Confused? So am I.

     So, today we learn the difference between a Plutoid and a Dwarf Planet. Shown here is a Dwarf Planet, named Ceres. NASA now has a spacecraft orbiting this unexplored new world, also known as a Kepler Object. Dwarf Planets are; as you would imagine small planets. Now, to my knowledge there is only one Plutoid in our solar system. Just a few years back, and all through my school days it was known as Pluto. Planet #9 of 9 planets orbiting Sol, the star that the planets in the "Solar" System orbit about. 

Now to see a "Plutoid" click here  . So "the ones who or whom know all about this" decided that since everyone in my generation, and a few generations before learned Pluto was a planet, with a few odd differences. These differences (orbital path, size and other) set Pluto apart and can't be called a planet nor can it be called a Dwarf Planet. So Pluto goes beyond "planet" and becomes the sole resident of a new "planetary" body. 

Circles

You may end up having to think with this post. I was designed that way. If you Do Not exclude any angle or direction you will eventually create a sphere... a circle. This is including Everything and so becomes what is known as the universe. Add to that the universe is moving in a circular motion, which will create galaxies. Which contain planets (spheres or circles) revolving in circles and revolving around a star or sun in a circle. Closer to home we have cyclones and hurricanes that resemble galaxies, circles again. Come to speak, fungus, if you have ever studied in general will form in a circle. Logically speaking it would not be so far off the mark to say life is a circle. No beginning, no end. Food for Thought.

What are the chances?

     Why Earth? An astounding statement. So if not by God, you are telling me that the Earth is just a coincidence? Just happened that it formed in the perfect place in the Solar System; with the perfect balance of oxygen and nitrogen to support 2 separate life forms? It's too perfect to just be a coincidence. There is obviously Intelligent Design here. I tend to think of myself as one who relies on logic... We have been to Mars; well at least we have sent rovers and satellites to study the planet. I'm thinking a planet sized Sahara desert. Beyond microscopic, there is no life here; and as I can tell the chance of microscopic life on Mars is slim to nil. Our other neighbor Venus is about as hospitable as the inside of a volcano. So why Earth? In our solar system one planet of 8 is hospitable enough to sustain life (as we know it) and not accounting for the asteroid belt or the Kuiper Belt. Would it be safe to say, in astrological terms there is not much "wiggle room" for a planet with life bearing properties? (class M in the old Star Trek series) Add to this Earth is the only planet in the solar system to have 1 moon. As the moon is responsible for the tide could you imagine what more than one moon would do; or no moon at all?

NASA Mars rover prepares for upcoming winter

NASA Mars rover prepares for upcoming winter

Good to see the old mission is still in the mainstream of news,
Sorry, to tired to write what's already been written, copy/paste for once

Awesome Video

CASSINI MISSION from cabbas on Vimeo.

Related?

Earth and Uranus, unrelated? Think again. Go to Greek rather than Roman mythology to find Gaea, (earth) subsequently married Uranus thus becoming "Mother of all Living Things." 

Signals get crossed

In reading through the info I came across a device on the Cassini Space Craft I have never before heard of. The Cosmic Dust Analyzer. Might this be the same as the  Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator? 
Oh, sorry, different planets.

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?"

Comets

This being a comet known by most, the close up view becomes so much more interesting. EPOXI is a mission for a close comet fly-by click HERE for more info and images. 
 
 I had no idea this is what a comet looks like close up. This comet known as Hartley 2, I don't know what happened to Hartley 1, was imaged using the EPOXI space craft. Now, I have not personally studied this mission in dept so my personal comments, meaning nothing will be left out of this post. I just thought it was interesting all the missions NASA has in operation and on the drawing board. 


Stay tuned, there are more missions.
Pirate Named Neo.

Enceledus

Image by Karl Kofoed -- Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania



Read more

Away from home

Messenger Spacecraft gets a shot of the Earth and moon.  

The lower pic is as seen from Mars.

more saturn stuff

Cassini snaps another great one,  

All the particulars can be read about in the link, the Keeler belt of the A ring, Pan and Daphnis, and the was the gravity works the ring material.  This is the stuff science fiction is made of... strange new worlds, far far way. Lovin every bit of Saturn data I come across, mostly in the Ciclops.org site.

Foilded again

Well, apparently NASA has decided to rule out my proposal to re-classify some orbiting objects as "space debris" and it comes down to any orbiting object in the space around a planet is called a moon.  By this definition the only reason the asteroids are not moons is they are not orbiting a particular planet. Seems the only credentials a body needs to be a moon is "orbiting a particular planet". In following this logic I propose we rename and re-classify Saturn's rings to Moons. 
My definitions-
Moon- spherical in shape orbiting a parent planet
Space Debris- oblong, irregular shaped bodies orbiting a parent planet, or just the chunky rocks not orbiting anything (to keep them from being called asteroids)

Asteroids, for real

yea, we go to the Asteroid Belt and study the rocks there too. Read more here

Another Cassini Image

Now, for real; you're gonna tell me an object just 4.5 miles wide is going to be called a moon? Just because it is orbiting the planet. So by current definition anything orbiting a planet is considered a moon. I want Earth to have 2 moons, so I will take this old Coleman cooler, launch and affix it to orbit the earth, we now have 2 moons, Luna and Coleman. 


Actually, this is what is known as a Shepherd Moon. Saturn has several of these, Daphnis shown here in the Keeler Gap of the A Ring. As the moon orbits in the gap the gravity of the moon disrupts the rings as it passes.

Moons

When not working, which is to make lawns beautiful and impressive, I am usually hanging around my apartment, on the computer checking into things I don't know. This is one impressive website, the link is in the "other stuff" column, Saturn. Cassini is orbiting Saturn taking pictures, Rhea, and below that Dione passing in front of Titan. 3 of the many moons of Saturn.

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.

missing

seems to be missing something

Can't sleep again

well, how bout that, I can't sleep. Going on 2am and I was just laying in bed, tv was on but cut that off, still couldn't sleep. Can't think clearly either so this is feeling like a lost cause. Sometimes I do wish I had a laptop and could do this sitting elsewhere in the apartment.
       This is the crab nebula, I get this in email about everyday from this site. Picture of the Day.  Some days its just text, some are pictures of NASA officials, but most are pretty good space pics.
        Well I did finally get to sleep last night, but it wasn't a long, good sleep. I really don't need that much sleep though.
        Now in dealing with the last post "learning and cracking the code"... Had a different slant from start to post, thus the name changed... well the link is there. I am not wanting to beat a dead horse with a stick but...
How does one put a writing program together with out a way to indent a paragraph? I just think it wise to know a few of the HTML codes to help along in your writing.

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.