Occasionally, maybe. But usually it's just a stupid slip, a combination of ignorance and falling into a common English phrase that simply doesn't apply.
APODFORIST is being quite charitable. Many of these pretty faced reporters wouldn't know what a metaphor is.
I wonder if you really intended this to sound as sexist as it does. I bet they know what a metaphor is, and they also know how to communicate ideas in a way that the public understands, even if it's a misnomer.
Even if they are wrong, calling people stupid is a really awful way to go about sci-com and astronomy education.
Sexist? "Pretty faced" was intended to be gender neutral, as looking good seems to be more important than intelligence for both male and female tv reporters getting hired. And for the record, most of the "dark side" comments that I've heard where uttered by male reporters. No sexism was intended at all, and I didn't even have a specific gender in mind when writing the comment.
rochelimit wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 8:10 am
Kudos to China!
com'mon US you can do it too!
Not wanting to criticize your choice of comic art, Art, but my first reaction to this was ... "Close, but clearly they're not on the far side of the moon there". Then it hit me. That comic is indeed from the Far Side.
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:54 am
by neufer
.
.
.
MarkBour wrote: ↑Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:43 pm
Not wanting to criticize your choice of comic art, Art, but my first reaction to this was ... "Close, but clearly they're not on the far side of the moon there". Then it hit me. That comic is indeed from the Far Side.
Deep inside, Art wondered if the other guys really listened to his ideas or regarded him only as comic relief.
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:12 am
by MarkBour
BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 4:42 pm
On the reporting of this historic mission I've been appalled by how often this landing has been said to have been made on the so called "Dark side of the Moon"!
I agree, Bruce, that this is unfortunate, and I hope that over time, with enough relevant stories to report, they will do better, and get it right.
Here is one other justification for referring to this as the "dark side of the moon", one that I would bet none of the reporters was alluding to:
Wikipedia : South_Pole-Aitken Basin
Little was known about the basin until the 1990s, when the spacecraft Galileo and Clementine visited the Moon. Multispectral images obtained from these missions showed that this basin contains more FeO and TiO2 than typical lunar highlands,[citation needed] and hence has a darker appearance.
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:39 am
by MarkBour
heehaw wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:19 pm
The Russians were the first to SEE the far side of the moon.
The Chinese are now the first to LAND on the far side of the moon.
Who will be the first to STROLL on the far side of the moon?
Actually, the first species to land on the far side of the moon, are not humans, but silkworms and potatoes. You may want to count them as Chinese, but I'm not sure if that is ultimately correct. I mean, they're at least expatriates (in the older sense of the term), now.
Of course this has huge implications and ramifications.
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 6:15 am
by Guest
Do we really believe that the Chinese landed a rover on the farside of the moon? Isn't the moon supposed to be shades of grey? Where did the pink crater come from?
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 7:42 am
by geckzilla
Guest wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 6:15 am
Do we really believe that the Chinese landed a rover on the farside of the moon? Isn't the moon supposed to be shades of grey? Where did the pink crater come from?
yes
it's not even their first time
the color calibration is not the best, but there you go
are you as skeptical of everyone about landing on the Moon or just Chinese people?
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:57 pm
by neufer
Guest wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 6:15 am
Do we really believe that the Chinese landed a rover on the farside of the moon? Isn't the moon supposed to be shades of grey? Where did the pink crater come from?
Archy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 7:42 am
yes
it's not even their first time
the color calibration is not the best, but there you go
are you as skeptical of everyone about landing on the Moon or just Chinese people?
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 3:52 am
by MarkBour
neufer wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:54 amDeep inside, Art wondered if the other guys really listened to his ideas or regarded him only as comic relief.
I wouldn't go surfing near any sewers any time soon, Mark.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_(character) wrote:
<<In Stephen King's novel It, It is an eternal entity that can shape shift and change forms. After arriving on Earth, It would sleep for approximately 27 to 30 years at a time, then awaken to wreak chaos and feed (primarily on children's fear). The character is a menacing predatory entity which preys upon the children of Derry, Maine, roughly every 27 years, using a variety of powers that include the ability to shapeshift, manipulate, and go unnoticed by adults. During the course of the story, It primarily appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
It apparently originated in a void containing and surrounding the Universe—a place referred to in the novel as the "Macroverse". It arrived in our world during prehistoric times in a massive, cataclysmic event similar to an asteroid impact, in the place that would, in time, become Derry, Maine. The final physical form It takes is that of an enormous spider, but this is the closest the human mind can comprehend. It's actual form is not precisely what the children actually see. Instead, the natural form of It exists in an inter-dimensional realm referred to by It as the "deadlights" [which] are never seen, and their true form outside the physical realm is never revealed, only described as writhing, destroying orange lights. Coming face to face with the deadlights drives any living being instantly insane.
It's natural enemy is the "Abominable Snowman", another ancient dweller of King's "Macroverse" who, eons ago, created our universe and possibly others. The book suggests that It, along with the Abominable Snowman, are themselves creations of a separate, omnipotent creator referred to as "the Other". The Abominable Snowman and It are eternal enemies (creation versus consumption). It may, in fact, be either a "twinner" of, or the actual one of the six greater demon elementals mentioned by Mia in The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah, as the Spider is not one of the Beam Guardians.
