Follow the reluctant adventures in the life of a Welsh astrophysicist sent around the world for some reason, wherein I photograph potatoes and destroy galaxies in the name of science. And don't forget about my website, www.rhysy.net



Monday, 28 September 2015

Ask An Astronomer Anything At All About Astronomy (VII)

I know, I know. The last time I updated the Q&A page was in June, and I originally wanted to do weekly updates. Well,  I shall try and make more of an effort. Here are all the questions I've cobbled together over the last few months. I suspect I'm missing quite a lot.

1) When UY Scuti explodes, will we all die ?
No.

2) Can we turn back time ?
Not yet.

3) Do we need to use nuclear power for space travel ? What about magnets ?
Yes. Magnetic propulsion (which is a thing) is not the same as magnetic fuel (which is not a thing).

4) How fast would we have to go to get to Mars in 15 minutes ?
Really fast !

5) Will we lose contact with Voyager I when it reaches the heliopause ?
Possibly, if its batteries run out.

6) Could electrical fields explain galaxy rotation instead of dark matter ?
Nope.

7) What if we moved to a planet with more helium ?
It would be hilarious.

8) Can we measure the Sun expanding into a red giant ?
Nope.

9) If the speed of light isn't constant, why do we measure distances in light years ?
It's a constant.

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