Editing Talk:2849: Under the Stars

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Reminds me a lot of many of Randall's first few dozen XKCD's that weren't trying to be funny but just kind of sweet and observational. [[User:Laser813|Laser813]] ([[User talk:Laser813|talk]]) 15:32, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
: "Mostly void, partially stars..." [[Special:Contributions/172.71.151.161|172.71.151.161]] 18:07, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

Is the title text trying to relate the black hole to the Star of Bethlehem? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:49, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
: No, he's just trying to make you freak out that a black hole is RIGHT ABOVE YOUR HEAD!!! ;) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 16:31, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
:: Good thing I don't live in Los Angeles :) [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]]<sup>&#91;[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]&#93;[[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]]</sup> 16:54, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
::: On the other hand, I live pretty damn near {{w|Atlanta}}, so it's pretty damn close to coming over my head every day... Edit: Just checked the zoomable map... it goes right over my head every day <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">[[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]<sup>([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]&#124;[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]])</sup></span>  17:44, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
:::: Well, I'm 20ish° away from that track (and have never actually been anywhere near that latitude, despite occasional intercontinental travel). Looks like I'm not going to be in danger of hitting a black hole.... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.220|172.70.90.220]] 18:48, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

I think we need a category for "comics in full color" since there are 519 with color, but most of those aren't full color [[User:Laser813|Laser813]] ([[User talk:Laser813|talk]]) 18:25, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
: [[Technically]], it's not in full color, because Cueball and Megan's heads are white, not skin tone <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">[[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]<sup>([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]&#124;[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]])</sup></span>  18:48, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
:: As I was thinking. But I was trying to think of a good word (like "photorealistic", though it isn't quite that) to describe significant arty/colourwashed scenic elements. There are a handful of comics (I think, without trawling through the candidates I have in mind, or look for others) that are so coloured. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.194|172.69.194.194]] 19:03, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

Is there something significant about V404-Cygni? Surely there are enough black holes that there's at least one that passes over every line of latitude. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:31, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
: My best guess: Randall picked it at random because it's funny. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">[[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]<sup>([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]&#124;[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]])</sup></span>  23:31, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
:: I'm thinking he chose it because of its number – V404.  Isn't '404' the internet error code for something that can't be found... something that has figuratively slipped into a black hole somewhere? [[User:RAGBRAIvet|RAGBRAIvet]] ([[User talk:RAGBRAIvet|talk]]) 07:29, 2 November 2023 (UTC)
:::As I recall, he previously quoted this particular black hole in a prior "passes directly over..." reference, which ''perhaps'' (I can't quite remember how, without searching) tied in with the requirements of that particular comic/article/whatif. And, at some point, you're gonna get yourself a 'favourite' that you'll reference whenever you get a decent chance, right? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.28|172.70.85.28]] 08:45, 2 November 2023 (UTC)
:::: Unfortunately not. [https://what-if.xkcd.com/161/ What If? 161] mentions {{w|Cygnus X-1}}, but no mention of V404-Cygni <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">[[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]<sup>([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]&#124;[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]])</sup></span>  00:59, 3 November 2023 (UTC)
: To quote wikipedia: In 2009, the black hole in the V404 Cygni system became the first black hole to have an accurate parallax measurement for its distance from the Solar System. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmosealy]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:10, 2 November 2023 (UTC)
:The Earth wobbles quite a bit. How long will it be pointing close enough (I guess within 1 minute of declination) that V404-Cygni will be over that specific line of latitude? [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 02:30, 2 November 2023 (UTC)
::If I'm reading [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_precession] correctly only 72 years, but that seems surprisingly short to me.  Perhaps I am missing a conversion factor?  [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.49|172.69.34.49]] 23:25, 2 November 2023 (UTC)

The title text reminds me of what if? 161 [[User:MrCandela|MrCandela]] ([[User talk:MrCandela|talk]])
: You're thinking of {{w|Cygnus X-1}}, a similarly named and located but completely 0different black hole. Cygnus X-1 and V404-Cygni appear to be unrelated to each other, besides being within Cygnus <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">[[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]<sup>([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]&#124;[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]])</sup></span>  00:53, 3 November 2023 (UTC)

Out today just before noon (local time, but of course it doesn't matter much ''which'' local time) I saw in the significantly bright blue sky... <s>a partially built planet-destroying space-station</s> the Moon. Which of course you do. But reminds me of the time when just such a prominent daytime phased-Moon was visible when children were being let out from school and there was this conversation with a supervising member of staff (I forget why, might even have been from "today we learnt about the skies/time!" from the child involved) where we pointed out the Moon up in the bright blue sky and ''he refused to look!''. Not sure if he suspected a practical joke, "didn't want to confuse his pupils" or genuinely was stuck on "only the Sun is up there in daytime". Didn't press the issue, but always worth a laugh about it. Whatever the reason. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.118|162.158.74.118]] 12:58, 3 November 2023 (UTC)
Anyone want to add in any details for the Astroinertial navigation system (ANS) used by the SR-71 to plot its position during daytime? It located itself based on tracking stars (before GPS).