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Space Exploration/Questions Answered by Expert Tom Whiting
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Hawking's radiation | 1/11/2012 |
| Q: What are Hawking's radiations? Is there a proof of it? Or it's just a theory? Does Hawking's ... A: A thermal emission at the quantum level at the event horizon of a black hole. Can be demonstrated ... | |
| Are this astornaut predispositions for real? | 1/7/2012 |
| Q: I once read in the newspapers that to be an astronaut you must not have a tattoo because it starts ... A: I can only speak for USAF flight school from back in the mid-1960's, however I believe there has ... | |
| space elevator | 1/4/2012 |
| Q: Tom, I have seen several descriptions of proposed future space elevators on various science shows on ... A: With a straight line cable, you'd already be traveling close to 17,500 mph (relative to the Earth's ... | |
| space elevator | 1/4/2012 |
| Q: Tom, I have seen several descriptions of proposed future space elevators on various science shows on ... A: Yes, I believe it's exactly 22,236 miles high, and it's a geostationary orbit, not a geosynchronous ... | |
| space elevator | 1/4/2012 |
| Q: Tom, I have seen several descriptions of proposed future space elevators on various science shows on ... A: I'm not up on the latest design of space elevators, but I believe there would have to be a ... | |
| Galaxy | 1/2/2012 |
| Q: Sir, is it true that all stars including sun are following an orbit? If it is, what is the force ... A: Well, it's a combination of ALL the baryonic mass, including the central black hole, plus the ... | |
| Galaxy | 1/1/2012 |
| Q: Sir, is it true that all stars including sun are following an orbit? If it is, what is the force ... A: Yes, it is true. It takes the sun (and all stars in our surrounding neighborhood) about 250 million ... | |
| Limits of Galaxy | 12/30/2011 |
| Q: What are the limits that defines a galaxy's boundary? How do we know that a certain galaxy ended? ... A: Well, the "edge" of a galaxy is a little nebulous or fuzzy, just like... where is the "edge" of a ... | |
| doubt | 12/30/2011 |
| Q: sir, yesterday while i waS observing the moon through my telescope i observed a small tiny ... A: Karthik, Color is occasionally observed on the lunar surface, see ... | |
| re-entry | 12/23/2011 |
| Q: Tom, My understanding of controlled re-entry of space capsules such as Apollo, is that they were ... A: Not really my speciality, but.... This all comes under the field of Orbital Mechanics, and ... | |
| Space Colonization Theories | 12/20/2011 |
| Q: I am a Psychology/Sociology undergrad doing research on long term colonial isolation. I was hoping ... A: not exactly my field, so I just Googled Space colonization books, and came up with ... | |
| Constellation Project | 12/19/2011 |
| Q: could you please tell me what the Constellation Project is? And why President Obama cancelled this ... A: I only know what I read on the internet about it... see ... | |
| Space Exploration | 12/7/2011 |
| Q: 1) What are some discoveries from space exploration(e.g. scientific, medical)that you feel have most ... A: Too numerous to mention, see spinoffs at http://www.mrsciguy.com/documents/spaceprog.doc Also we can ... | |
| rocket | 11/23/2011 |
| Q: Why cannot one use the phenomenon of air pressure to make the rocket take off using propellers (i ... A: Planes "work" on Bernoulli's principle of airflow over a curved wing, thus developing lift. The ... | |
| rocket | 11/22/2011 |
| Q: Why cannot one use the phenomenon of air pressure to make the rocket take off using propellers (i ... A: Don't you need an engine to drive the propeller? If your rocket is small and less than 50 ... | |
| SPACE EXPLORATION | 10/20/2011 |
| Q: Hi i'm matt and im 10 yrs. old. I have a science test in a couple of days. Can u tell me the ... A: A lot of it is 'matter of opinion'. One disadvantage is that it is very expensive, so typically ... | |
| Mars Surface Conditions | 9/4/2011 |
| Q: How hot is it on Mars? Could People Live on Mars with Space suits, helmets and such? A: I've read where on the equator in summer, it might get up to 40 or 50 degrees F. Dropping off to ... | |
| God matters | 8/9/2011 |
| Q: I've the following questions: 1. Can (and if yes, how)the secrets of black holes be linked to the ... A: I don't know... never thought about it. Isn't that more of a theological question as opposed to a ... | |
