Tag: nasa

Tour of the Solar System: The Moons of Pluto

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

I was thinking the other day about things that seem to drag on: The Fast and the Furious franchise, election cycles, accident and emergency wait lists, time between Saga issues, and Some Geek Told Me’s Tour of the Solar System. It’s still chugging along, like the little engine that has no right to exist.

Roughly every nine weeks, another chapter is added to the tour, which is the equivalent of vomiting and having diarrhoea at the same time. So, with that rosy image in your heads, you can visit previous chapters of this magical tour.

1.) Meet the Family

2.) The Sun

3.) Planets vs. Dwarf planets

4.) Mercury

5.) Venus

6.) Earth

7.) The Moon

8.) Mars

9.) The Asteroid Belt

10.) Ceres

11.) Jupiter

12.) The Galilean moons

13.) Saturn

14.) Titan

15.) The Moons of Saturn

16.) Uranus

17.) Titania

18.) The Moons of Uranus

19.) The Literary Moons of Uranus

20.) Neptune

21.) Triton

22.) The Moons of Neptune

23.) The Kuiper Belt

24.) Pluto

25.) Charon

As you can see, the last tour stop was Charon, the largest of Pluto’s moons, but we need to meet the other members of Pluto’s children. Without delaying this highly popular blog post any longer, may I present to the academy’s pleasure, the Moons of Pluto.

This image, taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, shows five moons orbiting the distant, icy dwarf planet Pluto. The newly discovered small moon, Styx (initially designated P5), is the innermost of the moons found by Hubble over the past seven years. The diagram shows that Styx is in a 58,000-mile-diameter circular orbit around Pluto that is assumed to be co-planar with the other satellites in the system. Though Charon (discovered in 1978) is an even closer moon to Pluto, some astronomers consider the Pluto-Charon pair a “double planet” because Charon’s mass is 12 percent of Pluto’s mass (by comparison, our Moon is 1.2 percent Earth’s mass). This image was taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 on July 7. Other observations that collectively show the moon’s orbital motion were taken on June 26, 27, and 29, 2012 and July 9, 2012. The new data will help scientists in their planning for the July 2015 flyby of Pluto by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.

Even though the International Astronomical Union kicked Pluto out of the planetary club, it still belongs to another club; a club that only has seven known members: planets and dwarf planets in our Solar System that have moons. For the record, Pluto had five moons, and since we met Charon last time, it’s time to meet the other four. I’ll present them in the largest diameter size after Charon, of course.

Hydra

Hydra is the second-largest moon of Pluto, with a diameter of about 51 km, which, in the scale of the solar system, is practically nothing. It orbits Pluto at around 64,738 km, which is quite close. It is not tidally locked to Pluto, and I can only imagine the relief for tourists and such.

The rotation period of Hydra is only 10.3 hours, and it has an axial tilt of 110°. In dating terms, Hydra is a hot mess. It’s very interesting and mysterious, but very unstable. Its rotation is chaotic, while it flips and tumbles, because of Pluto and Charon’s gravitational influences.

Hydra was discovered on 15th May 2005, by the Hubble Space Telescope, after the New Horizons team wanted to investigate the region. So, when the New Horizons spacecraft did its flyby in 2015, it sent back some astounding images. As for its name, it sadly is not named after the terrorist group from Marvel Comics, but from Greek Mythology, where else? The Lernaean Hydra is a multi-headed monster from the 12 Labours of Hercules. Spoilers, it was the second one, and Hercules, along with his nephew, Iolaus, kicked its collective arse.

Hydra is quite small, with an elongated, non-spherical body. Scientists believe Hydra is covered in water ice, which has a 83% reflectivity, so it is one of the most reflective objects in the Kuiper Belt.

Near true-color image of Hydra, taken by New Horizons on 14 July 2015. Credit: NASA

Nix

Keeping with naming celestial objects from Greek or Roman mythology, Nix was named after the Greek goddess of darkness and night, Nyx. She was also the mother of Charon, Hades’ (Pluto) ferryman. And just because I can, Nix is not named after Nyx, the character from Spawn, who is now the Queen of Hell. Yes, yet another comics reference!

