Out and About

This shit fascinates me so I dragged the kids away from the tube today down to Hudnall Planetarium for a presentation tracking the progress of the Cassini/Huygens spacecraft and its mission to Saturn and its moons...especially Titan. Initial reports indicate that Titan may actually have an atmosphere muck as Earth may have had millions of years ago...and may actually support life. I think the kids got bored about halfway through the presentation, as it got fairly detailed with scientific jargon concerning “sling-shotting” or gravity assisted flight. Gravity assist works because of the mutual gravitational pull between a moving planet and a spacecraft. The planet, of course, pulls on the spacecraft. But the spacecraft's own mass also pulls on the planet. This permits an exchange of energy thus accelerating the speed of the spacecraft…..like I said I think they got bored but I enjoyed myself. Imagine the prospect of living on another planet! Great stuff to a kid that grew up with Star Trek, Space 1999, Buck Rodgers in the 25th Century, and Battlestar Galactica…..

Oh well I needed to get out of the house myself…

For a more detailed explanation of the mission head over to NASA

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm

Later…