| STL or FTL travel | 7/13/2011 |
| Q: I am curious as to whether Nasa or any other space organisation in the world is doing serious ... A: The Planetary Society, founded in 1980 by Carl Sagan... keeps up on all that stuff and is the ... | |
| fourth dimension | 7/1/2011 |
| Q: What is the fourth dimension, and who or what exist in the fourth dimension? A: In normal physics, time is considered to be the 4th dimension. What exists there? Presumably the ... | |
| Space Exploration/propellant | 6/6/2011 |
| Q: On 1/23/2003, Expert Jim Glass posted on AllExperts: "By way of answering, I'll ask another: what ... A: Yes, you are correct for sucrose, or common table sugar, mole wt 342 approximately. The drawing of ... | |
| meteorite | 4/23/2011 |
| Q: Could you give me information on how meteorites are formed and their components as well? A: The entry body is called a meteoroid in space (or asteroid if of a bigger size) before it enters our ... | |
| Position of stars | 4/20/2011 |
| Q: I used to see three stars in a row. A few days after full moon, they disappear. After three-four ... A: Yes. That's exactly the method used to discover our Milky Way's 3 million solar mass supermassive ... | |
| Space Science | 4/20/2011 |
| Q: Please answer the following: How vast is the universe? How much has been explored? Are there any ... A: Depends on your definition of the Universe... if just the matter, then the Universe has a radius of ... | |
| Position of stars | 4/17/2011 |
| Q: I used to see three stars in a row. A few days after full moon, they disappear. After three-four ... A: Yes, 12 hours later the other side of the Earth is seeing basically the same sky that you see right ... | |
| Position of stars | 4/16/2011 |
| Q: I used to see three stars in a row. A few days after full moon, they disappear. After three-four ... A: The 3 in a row are probably Orion's 3 Belt stars that are 2nd magnitude brightness, in the ... | |
| space light and time | 4/15/2011 |
| Q: THE DARK SIDE OF LIGHT. While pondering this idea, theory, I would like it to be know that I am not ... A: This same question was asked in 1823 by Olbers, and it became Olber's paradox.. why is the sky dark ... | |
| universe | 4/14/2011 |
| Q: What are planets, stars, galaxies, and space? What is everything that exists? A: All that "stuff"... planets, stars, you and me and MacDonalds stores... is called baryonic matter, ... | |
| space exploration | 4/11/2011 |
| Q: It is such a huge amount of money spent on exorbitant space exploration and experiments. Does this ... A: So far, no. But realize, we have only just begun to explore both the Solar System and the stars. ... | |
| space exploration | 4/7/2011 |
| Q: It is such a huge amount of money spent on exorbitant space exploration and experiments. Does this ... A: We will always have poverty, diseases, pollution... using that logic, we would never ever explore ... | |
| 8th Grader - Questions about Space Exploration | 3/22/2011 |
| Q: 1. Estimated cost of space exploration and its contribution to national debt? 2. What type of ... A: 1. Less than 1% of the budget goes toward NASA... Dept. of HEW (Health, Education, and Welfare) goes ... | |
| dark mass and energy | 3/11/2011 |
| Q: What is Dark mass and Dark energy? ANSWER: We have no idea... we just know they have to exist. ... A: Who said anything about temperature?????????????? Or cooling or heating????????????? I didn't! I ... | |
| dark mass and energy | 3/9/2011 |
| Q: What is Dark mass and Dark energy? ANSWER: We have no idea... we just know they have to exist. ... A: Well, how many years did we have to wait for the discovery of the atom or the quark, even though the ... | |
| Rocket Speed | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: I have looked everywhere and I can not find the answer to my question. All I want to know is how to ... A: Speed of any rocket, relative to what? All velocities are relative to something else. Surface of ... | |
| Space Exploration directions | 3/6/2011 |
| Q: When exploring space and launching probes and satellites, why do we never or have we ever sent ... A: Those are good newbie questions... no need to laugh at them; just a lack of understanding how an ... | |
| Questions about living in space/other planets | 2/17/2011 |
