Golden Age of Astronomy?

[Fraser]

I've got to say with all the new observatories, computer processing, and theories, it really feels like we're in a golden age of astronomy. The scale and rate of discoveries really seems to be accelerating. What do you think? What would Kepler and Galileo say?

[VanderL]

You're absolutely right Fraser, this IS the golden age of astronomy. Never before could we get this wealth of data. The question is, how do we process them.

[Littlemews]

Yea right, golden age of astronomy, now they figure out Atsronomy is important in their living.... Kelper and Galileo might feel so happy if they saw and read those datas and theories....

The question is, how do we process them.
Work as Volunteer, invite them, divide into groups, all data unite........

[Victoria]

Galileo would be satisfied with the degrees and clarity. I've been again ispired after viewing the Rover's latest pics of Mars and of Voyager's 1 & 2 along with Genisis showing of planets. Truly amazing what our world has done on the surface. Exciting what will become 2004+.

[Tinaa]

Oh my, what would Galileo think the pictures we have of the moons he saw orbiting Jupiter? How would Newton feel to know we still use his three laws? He'd probably not be suprised with his ego. :D

[Littlemews]

Originally posted by Tinaa@Jan 5 2004, 01:17 AM
Oh my, what would Galileo think the pictures we have of the moons he saw orbiting Jupiter? How would Newton feel to know we still use his three laws? He'd probably not be suprised with his ego. :D
Galileo might give up his research and let his student handle it for him, because he needs to relaex, and for Newton hmm I bet he might come up with another 3 new Laws that you don't even know about it. :lol: :lol:

[Matthew]

Never before could we get this wealth of data.

In 10 years time we'll probably be saying the same thing about 2003/4. As more sophisticated telescopes are sent into space we learn more. In 10 years hopefully we'll have the 'secret formula' for landing on Mars successfully.

[Planetwatcher]

If Newton, Kelper and Galileo were anything like todays top minds such as Hawkins, and Einstein from the last century, they would be too busy with their work to notice much more the the most rudimentery breakthroughs.

[kashi]

Maybe we just discovered the "secret formula" for landing on Mars safely.

[zephyr46]

How would Galileo have felt, knowing the earth wasn't the center of the universe and being locked up under house arrest for the last years of his life.
"the Galileo Project" (http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/Bio/narrative_7.html)
For Galileo, the pride of having the Jovian moons named after him, and the Probe, following voyager. Miracles, I am sure his wonder of the universe and the technology of our age would have pushed him deep into faith. What he would say about science ? About the freedom to question? I wonder, would he be following Einsteins theory? I think he would question it. Galileo was not one to blindly accept and follow, he would still be questioning.

Newton. He would be upset with Einstein, but I think we would all understand relativity better for the arguments they would have.

Kepler. We have weighed the universe with your scales ! What would such a man move onto? Dark matter and Dark energy?

Yes, surely we are in a golden age of astronomy.
Freedom to theorize and discuss.
Access to images and maps of the universe (2df (http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/2dFGRS/), 2MASS (http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/2mass/),and SDSS (http://www.sdss.org/sdss.html)).

I think we are coming to another end though. After the James Webb and Pluto express, what next ?

As far as human space flight goes, well that is somthing else, the ISS (http://www.astronomytoday.com/exploration/iss.html), and China, (the third place getter).

As we reach for the sky, others long to explore the depths of the oceans.

Extra solar worlds, quasars and black holes. Indeed we see far, standing on the shoulders of giants :)
(if anyoe know who said that first, I'm quoting them!)

[damienpaul]

i think we are in a golden age! and i think it has the potential to be even more golden

[Planetwatcher]

I am inclined to aggree. We are in a golden age indeed.

[damienpaul]

bean counters aside, there is so much involvement by the public and such a great dissemination of information via the internet

[WendellG]

"Golden Age?" I think that in twenty-five years they will be saying the same thing.

We have learned much, yet there is still so much to learn.

Semper Fi,

Wendell

[damienpaul]

lets hope the golden age lasts for years! centuries!

[DippyHippy]

Hmmmm... an interesting question... I would argue that astronomy has been through several golden ages already, most notably in the 17th century with the advent and popularisation of the telescope.

I wouldn't say this is a golden age for astronomy per se but rather a golden age of space exploration and discovery. We are, after all, just starting to embark upon an exploration of our universe but are still standing "on the shores of the cosmic ocean"

[exAstro]

If you look at what's happening in science now, it seems as though Astronomy is where it's at. The biosciences are booming, of course. But that's all smoke and mirrors (to us physical scientists, at least). Geology is dead- killed by the truth of Plate Tectonics. Some web-footers are still doing oceanography. Physics has become Cosmology (er- or visa versa). Chemistry is chemistry- dreadfully dull. Only Astronomy moves to higher ground (pardon).

Regards,
MH

[Bluewolf027]

I would say that we are in the Golden age of astronomy and will continue to be for a long time we are a long ways away from the technology required to reach the stars but I think its coming.... B)

[Dan Luna]

I'm certainly very pleased to have lived in this age. Just look at the amount of Astronomy stories on the site every day (is there a Chemistry Today site?).

[DippyHippy]

:lol: LOL Dan - good point, I can't argue with that!!!

[Dan Luna]

This may strike you as very sad - I actually looked but the nearest I found was

http://www.chemweb.com

However, for some reason the search engine threw up

http://www.seaslugforum.net/

and how could I resist it? Judging from the number of posts it might be more accurate to say "The Golden Age of Astronomy and Sea Slugs".

[damienpaul]

okay that is officially frightening....:blink:

But with the way things are going i think the golden age will be promoted to the platinum age of both sea slugs and astronomy.

[antoniseb]

Golden Age

Sure, this is a golden age for astronomy. There is still a great deal of potential for our understanding in this field to improve, but the pace of new knowledge is following Moore's Law pretty closely.

As with Moore's law, eventually we have to plateau off. With astronomy, I imagine that the plateau will come when the ability to process new data levels off.

[TwAgIssmuDe]

It does really seem to be the golden age of astronomy, I meen there have never been powerfull telescopes, orbitng telescopes and so many discoveries in such a short time.
I think Galileo and Kepler would be stunned by the technology astronomy posseses today and how many steps we've got closer to resolve the mysteries of our universe.
We may still be on the shores of the cosmic ocean, but we are building rafts and will soon be exploring it.