I love we keep slowly revealing things out the solar system. I love that there's still the interest, still the curiosity about whats out there, how can we reach it, as as humans, how can we see it? As far as the next step, I think the next step is just getting people off of this rock and floating around the planet reliably and cheaply. The next big step I think will happen after that. In the 16th century the world was small, but it was hard to get anywhere so it was big because of that. In the 19th century, the world shrank because of trains, in the 20th century its become small because of planes and modern air travel. To imagine something outside of our little bubble is to reimagine how things are and really is kind of exciting. It brings up new questions new things to look at. It will bring new failures and successes.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/live/2015/jul/15/nasa-pluto-new-horizon-photos-discoveries Hi-res photo of Plutos surface and one of Charon Edit fucker above me beat me to it.
I thought this was cool too... some of Pluto discoverer Cylde Tombaugh's ashes are aboard New Horizons and will be the first human remains to leave the solar system. A little bit more epic than having them scattered in a field or lake, I'd say.
Great article about Pluto, it's moons, and it's new status as a dwarf planet. http://space.io9.com/pluto-is-somet...utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
I know some of the "walking robot" work that has been done in the past is tied to planetary exploration, so this seems like as good a place to post this as any. It's awesome that the "robot in the woods" looks like its wearing hockey shorts. And, I love that they're all walking fast, instead of just tentatively puttering around.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/j...space-station-for-science-obviously-1.3201836 This is the kind of space research I think we can all get behind.
http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/cassini-finds-global-ocean-in-saturns-moon-enceladus Fucking crazy. The completely frozen surface is completely detached from its core by a ocean of water.
Everybody who likes this thread? You need to read The Martian. Finally got around to it, and just finished. It's fantastic. Not that long, so it's a quick read if you want to knock it out before the movie's release.
Flowing water confirmed on Mars. That is a pretty big deal. http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/09/28/mars-has-flowing-liquid-water-nasa-confirms/?intcmp=hpbt1
I was reading another article about this when you posted this one. First of all, it IS a big deal, and I think it's awesome. Second of all, I don't have any reason to think the data doesn't indicate there is flowing water. But, confirmed? Nothing I read in either article seemed to indicate anything besides "very likely." Imho, it's not confirmed until a probe or person is holding water in a container, or something similar. Schiaparelli is jumping up and down in his grave screaming about his canals again.
Apparently there are blue skies and ice water on Pluto. http://www.nasa.gov/nh/nh-finds-blue-skies-and-water-ice-on-pluto/
I love that we cut our NASA budget to save money, since it was such a problem. Nevermind that in the years since, our deficit has grown exponentially. It's almost as if the pittance (budget wise) we spent on NASA wasn't really the problem.
I think Neil Degrasse Tyson said something about the 850 billion dollar bailout being larger than NASA's entire 50 year running budget, so, there's that. Politicians really do suck. And they're stupid too.
NASA confirms ancient lake existed on Mars 2 to 3 billion years ago http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015...rs-2-to-3-billion-years-ago.html?intcmp=hpbt4