| Q: I have a few questions about living in space/other planets:- a) I read somewhere that chickens were ... A: 1. Tasty chickens too, I ate one! (Isn't that cruelty to animals, spinning them in a centrifuge?) ... | |
| Ideas | 2/16/2011 |
| Q: How does one determine the values? At what stage do microscopic rays affect humans? A: I'm not quite sure I understand the question... are these "microscopic"... you mean cosmic rays? ... | |
| dark mass and energy | 2/16/2011 |
| Q: What is Dark mass and Dark energy? A: We have no idea... we just know they have to exist. That's 22nd century stuff (along with string ... | |
| zero volume | 2/16/2011 |
| Q: How can a thing be reduced to zero volume and infinite density? It is said that universe came into ... A: I was just a college student too... not a physicist; but I've read up on the subject.) I can't ... | |
| Mass of light | 2/14/2011 |
| Q: This is a question which has been puzzling me for a while. Light from a laser gives of energy when ... A: A laser pointer (indeed, any light source) is all energy... photons of light are zero mass, ... | |
| age of the universe | 1/15/2011 |
| Q: Sorry if this would be considered an astrology question but I don't understand how scientists can ... A: This is astronomy (actually cosmology), not astrology... the latter is a false religion or belief ... | |
| Space Travel and Star Trek | 1/13/2011 |
| Q: In the Star Trek movies, people go through space like we drive cars today, on Earth. I was ... A: you ask no question but rather want my opinion. Yes, I think the 23rd or 24th century is a good ... | |
| zero volume | 12/7/2010 |
| Q: How can a thing be reduced to zero volume and infinite density? It is said that universe came into ... A: Not necessarily... You are correct if you just picture the initial event at today's macro-level. But ... | |
| stability of orbits through L4 and L5 | 11/29/2010 |
| Q: I just saw an article on the Lagrange points and thought of something. The article mentioned that ... A: Evidently, I would think so... as isn't that the definition of the Lagrangian points in space? See ... | |
| Space Exploration Research | 11/11/2010 |
| Q: I am a Sophomore at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Here recently, I have developed an ... A: Ahh... astrobiology, the only college course without a subject! (as yet). I'd stay with the regular ... | |
| international space station | 10/29/2010 |
| Q: sir, when is the next time when we can see the international space station from india. can you ... A: I have no idea about India, but I'll give you the website that I use for my location in the USA (as ... | |
| Heavy gravity question | 10/19/2010 |
| Q: I know about human inability to handle zero-gravity. But is it fesible to expect humans to gradually ... A: Actually, humans (in the ISS) have learned to handle zero gravity just fine... but you have to ... | |
| sun root question | 10/17/2010 |
| Q: I am living in south India, If today is full sun (r)day ? mean's samebody's told me today is ... A: I don't quite understand the question, but the Earth's rotation can be timed to the nearest ... | |
| Astronomy | 8/4/2010 |
| Q: What is vaccume and how it can creat energy? A: A vacuum is defined as the absence of everything... generally we mean eveything being air and all ... | |
| physics | 8/2/2010 |
| Q: From a single atom after big bang , how all atoms of present universe created? A: The Big Bang was not a single atom... it was a singularity (big difference!) that burst into ... | |
| space | 7/18/2010 |
| Q: I'm just a kid, but I have always been fascinated with space. i read the article ... A: Well, the current standard theory is that prior to the BB, there possibly was a large random ... | |
| Space probes | 7/17/2010 |
| Q: What is the furthest a man made space probe has reached into outer space ? Presumably there are ... A: Voyager 1 is the current record holder of most distant at about 114 AU or around 10 billion miles ... | |
| space science | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: Tom Whiting, this is vijay and my question is "it is said that no body in this universe can ... A: It is a scientific physical law that matter cannot travel light speed, given by the Lorentz ... | |
| Space Exploration | 5/6/2010 |
| Q: I'm doing a research paper on the conflict on space exploration. Almost all the sites I visited I ... A: Many people are against but typically don't publish their feelings. 1. Many welfare recipients, food ... | |
