1) The new Carnival of Space is up at Lab Lemming’s tent, and it’s a BIG tent.
2) Emily has news that Phobos is a bit lighter than previously thought. What a pile.
3) Emily also has some nifty new MESSENGER images explained. I’ve been too lazy to deal with that.
4) Tom notes that HiRISE spotted Spirit on Mars. Massively embiggenated version is here.
4) This is dumb. So why did it make me smile so much? Oh right: I’m a dork.
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Phil Plait, the creator of Bad Astronomy, is an astronomer, lecturer, and author. After ten years working on Hubble Space Telescope and six more working on astronomy education, he struck out on his own as a writer. He has written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic, and fights misuses of science as well as praising the wonder of real science.
Contact me: The Bad Astronomer "at" gmail "dot" com
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October 19th, 2008 at 10:11 am
number four made me think of those Google knickers with “G spot” in the search field and “I feel lucky” underneath. (Sorry we return you to your scheduled programming.)
October 19th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Well of course Phobos is lighter. It’s hollow. They’re waiting. Inside.
BTW, Phobos-Grunt. What a cool mission. Interesting name.
October 19th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Click on my name for a 3D animation of Phobos, courtesy of ESA Multimedia Gallery.
October 19th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Of course I had to immediately google “spock” to see what came up…
October 19th, 2008 at 10:54 am
OMG! There’s a giant yellow arrow on Mars!
October 19th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Am I the only one who wants to point out that Spirit is a dot in that image? I mean after that previous post and looking at the image I see about 3 other dots there that are the right size.
October 19th, 2008 at 11:37 am
If anybody can be bothered to do so, click on my name again for a large colour picture of Phobos.
October 19th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Thanks Ivan3Man, those links were awsome to see. That little fear monger is going to get his in 100 million years or so.
October 19th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
The second #4 is not dumb. It is, in fact, awesome.
October 19th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
The MESSENGER image of the “odd-looking, relatively fresh crater with prominent dark rays” is very interesting and the dark rays from it are prominent but what is the bright stuff within the crater? Possibly a newer crater (relatively speaking) with newly exposed Mercury soil?
October 19th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
@Ivan3man:
Cool animation & photo! Keep ‘em coming!
Rich
October 19th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
The video for the search for Spock was funny…dumb…but original and funny.
October 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
HA! I, also had to Google ‘Spock’
October 19th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Ah, Phobos, all loose rock and gravel. Now, there’s a ready source of raw material. Just scoop it up, melt and mold,,,into nearly any kind of construct.
I think remotely operated ‘bots from an outpost on Phobos would be a much more rational approach to a Mars expedition. Build radiation proof huts on Phobos with lots of solar power available and you could take all the time you want to explore the surface. Much easier than dealing with all that wind and dust on the martian surface. Same idea applies for mining the moon for material to build Solar power sats. With two construction modules, tethered together one kilometer apart and rotating about their common center, we could have sufficient G force to prevent physical decline. What I don’t have is the distance for a lunar stationary site. It has to be close enough to enable rapid feedback from the ‘bots. At any rate, a construction shack in orbit eliminates the problem with lunar dust.
Ah, well, just some random thoughts.
GAry 7
October 19th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
If you liked #4, I direct you to http://www.khaaan.com/
October 19th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Wow, that was damn funny! Khan!!!
October 19th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I usually get the “Did you mean…” question when I misspell something.
BTW, BA, I answered B) on the the skepchick quiz:)
October 19th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
What’s even fiunnier about #4
Google Spock and (6,66)0,00 matches come up.
Cool pic of phobos Ivan
October 20th, 2008 at 2:11 am
To all those who have complimented me on providing links to those pictures of Phobos: You’re welcome! Click on my name yet again for a stereo picture (red/blue 3D glasses required) of Phobos, and click on that picture to “embiggen” it.