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Mars NASA Science

Where To View the Mars Curiosity Landing 97

An anonymous reader writes "In addition to the NASA mission pages here's a decent list of links showing where you can view the Mars Curiosity Landing online or at an event. Does anyone have recommendations for other sources of coverage on August 6?"
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Where To View the Mars Curiosity Landing

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  • Socialism (Score:5, Informative)

    by sa666u ( 2626427 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @07:11AM (#40866513)
    I'll be joining the Fraser Cain hangout on G+. BA will also be there. :)
  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03, 2012 @07:12AM (#40866519)

    I've found spaceflightnow.com has some of the best coverage of space missions around. They usually have live updating mission status center and live streaming video and I'm sure this event will be no different.

  • by neokushan ( 932374 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @07:13AM (#40866523)

    I would say there's plenty of great reasons for wanting to watch this - witnessing a fairly major event in history (possibly even more major depending on what it finds on the planet), seeing science hard at work, watching how millions of dollars and collaboration between thousands of people can pay off.

    However, ultimately, the reason many people will be watching is purely to be there if something goes wrong. There'll be fireworks, or at least some sort of graph that suddenly dips.

    • by klubar ( 591384 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @07:49AM (#40866741) Homepage

      When I was fairly young, I remember being allowed to spend the night at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia by myself to watch the first moon landing live. The moon landings certainly inspired a generation of engineers and scientists. I'm not sure what the equivalent is today? (Watching Wall Street and becoming a hedge fund manager?)

      If you want to read a great book about JPL, check out "Moon Hunters: NASA's Remarkable Expeditions to the Ends of the Solar Systems". Out of print, but probably available in your library.

      • by Seumas ( 6865 )

        My parents once told me the story of how they were thirteen years old when the entire world came to a stop and held its breath as one of mankind's greatest accomplishments was broadcast on television, surrounded by endless coverage and a great sense of excitement, hope, pride, and community.

        If I were to have kids, I could some day tell them of how I was seven years old when a bunch of people blew up in a space shuttle launch. Then I could tell them about how when I was in my mid-twenties when a bunch of peo

    • by Anonymous Coward

      It will either be the most badass planetary landing in human history ... or the biggest manmade crater created on another planet. I'm hoping for the former.

    • by mcgrew ( 92797 ) *

      However, ultimately, the reason many people will be watching is purely to be there if something goes wrong.

      I hear ya! The only reason I go to the race track is to watch the horses crash.

  • by wisebabo ( 638845 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @07:21AM (#40866567) Journal

    For those blessed with living near JPL in Southern CA, there usually is a big event at Pasadena City College (where I viewed a few previous landings). I think there are very knowledgeable speakers from JPL who are usually there (along with the media). Maybe this was one of the suggestions in the link posted above, I couldn't access the site.

    JPL by the way has a great series of monthly(?) free to the public lectures on its various deep space programs, often given by the lead investigator! A great way of nerding out.

  • Mars (Score:2, Redundant)

    Next question?

    • Exactly none of this time delay nonsense. I am going to start a twitter feed called #NASAfail! in protest.

    • by mcgrew ( 92797 ) *

      But only one tiny spot on Mars. If you're on the wrong hemisphere freezing and gasping for air, you're not going to see a thing. You're better off watching it live from Earth. Yes, it takes ten or twenty minutes for the signal to get here from Mars, depending on where the two planets' orbits are right now, but that's no different than the fact that the sunset you see from your porch is eight minutes late, and your view of Alpha Proxima is eight years late.

      The time difference only matters to those controllin

  • I figure the edit history of Mars Science Laboratory [wikipedia.org] will get me up to speed on anything important.

  • Best viewpoint (Score:1, Flamebait)

    by maroberts ( 15852 )

    Looking through the Mars Express cameras at the smear of wreckage on the ground as another imperial to decimal units calculation goes astray!

    • You mean imperial to metric right? Because I have project plans for various things that actually read 13.5 inches which would be a decimal unit.

      • You mean imperial to metric right? Because I have project plans for various things that actually read 13.5 inches which would be a decimal unit.

        Yes, I agree it's a decimal unit, but people don't often use Imperial measurements in a truly decimal context - they're more often used in a binary sort of way

        To take 13.5 inches, it's more often viewed as 13 1/2 inches and you're more likely to measure subdivisions in terms of quarters, 8ths, 16ths etc.
        People don't often use 0.1, 0.2...etc
        That's not saying it isn't used, just that it is rare. Imperial/ US measurements are more just not used in the same way.