| Extra solar planets | 4/2/2010 |
| Q: what is one of the techniques used to find extra solar planets- how does it work and what are the ... A: There are 3 techniques in use... the most successful so far is the radial velocity method whereby a ... | |
| Rocket speed | 3/20/2010 |
| Q: During blastoff from its base, how many mph can a rocket travel? A: Guess I don't understand the question, but I'll try. All rockets start off at zero mph relative to ... | |
| Perception of time as time slows | 3/10/2010 |
| Q: My question concerns the perception of time when travelling at high velocity, when time becomes ... A: Bodily functions would occur at the speed and time for THAT reference frame. So No, the person ... | |
| space | 2/20/2010 |
| Q: hey im interested in space exploration but i wanted to ask a question if you can answer:black ... A: Who is "they say"? A man (or any matter) would be stretched apart (or ripped apart) upon entry into ... | |
| Possible Colonization of Titan | 1/19/2010 |
| Q: my name is Ethel. I'm doing a research project on-you guessed it- colonization of Titan. I ... A: Well, let's tackle the 4 biggest problems first... the minus 290 degrees F. surface temperature, the ... | |
| Andromeda galaxy | 12/12/2009 |
| Q: Andromeda galaxy is closest to our own milky way, 2.5 light years away.A light year is 186,000 ... A: No, the Andromeda Galaxy is approximately 2.5 MILLION LY distant. (Actually updated figures place it ... | |
| Apollo 11 Moon Landing | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: My name is Jacob McDonald and I am a student of the University of Canterbury. I am conducting ... A: Sorry, but the alleged argument about faking all 6 moon landings (yes, there were 6 moon landings, ... | |
| Space Travel | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: How will space travel/exploration change in future? what problems exist in space exploration? what ... A: We will develop faster and faster propulsion systems, perhaps ion drive and eventually fusion power ... | |
| Terraforming of Mars | 11/20/2009 |
| Q: Just seen a program on the terraforming of Mars. Mentioned that it would take hundreds of years to ... A: Yes, that's a very interesting concept for the future... it's been on the drawing boards for at ... | |
| View from Venus | 10/31/2009 |
| Q: I'm trying to write a story set on Venus and I was wondering about this: If Venus had the same ... A: I'm sure that it can be figured out mathematically, but I'm no math major. However, I can estimate ... | |
| binary stars and associated planets | 10/25/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to write a book about a planet that is in a binary system. I would like the ... A: Well, almost anything in the science fiction mode can be made viable one way or another. This is ... | |
| Space Travel Speeds | 9/7/2009 |
| Q: I am just wondering what the current speeds of space travel a human can endure or at least has ... A: I'm afraid I don't have a crystal ball either; (I don't know the future anymore than you do). Our ... | |
| space probe missions | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: My six year old son would like to know why it takes so long for the space probes to reach the ... A: Very good question. All the different types of rocket propellants are listed on ... | |
| I am completly stumped by this question | 7/17/2009 |
| Q: So im trying to figure out why we brought cameras to the moon our first time there but on three ... A: I've seen several clips of each of the Apollo 12 thru 17 missions, although admittedly it's been a ... | |
| planet | 7/15/2009 |
| Q: why particles around saturn planet are moving but not other planet do like that A: But they do have particles and rings around them...Uranus has at least 9 rings, Neptune has 3 ... | |
| Impact of space travel on Earth | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: What impact could continuous space travel have on the Earth? A: The short answer is...more and more improvements on our lives here on Earth. The more we travel out ... | |
| shuttle landing | 5/24/2009 |
| Q: I've watched several shuttle landings on the NASA channel and something always occurs that I am ... A: The announcer is correct about the shuttle carrying a little extra energy (extra altitude and ... | |
| mars encounter with earth | 5/21/2009 |
