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| | | titletext = After decades of increasingly confused arguing, Pluto is reclassified as a "dwarf Pluto." | | | titletext = After decades of increasingly confused arguing, Pluto is reclassified as a "dwarf Pluto." |
| | }} | | }} |
| − | * The comic on xkcd is a link to [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-spacecraft-displays-pluto-s-big-heart-0 this NASA post].
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| | + | When the image is clicked the latest [http://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-spacecraft-displays-pluto-s-big-heart-0 NASA post] opens up. |
| | ==Explanation== | | ==Explanation== |
| − | This comic was posted on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, in honor of the {{w|New Horizons}} deep space probe making its flyby at {{w|Pluto}}, thus breaking the typical Monday/Wednesday/Friday cycle for the [[xkcd]] comics. Also on this day he released the first ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' in over three months, and it was called [http://what-if.xkcd.com/137/ New Horizons]. Luckily it did not end up back on Earth, as depicted in [[1532: New Horizons]], released 1½ month before closest approach.
| + | {{incomplete|New Page.}} |
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| − | [[Randall]] has taken one of the probe's images of Pluto, and outlined humorous examples of {{w|Pareidolia|pareidolia}} on top of it. | + | This comic was posted on Tuesday, July 14th 2015 and breaking the regular Monday/Wednesday/Friday cycle for the [[xkcd]] comics in honor of the {{w|New Horizons}} deep space probe making its flyby at {{w|Pluto}}. [[Randall]] has taken the largest released image by this day and drawn humorous {{w|Pareidolie|pareidolie}} on top of it. |
| | | | |
| − | It can be compared to preliminary descriptions by geologists, e.g. [http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/07140911-new-horizons-best-look-at.html?referrer=http://t.co/ExQJ6cKS1Q New Horizons' best look at Pluto before close approach|The Planetary Society].
| + | {| class="wikitable" |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | The comic probably winks at {{w|Percival Lowell}} whose observatory photographed Pluto in 1915 "known" as Planet X. Unfortunately Percival Lowell is most famous for his drawings of the {{w|Martian canal|Canals on Mars}} which are widely misunderstood as channels based on wrong translations from Italian to other languages.
| + | ! Description |
| − | | + | ! Explanation |
| − | The title text refers to the debate as to whether Pluto should be classified as a full or dwarf planet. This debate was particularly brought into the public eye and came to be seen as a matter of controversy, following the 2006 {{w|IAU definition of planet}}. The text may imagine that this debate winds on, with definitions being created and revised until a ridiculous state is reached whereby Pluto has a special class of celestial body named after it called a 'Pluto' but fails to fulfill the arbitrary criteria set up for it, and hence is called a 'dwarf Pluto'. There actually exist the terms {{w|Plutoid}} and {{w|Plutino}}, that relate directly to groups that Pluto belongs to, but see those pages for details of their use and usage. There has been a real naming conflict whilst generating those two categories, where Plutons was the name chosen initially, whereas Pluton is the usual name of Pluto in some languages.
| + | |- |
| − | | + | | Candy Shell |
| − | ===Details on Randall's discoveries===
| + | | Suger coating |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Candy shell
| + | | JPEG Plumes |
| − | Suggests Pluto is a confection, like [http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Minmus Minmus]. May also be a reference to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_%28chocolate_bar%29 Mars] candy bar.
| + | | JPEG has the common issue of making RGB squares over an image |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;JPEG plumes
| + | | Frontal Bone |
| − | The {{w|JPEG}} image format has the common issue of slightly distorting an image with {{w|Compression artifact}}s. The artifacts shown here do not appear in the official version of this image, but all data sent from New Horizons is compressed and artifacts are common — the full resolution images will be submitted to earth over the next 16 months. There have been tweets about people seeing plumes associated with active volcanoes and the like, which were explained as being artifacts.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Frontal bone
| + | | Grease Stains |
| − | Interpreting Pluto as a head, the {{w|frontal bone}} could be the light-colored region next to the darker top, just above the north pole facing to us.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Grease stains
| + | | Bugs |
| − | The area above Pluto's north pole is attributed to grease.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Bugs
| + | | Bullet holes |
| − | Could refer to possible extraterrestrial life on Pluto in the form of {{w|insects}}, or "bugs". In the animated TV series ''Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles'', an adaptation of Robert Heinlein's novel ''Starship Troopers'', the first battles with the alien "Bugs" took place on Pluto. Maybe it also refers to a software bug at the probe.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Bullet holes
| + | | New Netherlands |
| − | A string of small round features which Randall suggests was the result of Pluto getting shot repeatedly, probably by meteorites.
