OT: Astronomy Picture of the Day

[Atrocities]

That is very neat looking. I wonder how much is still out there that we don't know about?

[Ragnarok]

Atrocities said:
That is very neat looking. I wonder how much is still out there that we don't know about?

All of it.

[Renegade 13]

Atrocities said:
That is very neat looking. I wonder how much is still out there that we don't know about?

Depends what you mean by "out there". If you mean the solar system, well as far as we know everything major has been discovered out to the orbit of Pluto or so. But beyond that, in the regions of the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Belt, there's still tons that hasn't been discovered. Think of that world recently discovered that's larger than Pluto! Still a little smaller than the moon, but that's a significant discovery in the outer solar system...and astronomers think there could be a whole lot more like it.

On the other hand, if you're talking beyond the solar system...well like Ragnarok said, all of it is undiscovered! Extrasolar planets are being discovered all over the place. But the vast majority of what's "out there" is unknown and likely will remain so.

[Renegade 13]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060710.html

[Cipher7071]

I've had that site added to favorites for quite some time. Like most of you, I usually forget to check it.

As Renegade said, the portion of the solar system we've explored is what's in the general "disk" where the planets are. There's still plenty of room for other moon-sized, or larger bodies to be drifting around in the Oort cloud.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Even toxic waste mutants from planet x!

[Kamog]

Those are some fascinating and wonderful images at that site.

[Cipher7071]

Hey!! That deal we made with planet X was supposed to be a secret!

[Renegade 13]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060716.html

[Renegade 13]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060726.html