Like Hydra, Nix is small and has a diameter of only 42 km, making it the third-largest moon of Pluto. Coincidentally, this is the distance of a marathon, though technically, it’s 42.2 km. Facts matter, people, facts matter. Nix is the third-farthest moon from Pluto, orbiting at an average distance of 48,694 km, which is a lot less than the Moon’s orbital distance from the Earth of 385,000 km. Nix’s orbital period is about 24 hours and 20 minutes, and it has a near-circular orbit to boot.

It was discovered by Max Mutchler and Andrew Steffl, members of the Pluto Companion Search Team. They used photos of Pluto taken in 2002, as well as images from the Hubble Space Telescope, to identify Nix in May 2005, but it wasn’t announced to the public until October 2005.

The average distance from Earth to Nix is roughly the same distance as Pluto, at 5.9 billion km, with New Horizons being the only spacecraft that has been able to complete a flyby and send images back in 2015. During the flyby, it was discovered that the moon was in a retrograde rotation, every 43.9 hours with a 132° axial tilt, flipping and tumbling like Hydra. Since its discovery, Nix’s spin rate has increased.

Nix’s surface is similar to Hydra’s, but it does have a unique red patch. It also has two craters, named Gleti and Metztli, named after moon goddesses from Dahomean and Aztec mythology. Science is so cool!

Enhanced color image of Nix, taken by New Horizons. Credit: NASA

Kerberos

Kerberos was discovered on the perfect day, 28th June, and confirmed on 20th July 2011 by Mark Showalter and a team of researchers, using the Hubble Space Telescope. Ironically, they were not looking for moons, but rather to see if Pluto had any rings. Kerberos has a diameter of 19 km, making it the fourth-largest moon of Pluto. This distance is so minuscule that it’s a distance that I can run. Badly, I might add, but I can still do it.

The moon is named after Pluto’s (Hades), loyal and large three-headed dog, Cerberus, who famously guards the gates to the Underworld. He had two functions: to allow the souls of the dead to enter the Underworld, but also to prevent living souls from entering, as well as to prevent dead souls from leaving. The immortal story of Orpheus, Eurydice and Cerberus is a classic bedtime story for children.

Kerberos orbits Pluto at about 57,780 km, and it cuts an orbital path between Nix and Hydra, making it the fourth-farthest moon from the dwarf planet. For its rotation, Kerberos completes one about every 32.167 Earth days, which is 772.008 hours. 

And just like Hydra, Nix, and a gymnast, Kerberos spends a lot of time flipping and tumbling. One leading theory for its creation is that Kerberos is a contact binary. This means it could have been formed from combining two objects, since Kerberos has two lobe-like features. The smaller lobe is roughly 5 km across, but the bigger lobe is 8 km across.

This image of Kerberos was created by combining four individual Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) pictures taken on July 14, approximately seven hours before New Horizons’ closest approach to Pluto, at a range of 245,600 miles (396,100 km) from Kerberos.
Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

Styx

We have now moved onto the final known moon of Pluto, Styx. It is the smallest of all of Pluto’s moons, with a diameter of 16 km, which again, is within the realms of a running distance for me. It was discovered in June 2012 by Showalter and a team of researchers again. The discovery was later verified in July 2012.

Styx is a popular name in pop culture, considering there’s a band, a video game, and yet another Marvel character that shares the name. The moon’s name has two sources, though it depends on who you ask. The first reference is the River Styx, which is one of the rivers that run through the Underworld, and the same river that Charon ferries the souls of the dead across; and the second reference is the Greek goddess, who was the personification of the River Styx, and possibly the daughter of Nyx (Nix). It’s not like her parents filed a birth certificate as such.

Styx is actually the closest moon to Pluto, averaging a distance of 42,650 km, which in cosmic terms is a coat of paint. Like Styx’s siblings, it is not a sphere, but elongated and lumpy, as well as flipping and tumbling. It takes about 20 days to complete a rotation.

