No shiat? That's pretty cool. Gotta love the LRO and a lot of our other recent missions for their versatility and longevity. From Stardust/Next to the Mars rovers, this things just keep on giving.

/prejudiced
//but it's my prejudice that got me the job, not the other way around

It's more likely than you think.

Walker: It's more likely than you think.

***shakes tiny fist***

same place that all of the other helium comes from??
solar wind and radioactive decay.
DUH

clearly, if there is helium in the moon's atmosphere, its replacement rate must be equal to the amount which is escaping.

Physics, how does it work??

namatad: radioactive decay nuclear fusion.

I can't believe 0bama wasted $34 Trillion on a space dishwasher!

First whalers, now helium.

Where did it come from? Oh I don't know, maybe that big blazing helium factory in the middle of the solar system.

Ghastly: Where did it come from? Oh I don't know, maybe that big blazing helium factory in the middle of the solar system.

LOL

The neat thing about the moon's atmosphere is that it is so thin that if you gathered it all up and pressurized it to the same levels as the earth's atmosphere at sea level it would just fill an averaged sized NFL stadium.

Ghastly: Where did it come from? Oh I don't know, maybe that big blazing helium factory in the middle of the solar system.

Not directly. The sun does not spew out helium. Maybe the occasional alpha particle but almost all just bare protons and electrons. The helium is deep inside the sun, near the core.

Ghastly: The neat thing about the moon's atmosphere is that it is so thin that if you gathered it all up and pressurized it to the same levels as the earth's atmosphere at sea level it would just fill an averaged sized NFL stadium.

And then everyone in the stadium would sound like Donald Duck.

Last time there was a thread about helium I made a reference to Farscape and no one got it

/and you people call yourselves geeks and nerds
//harumph
///helium fart

Ghastly: The neat thing about the moon's atmosphere is that it is so thin that if you gathered it all up and pressurized it to the same levels as the earth's atmosphere at sea level it would just fill an averaged sized NFL stadium.

What if some masked looney decided to blow up the field? HM?

This explains Neil Armstrong's odd high-pitched voice after he accidentally briefly removed his space helmet to scratch his nose.

And here I feel bad trying to convince my wife against helium balloons for my kids birthday since our helium reserves are declining. Now she'll just tell me that we'll just get more of it from the Moon. Thanks, NASA.

Why haven't we sent a rover to the moon?


UberDave: First whalers, now helium.

azmoviez: And here I feel bad trying to convince my wife against helium balloons for my kids birthday since our helium reserves are declining. Now she'll just tell me that we'll just get more of it from the Moon. Thanks, NASA.

Except that our reserves are being depleted in order to drive up prices.
YAWN

Another false problem.
Next you are going to tell me that we are running out of copper, iron, aluminum, mercury, oil (repeat from every year since 1901), coal, clean water, clean air, glass, paper, land, food, space, time, energy, lint, brains, schools,
So tired of the new religion.
Let me know when we run out of anything. Anything.

To be honest, the best part about high gas prices is that there are less tards driving.

I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

Well, it's our's.

SJKebab: I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

off-gassing from the quantities of helium-3 isotope that's permeated more or less the entire upper-layer of the crust.

fusillade762: Why haven't we sent a rover to the moon?


pfft they've been way too busy creating the mars science laboratory hoax to bother staging YET ANOTHER moon mission hoax.

UberDave: First whalers, now helium.

But there ain't no whales

So that must be where my yellow balloon from 1983 went. I still miss it.

Did anyone else read the headline as "in my Mom's atmosphere"?

/too much time on Fark

Well, duh. How would the Moon float up in the sky without helium?

With hookers. And blackjack.

TV's Vinnie: [static7.businessinsider.com image 409x268]
Well, it's our's.

Moon Nazi win.

Now we know where helium balloons go when they're released.
So those old stories were right - it is possible to take a trip to the moon in a balloon.
What a wonderful age we live in!

namatad: azmoviez: And here I feel bad trying to convince my wife against helium balloons for my kids birthday since our helium reserves are declining. Now she'll just tell me that we'll just get more of it from the Moon. Thanks, NASA.

Except that our reserves are being depleted in order to drive up prices.
YAWN

Another false problem.
Next you are going to tell me that we are running out of copper, iron, aluminum, mercury, oil (repeat from every year since 1901), coal, clean water, clean air, glass, paper, land, food, space, time, energy, lint, brains, schools,
So tired of the new religion.
Let me know when we run out of anything. Anything.

To be honest, the best part about high gas prices is that there are less tards driving.

We are running out of certain types of fish (i.e. bluefin tuna). And lithium.

SJKebab: I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

Holy cats, what are they teaching in your schools? Of *course* we retain helium. But it's lighter than most of the other components of our atmosphere, so it rises towards the top. A boat doesn't float because the earth's gravity is insufficient to retain wood.

