The Astronomy Thread

Agraza · Jul 15, 2015

clearasil needs to get on this

Furry · Jul 15, 2015

No a single crater on the surface in that shot and super mountainous. Im going to guess that pluto either was created by a massive impact that fractured the system relatively recently, or has a lot of surface activity (probably the second). The first would mean it was probably a moon of neptune until a really big comet or something else equally large launched it into its own orbit and created the multi moon system that it is now. That explanation would be far more rad, though less likely.

Dandain · Jul 15, 2015

11,000 feet or the size of the Rockies is the stats on those ice mountains.

Big Phoenix · Jul 15, 2015

Furry_sl said:
No a single crater on the surface in that shot and super mountainous. Im going to guess that pluto either was created by a massive impact that fractured the system relatively recently, or has a lot of surface activity (probably the second). The first would mean it was probably a moon of neptune until a really big comet or something else equally large launched it into its own orbit and created the multi moon system that it is now. That explanation would be far more rad, though less likely.

Eh plenty of craters on pluto in the other images released.

Dandain · Jul 15, 2015

NASA on Twitter:An animated gif of our, I'm assuming, best images of Pluto from first to most recent.

Here is a link to the press conference today.

Borzak · Jul 15, 2015

Agraza · Jul 15, 2015

Clearly NASA got it wrong. Send another probe, stat.

Cybsled · Jul 15, 2015

Clearly he was an alien or from the future!

opiate82 · Jul 16, 2015

Big Phoenix_sl said:
Eh plenty of craters on pluto in the other images released.

Yeah, but in that particular image the lack of craters in combination with that mountain range suggest active geology on Pluto which is going to cause a lot of geologist to go back to the drawing board on Pluto to figure out what is causing it. They were not expecting to find active geology.

LachiusTZ · Jul 16, 2015

More likely it's from impacts etc than active geology. I don't see how you have active geology there... Just seems impossible, unless it's made of not rock / ice? Would be neat as hell if that was the case tho.

opiate82 · Jul 16, 2015

"Pluto has an active interior, for reasons that are not at all clear," she said. "When ice-rich planetary bodies show evidence of resurfacing the interior it is usually tidal forces, but there is not a large nearby planetary body to raise tides. It's an extraordinary scientific mystery."

Read more:http://www.businessinsider.com/scien...#ixzz3g4SK6ywI

Famm · Jul 16, 2015

Pluto is some scary looking shit:

opiate82_sl said:
"Pluto has an active interior, for reasons that are not at all clear," she said. "When ice-rich planetary bodies show evidence of resurfacing the interior it is usually tidal forces, but there is not a large nearby planetary body to raise tides. It's an extraordinary scientific mystery."

I think its all becoming quite clear:

Yuggoth... is a strange dark orb at the very rim of our solar system... There are mighty cities on Yuggoth-great tiers of terraced towers built of black stone... The sun shines there no brighter than a star, but the beings need no light. They have other subtler senses, and put no windows in their great houses and temples... The black rivers of pitch that flow under those mysterious cyclopean bridges-things built by some elder race extinct and forgotten before the beings came to Yuggoth from the ultimate voids-ought to be enough to make any man a Dante or Poe if he can keep sane long enough to tell what he has seen...
-H. P. Lovecraft, "The Whisperer in Darkness"

Void · Jul 16, 2015

How do people look at this kind of stuff and say, "Nah, we don't need to spend even a tiny fraction of our budget to explore this shit more"?

Kedwyn · Jul 16, 2015

Vvoid_sl said:
How do people look at this kind of stuff and say, "Nah, we don't need to spend even a tiny fraction of our budget to explore this shit more"?

We obviously need more F35's

Chanur · Jul 16, 2015

Well my step dad has jumped on the Earth is flat train. So I can certainly see why our fellow citizens don't think we should spend more on space, they're a lot of dumb people out there.

LachiusTZ · Jul 16, 2015

Chanur_sl said:
Well my step dad has jumped on the Earth is flat train. So I can certainly see why our fellow citizens don't think we should spend more on space, they're a lot of dumb people out there.

You can't be serious... I thought those people were just trolls... Is he serious? This is something that is worth a hard segway IMO. Lol

Chanur · Jul 16, 2015

I started ridiculing him and he got defensive so I dropped it. He's been spending to much time with his crazy brother. It's rubbing off.

Madsapper · Jul 16, 2015

Chanur_sl said:
Well my step dad has jumped on the Earth is flat train. So I can certainly see why our fellow citizens don't think we should spend more on space, they're a lot of dumb people out there.

Does your mother humor his stupidity? Does he keep it to himself or is it going to be an every family get together topic?

Edit: Ah, crazy brother.

khorum · Jul 16, 2015

Ugh

it's like impossible to un-see it:

Chanur · Jul 16, 2015

Madsapper_sl said:
Does your mother humor his stupidity? Does he keep it to himself or is it going to be an every family get together topic?

Edit: Ah, crazy brother.

I don't think they really discuss it much. They both recognize his brother is off the deep end a bit but it seems like every time I talk to them its some new shenanigans. I mean I'm pretty open minded and willing to let people believe what they want but that stops at Moon Bat Earth flatters.

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