Only one spacecraft in the history of spaceflight has ever made a close approach to Uranus. NASA’s Voyager 2 zipped pass Uranus in January, 1986, coming within 81,000 km of the surface of Uranus. It took thousands of photographs of Uranus and its moons, and then sped off onto towards its next target: Neptune. No other spacecraft have ever been sent towards Uranus, and there are no plans to send any more.
― fit and working again, Friday, 25 April 2014 20:18 (ten years ago) link
I was trying to picture ilx minus all the things that annoy lex and it made me lol
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 25 April 2014 20:19 (ten years ago) link
ilx minus other people you mean
― How dare you tarnish the reputation of Turturro's yodel (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 25 April 2014 20:22 (ten years ago) link
Haha, "Urine us"!
― Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Friday, 25 April 2014 21:10 (ten years ago) link
NASA’s Voyager 2 zipped pass Uranus in January, 1986, coming within 81,000 km of the surface of Uranus.
We went to my grandparents' for a visit and Granddad was watching a cable channel showing nothing but that footage. Just a big white sphere with some stats updating on the side. I sat down next to him and watched it with him for awhile. Honestly, it was a little like that Young Ones where they watch the dot for awhile.
― pplains, Friday, 25 April 2014 23:33 (ten years ago) link
You know what else is funny?
YOUR ANUS.
― Fiddler on a hot tin roof (ed.b), Saturday, 26 April 2014 01:03 (ten years ago) link
that's not funny.
― j., Saturday, 26 April 2014 01:13 (ten years ago) link
http://theconversation.com/jupiters-great-red-spot-could-disappear-in-a-generation-26798
― ornamental cabbage (James Morrison), Friday, 16 May 2014 04:42 (ten years ago) link
https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/48655/width668/7mffnqb7-1400203086.jpg
― ornamental cabbage (James Morrison), Friday, 16 May 2014 04:43 (ten years ago) link
Love this Neptune composite on APOD yesterday
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1405/Neptune-South-Pole-Voyager-2_950x682.jpg
― Elvis Telecom, Friday, 16 May 2014 05:10 (ten years ago) link
I find it incredible that in the 70's/80's the Soviets managed to engineer a probe with a camera that can withstand the heat and atmospheric pressure of Venus. I know the Mars rovers have done an amazing job beyond expectations, but the surface of Venus ffs ? This is a bit old and some of the images are frustratingly small, but it is worth checking out.http://mentallandscape.com/C_CatalogVenus.htm
http://mentallandscape.com/C_Venera_Perspective.jpg
― xelab, Sunday, 18 May 2014 20:10 (ten years ago) link
The theory that we already had a smaller moon from a giant bolide impact prior to the Thea collision, excellent article.http://nautil.us/issue/13/symmetry/when-the-earth-had-two-moons
― xelab, Thursday, 29 May 2014 15:15 (ten years ago) link
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t1.0-9/10365727_849471851740494_6117098277333421237_n.png
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 10 June 2014 22:57 (nine years ago) link
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/06/02/stuff-you-dont-know-about-venus/
4. Difference in temperature between day and night on Venus: 0 degrees.5. Difference in temperature between the planet’s equator and poles: 0 degrees.6. Reason for #4 and #5: That enormously thick, carbon dioxide atmosphere redistributes heat very efficiently. In other words, if you’re on Venus and you need to cool off, your best bet is to go up. Roughly 30 miles up, where the pressure and temperature finally relax and become something Earth-like (see #8).[...]8. That doesn’t mean the planet is necessarily lifeless. It’s possible that organisms could live in those acid clouds, which contain water, energy, and nutrients.
5. Difference in temperature between the planet’s equator and poles: 0 degrees.
6. Reason for #4 and #5: That enormously thick, carbon dioxide atmosphere redistributes heat very efficiently. In other words, if you’re on Venus and you need to cool off, your best bet is to go up. Roughly 30 miles up, where the pressure and temperature finally relax and become something Earth-like (see #8).
[...]
8. That doesn’t mean the planet is necessarily lifeless. It’s possible that organisms could live in those acid clouds, which contain water, energy, and nutrients.