Pluto’s moon Styx, as seen by the New Horizons spacecraft on 13 July 2015, from a distance of 632,000 km. Credit: NASA

I have to add two things as general statements about the Plutonian system.

Firstly, the information, data, and knowledge gained from Voyager 2′s 1989 flyby of the outer planets and moons significantly enhanced humanity’s understanding of these cosmic objects. This understanding can also be applied to New Horizons’ flyby of Pluto and its moons in 2015

Standing on the shoulders of giants.

I remember when the information was being released to the public, and, being me, I was explaining it to other staff members, because they made the mistake of asking me a question about it.

Secondly, a very basic observation has been made; Pluto is a hobbit. It is about 20% times smaller than the Earth, as you could fit 170 Plutos inside it. Pluto is also smaller than seven moons in the Solar System, which includes the Moon. So that being the case, why does something like Pluto, a dwarf planet, have five moons, when its much larger sibling, Earth, only has one?

It’s a fair question. Since no one was present, or at least not communicating with scientists, when the Solar System was formed, scientists must rely on observable and detectable evidence to prove their answers.

The leading hypothesis is that since Pluto is located inside the Kuiper Belt, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that either one or multiple collisions of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) have resulted in three things:

1.) KBOs have been smashed into each other and produced smaller objects.

2.) These new objects have been disturbed and knocked out of their orbit, and left drifting within the Kuiper Belt.

3.) These objects have been caught in Pluto’s gravity well, as small as it is, and have settled into a stable orbit around Pluto.

Clearly, the time frame for these events to occur is longer than it will take for New Zealand to win the FIFA World Cup. Maybe.

With advancements in technology, scientists may discover that Pluto could still have some hidden children out there. Who knows? However, what I do know is that this week’s 6-7 minute lecture is finished. What’s your favourite moon of Pluto? Do you have any awesome facts about Charon, Hydra, Nix, Kerberos, or Styx? As always, please let me know.

Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. My Twitter and Mastodon accounts are still ticking over with content that will surely bore you, so you should definitely check them out and dazzle your family, friends, and enemies with the information.

As I’m packing up, I need to give you a heads-up about three things. The FIFA World Cup is starting next month, so don’t be surprised if you notice some increased posts about the World Cup across my three accounts. I also have a few movie previews/reviews planned soon, which will include Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, Supergirl, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. I haven’t decided about Masters of the Universe, or Disclosure Day, but my bank account could make that decision.

The final point is that some new amazing followers and readers don’t already know that we are slowly reaching the first of my two holidays from running New Zealand’s 5th least favourite website. Basically, it will be my mid-Winter break, which is around the end of June-start of July, which is followed by the mid-Summer break, also widely known as the Christmas holidays.

Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, thank the bus driver, and I’ll see you next week for the Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Preview. Cool bananas and take care!

Flat Earthers and Space deniers vs Artemis II Mission

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science, Social Media

Since this beautiful planet has an axial tilt of about 23.5°, the Northern Hemisphere is currently roughly halfway through Spring. In contrast, in the Southern Hemisphere, we are in the middle of autumn, and it’s really starting to show. The winter pyjamas and slippers have come out, but we haven’t lit the fire; yet. It will happen, you can count on it.

There’s something else you can count on: the Artemis II mission upsetting our favourite conspiracy theorists: the Flat Earthers, and their wayward siblings, Space deniers. I know the last few weeks have been chaotic, with Eastern European elections, AI Trump/Jesus images, cyclones, blockades getting blocked, and of course, conspiracy theorists becoming very upset. The last time we discussed Flat Earthers, it was concerning the Midnight Sun, but they brushed that off like Daredevil brushes off the Hand.

Just to briefly clarify and to make sure we are all on the same page, Artemis II refers to the second mission of the Artemis lunar program, and its first crewed mission. The four astronauts orbited the Moon, which was the first time humans have done this since 1972, with the Apollo 17 mission.

Their flyby of the Moon resulted in the astronauts setting the record for the greatest distance humans have been away from Earth, at a distance of 406,771 km, which broke the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, of 400,171 km. That was a quick outline of it, but you get the idea.

