Re: News from the solar system

In article <fllpec$r0l$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
jdnicoll@xxxxxxxxx (James Nicoll) wrote:

In article <5f4ea152-b41e-44b4-a873-4ba03205dd5a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
J.Pascal <julie@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Jan 4, 8:56 am, jdnic...@xxxxxxxxx (James Nicoll) wrote:
Speaking of odd warming effects on other planets:

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-release-details.cfm?newsID=807

This is the kind of thing that leads me to predict that
any time we get a closer look at another planet, something will
turn up that is both interesting and unpredicted.

This is why I am looking forward to the 14th, when
Messenger will get a look at parts of Mercury that we've never
had a good look at before.

Also, asteroid 2007 WD5's odds of hitting Mars are now one
chance in 28, up from an initial estimate of one chance in 75.

I'm not sure why but it almost feels mean to be hoping that
Mars suffers a devastating asteroid impact. But I do.

It's not all that big. I think the Ek would be around three
megatons of TNT. That's a county-sized event and Mars as as much
dry land area as Earth.

"Suffers" personifies the planet. Something happens, and we
instinctively restate it as if things were people.

--
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/ http://daviddfriedman.blogspot.com/
Author of _Harald_, a fantasy without magic.
Published by Baen, in bookstores now
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: News from the solar system
    ... any time we get a closer look at another planet, ... chance in 28, up from an initial estimate of one chance in 75. ... Mars suffers a devastating asteroid impact. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Asteroid may strike Mars in late January 2008
    ... A newly discovered hunk of space rock has a 1 in 75 chance of ... times, and within the remainder, it will hit? ... There is a certain statistical distribution which applies to its ... Thus, at the time it passes by Mars, the object's position in relation ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: More episodes per season?
    ... counting xmas specials)? ... no chance at all - I'm thankful we've got as many as the fourteen we ... on Mars = 8) ...
    (rec.arts.drwho.moderated)
  • Re: Lost in Space
    ... One exception would be loss of attitude control. ... Consider the Mars Observer back in 1992. ... Hubble didn't get the chance. ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • Mars mission possible now
    ... We might not be able to survive on Mars. ... We might be suffering radiation sickness when we get there. ... it by spinning the space ship round on itself at the end of a long ... chance of getting there. ...
    (sci.space.policy)