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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Here is a nice diagram of where space begins and the layers of atmosphere the earth sustains...

From ground level up to 217 miles up...lot of activity going on.

See the full sized bar here:

www.ouramazingplanet.com/earth-atmosphere-layers-atmospheric-pressure-infographic-0326/

[RobbW]

Wow, that is pretty cool, Joe! There is so much to explore, learn, live, see, and do on our little jewel of a planet. Parachuting from 19+ miles up probably won't be one of the checkmarks on my list of things to do before I die, though!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Bonsai....

[neilo]

I do remember seeing an interview with the guy who made that jump on the Discovery Channel a few years back. He said that he almost lost his hand because his pressurized jump suit had a problem with his glove. The documentary also had a real cool video of him leaving the capsule. I'll look on you tube and see if I can find a link.

[patrickm]

Oct 19, 2010 18:22:59 GMT -6 Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe said:

Bonsai....

..is a dwarf tree.

Banzai = idiomatic expression "10,000 years" and is the equivalent of something like "Charge!" or "Here we go!"

Signed,
Patrick the Pedant

Attachments:

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Giggles...

That's what I indeed wrote, but spell check changed it.

Heh.

[patrickm]

Wow. Tell your spellcheck to mind its own business on Japanese words until it learns enough idioms!

[Paulie pchris00]

Oct 19, 2010 18:54:00 GMT -6 neilo said:

I do remember seeing an interview with the guy who made that jump on the Discovery Channel a few years back. He said that he almost lost his hand because his pressurized jump suit had a problem with his glove. The documentary also had a real cool video of him leaving the capsule. I'll look on you tube and see if I can find a link.

The show Neilo is referring to (I think) is from the BBC series "The Planets," in the "Atmosphere" episode. I know because I just watched the DVD yesterday. Col. Joe Kittinger was the guy who made the jump as part of Project Excelsior. Personally, I think he was crazy for jumping from that high, with or without a torn glove!

[neilo]

I just saw the August issue of Outside magazine(I really need to catch up on my reading), and their cover article was about a BASE jumper who is sponsored by RedBull and is planning on breaking the parachute height record some time this month or next!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I wonder just how far up, one could jump out... and survive.

There must be a boundary point where one would start to burn up, (ala heat shields), and just below that, survivable.

[neilo]

From Wikipedia(this dude is a whole new kind of crazy!!!!)
In January 2010, it was reported that Felix Baumgartner was working with a team of scientists and sponsor Red Bull to attempt the highest sky-dive on record.[8]Baumgartner was to attempt the 120,000 ft (36,600 m) jump from a capsule suspended from a balloon filled with helium, intending to become the first parachutist to break the sound barrier; the feat was scheduled to take place sometime in 2010 (the date has either not been set or has not been publicized).[9][10][11] Joseph Kittinger, who holds the records Baumgartner is attempting to break, was advising Baumgartner during the "Stratos" mission in the hopes of getting scientific data on next-generation full pressure suits.[8][12] However, on October 12, 2010, Red Bull announced it was placing the project on hold after Daniel Hogan filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court in Los Angeles, California in April, claiming he had originated the idea of the parachute dive from the edge of space and that Red Bull had stolen the idea from him.