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The Mystery at the Center of the Solar System
www.theatlantic.com ^ | 7:00 AM ET 12/05/2019 | Marina Koren

Posted on 12/05/2019 10:03:36 AM PST by Red Badger

For a little NASA spacecraft, the weather outside is frightful.

The Parker Solar Probe is on a mission toward the sun. The spacecraft has been exposed to scorching temperatures and intense sunlight as it draws closer with every loop around. Eventually, Parker will glide through the star’s outer atmosphere and feel the toastiness of nearly 2 million degrees Fahrenheit (more than 1 million degrees Celsius).

Parker is dressed appropriately for the journey. It wears a thick, custom-made shield to protect its scientific instruments and systems, and tubes with flowing water to cool itself down. Inside, it is a cozy 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius). Since it set out last summer, Parker has made three sweltering passes of the sun, with many more still to come in the next five years. And its findings are already surprising scientists back home.

One of the earliest scientific discoveries about the sun was also the most significant: The Earth was not the center of the universe, but orbited the sun. In the centuries since Copernicus redrew the cosmic map, scientists have traveled closer to the heart of the solar system, first with telescopes, then with satellites and spacecraft. They learned about the nuclear fusion that powers our star and countless others and, with the discovery of exoplanets, realized that many stars could be someone else’s sun. Today, our understanding of the sun and its subtle mechanisms is more sophisticated than ever before, but it remains incomplete.

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; History; Science; UFO's
KEYWORDS: astronomy; electricuniverse; eugeneparker; parkersolarprobe; science
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Credit: NASA

1 posted on 12/05/2019 10:03:36 AM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Question: Does solar output, in the form of heat and/or light have any impact on the climate of Earth? Have they considered this mystery? Or is the science pretty settled on that?


2 posted on 12/05/2019 10:07:51 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (If White Privilege is real, why did Elizabeth Warren lie about being an Indian?)
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To: SunkenCiv

Ping.


3 posted on 12/05/2019 10:09:02 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: ClearCase_guy

The answer is no, only Internal Combustion Engines, ICE, the size of a mote, can affect climate, even though it would take 1.3 million Earths to fill up the Sun.........................


4 posted on 12/05/2019 10:11:46 AM PST by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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To: Red Badger
The Earth was not the center of the universe, but orbited the sun.

But, but, but ... until Copernicus it was 'settled science' the sun orbited the earth... Not only that but a 'vote of the elites' at the time would show Copernicus stood alone and was WRONG... Take that John Kerry... science is not a 'who gets the most votes' profession.

5 posted on 12/05/2019 10:19:42 AM PST by GOPJ (Enemy combatants have more rights than this kangaroo Court gave our President.)
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To: Red Badger

I thought they were going to go at night to avoid the heat.


6 posted on 12/05/2019 10:24:07 AM PST by seawolf101 (Member LES DEPLORABLES)
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To: seawolf101

No, they just flew to the other side.....................


7 posted on 12/05/2019 10:25:57 AM PST by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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To: GOPJ

Up until the invention of the locomotive, they thought people would die of suffocation, if they ever went faster than 60 mph....................


8 posted on 12/05/2019 10:27:05 AM PST by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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To: Red Badger

Shella jackson lee thinks there’s a dark side of the sun.


9 posted on 12/05/2019 10:31:31 AM PST by Track9
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To: ClearCase_guy

Really? Water vapor is hardly considered in the models...but the suns photon energy is 164 W/M2, unfortunately thats all thats really been measured. We dont know the true effects of solar wind or lack there of.


10 posted on 12/05/2019 10:32:34 AM PST by phs3 (MAGA - Winning a little more every day!!!)
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To: Track9

And there is a US Flag on it.....................


11 posted on 12/05/2019 10:34:54 AM PST by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Question: Does solar output, in the form of heat and/or light have any impact on the climate of Earth?

Can't see how it would. I do think, however, they will find the sun is made of SUVs.

12 posted on 12/05/2019 10:40:56 AM PST by TangoLimaSierra (To the Left, The Truth is Right Wing Extremism.)
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To: phs3

Seems like the solar wind might tweak the atmosphere. The results of it can be seen in the visible spectrum. Photon radiation definitely heats the planet. However, it is unknown to what extent. And heat, IR, is only a narrow band of the broader Sun spectrum.


13 posted on 12/05/2019 10:42:58 AM PST by dhs12345
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To: ClearCase_guy

The Chinese say (with data collected and studies) that there is a solar ‘cycle’ that has influence over various pieces and parts of the climate. At least one Chinese PhD type....has suggested that there might be multiple ‘cycles’, and that each might reflect in one fashion, and another in a different fashion. If he was right, then it’s serious chaos, and a zero on trying to forecast how climate might change (for warm, cold or carbon-business).


14 posted on 12/05/2019 10:51:58 AM PST by pepsionice
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To: Red Badger

Land too many guys on it and they will sink.


15 posted on 12/05/2019 10:52:52 AM PST by treetopsandroofs
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To: treetopsandroofs

Or it will burst......................


16 posted on 12/05/2019 10:53:27 AM PST by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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To: Red Badger
Didn’t some Dim think it was going to capsize.
17 posted on 12/05/2019 11:12:19 AM PST by immadashell (Save Innocent Lives - ban gun free zones)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Only man and his machines affect climate, silly. Jeez, everyone know thaaaaat!


18 posted on 12/05/2019 11:15:07 AM PST by CodeToad
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To: Army Air Corps; fieldmarshaldj
Thanks Army Air Corps.

19 posted on 12/05/2019 11:23:28 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: immadashell

Yes! some idiot congress critter thought that about Guam. We should not send too many more people there because it might turn over.


20 posted on 12/05/2019 11:37:20 AM PST by dirtymac (Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.(DT4POTUS))
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