Oxygen finally spotted in space

[Gerald]

One of astronomy's longest-running "missing persons" investigations has concluded: astronomers have found molecular oxygen in space.

While single atoms of oxygen have been found alone or incorporated into other molecules, the oxygen molecule - the one we breathe - had never been seen.

The Herschel space telescope spotted the molecules in a star-forming region in the constellation of Orion.

The find will be published in the Astrophysical Journal.

Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the cosmos, after hydrogen and helium. Its molecular form, with two atoms joined by a double bond, makes life on Earth possible - but this form had never definitively been seen in space.

A 2007 effort from the Swedish Odin telescope, published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, claimed a discovery of oxygen in a nearby star-forming region, but the discovery could not be independently confirmed.

One possible location for the missing oxygen is locked onto dust grains and incorporated into water ice.

The team chose a star-forming region in the constellation Orion, believing that oxygen would be "baked off" from the ice and dust in a warmer, more turbulent part of space.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14372708

Note: 2 August 2011 Last updated at 14:53 GMT

[Betonov]

Hoorah, now we can finnaly breathe in space :DL:woot:

[Feuer Frei!]

Well, they should funnel some of that oxygen down here to Earth!
It seems that there are a few people's brains short of oxygen. And you know what that means!
Person exhibits signs of stupidity!

[Betonov]

I'z no stupid, I'z kno' I cant's breath in space. I can choke on one of those meteorite things :DL

[Torplexed]

http://blastr.com/assets_c/2010/03/AlienTagline-thumb-550x330-35435.jpg

If you can draw breath, they can hear you scream. Not that there was any lack of screaming at the time.

[kiwi_2005]

That's great news but pointless. We never going to reach the nearest star outside our system until we find a shortcut like a stargate :DL or wormhole even then we would have to figure out a way how to survive the wormhole travel. Traveling at the speed of light is out of the question. A wormhole is more realistic. I reckon even if Aliens exist they have found a wormhole close to earth and know how to travel through it.

[Paul Riley]

A great discovery,now maybe ETs DID in fact come from Orion a long time ago...pyramids anyone? (only having fun) ;)
Only thing we need to discover next is greenhouse gases and fumes from machinery in deep space,and BINGO! hehehe

Thanks for the info.

[Jimbuna]

Good news for oxygen thieves then.

Copyright by my SS mate Chis

[Paul Riley]

Good news for oxygen thieves then.

Copyright by my SS mate Chis

That idea may not sound as far-fetched in the near future Jim,I wouldnt put anything beyond some sadistic greedy corporations,even to the extent of taxing the very air we breathe!. I have visions of a sort of Mad Max/Bladerunner/1984 type of world in the next few decades,may be sooner.I mean,the direction the governments are taking us all seems to indicate this will be an almost certainty.

[Jimbuna]

That idea may not sound as far-fetched in the near future Jim,I wouldnt put anything beyond some sadistic greedy corporations,even to the extent of taxing the very air we breathe!. I have visions of a sort of Mad Max/Bladerunner/1984 type of world in the next few decades,may be sooner.I mean,the direction the governments are taking us all seems to indicate this will be an almost certainty.

I'm not sure you understood my post fully Paul :03:

[Paul Riley]

I'm not sure you understood my post fully Paul :03:

Probably not knowing me :cry:
hmm,oxygen thieves eh?,must get my thinking cap on.

[Paul Riley]

Probably not knowing me :cry:
hmm,oxygen thieves eh?,must get my thinking cap on.

Am I getting warmer? :hmmm:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=oxygen%20thief

So this would adequately describe people that do nothing but ramble all the time (usually about garbage that doesnt benefit society in any way other than to irritate/and or inflame) ,consuming vital oxygen in the process? conversations about UFOs usually do the trick :03:

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae314/Paul_Riley_UK/Images%20for%20Subsim/Grey.jpg

[Gerald]

Am I getting warmer? :hmmm:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=oxygen%20thief

So this would adequately describe people that do nothing but ramble all the time (usually about garbage that doesnt benefit society in any way other than to irritate/and or inflame) ,consuming vital oxygen in the process? conversations about UFOs usually do the trick :03:

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae314/Paul_Riley_UK/Images%20for%20Subsim/Grey.jpg Maybe you've had the opportunity to see a "UFO", and therefore knows something we do not know, :03:

[Dowly]

Am I getting warmer? :hmmm:

I do believe Jim is talking about a certain witty remark I seem to recall posted
long ago in a forum far far away. :hmmm:

[TLAM Strike]

Good news for oxygen thieves then.

