I saw this headline and laughed loudly

[hyphenate]

And it's an actual article!

______________________________________________________________________________________

Scientists plan Uranus probe

Proposed by British scientists as a joint effort of NASA and the European Space Agency, the mission would offer the first close-up view of Uranus in 25 years.

This infrared image of Uranus taken by the Hubble telescope in 1997 shows three layers of the icy planet's atmosphere, which consists mostly of hydrogen with traces of methane. British scientists have proposed a mission investigating why Uranus gives off so little heat.


By Paul Sutherland, Skymania.com / January 7, 2011

British space scientists are leading plans to send a probe to explore giant ice planet Uranus. They have put forward a detailed proposal to the European Space Agency to launch a joint mission with NASA to the distant world, 1.8 billion miles from the sun.

Need help finding Uranus? For the next few months, it'll be next to Jupiter.
Neptune nears completing its first orbit since its 1846 discovery
Voyager 1 nearing edge of solar system: NASA


It would give scientists their first close-up views of Uranus since NASA’s Voyager 2 flew past and captured fleeting pictures 25 years ago.

The £400million mission is designed to go in orbit to study the rings around Uranus and answer questions such as why it gives off so little heat.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2011/0107/Scientists-plan-Uranus-probe

[dawg]

1. Has is really been 25 years since anyone had a close up view of Uranus?

That sounds like a long time.

[hyphenate]

9. Need to get a good proctologist

to look at the situation, I think. ;)

[meow2u3]

2. They'll probe Mianus when hell freezes over

Better Uranus than Mianus. :evilgrin:

[Duer 157099]

3. Exactly.

They can probe Uranus until the cows come home, but leave Myanus out of it.

[many a good man]

4. I hope they're extra careful!

I heard there are deadly, poisonous gases emitting from Uranus.

[meow2u3]

5. Besides, they stink to high heaven

Especially when they come with a good muffler; the emissions are silent but deadly :evilgrin:

[woo me with science]

6. Will this thread go the way of the moon bombing?

I suspect we may have some outraged defenders of Uranus, once they recover from the initial shock of reading this. They will probably even insist that counseling be provided.

Or maybe, since it's Uranus and not theirs, they won't actually care.

[susanr516]

7. Uranus has rings around it?

Eeeewww. :evilgrin:

[frogmarch]

8. The headline must have been

meant to be funny - which it was!

Uranus is the Latinized form of the name of the Greek god Ouranos.

I prefer Ouranos because its pronunciation is oo rah NOSS (oo as in "book," and emphasis on the last syllable, NOSS)

And that’s how I say it to prevent snickers and guffaws.

When I want to hear snickers and guffaws, and even join in, I say yur AY nuss. :D

[meow2u3]

12. In English, Uranus has two (funny but proper) forms of pronunciation

Either yur AY nuss or UR in uss. It's funny from either end. :rofl:

Personally, I prefer the pronunciation ur ANN uss. Trouble is, it takes the funny, punny sting out of the planet.

[denem]

10. Eric Cartman will lead the expedition.

[peekaloo]

11. hmmm so the probe will be a "red eye mission"

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