A Christmas star
December 21, 2024 1:06 PM Subscribe
Do not anger the Sun by flying things into it.
posted by Lemkin at 1:24 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by Lemkin at 1:24 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
"Set the controls for the heart of the sun"
posted by clavdivs at 1:29 PM on December 21, 2024 [22 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 1:29 PM on December 21, 2024 [22 favorites]
heart of the sun
posted by clavdivs at 1:29 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 1:29 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
hey nasa you forgot elon
posted by lalochezia at 1:41 PM on December 21, 2024 [35 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 1:41 PM on December 21, 2024 [35 favorites]
I’ve been dreaming of humanity launching probes into the sun for years. But my probes would be much simpler. They’d be just there to launch all presidential candidates into the core.
posted by rickw at 1:49 PM on December 21, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by rickw at 1:49 PM on December 21, 2024 [2 favorites]
will endure temperatures in excess of 2,500° Fahrenheit (1,371° C) on Christmas Eve, which is pretty much the polar opposite of the North Pole.
Hmm, this has accidentally illustrated to me what a terrible metaphor “polar opposite” is, at least in earth terms.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 1:50 PM on December 21, 2024 [6 favorites]
Hmm, this has accidentally illustrated to me what a terrible metaphor “polar opposite” is, at least in earth terms.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 1:50 PM on December 21, 2024 [6 favorites]
🌞
posted by HearHere at 2:02 PM on December 21, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by HearHere at 2:02 PM on December 21, 2024 [2 favorites]
Set the controls for the heart of the sun.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 2:03 PM on December 21, 2024 [6 favorites]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 2:03 PM on December 21, 2024 [6 favorites]
"South," said the captain....first lines from The Golden Apples of the Sun, Ray Bradbury, 1953; a story about a manned mission to acquire a solar sample
"But," said his crew, "there simply aren't any directions out here in space."
"When you travel on down toward the sun," replied the captain, "and everything gets yellow and warm and lazy, then you're going in one direction only." He shut his eyes and thought about the smoldering, warm, faraway land, his breath moving gently in his mouth. "South." He nodded slowly to himself. "South."
posted by Rash at 2:50 PM on December 21, 2024 [14 favorites]
Now fly one into Uranus.
posted by Czjewel at 3:30 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by Czjewel at 3:30 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
Okay but if you want to really impress me, fly one OUT of it
posted by cortex at 4:03 PM on December 21, 2024 [8 favorites]
posted by cortex at 4:03 PM on December 21, 2024 [8 favorites]
Perfect post for the Solstice!
posted by crazy_yeti at 4:21 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by crazy_yeti at 4:21 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
somebody tell Danny boyle
posted by j_curiouser at 4:23 PM on December 21, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by j_curiouser at 4:23 PM on December 21, 2024 [2 favorites]
Every time you try to operate on of these weird black controls that are labelled in black on a black background, a little black light lights up black to let you know you’ve done it. What is this? Some kind of galactic hyperhearse?
posted by 1adam12 at 4:31 PM on December 21, 2024 [12 favorites]
posted by 1adam12 at 4:31 PM on December 21, 2024 [12 favorites]
Now fly one into Uranus.
Really, Shepard?
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 4:37 PM on December 21, 2024 [6 favorites]
Really, Shepard?
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 4:37 PM on December 21, 2024 [6 favorites]
In "The Mote in God's Eye", classic scifi novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, a ship was able to enter a sun and survive for a period of time due to a technology called the Langston Field, which formed a bubble around the ship and absorbed energy.
This was later upgraded by some interesting 3 armed aliens and shenanigans ensued. Highly recommended read.
posted by chmmr at 4:46 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
This was later upgraded by some interesting 3 armed aliens and shenanigans ensued. Highly recommended read.
posted by chmmr at 4:46 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
In Rocket Jockey by Lester del Rey they cut it way too close in order to win a race.
posted by Rash at 4:57 PM on December 21, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Rash at 4:57 PM on December 21, 2024 [1 favorite]
Paging Disaster Area, paging Disaster Area, your ship is ready.. "Ship, sun, boom!"
posted by Hardcore Poser at 4:59 PM on December 21, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by Hardcore Poser at 4:59 PM on December 21, 2024 [4 favorites]
It turns out it's really hard to just shoot something at the sun.