So, you can imagine that the launch of Artemis II has ruffled the delightful feathers that Flat Earthers and Space deniers wear in their tin foil hats. Call it tantrums or meltdowns, call it desperation, call it mental gymnastics, but the people who believe that space is a hoax, coupled with the ones who believe the Earth is flat, are having a very hard time defending their theories; but at the same time, they are trying to tear the Artemis II mission apart.

Why are they doing this? At least to me, it comes down to various points. It could be that the job of promoting Flat Earth and Space disbelief is a lucrative one, so they need to keep doing it; it’s how they make a living.

Another idea is that they believe they are helping the public to see the truth, because they are honestly trying to look out for people. They don’t like the idea of governments and companies lying to the public, so they believe they are helping us, by exposing the lies.

And finally, they believe they are special because they think they have discovered a truth about the world, and in their eyes, it makes them smarter than all of the experts.

It could be all of them combined, or none of them. Regardless of the true situation, Flat Earthers and Space deniers are not happy, and I feel like a terrible person reading their statements and watching their videos, struggling in vain to prove that their conspiracy theories are still valid and real. In some ways, I do feel sorry for them, but, as I said before, I also feel terrible that I’m finding it entertaining.

Credit: Vice Magazine

Their problems with the Artemis II mission vary because this mission has also drawn out the Moon Landing deniers, as well, to nobody’s surprise. I swear, like Avatar: The Last Airbender is a gateway drug into anime, Flat Earth is the gateway drug into wider conspiracy theories.

Overall, the evidence provided by conspiracy theorists who have criticised or incorrectly debunked the Artemis II mission includes, but is not limited to:

  • Creating AI images of the Moon to pass off as real images taken by the Artemis II crew.
  • Complaining that Artemis II’s launch was at the wrong angle, therefore it’s fake.
  • Creating AI images of the crew in front of a green screen to prove it’s fake.
  • Talking about the number of edits of the launch, which is supposedly happening live.
  • The capsule is too small to house four people for 10 days.
  • The public filmed the astronauts standing outside a building with their phones, but the astronauts were not on the screen.
  • Creating footage of Artemis II filming some type of vehicle moving on the Moon’s surface, to prove it’s fake.
  • Insisting it was a meta-joke, that Artemis II launched on 1st April, April Fool’s Day.
  • Claiming any glitches in transmission signals proves that the footage is fake.
  • Passing off previous images of the Moon as proof that NASA is reproducing Artemis II’s images.
  • And one of the best excuses was that Artemis II was a balloon.
  • The launch proves a Flat Earth, because the rocket did not keep going straight up; it curved, otherwise it would have hit the dome.

Of course, some of these insane statements clash and contradict each other, but let’s not let a silly thing like reality get in the way of a good conspiracy theory.

I’m not stunned by the quantity of conspiracy theorists moaning and complaining about Artemis II; it’s rather the quality of their shenanigans, mainly through the use of AI. These images, which have been passed off as real, are of such high quality that the media have had to push back on them and correct the disinformation.

That is scary as hell, but at least there is pushback on the “AI slop”; otherwise, we would believe it. Though, to be fair, I think that’s the conspiracy theorists’ point, not to trust anything. The AI images are so convincing that anybody could be fooled by them.

I have found some videos of various people pushing back against the conspiracy theorists, because it needs to be done. I have mentioned him before, but SciMan Dan has made a few videos concerning their Artemis II nonsense, among others like Creaky Binder and Dave McKeegan.

Before I go on, I need to mention that Sciman Dan also reacted to my favourite Flat Earther, CC from New York, Westchester County, and his work van. In my humble opinion, he’s my favourite conspiracy theorist, not because he brings well-thought-out ideas that are logical and researched, but rather because of the opposite. He’s a buffoon, a lovable buffoon, with no evidence to back up anything he says. Also, I think he’s the angriest man on the internet.

So, with that in mind, enjoy some of the best and worst humanity has to offer.

Sadly, there’s so much more, but you get the point. My family loved watching the launch, but also tracking the mission, ogling at the footage and images, and watching the splashdown live. Artemis II was amazing, and it clears the path for Artemis III, which is tentatively planned for mid-2027, where humans will once more walk on the Moon.

