Jupiter has a "new moon" tonight!

[JanewayRulz!]

Well, I'm partial to...

The Green Hills of Earth


Let the sweet fresh breezes heal me
As they rove around the girth
Of our lovely mother planet
Of the cool, green hills of Earth.

We rot in the moulds of Venus,
We retch at her tainted breath.
Foul are her flooded jungles,
Crawling with unclean death.

We've tried each spinning space mote
And reckoned its true worth:
Take us back again to the homes of men
On the cool, green hills of Earth.

The arching sky is calling
Spacemen back to their trade.
ALL HANDS! STAND BY! FREE FALLING!
And the lights below us fade.

Out ride the sons of Terra,
Far drives the thundering jet,
Up leaps a race of Earthmen,
Out, far, and onward yet ---

We pray for one last landing
On the globe that gave us birth;
Let us rest our eyes on the fleecy skies
And the cool, green hills of Earth.
--Robert A Heinlein

 

[publiusr]

BTW Jupiter is my favourite planet in our solar system what's yours?

The ones we haven't seen yet.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

The ones we haven't seen yet.

What you mean there's more planets in our Solar System that we've not seen?

 

[B.J.]

What you mean there's more planets in our Solar System that we've not seen?

It's a distinct possibility! (They're still working on the proof.)

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

It's a distinct possibility! (They're still working on the proof.)

Well if that is ever proven it's kind of awesome... You made me think of an old movie from the 60s "Journey to the far side of the Sun" where they find another Earth orbiting the Sun but on the exact opposite side of the Sun so we never see it.

It's a silly movie but lots of fun.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Yeah, that's known to be a dynamically unstable configuration.

http://www.universetoday.com/119065/could-there-be-another-planet-behind-the-sun/

 

[publiusr]

Now if Earth's orbit were circular--it's mirror (Terra) would be L3.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Now if Earth's orbit were circular--it's mirror (Terra) would be L3.

Does Terra have floating sperm aliens?

They were in the movie Battle For Terra

 

[Metryq]

If Earth had a twin at the opposite side of its orbit, would Earth—by definition—no longer be a planet? Pluto got demoted because it does not sweep out its orbit of all other bodies.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

If Earth had a twin at the opposite side of its orbit, would Earth—by definition—no longer be a planet? Pluto got demoted because it does not sweep out its orbit of all other bodies.

I don't think so. Why would Earth be demoted as a planet?

 

[sojourner]

^

because it does not sweep out its orbit of all other bodies.

 

[B.J.]

If we suddenly discovered that Earth had a twin, I think you'd see the IAU modify or clarify the definition of planet real quick!

 

[Doom Shepherd]

Of course if it did, the laws of physics would have to be different and we wouldn't be here.

OTOH, the term "double planet" and or "binary planet", while not officially recognized, already do exist, and could be adapted in the event of the discovery of two planets sharing an orbit (although it would be far more likely for a double planet system to consist of two planets orbiting each other.)

Since such a system would still gravitationally dominate its orbit (what "clearing its orbit" really means), they would still count as planets.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Does our solar system orbit the galactic centre?

 

[sojourner]

Every solar system in the galaxy orbits the galactic center.

 

[PurpleBuddha]

If Earth had a twin at the opposite side of its orbit, would Earth—by definition—no longer be a planet? Pluto got demoted because it does not sweep out its orbit of all other bodies.

Yes, by definition it would not be. However, Earth did clear its orbit and there is no twin on the opposite side. If there was in the past I is very unlikely that it would be a stable situation, and this is possibly why no such planet exists now. It is also a great example of how the definition has real meaning.

 

[sojourner]

I can just see it. Due to some freak accident that flings Juno out of our solar system, in 50,000 years aliens will try to reverse engineer humans based off of lego minifigs.

Uh Oh!

 

[publiusr]

Ugh. That's disturbing.

O/T It is interesting--what unsettles adults vs. youngsters.

We laugh when we see an adult dressed up for kids--like this sad little incident

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A child only knows Eeyore as a small, clean little animated figure on the screen--smaller than the child.
But if that animated little figure popped out of the screen--the kid would probably be cool with it--and it would be the adults who would run...