Comments on: Dawn dips down to Vesta http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Fri, 25 May 2012 10:08:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Marc JX8P http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458447 Marc JX8P Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:30:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458447 Absolutely amazing picture, really makes you feel like you're there... Absolutely amazing picture, really makes you feel like you’re there…

]]> By: Messier Tidy Upper http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458374 Messier Tidy Upper Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:45:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458374 @ ^ <i>" I think </i>Hayabusa<i> actually orbited it for a time anyhow."</i> See : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayabusa#In_proximity_of_Itokawa which suggests maybe not quite. Click on my name this comment for a great if silent Youtube clip showing an animation of what the <i>Hayabusa</i> mission did as well. Or cut'n'paste : HAYABUSA Probe Mission overview CG/ JAXA into the Youtube search box. See : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEAR_Shoemaker#Orbits_and_landing For more NEAR Shoemaker~wise & note also the <i>Rosetta</i> mission : http://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/dsp_overview.cfm which will "accompany" <i> (& land on)</i> comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko around our Sun if all goes to plan as well. Hope this is useful / enjoyable for y'all. :-) @ ^ ” I think Hayabusa actually orbited it for a time anyhow.”

See :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayabusa#In_proximity_of_Itokawa

which suggests maybe not quite.

Click on my name this comment for a great if silent Youtube clip showing an animation of what the Hayabusa mission did as well. Or cut’n'paste :

HAYABUSA Probe Mission overview CG/ JAXA

into the Youtube search box.

See :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEAR_Shoemaker#Orbits_and_landing

For more NEAR Shoemaker~wise & note also the Rosetta mission :

http://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/dsp_overview.cfm

which will “accompany” (& land on) comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko around our Sun if all goes to plan as well.

Hope this is useful / enjoyable for y’all. :-)

]]> By: Messier Tidy Upper http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458372 Messier Tidy Upper Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:35:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458372 @1. amstrad asked : <i>"How does one maintain a reasonably predicatable orbit around such a low mass and lumpy object?"</i> By using good science and good rocketry that's how! ;-) Also getting in pretty very close and using the thrusters to adjust the orbit and match velocities effectively. It is pretty neat that they can do this - and remember that we've orbited much smaller asteroids than Vesta before already eg. asteroid Eros with the <i>NEAR-Shoemaker</i> spaceprobe and Japan's <i>Hayabusa</i> around asteroid Itokawa which I think holds the record for smallest rock yet orbited. I think <i>Hayabusa</i> actually orbited it for a time anyhow. BTW. Click on my name for youtube clip on one instrument that may have helped at least with asteroid Eros. :-) Awesome image here - well done <i>Dawn</i> can't wait to see Ceres in such detail too. :-) @1. amstrad asked : “How does one maintain a reasonably predicatable orbit around such a low mass and lumpy object?”

By using good science and good rocketry that’s how! ;-)

Also getting in pretty very close and using the thrusters to adjust the orbit and match velocities effectively. It is pretty neat that they can do this – and remember that we’ve orbited much smaller asteroids than Vesta before already eg. asteroid Eros with the NEAR-Shoemaker spaceprobe and Japan’s Hayabusa around asteroid Itokawa which I think holds the record for smallest rock yet orbited. I think Hayabusa actually orbited it for a time anyhow.

BTW. Click on my name for youtube clip on one instrument that may have helped at least with asteroid Eros. :-)

Awesome image here – well done Dawn can’t wait to see Ceres in such detail too. :-)

]]> By: Tony Mach http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458364 Tony Mach Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:27:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458364 For me, how I think the form of this crater should be and how the shadow therefore should look like doesn't add up to how it actually looks like. I wonder what I am missing. For me, how I think the form of this crater should be and how the shadow therefore should look like doesn’t add up to how it actually looks like. I wonder what I am missing.

]]> By: Dawn at Vesta | ***Dave Does the Blog http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458339 Dawn at Vesta | ***Dave Does the Blog Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:06:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458339 [...] next five months, and then it'll set its sights for the next destination: Ceres.Embedded Link Dawn dips down to Vesta | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine Astronomy | Ceres | Last July, the spacecraft Dawn slipped into orbit around Vesta, one of the [...] [...] next five months, and then it'll set its sights for the next destination: Ceres.Embedded Link Dawn dips down to Vesta | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine Astronomy | Ceres | Last July, the spacecraft Dawn slipped into orbit around Vesta, one of the [...]

]]> By: Douglas Troy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458284 Douglas Troy Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:43:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458284 Phil, every time I read one of your write-ups on something like this, I feel like I'm reading the script for a TV show called CSI Astronomy. "Next Week, Phil tries to determine if the smallish craters on the outer rim of the larger crater were caused by the suspect T11192-A from the Kuiper belt ... or if it was just Col Mustard with the candle stick in the library, as usual". Phil, every time I read one of your write-ups on something like this, I feel like I’m reading the script for a TV show called CSI Astronomy.

“Next Week, Phil tries to determine if the smallish craters on the outer rim of the larger crater were caused by the suspect T11192-A from the Kuiper belt … or if it was just Col Mustard with the candle stick in the library, as usual”.

]]> By: Bobby LaVesh http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458281 Bobby LaVesh Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:41:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458281 What's the black shape in the bottom right- looks bell-like (on its side) seems a rather unnatural looking shadow for the peak. Is that just how the image is rendered. What’s the black shape in the bottom right- looks bell-like (on its side) seems a rather unnatural looking shadow for the peak. Is that just how the image is rendered.

