Giant Space Duck Spotted by Rosetta Spacecraft

Rhykker

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Feb 28, 2010
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Giant Space Duck Spotted by Rosetta Spacecraft



The Rosetta spacecraft is approaching its destination: a comet with an irregular shape reminiscent of a rubber duck.


Launched in March 2004, Rosetta was built to perform a detailed study of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. As it is nearing its target, the comet is coming into greater focus - and its shape is highly irregular.

On 14 July, from a distance of 12,000 km, Rosetta's OSIRIS narrow angle camera captured images of the comet, which seems to consist of two parts. The European Space Agency compares the comet's shape to a duck, and looking at the animated sequence of images, we can see why. The comet is too far away for any surface texture to be seen in the 36 photos, which were taken 20 minutes apart and provide a 360-degree view of the comet's shape.

It actually isn't uncommon to find comets that consist of two distinct parts. These "contact binaries," as they are called, may be formed when two comets collide at low speeds and meld together in the process. Alternatively, a single comet may get partially pulled apart under the gravity of a planet or star, and other possibilities include the comet simply evaporating into an irregular shape, or being left in that shape after an impact.

Rosetta is scheduled to rendezvous with the comet on August 6. It awoke from a decade of slumber in January. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/130397-After-a-Decade-Rosetta-Probe-Prepares-for-Comet-Landing]

Source: European Space Agency [http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/54353-the-dual-personality-of-comet-67pc-g/]

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Gearhead mk2

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I love these random, funny things nature produces. All the weird things that happen in the world, and some just make people laugh.
 

hentropy

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Feb 25, 2012
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That ought to give that so-called flying spaghetti "monster" and teapot a run for their money...
 

Sonder Saunters

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Oct 24, 2009
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The... The Majestic Space-Duck has been found?! GET YO SPACE PODS READY, NAMEK HAS BEEN FOUND! First immortality, THEN THE %*%#^#@.
 

Saltyk

Sane among the insane.
Sep 12, 2010
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Gearhead mk2 said:
I love these random, funny things nature produces. All the weird things that happen in the world, and some just make people laugh.
So glad that I wasn't the only one to instantly think of that.

I think I hear a duck. But this far out in space? That doesn't make any sense.
 

JagermanXcell

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Oct 1, 2012
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Hopefully this magnificent comet is enough incentive/inspiration to get Marvel studios to reboot Howard the Duck.

Eh, who am I kidding. With all the money they throw at Marvel films I wouldn't be surprised if they had the money to make it, make it Oscar worthy, and even shoot the intro in space.
 

Jandau

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Dec 19, 2008
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Somewhere, at the bottom of the ocean, in the lost city of R'lyeh, Cthulhu is reading this article, going "OH SHIT!" and packing his bags in a hurry. For even the Old Ones quake in fear of the Cosmic Duck...
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
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Hey, that's not just ANY space duck. It's...

[HEADING=1]DUCK DODGERS...IN THE 24-AND-A-HALF CENTURY!!![/HEADING]

Which means, of course, we're only a hop, skip, and a jump from finding Marvin trying to destroy the Earth.
 

Twintix

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Jun 28, 2014
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Ah, the space duck. What a majestic creature. I can already hear it now...

"QUACK!"

Seriously, though, makes that DBZ Abridged joke even more hilarious, since it's in hindsight, huh?
 

RJ 17

The Sound of Silence
Nov 27, 2011
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Well I was going to post a clip from TFS regarding the legendary Space Duck, but seems there's enough TFS references in here already. :p
 

Hero in a half shell

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Dec 30, 2009
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RJ 17 said:
Well I was going to post a clip from TFS regarding the legendary Space Duck, but seems there's enough TFS references in here already. :p
There can never be enough TFS references here!

 

Twintix

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Jandau said:
Somewhere, at the bottom of the ocean, in the lost city of R'lyeh, Cthulhu is reading this article, going "OH SHIT!" and packing his bags in a hurry. For even the Old Ones quake in fear of the Cosmic Duck...
Shouldn't that be quack in fear?

...I'm very sorry, I don't know what my life is anymore...
 

happyninja42

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May 13, 2010
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Vasto said:
The... The Majestic Space-Duck has been found?! GET YO SPACE PODS READY, NAMEK HAS BEEN FOUND! First immortality, THEN THE %*%#^#@.
*thumbs up* Well done! You beat me to it! xD Krillen is probably joyous to hear this lol!
 

Jandau

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Dec 19, 2008
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Twintix said:
Jandau said:
Somewhere, at the bottom of the ocean, in the lost city of R'lyeh, Cthulhu is reading this article, going "OH SHIT!" and packing his bags in a hurry. For even the Old Ones quake in fear of the Cosmic Duck...
Shouldn't that be quack in fear?

...I'm very sorry, I don't know what my life is anymore...
You are correct, one has to quack in fear of the Cosmic Quacker...

...so, suicide pact? :p
 

Twintix

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Jun 28, 2014
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Jandau said:
Twintix said:
Jandau said:
Somewhere, at the bottom of the ocean, in the lost city of R'lyeh, Cthulhu is reading this article, going "OH SHIT!" and packing his bags in a hurry. For even the Old Ones quake in fear of the Cosmic Duck...
Shouldn't that be quack in fear?

...I'm very sorry, I don't know what my life is anymore...
You are correct, one has to quack in fear of the Cosmic Quacker...

...so, suicide pact? :p
Works for me. :D
Which way is the most appropiate?
 

Jandau

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Dec 19, 2008
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Twintix said:
Jandau said:
Twintix said:
Jandau said:
Somewhere, at the bottom of the ocean, in the lost city of R'lyeh, Cthulhu is reading this article, going "OH SHIT!" and packing his bags in a hurry. For even the Old Ones quake in fear of the Cosmic Duck...
Shouldn't that be quack in fear?

...I'm very sorry, I don't know what my life is anymore...
You are correct, one has to quack in fear of the Cosmic Quacker...

...so, suicide pact? :p
Works for me. :D
Which way is the most appropiate?
Not sure, but we should make it look like an accident, so that when we quack the bucket nobody will suspect fowl play...
 

Twintix

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Jun 28, 2014
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Jandau said:
Twintix said:
Jandau said:
Twintix said:
Jandau said:
Somewhere, at the bottom of the ocean, in the lost city of R'lyeh, Cthulhu is reading this article, going "OH SHIT!" and packing his bags in a hurry. For even the Old Ones quake in fear of the Cosmic Duck...
Shouldn't that be quack in fear?

...I'm very sorry, I don't know what my life is anymore...
You are correct, one has to quack in fear of the Cosmic Quacker...

...so, suicide pact? :p
Works for me. :D
Which way is the most appropiate?
Not sure, but we should make it look like an accident, so that when we quack the bucket nobody will suspect fowl play...
Ah, so a beakon might be out of the question, then. Well, let's just go for pills and see how it goose. Hopefully, we weren't too gullible.