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Heat 'Most Likely Cause' of Pioneer Anomaly

Posted by timothy on from the that-dog's-not-so-shaggy-after-all dept.

astroengine writes "Everything from clouds of dark matter, weird gravitational effects, alien tampering and exotic new physics have all been blamed for the 'Pioneer Anomaly' — the tiny, inexplicable sun-ward acceleration acting on the veteran Pioneer deep space probes. However, evidence is mounting for a more mundane explanation. Yes, it's the emission of heat from the spacecrafts' onboard radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), slowly nudging the Pioneers off course, that looks like the most likely culprit. It's unlikely that this new finding will completely silence advocates of more exotic explanations, however."

4 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. I think I need to get some sleep. by gcnaddict · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    It's unlikely that this new finding will completely silence advocates of more erotic explanations, however.

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    1. Re:I think I need to get some sleep. by sitharus · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      That's what I read as well...

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      --sitharus
  2. Re:What a Dune Coon! by derGoldstein · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Totally.

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  3. Re:d00d by pz · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    The editors (read: Timothy) should AT LEAST have included a link to the previous posting and a quick blurb on why this isn't a dupe. And at best rewritten the hype-filled and intentionally misleading summary.

    Another clear failure of Slashdot editing.

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