Last month I wrote that National Geographic was considering putting Saturn on its cover. The problem was, they were mulling over two other far less interesting and far less important issues: the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker (a bird? Compared to an entire planet? Woodpeckers don’t even have rings), and some tiny country in Europe or Asia or someplace. I forget which one.
Clearly, NatGeo has made the wise and inevitable choice to put Saturn on its cover.
Taking a page from creationists, astrologers, Hoagland, and others, I will baldly claim despite the lack of evidence — indeed, flying in the face of what evidence there actually is — that is is solely due to the juggernaut that is the power wielded by this mighty blog.
Let this be a lesson to those who stand before this blog: it will crush you.
November 20th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
ahahahaha:)
November 20th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
Let this be a lesson to those who stand before this blog: it will crush you.
Lol! That’s the second funniest thing I’ve heard today.
It was definitely the wiser choice. Good…I’ll be getting it.
November 20th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Hail Ceasar!
(I figure I should get ahead of the curve.)
Nice picture, Titan is a bit colder than I expected, but interesting. Might be jumping to the top of the “deadliest big moons to explore” charts. Hard to beat Europa, but a 200 below zero & poison atmosphere is great stuff. Lets see what JPL can dream up for this place.
November 20th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
Ah, power, what hath we wrot, or is it rot,,,
Darn, that won’t work.
Anyway, glad to see NatlGeo getting with the times. I look forward to the day some photog can take close up photos of the non-existant “surface” of Saturn and that can be the cover,,,wouldn’t it be cool to discover some kind of really low temp. life form there?
Yeah, Baby!!!
GAry 7
November 20th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
LoooL!
“Today, the National Geographic magazine. Tomorrow, …”
(Mimicking Franz Liebkind in Mel Brooks’ 1968: The Producers
)
November 20th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
If we’re going to go the route of Mel Brooks, then I have to say “It’s good to be the king.”
November 20th, 2006 at 2:17 pm
And you did it without me.
Tried several (read 5) times on different days to vote for the desired cover, and was always informed that something was malfunctioning with the webpage. Never did get to vote.
Just figured the Bulgarian Mafia was hacking the page in order to thwart the wishes of science fans. THEY failed. Ha.
November 20th, 2006 at 2:40 pm
Woodpeckers don’t have rings? Shocking. It is time that you “ringed woodpecker” deniers face the scientific facts and join the real world!
http://webserv.nhl.nl/~ribot/english/cetor_ng.htm
You’re all just planetists…
November 20th, 2006 at 2:59 pm
NatGeo: ‘Ah, now we see the violence inherent in the system’
…. ‘Help! Help!, I’m being repressed!’
November 20th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Of course Ivory-bills don’t have rings, but the trees they peck do.
While we’re discussing rings, here’s a thought: Why not count the rings of Saturn to determine the age of the solar system?
November 20th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
It’s National Geographic, not Interstellar Geographic!
November 20th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
We have Done the Impossible, and that makes us Mighty!
November 20th, 2006 at 3:24 pm
Bah!
Humbug!!
Phil Plait is just a Bad Astronomist!!!
==================================
On a slightly more serious note:
Hi Phil, are you using Fedora Core 6 AKA “Zog”???
Regards,
Gavin
November 20th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
And just in time for Saturnalia!
November 20th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
Very impressive! The BA has shaken free of the shackles of self-censure. Good for you!
November 20th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
Gavin, I have no clue what you’re talking about!
November 20th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
!!!YES!!!
Hmmm. Now I’ll have to buy a copy (as another post or two already mentioned).
jbs
November 20th, 2006 at 7:41 pm
taiki Says: “It’s National Geographic, not Interstellar Geographic!”
Well, Interplanetary, maybe. I think it ought to be “National Kronographic” (after Kronos, the Greek equivalent to Saturn).
- Jack
November 20th, 2006 at 8:56 pm
Let this be a lesson to those who stand before this blog: it will crush you.
Is this message directed at Pharyngula by any chance?
November 20th, 2006 at 9:00 pm
Phil,
That “tiny country in Europe or Asia or someplace” happened to be my homeland, located in South Western-Northwest Europe, the tiny duchy known as: “La République d’heureux vont chanceux”! But we take no offense. Saturn is very big. We are very small. In honor of Saturn on the cover of National Geographic we have developed a special “potage de pain-cuvette au centre avec l’anneau d’orbite de pizza” dinner.
Thank you.
November 20th, 2006 at 9:58 pm
I hope there’s no offense! Some people don’t get satire, though.
