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NASA's New Horizons To Arrive At Pluto With Clyde Tombaugh's Ashes

Posted by timothy on from the economy-rate dept.

hypnosec writes NASA's New Horizons is bringing with it the ashes of Clyde Tombaugh – its discoverer – as it cruises towards the now dwarf-planet or 'plutoid'. The probe will be close enough on January 15 to start observing Pluto. Clyde Tombaugh discovered the ice and rock-laden Pluto in 1930 and one of his final requests was that his ashes be sent into space. Tombaugh died on January 17, 1997. Fulfilling that wish NASA has fitted the upper deck of New Horizons probe with a small container containing Tombaugh's ashes alongside a total of 7 scientific instruments. "Interned herein are remains of American Clyde W. Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto and the solar system's 'third zone'", reads the inscription on the container.

108 comments

  1. If this gathers more press than the science... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    then next time we might want to replace the 7 scientific instruments with ashes from 7 celebrities.

    1. Re:If this gathers more press than the science... by michelcolman · · Score: 2

      Imagine what aliens would think if they found the probe. They put what in there? Seriously? Ashes from some dead guy? Instead of an extra instrument, or a bigger battery? What for?

      Humans are weird creatures.

    2. Re:If this gathers more press than the science... by crunchygranola · · Score: 2

      ... It's as scientific as taking another picture of the bottom of the ocean.

      "Yup, it's sand."

      Who cares?

      Says the AC who does not know the Abyssal Plain is covered with clay not sand! Your knowledge of the ocean evidently begins and ends with a day at the beach.

      You make a good Exhibit A why scientific study of the Universe is necessary.

      --
      Second class citizen of the New Gilded Age
    3. Re:If this gathers more press than the science... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      It would be funny if they start deducing our culture, religion and other shit by this singular finding. Just like we often do with stuff we find from ancient cultures. We'd be a culture of creatures who barely conquered space (because our technology would probably appear rather crude to a species advanced enough to collect that probe) but we send the ashes of our deceased up, along with our science instruments. Probably some superstition cult. Maybe a human sacrifice to appease the Gods of Space? Or some powerful leader whose ashes have to be brought back to the heavenly source that he came from, down to us mortals and now we're seding him back to his birth place, according to the religion we'd (presumably) have.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    4. Re:If this gathers more press than the science... by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      Do we have to wait for them to die of natural reasons?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    5. Re:If this gathers more press than the science... by r1348 · · Score: 1

      First we would have to select and incinerate 7 of them...

    6. Re:If this gathers more press than the science... by sjames · · Score: 1

      And then you are surprised to learn: It's not sand!

    7. Re:If this gathers more press than the science... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I sense Pon farr would then be in order. Just give the Genesis Effect some time.

    8. Re:If this gathers more press than the science... by timothy · · Score: 1

      Hey, that seems a fine way to finance space exploration -- why not? No need to replace -- just supplement. I like voluntary taxation; if the celebrities sign up in advance, it would be great for them to get naming rights, too. Imagine The Yellow Submarine, with the eventual remains (or portion thereof) of Paul McCartney, say.

      No contradiction, though -- commercial purpose is a great way to get some pure science.

      --
      jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
  2. It's a first... by TWX · · Score: 1

    Makes me wonder if any other astronomers or other scientists to discover celestial objects will have their ashes sent in homage...

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    1. Re:It's a first... by mbone · · Score: 5, Informative

      Lunar Prospector carried Gene Shoemaker's ashes to the Moon, and was "deliberately targeted to impact in a permanently shadowed area of the Shoemaker crater near the lunar south pole." Now, they did that for science reasons, but it was still a very fitting end (they could have chosen another crater, of course).

    2. Re:It's a first... by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 2

      Makes me wonder if any other astronomers or other scientists to discover celestial objects will have their ashes sent in homage...

      It's a romantic notion, but strikes me as not really in the spirit of science. If I knew someone was going to explore this awesome thing I discovered, I would much rather have them use every bit of available weight to further that discovery.

    3. Re:It's a first... by grep+-v+'.*'+* · · Score: 2

      I did not know that -- it's very sweet; good for them.

