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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Ghostavo on July 03, 2005, 06:11:37 pm

Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Ghostavo on July 03, 2005, 06:11:37 pm: Quote

The US Deep Impact spacecraft has launched a projectile into the path of a comet millions of kilometres from Earth to find out what is inside.

The washing machine-sized 372kg (820lbs) "impactor" should smash into Comet Tempel at 0552 GMT on Monday.

By studying the comet's interior, scientists hope to learn more about the formation of the Solar System and the chemical building blocks of life.

Its mission will be short-lived but is certain to be spectacular.

Spacecraft instruments and ground-based telescopes will record the event, as a hole the size of a football stadium is blasted in the comet.

The cosmic fireworks are scheduled for 4 July - American Independence Day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4642845.stm
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Zarax on July 03, 2005, 06:19:28 pm: Also, following the article...

" The probe will start a controlled chain reaction that will write the message "All your planets belong to us", that will surely spread peace and spirit of collaboration in any intelligent species capable of reading it"
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Turnsky on July 03, 2005, 10:44:52 pm: :lol:

on one note, this is the first time nasa are going to make a probe hit something on purpose :p
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Taristin on July 03, 2005, 10:50:12 pm: It'll probably miss, and wind up in Vasuda prime in about 300 year... starting an intergallactic war...
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Goober5000 on July 03, 2005, 10:50:50 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Turnsky
on one note, this is the first time nasa are going to make a probe hit something on purpose :p
They've done it before. :p
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Turnsky on July 03, 2005, 10:53:50 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Goober5000
They've done it before. :p

ah, but are they gonna use metric or imperial measurements for this one? :p
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Goober5000 on July 03, 2005, 10:56:02 pm: On purpose, doofus. :p

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_program
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Bobboau on July 03, 2005, 11:14:40 pm: now watch it gently land on the surface
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Mefustae on July 04, 2005, 12:00:56 am: ...and then watch as the Comet gets pissed and starts charging towards Earth...
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Ace on July 04, 2005, 12:03:59 am: Quote
Originally posted by Turnsky

ah, but are they gonna use metric or imperial measurements for this one? :p

No imperial entanglements ;)

Most likely they'll accidentally hit the cloaked observing starship hiding in the comet, and we'll be invaded by the tripods in retalation :p

"See these humans? They hate freedom! Kill 'em in the name of the United States of Pegasus!"
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Anaz on July 04, 2005, 01:53:08 am: Cool.

Should be interesting to see the results. And the pictures :D
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Unknown Target on July 04, 2005, 02:04:37 am: Suprise suprise, NASA actually did something that worked:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050704/ap_on_sc/comet_buster
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Bobboau on July 04, 2005, 02:15:05 am: /*probe smashes into comit*/
NASA: I ment to do that!
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Carl on July 04, 2005, 03:12:05 am: 5 tons of dynamite, eh? that's sexy.
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: General Freak on July 04, 2005, 06:38:02 am: Yep, the copper missile hit. :D

Soon we will all know whether the comet contains ice or not! :D How exciting...

Well, actually, it sounds a bit boring to me, but I'm sure they will find some use for the information they get.
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Stunaep on July 04, 2005, 08:35:58 am: Oh yay, and only 4 years later than Clarke's estimate :p
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Anaz on July 04, 2005, 01:25:26 pm: Well, if there's ever an interplanetary war (or just one in space), we'll definitely win...NASA's proved that they're very good at hitting things ;)
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: InfernoGod on July 04, 2005, 01:50:00 pm: *probe just ever so slightly bumps the comet*
*the comet is knocked off it's main course, and instead is bumped onto a direct course for Earth*
Nasa: Um... Tell the public that the mission was a success, but we detected an incoming asteroid in the process. And where's my coffee?
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: General Freak on July 04, 2005, 01:52:40 pm: How ignorant. Do you even have any idea how large the comet is, where it is heading for, its speed and momentum and the actual force of the missile?
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Grug on July 04, 2005, 02:29:54 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Anaz
Well, if there's ever an interplanetary war (or just one in space), we'll definitely win...NASA's proved that they're very good at hitting things ;)

That and the fact that America is the only nation that refuses to sign the no-warfare in space treaty... :doubt:
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Anaz on July 04, 2005, 03:28:30 pm: Quote
Originally posted by General Freak
How ignorant. Do you even have any idea how large the comet is, where it is heading for, its speed and momentum and the actual force of the missile?

