Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Across The Universe - Roadster, Starman, Planet Earth

Roadster, Starman, Planet Earth:

Discover the cosmos!
Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is
featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.


2018 February 10




See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download  the highest resolution version available.
Explanation:

Don't panic.

It's just a spacesuited mannequin
named Starman.

As the sunlit crescent of
planet Earth
recedes
in the background,
Starman is comfortably seated at the wheel of a Tesla Roadster
in this final image of the payload launched by a
Falcon Heavy
rocket on February 6
.

Internationally
designated 2018-017A,
roadster and Starman are headed for space beyond the orbit of Mars.

The successful Falcon Heavy rocket has now become the most
powerful rocket in operation and the roadster
one of four
electric cars launched from planet Earth.

The other three were launched to the Moon by historically
more powerful (but not reusable)
Saturn V rockets.

Still, Starman's roadster is probably the only one that would be
considered street legal.

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