Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2020 August 21

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August 21

ISS size, and micrometeorite damage.

Could someone please give me a reference to a good graphic showing the size of the ISS habitable components compared to a bus? And are there any close-up pictures showing micro-meteorite damage? Is this a major problem for the ISS? Thanks in advance 49.197.86.59 (talk) 04:20, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

you can see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E30J7C3NDko starting around 51 seconds in, to see a bus with the ISS. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 07:39, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

Thanks Graeme Bartlett. That's exactly what I was looking for. Any thoughts on how micrometeorite damage manifests itself on the ISS? (OP)49.182.39.157 (talk) 04:37, 22 August 2020 (UTC)

If a collision caused by the ill-considered Starlink project leads to an ablation cascade,^[1][2] this will be a major problem for the ISS, almost certainly requiring to abandon it.  --Lambiam 08:44, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

That doesn't answer the question. ← PointyOintment ❬t & c❭ 15:50, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

I read recently, though I don't recall where, that ISS spacesuit glove palms have to be made of strong, tear-resistant fabric because the handles all over the outside of the ISS are cratered from being hit with dust, paint flecks, etc., and those craters have sharp edges that would cut the gloves otherwise. Searching for that might turn up some interesting things. (Maybe I read it in a NASA blog post about the material samples Perseverance is taking to Mars, which include some spacesuit materials.) Another thing I read recently was a description from an astronaut (I think either Chris Hadfield or Scott Kelly) of how you can sit in a quiet module with your ear to the wall and hear a ping once in a while, which is the impact of some bit of debris that probably would've punctured the hull if not for the Whipple shielding. Each of those does put a hole in the shield, but future impacts aren't likely to occur in exactly the same spot, I guess. ← PointyOintment ❬t & c❭ 15:50, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

Great Smokies Rat Snake Size

How long can a rat snake in the Great Smokies (the southern foothills of the Apallachians) get? I was at one of my cabins yesterday and I came upon a black snake that looked likea rat snake, but it was extremely long. After I scared it off, which took some trouble because it wasn't really scared of me, I measured from where the tail and head was. It was at least 13 feet long. So, I am wondering if it isn't one of our standard rat snakes, but someone's pet that got loose. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 11:57, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

In the Smokies, if it were a rat snake, it would have been a Eastern rat snake, and those have never been recorded longer than 7.5 feet. Black racers are of a similar size and appearance, so while they may be confused with a rat snake, they wouldn't be 13 feet long. Doing some research, the longest snake EVER recorded in North America in the wild is the Eastern indigo snake, which again, being a long black colubrid, and could easily be mistaken for a rat snake. They can get up to 9 feet in length. So either a) it was an introduced snake (escaped pet) or b) it was one of those, on the long side, but less than your estimate of 13 feet. List of largest snakes contains nothing that could easily be confused for a black rat snake, except MAYBE the Apodora if you didn't get a really good look at it, but given their rarity on the exotic pet market, would be highly unlikely to be wandering around Cades Cove. --Jayron32 12:21, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

Thanks. I have a strong feeling it is an escaped pet. There are plenty of people here that keep exotic snakes for some reason. As for the length, I measured it by knowing that the tail was on the front steps of the cabin and the head was at the corner. That's 13 feet. It was a bit of a surprise to seet it pop up when I came up from the side of the cabin. I've been trying to find it on the property, but it is raining today, so it might be hiding. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 13:39, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

Yeah, but as an escaped pet, long, black, and skinny is unlikely. The most common super long snakes kept as pets are things like Boa constrictors and Burmese pythons, and it's particularly hard to confuse those with a black rat snake. Here is a list of the most commonly kept pet snake species. There's nothing there that would be 13 feet long and look like a rat snake. --Jayron32 13:46, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

Some foreign poisonous snakes are black. Black mambas are extremely venomous,fast, 14ft, dark brown to gray depending on individual Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:41, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