      Now, I do have an off-topic question: When God finally arrives and brings back everyone from the dead:

      a) Does that also include cremations? (Probably so -- just add water.) Dismemberment? (Super Glue.)
      b) Will He do it more than once? I can just see Gene waking up in the shadow of the moon, and then immediately expiring because of the non-existent atmosphere and cold. So is this a one-time thing, or does God hit Ctrl-Alt-Del repeatedly until it finally works?
      c) God brings back to Earth all of the travelers that have managed to escape Earths' gravity. (Sounds kinda like a shepherd -- "That's not your yard, get back over here. Stupid sheep.")
      d) God doesn't bother. "You really want to leave? Have at it." (Wonder if any lawyers will take it up with Him since their potential clients are missing out.)
      e) Does that also include video-game characters? NetHack, Mario, Gordon Freeman, etc? (What about PacMan and GLaDOS?) And what about Sweetie?

      Enquiring minds want to know

      --
      If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
    4. Re:It's a first... by Gavagai80 · · Score: 1

      A few ounces of ash isn't going to be replaced by a useful science instrument. If they sent up people's entire remains it'd be a different story.

      --
      This space intentionally left blank
    5. Re:It's a first... by Kittenman · · Score: 1

      I saw a BBC show once about how the English treat their dead. They were running out of room in the Victorian times, and started cremations. The clincher was WW1, when the troops were being blown to smithereens with artillery and there wasn't enough of them to be resurrected, whether you're the deity or not.

      --
      "The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes" - Winston Churchill
    6. Re:It's a first... by clovis · · Score: 1

      A few ounces of ash isn't going to be replaced by a useful science instrument. If they sent up people's entire remains it'd be a different story.

      A whole corpse? That would be awesome, especially when some alien culture opens up the probe and realizes what it is.

      Alien Corporal realizes what he's looking at: WTF! WTF! It's some dead guy!
      Alien Sarge: A corpse? Is this some kind of joke? Why would they do that? Find the Captain and tell him.
      Alien Captain: I bet it's a threat. They're saying this is what they'll do to us.
      Alien Captain: We need to hit them first and hit them hard.
      Alien Captain: Unlock the weapons cabinets, and make sure every man has his sword and shield.

    7. Re:It's a first... by coofercat · · Score: 1

      ...and when the probe sent in my name crashes into said object (deliberately, or due to decaying orbit), I'd prefer that the object in question was contaminated by it as little as possible such that any future missions could look at it in it's original form.

    8. Re:It's a first... by FatLittleMonkey · · Score: 1

      Sword and shield?

      I'm not sure they're going to be much of a threat to us.

      --
      Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.
  3. Not all of his ashes.. by VMaN · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just a small portion of his ashes. Postage to the Kupier belt is still pretty expensive.

    1. Re: Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yes I'm sure they had to make everything significantly larger to accommodate 7 grams of ashes... The plaque would be affixed to the outside requiring no accommodation. Yes it adds a tiny bit of weight but nothing significant enough to complain about its cost. Jesus dude you must be a joy to be around...you sound like the type of person that whines about absolutely everything.

    2. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by itzly · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Or, when the design was done, they had some room left over, and they couldn't find a 7-gram scientific instrument.

    3. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by CanEHdian · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And still a tremendous waste of money to placard those who fund NASA for emotional reasons, not scientific reasons.

      What do you think is going to do more for NASA? The discovery/proof that Mars once was a planet with liquid water and perhaps even microbial life (which is HUGE from a scientific perspective), or two Good Ole American Boys planting the Stars & Stripes on the surface of the red planet, broadcast "live" on all major TV networks in the US and around the world? It is all about emotion: enthousiasm, national pride, and conquering that Final Frontier and leading the way. That's how it worked with Apollo.

      --
      When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.
    4. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by willworkforbeer · · Score: 2

      As a taxpayer-funded organization, they also must consider unique ways to gain publicity with the general public. If their PR folks are sharp, they'll use this to NASA's advantage and get a million dollars in both digital and liquid ink. The general public can relate to the emotionality of wanting your remains to reach out a bazillion miles.

      --
      Pretending this is my office full of bitter coworkers..
    5. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by itzly · · Score: 2

      I don't know what's going to do more for NASA, but I would love that microbial life. Don't care for the two men with the flag.