| + | | Reference to [[1519: Venus]] and also a What If? about draining the Earth's oceans onto Mars. In that What If?, the Netherlands issued forth from the portal that drained the oceans to claim Mars as New Netherlands. Presumably something similar happened on Pluto. |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;New Netherlands
| + | | Disputed territory |
| − | Reference to the what if?, [https://what-if.xkcd.com/54/ Drain the Oceans: Part II], about draining the Earth's oceans onto Mars. In the previous what if?, [https://what-if.xkcd.com/53/ Drain the Oceans], the Netherlands took over the Earth once their problem with the risk of flooding disappeared. And then they continued to issue forth from the portal that drained the oceans on Earth pouring them onto Mars, to claim Mars as New Netherlands. Presumably, something similar happened on Pluto. This was already again references in both an entry in the table and in the title text of [[1555: Exoplanet Names 2]]. | + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Disputed territory
| + | | Snake pit |
| − | Since the base photograph is identified as "today's ''New Horizons'' image," this indicates that a section of Pluto has immediately become the subject of some controversy, possibly a territorial claim or one of several references to the fact that Pluto was demoted from full planet status in 2006.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Snake pit
| + | | Full text of the wikipedia article on pareidolia |
| − | A generic map hazard.
| + | | Pareidolia is the issue of making up patterns that don't exist, such as this one. |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Full text of {{w|Pareidolia|the Wikipedia article on pareidolia}}
| + | | Dinosaur |
| − | Pareidolia is the human brain's tendency to see patterns where they don't exist. While probably a reference to Pluto's heart, the joke is also recursive: You'd be seeing the text of a Wikipedia article explaining to you that you couldn't actually be seeing the text of a Wikipedia article. | + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Tadpole
| + | | Tadpole |
| − | One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined.
| + | | A tadpole is a stage in the life of a frog |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Kuiper Belt loops
| + | | Kuiper Belt loops |
| − | The {{w|Kuiper belt}} is a region in our solar system that contains an unknown amount of icy bodies, one known is Pluto. Randall jokingly refers to Kuiper Belt as the same kind of belt that's used to fasten clothing and identifies features on Pluto's surface as loops for the belt. | + | | The {{w|Kuiper belt}} is a kind of belt surrounding our solar system |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Serenity
| + | | Serenity |
| − | An outline of the ''Firefly''-class spaceship ''Serenity'', which was the titular vessel from the 2002 TV series ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}''.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Dinosaur
| + | | Dinosaur |
| − | Nobody can see a dinosaur unless Randall did this painting on Pluto's surface. And a complex comic needs at least one dinosaur.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;The good part
| + | | The Good Part |
| − | A section of Pluto that is objectively better than the rest.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Moon bud
| + | | Moon bud |
| − | This could be interpreted as a moon growing/emerging out of Pluto, as a bud is "a compact knob-like growth". A round growth is seen at the location marked, resembling a small, emerging moon.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Ghost
| + | | Ghost |
| − | A reference to the classic video game ''{{w|Pacman}}'', wherein the primary antagonists are one of four Ghosts. The Ghost on Pluto appears to have a mouth, however, unlike most depictions of the ''Pacman'' Ghosts. One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined. | + | | A reference to {{w|Pacman}} |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Pluto dinosaur extinction crater
| + | | Pluto dinosaur extinction crater |
| − | Suggests Pluto had dinosaurs and lost them the same way Earth did.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;{{w|The Heart (Pluto)|Heart}}
| + | | Charging socket |
| − | The Tombaugh Regio: the most prominent pareidolic feature Randall has outlined, and the only one (currently) also informally named as such by NASA.
| + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Coronary artery disease
| + | | Cracks (beginning to hatch) |
| − | Also known as {{w|ischemic heart disease}}, which causes degradation of heart tissue. The region identified in the comic looks less 'healthy' (is darker and more ragged) compared to the rest of the 'Heart', which Randall suggests is caused by the disease.
| + | | Implying that Pluto is some manner of giant egg |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Mount Mons
| + | | Scars from predator attacks |
| − | Referring to the general practice of naming extraterrestrial mountains {{w|Mons (planetary nomenclature)|"X Mons"}} (e.g. {{w|Olympus Mons}}, a mountain on Mars and the largest mountain in the Solar System), as well as naming terrestrial mountains "Mount X". Since "mons" is Latin for "mountain", the feature's suggested name translates as "Mount Mountain". | + | | |
| − | | + | |- |
| − | ;Charging socket
| + | | Reset button |
| − | A terrain feature suitable for connecting an outside source of electricity for the benefit of implied internal batteries. Compare "dock connector," below.
| + | | |
| − | | + | | |
| − | ;Cracks (beginning to hatch)
| + | |- |
| − | Implying that Pluto is some manner of a giant egg. Possibly a reference to the {{w|''Doctor Who''}} ([[:Category:Doctor_Who|click here]]) episode ''Kill the Moon'', in which the Moon is revealed to be an egg from which a monster is hatching. A 2014 article from ''The Onion'', [http://www.theonion.com/article/moon-finally-hatches-36414 "Moon Finally Hatches,"] makes the same joke. Also possibly a reference to ''The Light Fantastic'', a ''Discworld'' novel in which similar objects are revealed to be the eggs of the world turtle. A similar idea appeared in Jack Williamson's 1934 short story "Born of the Sun".
| + | | Megaman |
| − | | + | | {{w|Megaman}} is a videogame character in the franchise with the same name |
| − | ;Plug (inflating/deflating)
| + | |- |
| − | Inflatable balls often have a "plug" or opening to insert a needle to inflate or deflate them.
| + | | Plug (Inflating/Deflating) |
| − | | + | | |
| − | ;Scars from predator attacks
| + | |- |
| − | Since it's all-caps, we can't tell if "PREDATOR" is a proper noun, but this is possibly a reference to the movie series ''{{w|Predator (franchise)|Predator}}'', about a race of aliens who hunt other beings for sport. Alternatively, a planetary predator (such as comic book villain {{w|Galactus}}) may have previously scarred Pluto.
| + | | Heart |
| − | | + | | |
| − | ;Reset button
| + | |- |
| − | The structure indicated is a small black dot (at least at this distance this picture was taken). Reset buttons on home electronics are often small buttons or holes used to reset the software of the electronic device.
| + | | Mount Mons |
| − | | + | | Referring to the general practice of naming extraterrestrial mountains "X Mons" (e.g. {{w|Olympus Mons}}, a mountain on Mars and the largest mountain in the Solar System), as well as naming terrestrial mountains "Mount X". |
| − | ;Megaman
| + | |- |
| − | One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined, this one in the shape of a {{w|Mega_Man_(character)|popular video game protagonist.}}
| + | | Coronary Artery Disease |
| − | | + | | Also known as {{w|ischemic heart disease}} |
| − | ;Debate Hole - Where we're putting all the people still arguing about Pluto's planet status
| + | |- |
| − | Pluto was reclassified as a {{w|dwarf planet}} rather than a {{w|planet}} following the latter term's controversial {{w|IAU definition of planet|redefinition in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union}}. Arguments about the classification continue to pop up. The same argument is referenced in the title text. The name implies a proposal to put all the people still arguing about it in this hole on Pluto. This proposal further implies that the continued debate is very annoying by 2015, except perhaps to the debaters themselves.
