Science is still Weird and Cool in 2023!

[Mendalla]

More papers are coming out on the DART asteroid diversion mission and the latest word is that it was a smashing (hah hah) success. In fact, it had a bigger impact (hah hah) on the orbit of asteroid Dimorphos around its companion Didymos than expected based on the mission calculations. The reasons seem to be success targeting of the impact and the force exerted as pieces flew off from the asteroid (Newton's Third Law in action). There's more to come in a few years as the ESA Hera mission to actually visit Dimorphos and explore the crater left by DART arrives in 2026.

The upshot? If we detect a potentially dangerous asteroid far enough ahead (and we have now mapped most of those so can monitor for when they are at risk of hitting Earth), we can use the collision technique to divert it. We just need to calculate how much force is needed to produce enough of a change in its orbit.

NASA’s Asteroid-Bashing DART Mission Was Wildly Successful

New studies have revealed the spacecraft’s final moments and the remarkable aftermath of its impact

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[Waterfall]

More papers are coming out on the DART asteroid diversion mission and the latest word is that it was a smashing (hah hah) success. In fact, it had a bigger impact (hah hah) on the orbit of asteroid Dimorphos around its companion Didymos than expected based on the mission calculations. The reasons seem to be success targeting of the impact and the force exerted as pieces flew off from the asteroid (Newton's Third Law in action). There's more to come in a few years as the ESA Hera mission to actually visit Dimorphos and explore the crater left by DART arrives in 2026.

The upshot? If we detect a potentially dangerous asteroid far enough ahead (and we have now mapped most of those so can monitor for when they are at risk of hitting Earth), we can use the collision technique to divert it. We just need to calculate how much force is needed to produce enough of a change in its orbit.

NASA’s Asteroid-Bashing DART Mission Was Wildly Successful

New studies have revealed the spacecraft’s final moments and the remarkable aftermath of its impact

www.scientificamerican.com

Hopefully they will react faster than spotting a surveillance balloon, lol.

 

[Waterfall]

Anybody notice Jupiter and Venus conjunction up in the Western sky at night?
The brightest one is Mars because it's closer to earth. It's beautifully visible on March 1st and 2nd at night. Any time Jupitor is visible you can also see its 4 largest moons with binoculars.
Last night the two planets looked like they were kissing each other as they passed each other.
This conjunction wont be this easily seen again until 2041 even though this happens every year.

 

[Mendalla]

Hopefully they will react faster than spotting a surveillance balloon, lol.

Well, there's no diplomatic ramifications here (unless the asteroid happens to be inhabited ).

 

[Waterfall]

Well, there's no diplomatic ramifications here (unless the asteroid happens to be inhabited ).

Unless they want the credit...or blame it on the Chinese.

 

[Mendalla]

Unless they want the credit...or blame it on the Chinese.

To be honest, it might end up being the Chinese or SpaceX who do the deflection launch. China's Long March or Musk's Falcon can probably be prepped for launch the fastest of anything currently in service. NASA themselves only have SLS which takes forever and is really only designed for crewed moon and Mars flights. They plan to rely on private launchers like SpaceX and ULA for most other missions. ESA (the EU space agency) has the Ariane rocket, but it seems to take quite a while to prep, and I think it is between generations or something right now.

 

[Luce NDs]

Newton had his action reaction ... the newts have no sense of repercussion, consequence, etc. thus percussion instruments in the drum rolling with Gabriel's position ... thunderous except if you are deaf to such feelings ... thus the mental essence slides into physical matters ... as nothing but a vapour! Nebulous thought thus descends ...

Outlines Black Hole Theory and how nothing can exist as created over something naïve ... as Nave an entrance ... voids in essence? Word plae 'n ... the imaginary is abstracted ... some say the abstract is a black spot in the brain ... nothing's there! It sometimes is consuming ... a gnawing sensation?

 

[ninj]

Levitation of a drop and harmonic patterns. I thought this was cool.

 

[Luce NDs]

Levitation can blow one's mind at least once ... maybe eve duplicated when seeing one fall at the base of Leviticus ... stand down or just humble under stood ... as said to be required of EU ... then what do we do with ρ, said to be gathered in a rho ... lion essence as laid out? Mores than can meet the Ayres ... Yas mo'n? Gnoes ... some say gnu's ... sort of cow 'd ...

 

[ninj]

Ever seen this? It's a few years old now. I really enjoy the idea that rats like to just drive around in their little cars.

Rats love driving tiny cars, even when they don’t get treats

It was for a study on how enriched environments can affect stress response.

arstechnica.com

 

[Mendalla]

Ever seen this? It's a few years old now. I really enjoy the idea that rats like to just drive around in their little cars.

Rats love driving tiny cars, even when they don’t get treats

It was for a study on how enriched environments can affect stress response.

arstechnica.com

Funnily enough, I know humans like that, too.

 

[BetteTheRed]

Funnily enough, I know humans like that, too.

Completely. Give me a fun new car to master, and I'm entertained for a few weeks. Still trying to intuitively find the clutch point and the gear spots on the new car. There's still some lurching (you've got a super-short clutch period between first and second) and the odd stall but gets smoother every day.

 

[Mendalla]

You know the thing about us having 99% the same genes as chimps? Think that makes it easy to figure out what sets us apart genetically? Wrong! Apparently our expanding knowledge of how DNA actually works to transmit information is also making us realize that things get a lot more complicated on this front. For instance, the vast region of DNA that doesn't actually code genetic information actually does matter in what and how genes get expressed and there's some differences to be found in there.

 

[Luce NDs]

May be found as in human or in old tongues ... in is just not! Thus remains beyond our comprehension as too involved!

Leads into great entanglement with the extensive narrative that we've disposed ... we need to read intuit!

Difficult as many do not accept intuit as an abstract that is yet incomplete ... presenting a sign of all that we do not know or appreciate in our pointed concerns! The result ... a skewering ... and use for pigs in heaven! These can displace fluff and nebulae!

 

[Mendalla]

I thought this piece from SciShow was interesting. It looks at how certain valleys and other low-lying places actually have their own microclimate that might be resistant to climate change, thereby providing some species endangered by climate change with some pocket habitats they can inhabit. Provided, of course, that we stupid bipedal apes don't mess with those habitats.

And some more practical, day-to-day science about the risks of natural gas stoves and possible alternatives if those risks are a concern for someone.

I had never realized that propane is actually purer and burns cleaner than NG.