Comments on: Schedule for M3 (MESSENGER Flyby #3) Events and Web 2.0 Live Coverage http://blogontheuniverse.org getting anyone emotional about science, helping parents and teachers make science an adventure Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:05:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: DrJeff http://blogontheuniverse.org/messenger-schedule-of-events-and-web-2-0-live-coverage/comment-page-1/#comment-186 DrJeff Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:36:45 +0000 http://blogontheuniverse.org/?page_id=4848#comment-186 Here's a reply to Ms. Albrecht's class from Dr. David Blewett, one of the MESSENGER Mission scientists- Hello Plano fourth graders! I bet it gets pretty hot in Texas sometimes, and you like to stay in the shade out of the Sun's rays. The MESSENGER spacecraft does the same thing - it has a sunshade made of a special heat-resistant material. MESSENGER's computer has instructions to always keep the sunshade pointed at the Sun, so the spacecraft can keep cool in its shadow. You can see the sunshade in pictures of the spacecraft, like here: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/spacecraft/overview.html The sunshade is very important, because the Sun's rays at Mercury are about 10 times stronger than here on Earth. One good thing about the strong sunlight is that the spacecraft's solar panels (which generate electricity to run all the experiments) do not need to be very big! Thanks for your interest in this exciting mission of exploration. --Dave Here’s a reply to Ms. Albrecht’s class from Dr. David Blewett, one of the MESSENGER Mission scientists-

Hello Plano fourth graders! I bet it gets pretty hot in Texas sometimes, and you like to stay in the shade out of the Sun’s rays. The MESSENGER spacecraft does the same thing – it has a sunshade made of a special heat-resistant material. MESSENGER’s computer has instructions to always keep the sunshade pointed at the Sun, so the spacecraft can keep cool in its shadow. You can see the sunshade in pictures of the spacecraft, like here:

http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/spacecraft/overview.html

The sunshade is very important, because the Sun’s rays at Mercury are about 10 times stronger than here on Earth. One good thing about the strong sunlight is that the spacecraft’s solar panels (which generate electricity to run all the experiments) do not need to be very big!

Thanks for your interest in this exciting mission of exploration.

–Dave

]]> By: DrJeff http://blogontheuniverse.org/messenger-schedule-of-events-and-web-2-0-live-coverage/comment-page-1/#comment-172 DrJeff Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:55:59 +0000 http://blogontheuniverse.org/?page_id=4848#comment-172 Hello Ms. Albrecht's class!! What a great question! On the following page, you'll see a picture of MESSENGER's orbit around the Sun: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/the_mission/mission_design.html You can see that it flies by Mercury 3 times before it goes into orbit around the planet. Notice that the spacecraft is never heading toward the Sun, so it is not in danger of burning up. Right now it *IS* actually orbiting the Sun, that is until it goes into orbit around Mercury in 2011. Good thinking! And reach for the stars! Hello Ms. Albrecht’s class!! What a great question! On the following page, you’ll see a picture of MESSENGER’s orbit around the Sun: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/the_mission/mission_design.html You can see that it flies by Mercury 3 times before it goes into orbit around the planet. Notice that the spacecraft is never heading toward the Sun, so it is not in danger of burning up. Right now it *IS* actually orbiting the Sun, that is until it goes into orbit around Mercury in 2011. Good thinking! And reach for the stars!

]]> By: stephanie http://blogontheuniverse.org/messenger-schedule-of-events-and-web-2-0-live-coverage/comment-page-1/#comment-171 stephanie Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:25:38 +0000 http://blogontheuniverse.org/?page_id=4848#comment-171 One of my students was wondering ... How is it that you are able to pass Mercury without burning up? Or being "sucked" into the huge orbit of the sun? We are a group of 4th graders in Plano, Texas ... Good luck on your mission!!! One of my students was wondering … How is it that you are able to pass Mercury without burning up? Or being “sucked” into the huge orbit of the sun?

We are a group of 4th graders in Plano, Texas … Good luck on your mission!!!

]]> By: Willard Van De Bogart http://blogontheuniverse.org/messenger-schedule-of-events-and-web-2-0-live-coverage/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Willard Van De Bogart Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:14:08 +0000 http://blogontheuniverse.org/?page_id=4848#comment-167 I feel very fortunate that I will be able to be a part of this historic event. I live in Thailand and will be listening to this broadcast knowing it is the beginning of many visits the human race will take to other worlds. Thanks for all your hard work. I feel very fortunate that I will be able to be a part of this historic event. I live in Thailand and will be listening to this broadcast knowing it is the beginning of many visits the human race will take to other worlds. Thanks for all your hard work.

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