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Huygens Probe Prepares for Saturn Moon Landing
Nathan writes "A probe is about to land on one of Saturn's 35 moons, Titan. The probe is a collaboration with NASA, the European Space Agency and Italy's space program. The probe is apparently about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. This landing should lead scientists toward new information about the atmosphere and the magnetosphere."
"The probe is apparently about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle."
An original Beetle, or a Super Beetle? Or even a new water-cooled "New Beetle"?
With the Italian involvement, wouldn't comparing it to a Volkswagen Scirocco be more appropriate?
at least the probe isn't being compared to a Ford Probe...
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
I hope we can find decent parking.
I didn't know Italy had a space program, though I suppose it makes sense.
"It's really very cold." ... Temperatures hover around -292 F (-180 C) ...
And the understatement award of the year goes to...Candice Hansen, a scientist for the Cassini-Huygens mission!
This flies in the face of science.
How dare you call Einstein's head a moon.
Wait...are you wishing them good luck in Metric or English measurements?
called "Herbie the Love Probe." Wait...that doesn't sound right. It won't be a TV movie, it'll be the new hot pr0n on satellite. It'll certainly be easy to transmit!
I'm so going to hell now.
Shyeah. Try telling that to the men and women back at Mission Control.
He didn't say anything about women.
I've see Uranus, too. And it's not worth the trip.
Don't worry, Planetary Protection Officers are insane. About every probe that leaves Earth is baked in an oven to sterilize it.
"I for one welcome our Earthly overlords..."
Hats off to NASA for the 2 rovers, lets hope we learn as much from this. Scary thought, Windows Space Probe Edition. Huygens: image source = bl_scr01.jpg NASA: Crap.
lol: You see no door there!
You will find very many popular science articles that use the Beetle as a standard of measurement. Most often as a weight measurement. This may have something to do with the budgets of science teachers through the last half of the 20th century. As many of them could not afford a newer model Beetle, we can safely assume its the old one.
i once pondered that. then i took a hit on the old bong pipe and fell asleep.
Check back with me when we get to Alpha Centauri in 10,000 years
Pah! We'll be on future tech 47 by then and probably have a Conquest victory before you get your Space Race victory. Besides, the game ends in 45 years...
Thats crazy! Did you know in mid 2008 Cassini justs stops dead and hovers there? Something fishy there...
How totally exciting, to be here in the future :-)
... we where already be.. there... ummm...
Your are guilty of temporal violation. Please remain where you are! Time police are making there way to you now. Don't try sneaking back to your own time either
First images from the probe are very curious indeed.
There are 10 types of people in this world, those who can count in binary and those who can't.
Great, an Earth with 35 moons. Now try putting yourself in the shoes of the guy who would have to write the tide tables. And what would the added gravitational stresses do to our tectonic situation--see Io for example. And finally, just how fricking wierd and convoluted would our religions be with that many bright and gravely portentious celestial objects flitting around the heavens? So remember, before you go and start tacking on moons, think of the ramifications first.
"OH SHIT, THERE'S A HORSE IN THE HOSPITAL!"