this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2024
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interestingasfuck

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The sharpest image ever taken of Venus.

From the Japanese spacecraft Akatsuki.

The dark side shines in the infrared, which is how this photo was taken.

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[–] [email protected] 55 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It looks like one of those expensive bowling balls in the glass case next to the shoe rental counter.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

Yes, but are those shoes this sharp?

[–] [email protected] 43 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Screw Mars, we should really re-focus onto floating cities on Venus.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago

There are dozens of us!

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

My comrad in crisis, we can't even keep this planet habitable, or build/select builders for reliable space vehicles after dropping billions of dollars on development and deployment. What makes you think we can even come close to the level of cooperation and competence needed to establish and maintain human habitation on such a hostile world?

Let's see if we can't ensure continued habitation on Earth first. Then, maybe, we might have a chance on some other sphere?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago

I totally agree with you on that we should spend money on saving our perfectly fine and gorgeous planet instead of chasing useless dreams.

But I’ve seen a video of Kurzgesagt explaining how “easy” it would be to terraform Venus compared to Mars. And since then I’ve been a defender of the idea that we should focus on Venus rather than Mars.

Terrifying Fact: before Venus became the Hell it is today it was exactly like Earth. But at some point its average temperature reached 23°C. Water vapor being a greenhouse gas and a fantastic heat capacitor, it transformed the planet into a pressure cooker, leading to its current state

The average temperature of planet Earth is 13°C, but with all the CO2 in the atmosphere we don’t know when that critical temperature could be reached.

But hey, billionaires gotta get their billions, right?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

I don't disagree that we should focus on earth first, however - Tons of amazing technology has come out of funding for space-related activities, and I believe we should also continue working towards the goal of propagation of our species throughout the stars, if nothing more than for the potential of the incredibly useful technology that might come out of that pursuit.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Maybe only having more educated people would make a difference.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Fuck it, let's just turn the Earth into Venus.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

That is def the direction we seem to be headed.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago
[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Did you edit the saturation artifacts at the top?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Was going to use it as a background, but the artifact ruins it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago

This is spectacular. Thank you!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)

How representative is this to what it would like to the human eye?

[–] [email protected] 35 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Well, this is the dark side as seen in infrared. If you were to stand at the same point in space and look at Venus the same way, you'd be dead.

But seriously, your view would just be generally darkness. But with some heat vision goggles you could see it?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Ah, missed the part about it being the dark side. Just saw the pretty image

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

Don’t lie to me. I know a Palantír when I see one.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Imagine being immortal (no other powers) and falling into that

Knowing you'll never get out

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm immortal. I'll get out when the planet falls apart in an eon or 5.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Lacking the power of patience you went mad, to the point of not even realizing the planet fell apart. You continue to feel trapped.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

If I can't even patiently wait for an age to pass, I'm no immortal. I'd just be an ape that Death forgot to take.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

One of the best Reddit posts even was on falling through the atmosphere of Jupiter in this fashion.

Both witty and informative.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Did you take the photo? Congratulations. Also Betty Nunez has passed.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

No, source is linked in the comments.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Reminds me of some infernal Rembrandt like painting