Viewing 32 posts - 1 through 32 (of 32 total)
  • Wonders of the Solar System – BBC2
  • tyger
    Free Member

    At the beginning of the program what was the figures used when describing the coincidence of the Moon being the right size and distance from the Sun to give us the unique Eclipse that we only can see on this planet?

    spacecadett
    Free Member

    He said the sun was about 400 times bigger than the moon and that the sun is about 400 times further away from the Earth than the moon.

    Nick
    Full Member

    Sun is 400 times the size of the moon and is 400 times further away from the earth, which is why this is the only planet (that we know of) that experiences a total eclipse.

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    tyger
    Free Member

    Mmm…that's one heck of a coincidence!! I mean what are the chances of that happening?

    "Snigger" 🙂

    IanMunro
    Free Member

    The same as the odds on it being a bit bigger, or a bit smaller.

    andybach
    Free Member

    Obviously a higher power is/was at work……………..

    bassspine
    Free Member

    it's yer anthropocentric paradox innit?

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Surely it's intelligent design.

    simonralli2
    Free Member

    The probability of life happening on earth is due to a number of cosmological constants. Lee Smolin suggests the chances of life happening are something like 1 in 10 to the power of 229. That is a very big number!

    TheFunkyMonkey
    Free Member

    The sun 400 times bigger than the moon?
    I would have thought nearer 400 000

    Kevevs
    Free Member

    far too much violins & orchestras. listen!, how meaningful all this stuff that you shoulda learned at primary school is!! why measure astronomical distances in metres? get a book!

    billybob
    Free Member

    but what purpose does an eclipse actual serve apart from confusing animals?

    SammySammSamm
    Free Member

    What purpose does anything serve?

    nickc
    Full Member

    Ohh, FFS let's not do this

    allthepies
    Free Member

    OK program but the constantly smiling Prof Brian Cox gets on my tits 🙂

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    the moon/sun size/distance coincidence isn't perfect. The distance to the moon varies (orbits are ellipses), so lots of eclipses are 'spoiled' because the moon is too far away, so too small to fully obscure the sun. and lots of eclipses are 'spoiled' because the moon is too close, and totally blocks out the sun.

    the 400/400 thing is about right, but, don't confuse diameter with volume

    Awesome show (too many violins).

    Pook
    Full Member

    things can only get better

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    would have been better if he had got all those indians to "moon" the eclipse

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    tyger – Member

    Mmm…that's one heck of a coincidence!! I mean what are the chances of that happening?

    "Snigger"

    Your point being?

    I sneezed this morning. At exactly the same time, in Wichita, someone slipped on a wet towel and hurt their elbow. What are the chances of that?

    avdave2
    Full Member

    The moon is slowly moving away IIRC so get to see one while you can. Another few million years and it might all be too late.

    pistonbroke
    Free Member

    Reminds me of the Father Ted scene where he's telling Dougal that the toy cows are small but the real ones area long way away. Grinning Brian wound me up as well.

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    People who get "wound up" by other's smiling enthusiasm about their subject, need to get over their own misery, IMHO.

    Tim
    Free Member

    I thought it was ace. Science on prime time Beeb…nowt wrong with that!

    Cox has an awesome job !

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    "… and I managed to do all that with a tin, water, a thermometer and an umbrella…" Priceless. 8)

    porterclough
    Free Member

    Cox has an awesome job !

    Almost a D:Ream job!

    kimbers
    Full Member

    yep i loved it but missed the beginning

    is it repeated or iplayer??

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    Repeated on Tuesday I think. I'll be watching it then because the wife won't be wanting to watch celebrity ice skating.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    The same as the odds on it being a bit bigger, or a bit smaller.

    Not sure it quite works like that, but I agree with your sentiment. Bear in mind that the distance it sits from the earth is decided by its size,speeds etc and so fairly prescribed, it's size relative to the sun is totally random. It still doesn't hint at creation though!

    tyger
    Free Member

    Heaven forbid eh coffeeking! LOL

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    😀 God help me, all these creationist idiots 😆

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    At the end he mentioned that the Sun will finally die in about 5 billion years. I wonder if manwell will still have that stumpy hardtail on the classifieds then…?

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    coffeeking – Member

    God help me, all these creationist idiots

    10/10 irony points.

Viewing 32 posts - 1 through 32 (of 32 total)

The topic ‘Wonders of the Solar System – BBC2’ is closed to new replies.