| Q: what are the facts about 27th august 2009 mars getting closer to earth ..and what size will it b ... A: I see the annual August Mars hoax letter is back...happens nearly every year. The truth is, on ... | |
| going faster in space travel | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: I know as we advance in space travel, we will go faster and faster, but when we finally learn to go ... A: I haven't seen the new Startrek movie as yet, but I do follow the TV series and I've seen the other ... | |
| space exploration | 4/30/2009 |
| Q: what is the amount of G's that you under go when leaving the earths atmosphere? And what kind of ... A: Any of us pilots out of USAF flight school can handle upwards of 6 g's in a pull out from a dive, ... | |
| project | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: what are some things that people are worried about the space program like the exaust and what it is ... A: The byproducts of the exhaust from the 5 minute launch (about once every 2 months) are all mostly ... | |
| ageing | 4/26/2009 |
| Q: Greetings I read that being on a mountain increases the aging process Now - why then does the aging ... A: Yes, in one case,.... you are confusing the passage of time due to the curvature of the spacetime ... | |
| ORBITAL MECHANICS paper presentation | 4/8/2009 |
| Q: "Dear sir, I am Sai an Aerospace engineering(Flight dynamics and controls) student doing my ... A: Well, this is a little out of my field, but perhaps there is an interesting long range problem you ... | |
| From gravity to zero gravity.... how quick does this transition happen? | 3/23/2009 |
| Q: From gravity to zero gravity.... how quick does this transition happen? can you help please? And ... A: It's not only the Earth's gravity, it's the acceleration up to orbit too. So the astronauts are ... | |
| If we landed on the moon? | 3/10/2009 |
| Q: If we really landed on the moon how come there were no stars in the background? If we did it once ... A: It's not hard...but it's very expensive, no matter what you use.We DID go to the moon more than ... | |
| Nuclear Explosions in space | 3/6/2009 |
| Q: I'm just curious and wantede to ask someone who might know. If you were to explode a nuclear bomb in ... A: In reverse order, there is no harm to the surface of the Earth by a detonation in space, except to ... | |
| Nuclear Explosions in space | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: I'm just curious and wantede to ask someone who might know. If you were to explode a nuclear bomb in ... A: That idea was first proposed about 40 or 50 years ago on paper. I don't remember the name or shape ... | |
| space craft propulsion. | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: How you doing. i was wondering if you can help me with a simple question relating to space ... A: The drawbacks that plague nearly all self-contained propulsion systems is that you have to haul the ... | |
| Adapting to space | 2/28/2009 |
| Q: i'm interested in any info on- or off-line re current efforts(whether successes or failures) to make ... A: First, we don't and can't 'adapt' a human body to space itself (or any body in space that doesn't ... | |
| The view from the edge of the solar system | 2/12/2009 |
| Q: .. Just wondering... if a ship (Voyager, or Pioneer, or another) reached the edge of the solar ... A: No, actually you would see...very little from the real edge, definedas the heliopause out there some ... | |
| gravity | 1/16/2009 |
| Q: If a rocket is launched from appoint under the earth by 4 example 40 km did the energy consumed will ... A: Yes, but while the mass decreases slightly, so does the distance component squared (distance between ... | |
| gravity | 1/15/2009 |
| Q: If a rocket is launched from appoint under the earth by 4 example 40 km did the energy consumed will ... A: I don't know the exact arithmetic behind it, but yes, the lower you are, the more energy it takes to ... | |
| Artificial Gravity | 1/9/2009 |
| Q: I had a question pertaining to artificial gravity in space. I know that proposed space stations can ... A: Yes, on systems like space stations that can spin, AND you are living on the inside of the outer ... | |
| New Horizon vs Voyager | 1/3/2009 |
| Q: When is the approximate time that New Horizon will catch and surpass Voyager and how well will New ... A: If the New Horizon spacecraft were following the same trajectory as the Voyager 2 spacecraft (it ... | |