If the Midnight Sun or Artemis II haven’t broken the Flat Earth/Space Deniers/Moon Landing disbelievers, then Artemis III will break their minds, bodies, and souls; physically, mentally, and emotionally. That should be entertaining. Did you follow the Artemis II mission? What was your favourite moment from the mission, or the funniest conspiracy theory about it? As always, please let me know.

The clock has struck again, and the veil of sleep is descending, so it is time to visit the Dreaming. Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, try not to shed a tear for Viktor Orbán, and I’ll see you next week to discuss my wife’s reading habits. Sound interesting, doesn’t it?

Tour of the Solar System: The Kuiper Belt

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

The wheel has turned again, and the world is still faced with unrest, turmoil, and US$499 Trump watches. However, there is an antidote in the form of Some Geek Told Me’s Tour of the Solar System! Once again, the tour that nobody on the planet asked for, except for me, is back to entertain the masses and spark curiosity within society, or just something to read on the bus.

Some Geek Told Me’s Tour of the Solar System is the envy of the scientific community, especially in astronomy circles. Don’t be one of those professors struggling to catch up on reading blogs, because you can do that now! Past entries include:

1.) Meet the Family

2.) The Sun

3.) Planets vs. Dwarf planets

4.) Mercury

5.) Venus

6.) Earth

7.) The Moon

8.) Mars

9.) The Asteroid Belt

10.) Ceres

11.) Jupiter

12.) The Galilean moons

13.) Saturn

14.) Titan

15.) The Moons of Saturn

16.) Uranus

17.) Titania

18.) The Moons of Uranus

19.) The Literary Moons of Uranus

20.) Neptune

21.) Triton

22.) The Moons of Neptune

Our journey started in January 2023, and in September 2025, we left the Neptunian System, along with the Sun, the other seven planets, their moons, a single dwarf planet, and the Asteroid Belt. We are now going to be venturing into new territory, namely the Kuiper Belt. So, ladies and gentlemen, make sure you’re wearing your thinking hats, because the tour continues!

Kuiper Belt Illustration. Credit: Laurine Moreau/Space Facts

The next stop is an odd one, because just like the Asteroid Belt, the Kuiper Belt is a region of space, rather than a single object, like a planet or moon. Before we dive into what the Kuiper Belt actually is, which is not a new Ralph Lauren belt, we need to establish its name and its discovery. I know, it’s not very flashy or sick, but facts matter.

The discovery of Pluto in 1930 created a stir in the astronomy community because of the possibility of other objects being discovered beyond Pluto. It was thought that since Pluto was on a long-period orbit, it may have just been the first to be revealed, with more waiting out of view.

Over the years, various theories were created to explain what this region beyond Neptune could hold, such as those of Kenneth Edgeworth in 1943. Whatever the reality, the growing consensus was that it could be made up of thousands, hundreds of thousands, if not millions or hundreds of millions of objects, similar in size to Pluto, especially short-period comets.

In 1951, an astronomer named Gerard Kuiper proposed in a paper that this region could be in the shape of a disc, where it could be the leftovers of cosmic bodies, and through time and gravity, have changed. As the years moved on, more objects were slowly discovered in this region of space.

Fast forward to 1992, when astronomers David Jewitt and Jane Luu discovered an object, 1992 QB1, which was later named 15760 Albion. This discovery helped to reinforce Kuiper’s theory of the existence of the disc/belt in that region.

This belt was then named after Kuiper; thus, it became known as the Kuiper Belt, but it’s also known as the Edgeworth–Kuiper belt. Despite that, some astronomers believe that Kuiper and Edgeworth don’t deserve their names to be attached to it, as they support the idea that other astronomers predicted the existence of the belt before them.

The Kuiper Belt is actually doughnut shaped; Pluto’s inclined orbit is typical of other KBOs. Credit: BBC

That was great, but what is the Kuiper Belt? What an insightful question, well done. Someone who is far more intelligent than I am, and has actually astronomical qualifications, not just a geek with a passion for space, would be able to give you a better description than I could. However, I will try.