Well duh, of course it is surrounded by a bubble of helium. How else does it float in the firmament?

machoprogrammer: namatad: azmoviez: And here I feel bad trying to convince my wife against helium balloons for my kids birthday since our helium reserves are declining. Now she'll just tell me that we'll just get more of it from the Moon. Thanks, NASA.

Except that our reserves are being depleted in order to drive up prices.
YAWN

Another false problem.
Next you are going to tell me that we are running out of copper, iron, aluminum, mercury, oil (repeat from every year since 1901), coal, clean water, clean air, glass, paper, land, food, space, time, energy, lint, brains, schools,
So tired of the new religion.
Let me know when we run out of anything. Anything.

To be honest, the best part about high gas prices is that there are less tards driving.

We are running out of certain types of fish (i.e. bluefin tuna). And lithium.

And we ran out of silphium--a renewable resource, no less!--a long time ago. Probably history's greatest tragedy.

one small post for man: UberDave: First whalers, now helium.

But there ain't no whales

so we tell tall tales and sing our whaling tune.


also; we carry a harpoon...

cretinbob: namatad: radioactive decay nuclear fusion.
radioactive decay

Sylvia_Bandersnatch: SJKebab: I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

Holy cats, what are they teaching in your schools? Of *course* we retain helium. But it's lighter than most of the other components of our atmosphere, so it rises towards the top. A boat doesn't float because the earth's gravity is insufficient to retain wood.

Actually, SJKebab is right. What are they teaching in *your* schools?

Link

blahpers: And we ran out of silphium--a renewable resource, no less!--a long time ago. Probably history's greatest tragedy.

I think hunting the poor chupacabra to extinction was worse. It was a mammal after all.

fusillade762: Why haven't we sent a rover to the moon?





That last one even sent back a sample. Oh but wait, it depends what you mean by "we". Those two are Russian.

And what's really gonna blow your mind is, why haven't we sent a rover on Venus? You know, to explore, science, new and interesting, etc.

Can't wait to see what Elon Musk or Branson will privately fund to get to Venus.

SpaceBison: Sylvia_Bandersnatch: SJKebab: I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

Holy cats, what are they teaching in your schools? Of *course* we retain helium. But it's lighter than most of the other components of our atmosphere, so it rises towards the top. A boat doesn't float because the earth's gravity is insufficient to retain wood.

Actually, SJKebab is right. What are they teaching in *your* schools?
[astro.unl.edu image 300x266]
Link

Thanks! (Sorry, my earlier reply to you was lost through some computer frombie.) You're right, they did not teach the complexity of atmospheric retention in my schools, only that helium rises because it's lighter. I see now that it's a bit more complicated than that, but still, it's embarrassing. Thanks for setting me straight on it. And apologies to SJKebab.

It still doesn't answer his question, though, and I don't know the answer either. WP says that most of Earth's helium is from radioactive decay, and most eventually escapes into space. So I guess it's reasonable to suppose that most of the Moon's helium is also generated or liberated there, and doesn't stick around long.

Sylvia_Bandersnatch: SpaceBison: Sylvia_Bandersnatch: SJKebab: I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

Holy cats, what are they teaching in your schools? Of *course* we retain helium. But it's lighter than most of the other components of our atmosphere, so it rises towards the top. A boat doesn't float because the earth's gravity is insufficient to retain wood.

Actually, SJKebab is right. What are they teaching in *your* schools?
[astro.unl.edu image 300x266]
Link

Thanks! (Sorry, my earlier reply to you was lost through some computer frombie.) You're right, they did not teach the complexity of atmospheric retention in my schools, only that helium rises because it's lighter. I see now that it's a bit more complicated than that, but still, it's embarrassing. Thanks for setting me straight on it. And apologies to SJKebab.

It still doesn't answer his question, though, and I don't know the answer either. WP says that most of Earth's helium is from radioactive decay, and most eventually escapes into space. So I guess it's reasonable to suppose that most of the Moon's helium is also generated or liberated there, and doesn't stick around long.

There's probably a torus of gas around the Sun that we orbit in.

buttery_shame_cave: SJKebab: I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

off-gassing from the quantities of helium-3 isotope that's permeated more or less the entire upper-layer of the crust.

You said that with enough conviction that I'm ready to believe it without understanding a bit of it. Good job.

Sylvia_Bandersnatch: Holy cats, what are they teaching in your schools? Of *course* we retain helium. But it's lighter than most of the other components of our atmosphere, so it rises towards the top. A boat doesn't float because the earth's gravity is insufficient to retain wood.

I was going to reply something about solar winds, but SpaceBison's link was awesome. I think I played with it for at least 10 minutes. Thanks for that.

Quantum Apostrophe: There's probably a torus of gas around the Sun that we orbit in.

