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Huygens Probe Prepares for Saturn Moon Landing

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the setting-down dept.

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."

6 of 273 comments (clear)

  1. Probe size by TWX · · Score: 4, Funny

    "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.
    1. Re:Probe size by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Funny
      An original Beetle, or a Super Beetle? Or even a new water-cooled "New Beetle"?

      After NASA's previous troubles with imperial measurements, I'm glad to see that they're moving to standard pop-scientific units. The standard unit of volume is based on the Super Beetle, since that was the current model when this benchmark first came into widespread use.

      BTW, the standard Beetle has recently been redefined in terms of human hair; it is now defined as exactly 1.374569443*10^14 cubic human hair widths. The length of a football field and the distance from New York to San Francisco have similarly been redefined as hair multiples. These recent harmonizations will help bring a new consistency to science news stories across all media outlets.

  2. Re:Good luck! by lucabrasi999 · · Score: 4, Funny
    I wish everybody involved good luck

    Wait...are you wishing them good luck in Metric or English measurements?

  3. I smell a spinoff TV movie and possible series... by Jaidon · · Score: 3, Funny
    "The probe is apparently about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle"

    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.

  4. Re:35 moons! by Mukaikubo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't worry, Planetary Protection Officers are insane. About every probe that leaves Earth is baked in an oven to sterilize it.

  5. Re:Popular science cliche by xtermin8 · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.