Boop stick? Silly scientists 'unscience' all the space things
Move it, biologists. It's time for astronomers to explain the universe in terms of sun flappers and explodey things.
It's not just fuzzy and flappy fauna that get to have all the fun on Twitter.
Following the success of the #UnscienceAnAnimal hashtag that has biologists offering up nutty explanations of animal anatomy, astronomers are getting behind #UnscienceASpaceThing.
Planetary scientist Tanya Harrison brings us Martian Geography 101 with a labeled image of Mars pointing out its explodey things, grander canyon and accidental polar boop. There's also an arrow pointing to NASA's still-silent Opportunity rover, which she describes as "sleeping(?) fren."
Let's try Martian Geography 101. #UnscienceASpaceThing pic.twitter.com/Hn5LLrZ2eH
— Dr. Tanya Harrison (@tanyaofmars) January 31, 2019
NASA's Mars Curiosity rover is a complex machine equipped with an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and an instrument called "dynamic albedo of neutrons." Or perhaps you'd prefer some simpler explanations of Curiosity's anatomy as relayed by NASA's Doug Ellison. The rover has an Instagrammer, dirt rollers, a sky torch and a pebble booper.
#UnscienceASpaceThing I had to. pic.twitter.com/gxLeEKAFOy
— Doug Ellison (@doug_ellison) January 31, 2019
Astrophysics specialist Jillian Scudder would like everyone to know about the unscience behind galaxies and their majestic gravity flapflaps.
#UnscienceASpaceThing needs moar galaxies pic.twitter.com/Zr17miP6Ky
— Dr. Jillian Scudder (@Jillian_Scudder) January 31, 2019
Mark Lewis from Lockheed Martin has all the details on NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft, which is currently checking out the asteroid Bennu. The probe is powered by sun flappers, wears a starhat and is equipped with a boop stick.
Ppl need an @OSIRISREx explainer #UnscienceASpaceThing @Alex_Parker pic.twitter.com/DdI7qu6mCt
— Mark Lewis (@SpaceSpox) January 31, 2019
if you've ever wondered about the proper names for the parts of the space shuttle, don't listen to aerospace photographer Jack Beyer and his snuggle closet and puffpods-filled diagram.
Had to do it. #UnscienceASpaceThing @NASASpaceflight @Alex_Parker pic.twitter.com/eRTeU4dSv5
— Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer) January 31, 2019
It's worth taking the time to zoom in on planetary scientist Sarah Hörst's map of Saturn with its space potatoes and some boring red planet off in the distance.
I #UnScienceASpaceThing'd the Day the Earth Smiled picture. (Scienced version here https://t.co/ZhpPED8LsO) pic.twitter.com/5lz8YdSx12
— Dr./Prof. Sarah Hörst (@PlanetDr) January 31, 2019
Geology student Thomas Stritch took some time to explain an Apollo moon landing in terms of kickeroonies on the moonie and Ryan Gosling's reflection.
why did I waste time on this I have really super important urgent things to do #UnscienceASpaceThing pic.twitter.com/6XgWY9AOib
— Thomas Stritch (@ThomasStritch) January 31, 2019
Perhaps the most biting piece of commentary to emerge from the #UnscienceASpaceThing hashtag is Twitter user Tracy Thompson's succinct labeling of controversial Pluto.
#UnscienceASpaceThing I ❤️Pluto pic.twitter.com/yAS6efEcTV
— Tracy Thompson (@TAThompson16) February 1, 2019
Even Boeing Space is getting in on the party. Boeing knows exactly where the astronaut clubhouse is on the International Space Station.
.@Space_Station is all about science, but just for today #UnscienceASpaceThing. pic.twitter.com/N3OZOCp0yA
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) January 31, 2019
Between #UnscienceAnAnimal and #UnscienceASpaceThing, scientists are ruling on Twitter at the moment. May this festival of fun never end.
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