JPHiP Forum

General => General Discussion => Topic started by: reyfer on September 04, 2007, 04:42:09 PM

Title: Space fireworks
Post by: reyfer on September 04, 2007, 04:42:09 PM
People in Japan this Sunday evening were treated to a “space fireworks” show consisting of three balls of red light in the sky, each glowing as bright as the moon.

These luminous orbs were the result of three clouds of lithium vapor released into the ionosphere by a rocket launched in an experiment to study the atmosphere. The red glow was caused by sunlight striking the lithium vapor clouds as they disperse. “In the first few seconds after each lithium release, the light should become as large and bright as the moon,” says team member Masayuki Yamamoto, a professor at Kochi University of Technology.

Here are some photos of the event, and an animation, taken from the Tokushima-Kainan Observatory
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/th_IMG_8908.jpg) (http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/IMG_8908.jpg)(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/th_IMG_8912.jpg) (http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/IMG_8912.jpg)(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/th_IMG_8916.jpg) (http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/IMG_8916.jpg)(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/th_IMG_8920.jpg) (http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/IMG_8920.jpg)(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/th_IMG_8924.jpg) (http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/IMG_8924.jpg)

(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e187/reyjfb/weird/Move-01.gif)




Title: Re: Space fireworks
Post by: nop on September 04, 2007, 05:46:35 PM
This is cool.  Does Space Shuttle have something similar?  May be they mostly lift off during daytime?
Title: Re: Space fireworks
Post by: bokunosonzai on September 05, 2007, 12:07:32 AM
One could have easily mistaken this as an alien invasion. Well...maybe :oops:
Title: Re: Space fireworks
Post by: reyfer on September 05, 2007, 12:17:54 AM
Quote from: bokunosonzai on September 05, 2007, 12:07:32 AM
One could have easily mistaken this as an alien invasion. Well...maybe :oops:
LOL!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

It was announced on radio, TV and newspapers well in advance just to avoid people panicking, and the experiment was originally scheduled for saturday and was moved to sunday and it was announced all friday, saturday and sunday morning. Otherwise people would have really thought something strange was going on. :lol:
Title: Re: Space fireworks
Post by: frblckstr1 on September 05, 2007, 05:28:19 AM
Quote from: nop on September 04, 2007, 05:46:35 PM
This is cool.  Does Space Shuttle have something similar?  May be they mostly lift off during daytime?
They are also lifting-off at night time, I have a very nice HD-TV capture of one of the latest of that.

The space shuttle make a trail, not seperate clouds so no it will not do the same.
Title: Re: Space fireworks
Post by: kwanleekwan on September 11, 2007, 01:45:02 PM
so cool!
Title: Re: Space fireworks
Post by: aginor on September 11, 2007, 10:28:45 PM
It's The Aliens !!    That was looks like their main laser canon !!! They are coming to eat our brains !!! :bleed eyes:
Title: Re: Space fireworks
Post by: RatBastich on September 12, 2007, 05:12:00 PM
Helluva display to light up the night.
Must have really been something to see in person.