    6. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by thrich81 · · Score: 2

      Except that interplanetary missions and NASA in general are not ALL about science. I would even venture a guess that much of the support for NASA's interplanetary programs among the American public (the people paying for it) is based on a romantic vision of "exploration", not hard science. Little add-ons like this, and the on-board DVD's with thousands of people's signatures, don't cost much and add a lot to public support. Unless the planetary scientists are going to fund these missions by themselves they had better be sensitive to their other perceived values beyond the science published in journals read by 0.01% of the American public.

    7. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by thrich81 · · Score: 1

      OK, I was harsh on the unnamed "planetary scientists" and the ones I know are not like that so should have been less direct in my implied accusation. Sorry about that.

    8. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1

      We can't have both?

    9. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Interesting

      they also must consider unique ways to gain publicity with the general public.

      In my daughter's 4th grade class, they have a chart of the solar system, and they are tracking the progress of New Horizons as a class project. The ashes are one of the things the kids are most fascinated by. The science is helped along by some human interest. If it leads to just one or two additional kids pursuing careers in science or engineering, then this was a good investment of seven grams of payload.

      It is nice to see some esteem and recognition going to a scientist, rather than some politician.

    10. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by arth1 · · Score: 1

      We can't have both?

      Republicans

    11. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by mbone · · Score: 3, Interesting

      That weight would have gone to Pluto anyway; the ashes (plus the coin) were used as counterweights, for trim.

    12. Re: Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed. My son and my names are on NH and it's been a nice way to keep him interested in the mission.

    13. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't be so melodramatic. People of all ages and types have interests of some sort related to the "human connection." There is no magical thinking involved in a small piece of a person serving as a reminder of the scientific work getting us where we are today, or helping people relate to the fact that we can send things billions of kilometers away to other planets.

      I have plenty of scientist coworkers, who are quite capable of rational decisions about scientific research, yet they still have preferences to see things in person no matter how many drawings or data they see of a project, even if there is nothing new scientifically to achieve by being able to look at things with their own eyes, whether current or historic experiments. They still go to museums to see historic equipment, even though they already know the results and principles that resulted from that equipment. I have two coworkers quite fascinated about reading up on their family history, about distant ancestors they've never met, which you could argue would be "no different" from any other person from their time periods.

      And nearly all of those coworkers, and myself, can trace their interests in science to things they saw as kids that were not particularly the most scientific, but caught their attention for being cool. And getting a person involved some how can greatly add to the interest and attention. You could argue that showing how to make a bubble with a person inside is no different than any other big bubble, or showing a Tesla coil arcing to a person in a Faraday cage is no different than any other grounding point, but it is both capable of capturing addition interest, and not impacting the ability of kids to learn and grow, learning how to be scientists that make decisions with the data being the highest priority.

    14. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      " Kids are indoctrinated with magical thinking, "

      Yeah, it's called sci-fi. These kids grow up into full-fledged Space Nutters who think they'll live on Mars and colonize the universe. Given what we know, that's magical thinking too.

    15. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by johncandale · · Score: 1

      but if someone did in the far future, they would have to conclude that 21st century humans believed in magic. Sad, but that at least would be valuable information.

      Which is 100% true.

    16. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In my daughter's 4th grade class, they have a chart of the solar system, and they are tracking the progress of New Horizons as a class project. The ashes are one of the things the kids are most fascinated by.

      That makes me incredibly sad, and lowers my faith in humanity progressing past this ape state. Kids are indoctrinated with magical thinking, and don't realize that this is just ash, no different from any other ash.

      But it is in fact different than other ash.
      This ash come from Tombaugh's corpse. Other ash came from some other place.
      Or, are you saying that someone pulled a switch and substituted sand for Tombaugh's ashes?

      Or, is it that you can't understand the concept of a having memorials?
      How can you not understand that there may be some reason to signify the accomplishments of people who have done more than the rest of us and who have made contributions to the advancement of humanity?
      Is it that you can't understand that memorials to people who do these things encourage people to try to do great things, or even do small things that matter?
      I guess that is kind of magical thinking, and I for one hope that our young people engage in the kind of magical thinking that made every discovery from using fire to cook food to using motors and wings to fly.

    17. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by fufufang · · Score: 1

      And still a tremendous waste of money to placard those who fund NASA for emotional reasons, not scientific reasons.

      What do you think is going to do more for NASA? The discovery/proof that Mars once was a planet with liquid water and perhaps even microbial life (which is HUGE from a scientific perspective), or two Good Ole American Boys planting the Stars & Stripes on the surface of the red planet, broadcast "live" on all major TV networks in the US and around the world? It is all about emotion: enthousiasm, national pride, and conquering that Final Frontier and leading the way. That's how it worked with Apollo.

      Not to mention that they probably needed something to balance the probe anyway -- might as well use someone's ashes for symbolic purposes.

    18. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      We are apes. Live with it.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    19. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by itsdapead · · Score: 1

      And still a tremendous waste of money to placard those who fund NASA for emotional reasons, not scientific reasons

      Show me evidence that some valuable scientific experiment was bumped from the mission to accommodate this weight, or that a significant sum of much-needed money was diverted from elsewhere, and I'll agree with you.

      Meanwhile, I Am Not A Rocket Scientist, but it seems like a no-brainer that you don't design a half-tonne space probe without holding a few grammes of capacity in reserve for contingencies. Something like the ashes could have been bumped at the very last minute with out consequence if the probe weighed in 0.01% over weight.

      but if someone did in the far future, they would have to conclude that 21st century humans believed in magic.

      No, just that they had emotions and honoured their dead. In fact, you're feeding a Sky Fairy cult strawman (or rather straw Vulcan - see points #4 and #5).

      --
      In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
    20. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by arth1 · · Score: 0

      But it is in fact different than other ash.
      This ash come from Tombaugh's corpse. Other ash came from some other place.

      That is not a scientific difference. Can you show how we can distinguish ashes from Tombough from other ashes?

      Or, are you saying that someone pulled a switch and substituted sand for Tombaugh's ashes?

      That wouldn't be too far-fetched. Other sources are more readily available, and they would need some for tests anyhow. And who would know?

      Is it that you can't understand that memorials to people who do these things encourage people to try to do great things, or even do small things that matter?

      Oh, I understand. And that it's a personal and/or religious thing, not something the public should pay for. If a group wanted to ship Clyde Tombaugh's remains out to outer space, and his family were good with that, let them fund it. But don't force the rest of us to pay for what's basically magical thinking.

      There's not much logical difference between this and putting Lenin's corpse up for display. Except that Lenin's corpse has a higher probability of actually containing some of Lenin's remains, and those who are morbidly inclined can actually go visit it at times.

      Focus on what made Tombaugh do great (or not so great) things, and not a random bit of his carcass (will those 7 grams contain more ear or more penis?). Wenerating dead bodies through public funding is religious symbolism and of no scientific value, unless someone actually studies its effect on people.

    21. Re: Not all of his ashes.. by arth1 · · Score: 0

      Out of curiosity, why does that increase the interest?
      The mission isn't going to be any different whether it was your and his name, or a random string. No-one will ever see it. How is it different from writing your name in the air? Would that increase his interest in air?

      I'm honestly curious. I could see how some might be interested in having their name written where someone might see it, but this seems meaningless.

    22. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by arth1 · · Score: 0

      No, just that they had emotions and honoured their dead.

      Emotions are very useful, but doesn't require ascribing special properties to remains.

      But I fail to see what value honouring dead has. Honouring their work would presumably lead to more progress, but honouring individuals who don't exist anymore and are never coming back, including parts of their dead bodies?
      I cannot see any reason for this other than a religious superstition that there is something after death.

    23. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      :"Magical Thinking" is what sets the US apart from other countries and gives us the edge in science. The ability to "imagine" and "dream" up new ideas that other nations sit in awe of and become so desperate to move here.

    24. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know what's going to do more for NASA, but I would love that microbial life. Don't care for the two men with the flag.

      Love the bugs hate the humans huh?... Thank goodness you're opinion will have NOTHING to do with what NASA does.

    25. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But it is in fact different than other ash.
      This ash come from Tombaugh's corpse. Other ash came from some other place.

      That is not a scientific difference. Can you show how we can distinguish ashes from Tombough from other ashes?

      Focus on what made Tombaugh do great (or not so great) things, and not a random bit of his carcass (will those 7 grams contain more ear or more penis?). Wenerating dead bodies through public funding is religious symbolism and of no scientific value, unless someone actually studies its effect on people.

      So.. much.. wrong.. And your apparent definition of "scientific".. well you seem to be being almost deliberately obtuse.

      Nothing at NASA gets done BY science, it gets done by PEOPLE. And the people can't do it without FUNDING. How is that for a "scientific" process?

