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Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar 2008

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the here-ya-go-bob dept.

krou writes "The Big Picture blog is running a Hubble Space Telescope imagery Advent Calendar, where for 25 days (it started on the 1st of December), a new photo will be revealed from the Hubble Space Telescope."

46 comments

  1. What ever happened... by Thelasko · · Score: 4, Funny

    to separation of church and space?

    --
    One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
    1. Re:What ever happened... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least Google believes in the separation of church and search.

    2. Re:What ever happened... by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      Better tell that to the astrologers out there!

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    3. Re:What ever happened... by iluvcapra · · Score: 1

      The Hubble is clearly a vital strategic initiative in the Star War on Christmas.

      Badum-bum, Try the veal.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    4. Re:What ever happened... by osu-neko · · Score: 1

      to separation of church and space?

      Hehe. But seriously, there has been a strong link between religion and astronomy (in the broad sense) since prehistoric times. Ancient people didn't build astroliths to conduct scientific experiments...

      --
      "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
    5. Re:What ever happened... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      to separation of church and space?

      i lold

  2. A picture? by HardCase · · Score: 3, Funny

    But...are they chocolate pictures? Mmmmm...chocolate universe...

  3. But why wait 25 days? by liraz · · Score: 5, Informative

    Showing one image a day for 25 days is a great way to generate repeat traffic for your blog and increase page views, especially if your blog is picked up by Slashdot!

    Or you could skip the middle man and go directly to the source and get as many beautiful HST images as you want... right now.

    --
    TurnKey Linux: if it can be easy, it should be easy
    1. Re:But why wait 25 days? by bigjarom · · Score: 1

      Thanks, but you shouldn't point things out to the masses... oh wait, this is /.

    2. Re:But why wait 25 days? by dtml-try+MyNick · · Score: 2, Informative

      This is one blog that doesn't really need the attention. Boston.com is already pretty renown for it's excelent photographic series.

      The bigpicture section of the site is updated weekly with amazing shots of a specific subject and linked to by a large number of other websites. This post on /. is just one in many I have seen linking to them.

      In short, this is one site that should be bookmarked if you're into nice photographs.

      --
      Life starts at the end of your comfort zone.
    3. Re:But why wait 25 days? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For the same reason yours is the only comment I see right now -- moderation.

      Plus there are nice, clear explanations of what they are.

    4. Re:But why wait 25 days? by Andr+T. · · Score: 1

      They could make _real_ calendar, with one picture each month, and sell high-quality prints of those. I'd buy one.

      Or I could just get one of beautiful naked girls. Hmm... forget about the star pictures. They should make one of naked girls in space or something.

      --

      Any life is made up of a single moment, the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is.

    5. Re:But why wait 25 days? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've seen on internet somewhere that naked girls usually have plenty of space.

    6. Re:But why wait 25 days? by kevin_conaway · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Showing one image a day for 25 days is a great way to generate repeat traffic for your blog and increase page views, especially if your blog is picked up by Slashdot! Or you could skip the middle man and go directly to the source and get as many beautiful HST images as you want... right now.

      Because thats what an advent calendar is!

      I understand that being skeptical of blog postings is tradition (and a good way to get mod points) on Slashdot but trust me, the Big Picture does just fine without needing to troll Slashdot for hits

    7. Re:But why wait 25 days? by An+ominous+Cow+art · · Score: 1

      I have a feeling that most people wouldn't find the girls quite as beautiful after they've been in space a while.

  4. Wise Men complain by MosesJones · · Score: 4, Funny

    Today the Union of Wise Men complained about the Hubble advent calendar and released the following statement

    "How on earth are we meant to follow a star if using Hubble we can now see billions of the buggers and makes it clear that rather than being Wise men we are in fact just gullible fools who are clinging to an outdated set of beliefs and primitive ideas on how the Universe operates. We insist that the Hubble advent calendar and telescope are shutdown immediately in order to prevent our beliefs in star following being ridiculed as a result of this vicious use of information. The Union of Wise Men is in favour of scientific endeavour as long as it doesn't imply that star following is a silly way of finding things."