Oxygen Thieves eh? :hmmm::hmmm::hmmm:

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/5326/megamaidspaceballslarge.jpg

[AVGWarhawk]

The USA will not be participating in space travel. All others can enjoy the O2.

[Gerald]

Yes, there are many who will share the air...

[Jimbuna]

Am I getting warmer? :hmmm:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=oxygen%20thief

So this would adequately describe people that do nothing but ramble all the time (usually about garbage that doesnt benefit society in any way other than to irritate/and or inflame) ,consuming vital oxygen in the process? conversations about UFOs usually do the trick :03:

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae314/Paul_Riley_UK/Images%20for%20Subsim/Grey.jpg

Your warm enough :DL

I do believe Jim is talking about a certain witty remark I seem to recall posted
long ago in a forum far far away. :hmmm:

Aye that...a saying often used by Mr Chris...the good old days :03:

[Paul Riley]

Maybe you've had the opportunity to see a "UFO", and therefore knows something we do not know, :03:

Actually,without trying to sound too dramatic here I have seen strange anomalies before,including 'bright lights' that moved far quicker than any 'known' aircraft.I toyed with the idea that it may have been a police helicopter which frequents the area quite regularly,but the speed and the fact that it was silent ruled that possibility out.I also once saw a fast moving 'v' formation of bright lights,again,couldnt have been planes as they were silent :yep:

[Paul Riley]

Will someone please let us know what 'oxygen thieves' are? :shifty:

...please?

[Paul Riley]

That's great news but pointless. We never going to reach the nearest star outside our system until we find a shortcut like a stargate :DL or wormhole even then we would have to figure out a way how to survive the wormhole travel. Traveling at the speed of light is out of the question. A wormhole is more realistic. I reckon even if Aliens exist they have found a wormhole close to earth and know how to travel through it.

Creating a system that prevents the wormhole from distorting/even collapsing as the craft flies through would be a start :o
Wormholes are the key though to interstellar flight,after all the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line,and if you can 'fold' space it becomes even shorter :03:

[Paul Riley]

I love UFOs...and aliens...and all things weird :D

[Raptor1]

Except for the fact that so far wormholes exist only in theory and have never been observed...

[Betonov]

Awwww, I've never seen anything that could be an UFO. Only ghosts and teletubbies :cry:

[Paul Riley]

Except for the fact that so far wormholes exist only in theory and have never been observed...

I believe they exist,but as you say,they need to actually be discovered first.
I am tempted to think they largely consist of 'dark matter' (generally invisible to most detection methods) ,again this also needs to be confirmed of its existence.

[Paul Riley]

Awwww, I've never seen anything that could be an UFO. Only ghosts and teletubbies :cry:

Keep watching the skies mate :ping:

[TLAM Strike]

I am tempted to think they largely consist of 'dark matter' (generally invisible to most detection methods) ,again this also needs to be confirmed of its existence.
Forms of Dark Matter have been confirmed to exist. Black Holes and Brown Dwarfs are forms of dark matter, heck I think asteroids could be considered a form of dark matter. :03:

[Raptor1]

I believe they exist,but as you say,they need to actually be discovered first.
I am tempted to think they largely consist of 'dark matter' (generally invisible to most detection methods) ,again this also needs to be confirmed of its existence.

Even if they do exist, what are the chances they will be located anywhere useful? If you have a wormhole that that takes you from a point in interstellar space light years from any star system to another point in the middle of interstellar space, it's not going to be more useful than a scientific curiosity. Unless you can generate them yourself, but that's another matter...

[Betonov]

just to sweaten the discussion, dark energy used to create a warp bubble

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2141/dark-energy-spacecraft-could-fly-faster-light

[razark]

just to sweaten the discussion, dark energy used to create a warp bubble

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2141/dark-energy-spacecraft-could-fly-faster-light
I've read about ideas such as this, compressing space in front of and expanding it behind the craft. The problem with the idea had to do with the fact that if you want to compress the space in front of you, you need to transmit some form of energy, gravity wave, dark energy, etc. throughout the space you wish to compress. Such energy would, of course, propagate at the speed of light. Once you send the transmission, you have to wait for it to arrive at your destination. So, the travel is faster than light, but the whole process is slower than light speed.

[Paul Riley]

Forms of Dark Matter have been confirmed to exist. Black Holes and Brown Dwarfs are forms of dark matter, heck I think asteroids could be considered a form of dark matter. :03:

Yes I remember now.
If I remember the Hadron Collider created a minute amount of anti-matter a while ago.It was also further explained that if it came into contact with 'regular' matter they would both annihilate each other :o

[Raptor1]

Dark matter and antimatter are not the same thing. Antimatter has already been experimentally produced for years now, it's just much too hard and costly to produce it in anything more than tiny quantities.

