It's incomprehensibly special and rare that our moon amd star are just the right size and just the right distance away for us to experience almost perfect eclipses.
I've been lucky enough to see a complete solar eclipse 2 times. It's even more special because it won't be able to do that forever and it didn't always either. Genuinely one of the coolest parts of our planet rn.
Both Mars' moons (Phobos and Deimos) are asteroids. They're really small.
"Hydrostatic equilibrium" is the term (I think) for when a body is massive enough for its gravity to pull it into a spheroid. E.g. Ceres is about 950km in diameter and is 'round'.
Hmm today I learned that asteroids can also be moons! Was it just floating around freely like any other asteroid until it got caught into the orbit of Mars, then got stuck there forever?
Banks had an idea that our total solar eclipse is unique on a galactic scale and aliens for sure come to Earth to see it. So if you want to find aliens you have to monitor solar eclipse sites. I wonder is any government agency actually did it.
Transitions I believe. I think it's the last or one of the last ones he wrote (he died and 2013 and in the book he mentions 2008 crisis). Weakest of his books I've read. Don't know if he didn't had the time to finish it or something but it was just full of holes.
38 Comments
theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world · 72 pts · 176d
It's incomprehensibly special and rare that our moon amd star are just the right size and just the right distance away for us to experience almost perfect eclipses.
sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml · 27 pts · 176d
I've been lucky enough to see a complete solar eclipse 2 times. It's even more special because it won't be able to do that forever and it didn't always either. Genuinely one of the coolest parts of our planet rn.
Denjin@feddit.uk · 15 pts · 176d
That, and the, y'know, life supporting-ness.
sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 176d
Oh yeah I guess that's alright too
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 5 pts · 176d
It depends
jaybone@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 176d
Yeah, but no one seems to care about that minor detail.
MoffKalast@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 176d
It really makes you think if this planet was designed by mice or not.
Meron35@lemmy.world · 58 pts · 176d
SendMePhotos@lemmy.world · 48 pts · 176d
Fishnoodle@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 176d
No wonder the demons in Doom came to attack the base on Phobos. Janky ass turd of a moon
jaybone@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 176d
Spoiler alert: there’s an even uglier one.
Paradachshund@lemmy.today · 25 pts · 176d
👀
rarbg@lemmy.zip · 22 pts · 176d
Can confirm. Earths total eclipses are wild. Most otherworldly spectacle I will witness in my life.
sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 176d
Fully intend to do acid next time I see one.
ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 176d
You better duct tape those eclipse glasses to your face
sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 176d
Tempted to use my welders mask tbh
JennaR8r@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 17 pts · 176d
I thought moons & planets always appear generally round from a distance. This lumpy irregularly-shaped Phobos looks like an asteroid.
deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 16 pts · 176d
Both Mars' moons (Phobos and Deimos) are asteroids. They're really small.
"Hydrostatic equilibrium" is the term (I think) for when a body is massive enough for its gravity to pull it into a spheroid. E.g. Ceres is about 950km in diameter and is 'round'.
zaphod@sopuli.xyz · 10 pts · 176d
And another W for earth, get fucked mars. Is he even trying?
JennaR8r@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 176d
Hmm today I learned that asteroids can also be moons! Was it just floating around freely like any other asteroid until it got caught into the orbit of Mars, then got stuck there forever?
deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 5 pts · 176d
Probably. It does happen.
Fun fact. Triton, Neptune's largest moon, orbits the wrong way which means it was gravitationally captured by Neptune at some point.
sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 176d
Some moons are just like that. Don't body shame them
starik@lemmy.zip · 13 pts · 176d
Its’s not Mars’ fault!!
Fucking Phobos. As usual
Muaddib@sopuli.xyz · 13 pts · 176d
Earth! Earth! Earth! Earth!
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net · 13 pts · 176d
Banks had an idea that our total solar eclipse is unique on a galactic scale and aliens for sure come to Earth to see it. So if you want to find aliens you have to monitor solar eclipse sites. I wonder is any government agency actually did it.
deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 3 pts · 176d
Really weird book that one, even for Banks. Tangents or is it Inversions?
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net · 2 pts · 176d
Transitions I believe. I think it's the last or one of the last ones he wrote (he died and 2013 and in the book he mentions 2008 crisis). Weakest of his books I've read. Don't know if he didn't had the time to finish it or something but it was just full of holes.
ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one · 12 pts · 176d
Sadly Deimos disappeared during the Deimos Event.
sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 176d
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 12 pts · 176d
Pathetic. No wonder we haven't bothered to go there yet.
Earthman_Jim@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 176d
Is it still an eclipse if it's only a partial obscuration?
sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 176d
Yes but it isn't as cool
BluJay320@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 7 pts · 176d
“Am I…. Getting through?”
TheLamb@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 176d
Caine reference? OWO
Kurroth@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 176d
My dumb arse for about five seconds "damn I didn't know Luna wasn't so round when viewed from mars".
funkajunk@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 176d
Big ups for Earth
dumbass@piefed.social · 4 pts · 176d
Stoned Cookie Monster.
Mwa@thelemmy.club · 3 pts · 176d
Eyeball