Name that telescope and win a prize

MSNBC ^ | Sept. 3, 2001 | Compiled by MSNBC

[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.

[anymouse]

That's why they should turn over older spacecraft operations to a university, that can use cheap student labor and get funding through either private or public sources. the science would have to stand up to peer review though.

[Dust in the Wind]

Space Infrared Telescope Facility, or SIRTF.

Spife T (pr; spiffy t) For that Spify Thermal Finder of a scope they are sending up there, somewhere.

[Moonman62]

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.

Which planetary probes would those be?

[Movemout]

The MMPS, Marilyn Monroe Planetary Scope. Now there was a heavenly body.

[lowbridge]

lowbridgescope /vanity

[OWK]

ENVIRO

Emerging Nebulae Voyeuristic Infra-Red Observatory

[PatrickHenry]

Why not make the creationists all crazy and call it the "Darwin"?

[Physicist]

Click on the link and make your case to NASA. It will make them even more crazy if you win the prize for it.

[AndrewC]

Why not make the creationists all crazy and call it the "Darwin"?

That would be okay, if they expect the scope to see things that are not really there, and constantly require modification to keep it running. "Inward" is appropriate.

[1rudeboy]

Since Voyager is taken, how about:

Voyeur

?

[VadeRetro]

Shapley

Sounds good to me. I suppose you have to be dead to qualify.

(Penzias and Wilson will get their due someday.)

[longshadow]

Any other good names out there? Submit them and let us all know!

Can't disagree with your Shapley nomination, but if it is rejected for some reason, I would tender the name of Clyde W. Tombaugh for consideration.

Since this facility is designed ultimately to increase our chances of detecting Extra-Solar System planetary bodies, Tombaugh's nomination makes some sense, as he discovered Pluto, the last major planet of our solar system to be found.

[Anthem]

Shouldn't something called the Shapley look more like this:

(  )
 )(
(  )

Since it's looking around a huge universe for Shapley things, especially those that are expanding, how about "Googol Eyes" or the "Googolscope"?

[ThinkPlease]

Which planetary probes would those be?

I can think of one Earth orbiter that had to take a dive because of funding...The Compton GRO had a couple of good instruments on board that were still good, but it burned up in the atmosphere due to lack of funding to keep it up there. BATSE was integral to the Gamma Ray Burst sub field at the time, too. It was the only all sky burst detector in existence at the time, and was instrumental in detecting some of the first optical counterparts to Gamma Ray Bursts.

I think only now there is a replacement, 2 years after it burned up. HETE-II has an all sky detection system as well.

Gamma Ray Astronomy, where one photon really is worth few thousand dollars.

[Anthem]

How about Hoyle?

And who will be the first card playing astronomer to refute some data by saying "not according to Hoyle"?

[Moonman62]

I can think of one Earth orbiter that had to take a dive because of funding...The Compton GRO had a couple of good instruments on board that were still good, but it burned up in the atmosphere due to lack of funding to keep it up there.

That was a disgrace, but I heard that we deorbited it as an example to encourage the Russians to deorbit Mir.

[Moonman62]

(Penzias and Wilson will get their due someday.)

Perhaps with the Next Generation Telescope. In related news, MAP should start sending back data on the CMB in a few weeks.

[Brad]

"Seriously, though, how about "Kepler"?"

You refer perhaps, to Johannes Koeppler? Excellent suggestion. A brilliant mathematician.

[MHGinTN]

BEORS = Big Eye On Red Sky , pronounced 'bears' as in Ursa Major and minor

[aruanan]

Planet Ho!