I'm gonna pull the solar wind argument out now, and suggest that all that helium is probably hanging around that Oort bloke.

Sylvia_Bandersnatch: And apologies to SJKebab.

All good. What I love about the geek tab is that there's actually a chance that someone might learn something, It's one of Farks few redeeming features.

Quantum Apostrophe: And what's really gonna blow your mind is, why haven't we sent a rover on Venus? You know, to explore, science, new and interesting, etc.

Can't wait to see what Elon Musk or Branson will privately fund to get to Venus.


Because it is ridiculously hot there and the air pressure is insane. They sent probes there, but they didn't last long.

machoprogrammer: Quantum Apostrophe: And what's really gonna blow your mind is, why haven't we sent a rover on Venus? You know, to explore, science, new and interesting, etc.

Can't wait to see what Elon Musk or Branson will privately fund to get to Venus.


Because it is ridiculously hot there and the air pressure is insane. They sent probes there, but they didn't last long.

But but but exploring and stuff and, like, science? We're totes gonna have like space elevators and Mars condos but we won't have magical materials to resist a few degrees and a few bars? LOL
/I'm not mocking you, just paraphrasing what space nutters sound like to me

Quantum Apostrophe: machoprogrammer: Quantum Apostrophe: And what's really gonna blow your mind is, why haven't we sent a rover on Venus? You know, to explore, science, new and interesting, etc.

Can't wait to see what Elon Musk or Branson will privately fund to get to Venus.


Because it is ridiculously hot there and the air pressure is insane. They sent probes there, but they didn't last long.

But but but exploring and stuff and, like, science? We're totes gonna have like space elevators and Mars condos but we won't have magical materials to resist a few degrees and a few bars? LOL
/I'm not mocking you, just paraphrasing what space nutters sound like to me

Ohh, thought you were being serious in the post I quoted. Well played, and I agree 100%

Quantum Apostrophe: And what's really gonna blow your mind is, why haven't we sent a rover on Venus? You know, to explore, science, new and interesting, etc.

Not for lack of trying.

The Russian Venera 13 lasted two whole hours on the surface before it melted! This page has some actual photos of Venus' surface, too.

So yes, despite your sarcasm and bitterness; Exploration, science, new and interesting, etc.
=Smidge=

namatad: moon's atmosphere

This phrase...

I dunno. Seems kind of generous to call it an "atmosphere" when it's so thin we couldn't even see it standing on the surface.

Smidge204: Quantum Apostrophe: And what's really gonna blow your mind is, why haven't we sent a rover on Venus? You know, to explore, science, new and interesting, etc.

Not for lack of trying.

The Russian Venera 13 lasted two whole hours on the surface before it melted! This page has some actual photos of Venus' surface, too.

So yes, despite your sarcasm and bitterness; Exploration, science, new and interesting, etc.
=Smidge=

If you kept reading, he pointed out his sarcasm...

SpaceBison: Sylvia_Bandersnatch: SJKebab: I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

Holy cats, what are they teaching in your schools? Of *course* we retain helium. But it's lighter than most of the other components of our atmosphere, so it rises towards the top. A boat doesn't float because the earth's gravity is insufficient to retain wood.

Actually, SJKebab is right. What are they teaching in *your* schools?

Link

Could you explain that to me in english? I'm afraid I don't understand it.

Kit Fister: SpaceBison: Sylvia_Bandersnatch: SJKebab: I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

Holy cats, what are they teaching in your schools? Of *course* we retain helium. But it's lighter than most of the other components of our atmosphere, so it rises towards the top. A boat doesn't float because the earth's gravity is insufficient to retain wood.

Actually, SJKebab is right. What are they teaching in *your* schools?

Link

Could you explain that to me in english? I'm afraid I don't understand it.



This link helped me to figure it out The vertical axis is escape velocity of a planet. The horizontal axis is obviously temperature. The diagonal lines represent the limits at which helium and oxygen are retained within an atmosphere - below the line and those bodies will not retain that gas.

The plot in greater detail.

SJKebab: Kit Fister: SpaceBison: Sylvia_Bandersnatch: SJKebab: I thought we couldn't keep helium on our planet due to the weakness of our gravitational field. How's the moon doing this?

Holy cats, what are they teaching in your schools? Of *course* we retain helium. But it's lighter than most of the other components of our atmosphere, so it rises towards the top. A boat doesn't float because the earth's gravity is insufficient to retain wood.

Actually, SJKebab is right. What are they teaching in *your* schools?

Link

Could you explain that to me in english? I'm afraid I don't understand it.



This link helped me to figure it out The vertical axis is escape velocity of a planet. The horizontal axis is obviously temperature. The diagonal lines represent the limits at which helium and oxygen are retained within an atmosphere - below the line and those bodies will not retain that gas.

The plot in greater detail.

Yeah, that doesn't really do much for my understanding. I'm not a science nerd, so...