]]> By: Steve http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458265 Steve Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:21:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458265 Like Jason says (above) and regardless of which direction the shadow comes from I always see craters as sticking out rather than in, like they should be. It wouldn't surprise me if that was called something, just knowing would help. But the real issue is even if I download the pic and rotate it, it STILL looks wrong. Annoying, yes, and not your fault but was wondering if anyone knew what was going on with that? Like Jason says (above) and regardless of which direction the shadow comes from I always see craters as sticking out rather than in, like they should be. It wouldn’t surprise me if that was called something, just knowing would help. But the real issue is even if I download the pic and rotate it, it STILL looks wrong. Annoying, yes, and not your fault but was wondering if anyone knew what was going on with that?

]]> By: ceramicfundamentalist http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458253 ceramicfundamentalist Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:02:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458253 cool pic, almost fractal. craters in craters in craters... cool pic, almost fractal. craters in craters in craters…

]]> By: QuietDesperation http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458248 QuietDesperation Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:46:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458248 <i>can we just say “terrain” ragardless of which object we’re observing, and know we’re referring to the ‘ground’ of said object?</i> Yes. It's generic. It's really not something to OCD about. can we just say “terrain” ragardless of which object we’re observing, and know we’re referring to the ‘ground’ of said object?

Yes. It’s generic. It’s really not something to OCD about.

]]> By: Chief http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458246 Chief Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:39:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458246 Cool. Makes me look forward to 2015 much more. Do these robotic visits mean that we may have a mission objective for NASA with the new deep space manned rated rockets. Cool. Makes me look forward to 2015 much more.

Do these robotic visits mean that we may have a mission objective for NASA with the new deep space manned rated rockets.

]]> By: CR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458241 CR Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:29:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458241 Meanwhile, going through the Dawn image gallery, check out this one... http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/FC21A0014298_page.jpg The relatively fresh craters at upper right are partially filled in with slide material, and what looks like rilles are near them (and seem to actually cut across them). Very interesting topography there! (Cue the 'it's an alien mining operation' crowd in three, two, one...) Meanwhile, going through the Dawn image gallery, check out this one… http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/FC21A0014298_page.jpg The relatively fresh craters at upper right are partially filled in with slide material, and what looks like rilles are near them (and seem to actually cut across them). Very interesting topography there! (Cue the ‘it’s an alien mining operation’ crowd in three, two, one…)

]]> By: jason http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458237 jason Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:22:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458237 I keep getting turned around by the illusion that they are hills, not craters. I know our natural inclination it to assume light comes from above, and for me at least, to the left. Is there a particular reason that images I have seen of the moon and other non-terrestrial features seem to put the light source coming from the bottom or right? That seems to enhance the illusion andI would think make it harder to properly analyze the images. Is there a particular reason for this or is it just observation bias since those are the ones that stick in my mind? I keep getting turned around by the illusion that they are hills, not craters. I know our natural inclination it to assume light comes from above, and for me at least, to the left. Is there a particular reason that images I have seen of the moon and other non-terrestrial features seem to put the light source coming from the bottom or right? That seems to enhance the illusion andI would think make it harder to properly analyze the images. Is there a particular reason for this or is it just observation bias since those are the ones that stick in my mind?

]]> By: CR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458235 CR Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:14:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458235 "Whatever," indeed... can we just say "terrain" ragardless of which object we're observing, and know we're referring to the 'ground' of said object? That's one thing I've always detested about astronomy pedantry... "gee" and "terr" refer to Earth, so you can't use "apogee" or "terrain" for any other object except Earth. Worse, you have to come up with similarly started words suffixed with the name of the particular object being discussed. SHEESH, that's dumb! It's more dumb than the 'what's the definition of a planet?' debate, and a lot more pointless, and I'm usually a stickler for grammatical correctness. Anyway, moving on... WOW! What a cool photo! Every asteroid mission has brought us new images of asteroids that I scarcely imagined as young child. As others have said in earlier posts, asteroids were (at best) points of light in a telescope, most of which were imagined to probably looked like Phobos & Deimos. Now that we've been to more than a few, we can see that there's a lot more inviduality to the things. I know they're still just chunks of rock--leftovers, if you will--but they are so interesting. I eagerly await the next stunning vistas of Vesta, but I feel 2015 can't come soon enough... onward to Ceres! “Whatever,” indeed… can we just say “terrain” ragardless of which object we’re observing, and know we’re referring to the ‘ground’ of said object? That’s one thing I’ve always detested about astronomy pedantry… “gee” and “terr” refer to Earth, so you can’t use “apogee” or “terrain” for any other object except Earth. Worse, you have to come up with similarly started words suffixed with the name of the particular object being discussed. SHEESH, that’s dumb! It’s more dumb than the ‘what’s the definition of a planet?’ debate, and a lot more pointless, and I’m usually a stickler for grammatical correctness.
Anyway, moving on…

WOW! What a cool photo! Every asteroid mission has brought us new images of asteroids that I scarcely imagined as young child. As others have said in earlier posts, asteroids were (at best) points of light in a telescope, most of which were imagined to probably looked like Phobos & Deimos. Now that we’ve been to more than a few, we can see that there’s a lot more inviduality to the things. I know they’re still just chunks of rock–leftovers, if you will–but they are so interesting.
I eagerly await the next stunning vistas of Vesta, but I feel 2015 can’t come soon enough… onward to Ceres!

]]> By: amstrad http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/12/21/dawn-dips-down-to-vesta/comment-page-1/#comment-458231 amstrad Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:03:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=42195#comment-458231 How does one maintain a reasonably predicatable orbit around such a low mass and lumpy object? How does one maintain a reasonably predicatable orbit around such a low mass and lumpy object?

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