November 20th, 2006 at 10:44 pm
If your mean my post, I was joking. Yes, I dig satire very much.
“La République d’heureux vont chanceux” means “The Happy-Go-Lucky Republic” and “Potage de pain-cuvette au centre avec l’anneau d’orbite de pizza†is a made-up dish in honor of Saturn. It means: “soup breadbowl with an orbital ring of pizza pie.” (-;
November 20th, 2006 at 11:03 pm
Chip, please pardon your French…
November 20th, 2006 at 11:33 pm
Woodpeckers may not have rings, but does Saturn have wings??
November 20th, 2006 at 11:39 pm
You might have NatGeo under your thumb, but just try something on Mrs. Bad Astronomer…
Whose will is bent now?
(And good call, Kevin! Let us all aim to misbehave.)
November 21st, 2006 at 1:02 am
By the way, Bulgaria is the homeland of at least one of BA’s readers (me
), so please be more careful with satire next time, Phil. 
November 21st, 2006 at 1:29 am
National Geographic has always done a fine job of covering the space program both manned and unmanned. They also are uncompromising about evolution, and in many cases because evolution isn’t their raison d’etre it ends up in many a creationists bathroom or coffee table. That picture of Saturn is just so unusual it seems a no brainer.
November 21st, 2006 at 1:50 am
Re: the idea that National Geographic should only cover Earthbound subjects… well using that logic, since it’s NATIONAL Geographic, should it only cover subjects in the US, its country of origin?
Just kidding, mostly. I, for one, would not limit the magazine in any such way.
Oh, and I also never did get my vote for the cover to submit properly.
November 21st, 2006 at 2:04 am
Do they sell National Geographic here in the UK. I always thougt it was a US only publication so I never bothered to vote.
November 21st, 2006 at 2:24 am
Sticks,
Yep, they sell it in most newsagents here in the UK. Just wander into WH Smiths and you’ll find em stacked there. Amazed you’ve never seen them before.
November 21st, 2006 at 3:07 am
Hey Melusine, what was the funniest? (Just curious) -lbj
Melusine Says:
…. Lol! That’s the second funniest thing I’ve heard today.
November 21st, 2006 at 3:07 am
Hey Melusine, what was the funniest? Just curious -lbj
Melusine Says:
…. Lol! That’s the second funniest thing I’ve heard today.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:31 am
“Might be jumping to the top of the “deadliest big moons to explore†charts.”
Not even close! Try IO. Not only smack in the middle of Jupier’s radiation belt, but has a surface of near molten sulfur!!!
November 21st, 2006 at 5:58 am
Call to all sulphur loving lifeforms. Come to IO. Dinner is served,,,,
GAry 7
November 21st, 2006 at 6:01 am
I posted it yesterday while I was half-awake (or half-asleep). I think it was only funny to me – one has to make a lot of strange connections in my little webby world to be amused.
BTW, I think your first name needs some more vowels; I once knew of a hockey player, John Vanbiesbrook, who needed some more consonants – maybe you could trade with him.
November 21st, 2006 at 8:29 am
Good job Phil, you Media Elite.
They’ve even done a good job making cosmology understandable.
November 21st, 2006 at 8:50 am
The December 2006 issue of “National Geographic” arrived in my mailbox last Saturday, and when I saw that lovely photo of Saturn on the cover I, I was thrilled. You did good, Phil, helping bring that little competition to our attention.
November 21st, 2006 at 10:18 am
Hello Im an an amateur astronomer and so the I am definitly interested in the article on saturn new National Geographic. but I cant help but be bothered by the idea that this article on a planet most people have not seen other than in books Magazines Or T.V. is far more important than the discovery that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker might still be around. An animal that we, in our own thoughtlessness and uncaring attitude toward the other inhabitants of this planet, brought to the brink of extinction.
November 21st, 2006 at 12:21 pm
As a biologist and as someone who grew up in Arkansas where I closely watched each and every pileated woodpecker I ever saw to make sure none was an ivory-billed instead, I must admit I had mixed feelings about the choice for the National Geographic cover. However, the choice of this photo over the other two was the best choice, in my opinion, for a reason not mentioned in this post or the subsequent comments. This photo captures not one planet, but two.
It’s difficult to impossible to see in the thumbnail above, but in the original photo (and hopefully visible in the actual magazine cover) is Earth. That pale blue dot, to borrow from Sagan, contains Bulgaria and all the countries, the ivory-billed woodpecker and ALL species of plants and animals ever known to us — all living creatures known to mankind, including each and every one of us is in that picture. It’s too bad that the Cassini Team didn’t tell the world ahead of time so we could have all smiled at the camera.