        Some people don't seem to have taken my original c

    • Why is it that any time someone mentions the imperial to metric fuck up they are labelled as trolls or flame-baiters. Geeze the truth really does hurt doesn't it.
      • Because the US doesn't use the British Imperial system? It's called the American Standard system.

        • Because the US doesn't use the British Imperial system? It's called the American Standard system.

          A rose by any other name...

          In terms of measurements there's "The Metric System" and "a bunch of outdated, confusing, inconsistent systems which are mutually incompatible DESPITE having identical names for some measures".

          For scientific and engineering purposes spanning the entire globe, the choice is obvious except for countries which simply refuse to co-operate.

      • by mcgrew ( 92797 ) *

        And it was funny. I'll bet Howard was on that team with the metric conversion fuckup.

  • Phobos or Deimos?

  • Planetfest Worldwide (Score:5, Informative)

    by ahecht ( 567934 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @07:54AM (#40866783) Homepage

    There is a much more comprehensive list of viewing parties organized by the Planetary Society at http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/events/planetfest-2012/worldwide.html [planetary.org]

  • by boyfaceddog ( 788041 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @07:54AM (#40866785) Journal

    It's where NASA films all their best stuff.

  • Virtual Front Row (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Ashenkase ( 2008188 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @08:01AM (#40866863)

    You can watch it virtually using this online tool:

    http://eyes.nasa.gov/index.html [nasa.gov]

    Will let you visualize the Mars rendezvous and "I think" the decent.

  • On TwiT.tv (Score:5, Informative)

    by opkool ( 231966 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @08:21AM (#40867083) Homepage

    I'll watch it at TwiT.tv -> http://twit.tv/2012/07/30/mars-landing-special-aug-5th-10pm-pdt [twit.tv]

    The presenters/guests to this event will be:

    Jonathan Strickland (How Stuff Works) -> http://www.howstuffworks.com/jonathan-strickland-author1.htm [howstuffworks.com]
    Dr Kiki (Dr Kiki Science Hour) -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiki_Sanford [wikipedia.org]
    Phil Plait (Bad Astronomer) -> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/07/20/mars-attacks-of-the-show/ [discovermagazine.com]
    Steve Sell (JPL, Sky Crane) -> http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/30jul_skycrane/ [nasa.gov]

    Hope they do a good job!

    Peace!

  • by Anonymous Coward
    Harlem? Detroit? Just bring a nice large plasma and satellite rig and set it up in your local ghetto to find out how much they care about all those tax dollars going to get nice desktop pictures and take potting soil samples.
    • by sa666u ( 2626427 )
      Actually that is a very good idea. The sense of wonder and amazement is universal. Why do you think poor people be not be able to enjoy such an event?
      • Re:Why not Compton? (Score:4, Informative)

        by Spy Handler ( 822350 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @12:08PM (#40869939) Homepage Journal

        your naivete and belief in human wonderment is amusing... sort of. But clearly you have no idea what the ghettos are like. You wouldn't last 30 minutes in Compton or any other inner city 'hood after sundown. Before you can get that big screen TV set up to show the disadvantaged youths the amazement of Mars, they will have taken that TV, your wallet, your car, and beat you senseless. Simply because you're white. And you'd be lucky to not get shot. I am not exaggerating.

        • by sa666u ( 2626427 )
          And your condescension is so assumptive and cliche, it's even cute. I've been in American ghettos. I live in Eastern Europe. Ours are worse. :)
  • by Anonymous Coward

    I plan to stay up until 1:30am to watch it regardless, but what should one expect to see during the descent? Will there be footage from a camera on the rover or the craft itself? If so, will one see anything prior to the heat shield's detachment? Will it be daytime on Mars during its descent? Or will one simply see a graph of some sort?

    I mean, if there were a stream of its approach to Mars I'd be watching it right now (is there one?). I've already got the live ISS stream set as one of my desktop backgr

  • They'll be streaming it live at Livingroom Theaters [oregonlive.com] in Portland, OR. It's a small boutique theater. Livingroom Theaters homepage. [livingroomtheaters.com]

    The doors for the screening will open at 9:00p, with landing expected to occur at around 10:30p. Admission, which is limited to patrons 21 and over, is FREE, but you must reserve a spot in advance by sending an email to: curiosity(AT)livingroomtheaters.com.
  • I got my wormhole device all warmed up and ready to go!

  • I'm not sure if it's available in all programming packages, but Dish Network currently carries NASA TV on channel 212. It will move on Aug 8th.

  • Are you telling me none of you have enough magnification in your telescopes?? Pathetic...

