Who Will Get to Mars First, Black Hole Through Earth, Dinosaurs in Space | Q&A 185

TL;DR

Fraser Cain answers viewer questions about the James Webb Telescope, its capabilities compared to the Event Horizon Telescope, the orientation of black holes, the possibility of biological debris in space, star formation, and the future of space propulsion.

Transcript

Fraser Cain: Hi everyone. I'm Fraser Cain. I'm the publisher of Universe Today I'm going to space in astronomy journalist for over 20 years. This is the question Show Your questions, my answers. Now as always, we've got little codes that we're putting up, which are your chance to vote for the question that you thought was the best Now, last week, w... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ The James Webb Telescope cannot surpass the image quality of the Event Horizon Telescope due to interferometry limitations.
• 🖤 Black holes observed by the Event Horizon Telescope have an orientation that does not align with the Milky Way's rotation, indicating a mysterious history.
• 🌐 Debris from the Chixulub impact event could have entered orbit and re-entered Earth's atmosphere, causing catastrophic global effects.
• 🤩 Stars larger than red dwarfs can prevent additional material from falling into them, but they are still subject to an upper mass limit due to their powerful stellar winds.
• 👶 Laws of physics beyond Newton and Einstein exist, but any new theory must be consistent with their predictions and explain unexplained phenomena.
• ◾ Small primordial black holes passing through Earth would not experience significant drag or friction.
• 🌥️ The size of data from larger telescopes is becoming a challenge but advancements in data management and processing are being developed.
• 🧑‍💻 James Webb has the potential to analyze exoplanet atmospheres and detect techno signatures indicating the presence of intelligent life.
• 😑 Nuclear rockets, more powerful ion engines, and laser sales are potential advancements in space propulsion.

Questions & Answers

Q: Will James Webb be able to get a better read on the atmosphere of Proxima b and detect techno signatures?

Yes, James Webb should be able to characterize the atmosphere of Proxima b and potentially detect techno signatures, such as chemical pollutants, indicating the presence of intelligent life.

Q: Could a small primordial black hole passing through Earth experience drag or friction?

No, a small primordial black hole would not experience significant drag or friction as it passes through Earth. Its interaction with particles would be minimal.

Q: How can stars get larger than red dwarfs without additional material blowing away during fusion?

Stars larger than red dwarfs ignite fusion rapidly, preventing additional material from falling into the star. Their powerful stellar winds also prevent material from falling onto them.

Q: What country do you think will be the first to reach Mars?

While many countries are interested in Mars missions, the first to reach Mars may be private astronauts on Elon Musk's Starship. Collaboration between multiple countries is also a possibility.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The James Webb Telescope can observe the center of the galaxy, including the supermassive black hole SgrA*. However, it cannot produce a better image of SgrA* than the Event Horizon Telescope due to interferometry limitations.

• Black holes observed by the Event Horizon Telescope appear to be oriented face-on but are off-axis by about 30 degrees. This orientation contradicts the expected alignment with the Milky Way's rotation.

• Debris from the Chixulub impact event that hit Earth 65 million years ago could have entered orbit and re-entered the atmosphere, causing significant damage and global catastrophes.

• Stars larger than red dwarfs can get larger by rapidly igniting fusion, which prevents additional material from falling into the star. However, there is an upper limit to the mass of stars due to their powerful winds.

• There are laws of physics beyond Newton and Einstein, but any new theory must be consistent with their predictions and explain currently unexplained phenomena.

• If a small primordial black hole passes through Earth, it would not experience drag or friction, as it would pass through without significant interaction.

• The size of data from larger telescopes is becoming prohibitive, but advancements in data management and processing will help address this issue.

• James Webb will be able to observe the atmosphere of exoplanets, including Proxima b, and may detect techno signatures indicating the presence of intelligent life.

• The next big steps in space propulsion may involve nuclear rockets, more powerful ion engines, and laser sales.

• The first mission to Mars may be achieved by private astronauts on Elon Musk's Starship, with potential collaborations between multiple countries also a possibility.