It's not high-priority or anything but I kind of hope someone figures out what the fuck is going on with Iapetus before I die. posted by theodolite at 1:24 PM on February 28 [2 favorites]
So we're finally going to get some good pictures of Pluto and Charon in two years? Whoo! posted by eugenen at 1:56 PM on February 28
That second Triton link should say Titan.
It's amazing how varied the various moons are. In some ways they more interesting than the planets they orbit. posted by DarkForest at 2:24 PM on February 28
I have a serious obsession with Europa. To think that something could be living under 100km of ice in a black sea millions of miles away really does it for me. posted by jimmythefish at 3:35 PM on February 28 [1 favorite]
I thought this post would be linked to this breaking news - Vulcan is now a moon in our solar system! Seems only logical, captain. posted by Metro Gnome at 4:08 PM on February 28
I still think it's amazing that we've landed a craft on EFFING TITAN..
I can not tell you how pissed I am that we've only landed one probe on Titan and no other moon of Saturn or Jupiter. posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:02 PM on February 28 [2 favorites]
ALL THESE WORLDS ARE BRANDON BLATCHER'S EXCEPT EUROPA ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE. posted by Dr. Zira at 7:32 PM on February 28 [1 favorite]
One of the amazing things I learned in the last year is you can see Jupiter's moons with some cheap binoculars. A pair of $30 50x10 can resolve them, but a bit more zoom helps. You don't even need a really dark sky. Jupiter is easy to spot: it's the super bright thing overhead about an hour after sunset right now, it follows the same path in the sky as the sun and the moon. Point your binocs at it and enjoy a view that no human could see until 400 years ago. And the 4 moons you can see are always dancing about, fun to see. posted by Nelson at 7:38 PM on February 28
And the 4 moons you can see are always dancing about, fun to see.
And the fact that what they are dancing about is Jupiter, and *not* the Earth, is probably the simplest, most undeniable proof that the Earth is not the center of the universe. You're seeing the death of the epicycle. posted by benito.strauss at 8:18 PM on February 28 [1 favorite]
One of the amazing things I learned in the last year is you can see Jupiter's moons with some cheap binoculars. A pair of $30 50x10 can resolve them, but a bit more zoom helps.
I have taken pictures with a Canon PowerShot G11 that clearly show the Galilean moons. It's incredibly satisfying to look up at the sky, use some cheap equipment, and verify 'they're there!'. posted by mazola at 10:49 PM on February 28 [1 favorite]
When I was young, a family friend, for some reason, asked us to store his twelve inch wide, six foot long telescope in our garage. One night, I believe I was in fourth grade, there was either a lunar eclipse or something, but we missed it. So, there we are, having rolled this telescope out onto the street, just sort of looking around, and then, bam, Saturn. Seeing Saturn through that telescope was, up until that point in my life, one of the most amazing experiences I'd had. It still is. posted by Ghidorah at 11:59 PM on February 28 [2 favorites]
posted by theodolite at 1:24 PM on February 28 [2 favorites]