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NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Is Back In Business

Posted by timothy on from the at-least-mars-has-no-elections-right-now dept.

Matt_dk writes "Just a couple of days after the orbiting observatory was brought back online, Hubble aimed its prime working camera, the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), at a particularly intriguing target, a pair of gravitationally interacting galaxies called Arp 147. The image demonstrated that the camera is working exactly as it was before going offline, thereby scoring a 'perfect 10 both for performance and beauty.' (Meanwhile, the slowly declining Mars Phoenix Lander has now entered safe mode, according to reader CraftyJack.)

8 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Lander, not Rover by Ertman · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's the Mars Lander (Phoenix), not the Mars Rover, that is going into standby.

    1. Re:Lander, not Rover by RockMFR · · Score: 4, Funny

      Clearly we need to be giving more original names to these things. What will happen when humans colonize the planet?

      Mr Mars: "So, where do you live?"
      Mr Mars: "I live on Mars Street in Mars City."
      Mr Mars: "Oh really? So do I! Where do you work?"
      Mr Mars: "Mars Corporation."
      Mr Mars: "No way!"
      Mars Dog: "woof woof"

    2. Re:Lander, not Rover by EagleRock · · Score: 5, Funny

      To be fair, we did name these things. The Lander is called the Phoenix, and the two current Mars Rovers are Spirit and Opportunity. Of course, if we keep this up, Mars will begin to sound like a highly patriotic US-version of Harry Potter. :-)

      --
      How many boards would the Mongols hoard if the Mongol hordes got bored?
    3. Re:Lander, not Rover by Jesus_666 · · Score: 4, Funny

      As seen in the next Harry Potter books Harry Potter and the Stars, Stripes and Galaxies and Harry Potter and the Martian Real Estate Bubble.

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  2. Re:Rover? by EagleRock · · Score: 5, Informative

    Lots of confusion...but yes, Spirit and Opportunity are still going strong. It's the Mars Lander Phoenix that's entering safe mode due to failing electronics and deteriorating climate.

    --
    How many boards would the Mongols hoard if the Mongol hordes got bored?
  3. Re:Still blurry by Chaos+Incarnate · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's unfocused because it's not a true visible-light image, and because it's assembled from three images taken over two days. Drift happens.

    --
    Benford's Corollary to Clarke's Law: "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."
  4. zzzz by apodyopsis · · Score: 5, Informative

    The lander may be shutting down, but its work remembering that its done its job and exceeded 2.5 times its planned life span.

    If everything I designed lasted 2.5 times its product life I would be happy.

  5. Now that we're in safe mode... by roachdabug · · Score: 5, Funny

    I guess now we can only get images in 640x480 with 256 colors...