Editing 2970: Meteor Shower PSA

{{comic
| number    = 2970
| date      = August 9, 2024
| title     = Meteor Shower PSA
| image     = meteor_shower_psa_2x.png
| imagesize = 561x272px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = If you hold the meteor too long, it may imprint on you and form a contact binary, making reintroduction to space difficult.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a REHABILITATED BOT ABOUT TO BE RELEASED BACK INTO THE WILD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is a {{w|Public service announcement}} (PSA) regarding what to do in case you discover a meteorite from the upcoming {{w|Perseid}} {{w|meteor shower}}. (See here regarding [[1723: Meteorite Identification]]).

In the first panel of the comic [[Cueball]] discovers a {{w|meteorite}} on the ground (from one of the {{w|Meteoroid#Meteor|meteors}}/shooting stars of the Persied meteor shower. These stems from {{w|meteoroids}} that are leftover from the {{w|Comet Swift–Tuttle}}). He then proceeds to try and throw it into space again. This is of course not possible, but this is not the reason why this action is marked as wrong with an X. 

Instead the next panel shows what he should do (the PSA), namely contact and then delivery the meteorite to an observatory where  astronomical rehabbers, like [[Ponytail]], will care for it, and hopefully release it back into the wild with the next space launch. This is marked with a check mark to show that this is the correct procedure to save meteorites.

[[Randall]] conflates meteoroids that have fallen to the Earth with rehabilitating baby animals, lost from their parents. Like he says, if you find a sick, injured or orphaned wild animal, your best bet is to ask a nearby wildlife rehabilitator to care for it and return it to the wild. However, this advice does not apply to meteors.{{cn}}

The title text says that if you handle the meteor too long you'll form a {{w|contact binary (small Solar System body)|contact binary}}, which in this context is two space rocks lumped together.  A contact binary is also a type of binary star system, but it's unlikely that a person and a rock will form this.{{cn}} In the process of rehabilitating young animals, preventing imprinting is important as the animal cannot rely on the human caregiver to succeed in the wild (in either sense). Also sometimes it will be possible to return the animal to its parents, but if it smells of humans, then they might not accept it back.

[[1475: Technically|Technically]], Randall has the terminology wrong. "Meteor" refers to the shooting star you see in the sky when a meteoroid enters the atmosphere. If it makes it to the ground, the piece that survives is called a "meteorite" (although some call it [[1405: Meteor|magma]]).

==Transcript==
:[A two panel comic with the panels next to each other.]
 
:[In the left side of the first panel, Cueball spots a meteorite on the ground. It lies a bit buried in the earth between tufts of grass. On the right side, he's shown throwing the rock into the air, with small lines indicating the flight of the meteorite. There's an "X" above him. Above this there is the following text:]
:This meteor shower weekend, remember: If you find a meteor on the ground, don't try to return it to the sky yourself.

:[In the left side of the second panel, Cueball is holding the meteorite in one hand and talking on his cellphone in his other hand, there's a check mark above him. In the middle of the panel Cueball is holding the meteorite out in both hands handing it to Ponytail who is also holding both hand out to receive it. To the right in the panel a rocket is blasting upwards with fire coming out beneath it and a plume of smoke showing it's ascend path. Above this there is the following text:]
:Instead, contact an observatory where astronomical rehabbers will care for it, and hopefully release it back into the wild with the next space launch.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Space]]