by Grania
Just in from CICLOPS, there is an update on the Saturn Cassini mission from the team and a “Captain’s Log” from mission leader, Carolyn Porco.
And an artist’s impression of what it would look like:
These sorts of pictures remind me very much of the Time-Life coffee table books in my father’s library when I was a little girl, the ones on Space and the Planets were my favorites, and I must have read them over and over again. They sparked my life-long love of science and science fiction.
There is more info on the rings here. You can always sign up for their newsletter if you would like to keep up with the Cassini Mission.
A bit of Saturn for Saturnalia? Seems fitting.
Damn, I wish I had thought of that!
The stuff that is always interesting to me:
inner ring speed – 16.3 km/sec. 36,462 mph
outer ring speed – 23.6 km/sec. 61,739 mph
And it takes about 11 and 1/2 hours to 12 hrs. to make an orbit.
Michael Carroll has been reading Ringworld recently. Or taking some significant inspiration. Not that I’m criticising, at all. I’m sure Larry would love the way reality references his fiction, and he’s already used Saturns rings as plot elements in several of his stories.
Oh, a hint of excitation! Some rag called “Entertainment Weekly” (who they? a credible source? are reporting that SyFy Channel are doing a mini-series of Ringworld. I may have to check them out.
I wonder of Larry is still denying that CFCs could impact the ozone layer, saying global warming is a good thing, and swelling with pride as he claims to have invented SDI.
Who cares?
At least we have Ringworld and Inferno.
Ringworld, yes. Read Inferno ; didn’t even memorise the names of the rest of the books in that universe. In fact, I’m not even sure if it’s called the “Magic Goes Away” universe.
Su
b
(For ‘banana’, natch)
While doing public outreach with a small telescope several years ago, I showed the participants Saturn. It was high in the south at midnight. The sky was magnificent that night, steady, no twinkling turbulence, simply sublime. As is the norm when viewing Saturn, there were repeated ooos and aaahs from the crowd. They loved it. “Unbelievable!”… “Thank you so much for giving us this experience!” Yes, public outreach can make your eyes teary.
However, not all were enthralled. To this day, over thirty-five years later, the reaction of one of the viewers still haunts me. She became angry! After a peek through the eyepiece, she said, “You are trying to fool us! This is fake! You have rigged a slide, photo, or something. You are a liar!”
I was stunned, as were those standing nearby. I got a “Galilean” sort of shock, 400 years after Galileo. She was serious. I said “No…it is real… that really is Saturn…it is too beautiful to imagine! Push the telescope a little and you can see it move in the eyepiece, – that shows it is real!
However, I could not sway her.
One of the locals informed me that this person was one of the village’s pious. End of story.
Eppur si muove
😀 Excellent. That is what I tried to tell her!
Almost unbelievable! But, knowing believers…sadly not.
We have block parties in our neighborhood, and when it was our turn I also brought out my reflecting telescope to show everyone Saturn. It really blew people away, kids and adults alike. I like to think I created strong memories that they will never forget.