Tootfinder

Yesterday's mystery #cloud has been ID'd as #cirrocumulus (or perhaps altocumulus) but in any case of the rather rare #undulatus variety, with the waves caused by wind shear at different altitudes: https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/october-2023/ comes somewhat close; see https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/cloud-library/undulatus/ and https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/cloud-library/cirrocumulus/ for details. h/t https://scicomm.xyz/@drlucyrogers@mastodon.social

Pedro the #Math Cat 🐈 is interested in the otherwise empty suitcase but is not coming with me on my road trip.
#Caturday #cats

All the other #lilies came and went weeks ago, but this one’s just getting started…
#bloomScrolling #garden

Weird #waves in #clouds over Bochum, Germany, at noon today - not sure how high and caused by what physics. There are #GravityWaves in the atmosphere, caused by air flowing over topography but usually invisible ... hmm.

IYKYK. #aol #bobdole

50 years ago #OTD the #Viking 1 Orbiter with its precious Lander cargo entered into orbit around #Mars: https://www.facebook.com/VikingMarsMission/posts/pfbid034yTJzsyT5ZrNHgsFeNtxrvFDRxRpFQyQfB344patQDdUr7JBCnJZgPBk9sdSuhhNl - the landing came a month later.

More #Psyche images of #Mars, now with NASA's own processing (but further improved in contrast here) from #GravityAssist went well: with the ion engine on again the spacecraft should reach the asteroid Psyche in August 2029.

The Lucy flyby of (52246) #Donaldjohanson - a bilobed #asteroid with tumbling rotation: #Lucy Reveals Wobbling, Peanut-Shaped Asteroid: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/nasas-lucy-reveals-wobbling-peanut-shaped-asteroid/

In 1 1/2 hours - at 3:30 UTC - the #ESA live transmission of the #Vega launch of #Smile should begin at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q8aKbcKCOs (see https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Smile/Smile_factsheet2 for more about the mission and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZzio0c3YSk for a pre-launch press conference in March).

It might not yet have reached Earth orbit, but #RelativitySpace has announced plans for a mission to #Mars carrying a NASA payload: #Aeolus and scheduled for 2028, will launch a Mars orbiter carrying four NASA-built instruments.