The Kuiper Belt is a region of space located beyond Neptune’s orbit. It is shaped like a doughnut, with the centre of it containing the Sun, inner planets, the Asteroid Belt, and the outer planets. It’s home to dwarf planets, as well as smaller rocky and icy objects. Along with that, the Kuiper Belt is a source of short-period comets.

The size of the Kuiper Belt, to me, boggles the mind. If you can remember from previous tour stops, one astronomical unit (AU) is the distance between the Sun and the Earth, which roughly works out to be 150 million km. The Kuiper Belt can be divided into two sections: the Inner region and the Scattered Disc.

The Inner region, which is the main section, begins at 30 AU at Neptune’s orbit and finishes about 50 AU. The belt extends into the Scattered Disc, which overlaps the Inner region, with some objects being measured at distances of 1,000 AU. The width of the Kuiper Belt is believed to be about 20 AU, which is gargantuan.

Like many events in Earth’s history or Deep Time, there were no people around to witness it or record information. But just like Sherlock Holmes and Batman, scientists are detectives who can look at evidence to explain the origins of the Kuiper Belt.

The Kuiper Belt is thought to be 4.6 billion years old, slightly younger than the Solar System. At the formation of the Solar System, it would have been crazy, with objects zipping around and coalescing into planets or proto-planets.

Just like the Asteroid Belt, the Kuiper Belt is the remnants or leftovers of proto-planets that failed to form and were pulled apart by gravitational forces. The difference is that the Asteroid Belt was formed by Jupiter’s gravitational pull, whereas the Kuiper Belt was created by the gravitational pull of Neptune.

Objects located within the Kuiper Belt have special labels, referred to as Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs). There is a myth that TNOs and KBOs are the same thing, like the United Kingdom and Great Britain. They are similar, but different.

The United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; however, Great Britain consists of England, Scotland, and Wales. Great Britain is part of the United Kingdom, but the United Kingdom is not Great Britain.

The same rule applies to the Kuiper Belt. TNOs are any objects that are located and discovered beyond Neptune’s orbit, which includes the Kuiper Belt; however, KBOs are objects only located within the Kuiper Belt. All KBOs are TNOs, but not all TNOs are KBOs. It’s a subtle difference, but facts matter.

Some interplanetary dust particles that end up in Earth’s atmosphere may have started life in the faraway Kuiper Belt (illustrated), a region of icy objects farther from the sun than Neptune. Credit: ESA

Centaurs are another type of rocky and icy objects that begin in the Kuiper Belt, but now have orbits between Jupiter and Neptune. They act as a transitional population between KBOs and comets, if that makes sense. Their orbits are unstable due to various gravitational interactions with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, which can send them inwards.

This process can eventually cause them to evolve into comets or be ejected from the solar system entirely. Because of their origin, they are sometimes called “Kuiper Belt escapees.”

The distribution of objects in the belt is not even, so they are scattered. Another comparison with the Asteroid Belt is the distance between objects. Hollywood likes to add drama to space travel, like it wasn’t already dangerous, and paints the picture of asteroids hitting each other because they are so close.

The opposite is true, since the average distance of objects in the Kuiper Belt is about the distance between the Earth and the Moon, roughly 385,000 km. You will have no issue hitting another object; it’s smooth sailing.

The spacecrafts Pioneer 10 (1983) and Voyager 2 (1989) have both travelled into the Kuiper Belt, with the most recent visitor, New Horizons, in 2015, which is still sending back fantastic data and images, along with the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes studying the region.

The Kuiper Belt has many famous citizens, particularly dwarf planets, which brings us to our next tour stop, Pluto! That brings this section of the tour to a close, but we will start again in December, whether that is before or after Christmas. Good times.

What’s your favourite fact about the Kuiper Belt? As always, please let me know. Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. My Twitter and Mastodon accounts are highly popular, since I have a combined total of 174 followers; I know, Neil deGrasse Tyson can only dream of those numbers.

Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, rainbows are not dangerous, and I’ll see you next week for some Shakespeare! I bet you can’t wait!