Pluto.

by **Violet** » Mon Aug 18, 2003 8:33 pm

oh sacrilege, I should be stoned.

by **Worm** » Mon Aug 18, 2003 7:53 pm

Violet wrote:When you said Phobos and Deimos, it reminded me of Sailor moon.

You should know that from Doom.

by **DavidK** » Mon Aug 18, 2003 5:28 pm

I didn't know you could make out moons on Jupiter and Saturn with anything other than a university telescope (even if they are just little dots).

Yeah, it surprised me too. A neat little line of them in the view, with Jupiter in the middle

The pictures you usually see don't give much of a sense of scale either: there's usually both the moon and its shadow in shot, giving the impression that the moon is practically skimming across the top of the amosphere, when through a scope it looks like the moons orbit 10 or more times further out than the diameter of the planet.

I've, well, pretty much conceded that it is unlikely that I will ever set foot on another world

That would be amazing, but there'd have to be *NO-ONE* else there. Standing on an alien world watching fat tourists wandering round complaining just wouldn't be the same ...

by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Mon Aug 18, 2003 9:25 am

DavidK wrote:A friend has a small telescope. Looking at Jupiter and Saturn through it is really strange: you get much more of a sense that it's "really there" than pretty Hubble images. Even on a little 3" telescope you can make out bands of colour on the planets and the moons as little dots.

Oh wow, I didn't know you could make out moons on Jupiter and Saturn with anything other than a university telescope (even if they are just little dots). That's it -- I've definitely got to find a way or a nearby 'scope to do this.

(I'm also fascinated with how misshapen the two Mars moons are. I know the theory goes that they are probably asteroids, but if not it's nice to see that even the creator has a day or two where he just doesn't feel like showing up for work. Anyway, I turn 30 next year and I've, well, pretty much conceded that it is unlikely that I will ever set foot on another world, though I would love to, if only for an instant. Actually looking at them may be as close as I get.)

by **Lysander** » Mon Aug 18, 2003 9:03 am

They should make some sort of addaptor so you could plug your telescope into your television. So you could actually see the planet without having to get eyestrain looking through a *3-millimeter-fucking-diameter lens*. That would be sweet.

by **DavidK** » Mon Aug 18, 2003 3:28 am

(Actually, can you even see Jupiter without a telescope? I have no idea.)

When it's in the night sky it's pretty easy to spot as a very bright star. No idea where you'd look in the North American sky though, so that's not much help. Saturn's also fairly easy to spot, if a bit fainter.

A friend has a small telescope. Looking at Jupiter and Saturn through it is really strange: you get much more of a sense that it's "really there" than pretty Hubble images. Even on a little 3" telescope you can make out bands of colour on the planets and the moons as little dots.

On the other hand, standing outside in the bitter fucking cold in the middle of nowhere in Winter to do this kind of takes the edge off it after a few times...

by **Guest** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 5:52 pm

Anyway, why does it matter whether the moon always faces the planet? The Earth's moon is rather unusual in this regard, and plenty of objects usually considered to be moons don't exhibit this behavior.

Earth's moon has been hanging out a loooong time and the pull of gravity from Mutha Earth finally caused the rotation to stop with the densest side facing in (like a stupid guy pulling at a push door) If all those other moons hang about long enough they will exhibit the same gravitational pattern. I always though it was rather 2001-ish that the moon rotated exactly the same as the earth, thinking perhaps of maybe it was that way 'on purpose'.
"Hey Buzz, What's that big black thing down there?"
Then Carl Sagan blew my theory to hell like a 5 dollar hooker on welfare weekeknd. BALLS!
See if I read any more scieintific journals... stick to my sci-fi. I like the heechee better than

THAT
WHEELCHAIR GUY
AARDVARK

by **Violet** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 5:10 pm

When you said Phobos and Deimos, it reminded me of Sailor moon. They are the crow guardians of sailor mars. This is the only reason I knew they were the moons of mars. That is so sad.

Using my knowledge of sailor moon. Anything that has a planet guardian must be a planet. Therefore the moon is a planet too.

I am obviously full of crap but it's fun crap and I like it.

by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 4:41 pm

bruce wrote:
Vitriola wrote:They did discover another planet out beyond Pluto. Anyone remember the articles on Quaoar, or, has it been declassified into just another piece of space rock since the last time I read about it?
I think ICJ is going to get all sulky and make sure we know that that's a Kuiper Belt Object, not a planet.

... Well, this is what I get for not reading the whole thread before I punched in my replies. I am now only posting as "Stealth Edit" from here on out. Thank you! You've been a terrific crowd! G'night!