| Nibiru claims | 12/28/2008 |
| Q: I would really like your insight into the "Planet X" or "Nibiru" claims going around at the moment, ... A: It's all bunk, as is our alleged double star companion Nemesis...all that stuff would have been long ... | |
| speed of light | 12/21/2008 |
| Q: how far does light travel in one second? how many miles in a light year? A: In reverse order, there are about 5.8 trillion miles in a lightyear. The exact answer can be found ... | |
| Fleck of Paint | 11/16/2008 |
| Q: Explain why a fleck of paint in outer space can cause a lot of damage. A: Because, recall your basic kinetic energy formula, KE = 1/2 m v squared. So in space, where ... | |
| space | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: How far is Pluto away from the other planets as it orbits A: Pluto, currently the 2nd largest asteroid in the Kuiper Asteroid Belt (Eris is bigger)...orbits the ... | |
| my questions | 8/31/2008 |
| Q: Hey Tom. Ive seen alot of pictures and videos taken by astronauts and was wondering why we cant see ... A: The reason you don't see any stars in most of the pictures of the astronauts, either on the lunar ... | |
| material used in astronaut helmets | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: I have heard that 24 carat gold is used in some portion of the astronauts' helmets. Is this true? ... A: A very thin layer of gold (24 Kt is pure gold) is electroplated onto the inside helmet visor to ... | |
| Sun vs. Stars | 8/18/2008 |
| Q: How can we differentiate between the Sun (the center of our universe) and other suns? What criteria ... A: The sun is not at the center of our Universe, or even our galaxy, the Milky Way. It is in the ... | |
| Theoretical physics | 8/13/2008 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could clear something up for me. I understand String theory and i understand ... A: BTW, thanks very much for the great rating. The suggested multiple dimensions, I believe some ... | |
| Theoretical physics | 8/13/2008 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could clear something up for me. I understand String theory and i understand ... A: Confirmation of the Higgs boson basically deals with the Standard Model of particle physics, in ... | |
| space shuttle | 8/13/2008 |
| Q: when we view the sky at a time that the space shuttle can be seen, what is moving , is it the space ... A: Yes, yes, and yes...you are correct. The Shuttle is moving, the shuttle is in it's own orbit around ... | |
| Space Exploration | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: one of the advantages of space exploration that new materials are produced in zero gravity. can you ... A: This is not one of my catagories that I know a lot about, but considering the infancy of the Space ... | |
| gravity | 8/9/2008 |
| Q: how far would you need to travel away from the earth in a straight line up before earths gravity ... A: Technically, it never ends. It just gets weaker and weaker with increasing distance, but never goes ... | |
| Centrifugal Force | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: Is there centrifugal force in space? I was watching "2001: A Space Odyssey" and theres a scene where ... A: Yes, centrifugal force exists anywhere, any time something is spinning. So yes, like in the movie ... | |
| distance and time to mars from earth | 7/28/2008 |
| Q: what is the distance in miles to mars from earth. what would be our traveling speed in getting to ... A: Earth - Mars distance continuously varies as both planets orbit the sun. And so does the "traveling ... | |
| Furthest from Earth | 7/17/2008 |
| Q: What/where is the furthest man made object in space. If this is a ‘voyager’ type object is it still ... A: Oh, I think every good question deserves a good answer. The NASA DSN (Deep Space Network) consists ... | |
| Furthest from Earth | 7/17/2008 |
| Q: What/where is the furthest man made object in space. If this is a ‘voyager’ type object is it still ... A: The most distant craft is, as you guessed, Voyager 1 at a solar distance of 106.9 AU, and 106.3 AU ... | |
| nasa astronaut helmets | 7/15/2008 |
| Q: what are the visers made of? and what would happen if a small object that escaped from the ship, ... A: The incidence of micro-meteroid hits are extremely rare, so rare that the entire ISS may have been ... | |