― Call the Doctorb, the B is for Brownstein (Leee), Tuesday, 8 July 2014 16:33 (nine years ago) link
Distant Uranus Sees A Storm Surge Of ‘Monstrous’ Proportions
http://www.keckobservatory.org/images/made/images/blog/Uranus_Aug20141_800_407.jpg
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 12 August 2014 08:26 (nine years ago) link
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/02/tech/innovation/is-pluto-a-planet/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Friday, 3 October 2014 00:40 (nine years ago) link
Recently read about that technicality. I believe in the case of the earlier vote there had been an original subcommittee featuring the likes of Dava Sobel and Owen Gingerich that drew up guidelines under which Pluto was a planet, but then the rubbish-clearing, broom-clean clause was added, driving Pluto out with a flaming sword.
― The "5" Astronomer Royales (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 3 October 2014 01:06 (nine years ago) link
This is the dopest thing I have seen today, wow!http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/october/close-encounters-comet-siding-spring-seen-next-to-mars/
― xelab, Friday, 24 October 2014 00:46 (nine years ago) link
Siding Spring, officially designated Comet C/2013 A1, made its closest approach to Mars at 2:28 p.m. EDT on Oct. 19, at a distance of approximately 87,000 miles. That is about one-third of the distance between Earth and the moon
fuck me that is close, can't wait to see the rover pics if there are any.
― xelab, Friday, 24 October 2014 00:52 (nine years ago) link
It must be true
http://gizmodo.com/uranus-smells-like-farts-1793765256
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 29 March 2017 16:06 (seven years ago) link
likely story
but its a bit of a little miracle bc ive been in below zero weather and the greatest thing about it is that you can let one go and the odour immediately disappears after being released
― i n f i n i t y (∞), Wednesday, 29 March 2017 17:27 (seven years ago) link
one of lifes greatest joys tbh
https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/planets-ranked-1818586375
Uranus the most unloved of gas giants here too.
― nomar, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 19:54 (six years ago) link
All gas giants are overrated.
― Jeff, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 20:15 (six years ago) link
1. Earth
Oh big surprise, coming from an Earth-based website.
― jmm, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 20:19 (six years ago) link
If I can’t set foot on you, fuck you planet.
― Jeff, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 20:34 (six years ago) link
Disregarding melting or freezing to death.
― Jeff, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 20:35 (six years ago) link
https://www.universetoday.com/137252/surface-ice-mercury-previously-thought-says-new-study/
I can't remember if anyone mentioned on here that Mercury’s low axial tilt means permanently shaded regions and the presence of ice! But I'm astonished.
― calzino, Saturday, 23 September 2017 10:36 (six years ago) link
I would have voted for Pluto as the underdog; freezing, isolated on the periphery, with people arguing whether it even counts or not
― ultros ultros-ghali, Saturday, 23 September 2017 10:47 (six years ago) link
I think those cold regions of Mercury would be fitting sites for the first extraplanetary gulags. Russians used to refer to Siberia as "the moon", forget the moon pal, you're going to the frozen lake next to the inferno!
― calzino, Saturday, 23 September 2017 11:06 (six years ago) link
PBS' NOVA just ran a five-part series on the planets that's worth your time. Zachary Quinto's narration gets ASMR narcoleptic but it's a great summary of where things are at. If you only watch one, go for the one on Jupiter.https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/series/planets/
― Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 3 August 2019 19:36 (four years ago) link
i wonder if its using the same shots or similar as brian cox's recent effort
watch both obv
― phil neville jacket (darraghmac), Sunday, 4 August 2019 23:15 (four years ago) link
counterpoint: don't watch the one with Cox and watch the other one instead.
― calzino, Monday, 5 August 2019 00:15 (four years ago) link
Drink once whenever you see clumps of proto solar system material collide into each other. Drink twice if it's enough to form a planet.
― Elvis Telecom, Monday, 5 August 2019 02:00 (four years ago) link
chug extinction level event
― phil neville jacket (darraghmac), Monday, 5 August 2019 02:12 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eJM0WlEjTs
― jmm, Monday, 16 September 2019 13:57 (four years ago) link
I saw Saturn through a really big telescope last week, and now Saturn is my favourite.
― jmm, Monday, 16 September 2019 14:00 (four years ago) link