Could some of the missing mass in space be a smell..?

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Larry Monske

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Message 1379972 - Posted: 11 Jun 2013, 18:54:53 UTC

Astronauts on EVAs outside the space station their suits smells like smoke from a welders torch or burning metal. It clings to spacesuits. Now for receptors in your nose require a molicule .06 microns to activate the sensory receptor. Could free molecules in space account for missing mass in the universe. This smell has mass not alot but spread over the entiry of the universe could be very massive amount. The smell on the moon is different its smells like spent gunpowder. But in the vaccume of space I wouldnt expect anything such as a smell or free molecules that can sensed as a smell.
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Larry Monske

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Message 1387275 - Posted: 3 Jul 2013, 17:12:20 UTC - in response to Message 1379972.  

This is a complete mystery, I would say smell has a volume,minute but still has mass but has to be a free molecule. To cling to a spacesuit in a vacuum where you wouldnt expect anything such as a smell. Ive asked this question to NASA folks the guys with the PHDs are baffled, must be swamp gas. Why is something as big as a molecule floating in a vacuum but it cling to spacesuits. The size has to be big as a minimum of .06 microns to trigger the receptor in your nose. This is a revlation of a sorts space smells, the moon smells like spent gunpowder. This also brings up why would these molecules be unaffected by gravity in near earth orbit. Strange it didnt get anyones attention but this has been known since Gemini EVAs. I wouldve figured alot of the techies on the sight would have some input.
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Message 1387353 - Posted: 3 Jul 2013, 19:41:55 UTC

smell doesn't exist in space. it exists in our noses. We cannot smell anything in space but when you have molecules, and there are a lot of molecules in space, attaching themselves to a spacesuit. bringing the spacesuit inside a spaceship or module where there is actual atmosphere and air that can transfer those molecules that smell to ones nose.

Please understand that not everything has an aroma. However, the molecules that astronauts space suits are collection do apparently have some molecules that have an aroma.


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Message 1387381 - Posted: 3 Jul 2013, 20:16:35 UTC - in response to Message 1379972.  

Astronauts on EVAs outside the space station their suits smells like smoke from a welders torch or burning metal. It clings to spacesuits. ...

You got any references for that?


You description sounds just like the reports from the Apollo moon landings astronauts for moon dust on their suits after a moon walk...


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Message 1387818 - Posted: 4 Jul 2013, 21:50:58 UTC

I'm afraid this idea is a dead end and the things that cause astronauts outer garments to smell after entering an area with atmosphere have already been accounted for and are not part of the "missing" mass.
Bob DeWoody

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Message 1388202 - Posted: 6 Jul 2013, 1:58:30 UTC - in response to Message 1387385.  

I'm sure I read somewhere that you don't actually smell anything. An odour or aroma is made up of millions of tiny droplets in the air. You actually TASTE that on the back of your tongue. Happy to be proved wrong :-)


I would hope so too. Never ever breath in a loo again:)
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Message 1388206 - Posted: 6 Jul 2013, 2:08:58 UTC

Read AstroNAUTS.

They are supposed to be "nuts".
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Thomas Williamson
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Message 1389865 - Posted: 11 Jul 2013, 20:08:17 UTC - in response to Message 1387818.  

I'm afraid this idea is a dead end and the things that cause astronauts outer garments to smell after entering an area with atmosphere have already been accounted for and are not part of the "missing" mass.


Bob, I haven't read anything on why their suits smell. You mentioned that the reason has been accounted for. I'm curious as to why?
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Larry Monske

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Message 1390261 - Posted: 12 Jul 2013, 21:34:12 UTC - in response to Message 1389865.  

A smell: for a human to detect a smell, first the smallest particle or molecule is .06 microns. For it to be detected requires a mass in a molecule which is large all in a vacuum. These molecules probally have electrons stripped from them and they stick to the surface of spacesuits. In a vacuum I wouldnt expect any kind of smell. This first came out on the gemini spacecrafts first EVA, since then many astronauts have reported a smell like smoke off a welders torch or burnt metal. I feel this is kind of a revelation as some of you touched on but a smell exists in low earth orbit.
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Message 1390341 - Posted: 13 Jul 2013, 4:21:00 UTC

Those smells are only detected after reentering the atmosphere of the ISS or, when it was flying, the space shuttle. They come from molecules present in the environment and are not due to interaction with dark matter.
Bob DeWoody

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Message 1390384 - Posted: 13 Jul 2013, 10:58:50 UTC - in response to Message 1390261.  
Last modified: 13 Jul 2013, 11:01:18 UTC

This first came out on the gemini spacecrafts first EVA, since then many astronauts have reported a smell like smoke off a welders torch or burnt metal.


Let's get serious. There was some EVA activity in the Gemini space program. However, the burning metal smell was most likely from the fact that the space capsule literally burned off material as it re-entered the atmosphere.

If there is in fact dark matter out there then I say lets send a probe to bring some of it back.

For now I will remain an agnostic on the subject.
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Larry Monske

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Message 1411621 - Posted: 5 Sep 2013, 3:26:45 UTC - in response to Message 1387353.  

How can you say that a vaccume has nothing in isnt true free molecules that you can smell has mass and more than one receptor in your nose recieves an input to your senses requires a molecule .06 in diameter to activate a receptor. It isnt something in your nose percieving something else. They could be molecules that have part of their mass taken apart by stars and whats left over is a smell.Molecules with missing atoms and arent affected by gravity but will cling to fabrics. Its a mystery that even NASA dont understand. Why does a vaccume have a smell? IT has been known since the first EVAs in the Gemini spacecraft.We dont carry around smells in our noses they react to receptors we catalog them in our brains and its extensive.Space smells like burning metal and the moon smalls like spent gunpowder its in a vaccume too. Why the sulferic smell? Theroy 2 do they only exist in low earth orbit and gravity collects the free molecules.
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Larry Monske

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Message 1411627 - Posted: 5 Sep 2013, 3:35:51 UTC - in response to Message 1411621.  

Like smoke from a fire the smoke of stars burnt out atoms that can be smelled. Smoke is the same size molecules as smoke .06 microns and smoke has mass slight but in the whole of the universe it could be massive.
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Message 1411658 - Posted: 5 Sep 2013, 4:55:08 UTC

As far as I understand it smells are caused by the reaction of sensors in our nose and mouth to contact with small particles of matter. Smell is not a separate thing as such.
Bob DeWoody

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Thomas Womack
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Message 1438186 - Posted: 5 Nov 2013, 2:54:38 UTC - in response to Message 1390379.  

that is the funniest thing I have heard all day. God that is funny
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Message 1440768 - Posted: 9 Nov 2013, 23:13:38 UTC - in response to Message 1438186.  
Last modified: 10 Nov 2013, 1:05:27 UTC

Welcome Thomas to the SETI Forums! Yes, strange things happen here.
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Profile William Rothamel
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Message 1440799 - Posted: 10 Nov 2013, 1:02:07 UTC - in response to Message 1379972.  

They wouldn't be breathing anything outside of the oxygen mix in their suits.
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Message boards : SETI@home Science : Could some of the missing mass in space be a smell..?


 
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