| + | | Debate Hole where we're putting all the people still arguing about pluto's planet status |
| − | | + | | |
| − | ;Area missed during ironing
| + | |- |
| − | The area indicated is near the {{w|Terminator (solar)|terminator}} and shows some intriguing topographic relief.
| + | | Area missed during ironing |
| − | | + | | |
| − | ;Probably Benign
| + | |- |
| − | A {{w|neoplasm}} or tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue. Randall is suggesting that the abnormal region near the heart has been evaluated by a doctor and determined to be {{w|Benign tumor|benign}}. | + | | Chocolate frosting |
| − | | + | | |
| − | ;Chocolate frosting
| + | |- |
| − | Suggests the discrepancy in color over Pluto's surface may be a function of what cake frosting was used where. This area is the "dark spot" at the head of the "whale" (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/14/science/space/pluto-flyby.html). The so-called "whale's tail" (http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/find-heart-whale-new-horizons-picture-pluto-n388816), is on the other hemisphere and is not visible in this image, it lies east about 90 degrees from the chocolate frosting/dark spot here.
| + | | Probably Benign |
| − | | + | | A {{w|Benign}} is a flock of tumorcells |
| − | ;Vanilla frosting
| + | |- |
| − | As above, suggests the discrepancy in color over Pluto's surface may be a function of what cake frosting was used where.
| + | | Vanilla Frosting |
| − | | + | | |
| − | ;Border of pride lands
| + | |- |
| − | A reference to the Disney animated feature ''The Lion King.'' In the movie, the Pridelands is the bright and prosperous region ruled by the Lion King while a dark territory beyond its border is controlled by hyenas.
| + | | Border of pride lands |
| − | | + | | |
| − | ;Hyena country
| + | |- |
| − | A continuation of the ''Lion King'' reference above.
| + | | Hyena country |
| − | | + | | |
| − | ;Dock connector
| + | |- |
| − | From the point of view of the photograph, this feature of Pluto is at the planet's "bottom," where iPod dock connectors are. Compare "charging socket," above.
| + | | Dock connector |
| | + | | |
| | + | |} |
| | | | |
| | ==Transcript== | | ==Transcript== |
| − | :'''PLUTO'''
| + | {{Incomplete| Needs to have better explanations, these are just the most basic of the basic}} |
| − | :Some of the features already identified in today's ''New Horizons'' image
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| − | | |
| − | :[Many marks on the image of Pluto follow:]
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| − | | |
| − | :Candy shell
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| − | :Frontal bone
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| − | :Grease stains
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| − | :Bugs
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| − | :JPEG plumes
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| − | :Full text of the wikipedia article on pareidolia
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| − | :Bullet holes
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| − | :New Netherlands
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| − | :Disputed territory
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| − | :Snake pit
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| − | :Tadpole
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| − | :Pluto dinosaur extinction crater
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| − | :Kuiper beltloops
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| − | :Serenity
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| − | :Ghost
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| − | :Dinosaur
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| − | :The good part
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| − | :Moon bud
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| − | :Scars from predator attacks
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| − | :Reset button
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| − | :Megaman
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| − | :Charging socket
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| − | :Cracks (beginning to hatch)
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| − | :Plug (inflating/deflating)
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| − | :Heart
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| − | ::Mount Mons
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| − | ::Coronary artery disease
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| − | :Debate hole
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| − | ::Where we're putting all the people still arguing about Pluto's planet status
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| − | :Chocolate frosting
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| − | :Probably benign
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| − | :Vanilla frosting
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| − | :Dock connector
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| − | :Border of pride lands
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| − | :Hyena country
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| − | :Area missed during ironing
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| − | | |
| − | :Image credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI - click for original
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| − | | |
| | {{comic discussion}} | | {{comic discussion}} |
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| − | [[Category:Comics with color]]
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| − | [[Category:Space probes]]
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| − | [[Category:Astronomy]]
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| − | [[Category:Firefly]]
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| − | [[Category:Food]]
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| − | [[Category:Dinosaurs]]
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| − | [[Category:Wikipedia]]
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| − | [[Category:The Lion King]]
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