The Enlightening Science Thread

[Layback Bear]

This is also very interesting.

Sun Blamed for Warming of Earth and Other Worlds | LiveScience

 

[clunkfish]

Global Warming Alarmists Caught Doctoring '97-Percent Consensus' Claims

Take a read here.

Global Warming Alarmists Caught Doctoring '97-Percent Consensus' Claims - Forbes

It attacks a paper about the evolution of trends in consensus amongst climate scientists. At one point they say "most skeptics as well as most alarmists believe humans have caused some global warming", which I thought was interesting. The paper in question says:

"We analyze the evolution of the scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming (AGW) in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, examining 11 944 climate abstracts from 1991–2011 matching the topics 'global climate change' or 'global warming'. We find that 66.4% of abstracts expressed no position on AGW, 32.6% endorsed AGW, 0.7% rejected AGW and 0.3% were uncertain about the cause of global warming. Among abstracts expressing a position on AGW, 97.1% endorsed the consensus position that humans are causing global warming."

So they are saying that 97.1% of 33.6% (in other words, 32.6%) of nearly 12000 abstracts are prepared to blame humans for it. We can set these 3893 against the 84 rejecting human involvement, 7931 abstracts expressing no particular view, and 36 don't knows. Apparently some of the "supporters" don't like that label, but even if they are switched to the "anti" side, there is still a strong scientific consensus in support of an anthropogenic component to climate change.

Maybe all 3893 abstracts are wrong: it's possible. But not very likely, without invoking vague conspiracy theories and arguments from personal incredulity.

 

[clunkfish]

Theres no need for any flaming I don't think. Afterall fellow scientists shouldn't be using the word 'climate deniers'...should they. The opposite of a denier is a believer, and no scientists worth their salt would ever use that word

Im also a professional scientist, but a geologist. My viewpoint is based purely on knowledge of earth processes and the history of the planet. I have no doubt our climate is changing - I'm just not convinced human activity has that great an impact.

The global warming phenomenon is based on measurements since about the 1850's - an infinitesimal sampling of our planets history - but it is a well established scientific observation, that our planet has gone through several periods of alternate heating and cooling, and will continue to do so. We just happen to be at the peak of a warm cycle.

The earth is about 4.5 billion years old - 160 odd years of temperature measurement is an insignificant period on which to make observations and then make predictions. The climate always has changed, and always will - fact. There is nothing humankind can do about it.

View attachment 317998
Source:
Historical Temperatures and Climate Change | Science Articles | PlanetSEED
NOAA Paleoclimatology World Data Centers Vostok Ice Core Data

This is the argument from personal incredulity ("I'm just not convinced") coupled with dogmatic assertion ("There is nothing humankind can do about it"). Has the entire Intergovernmental Panel failed to spot what you consider pretty obvious? They say "It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century." You say we've got nothing to do with it. Well, maybe all of the IPCC scientists are wrong. It's possible.

 

[clunkfish]

This is also very interesting.

Sun Blamed for Warming of Earth and Other Worlds | LiveScience

They say in this article: "While evidence suggests fluctuations in solar activity can affect climate on Earth, and that it has done so in the past, the majority of climate scientists and astrophysicists agree that the sun is not to blame for the current and historically sudden uptick in global temperatures on Earth, which seems to be mostly a mess created by our own species."

Seems reasonable.

 

[Britton30]

Jupiter's Great Red Spot Shrinks to Smallest Size Ever Seen

Jupiter's Great Red Spot — the most powerful storm in the solar system — is at its smallest observed size yet, and scientists aren't sure why.
Recent Hubble Space Telescope images of the storm show that it is now 10,250 miles (16,496 kilometers) across, which is less than half the size of the storm in the late 1800s. At one point, scientists theorized that three Earths could fit inside the Great Red Spot, but today, only the width of one Earth could fit within the raging tempest. You can watch a Great Red Spot video for more views of the diminishing storm.

Source

Hubble astronomers, including Simon, will take part in a webcast about Jupiter's shrinking Great Red Spot on May 22 at 4 p.m. EDT

 

[Britton30]

Finally the weather cooperated and I saw the ISS on this pass:



I may have seen another satellite too. When ISS was nearly at about 80° elevation another object traveling at 90° to ISS appeared and disappeared. Total time visible was 3 seconds or so. No clouds at all so it was obscured.

