DailyDirt: Solar System Factoids

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Every so often, it's good to take a look up into the sky and think about how small our troubles are -- compared to the size of the universe. Our little planet orbits a second (or maybe third) generation star, burning up heavier elements from previous stars that no longer exist. As Carl Sagan famously said, "We're made of star stuff." So as some of us take a couple days off to be thankful for the things we have, check out some of these links about our solar system. If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.
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Filed Under: astronomy, dwarf planet, great red spot, grs, jupiter, kbo, kepler, pluto, solar system, space, stars, tno


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  • identicon
    Pixelation, 3 Dec 2013 @ 7:36pm

    Pluto prefers to be called a "Little Planet" you insensitive clod.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 4 Dec 2013 @ 6:59am

      Re:

      Hmm... as a planet you can't use vertically or horizontally challenged...

      Perhaps, cubically challenged?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Dec 2013 @ 8:28pm

    Pluto is a trademarked Disney character -- but he's not one of the seven dwarves.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    letherial (profile), 4 Dec 2013 @ 1:31am

    " "dwarf planet" or a Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) or a Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO). "

    Pluto was downgraded because he lacks any direction in life, 248 years to what earth does in one? thats just lazy. Clearly he is in a stage of exploration (A trans what?! never mind I don't want to know)

    If pluto to ever rise to planet status again, he needs to stop hanging out with his friends in those odd places (clearly with these strange orbits, he is hanging out with the wrong crowd) What else are you doing out there that your not showing neptune?

    Let me give you a piece of advice Pluto, next time you come near near Neptune, latch on and hang out with someone who knows how to be a planet. Im sure he will take you on as a moon, baby steps right?. Regardless, you need to get your act together or just leave; the Whole family is watching and you already let us down once, lets not do it again.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Dec 2013 @ 1:45am

    Our little planet orbits a second (or maybe third) generation star, burning up heavier elements from previous stars that no longer exist.

    burning up heavier elements from previous stars (is this part true)

    I thought that when a star starts to burn the heavier elements like Fe it quickly dies.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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