11/20/2002: Sun spot

Undertoad · 11-20-2002, 03:24 PM

What you have there is one of the best images of a sunspot ever recorded. It was taken on July 15 this year. The spot itself is described as "planet-sized" and this is just one part of it.

When you look closely at it, there are a whole lot of spooky things in there. I took the large version of the image and just took out this shot of some dude's face:

Nic Name · 11-20-2002, 03:27 PM

Nic Name · 11-20-2002, 03:58 PM

That 5000 Kilometers distance graph and the size of the sun spot reminded me that ...

according to Guinness World Records:

Quote:

Longest Journey By Solar-Powered Car

The Radiance, a sleek solar car built by the Queen's University Solar Vehicle Team of Ontario, Canada, travelled 7043.5 km. (4376.62 miles) across Canada from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 29 days from July 1–29, 2000. Radiance was built for the annual World Solar Challenge between Darwin and Adelaide in Australia, and achieved second place in 1999.

The record-breaking solar car crossed the whole of Canada at a cost of just five Canadian dollars, compared with the CAN$3,000 (US$2,030) fuel costs incurred by the support truck that tailed the car. The Radiance was not only able to convert the sun's rays into propelling energy, it could also store the sun's energy by using it to charge a set of over 1,000 nickel batteries – which are similar to those used in laptop computers.

Senor Oso · 11-20-2002, 05:08 PM

There's something odd about those numbers. $2,030 in fuel to go 4376 miles? I don't know what gas costs in Canada, I'm sure it's taxed more heavily than it is in the U.S. But even figuring, say $2.50 US per gallon (which works out to about $3.75/gallon Canadian), that truck still only got about 5 miles per gallon. What kind of truck were they using anyway? Even semis get better mileage than that.

Nic Name · 11-20-2002, 05:25 PM

OK, I'll do the research if you'll do the math assuming there is no significant price difference over time.

Senor Oso · 11-20-2002, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nic Name
OK, I'll do the research if you'll do the math assuming there is no significant price difference over time.

Assuming that prices were the same in 2000 as they were in January 2002 ($1.419 US per gallon), and that the exchange rate was the same in 2000 as it was in January 2002, the support truck got 3.05 miles per gallon. Obviously we can't assume those things but I doubt they're likely to be much different.

Now, I may have done the math wrong, so somebody check me on this: Fuel Cost ($2030) / Price Per Gallon ($1.419) gives you 1430 gallons of fuel. Then, Miles Traveled (4367) / 1430 gallons of fuel should leave you with 3.05 mpg.

Nic Name · 11-20-2002, 05:40 PM

Bear in mind ... it was towing a solar vehicle.

Senor Oso · 11-20-2002, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nic Name
Bear in mind ... it was towing a solar vehicle.

Thbpbptptptptpbpbtthht.

So then the solar car didn't actually make it all the way across Canada on it's own? I thought it said the support truck was merely "trailing" the solar car.

In any case, all I can say is... I'm bored now.

MaggieL · 11-20-2002, 06:07 PM

I doubt that a support truck tailing a solar car is operating at it's most fuel-efficient speed.

Tailing isn't towing.

Senor Oso · 11-20-2002, 06:12 PM

Sure, but still, 3 miles per gallon? It just seems weird to me. But

- It doesn't matter.

- There wasn't any real point to this other than I thought the numbers were weird.

- I am even more bored with this topic now than I was before, if that's possible.

Undertoad · 11-20-2002, 06:17 PM

Well then they can't compare the figures, because nobody in their right mind would operate a truck that way.

Nic Name · 11-20-2002, 06:22 PM

Tell me more about the sun spots.

That's an awesome image. Can we get wallpaper high-res?

Anybody see any other stuff in that image?

Edit Note:

In the top right corner, I see a face looking upward and sticking his tongue out. :p

Undertoad · 11-20-2002, 06:34 PM

It's from Astronomy Pic of the Day

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021114.html

If you click on the image there, you get the larger version.

Further investigation of their links suggest that it really came from here

http://www.solarphysics.kva.se/

Where they say you can use the images if you give credit to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. So here goes: "That Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, boy I gotta hand it to them. They really know how to teach that science. In a Swedish and royal way. I gotta give them credit."

Nic Name · 11-20-2002, 06:39 PM

WOW. Freakin' awesome wallpaper. I hope the wife doesn't throw a pail of water on the monitor!

Griff · 11-20-2002, 06:42 PM

If you look more closely at UTs face capture you'll notice Apollo has his index finger laid up against his nose. The Gods, in their infinite boredom, are doing a stage production of The Sting.

11-20-2002, 03:24 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	11/20/2002: Sun spot What you have there is one of the best images of a sunspot ever recorded. It was taken on July 15 this year. The spot itself is described as "planet-sized" and this is just one part of it. When you look closely at it, there are a whole lot of spooky things in there. I took the large version of the image and just took out this shot of some dude's face:

11-20-2002, 03:27 PM	#2
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	That's Apollo.

11-20-2002, 05:25 PM	#5
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	OK, I'll do the research if you'll do the math assuming there is no significant price difference over time. Last edited by Nic Name; 11-20-2002 at 05:36 PM.

11-20-2002, 06:07 PM	#9
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	I doubt that a support truck tailing a solar car is operating at it's most fuel-efficient speed. Tailing isn't towing. __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..."

11-20-2002, 06:22 PM	#12
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	Tell me more about the sun spots. That's an awesome image. Can we get wallpaper high-res? Anybody see any other stuff in that image? Edit Note: In the top right corner, I see a face looking upward and sticking his tongue out. :p Last edited by Nic Name; 11-20-2002 at 06:31 PM.

11-20-2002, 05:08 PM	#4
Senor Oso Antagonistic Antagonist Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 22	There's something odd about those numbers. $2,030 in fuel to go 4376 miles? I don't know what gas costs in Canada, I'm sure it's taxed more heavily than it is in the U.S. But even figuring, say $2.50 US per gallon (which works out to about $3.75/gallon Canadian), that truck still only got about 5 miles per gallon. What kind of truck were they using anyway? Even semis get better mileage than that.

11-20-2002, 05:40 PM	#7
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	Bear in mind ... it was towing a solar vehicle.

11-20-2002, 06:12 PM	#10
Senor Oso Antagonistic Antagonist Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 22	Sure, but still, 3 miles per gallon? It just seems weird to me. But - It doesn't matter. - There wasn't any real point to this other than I thought the numbers were weird. - I am even more bored with this topic now than I was before, if that's possible.

11-20-2002, 06:17 PM	#11
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Well then they can't compare the figures, because nobody in their right mind would operate a truck that way.

11-20-2002, 06:34 PM	#13
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	It's from Astronomy Pic of the Day http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021114.html If you click on the image there, you get the larger version. Further investigation of their links suggest that it really came from here http://www.solarphysics.kva.se/ Where they say you can use the images if you give credit to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. So here goes: "That Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, boy I gotta hand it to them. They really know how to teach that science. In a Swedish and royal way. I gotta give them credit."

11-20-2002, 06:39 PM	#14
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	WOW. Freakin' awesome wallpaper. I hope the wife doesn't throw a pail of water on the monitor!

11-20-2002, 06:42 PM	#15
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	If you look more closely at UTs face capture you'll notice Apollo has his index finger laid up against his nose. The Gods, in their infinite boredom, are doing a stage production of The Sting. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

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