Some events are described through It's point of view, through which It describes itself as the "superior" being with the Abominable Snowman as someone "close to his superiority" and humans as mere "toys". It is continually surprised by the children's victories over It, and near the end, It begins to question if It is not as superior as It had once thought. However, It never feels that the individual children are strong enough to defeat It.>>
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:53 am
by geckzilla
that was one of your better ones, Art
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 6:22 am
by MarkBour
geckzilla wrote: ↑Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:53 am
that was one of your better ones, Art
Absolutely.
So, speaking of clowning around ...
Is everyone okay with the Chinese space agency deciding to send whatever little biospheres they like to other celestial bodies without asking the rest of the world's opinion? Did they announce their plan to the wider community?
Oh... the Vermanity!
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 2:22 pm
by neufer
MarkBour wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 6:22 am
Is everyone okay with the Chinese space agency deciding to send whatever little biospheres they like to other celestial bodies without asking the rest of the world's opinion? Did they announce their plan to the wider community?
PETA: "Silkworms were meant to become moths who flutter and explore freely"
<<Have you ever been digging in your backyard when, all of a sudden, you come across a little worm who was buried beneath the earth? If so, you probably noticed that the worm quickly ducked back down under the dirt. That’s because worms are sensitive animals who can feel fear when they’re startled—just like you and me!
Silkworms aren’t very different from the earthworms found in our backyards. They’re insects who feel pain—just as all animals do. Silkworms spend a lot of time growing and transforming. They grow to about 70 times their original size and shed their skin four times in a process called “molting.” Can you imagine growing to 70 times your size?! We would all be giants!
Their cocoons are made from a single thread of silk that ranges from 900 to 3,000 feet long—that’s the length of three to 10 football fields! Eventually, the silkworms would change into moths. But people use the cocoons of silkworms to make silk, and the silkworms used for this purpose aren’t allowed to go through that natural process. They are steamed, boiled, or suffocated with poisonous gas while they’re still alive in their cocoons.
Without even realizing it, you could be wearing something that thousands of living, feeling insects had to die for! Silk can be found in clothing and everyday items such as bed sheets, pillows, scarves, and even hair-care products. That’s right—there could even be worm body parts in your hair! Many shampoos are made with silk. Would you want to use dead worms in your hair? We sure wouldn’t.
Silkworms were meant to become moths who flutter and explore freely, but they’ll never get the chance to do that if people continue to buy products made from their cocoons. But you can change that! Help these cute little bugs grow into beautiful moths like they’re supposed to in nature. Ask your parents to refuse to buy anything made with silk, and tell your friends to do the same.>>
geckzilla wrote: ↑Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:53 am
that was one of your better ones, Art
Is everyone okay with the Chinese space agency deciding to send whatever little biospheres they like to other celestial bodies without asking the rest of the world's opinion? Did they announce their plan to the wider community?
Well, it's not like we discuss our sterilization procedures (which we know are ineffective) with the Chinese when we launch probes.
Of course, there are no meaningful risks in doing this on the Moon. Mars might be a different matter, but since we're prepared to send people there, we're already prepared to contaminate it. So experiments like this really wouldn't change anything.
MarkBour wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 6:22 am
Is everyone okay with the Chinese space agency deciding to send whatever little biospheres they like to other celestial bodies without asking the rest of the world's opinion? Did they announce their plan to the wider community?
Well, it's not like we discuss our sterilization procedures (which we know are ineffective) with the Chinese when we launch probes. Of course, there are no meaningful risks in doing this on the Moon. Mars might be a different matter, but since we're prepared to send people there, we're already prepared to contaminate it. So experiments like this really wouldn't change anything.
If silkworms grow to about 70 times their original size in Earth gravity can you imagine how large they'll grow under lunar gravity!
MarkBour wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 6:22 am
Is everyone okay with the Chinese space agency deciding to send whatever little biospheres they like to other celestial bodies without asking the rest of the world's opinion? Did they announce their plan to the wider community?
Well, it's not like we discuss our sterilization procedures (which we know are ineffective) with the Chinese when we launch probes. Of course, there are no meaningful risks in doing this on the Moon. Mars might be a different matter, but since we're prepared to send people there, we're already prepared to contaminate it. So experiments like this really wouldn't change anything.
If silkworms grow to about 70 times their original size in Earth gravity can you imagine how large they'll grow under lunar gravity!
And imagine what a gross mess they'll make when they explode due to the inability of their skin to support their insides against a vacuum!
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 4:35 pm
by Fred the Cat
Another Silk proposal finds going to the “other” side of the moon useful for scientific reasons.
Speaking of gravity, I didn’t realize the difficulty involved in placing communication satellites in lunar orbit.
MarkBour wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 6:22 am
Is everyone okay with the Chinese space agency deciding to send whatever little biospheres they like to other celestial bodies without asking the rest of the world's opinion? Did they announce their plan to the wider community?
Well, it's not like we discuss our sterilization procedures (which we know are ineffective) with the Chinese when we launch probes.
