Just thinking Logically

Almost worth being called a moon. This is Phobos; the larger of Mars' 2 moons. I'm partial to the theory that this is an errant asteroid caught by the gravity of Mars. Doomed from day 1; this moon has a decaying orbit and will "crash and burn" in say 50 million or so years. A moon? wouldn't this classify as "Space Debris?"

Yea I still think this way

This is exactly what I am talking about. I can hardly see this boulder being called a 'moon'. This 'space debris' is one of Saturn's moons named Helene. 


As I sit here I think I could be on to something of vast importance here; my next letter to NASA:


To whom it may concern, 


In the wake of not only changing the classification of, but also using it as a classification; Pluto now being known as a 'Plutiod. I feel the definition of "a moon" needs reclassified and a new satellite classification is in order. I would like the non-spherical objects now known as moons to be redefined as "space debris". When one talks to me of moons, in my minds eye I see a sphere, glowing in the night sky. 
scientifically speaking, 
                                                                                   Pirate Named Neo


      This does go all the way back to my primary school days when I would open my science text book and see a picture of Phobos and Deimos the moon of Mars. I would think, "how can they have an entire belt of Asteroids, not so far away from Mars, and still you are going to call these 2 chunks of space stuff moons? And then check this my scientific friend, the orbit of Phobos is in a state of decay. Meaning that at some point you will need to change Phobos from a moon to a meteor.

More Than They Thought

We're not talking just one. There are several geysers from the south polar region of the small moon Enceladus. The surface fissures known as "Tiger Stripes". See this page for more details. A very small moon, has a diameter of 504 kilometers (313 miles)  Enceladus has many questions. Everything from "is there liquid water here" to "is there life here"? I  think a mission to Enceladus itself would be in line, however I don't think the budget would allow such... screw the budget, I want to know just for the sake of knowing. I bet a company like Crystal Springs could, in an advertising ploy, afford to sponsor such a mission. I might even be moved to purchase bottled water.

A moon, who would have thought so much? Just a moon orbiting Saturn.

Can you please explain why?

Quite a bit of information on this page. Of all the interesting phoenomina in and about the Solar System Saturn and her rings have to be on the top of the list. I could read for hours on the subject. Learn a little, understand less, and have 3 million questions raised about thier formation, where they come from and how they got there. Much less how they stay and for so long. There are several hypothesized reasons, I will set this in the "unexplained" category.  Some suggest a fragmented moon during the great bombardment. Recently the Cassini space craft brought to light the geysers of Enceladus feeding the F ring. Obviously gravity does play a part. So many questions... why the planets beyond the asteroids have rings, why gas giants? Do the rings dissipate in time? Why Saturn to be the one with the most visible rings?  Then more questions, the physical characteristics, spokes, shadows, shepherd moons and moonlets. I read, learn and am so interested, there never seems to be a loss of new information. Does it take a "brain surgeon" a "rocket scientist" or a "planetary ring scientist" to find the answers? I need to know!

The Twins

Mars has 2 moons, both look like errant asteroids caught in orbit around the planet. Phobos and Deimos. Phobos, the larger of the 2 is seen here in this animation using several shots taken by the Mars Express Orbiter. While I could look up and include all the details and techy stuff about these moons, I left that to an already printed page. (see the link if you are that interested). I have read this is to date the closest, highest resolution pics of this moon. One thing many don't know is the names are actually related to Mars. Mars being the god of war in Roman mythology, had 2 attachments to do his 'dirty work'; meet Phobos and Deimos, the twins; translated Panic and Terror. 

OMG more Space Stuff

I have posted on Mutual Event before. Came across this series of images taken by the Cassini probe. The 3 images where taken in about a one minute span. Dione passing in front of Tethis, from about 1.6 million miles away. Dione is about 1.4 million miles away. I read scientists study this to better understand the moons of Saturn, and their behavior, or something like that. I say its just cause they're curious and Earth having only the one moon this sort of thing is interesting.

One of the most interesting things to me is how a moon becomes a moon, and orbits its parent planet. Wouldn't you think if its just space debris caught into orbit wouldn't it just crash into the planet like a meteor? How does a moon maintain orbit speed? For that matter, why don't the planets crash into the sun? It is some pretty complicated rocket science to get a man made satellite into orbit around a planet. Gravity assist fly-bys, rocket adjustments, and thrusters all fire at a given time. Just boggles my mind. 


One thing that was never really covered in school is 'where' does gravity originate? Even asteroids have gravity. Everything in space generates gravity, including space ships and man made satellites. At least that's the info I have come across in my reading. For example:


in theory-
if an asteroid or other Near Earth Object (NEO) is on trajectory to impact the Earth, a solution could be to send a space craft to travel along a near same trajectory, using that crafts gravitation to pull the NEO off present trajectory and miss the Earth. At the proper distance the path would only need a few degrees of change to prevent a collision. 


I also find it interesting that a Near Earth Object is called Neo... blink blink.

Mutual Event

The link at the end of post will take you to the photo, Rhea is passing in front of Dione. According to what I am reading, in a "mutual event" moons pass close by or in front of each other. Rhea and Dione pass about 1/2 a million kilometers apart. Define "close" for me would you? That is pretty close in planetary terms, I would imagine. more here

Luna

Topography of the south polar area of Luna.
So anyway this is about 75000 square miles, I imaging you would use this sort of information to set a landing area. I do see several areas here that would be good. I see several on the center left of the shot, another great one would be about center of the image. I guess they had to do this sort of mapping with far inferior equipment back in the late 60's for the Apollo Missions.

Speaking of Apollo Missions; July 20 (mark your calendar please) will mark the day Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the surface of Luna, 40 years ago. Was listening to one whacked out conspiracy theorist on the radio saying it was all a hoax. He said take off > orbit > splash down were real but man never actually walked on the Moon. I have seen photos of rocks that don't look like anything you find on Earth, the Earth rising photos, and far to much documented proof of such mission. Second, there are far too many people involved in this program to keep them all quiet; wouldn't have someone in the know have come forward by now? Especially if you think conspiracy means there is potentially allot of money involved. Back in 1969 100k would have seemed like plenty of money to buy someone off, now days 100k is like nothing to a pirate. (conspiracy come from pirate)
Heck I'd take the money and then write a book about the whole deal, plenty of people would read and likely believe it.

shadows

Now this is crazy, but then I am neither a rocket scientist or an astronomer; reading the moons only cast shadows on the ring plane the few months before and after the Equinox (which occurs about every 15 earth years) Seems they would always cast shadows if the phase is sun moon ring plane. But then again I am not the astronomer here.

Mimas being an oblong shaped moon naturally would cast an oblong shaped shadow (duh)

well enough babbling just click the link to see the ciclops page.

<---- This is Mimas by the way.

Titan

Think we have come full circle around. Titan of the main subjects of the Cassini/Huygens mission. The lander probe on Titan was bizarre how "Earthlike" the surface seemed (by visual) but make no mistakes, this place is colder than you have ever experienced, -289f makes the North Pole of Earth seem quite tropical.



I would have to say this moon is worth a another look. If NASA could get it together to send a mission with a lander like the Phoenix to Titan and to Enceladeus; there would be much interesting information for the scientists the world over to study. Heck what better way to keep thier minds off the "Global Warming" which in my opinion is a natural proccess. but thats another subject.