Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Name that telescope and win a prize
MSNBC ^ | Sept. 3, 2001 | Compiled by MSNBC

Posted on 09/06/2001 9:54:36 AM PDT by Physicist

Name that telescope and win a prize
Space Shorts: NASA solicits suggestions for SIRTF’s new title

Sept. 3 —  NASA is asking Earthlings to find a friendly name for a new space-based observatory that will allow scientists to search for new planets at the farthest reaches of the universe. The observatory, due to be launched in the summer of 2002, is currently called the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, or SIRTF.

“WE ARE HOPING to tap the creativity of the public to find a name suitable for this important mission that will help enrich our knowledge of the universe,” said Doris Daou, an education and outreach spokeswoman for the mission, which is being managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Members of the public have previously dreamed up the names for the Hubble Space Telescope (named after astronomer Edwin Hubble), the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (named after astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar) and the Sojourner rover used in the Mars Pathfinder mission (named after Sojourner Truth, a black abolitionist and advocate of women’s rights).

The SIRTF will allow scientists to study objects by looking for the heat they radiate in the infrared wavelength and will search for dusty discs around other stars where planets might be forming.

The deadline for nominations is Dec. 20 and must be accompanied by a short essay explaining the reasons behind the suggested name. If the name of a person is proposed, the person must be deceased.

The grand-prize winner will be flown to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for the telescope’s launch. More details are available via the contest’s Web site.


TOPICS: Announcements; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-88 next last
To: general_re
I'll second that suggestion. Johanas Kepler is supposedly a distant ansestor of mine.
41 posted on 09/06/2001 11:49:52 AM PDT by anymouse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: general_re
I'll second that suggestion. Johanas Kepler is supposedly a distant ancestor of mine.
42 posted on 09/06/2001 11:50:02 AM PDT by anymouse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: anymouse
When are they ever going to make spell checkers that work on names? :)
43 posted on 09/06/2001 11:51:37 AM PDT by gcruse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: BikerNYC
How 'bout the Saganscope?

Or the Carlidoscope?  Heh.

44 posted on 09/06/2001 11:53:03 AM PDT by gcruse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Physicist
In the interest of smaller government, how about "Budweiser"?
45 posted on 09/06/2001 11:54:43 AM PDT by dead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gcruse
Or the Carlidoscope?

Teehee.
46 posted on 09/06/2001 11:54:45 AM PDT by BikerNYC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: BikerNYC
The Sagan Scope

Better the Feynman scope than the Sagan scope.

47 posted on 09/06/2001 11:59:29 AM PDT by saminfl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: PatrickHenry
There are so many who deserve to be honored. Has anything been named after Isaac Newton?

Yes, the European Space Agency named their x-ray telescope after Newton.

48 posted on 09/06/2001 12:00:11 PM PDT by Moonman62
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Physicist
Did anybody bother to name Katie Couric's colon scope?
49 posted on 09/06/2001 12:02:10 PM PDT by dead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Physicist
Space Distance Facility - 1 (SDF-1) Sorry, but if we can dub the first shuttle "Enterprise"...
50 posted on 09/06/2001 12:05:06 PM PDT by cracker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Physicist
The article doesn't mention that SIRTF is the last of the four telescopes of the "Great Observatories" program. The other three were the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-ray Telescope.

Of all the things NASA does these days, it's the space telescopes that are paying off in terms of increasing human knowledge. I just read yesterday that the Chandra mission is being extended from five years to ten years because of the great results in the first two years.

51 posted on 09/06/2001 12:06:03 PM PDT by Moonman62
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Physicist
CETUS!
52 posted on 09/06/2001 12:08:24 PM PDT by Mr. Vega
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Physicist
"The Batscope"

Make sure it's written big on the side so we will know it's name.

53 posted on 09/06/2001 12:08:43 PM PDT by hattend
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hattend
"The Batscope"

At launch, NASA can unveil a giant banner that reads "ZOOM!!!"

54 posted on 09/06/2001 12:12:24 PM PDT by cracker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: dead
Did anybody bother to name Katie Couric's colon scope?

The Clymer Climber.

55 posted on 09/06/2001 12:13:37 PM PDT by Physicist (sterner@sterner.hep.upenn.edu)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Moonman62
Of all the things NASA does these days, it's the space telescopes that are paying off in terms of increasing human knowledge. I just read yesterday that the Chandra mission is being extended from five years to ten years because of the great results in the first two years.

I have mixed feelings about these budgetary games. NASA knows that the scopes are going to last for at least a decade, but they only plan a 3 year "mission" for a billion dollar scope to keep the budget down and win project approval from Congress. This is OK because it means that more scopes get funded. But the failure to build in the long-term funding means that expensive projects that are still producing good data (like a few of the recent planetary probes) get shut down to save a few million dollars. Dumb Dumb Dumb...

56 posted on 09/06/2001 12:15:40 PM PDT by cracker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: dead
In the interest of smaller government, how about "Budweiser"?

That would be counterproductive. They're raising the price of Budweiser.

57 posted on 09/06/2001 12:16:03 PM PDT by Physicist (sterner@sterner.hep.upenn.edu)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

Comment #58 Removed by Moderator

To: Physicist
Hey, dude, you missed an astronomer.

How about Hoyle? Though it does rhyme a bit too well with Hubble. I like the FIRST moniker someone came up with earlier, really...

59 posted on 09/06/2001 12:27:14 PM PDT by ThinkPlease
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: saminfl
Better the Feynman scope than the Sagan scope.

Better an accelerator be named after Feynman.
60 posted on 09/06/2001 12:27:21 PM PDT by BikerNYC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-88 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson