Comments on: Pluto, ho!

By: Elwood Herring

Elwood Herring — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:38:05 +0000

I’d just like to celebrate this occasion by passing on this little-known poem by Stanley G. Weinbaum. It was included in his 1934 book “The New Adam”, and according to the book it was written about Neptune, but I think Pluto is more appropriate. I hope I’m not violating copyright by printing this here but if I am I apologise. I think this poem deserves wider recognition, and it paints a beautifully austere Plutonian landscape.

I am the planet eremite,
The gaunt repulsor of the light
That falls like icy rain at night.
From frigid stars and moons a-cold.
Ye have not seen a world like this -
The blank and oceanless abyss,
The nameless pit and precipice,
The mountain very bleak and old.
Yet ah - my silence murmereth!
Oh inner orbs, ye have not heard
That stillness where there is no death
Because no life hath ever stirred!
“But here God’s very name is dead!”
Wept Heaven’s mighty myriarch,
Then trembling, turned away and fled
For something gibbered in the dark!

Stanley G. Weinbaum 1934 (approx)

By: Justin

Justin — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 05:11:29 +0000

Jack, thanks for the correction on the Titan. You learn something new everyday! So Voyager was sent on its way by about 1.3 million lbs of thrust from the SRM’s, then a second (er, the first) stage with half a million. The difference in speed makes a little more sense now, I suppose.

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 08:42:08 +0000

Irishman, thanks for that link. Only scanned the page so far, but it looks good.

By: CousinoMacul

CousinoMacul — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 04:31:18 +0000

btw, don’t you mean “365.2425 days isn’t what it used to be?”

By: CousinoMacul

CousinoMacul — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 04:22:12 +0000

“Nine years sounds like a lot, but Iâ€™ve found of late 365 days isnâ€™t what it used to be!”

Yeah, I just hit 4-0 two weeks ago. I’m told that’s young, and I guess compared to Pluto, it is.
And yes, this is a great time for space exploration.
http://www.savethehubble.com/

â€”Javier

By: Jack Hagerty

Jack Hagerty — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:44:23 +0000

Justin sez: “Voyager was launched on a Titan IIIE. It looks like the Titan provided about 2 million lbs of thrust at liftoff (two SRBâ€™s and 1st stage).”

Just to split hairs, the Titan III’s, unlike the Shuttle, took off on the SRB’s only. The hypergolic core vehicle didn’t light until it was well underway, possibly after SRB sep, but I can’t verify that. To split them even further, the strap-ons are actually called “SRM’s” (Solid Rocket Motors), and are designated “Stage 0″ since they light before the first stage.

And an even finer split, only the Titan III C/D/E had the SRM’s. The IIIA and IIIB were the core vehicle only.

- Jack

By: Troy

Troy — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:10:08 +0000

Glad to see the probe get off the ground. It is interesting that the DAWN spacecraft to Ceres and Vesta won’t arrive until 2011 (it will be launched in May) and of course the asteroid belt is much closer. (Uses ion propulsion and is an orbiter so it is a much different mission)
This link is in regards to Cassini explaining the sling shot effect in cartoon form, I like it: http://www.planetary.org/saturn/images/gravity-assist_cartoon_578×333.jpg
Nine years sounds like a lot, but I’ve found of late 365 days isn’t what it used to be!