Editing Talk:1291: Shoot for the Moon

Danish, not Megan, right?!
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.56|108.162.216.56]] 06:33, 15 November 2013 (UTC)
:The woman in this comic looks more similar to Megan than Danish. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.45|108.162.216.45]] 07:39, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Three meanings of shoot are used: 1. Have high plans 2. Fire a weapon 3. Aim for navigation. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.122|173.245.53.122]] 07:01, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure this is Megan, Danish have longer hair [[Special:Contributions/108.162.208.172|108.162.208.172]] 12:18, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

The so far uncommented-about title text seems to be (almost What-If-ishly) literal in a completely different way.  Except that I'm pretty sure you'll not stay within sight of the Earth, for ''most'' trajecectories.  But you'd maybe find yourself in a complexly resonant orbit, maybe Cruithne-like.  Just putting that out there. Resident orbital mechanics experts please feel free to evaluate accordingly. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.210|141.101.99.210]] 17:05, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Title text of course only applies to prograde approach. Retrograde would put you on a free return trajectory if you miss. (This is why Apollo used a retrograde approach, in case something went wrong on the far side, they wouldn't be stranded in a solar orbit.) --[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.149|199.27.128.149]] 20:05, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

No time for more investigations (I will do soon):
: Megan does act like JFK in 1962
: The first Moon probes did not reach the Moon but entered a solar orbit as the title text does mention
: There are many statements by Randall: hH does not like that JFK (propaganda).
: Help me for more
--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:35, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Megan is clearly not quoting JFK. 

Simple observation tells us that a an object sent on a moon flyby will enter solar orbit. The escape velocity of the earth is 11km/s but the escape velocity of the solar system is like four times that.  Therefore, unless we accidentally accelarate the probe to over 40km/s, it will certainly remain in solar orbit.
:Randall may have been imagining an earth orbit, which would explain being able to see it. 'Co-orbiting the Sun' is just the pedantic idea that the earth and moon orbit a common centre of mass.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.212|141.101.77.212]] 16:12, 3 November 2018 (UTC)

There are only four comics listed in the JFK category and in two of them, the mention is incidental. I don't see any evidence that Randall "does not like that JFK", nor would I expect to.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.58|108.162.219.58]] 01:48, 5 February 2014 (UTC)

the comic was mentioned in [http://what-if.xkcd.com/109/ What If #109]. --[[User:Valepert|valepert]] ([[User talk:Valepert|talk]]) 19:53, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

With this comic being referenced in what if 109, and the possibility of it becoming a recurring joke, I wonder it what if 13 is also relevant here, an attempt to destroy the Moon with lasers. {{unsigned ip|108.162.217.11}}
: You could make a point that What If 81 (Catch!) also references this, what with a woman with identical hair pointing a gun upwards and the image having the hover text "Goodnight, Moon". Also, 13 wasn't about destroying the moon with lasers, just illuminating it. It just ended up turning up the power so much it did. Which, y'know, happens. -Pennpenn[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:12, 3 March 2016 (UTC)