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ESA's Cluster Spacecraft Makes Shocking Discovery

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the celestial-shocker dept.

A recent observation by the ESA's Cluster Spacecraft was able to finally prove a 20-year-old theory. "On 24 January 2001, the four Cluster spacecraft were flying at an approximate altitude of 105 000 kilometres, in tetrahedron formation. Each spacecraft was separated from the others by a distance of about 600 kilometres. With such a distance between them, as they approached the bow shock, scientists expected that every spacecraft would record a similar signature of the passage through this region. Instead, the readings they got were highly contradictory. They showed large fluctuations in the magnetic and electric field surrounding each spacecraft. They also revealed marked variations in the number of solar wind protons that were reflected by the shock and streaming back to Sun."

17 of 137 comments (clear)

  1. Flight Recorder Captured it by joeflies · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wesley Crusher testified that the squadron was in Diamond Slot formation around Titan.

  2. So.... by Audent · · Score: 5, Funny

    WTF does that mean?

    I am SO not a rocket scientist.

    --
    I am a leaf on the wind
    1. Re:So.... by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think it means we're going to have to send a tachyon pulse into that thing in order to reverse the polarity and stabilize the anomaly.

    2. Re:So.... by Jarjarthejedi · · Score: 5, Funny

      It means that the Starboard Manifold Coupling may overload due to Heisenberg Waves unless we can patch the Quantum Foam Warp Reactor Sealant before the Borg board us!

      --
      There are two kinds of fool One says 'This is old therefore good' Another says 'This is new therefore better'- Dean Ing
    3. Re:So.... by Red+Flayer · · Score: 2, Funny

      It means that solar radiation hitting the earth's magnetic field acts like waves hitting the walls of your bathtub when you turn the faucet on. You get waves, not a ridge of water at the wall.

      In short, these bowshocks will shrivel your sack if you stay in to observe them too long.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  3. Who else... by Lockejaw · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... didn't have to look up tetrahedron because they roll d4's every weekend?

    --
    (IANAL)
  4. Re:Who else... by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who else didn't know what a tetrahedron was until the above poster noted that it was the shape of a 4 sided die?

  5. Re:geek needing moral support by ObjetDart · · Score: 5, Funny
    i love slashdot. i read it 24/7. and my gf just broke up with me

    Coincidence? I think not.

    --
    I read Usenet for the articles.
  6. We found it! by cashman73 · · Score: 2, Funny
    This must be the homeworld of the Ori, and this must be a sign of the enlightenment! "Those who reject the path to enlightenment must be destroyed."

    "Hallowed are the Ori."

  7. Here you go ... by Bearpaw · · Score: 2, Funny

    Were the differences well within the error bars? I'm going with the latter until someone pastes a link with meat on its bones.
    Here you go.
  8. They probably just forgot... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...to realign the deflector dish.

  9. Re:The boundary is always turbulant. by MollyB · · Score: 2, Funny

    Would you grant an exception to 0 K (-273.15 C)?

    (btw, my spell checker insists on "turbulent")

  10. Re:Shocking? by aegisalpha · · Score: 2, Funny

    As an electrical engineer I'd like to think I make a wonderful mythologist and astrophysicist.

    Mostly mythologist though.

  11. Re:Who else... by ender- · · Score: 2, Funny

    [sigh] me... :(

    Which in a way is odd, as I never got that into D&D and I haven't used a 4-sided die in many years.
    Still sad.

    --
    Nothing to see here
  12. Re:Who else... by Kohath · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's why they were effected with a bow shock.

    You're supposed to do your saving throws with a 20-sided die. You'll never save against anything with a tetrahedron.

  13. Re:Who else... by ookabooka · · Score: 5, Funny

    and finally: Who knew what a tetrahedron was, but didn't know what a "d4" was until the above poster stated it was a die with 4 sides?

    --
    If you are about to mod me down, keep in mind that this post was most likely sarcastic.
  14. Re:oblig by myowntrueself · · Score: 2, Funny

    So What does it all mean, Basil?

    That Manuel has been drinking the sherry again. And he found the good stuff this time?

    --
    In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.