Also, set the controls for the heart of the sun.
posted by signal at 5:08 PM on December 21, 2024 [8 favorites]
Also, set the controls for the heart of the sun.
posted by signal at 5:08 PM on December 21, 2024 [8 favorites]
See also Nova by Samuel Delany, which includes flying through a sun.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 6:24 PM on December 21, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 6:24 PM on December 21, 2024 [3 favorites]
Crack astrophysicists working around the clock to identify the precise microsecond at which to say “Yeah, but it’s a dry heat.”
posted by No-sword at 6:52 PM on December 21, 2024 [9 favorites]
posted by No-sword at 6:52 PM on December 21, 2024 [9 favorites]
Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun
posted by evilDoug at 7:34 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by evilDoug at 7:34 PM on December 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
This is all a lie.
...it's a Darrian Star Trigger, and I for one welcome it.
posted by aramaic at 8:41 PM on December 21, 2024 [1 favorite]
...it's a Darrian Star Trigger, and I for one welcome it.
posted by aramaic at 8:41 PM on December 21, 2024 [1 favorite]
I've got a bike, you can ride it if you like, it's got a basket, a bell... (am I doing this right?)
(ahem) Since the beginning of time, Man has yearned to destroy the Sun.
posted by rory at 2:48 AM on December 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
(ahem) Since the beginning of time, Man has yearned to destroy the Sun.
posted by rory at 2:48 AM on December 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
I like the craft in David Brin's Sundiver, which dumps excess heat so that the staffed craft (it had a non-human observer) can stay within survivable temperature range. (Can we do that for our orbital craft, planet earth?)
posted by k3ninho at 5:50 AM on December 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by k3ninho at 5:50 AM on December 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
Sure, if we have a large enough laser.
posted by signal at 7:44 AM on December 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by signal at 7:44 AM on December 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
Well, if this works, I've got a bunch of crap I need to get rid of that I can donate as ballast for the next mission!
*starts rummaging around*
hey nasa you forgot elon
WHAT? I'll wait.
Yeet 'im!
Meanwhile, this is pretty cool. Would have been just showing off to have timed the closest approach for Dec. 21 at 4:21 a.m ET. But close enough.
Hi Sol! *waves*
posted by BlueHorse at 9:11 AM on December 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
*starts rummaging around*
hey nasa you forgot elon
WHAT? I'll wait.
Yeet 'im!
Meanwhile, this is pretty cool. Would have been just showing off to have timed the closest approach for Dec. 21 at 4:21 a.m ET. But close enough.
Hi Sol! *waves*
posted by BlueHorse at 9:11 AM on December 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
> I've got a bike, you can ride it if you like
It's a good one
.. my tiny claim to fame, it was my friend's bike. Miss you Ollie, it's been so many years
posted by anadem at 6:06 PM on December 22, 2024 [3 favorites]
It's a good one
.. my tiny claim to fame, it was my friend's bike. Miss you Ollie, it's been so many years
posted by anadem at 6:06 PM on December 22, 2024 [3 favorites]
Ummmm it's not going into the sun? It will orbit for 7 years.
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:56 AM on December 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:56 AM on December 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
Witness the man who raves at the wall
Making the shape of his question to Heaven
Whether the sun will fall in the evening
Will he remember the lesson of giving?
Set the controls to enter the upper atmosphere of the Sun.
posted by Reverend John at 8:33 AM on December 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
Making the shape of his question to Heaven
Whether the sun will fall in the evening
Will he remember the lesson of giving?
Set the controls to enter the upper atmosphere of the Sun.
posted by Reverend John at 8:33 AM on December 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
Indeed!
NASA spacecraft 'safe' after closest-ever approach to Sun
posted by chavenet at 9:22 AM on December 28, 2024 [1 favorite]
NASA spacecraft 'safe' after closest-ever approach to Sun
posted by chavenet at 9:22 AM on December 28, 2024 [1 favorite]
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posted by njohnson23 at 1:07 PM on December 21, 2024 [22 favorites]