| Glass window on Space shuttle | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: I noticed shuttles have glass windows for the astronauts to see outside. Without the heat shield ... A: Only the underside of the space shuttle is subjected to the very high re-entry temperatures, and ... | |
| nasa astronaut helmets | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: what are the visers made of? and what would happen if a small object that escaped from the ship, ... A: Not sure, but I believe the astronauts helmets are constructed of the same transparent plastic ... | |
| moon landing | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: Until recently after viewing dozens of videos I feel after watching offical videos and youtube ... A: Rich, If you research it, you would find that all flags posted on the moon were spring loaded with ... | |
| moon landing | 7/11/2008 |
| Q: Until recently after viewing dozens of videos I feel after watching offical videos and youtube ... A: Yeah, we really faked that one with all 400,000 people involved in Apollo, sworn to total secrecy ... | |
| Feasibility of space exploration on humans | 7/9/2008 |
| Q: What possible insights could you offer on the effects on humans in long term missions, poss. ... A: nice to have a "matter of opinion" question occasionally; I can't be 'wrong'. ;-) Well my opinion ... | |
| life on Mars, etc. | 6/26/2008 |
| Q: We see all the movies of finding life on Mars, but I was wondering what NASA would do if we did find ... A: First, carbon-based life cannot presently exist on Mars...we already know that, for many reasons; ... | |
| weightlessness | 6/4/2008 |
| Q: when leaving the earth's atmosphere, do astronauts experience weightlessness immediately, or is it a ... A: It's not the atmosphere, as you probably know; this planet would still have the same gravitational ... | |
| Ageing in outter space | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: I understand the difference between aging in outter space because of the whole speed thing. But if i ... A: It's not exactly the 'whole speed' thing, it's the "time" thingy... but DUE to the high speed. In ... | |
| odds | 4/29/2008 |
| Q: What are the odds of dying in space? A: Hula, I guess the easy answer is....50-50; you either do, or you don't. Technically, no one has ... | |
| trip from earth to the moon | 4/17/2008 |
| Q: at current speed of space vehicle, how long would it take to get to the moon and at what speed A: We currently have no vehicle that is capable of lunar travel. The Space Shuttle is only designed as ... | |
| Advantages and disadvantages | 4/16/2008 |
| Q: What are some advantages and disadvantages of space exploration? Can you give me some helpful ... A: Yes, there is a website at: http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html The website above, plus ... | |
| Outside solar system exploration | 4/3/2008 |
| Q: What is the cassini mission ? When did it started ? Where is it now ? A: The Cassini mission to orbit Saturn (which followed the Galileo mission to orbit Jupiter, now ... | |
| Pluto | 3/31/2008 |
| Q: Why isn't Pluto considered a planet anymore? A: Turns out that Pluto is just one of thousands of small bodies, called asteroids, in a major Asteriod ... | |
| the first moon landing | 3/27/2008 |
| Q: I'm doing a report in history about the first moon landing. I was wondering if you could suggest ... A: Easy....simply go to Google (or your favorite search engine) and type in "First moon landing 1969" ... | |
| travel to pluto | 3/14/2008 |
| Q: what is the fastest time a manned spacecraft could get to pluto if its maximum speed was the maximum ... A: We're already doing it unmanned with the New Horizons Spacecraft, launched January 2006, arriving ... | |
| Vacuum | 3/12/2008 |
| Q: In an earlier Q&A you mentioned people need a space suit to survive in the vacuum of space. As I ... A: Well, space is not a "perfect" vacuum...from what I've read there is about one hydrogen atom per ... | |
| Eco space | 2/27/2008 |
| Q: i hope you are well, and the answers you provided me with previously have been a great help. My ... A: Rebecca, Well, I think in these early stages, and we will be early stage of space travel for the ... | |
| space exploration | 2/23/2008 |
| Q: HOW DO I GET THE HISTORY OF SPACESHPS & SPACE EXPLORATION A: A., Simply Google the same, A History of Spaceships or "A History of Space Exploration" and a whole ... | |
