Take a look at the image above. Can you determine where this image originated? Take a guess and then check your answer by going to the “Where is This? The Answer Sheet” page.
Where is This? January 9, 2023 Quiz
Astronomy and ChatGPT: Do Your Own Homework
While I recently used the new AI software ChatGPT (created by OpenAI, which was founded by Elon Musk and others) to draft up a poem, I did not use it to learn more about astronomy. Others have already attempted this and came back with mixed results.
Last month, the website Astronomy reported back on its results testing ChatGPT on a few questions. Some of these questsions included:
- On average, how many stars are formed each year in the Milky Way?
- What would happen if two supermassive black holes merged?
- Why do the giant planets rotate so much faster than the terrestrial planets in our solar system?
The verdict? Astronomy was not impressed, reporting:
…once you start asking questions whose answers are not so obvious and dig into the subtleties of astrophysics — the types of informed, discerning questions that our readers regularly send us — ChatGPT becomes prone to giving answers that seem plausible, but are very wrong. To make things worse, ChatGPT is also very bad at knowing when it is making things up, and it can’t cite any sources.
Cloudy Nights users found ChatGPT to be a little more useful when listing out clear facts when answering questions such as “What are the best objects to observe in the night sky during January from the Northern Hemisphere?” It was also helpful answering this question – “What is the forum on the site Cloudy Nights about?”:
Cloudy Nights is a forum-based website that is focused on the hobby of astronomy. The site features a wide range of forums where members can discuss various topics related to astronomy, including telescopes, astrophotography, observing techniques, and more. In addition to the forums, the site also features reviews, articles, and other resources to help people learn more about astronomy and enjoy the hobby. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced astronomer, there is likely to be something of interest on the Cloudy Nights forum.
As with using Wikipedia as your main source, use ChatGPT at your own risk. I have more faith in Wikipedia because it represents the interaction of humans and therefore is based on more context for the answers. It also provides source material, unlike ChatGPT. If you use them as tools you should be okay. If you use them as oracles (in the original sense), then you are on your own.
In Case You Missed It: More Trash, This Time on Mars
In an earlier post, I noted the amount of poop as well as other trash left behind on the Moon from prior lunar missions. Well, Cagri Kilic, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at West Virginia University, also ventured a guess at the amount of human trash that has already accummulated on the surface of Mars.
In the article he authored for The Conversation back in September, “Mars is Littered with 15,694 Pounds of Human Trash from 50 Years of Robotic Exploration,” he provided a figure as well as his methodology:
When you add up the mass of all spacecraft that have ever been sent to Mars, you get about 22,000 pounds (9979 kilograms). Subtract the weight of the currently operational craft on the surface – 6,306 pounds (2,860 kilograms) – and you are left with 15,694 pounds (7,119 kilograms) of human debris on Mars.
That’s a fair amount of trash and defunct equipment. And we are still adding to this toll, with plans to eventually send humans and material for settlements to the Red Planet. The same goes for the Moon, with multiple bases planned by the US, China, and Russia.
I expect we will see some other estimates in the future on what has been left on other planets, moons, and asteroids. And let’s not forget the five spacecraft we have shot beyond Pluto.
We humans do tend to leave a mess where ever we go. We may be explorers, but Boy Scouts would take issue given their principle “Leave No Trace.”
Space Quote: Starlab to Replace the ISS
“This partnership with Voyager Space is the first step toward fielding the next generation of space stations to serve international astronauts. We are excited to support a project aimed at changing history…This collaboration is an important step in making Starlab a reality, providing a foundation for long-lasting European and American leadership in space. Our team is looking forward to diving in on the technology and putting our best engineers to work.”
-Statement by Jean-Marc Nasr, Executive Vice President of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, in a press release regarding Voyager Space and Airbus Defence and Space partnering to develop and operate Starlab in 2028. The Low-Earth Orbit space station will serve NASA, ESA, and others in the scientific community following the retirement of the International Space Station. NASA has already awarded $160 million to Voyager and Nanoracks, its operating company, to create the new space station.
Pic of the Week: Disconnection Event
This week’s image is from the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022 contest. The image above is the winner of the 2022 contest. It is titled “Disconnection Event,” captured by Gerald Rhemann.
Here is the language accompanying the winning image:
Comet Leonard was discovered by GJ Leonard on 3 January 2021. It made its closest pass on 12 December 2021 and, having left the solar system, won’t be seen from Earth again. On 25 Dec 2021, a piece of the comet’s tail was pinched off and carried away by the solar wind – a dramatic tail disconnection event. “Astronomy, myth and art come together beautifully in this shot. It holds great value to scientists, as it elegantly captures a disconnection event” – Imad Ahmed
Please visit The Guardian site for images from all of the winners.
Our Awesome Universe 