And yeah, antimatter and matter coming into contact annihilate each other, converting all of their mass into energy.

[Paul Riley]

What exactly IS anti-matter if its not composed of matter,or things we can see,touch and smell?

Secondly,if there IS a god then I reckon it is possibly anti-matter yet with a consciousness that is always expanding.

:hmmm:

[razark]

What exactly IS anti-matter if its not composed of matter,or things we can see,touch and smell?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimatter

[Paul Riley]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimatter

Interesting.

[Jimbuna]

Will someone please let us know what 'oxygen thieves' are? :shifty:

...please?

See #18

[TLAM Strike]

What exactly IS anti-matter if its not composed of matter,or things we can see,touch and smell?

Secondly,if there IS a god then I reckon it is possibly anti-matter yet with a consciousness that is always expanding.

:hmmm:

Its theorized that if the universe formed differently that us, our planet and galaxy would have been formed of anti-matter instead of matter. We would not know the difference however, to us anti-hydrogen and anti-oxygen would make water and hydrogen and oxygen would be highly rare and highly dangerous.

Moral is, if you ever encounter an alien, before grasping its manipulating appendage in friendship toss a rock or coin at it: if it doesn't explode in to a burst of pure energy its probably safe to touch.

[Raptor1]

What exactly IS anti-matter if its not composed of matter,or things we can see,touch and smell?

Secondly,if there IS a god then I reckon it is possibly anti-matter yet with a consciousness that is always expanding.

:hmmm:

Antimatter is basically matter comprised of antiparticles. Antiparticles are just like regular particles, but with an opposite charge. You can see antimatter if you could ever view it in sufficient quantities, since it reflects light just the same. You can touch it as well, but given how it annihilates on contact with matter, that's probably not the best idea.

[Paul Riley]

Antimatter is basically matter comprised of antiparticles. Antiparticles are just like regular particles, but with an opposite charge. You can see antimatter if you could ever view it in sufficient quantities, since it reflects light just the same. You can touch it as well, but given how it annihilates on contact with matter, that's probably not the best idea.

So basically matter and antimatter would APPEAR identical to us,save for the difference in electrical charge?

[TLAM Strike]

So basically matter and antimatter would APPEAR identical to us,save for the difference in electrical charge?
Exactly. Thats why I said, if you meet an alien, toss a bit of matter at it first, as it could be an Antimatter alien and you would never know it. :03:

[Paul Riley]

Exactly. Thats why I said, if you meet an alien, toss a bit of matter at it first, as it could be an Antimatter alien and you would never know it. :03:

How about chuck it a banana or something? :haha:
Thanks for the warning though,I dont want my first meeting with a Grey TOO explosive!

[Raptor1]

I would imagine throwing something at it would likely get you killed in the resulting explosion. Much better to just hide behind your lead blast shield and watch if it doesn't die from random floating particles... :O:

[Paul Riley]

I would imagine throwing something at it would likely get you killed in the resulting explosion. Much better to just hide behind your lead blast shield and watch if it doesn't die from random floating particles... :O:

Or I could send in Jim to sort the problem out :DL

[Jimbuna]

Or I could send in Jim to sort the problem out :DL

I doubt it would 'matter' either way :doh:

[Paul Riley]

I doubt it would 'matter' either way :doh:

As a matter of fact you might be right.

[Platapus]

These scientists were able to detect O2 molecules at 1,500 light years. 1.500 light years :o

Let's see, speed of light per second, number of seconds in a year, 1,500, carry the two.... it comes out to be a cubic buttload of miles away.

I am no Bill Nye, but molecules are usually itty bitty. Being able to detect itty bitty things from a cubic buttload miles away is impressive. :salute:

[TLAM Strike]

These scientists were able to detect O2 molecules at 1,500 light years. 1.500 light years :o

Let's see, speed of light per second, number of seconds in a year, 1,500, carry the two.... it comes out to be a cubic buttload of miles away.