...not to mention the fact that it says in the article they've considered this and it won't happen
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: General Freak on July 04, 2005, 03:36:17 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Grug

That and the fact that America is the only nation that refuses to sign the no-warfare in space treaty... :doubt:

Well, it would be a waste big waste of tax payer's money to sign that treaty, wouldn't it? The whole multi-billion Star Wars project would have to be scrapped when it is almost finished, which is a 'shame'. ;D :D
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: karajorma on July 04, 2005, 04:06:06 pm: Even more of a shame will be when China simply sends up an astronaut with a BB gun and shoots it down again though :)
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Liquid Fire on July 04, 2005, 04:36:24 pm: Quote
The close-ups revealed not so much the pickle-shaped comet that scientists originally thought, but one that looked more like a potato, lumpy and pocked. Michael A'Hearn, an astronomer at the University of Maryland and Deep Impact principal investigator, likened it to a muffin or loaf of bread.

I guess they don't have enough lunch breaks at nasa.
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Ford Prefect on July 04, 2005, 07:30:02 pm: That's nothing. Just wait until the comet becomes a phallic symbol upon which NASA scientists direct all their sexual frustration.
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: vyper on July 04, 2005, 08:18:25 pm: [q]The close-ups revealed not so much the pickle-shaped comet that scientists originally thought, but one that looked more like a potato, lumpy and pocked.[/q]

Could this be the face of God?
(http://www.coffeehouse-at-end-of-days.com/pics/potatohead.jpg)
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Knight Templar on July 04, 2005, 08:23:23 pm: If I hadn't read the Beeb today, I would have assumed this thread to be about ****ty Ford cars.
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: achtung on July 04, 2005, 09:37:32 pm: It surprises the hell outta me that the site for this mission got 1 billion hits an dthe mars rover site got 400 million I mean which really sounds more interesting a planet that could be usefull or a snowball?
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: InfernoGod on July 05, 2005, 10:18:37 am: Quote
Originally posted by General Freak
How ignorant. Do you even have any idea how large the comet is, where it is heading for, its speed and momentum and the actual force of the missile?

Um, yeah... That was sarcasm... Not meant to be literally taken. A joke. You know, funny, haha? Yeah, a joke. Shoot me for not including [sarcasm][/sarcasm].
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: aldo_14 on July 05, 2005, 10:21:41 am: Quote
Originally posted by Swantz
It surprises the hell outta me that the site for this mission got 1 billion hits an dthe mars rover site got 400 million I mean which really sounds more interesting a planet that could be usefull or a snowball?

:wtf:
Come again?
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: InfernoGod on July 05, 2005, 10:23:08 am: I think he was talking about the websites. The website for the mars rover got 400 million hits compared to the billion that the comet site got.
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: aldo_14 on July 05, 2005, 10:35:52 am: Quote
Originally posted by vyper
[q]The close-ups revealed not so much the pickle-shaped comet that scientists originally thought, but one that looked more like a potato, lumpy and pocked.[/q]

Could this be the face of God?
(http://www.coffeehouse-at-end-of-days.com/pics/potatohead.jpg)

Not God, exactly.........
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: General Freak on July 05, 2005, 03:33:29 pm: Quote
Originally posted by InfernoGod

Um, yeah... That was sarcasm... Not meant to be literally taken. A joke. You know, funny, haha? Yeah, a joke. Shoot me for not including [sarcasm][/sarcasm].

Ok, sry, I didn't realize that. In the future, I will avoid these kinds of mistakes by just ignoring you.
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Unknown Target on July 05, 2005, 03:37:21 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Swantz
It surprises the hell outta me that the site for this mission got 1 billion hits an dthe mars rover site got 400 million I mean which really sounds more interesting a planet that could be usefull or a snowball?

Probably cause the "snowball" involves things hitting things in space, and explosions?
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: phreak on July 05, 2005, 04:00:38 pm: I don't know whether or not this should be a separate thread or not, but someone can split it or something if deemed approiate

anyways, here's a ****tard of the year nominee
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050705/od_nm/russia_horoscope_dc
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: FireCrack on July 05, 2005, 04:14:03 pm: ^wtf mate!
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: redsniper on July 05, 2005, 04:32:38 pm: You just shouldn't be able to sue over things like that. You should get laughed out of town by your lawyer, the judge, and anyone else living there.
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Bobboau on July 05, 2005, 05:15:47 pm: Russa is getting more and more like the US every day.
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Sigma957 on July 05, 2005, 07:04:15 pm: Heard about that on the radio today, what a dips**t :lol:
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: FireCrack on July 05, 2005, 08:17:14 pm: I could probably sue her for indirectly wasting my time by creating that news article...
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: Kosh on July 05, 2005, 08:51:49 pm: It would be sad if she won........
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: General Freak on July 06, 2005, 04:26:38 am: Read that. Old but hilarious news. Wait, actually, what I read was that she threatened to sue if NASA did it, and now she has kept to her promise. At the very least, she stands by her ..well...whatever she has left. :P
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: redsniper on July 06, 2005, 07:43:13 am: her stupidity?
Title: The Probe and the Comet
Post by: InfernoGod on July 06, 2005, 10:07:56 am: I think that's wasted away into dust also.