 

[Golden]

When ISS was nearly at about 80° elevation another object traveling at 90° to ISS appeared and disappeared. Total time visible was 3 seconds or so.

That was Brink...he has a hot date on NGC 253 this evening.

 

[A Guy]

A Guy

 

[Anak]

Tonight's the Night!

A reminder: A New Meteor Shower in May? - NASA Science

Full write up can be found here Post #256: http://www.sevenforums.com/chillout-room/287140-enlightening-science-thread-7.html#post2770058

 

[Britton30]

I have it marked on the calendar Steve, thanks for the reminder.

2AM-4AM ET, maybe all night.

 

[Borg 386]

New meteor shower could make for heavenly viewing - CNET

 

[Anak]

Your welcome Gary,

The National Weather Service (NWS) has me at 54 to 52% sky cover so I might see it,


Though if you go here: Clear Sky Chart: map of weather conditions for | Central Pa. This forecast is for 06UT which translates to 2am for Eastern time and there's a smack of clouds where I'm at, near the small square over Central Pa.

This also covers your area there where you're at. Scroll down a bit, below the map there are two forecasts before and after the selected time.

You should have a range of 50 to 20% of cover and your Transparency should be average to above average, with your Seeing average to good. Mine will be average to poor respectively, the humidity is what's going to hurt me.

It should of been this morning, I could see all the way to Saturn in the Sou'west, and I did spot a short bluish meteor going into the big dipper's ladle.


May you have clear skies!

Steve

 

[Britton30]

I hope for clear skies as well. I have managed to see the ISS several times now. I hope it'll soon have orbits earlier in the night though.

But wait, there's more.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/viewable_for_the_first_time_ne/27352068

 

[Anak]

That all depends on the orbital elements. If you go here Heavens-Above, and set your location it will show you the exact times for passages in your area.

Your in luck though, It looks like starting the first of June the passage times will run from 9, 10, 11, 12am to 1 , 2, 3am.

I hope this shows okay, I had to really shrink the browser page.

• Go to heavens above, click on ISS.

• Click on one of the dates.

• A star chart - pass detail map will show, then click on Ground Track and if you have your location set it will show exactly how it will pass over your area; Your home if you set the co-ordinates.

If you need help setting it up just give a shout.

 

[Britton30]

Thanks Steve, Heavens Above is a nice predictor page. Some days there are 4 visible passes.

 

[Anak]

The votes are in!

This early morning (24th) meteor shower was a resounding disappointment.

https://twitter.com/hashtag/meteorshower

For myself, between the approaching cloud deck (there were some breaks) and the lack of transparency from the humidity, I didn't get to see much. Only two.

 

[Britton30]

Well between 1AM and 5Am ET I was out for a total of two hours under a crystal sky and saw none at all.

 

[A Guy]

Too much light pollution. You need to be out in the boonies. I bet there is a light show every night in the Outback, or areas of Africa. A Guy

 

[Britton30]

The Making of NASA's Global Selfie 100+ Countries, Thousands of Photos

On Earth Day this year, NASA asked people all around the world a simple question – "Where are you on Earth Right Now?"
We asked people to answer the question on social media, with a selfie. The goal was to use each picture as a pixel in the creation of a "Global Selfie" – a mosaic image that would look like Earth appeared from space on Earth Day.
Today NASA is releasing the finished product. The image was built using 36,422 individual photos that were posted on social media and tagged #globalselfie on or around April 22, 2014. People on every continent – 113 countries and regions in all – posted selfies. From Antarctica to Yemen, Greenland to Guatemala, Micronesia to the Maldives, Pakistan, Poland, Peru – and on. The image was assembled after weeks of curating more than 50,000 #globalselfie submissions – not all were accessible or usable – from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ and Flickr.
The result is a zoomable 3.2-gigapixel image that people can scan and explore to take a closer look at the variety of pictures. The mosaic is hosted on the Web by GigaPan.
[URL="http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/155294"]http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/155294[/URL]

http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2014-globalselfie-wrap-up/#.U39bVCgeL09

The original images used.
http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/true.php

 

[Borg 386]

This early morning (24th) meteor shower was a resounding disappointment.

Yeah, we didn't see much either. Looking at the web posts, looks like not much activity at all.