I am no Bill Nye, but molecules are usually itty bitty. Being able to detect itty bitty things from a cubic buttload miles away is impressive. :salute:

Well if they can read a the writing on a book of matches laying in the Kremlin Parking Lot... :O:

Seriously, its called Spectroscopy: the measurement of the light spectrum given off by an object. The light emitted by an object or reflected by an object produces a distinct spectrum visible in a spectroscope, because all matter either absorbs certain wavelengths or reflects them. A spectroscope is basically a cardboard tube with a cover on each end, an eye hole, a slit at one end and some crumbled up paper in the far end (Seriously I've used one). When using one to look at an object (we did different electric lights, hydrogen, He, neon, O2) you see a bunch of lines in the tube that look sort of like this:

|||||||| | | | | ^THAT is Hydrogen. O2 has its own pattern and can be identified.

[Sailor Steve]

Wait. That means there was oxygen there 1500 years ago. That's a long time. What if we get there and find out somebody breathed it all up?

[Paul Riley]

These scientists were able to detect O2 molecules at 1,500 light years. 1.500 light years :o

Let's see, speed of light per second, number of seconds in a year, 1,500, carry the two.... it comes out to be a cubic buttload of miles away.

I am no Bill Nye, but molecules are usually itty bitty. Being able to detect itty bitty things from a cubic buttload miles away is impressive. :salute:

Not sure if the following formula is TOTALLY correct,but an approx calculation of the number of miles covered if you were to travel to an object 1.500 light years away at the speed of light could be as follows:

- number of seconds in 1 minute = 60
- 60 mins in 1 hour: 60 x 60 = 1200
- 24 hours in 1 day: 1.200 x 24 = 28.800
- on average there are 30 days in 1 month: 28.800 x 30 = 864.000
- 12 months in 1 year: 864.000 x 12 = 10368000
- distance 1.500 light years: 10368000 x 1.500 = 15552000000
- speed of light is roughly 186.000 miles/second:

15552000000 x 186.000 = 2892672000000000 miles

Dont even ask me what that number is,other than it is phenomenal! Hopefully a maths wizard in here will be able to decipher it :o:nope:

[Platapus]

Not sure if the following formula is TOTALLY correct,but an approx calculation of the number of miles covered if you were to travel to an object 1.500 light years away at the speed of light could be as follows:

- number of seconds in 1 minute = 60
- 60 mins in 1 hour: 60 x 60 = 1200
- 24 hours in 1 day: 1.200 x 24 = 28.800
- on average there are 30 days in 1 month: 28.800 x 30 = 864.000
- 12 months in 1 year: 864.000 x 12 = 10368000
- distance 1.500 years: 10368000 x 1.500 = 15552000000
- speed of light is roughly 186.000 miles/second:

15552000000 x 186.000 = 2892672000000000 miles

Dont even ask me what that number is,other than it is phenomenal! Hopefully a maths wizard in here will be able to decipher it :o:nope:


Ok, 2.8 cubic buttloads miles. :D

[Paul Riley]

Ok, 2.8 cubic buttloads miles. :D

I cant even get my head round that number :nope:;)

[Jimbuna]

The answer is 42 :smug:

[Sailor Steve]

I cant even get my head round that number :nope:;)
It's real close to a gazillion.

The answer is 42 :smug:
Ah, but do you remember the question? :O:

[Betonov]

Ah, but do you remember the question? :O:

The mice haven't found Jim yet

[razark]

Ah, but do you remember the question? :O:
What do you get if you multiply six by nine?

[Jimbuna]

The mice haven't found Jim yet

You must still be hiding behind the photograph then :hmmm:

[TLAM Strike]

What do you get if you multiply six by nine?
Not its: How many roads must a man walk down?

:03:

[Sailor Steve]

Not its: How many roads must a man walk down?

:03:
Actually "Six times nine?" was the question, and the correct answer was 42. Two entire planets converted into computers and millions of years of calculations only to find that's what's wrong with the universe. :sunny:

[TLAM Strike]

Actually "Six times nine?" was the question, and the correct answer was 42. Two entire planets converted into computers and millions of years of calculations only to find that's what's wrong with the universe. :sunny:
Reference to the 2005 remake Steve. :O:

[Paul Riley]

How on earth do they come up with these sorts of numbers?

http://gregology.net/reference/gazillion/

So,the following number may be interpreted as:

2892672000000000 miles

Two million,eight hundred and ninety two thousand,six hundred and seventy two billion miles (9 zeros)

:hmmm:

[Paul Riley]

How on earth do they come up with these sorts of numbers?

http://gregology.net/reference/gazillion/

So,the following number may be interpreted as:

2892672000000000 miles

Two million,eight hundred and ninety two thousand,six hundred and seventy two billion miles (9 zeros)

:hmmm:

Or would it fall somewhere between a Quadrillion and a Quintillion? as there are 16 numbers that make up the above.

:o