    The Union of Wise Men also denied that Star following tended to happen after they staggered out of a pub drunk and went "oooh look at the pretty star".

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
    1. Re:Wise Men complain by MyLongNickName · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I've been reading through "The Audacity of Hope" by Barrack Obama. I am not a huge Obama supporter, but figure it would be good to read through the then-presidential-hopeful and now President elect's thoughts. One thing that impressed me is how Barrack identifies the "I'm right an will ridicule everyone who disagrees with me" mentality as the single most harmful element of political discourse today. He has a great point. take a look at Slashdot. Out of 100 "disagreement" threads, how many are actually civil? How many have folks listening to the other point of view?

      I know I am guilty of this.

      Your post did nothing to advance discourse. It was simply a poor attempt at humor and making fun of a belief system. Yeah, I know.... this is Slashdot. But for some reason I'm having a Don Quixote complex today and felt like pointing this out.

      --
      See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
    2. Re:Wise Men complain by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm reminded of the classic line from "Good Morning Vietnam":

      "You are in more dire need of a blowjob than any white man in history."

      --
      No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
    3. Re:Wise Men complain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can't help myself but to point out his name is spelled with ONE R. "Barack". I know spelling just isn't some people's strong suit, but I see this double-R misspelling all to frequently in forums and such, and it irritates the hell out of me. Sorry for venting, but you'd think that nearly two years of campaigning, tons of publicity and the finale (election) would have put the proper spelling into people's heads.

    4. Re:Wise Men complain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, these Evangelical Athiests are worse than spammers. Mention any subject and they'll turn it into an opportunity to tell you how stupid religion is and how smart they are. We get it, dudes! You don't believe in God! Okay, duly noted. Now can we get on with our lives!

    5. Re:Wise Men complain by E++99 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I remember an interesting survey of religions beliefs across different scientific fields. Astronomers were the one group that stood out as containing almost no atheists.

    6. Re:Wise Men complain by boredgourd · · Score: 1

      Speaking as a member of that belief system, I was amused.

      But the knee-jerk anti-religion ideology (different entirely from thoughtful critique or reasonable skepticism) that is common in these parts does get old. For some reason, conversations about religion tend to make their participants (supporters and critics alike) particularly closed-minded.

      JA

    7. Re:Wise Men complain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Usage defines spelling. So lump it francis, there is no such thing as 'proper spelling' outside of the small minds of a few people.

    8. Re:Wise Men complain by Vrst1013 · · Score: 1

      Well said.

    9. Re:Wise Men complain by Vrst1013 · · Score: 1

      Very interesting. Source?

    10. Re:Wise Men complain by theLOUDroom · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Your post did nothing to advance discourse.

      It is not possible to advance the discourse.

      The beliefs he's ridiculing are based on pure, blind FAITH.
      It's the same basis that suicide bombers use to support their actions, that was used to justfiy the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition.

      The is no such thing as a rational discourse here because these people are not rational.
      All you can do is make it blindingly obivous to the people that are not 100% locked into an arbitrary belief system, that beliefs based on nothing more than faith are fundamentally flawed and not worthy of respect.

      These people admit up front that nothing you say can change their mind because god told them the "truth".
      The idea of "keeping the discouse at a high level" is really just a smoke screen for actually saying, "Let's not challenge these peoples belief system by pointing out the obvious logical flaws and inconsistencies."

      If I believed that whites were genetically superior to blacks, people would criticize, ridicule and ostracize me. This is a natural, rational response to the problem. My irrational, arbitray beliefs have a negative impact on society and society is actively seeking to discourage them. Although I would be allowed to hold these beliefs, the rest of society is not obligated to treat them as anything more than utter bullshit. (People with those beliefs can still be treated with respect, but an idea must stand on its merits.)

      The idea that just because someone somewhere believes something, we have to treat it as a well-founded legitimate proposition is one of the biggest tradgedies in our educational system today, both at the high school and college levels.

