Thread: Space Events

When I posted that I actually thought to myself "I bet cmind doesn't understand the humour and points out we've sent rovers to Mars before". I even considered trying to rewrite it to make that clear, but then I wondered what the fuck I was doing spending time tailoring my posts to cmind.

Even if you are not particularly interested in research results or Mars, the whole EDL process is awe inspiring. Some the technology we have now is more advanced than what we would often see on sci-fi shows 30 years ago. That's incredible.

I think searching for signs of life on Mars is pretty much inherently interesting to everybody anyway. Although I heard with the current state of robotics it won't really be definitively settled until we can put a colony of humans up there to do the geology by hand.

Also,

Originally Posted by Xei

When I posted that I actually thought to myself "I bet cmind doesn't understand the humour and points out we've sent rovers to Mars before". I even considered trying to rewrite it to make that clear, but then I wondered what the fuck I was doing spending time tailoring my posts to cmind.

Not my fault that you're naturally inarticulate.

Originally Posted by cmind

Not my fault that you're naturally inarticulate.

He wasn't being inarticulate. It is still amazing that we put a robot on fucking MARS.
People fly through the air in aeroplanes every day and it's still mind blowing how fast and far we can travel.

Originally Posted by tommo

He wasn't being inarticulate. It is still amazing that we put a robot on fucking MARS.
People fly through the air in aeroplanes every day and it's still mind blowing how fast and far we can travel.

Shhhh... I'm making him angry.

Okay dude I'm just going to add you to my ignore filter now; I never seen you post anything of intelligence or value, just lame trolling attempts. Cya.

Apparently we get the first high definition colour shots today... does anybody know roughly when? I'm pretty stoked.

Originally Posted by Xei

Apparently we get the first high definition colour shots today... does anybody know roughly when? I'm pretty stoked.

Unless the pictures leak, probably at the next news conference.

NASA - NASA TV Schedule

2 p.m. - Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Rover Post-Landing News Briefing - Sol 4 Update - JPL (Public and Media Channels)

Times are in EST I believe. Any relevant broadcasts should be on their webstream.

So around 19:00 tonight in your time.

Originally Posted by Xei

Okay dude I'm just going to add you to my ignore filter now;

Thank god, I'm tired of hearing from you.

This is the first 360-degree panorama in color of the Gale Crater landing site taken by NASA's Curiosity rover. The panorama was made from thumbnail versions of images taken by the Mast Camera.

Scientists will take a closer look at several splotches in the foreground that appear gray. These areas show the effects of the descent stage's rocket engines blasting the ground. What appeared as a dark strip of dunes in previous, black-and-white pictures from Curiosity can be seen along the top of this mosaic, but the color images also reveal additional shades of reddish brown around the dunes, likely indicating different textures or materials.

This panorama mosaic was made of 130 images of 144 by 144 pixels each. Selected full frames from this panorama, which are 1,200 by 1,200 pixels each, are expected to be transmitted to Earth later. The images in this panorama were brightened in the processing. Mars only receives half the sunlight Earth does and this image was taken in the late Martian afternoon.

Here's a few more B&W hi-res






^^^^ She's a bit dirty

Extremely cool video
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/video...a_id=150029801

Tonight, by the way:
2012 Perseid Meteor Shower - NASA Science


Meanwhile, on Mars:
Sol 3 Pics - http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/

You win this time, North America.

Does anyone have any more information on this?

Just came across this recent article:

Mars Rover to Test Rock-Zapping Laser, 1st Drive Set | Space.com

Originally Posted by GavinGill

Does anyone have any more information on this?

Originally Posted by GavinGill

Does anyone have any more information on this?

It is not uncommon for them to remove interesting data so they can analyze it first and to stop people getting all crazy over the implications when they likely do not even understand the data.

Hm, that sounds like it could possibly be a logical explanation but...

Never gets old.

Make sure to put it in 1080p or Original and fullscreen that bitch.

Some more interesting space articles:

NASA's Mars Rover Curiosity Leaves Coded Tracks on First Test Drive | | Space.com

Inside NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission (Infographic) | Space.com

The Universe Isn't a Fractal, Study Finds | Space.com

Clues of Black Hole Genesis Seen in Milky Way | Space.com

This one's very interesting.

The Universe Isn't a Fractal, Study Finds | Space.com

Although I'm not sure why they arrived at their conclusion of a homogenous Universe just because it contains more galaxies when you get to larger scales.

Also, if this is what they're basing it on, it seems pretty obvious. If you have clusters, when you look in between those clusters, there will be less.

This is mostly for myself, although if any of you have a telescope it will be useful to you too.

Near-Earth object - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
4179 Toutatis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Toutatis makes frequent close approaches to Earth, with a currently minimum possible distance (Earth MOID) of just 0.006 AU (2.3 times as far as the Moon).[1] The approach on September 29, 2004, was particularly close, at 0.0104 AU[13] (within 4 lunar distances) from Earth, presenting a good opportunity for observation, with Toutatis shining at magnitude 8.8 when brightest.[2] A more recent close approach of 0.0502 AU (7,510,000 km; 4,670,000 mi) happened on November 9, 2008.[13][5] The next close approach will be December 12, 2012, at a distance of 0.046 AU (6,900,000 km; 4,300,000 mi),[13][5] and at magnitude 10.7.[14] At magnitude 10.7, the asteroid will not be visible to the naked eye, but may be visible to experienced observers using high-end binoculars. By the middle of May 2012 the asteroid will become brighter than magnitude 19.5

Now I just need to figure out where to find it

Ok, got it imported to Stellarium. Too bad I didn't know about it in May though

Oh, and this:
"The Chinese lunar probe Chang'e 2 departed from the Sun–Earth L2 point on April 15, 2012 and is en-route to the asteroid. The spacecraft is expected to make a flyby of 4179 Toutatis on December 13, 2012.[18][19]"

I'm not too adept when it comes to picking out 'shops so I can't say either way, but anyone else have any thoughts regarding this allegedly manipulated image?

Woah woah woah woah woah....
Woah........
So, wait.... he's.... he's analysing a terrain map for patterns?
Wow....

This is as bad as those people that use textures in Stellairum to prove comets are going to kill us in December.
Just. wow....