I may just take the Classical position that the planets end with Saturn, and everything beyond there is some sort of new fangled tomfoolery.

I thought people would make fun of me, but to be honest, I only "believe" in the objects in the sky that I have been able to personally see. That, plus, remember what the Bible has told us! I envision a solar system where the objects present are the Sun, the moon, the earth, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. And even Jupiter is stretching it -- my girlfriend in college pointed it out, and she had a penchant for making fun of me when it suited her. What I saw as "Jupiter" could have very well been a red dot she planted on my eyeglasses.

(Actually, can you even see Jupiter without a telescope? I have no idea.)

Oh. I also include Phobos and Deimos, even though I've never seen them, because I feel bad for them being two lumpy chunks of non-round rock. So sympathy also gets you into ICJ's version of the solar system.

by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 4:37 pm

Vitriola wrote:They did discover another planet out beyond Pluto. Anyone remember the articles on Quaoar, or, has it been declassified into just another piece of space rock since the last time I read about it?

There were some threads on this BBS when it happened. I think it currently got thrown into the Kuiper mix, though. Which may be horseshit. I don't know enough about it to formulate an opinion.

by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 4:36 pm

bruce wrote:The Earth's moon is rather unusual in this regard, and plenty of objects usually considered to be moons don't exhibit this behavior.

Right, but Charon, if I remember right, does exhibit this behavior. Actually, I think that both Pluto rotates synchronously as well. I can't remember exactly, though.

All moons don't rotate that way, but only moons do, right?

by **bruce** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 4:26 pm

Vitriola wrote:They did discover another planet out beyond Pluto. Anyone remember the articles on Quaoar, or, has it been declassified into just another piece of space rock since the last time I read about it?

I think ICJ is going to get all sulky and make sure we know that that's a Kuiper Belt Object, not a planet.

I may just take the Classical position that the planets end with Saturn, and everything beyond there is some sort of new fangled tomfoolery.

Bruce

by **Vitriola** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 4:24 pm

They did discover another planet out beyond Pluto. Anyone remember the articles on Quaoar, or, has it been declassified into just another piece of space rock since the last time I read about it?

by **bruce** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 4:22 pm

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:With a locked rotation? Same side facing the ... belt object playing the role of 'planet'?

=(

I've edited the original post--it's American Scientist, not Scientific American (easy mistake to make). Anyway, why does it matter whether the moon always faces the planet? The Earth's moon is rather unusual in this regard, and plenty of objects usually considered to be moons don't exhibit this behavior.

Bruce

by **AArdvark** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 4:17 pm

I have to ask why this topic is important. Now if someone were to say..."Pluto used to be between Mars and Jupiter but something bad happened and it got moshed. Most of pluto was bumped out to the far reaches of the solar system while the debris left behind is the asteroid belt we know today. Maybe someday man will explore the asteroids and discover ancient Plutonian culture before that really bad thing happened."

That would be worth discussing. Or how about is there another planet out farther than Pluto? Why are all the planets lined up in the (mostly) same plane? If Pluto is a dog and Mickey is a mouse and Donald is a duck, what's Goofy? Does anyone lose sleep oner these ponderables?

THE
UP ALL NIGHT
AARDVARK

by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 3:13 pm

With a locked rotation? Same side facing the ... belt object playing the role of 'planet'?

=(

by **bruce** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 9:58 am

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:Say, remember all those times when you'd see an asteroid or a comet or Kuiper belt object floating around out in space around the sun? Boy, me too. THEY SURE HAVE LOVELY MOONS DON'T THEY OH WAIT THEY DON'T.

Actually, the current American Scientist has an article about several large Kuiper Belt objects with, um, moons.

Bruce

by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 12:03 am

Thanks, bud. gg.

by **pinback** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 12:02 am

Hmm. Interesting points.

I suppose you're right, actually.

by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sat Aug 16, 2003 11:45 pm

Pluto is a fucking planet, and your opinions, all your opinions, have been rendered worthless for saying otherwise.

ANYONE saying it's not can't be taken seriously regarding anything. Hello!! IT'S GOT A MOON. Say, remember all those times when you'd see an asteroid or a comet or Kuiper belt object floating around out in space around the sun? Boy, me too. THEY SURE HAVE LOVELY MOONS DON'T THEY OH WAIT THEY DON'T.

Pluto is a planet. And anyone who thinks otherwise deserves to be banished there so they can re-think their terrible opinion.

Pluto.

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