      And aside from the FACT that public opinion sways Congressional decisions about NASA funding, allowing it to DO MORE (or LESS) SCIENCE, something HUMAN like what they did WILL create a stronger emotional bond and motivation for the team members directly responsible for the mission to do an even better job than they would have. THAT is a studied phenomenon, read some..

    26. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Why would it need to be balanced?

      Spin stabilized spacecraft need an axisymmetric balance, otherwise their spin will precess and change speed, especially when changing position relative to the Sun and planets.

      It would likely be better if probes are quite unbalanced, and as a result the gravity drag from the Sun would help keep it pointed in the right direction without risking rotation nor having to run gyroscopes unnecessarily.

      No, it would precess, requiring active stabilization using up fuel, defeating the purpose of being spin stabilized for the cruise phase of the mission. The spinning won't be perfect and some attitude control is always needed especially if anything mechanically on the craft moves, but the difference between a carefully balanced craft and one not adds up to a lot of fuel on a long mission.

      This is religious symbolism, not science. ... Which, thanks to good Mr. Jefferson, should not take place on public money.

      There is a lot of symbolism endorsed by the US government, including ones Thomas Jefferson was quite aware of and supported. Not all symbolism is religious, even if historically it had some connections to religion, as are traditions not necessarily religious. Maybe you should be more careful with trying to trumpet definitions of scientific vs. non-scientific, and religious vs. not, if you can't even handle basic mechanics from physics...

    27. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Emotions are very useful, but doesn't require ascribing special properties to remains.

      No special properties are ascribed beyond identifying what they physically are. Provenance of an object is not magical or non-scientific, and valued by many people on everything from historic buildings and people to collectables and contemporary mementos.

    28. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by cusco · · Score: 1

      If it were up to just the Republicans we wouldn't have either, just a half-funded project that was cancelled as soon as the hardware contractors made their money.

      --
      "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
    29. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by itsdapead · · Score: 1

      but honouring individuals who don't exist anymore and are never coming back, including parts of their dead bodies?

      Hell, personally, I'd have settled with just a plaque, but if a few grams of ash has more emotional value with some people, why not? I certainly don't agree when people risk their lives to recover dead bodies, or waste valuable real estate on graveyards, but this is harmless. Plus, the inscription was purely factual.

      I cannot see any reason for this other than a religious superstition that there is something after death.

      There is something after death: the lives of everybody who didn't die that day, and their descendants. The possibility that what you did in your life might have a positive impact on your survivors, that they might even remember you or your work, is the real life after death.

      --
      In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
    30. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by arth1 · · Score: 1

      Hell, personally, I'd have settled with just a plaque, but if a few grams of ash has more emotional value with some people, why not?

      Because it's an endorsement of superstition, and sets precedents.

      There is something after death: the lives of everybody who didn't die that day, and their descendants. The possibility that what you did in your life might have a positive impact on your survivors, that they might even remember you or your work, is the real life after death.

      I partially agree. A positive impact on the future we don't get to see is a reason to live our lives well. Along with sowing our oats. But remembering me? I'd rather they spent the time on pursuing worthwhile endeavors, because no matter what people think of me, I won't know it, and it won't make a grain of difference.
      Some cultures have a taboo against speaking of the dead, and I can't say I've read anything about that causing problems.

  4. Just a flyby... by mbone · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Clyde Tombaugh will really be interred in interstellar space, as New Horizons has no means of scattering his ashes on Pluto.

    1. Re:Just a flyby... by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 4, Funny

      ... unless they've made a slight math error in their navigation computations.

    2. Re:Just a flyby... by linebackn · · Score: 2

      So now he gets to watch the whole thing stuffed between a couple of robotic instruments...

      "it just dawned on me how weird this movie is"

    3. Re:Just a flyby... by mbone · · Score: 2

      It would be more than slight :)

      On the other hand, if there are any unknown tiny moons of Pluto, he might get interred on one of those.

    4. Re:Just a flyby... by cthulhu11 · · Score: 1

      This does seem like a small but nontrivial risk. Aside from Charon there are four rocks we can see from here -- who knows else lurks? I should think that the mission team will be taking a long hard squint at every image they can slurp down along the way looking for new dangers, so that the trajectory can be adjusted in time.

