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NASA Solar Probe Blasts Toward Rendezvous With Sun

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the bring-me-danny-boyle dept.

coondoggie writes "NASA this morning used a United Launch Alliance Atlas rocket to blast its 6,800lb Solar Dynamics Observatory into an orbit 22,300 miles above Earth. The $808 million spacecraft will ultimately study the Sun and send back what NASA called a prodigious rush of pictures about sunspots, solar flares and a variety of other never-before-seen solar events. The idea is to get a better idea of how the Sun works and let scientists better forecast the space weather to offer earlier warnings to protect astronauts and satellites, NASA said."

6 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. First we bomb the moon... by PumpkinDog · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...now we're sending a spaceship to the sun?? I hope they're at least sending it at night so it won't get burnt.

    1. Re:First we bomb the moon... by Adriax · · Score: 3, Funny

      Almost 24 hours a day? You mean this thing gets a break every day?
      Damn robot rights lobby! Next thing you know it'll be asking for weekends and holidays off!

      --
      I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!
  2. Sounds like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...a bright idea.

  3. Some Advice For the Robot by Kozar_The_Malignant · · Score: 2, Funny

    Do not look at sun with remaining camera.

    --
    Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
  4. Re:Prodigious rush by Critical+Facilities · · Score: 3, Funny

    Or did they mean 500,000 average-length songs? When did 'an iTune' mean anything?

    Indeed. They should have used specific examples like:

    Here Comes the Sun
    Black Hole Sun
    Good Day Sunshine
    House of the Risin' Sun
    Walking on the Sun
    Blister in the Sun
    You Are the Sunshine of My Life
    Sunshower
    Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me
    Sunless Saturday
    California Sun
    Walking on Sunshine


    You know, something like that.

  5. Re:Prodigious rush by rockNme2349 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thats 0.14 Library of Congresses / Day.

    Sorry for the confusion.

    -NASA

    --
    Sewage Treatment Facilities - "Our duty is clear."