HOT TOPICS

As a young teen I put together my very own 'Solar System' book, a page for each planet, moon and large asteroid, drawn pictures included, with all the facts then known, because I used to haunt libraries for info.

I recall in one English class to having to give a spontaneous three minute talk on any subject to the class. All the other guys spoke about cars and machines etc. I spoke for 15 minutes (was asked to wrap it up around Satrurn) and bored the class stupid (most had no idea what I was talking about), about the Solar System. Got top marks mind you.

Where's this heading you may ask.

Well the Solar System I knew back then had 9 planets (Pluto was still a planet then) and of the moons Earth had one, Mars two, Jupiter 12, Saturn 9, Uranus 5 and Neptune 2. totalling 31 (Jupiter and Staurn alone now have almost that total number each). No one had any idea what the planets really looked like, the Moon had not been landed upon, some people still believed Venus may be a jungle under its clouds and Mars could have critters wandering about its surface around ancient water canals.

Todays discoveries for me are Science Fiction from yesteryear. The missions to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, even closer to the sun, some comets and asteroids have been like opening Christmas presents for me as the years past. We even now know there are an infinite number of planets out there in other stellar systems.

Curiosity, that car sized mobile research lab, has just landed on Mars. The significance is actually quite important not only because its the next generation of vehicles crossing the surface after the marvelous Spirit and Opportunity, but its the next step, in how the vehicle landed, of puting a person on Mars. Meanwhile a vessel heads to the largest asteroid, Ceres, to have a look/see and New Horizons next year reaches Pluto, the now called dwarf planet, though some call it a double planet because its companion Charon is not much smaller. And it has at least four other moons

And whats beyond. Well the next generation of telescope (actually a wide range of scopes searching through various electromagnetic wave lengths), may not only surpass Hubbles and the Keplers (the satellite looking for planets) efforts. It may see to almost the very beginning of the Universe. Its called the James Webb Observatory and its managed to escape cancellation because of the fiscal problems in the USA. This is the next big thing in space based observatories.

All this is to happen in just over the next half a decade. What you have seen so far may be nothing compared to what you are about to see in the next few years that may make todays Science Fiction Avatar look tame. And it will be reality.

I shake my head in wonder at how much has been revealed of the Universe since I was the 13 year old boy giving that 15 minute Solar System lecture, no doubt boring my classmates into a stupor (I sure some were sleeping). I wonder what magical discoveries will be revealed in your time. The discovery of extra terrestrial life? Earth like planets with oceans and an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere? Klingons? What a great time to be alive.

What's your thoughts?

When i have some more time I think about this, then get back to you. (on another coffee break only 5 mins to spare)

I also like that stuff, and have a telescope.

You missed Uranus changing names because of butt jokes..lol

We are really mean to the poor ol' rovers :( I mean, did anybody stop to think what they might feel about landing on a desolate planet several hundred thousand kilometres from Earth?

Poor number 9, he's alive. He tweets.

Lunokhod, he is not gripe about such petty concerns.

This high res colour montage is good, click the link on the page and zoom in, so much detail rocks etc are very clear

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?ImageID=4421

Nice pictures, but stick the rover in D for drive and get movin.