Posts: 3033
Threads: 176
Joined: April 29, 2012
Reputation:
24
Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
April 30, 2015 at 4:42 pm
Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
Nasa's Messenger mission to Mercury has reached its explosive conclusion, after 10 years in space and four in orbit.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32542646
I do like the term "Lithobreaking" sounds much nicer than "Smashing into the surface at mach 12" 
The meek shall inherit the Earth, the rest of us will fly to the stars.
Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups
Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud ..... after a while you realise that the pig likes it!
Posts: 30592
Threads: 204
Joined: July 19, 2011
Reputation:
141
RE: Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
April 30, 2015 at 5:00 pm
It didn't crash, it just dipped into the lithosphere.
Posts: 19788
Threads: 57
Joined: September 24, 2010
Reputation:
85
RE: Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
April 30, 2015 at 5:03 pm
It become part of the accretion of mercury.
Posts: 2985
Threads: 29
Joined: October 26, 2014
Reputation:
31
RE: Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
April 30, 2015 at 5:16 pm
Humanity has changed the momentum of a planet. When we look up in 3 billion years and see that Mercury's a few inches from where it should be, we can think to ourselves: "Damn. We did that. Awesome."
How will we know, when the morning comes, we are still human? - 2D
Don't worry, my friend. If this be the end, then so shall it be.
Posts: 3395
Threads: 43
Joined: February 8, 2015
Reputation:
33
RE: Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
April 30, 2015 at 5:24 pm
(April 30, 2015 at 5:16 pm)TRJF Wrote: Humanity has changed the momentum of a planet. When we look up in 3 billion years and see that Mercury's a few inches from where it should be, we can think to ourselves: "Damn. We did that. Awesome."
We'll all be dead by then. I was going to say, "trust me on this," but I will give you a link instead:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...e-science/
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
Posts: 30129
Threads: 304
Joined: April 18, 2014
Reputation:
92
RE: Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
April 30, 2015 at 5:26 pm
Hate to be a party pooper, but Mercury's orbit may not be really stable over the next 2 or 3 billion years, so, the few inches might get subsumed in the orbital hijinks.
Or maybe not . . .
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
Posts: 2985
Threads: 29
Joined: October 26, 2014
Reputation:
31
RE: Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
April 30, 2015 at 5:29 pm
(April 30, 2015 at 5:24 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: (April 30, 2015 at 5:16 pm)TRJF Wrote: Humanity has changed the momentum of a planet. When we look up in 3 billion years and see that Mercury's a few inches from where it should be, we can think to ourselves: "Damn. We did that. Awesome."
We'll all be dead by then. I was going to say, "trust me on this," but I will give you a link instead:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...e-science/
Bah! Typical liiberal fear-mongering.
How will we know, when the morning comes, we are still human? - 2D
Don't worry, my friend. If this be the end, then so shall it be.
Posts: 18510
Threads: 129
Joined: January 19, 2014
Reputation:
91
RE: Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
April 30, 2015 at 6:03 pm
(April 30, 2015 at 5:16 pm)TRJF Wrote: Humanity has changed the momentum of a planet. When we look up in 3 billion years and see that Mercury's a few inches from where it should be, we can think to ourselves: "Damn. We did that. Awesome."
OMG does that mean that now all horoscopes are wrong?
Posts: 3395
Threads: 43
Joined: February 8, 2015
Reputation:
33
RE: Messenger's Mercury trip ends with a bang, and silence
April 30, 2015 at 6:21 pm
(April 30, 2015 at 6:03 pm)Alex K Wrote: (April 30, 2015 at 5:16 pm)TRJF Wrote: Humanity has changed the momentum of a planet. When we look up in 3 billion years and see that Mercury's a few inches from where it should be, we can think to ourselves: "Damn. We did that. Awesome."
OMG does that mean that now all horoscopes are wrong?
Don't worry, they are just as accurate as they ever were.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
|