  5. Discoverer? by Donwulff · · Score: 1

    Clyde Tombaugh discovered NASA? Outstanding, I've been wondering where they disappeared for a long time!

    1. Re:Discoverer? by NotInHere · · Score: 1

      Watch interstellar. Its future however.

    2. Re:Discoverer? by iggymanz · · Score: 2

      he clearly discovered New Horizon by that first sentence, work on your reading comprehension. Hopefully whomever built it is not offended by NASA's comandeering of it for a Pluto mission

    3. Re:Discoverer? by CanEHdian · · Score: 1

      I read it that Clyde Tombaugh discovered Clyde Tombaugh!

      --
      When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.
    4. Re:Discoverer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice try.

      Tombaugh's ashes discovered New Horizons.

    5. Re:Discoverer? by Donwulff · · Score: 0

      I tried to find a hard and fast rule on what the possessive pronoun "its" would refer to in that case, but alas, no luck... Glad I don't have to learn english! According to Wikipedia though, "In most cases, a pronoun follows its antecedent, and in many cases, the coreferential reading is impossible if the pronoun precedes its antecedent."
      In the olden days there was a convention of referring to ships as "she", I would contend partly because of the unclarity of the antecedents, because on the open seas there were less "she"'s the pronoun could refer to. Unfortunately I don't believe NASA follows that convention, in fact it's been falling into disuse overall. In this instance it would have been good because then we could say she = New Horizons, he = Clyde Tombaugh and it = NASA and there could be no confusion over what he discovered... right?

    6. Re:Discoverer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, no, no! Tombaugh obviously discovered The Ashes. Of course, this was some years before he was born.

    7. Re:Discoverer? by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 1

      he clearly discovered New Horizon by that first sentence, work on your reading comprehension. Hopefully whomever built it is not offended by NASA's comandeering of it for a Pluto mission

      Apparently he discovered tortured grammar.

      We, of course, already know where to look ...

    8. Re:Discoverer? by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      Or Tombaugh was a genderless non-human entity before assuming maleness as a disembodied spirit making a request over his pile of ashes. yes, I think we have it right now

  6. Re:frosty horizon ash winter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. - Nietzsche
    Nietzsche is dead. Nietzsche remains dead. And I have killed him. - God

  7. Fake engineers get sent to space by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Montgomery Scott got sent to "space": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J...

  8. Artifacts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Yeah that's going to confuse the hell out of some alien archeologist 20,000 years from now.

  9. Container also says... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ..."no deposit no return"...

  10. Why "American"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Same thing with Interstellar. Can't we get over the petty nationalism and explore space as Humans?

    1. Re:Why "American"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's more concise than "funding for NASA was provided by the taxpayers of the United States of America".

    2. Re:Why "American"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Americans paid for it. Pay to play. It's a big space out there, everyone can participate on their own or chip in on a joint mission.

  11. Not Yet Better than Hubble by mbone · · Score: 4, Informative

    New Horizons will start imaging (and optical navigation) this month, but it won't be better than Hubble until mid-May. That's when the fun will really start.

    1. Re:Not Yet Better than Hubble by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *Resolution* won't be better than Hubble's until mid-May, but light-gathering power might exceed Hubble's sooner because Hubble is shared while this probe has nothing better to do than to look at the Pluto system.

  12. Re:frosty horizon ash winter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Everybody is dead. Life is an illusion. - Me

  13. Should read "Interred" not "Interned". by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes I know it's not literally in the earth but that is still the correct use of the word for any tomb. This inscrpition was written by a vocabulary challenged individual.

  14. And by justthinkit · · Score: 1

    And would they have sent his ashes if Pluto had been demoted already?

    --
    I come here for the love
    1. Re:And by michelcolman · · Score: 1

      They would have added a note saying 'oh, and by the way, sorry about demoting your "planet" '.

      Or 'Have fun touring your "planet", wink wink'.

    2. Re:And by S.O.B. · · Score: 1

      Regardless of how it is classified he still discovered it. So I'm guessing yes, they still would have sent his ashes.

      --
      Some of what I say is fact, some is conjecture, the rest I'm just blowing out my ass...you guess.
    3. Re:And by crunchygranola · · Score: 4, Informative

      And would they have sent his ashes if Pluto had been demoted already?

      You are confused. Pluto was not "demoted". It in its old (inaccurate) classification it was the smallest and last planet to be discovered, a Johnny-Come-Lately.