| sun lights vs star light | 2/22/2008 |
| Q: if the sun is a star, why is it the only star that appears to emit yellow light vs the billions of ... A: Good question...it shows the human limitation of seeing color under very dim light conditions. All ... | |
| space | 2/21/2008 |
| Q: why we have to study about space? A: You don't have to...you can just stay in bed all day long, or play your computer games all day long, ... | |
| moonlanding 1969 | 2/1/2008 |
| Q: Have you seen a documentary called "The darker side of the moon"? It´s very interesting. If they ... A: No I haven't, and as I don't doubt the SIX moon landings, I'm not a member of any conspiracy ... | |
| science | 1/28/2008 |
| Q: Do we need to wear special cloth in space? why? A: Yes, any living organism has to have a space suit on, as the lack of pressure on our bodies means ... | |
| science | 1/28/2008 |
| Q: can we go to space? how? A: Space is not a "location"....space is everywhere. Anything that is not matter, is considered space. ... | |
| Universe | 1/26/2008 |
| Q: If the Earth was anialated along with all its people . The Universe would still continue to exist ... A: Well, the big law of nature is gravity, which controls all of the Universe. Others would be ... | |
| Space 2013 | 1/23/2008 |
| Q: my name is Rebecca and am looking for someone who is a passionate space follower who could possibly ... A: Well I don't have a crystal ball to predict what we'll be doing 5 years from now, but if you have ... | |
| deep space probe? | 1/13/2008 |
| Q: I would like to know the name of and the year the deep space probe was launched to find ... A: The mission you are referring to is the Voyager I and II missions, launched from Cape Canaveral on ... | |
| Planet X | 12/30/2007 |
| Q: I read where NASA discovered Planet X in Dec. 1983 with the IRAS telescope. The story was published ... A: Nice to have a "matter of opinion" question on occasion, then I can't be wrong, can I, Eh? ;-) I am ... | |
| Orientation in space.... | 12/25/2007 |
| Q: My question pertains to the numerous images that we, the layman is shown of deep space objects such ... A: Good question, but difficult to answer, as you'll see below. Well, first, all those pretty deep sky ... | |
| collision course | 12/14/2007 |
| Q: and thank you for your time.if there was a object in space,how will scientist go about to dertermine ... A: It's fairly complicated because it involves a lot of orbital parameters, since space is 3-D and ... | |
| Space and the body | 11/8/2007 |
| Q: If a corpse was released into space and not in a space suit, what would happy to the body? My ... A: Ok, understand that there was no bet on...and Thank You very much for the very nice comments too. ... | |
| Propulsion in a vacuum | 10/7/2007 |
| Q: I have been up all night debating how you can create a force in space when there is nothing for any ... A: No need for a diagram, only an explanation. Your error is the assumption that with Newton's 3rd ... | |
| official | 10/1/2007 |
| Q: what is the minimum qualification to become an astronaut in NASA(2)what is the income per year at ... A: I just googled "astronaut requirements and pay" and all sorts of good websites come up...I found the ... | |
Space Exploration
Answers by Expert:
Tom Whiting
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer most questions about space flight and planetary exploration from an astronomy standpoint, but not from a computer or electronics standpoint. No astrology questions please, or questions about alleged UFO identifications.
Experience
Astronomy, my main catagory, has been my hobby and pastime
for over 50 years. Taught astronomy and meteorology at the University
level for over 13 years.
Organizations
President- Erie County Mobile Observers Group for over 15 years.
Also on allexperts.com astronomy catagory for over 8 years.
Publications
Astronomy Technology Today
and also wrote the "Over Erie Skies" column in our local newspaper
for 11 years.
Education/Credentials
BS Metallurgical Engineering Grove City College, PA
Master's Degree, Gannon University, Erie, PA
Also retired USAF pilot, 20 years.
Awards and Honors
Discoverer of the mini-coathanger asterism in Ursa Minor;
also the mini-dipper asterism up in the bowl of the Little Dipper.
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