      --
      Life is too short to proofread.
    11. Re:Wise Men complain by atraintocry · · Score: 1

      Meh, that's just Slashdot IMO. Seems like the downside of having a relatively sophisticated moderation system is that people treat the whole site like it's a video game. One where you get points for loudly showing that the guy above you is not as smart or as funny as you are. Lots of other sites don't have this problem. I know I'd trade some of the fine-grained control over which comments show up full-sized for a little more civility.

      But I am guilty of this as well.

  5. who else read that by prgrmr · · Score: 0, Troll

    as the Hubble Space Telescope imaginary Advent Calendar?

    1. Re:who else read that by camperdave · · Score: 1

      Who else read that as the Hubble Space Telescope imaginary Advent Calendar?

      I don't know whether you need more coffee or less, but please, do something.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    2. Re:who else read that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The worst part is that he told other people. It isn't even remotely fun.

    3. Re:who else read that by prgrmr · · Score: 1

      more, undoubtedly more.

    4. Re:who else read that by osu-neko · · Score: 1

      I don't know whether you need more coffee or less, but please, do something.

      Hey hey, be careful with the blasphemies. Suggesting there might be such thing as too much coffee... that's just evil...

      --
      "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
  6. Nibiru / Planet X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We're all doomed. Four years +8 days left.

    Share and enjoy!

  7. Sneaking a peak under the petticoat of creation... by Brad_McBad · · Score: 2, Funny

    If Jesus comes finds out that we're using his birthday as an excuse to peddle images of his dad's side projects he's going to come back packing heat.

  8. Advent is not 25 days long every year... by Sopor42 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm not even a Christian and it bothers me that Advent calendars are commonly 25 days long. Advent is NOT the days of December leading up to Christmas! It is the days from Advent Sunday (Wikipedia), which this years was 30 November, to Christmas. Which at one point in the history of this mostly harmless Earth was a celebration of the birth of Christ...

    1. Re:Advent is not 25 days long every year... by E++99 · · Score: 2, Informative

      The length of the "advent season", the season leading up to Christmas, varies depending on tradition. It begins on Advent Sunday (4 Sundays before Christmas) for Roman Catholics and Anglicans (and maybe others). However, advent calendars were introduced by German Lutherans, who had 24 days of Advent, beginning on December 1st. Adding a 25th day for Christmas itself is a modern innovation.

    2. Re:Advent is not 25 days long every year... by Sopor42 · · Score: 1

      That's what I get for being atheistic and complaining about Christian tradition ;-)

    3. Re:Advent is not 25 days long every year... by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 1

      Adding a 25th day for Christmas itself is a modern innovation.

      Thats about as "innovative" as some patents.

  9. Re:Sneaking a peak under the petticoat of creation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So, what would J do if he found out that we moved his birthday to be on the winter solstice?

  10. Re:Sneaking a peak under the petticoat of creation by Brad_McBad · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The winter solstice occurs between 20/12 and 23/12. It's been moved to a former pagan holiday. Anyways, he'd forgive us. That's his deal. That and being a parable.

  11. The 25th Picture by aardwolf64 · · Score: 1

    The 25th picture will be an archived copy of the first ever image from the Hubble. You know, the one where they forgot to remove the lens cap. :-)

  12. I always thought advent was the TV by jollyreaper · · Score: 2, Funny

    It spews commercials so it must be the ad vent.

    Mine was a troubled childhood.

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
  13. The 25th picture... by dpbsmith · · Score: 1

    ...will show a nova in the sky over an Earthlike extrasolar planet.

    --

    "How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!

  14. Re:Sneaking a peak under the petticoat of creation by osu-neko · · Score: 1

    Specifically, a Roman holiday. When the emperors converted to Christianity, they rebranded their favorite holidays.

    --
    "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
  15. Question for Space Wallpaper Fans by TheModelEskimo · · Score: 1

    Where are you getting your *sharp* space wallpaper images from? 99% of the space wallpaper images I've seen look like they were scanned in from a newspaper. Basically it seems like they were blown up from a smaller size, letting an interpolating algorithm have it's way. Or they are just old images from old space hardware. I prefer crisp images, so I'm wondering if there are any out there besides the awesome ones from the surface of Mars...