Me Scientist! Me throw stuff at big rock!

[Greebo]

If you're a science buff you probably already know that NASA has been engaging in a project to smash a valuable camera by throwing it at a rock.

Or rather, to demonstratively test the effect of an impact on a comet by another object.

This is a pretty cool idea - even if it has the opportunity to be the brunt of lots of jokes. Deep Impact (not the movie) succeeded last night at approximately 1:35 am EST when the projectile launched at the comet impacted spot on target, to pretty impressive results:

http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Go NASA! HIT THAT ROCK!!!

 

[T Bone]

Yep, they hit it outta the park with that one. The real trick, was hitting it at all. Saw a few pics (AOL said 10,000 gathered in Hawaii to watch it live on a big screen). Still waiting to hear how big a crater they actually accomplished (they were unsure how big it'd be, from house to stadium sized, 2 story to 14 story deep).

 

[fgcason]

Re: Me Scientist! Rear ended by big rock!

Go NASA! HIT THAT ROCK!!!

Actually the rock hit them, not the other way round. Probe was flying way too slow in the pattern ahead of the 3x9 Heavy...

Impact: approx 05:52 GMT

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/deepimpact/status.html

Nothing quite like getting rear ended by a 3x9 mile mountain at 23,000 mph delta V.

 

[Greebo]

We set the TiVo to record the event. NASA has a thing or two to learn from Broadcast Television... but it was still pretty neat.

I still chuckle at the irony of rocket scientists basically throwing rocks at things.

 

[fgcason]

We set the TiVo to record the event. NASA has a thing or two to learn from Broadcast Television... but it was still pretty neat.

It's about what you're doing, not what you can make it look like.

I have yet to see broadcast television transmit anything near as neat as putting copper blocks in front of speeding mountains.
HDTV + 3D surround sound spewing out sitcoms and pre-recorded laugh tracks has absolutely NOTHING on the super low quality image/sound of July 20 1969.

I still chuckle at the irony of rocket scientists basically throwing rocks at things.

It's a typical physics experiment. Want to learn what something is made of? Blow it up and see what kind of pieces come out of it.

Physics is like using a howitzer to determine what the buildings on campus are. If books come flying out, it's probably the library. If desks and chalk boards, it's probably a classroom. If it's a really big boom and the gas cloud is killing everything it goes past, it's probably the chemistry store room.