Totally useless facts ...

[Contratrombone64]

Stabbing your needles though your yarn balls brings bad luck to anyone who wears something made from that yarn.

 

[marval]

Before the invention of the mechanical clock in the 14th century, the most complex machine was a pipe organ in the cathedral in Winchester, England. It was installed by Bishop Aelfeg around 950 A.D. It had 400 pipes, and 70 men were needed to operate the 26 bellows.

 

[Contratrombone64]

Now that is fascinating ... what's your source, Dame M?

 

[marval]

I hope the facts on this site are true.


http://www.sentex.net/~ajy/facts/medievalengland.html

 

[rojo]

70 men to operate the bellows? I bet they only used it on Sundays. :grin:

India (Bollywood) produces 800 films per year, more than any other country in the world.

Hope that hasn't been posted yet...

 

[Contratrombone64]

Rojo - hello angelic one *hugs @ rojo*

I love Bollywood films, the ones I've seen have been just so full of dance, spirit, music and energy.

 

[marval]

It takes the Hubble telescope about 97 minutes to complete an orbit of the Earth. On average, the Hubble uses the equivilent amount of energy as 30 household light bulbs to complete an orbit.

 

[Contratrombone64]

fascinating ...

 

[rojo]

Hiya CT64

Honestly, I don't think I've seen more than a couple. They were definitely fun though.

Hiya marval

Hubble... that's a funny word. 30 light bulbs; that doesn't seem like very much.

 

[Contratrombone64]

Hubble - isn't it the name of some science boffin?

 

[rojo]

Yep, I think so. A big-time astronomer.

 

[Contratrombone64]

And let's ALL count our lucky stars that we weren't having an extraction in the 13th century:

 

[Corno Dolce]

Or for that matter, an amputation....

 

[marval]

Hiya Rojo, CT and CD,

Just for you, some Hubble facts.


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

 

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha Dame Margaret,

Here's the place where I have been involved in some observing runs for research projects:

http://www.keckobservatory.org/news.php

And then, of course, the site for Hubble:

http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/hstexhibit/

Cheerio,

CD

 

[marval]

Hi CD

Thank you for the links, both very interesting.



Pluto has an unusual orbit, which is tilted at a steeper angle (17o) compared to the orbits of other planets. Also, Pluto's orbit is so unusually oval that it gets closer to the Sun than Neptune at times.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha Dame Margaret,

Yes, 'tis quite fascinating with the 17º angle. You're probably also aware that Pluto needs 248 years to make a complete orbit around the Sun and right now Pluto is heading out away from the Sun. So, in about ~124 years Pluto will be at the furthest reach of its orbit - thats mighty cold out there at 0 degrees on the Kelvin scale.

 

[marval]

Hi CD

I am feeling cold just thinking about it.


Margaret

 

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha Dame Margaret,

And you might be aware that Pluto is thought to be composed of Methane ice, which means that when it is nearest to the Sun it is very much just a globe of Methane gas.

Cheerio,

CD

Ps: An average human body has a temperature of 309.95 Kelvin and water boils at 373.1339 Kelvin.

 

[marval]

Hi CD

A globe of methane gas, not somewhere to go to then.



After the Krakatoa volcano eruption in 1883 in Indonesia, many people reported that, because of the dust, the sunset appeared green and the moon blue. The moon was said to appear blue for almost two years.