Paging the Martians

I was just reading the BBC news report on the latest Phobos photos and this
paragraph struck me ...

"It orbits the Red Planet three times a day, and is so close to the planet's
surface that in some locations on the Red Planet, it cannot always be seen."

Given that it's orbiting a spherical planet wouldn't it be impossible for it
to be seen all of the time from all of the planet anyway? You'd think so,
wouldn't you?

--
AndrewR, D.Bot (Celeritas)
Kawasaki ZX-6R J1
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The speccy Geordie twat.

 

Add the words 'from an external viewpoint' and it may make more sense.

Or not, atcmb.

 

"External viewpoints" *on* the Red Planet. Que?

Anyway, you wouldn't be able to see it all the time from any one
external viewpoint, would you?

Sorry, old chap - don't understand your banter.

 

No doubt viewpoints for intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal.

If your external viewpoint was on Phobos it would be a pretty safe bet.

As long as you kept your eyes open.


--
AndrewR, D.Bot (Celeritas)
Kawasaki ZX-6R J1
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BotToS#5,SBS#25,IbW#34, TEAR#3 (and KotL), DS#5, COSOC#9, KotTFSTR#
The speccy Geordie twat.

 

well, assuming Phobos has a roughly equatorial orbital path, you'd be
able to see it all the time from some point above the surface on a line
extended from Mars' axis.

 

That sounds familiar - is it a [mis]quote?

Unless you were looking in the wrong direction, of course.

 

"No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that
this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater
than man's and yet as mortal as his own"

Got it now?


--
AndrewR, D.Bot (Celeritas)
Kawasaki ZX-6R J1
BOTAFOT#2,ITJWTFO#6,UKRMRM#1/13a,MCT#1,DFV#2,SKoGA#0 (and KotL)
BotToS#5,SBS#25,IbW#34, TEAR#3 (and KotL), DS#5, COSOC#9, KotTFSTR#
The speccy Geordie twat.

 

Yes, of course you would.

<fx: slaps forehead>

It's been one of those weeks.

 

Yes, thanks. I had a feeling that's what it was.

 

I think that should have read - "Can't ever be seen" If it's orbiting low
enough then it will be below the horizon from a fair part of Mars, unlike
our Moon which is over the horizon at some time wherever you are. Did it
mention the fact that it's in a decaying orbit and will impact Mars some
millions of years hence?

 

Yes, sometime in the next million years apparently.

<Checks watch>

Actually sometime in the next 999,999 years and 12 hours.

<Get popcorn and telescope>

Should be good.


--
AndrewR, D.Bot (Celeritas)
Kawasaki ZX-6R J1
BOTAFOT#2,ITJWTFO#6,UKRMRM#1/13a,MCT#1,DFV#2,SKoGA#0 (and KotL)
BotToS#5,SBS#25,IbW#34, TEAR#3 (and KotL), DS#5, COSOC#9, KotTFSTR#
The speccy Geordie twat.

 

It's Doomed then?

 

You just can't get the planets these days, they don't make them like
they used to.

 

Check your mail woman.

 

Did it

We're all doomed - doomed I tell you.

 

http://www.sweller.dynalias.org/midi/doom_lev1.mid

 

Sad git. Did you get that D&C thing I sent you the other week?

 

Oh yes - I have to say, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, it
wasn't very funny.

 

Fair enough.