Starship Asterisk*

I believe there is an error in the description of the Oct. 20 picture. The phrase "the Jovian world's atmosphere" should read "the Saturnian world's atmosphere."

Jovian doesn't exclusively refer to Jupiter, but in fact is sometimes used to categorize gas giants. Confusing, I know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_giant

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081020.html

Sometimes I wonder it the gas giants should be called planets. True; they orbit old Sol; but, there just not the same.

Orin

I quote from today's information page:
"a deeper understanding of the Jovian world's atmosphere, etc."
How did Jupiter's feature find their way to Saturn?

(this was a link to the other thread before they were combined)

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081020.html

I took "Jovian" to refer loosely to all gas giant planets.

As mentioned in recent discussion, "Earthlike" is another term that is used loosely to refer to any icy or rocky planet.

Those are apparently your only two choices whether they fit well or not. Reminds me of the only "game" that came with a Neanderthal (actually Wang) computer system a few decades ago. You would think of an animal and it would try to guess the animal. It would only guess "gnat" and "goat" alternately forever, but think of all the bytes they saved by only having to change one letter from one guess to the other.

It makes conversation at the Starbase easy - "You from Earth or Jupiter?"

Ok, I get it... Jovian=gas (makes sense... Jovian - similar to jovial, gas - under the correct conditions causes laughter) and Earthlike=icy rock (and yes I like the Earth... I expect we all do).

Now this is pure speculation and likely a stupid idea, but what if there are giant "dust" bunnies floating around some star out there... say the size of Mercury? What catagory would they fall under? Comet-like? Would that be a fair name?

Is a planet-size dust bunny even possible? To be a planet, there has to be enough gravity for the object to form into a sphere. In order for there to be enough gravity there has be enough mass... so am I answering my own question??? A planet-size dust ball cannot exist?

By Jove! I gas that answers my question!

I don't know it a Dust Knot the size of Mercury would remain stable as a Loose conglomerate without the inherent gravity forcing it to solidify (likely into a mass the size of Iapetus.)

emc wrote:dust bunny

A loose term for a loose planet?

BMAONE23 wrote:Dust Knot

If you are referring to my policy for this desk and computer in front of me, that should be "Dust Not".

Jove is Jupiter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jove

apodman wrote:

emc wrote:dust bunny

A loose term for a loose planet?

Just a nutty idea.

But it typifies the reason I joined this forum... to have fun and learn a thing or two. 8)