Sorry to be so sappy, but this truly was a great picture.
November 21st, 2006 at 1:41 pm
Navneeth Says: “Woodpeckers may not have rings, but does Saturn have wings??”
No, but Galileo thought it had ears. That’s how he described it in his journal since his telescopes didn’t have enough resolution to show the rings as separate.
- Jack
November 21st, 2006 at 2:16 pm
Tom did mention that in Phil’s first entry about this picture, but that’s a nice way of putting it, ABR. There should be more sappiness in the world! We should not hold back our amazement – if I had been an Apollo astronaut I would have been a blubbering fool at the sight of Earth from afar.
November 21st, 2006 at 10:43 pm
Wonderful, BA…thanks for the cosmic relief.
November 21st, 2006 at 10:44 pm
Wonderful, BA, thanks for the cosmic relief.
November 22nd, 2006 at 12:40 am
Uh .. Typo noted here in the penultimate paragraph :
“Taking a page from creationists, astrologers, Hoagland, and others, I will baldly claim despite the lack of evidence — indeed, flying in the face of what evidence there actually is — that is is solely due to the juggernaut that is the power wielded by this mighty blog.”
“is is” when you mean it is solely due …
Oh coupla other minor points that are slightly more major than that minor typo. (& yes, I know _I’m_ hardly one to talk there!)
First the spaceprobe was from Earth doesn’t that make it count?
Second, woodpeckers do have rings if you take the term in its colloquial rather than technical meaning – the ring is located at the opposite end to the beak
Finally, Hail Phil Plait, Emperor of the Universe! Well all that’s covered of it in the Nast’l Geo. anyhow!
November 22nd, 2006 at 4:38 am
Good one Melusine, this *did* make me laugh!
(BTW, I think your first name needs some more vowels; I once knew of a hockey player, John Vanbiesbrook, who needed some more consonants – maybe you could trade with him.)
Do you think this is better: Lawindijowla – i think i’d need a guide as to how to pronounce it! FYI, the letter ‘w’ is an ‘oo’ sound in the Welsh. Cheers, Lw
November 22nd, 2006 at 5:10 am
^^^
I got my National Geographic in the mailbox yesterday – all I can say, and I’ve said it a zillion times, is that the Cassini spacecraft is the poet of the skies. Every image is just so serene and profoundly amazing – I could just kiss the Cassini imaging team. A wonderful article.
There’s also a separate fold-out “map” of our solar system – I like the orbiting 8 logo. I feel sorry for poor Pluto, but 8 is such a pleasing number, besides.
This whole issue is quite good – penguins, Bulgaria, woodpeckers, soldiers on the front lines…and a wonderful alligator claw. Buy, buy, buy.
November 23rd, 2006 at 1:46 am
Still can not locate a copy yet. My “travelling” does not take me near a WH Smiths so am limited to small independants and petrol stations which have the porn mags a plenty but no National Geographic
November 23rd, 2006 at 3:05 am
Sticks, click on this link: http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0612/index.html
You’ll get fast-loading videos and pictures of what’s in the magazine. For instance, click on the “Sights and Sounds of South Sandwich” to see penguins. If you click on the Saturn article, it will give you part, and then you can get the magazine online. I realize you might like the tactile pleasure of a magazine better, but it’s all the same information at least.
November 23rd, 2006 at 7:09 am
A co-worker visited the WH Smith in Northumberland Street, and they are still selling the November edition for £3.95
Anyone know when they come out here in the UK?
November 23rd, 2006 at 10:57 am
I visited our local CO-Op and apparently the December issues does not go on sale until 29th November. How come you across the pond get it earlier?
November 24th, 2006 at 11:58 am
Sticks, do you always ignore people’s comments and PM’s, or just mine? Why don’t you go to the National Geographic link I posted above, and 1) look at the issue, 2) email them and ask them why they issue later in the UK and how they print their issues. I’m sure there is a “Contact Us” email address, and I’m sure they’ll be happy to help you! I doubt you will get answers readily by posting in an older thread.
November 24th, 2006 at 11:59 am
Scratch the apostrophe in PMs. Arggh.
November 30th, 2006 at 7:42 am
Apologies to Melusine, if anyone is still reading these comments. I had wanted to get a physical copy as well as looking at the images online.
I have now got a copy of this edition