Scientists are going to Bomb an Asteroid

[Animal]

I have heard nothing about this, but apparently, last November 2021, NASA launched a rocket. And the purpose of this rocket is to fly a long fucking ways and then crash into a little moon that is orbiting around an asteroid. The point being to see if they can make a micro change in its orbit and thereby change its path by just a slight amount. And then measure, over time, how much they have altered the course of this asteroid.

They say out there in space, in the big gap between earth and Jupiter, there are a shit load of asteroids. And almost any one of them has the potential to crash into earth at some point. So, they want to make a test run to see what impact (lol) they can have on changing the path of one if they detect it and intervene soon enough.

This collision will take place next month (I think). I can't even imagine the math involved in timing a rocket launched 10 months before its supposed to hit a moving target.

[CentralTexasCrude]

I can't even imagine the math involved in timing a rocket launched 10 months before its supposed to hit a moving target.

You mean like Mars or something?

[Animal]

I can't even imagine the math involved in timing a rocket launched 10 months before its supposed to hit a moving target.

You mean like Mars or something?

No. I mean a moon that is orbiting an asteroid that is in a really odd orbit around the sun.

[Vitamin E]

Please remind me. Is this the one where:
-Bruce Willis bangs the singers daughter or
-Old drillers land on the asteroid?

TIA

[CentralTexasCrude]

I can't even imagine the math involved in timing a rocket launched 10 months before its supposed to hit a moving target.

You mean like Mars or something?

No. I mean a moon that is orbiting an asteroid that is in a really odd orbit around the sun.

Well, just because they have some computerized trajectory in the command module when the rocket lights up, doesn't mean they aren't making course adjustments using gas thrusters during the entire mission. Their only limitation is the amount of gas in each thruster. So I would assume they would be holding off using them mostly toward the end when it matters.

[pork]

I literally couldn’t care less.

[Charliesheen]

I read that If not for Jupiter the earth would have been pulverized too often for life to form.

[saltydog]

Fascinating

[pork]

I read that If not for Jupiter the earth would have been pulverized too often for life to form.

Like hawks beaver

[Animal]

I read that If not for Jupiter the earth would have been pulverized too often for life to form.

There is a little known fact that Jupiter is so large that it doesn't orbit around the sun. Most people don't realize that.

[Hydroseismic]

I read that If not for Jupiter the earth would have been pulverized too often for life to form.

There is a little known fact that Jupiter is so large that it doesn't orbit around the sun. Most people don't realize that.

Riveting, let me verify

[Vitamin E]

They say out there in space, in the big gap between earth and Jupiter, there are a shit load of asteroids.

I thought Mars was between Earth and Jupiter. The Fuck! First Pluto, now Mars. Fuck you, Science!

[Animal]

They say out there in space, in the big gap between earth and Jupiter, there are a shit load of asteroids.

I thought Mars was between Earth and Jupiter. The Fuck! First Pluto, now Mars. Fuck you, Science!

Yes, Mars is in that gap, too.

[WarmBidetWater]

...not to mention the technology it takes to land a spacecraft on a 1,600 ft diameter asteroid 200,000,000 miles away.

[Vitamin E]

...not to mention the technology it takes to land a spacecraft on a 1,600 ft diameter asteroid 200,000,000 miles away.

I'm guessing you weren't around in the late 70's......

[CentralTexasCrude]

I read that If not for Jupiter the earth would have been pulverized too often for life to form.

There is a little known fact that Jupiter is so large that it doesn't orbit around the sun. Most people don't realize that.

[WarmBidetWater]

...not to mention the technology it takes to land a spacecraft on a 1,600 ft diameter asteroid 200,000,000 miles away.

I'm guessing you weren't around in the late 70's......

Not the same level of accomplishment since the moon is about 10,000 times bigger and 100 times closer.

[Animal]

I read that If not for Jupiter the earth would have been pulverized too often for life to form.

There is a little known fact that Jupiter is so large that it doesn't orbit around the sun. Most people don't realize that.

Its just a planetary fact.

[CentralTexasCrude]

I read that If not for Jupiter the earth would have been pulverized too often for life to form.

There is a little known fact that Jupiter is so large that it doesn't orbit around the sun. Most people don't realize that.

Its just a planetary fact.

Hey, I was going to post "What a load of horseshit" but I didn't want to hurt any feelings.

[Animal]

I read that If not for Jupiter the earth would have been pulverized too often for life to form.

There is a little known fact that Jupiter is so large that it doesn't orbit around the sun. Most people don't realize that.

Its just a planetary fact.

Hey, I was going to post "What a load of horseshit" but I didn't want to hurt any feelings.

its actually true. Jupiter doesn't orbit the sun. They both sort of orbit each other. Obviously Jupiter goes around the sun the same as Jupiter goes around the earth, but Jupiter doesn't orbit earth. Neither does Jupiter orbit the sun.

[CentralTexasCrude]

I read that If not for Jupiter the earth would have been pulverized too often for life to form.

There is a little known fact that Jupiter is so large that it doesn't orbit around the sun. Most people don't realize that.

Its just a planetary fact.

Hey, I was going to post "What a load of horseshit" but I didn't want to hurt any feelings.

its actually true. Jupiter doesn't orbit the sun. They both sort of orbit each other. Obviously Jupiter goes around the sun the same as Jupiter goes around the earth, but Jupiter doesn't orbit earth. Neither does Jupiter orbit the sun.

[CentralTexasCrude]

Remember, when researching something it's "Wikipedia" not "Wakipedia".

[Animal]

Remember, when researching something it's "Wikipedia" not "Wakipedia".

what in the fuck?

[Animal]

Remember, when researching something it's "Wikipedia" not "Wakipedia".

Because of the distance and Jupiter's massive size, the center of mass of the two objects is actually outside of the boundary of the Sun. Imagine if you moved the little red cross hair on this image so that it was outside of the larger object in the middle. That's how the Sun and Jupiter orbit each other.



Jupiter is orbiting that little red cross hair. The same as the sun is.

[CentralTexasCrude]

That reminds me, I need to lay out my binoculars. Wouldn't want to miss that flyover of Neptune tonight.