Those are extremely aggressive, have a distinctive neck flap they display when threatened, and usually not as black as a black rat snake, and hard to confuse with one. It would be a very odd choice to keep as a pet. Again, anything is possible, but among the likely contenders, fairly low on the list. --Jayron32 17:23, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

You are right, the rat snake seems to be more scaly and the mamba shape is slightly different. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 17:44, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

This one wasn't aggressive, but I had to swipe at it with my weed wacker many times to make it run off. It didn't look like rat snakes I'm used to. If I had my phone on me, I would have got a photo of it. It looked exactly like the image of the eastern indigo snake. All black. Fat body. Thin head. I've checked under the cabin. Just chipmunks. No snakes. Renters are showing up in a couple hours. I'm just going to tell them that I saw a very long black snake. If they see it, assume it is poisonous and leave it alone. Perhaps I should add it to the warnings: If you see a bear, walk away. If you see a mountain lion or cougar, walk away. If you see a wolf or coyote, walk away. If you see some crack heads making drugs, walk away. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 17:49, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

It's a rare visit to the Smokies where one doesn't see at least one, if not all, of those. Especially the bears. Make sure your renters know to not leave food out, lock the car, etc. Bears are wily. --Jayron32 18:50, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

I thought that was coyotes. Still, at least the bears haven't started cooking meth yet.{The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.25.111 (talk) 19:00, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

I have always wondered about the declarations of "the largest snake (or whatever) recorded". We can't go out and measure every snake! I live an area of NC which is similar in terrain, etc. to Cades Cove. Thirty years ago, I was hiking in a fairly remote area, and entered a small clearing, where I was surprised to see a long thick piece of black "hose" on the ground...until it moved! I stared in surprise for a minute or two, and decided to leave it in peace. It was evidently basking in the sun. When I arrived home, I measured out the estimated length, adjusting for perspectve, etc. and came up with an estimate of as at least ten feet, probably closer to twelve. It was what we call, in this area, a black snake, which would be the Eastern Rat Snake. (I think I am too far north for the indigo snake.) There are plenty of its favored foods in the deciduous forests, and few predators. From my own experience, I could believe thirteen feet, even for a rat snake. Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 05:57, 22 August 2020 (UTC) Good photo of our local black snake [3] Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 06:05, 22 August 2020 (UTC)

Longest recorded does generally imply that there are potentially longer ones, I think few would claim it's impossible they exist. However for any population which is fairly well studied, which I would assume applies to most US snakes, such outliers would likely be extremely rare, unless there is some genetically unique population that has somehow been missed by science which again is probably not particularly likely in the US, or there is some very unusual dietary or life peculiarity which causes abnormal growth which seems even more unlikely. Noting of course it's not just about largest recorded, but observed size ranges. So if someone claims to have seen an extreme outlier, it is possible they just happened to see one where some situation like that applies. However the more likely scenario is they are simply wrong. Especially as in your case, where the method of length measurement doesn't seem particularly scientific and it's unclear if this memory is based on reliable recording of the size estimation, or is simply remembered. (The OP's case is a bit better. However this assumes they correctly remembered the two positions which given the frequent unreliability of human memory even in the short term, and the possibility that the terrain had a lot of similar patterns and features this still seems a big if. And I am assuming that a measuring tape or some other reliable method of determining length was used.) Nil Einne (talk) 10:26, 22 August 2020 (UTC)

Just an update if anyone is interested. I got a call from the renters, so I came by. They found a snake skin along the drive. It is almost as tall as I am (5'6"). I now have a feeling that I saw a snake shedding its skin, appearing to be much longer than it really is. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 13:25, 22 August 2020 (UTC)

After I made my previous post, I went searching around for info...Perhaps I was witnessing a shedding event also, or even two snakes stretched out side by side. Even at the time, I was astonished, which was why I did the tape measure estimate. Perhaps your snake was reluctant to move because it was trying to shed? Thanks for the update!! Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 20:54, 22 August 2020 (UTC)