June 12 2007 Icy Moons (rev 46) |
June 12 2007 Icy Moons (rev 46) |
Jun 6 2007, 07:35 AM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1887 Joined: 20-November 04 From: Iowa Member No.: 110 |
Rev 46 description available at CICLOPS
http://ciclops.org/view.php?id=3245 Some highlights: Cassini will observe Mimas, the innermost of the mid-sized icy satellites of Saturn June 12, Cassini makes one of its closest passes of the small, inner satellite Atlas, at a distance of only 38,000 km (24,000 mi). With an average diameter of only 31 km (19 mi), Atlas is one of the smallest moons of Saturn. Atlas will only appear to be 120 pixels across (at the equator). However, these images may still provide important clues about the formation of one of the most distinguishing aspects of the tiny satellite: its equatorial bulge. The bulge is thought to have been created by material from Saturn’s A ring being deposited preferentially along the equator of the satellite. A number of observations are dedicated to observing some of Saturn's small moons, in order to refine scientists' estimates of their orbital paths. These sequences include observations of some of Saturn's outer satellites, such as Paaliaq, Hati, and S/2004 S13 I've seen a few of these small outer moons listed recently on the raw image page. They search tool only shows them from the last few orbits. Is this something new they are doing or have they been previously listed as Sky? |
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Jun 13 2007, 10:14 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 29-December 05 From: NE Oh, USA Member No.: 627 |
Yes, thanks Ian...
This is just stunning!!!! Wish I could crawl (what would the word be for pulling one self along a moonlet so small we are talking microgravity... you poets out there... can you find a word??? Stu???) along that polar cusp and watch ring material "fall" along the equator like an eternal snow squall ... would almost beat out hiking Headlands!!!!!! WOW. Craig |
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Jun 13 2007, 10:48 PM
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
(what would the word be for pulling one self along a moonlet so small we are talking microgravity... you poets out there... can you find a word??? Stu???) Craig Hmmm... "bellying"? or, with all those teeny bits of rock and dust scruffling under you, how about "skree-ping"? Or, thinking back to the movies... "Golluming"? -------------------- |
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Jun 14 2007, 04:12 AM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8785 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Hmmm... "bellying"? or, with all those teeny bits of rock and dust scruffling under you, how about "skree-ping"? Or, thinking back to the movies... "Golluming"? Gotta add: "skimming". Let's say, and why not, that you're in a spacesuit on the surface of this moon with which you have barely any gravitational connection. You reach out in front of you to a small encrusted projection, barely a minor ridge within your formerly terrestrial frame of reference but a mountain here...and you pull on it as if you were diving along a coral reef...and you move with surprising velocity over the snowy surface, at an altitude of centimeters, looking for the next ridge to shove you ever onward... Blissful. A deep dream come alive. Float almost effortlessly across a surface, and scoop a handful of the rings of Saturn as you pass by, glance up and see Saturn huge in front of you, the major moons as bright stars or perhaps barely resolvable tiny crescents if you're particularly lucky...who could want anything more? -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Jun 14 2007, 11:42 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 29-December 05 From: NE Oh, USA Member No.: 627 |
Gotta add: "skimming". Let's say, and why not, that you're in a spacesuit on the surface of this moon with which you have barely any gravitational connection. You reach out in front of you to a small encrusted projection, barely a minor ridge within your formerly terrestrial frame of reference but a mountain here...and you pull on it as if you were diving along a coral reef...and you move with surprising velocity over the snowy surface, at an altitude of centimeters, looking for the next ridge to shove you ever onward... Blissful. A deep dream come alive. Float almost effortlessly across a surface, and scoop a handful of the rings of Saturn as you pass by, glance up and see Saturn huge in front of you, the major moons as bright stars or perhaps barely resolvable tiny crescents if you're particularly lucky...who could want anything more? Very nice nprev.... you expressed exactly what I felt and saw in my minds eye. Thanks Stu for the term "golluming"... And dvandorn is correct that moving along the surface of small bodies will be quite a challenge. Which is EXACTLY why it will someday be done and built its own ethic, technique, and terms.... fun to think about. But for now I will just delight in nprev's words and my mental play... Craig |
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