meaningful way?
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It isnt suppose to be precise. It just gives a rough idea of the sheer scale of things.
Quit ruining my fun :P
Submitted by Coyote (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:38:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
"If we could remove the bright, glowing surface of the Sun, we would see nothing other than blackness. Only the Sun's outer surface shines brightly. The inside of the Sun is complete darkness."
Um. What?
27 million at the core, not 27 billion. Otherwise close enough.
Submitted by kaioken (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:37:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by St_Jimmy (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:33:19 (#)
Ranking: 0
-2 because the first two "facts" are unverifiable bullshit.
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Your estimation of the "common" man's knowledge is far too high I say.
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:37:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
did you know it is impossible to draw the solar system to scale in any meaningful way?
sure you could do it with microscopic ink or have paper 3 miles long but in a useful(c) meaningful way it's impossible.
P.S
I will be using (c) for commas from now on as the comma key has broken on my keyboard and sony want 2 weeks to fix it and i just can't be without a computer for 2 weeks.
Submitted by St_Jimmy (user info) at 2007-01-22 22:33:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
+2 astronomy post
-2 because the first two "facts" are unverifiable bullshit.