      What Tombaugh really did was discover the first of a whole new class of objects - the Kuiper Belt Objects that extend far past the planets. And Pluto is its king - it is the largest and most prominent of all the KBOs (Eris, is queen, having the exact same diameter as far as we can tell, but is more distant and dimmer).

      Discovering a whole new class of objects beats discovering yet another planet.

      --
      Second class citizen of the New Gilded Age
    4. Re:And by ihtoit · · Score: 2

      not quite... Eris is slightly larger (by 30-40km) and 27% more massive than Pluto. (citation: W. M. Keck Observatory)

      --
      Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
    5. Re:And by ihtoit · · Score: 1

      to clarify: Eris is not a KBO, it is a TNO and a member of the Scattered Disc group.

      --
      Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
  15. Sounds like a movie plot by SpankiMonki · · Score: 2

    for the Plutoidite remake of "The Gods Must be Crazy".

  16. Wished there was room.... by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    For a spring ejector to allow them to fling his ashes int a trajectory that would allow them to impact on the planet.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re:Wished there was room.... by Tablizer · · Score: 2

      NH is whizzing by Pluto pretty quickly. I doubt a small mechanical device would be enough to fling a small canister to crash land on Pluto.

      Unless, perhaps the flinging is done several weeks before the Pluto encounter such that the canister splits off from NH's trajectory and simply smashes into Pluto face on. But its velocity would have to be spot-on because Pluto's gravity isn't going to make the target much bigger at the probe's encounter speed (which would be similar to the canister's). Adjustment propellants and a guidance system would probably be in order.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  17. Funny though they haven't reclassified the Sun by NotSoHeavyD3 · · Score: 0

    I mean since they had to reclassify Pluto given the new evidence. Lets see, the Sun is still classified as a yellow dwarf even though it's actually white(as viewed from space) and is bigger than 90% of all stars in the universe.(Since most stars are actually red dwarves and the Sun is much bigger than them.)

    --
    Did you know 80 to 90% of the moderators on slashdot wouldn't recognize a troll even if one dragged them under a bridge.
    1. Re:Funny though they haven't reclassified the Sun by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's still a crap newspaper.

    2. Re:Funny though they haven't reclassified the Sun by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They didn't reclassify it because the categorization of the Sun and other such stars as a "yellow dwarf"* (as opposed to a yellow giant, a star is either a giant or dwarf) works when it is appropriate? That is all such classifications need to do, facilitate communication, and changing the classification just increases or decreases effort to communicate about groups of things. It doesn't change the properties, importance, or significance of the original object.

      *(Well, yellow dwarf is an informal category, so it is isn't like it has some committee saying it is or isn't one. If you wanted something more precise, you would call it a G class star, which is still more yellow than an F class star, but it is easier to just call it yellow instead of slightly yellowish white, because it is a relative colour. That classification has been around for ~60 years, and it did experience some revisions back then.)

  18. Given that Pluto was demoted to dwarf-planet... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...Tombaugh must be rolling in his ash container.

    It's as if the sadistic NASA scientists are saying, "You discovered your dwarf-planet bed. Now lie in it!"

  19. METRIC! Oh shit! 3,000 km by raymorris · · Score: 1

    Of the error were using imperial units rather than metric ...

    Seriously, though, I understand they are considering / did consider getting within 3,000km of Pluto. If that course correction is made a million km out, 3,000km is just 0.3% error.

  20. I come by every 248 years. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This stupid site used to be worth the cache it took to read it.

  21. Names Too by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    There's also a CD with the names of everyone who submitted their name on NASA's website shortly before the launch. My daughter's name is on it.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  22. The Farthest Man From Home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    He is the Farthest Man From Home

  23. Re:frosty horizon ash winter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1882: "God is dead." -Nietzsche
    1900: "Nietzsche is dead." -God

  24. Ethics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I dont know - but is it ethical to put genetic material from our planet all over the place? What if it leads to microbes that killed off the existing life there (however unlikely in the present or in the distant future).

  25. Re:frosty horizon ash winter by Muad'Dave · · Score: 1

    Life is a "Grand Illusion" -- Styx, 1977

    --
    Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
  26. Re:frosty horizon ash winter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    there is no such thing as death, i am god, and you are all figments of my magnificent imagination.