Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #MU69
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#Mu69: contact binary, peanut, snowman, BB8 droid, balancing balls, & cute lil Kuiper Belt Object who will upend what we thought we knew because that's how science works.
Tech thread from today's news release:
Tech thread from today's news release:
Q: What's a contact binary?
A: What used to be a binary system (2 things orbiting each other) that got squished together (contact) until they're now 1 lumptastic thing.
Details (with diagrams!): planetary.org/blogs/emily-la…
A: What used to be a binary system (2 things orbiting each other) that got squished together (contact) until they're now 1 lumptastic thing.
Details (with diagrams!): planetary.org/blogs/emily-la…
For #MU69, it looks like it was very gentle squishage. Like, the softest of squeezy-taps from two balls in space to one wonky lil friend.
All that brightness in the neck? Probably fine powders settling into the seam.
So soft. So gentle. So friendly.
All that brightness in the neck? Probably fine powders settling into the seam.
So soft. So gentle. So friendly.
Ugh! I'm trying to figure out my own feelings on this and to only get into the conversation if I have something useful to add. So, here are my thoughts on #UltimaThule
First:
I do think a different "nickname" should have been used. Ultima Thule is difficult to say and has some negative connotations. And, there's a lot of good words without any negative connotations, so why go there?
It's a busy, busy day for space with @OSIRISREx slipping into orbit around Bennu & @NASANewHorizons doing its flyby of #Mu69.
I'm not covering the stories (...sigh), but I can recc @elakdawalla @alexwitze @DownHereOnEarth @lorengrush
I'm not covering the stories (...sigh), but I can recc @elakdawalla @alexwitze @DownHereOnEarth @lorengrush
Hello, new tiny world. Ready for your close-up?
Hey, lil peanut! Nice to meet you, if only for a brief moment.