  • The rockets and part of the probes were built by Denver area companies (United Launch Alliance, Lockheed Martin, Ball Areospace, Southwest Research Institute.) Reps from these companies will give lectures Sunday night. Then they will watch NASA TV for the 11:31 MDT landing and "first pictures" expected around midnight. The best of the three relay satellites- Odyssey- has been balky the past few weeks, so the telemetry might be slower than expected.
  • There's only one place to view the Mars landing - Gale Crater, Mars.

    Here on Earth, you're just going to be watching a bunch of talking heads looping the same animations we've all been watching for months and repeating the same breathless quotes about the difficulty of the landing. They could pre-record the thing in two versions (one for a successful landing, one for a failed landing) and you'd never know the difference.

    Me, I have an event I'm organizing over the weekend... If I'm awake on

  • by the eric conspiracy ( 20178 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @09:45AM (#40868019)

    Set up your dish and tune into the Martian Cable News Network Phobos feed on M band for coverage of their intercept efforts.

    So far the overall intercept rate has been about 70%. However the M.A.F. hasn't had much luck shooting down those pesky US built rovers.

    Don't bother with trying to get audio. Martians hear in the IR band.

  • Not a special case (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Sloppy ( 14984 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @09:46AM (#40868035) Homepage Journal

    Does anyone have recommendations for other sources of coverage on August 6?

    Same solution as everything else: timeshift it. Defer source-selection until after some other chump sucker has done all the hard work. Let someone else figure out which videos cover it best. Then a few hours/days later, see which videos are being raved about, and watch them.

    This is the very best, most sastisfying, least time-wasting, most educating, most convenient, fastest, least-bandwidth-intensive, most efficient approach, and it works just as well for NASA as it does for all other forms of news which don't involve nuclear attacks, tornados, or other stuff like that.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward

      But it's already timeshifted 14 minutes!

    • by strack ( 1051390 )
      theres something to be said for watching something unfold as it happens. the thrill of the unknown if you will.
  • In Toronto there is a party at a downtown bar (Hotel Ocho), with drinks, costumes, and live streaming of the PlanetFest event.

    http://www.marsparty.ca/ [marsparty.ca]

    (I'm not involved with it, I'm just planning to go).

  • In Toronto there is a party at a downtown bar (Hotel Ocho), with drinks, costumes, and live streaming of the PlanetFest event.

    http://www.marsparty.ca/ [marsparty.ca]

    (I'm not involved with it, I'm just planning to go).
  • by ShanghaiBill ( 739463 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @10:45AM (#40868759)

    Does anyone know why the landing is so late? I am in California, and the landing isn't till 10:30pm here, so my kids probably won't be in bed till after 11 on a school night. It is even worse for east coasters. Couldn't NASA have scheduled the landing for US prime time to get more viewers and interest? Maybe this is the only time the rotation of both planets is lined up right.

    • by drkim ( 1559875 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @11:54AM (#40869755)

      I'm pretty sure NASA/JPLs first concern is: "How can we get the highest television ratings for this mission?" The thinking went something like this:

      Mission control:
      "OK guys, we're up against the Olympics most of that week, but market trend analysis show that most people will be tired of the Olympic stuff by Sunday at 5:00pm. However, we are looking at back-to-back "Family Guys" in the 5:00pm to 6:00pm slot, and we'll never make numbers against that. in the 6:00pm to 7:00pm slot we're up against TMZ and "Simpsons" we'll lose a lot of the geek demo there, uh, let's see... "Big Bang," no... "House," no... no... no...

      I guess gentlemen, we're looking at 10:30pm. We'll be losing a big portion of our share to a "McHale's Navy" rerun, but any later and we're up against "Twilight Zone" - we won't have a chance.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Just off the top of my head (maybe a space geek can spruce this up), I think that this is how it will go down:

    MSL is designed to send a continuous stream up data points as the EDL progresses, but it is going to be tricky to get the info to Earth. During the beginning stages of EDL, MSL will send simple tones at 128 points during the EDL. These will go direct to Earth and, hopefully, be picked up by the deep space network. But, alas, Earth will set after a couple of minutes and this line of communication

  • by PyroMosh ( 287149 ) on Friday August 03, 2012 @02:07PM (#40871463) Homepage

    WNYC's excellent program, RadioLab [radiolab.org]will have a Google Hangout [google.com] and possible a meatspace meetup somewhere in the Lower East Side [facebook.com] in NYC.

    Headliners for their event include:

    Side note: RadioLab is a production of New York's NPR affiliate. Apparently the show is just a couple years old and apparently it's not carried on stations everywhere. If you haven't heard it, and you like science, check out their podcast [radiolab.org]. It's quirky, incredibly well produced, and overall very well done.

  • That would be some nice seating, indeed

  • Why from Mars offcourse

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