Of course, there are no meaningful risks in doing this on the Moon. Mars might be a different matter, but since we're prepared to send people there, we're already prepared to contaminate it. So experiments like this really wouldn't change anything.
I appreciate your answer in two ways. First, it is right of you to point out that any request for good cooperation has to "go both ways". Second, I'm glad to see that you do not have a problem with this (and that so far, nobody has expressed a reason for concern ... at least nothing that goes beyond the PETA complaint).
It is topical that this probe has landed in Von Kármán crater ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_law
At Caltech in 1942 Theodore von Kármán and other rocket scientists banded together to form Aerojet rocket company with the help of lawyer Andrew G. Haley. To toast the new corporation, Kármán said, "Now, Andy, we will make the rockets – you must make the corporation and obtain the money. Later on you will have to see that we behave well in outer space...After all, we are the scientists but you are the lawyer, and you must tell us how to behave ourselves according to law and to safeguard our innocence." Indeed, twenty years later Haley published the fundamental textbook, Space Law and Government.
Some previous international cooperation has ignored the Chinese. Now that they have made their presence known and set their ambitions high, I think it important for the rest of the space-faring nations to be more inclusive of them. They are a party of the Outer Space Treaty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty
As a result of discussions arising from Project West Ford in 1963, a consultation clause was included in Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty: "A State Party to the Treaty which has reason to believe that an activity or experiment planned by another State Party in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, would cause potentially harmful interference with activities in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, may request consultation concerning the activity or experiment."
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 7:44 pm
by neufer
Fred the Cat wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 4:35 pm
I didn’t realize the difficulty involved in placing communication satellites in lunar orbit.
Maintaining a quasi-stable Lissajous halo orbit around the Earth–Moon L2 Lagrange pointconsidering the Moon's elliptical orbit and Solar tidal forces is a bit of a bother. (Mascons really have nothing to do with it.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e_4#Queqiao wrote:
<<On 20 May 2018, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched the Queqiao ("Magpie Bridge") relay satellite to a halo orbit around the Earth–Moon L2 point. The relay satellite has a mass of 425 kg, and it uses a 4.2 m antenna to receive X band signals from the lander and rover, and relay them to Earth control on the S band. On 14 June 2018, Queqiao finished its final adjustment burn and entered the L2 halo mission orbit, which is about 65,000 kilometres from the Moon. This is the first lunar relay satellite at this location.>>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cowherd_and_the_Weaver_Girl wrote:
<<The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is a 2600 years ago Chinese folk tale referenced to the story by Carl Sagan in his book Contact. It is a love story between Zhinü (織女; the weaver girl star Vega) and Niulang (牛郎; the cowherd star Altair) who were banished to opposite sides of the Silver River (i.e., the Milky Way Galaxy). Once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for one day.>>
Fred the Cat wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 4:35 pm
I didn’t realize the difficulty involved in placing communication satellites in lunar orbit.
Maintaining a quasi-stable Lissajous halo orbit around the Earth–Moon L2 Lagrange pointconsidering the Moon's elliptical orbit and Solar tidal forces is a bit of a bother. (Mascons really have nothing to do with it.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e_4#Queqiao wrote:
<<On 20 May 2018, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched the Queqiao ("Magpie Bridge") relay satellite to a halo orbit around the Earth–Moon L2 point. The relay satellite has a mass of 425 kg, and it uses a 4.2 m antenna to receive X band signals from the lander and rover, and relay them to Earth control on the S band. On 14 June 2018, Queqiao finished its final adjustment burn and entered the L2 halo mission orbit, which is about 65,000 kilometres from the Moon. This is the first lunar relay satellite at this location.>>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cowherd_and_the_Weaver_Girl wrote:
<<The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is a 2600 years ago Chinese folk tale referenced to the story by Carl Sagan in his book Contact. It is a love story between Zhinü (織女; the weaver girl star Vega) and Niulang (牛郎; the cowherd star Altair) who were banished to opposite sides of the Silver River (i.e., the Milky Way Galaxy). Once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for one day.>>
Ah-ha, good plan. Nature’s Way before herky-jerky. Sort of like using the dirt from tunneling under a wall to build a ramp over it.
Chang’e-4’s first complete panorama
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 5:46 pm
by neufer
Chang’e 4 views its landing site, including the Yutu-2 rover just to the south, in the first panorama taken after landing, on 10 January 2019.
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 2:59 pm
by neufer
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:28 pm
by BDanielMayfield
Nice to see that they fixed the overly red color issue. Now the moon's surface looks real, instead of [like] a faked Mars' landscape.
Re: APOD: Yutu 2 on the Farside (2019 Jan 05)
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:40 pm
by Chris Peterson
BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:28 pm
Nice to see that they fixed the overly red color issue. Now the moon's surface looks real, instead of a faked Mars' landscape. ;)
I guess they just corrected the color temperature of the stage lighting on their set. /s
BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:28 pm
Nice to see that they fixed the overly red color issue. Now the moon's surface looks real, instead of [like] a faked Mars' landscape.
I guess they just corrected the color temperature of the stage lighting on their set. /s
We're just joking y'all. (Wouldn't want the Red Army mad at us.)
