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Twitter reactions to NASA Mars landing are out of this world

The first gritty photo, a NASA employee's hat and that elaborate handshake all come in for comment.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
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Gael Cooper

Twitter is often a horrible grouse-fest of political anger and trolling. But on Monday, tweeters put their venom aside as NASA's first Mars landing in six years brought out the best of the medium.

The InSight mission, launched on May 5, 2018, touched down successfully, to the relief of millions. The mission will study the early evolution of terrestrial planets, NASA says.

Watch this: NASA's InSight sticks its Martian landing

The recorded reaction in NASA's control room inspired many of the tweets. 

Deadspin columnist and author Drew Magary wrote, "Every day should include video footage of a control room filled with scientists somewhere erupting in joy."

Two NASA workers delivered an on-camera handshake that soared to new levels of complexity.

One NASA worker shot to the head of the class with his classy hat.

Naturally, the first photo snapped by NASA drew plenty of attention, even if it wasn't quite clear what we were looking at.

Actually, the photo shows part of the lander and what is likely a collection of dust particles clinging to a dust cover over the camera -- but Twitter users quickly compared the image to everything from a chocolate pudding parfait to "Guinness in a dirty glass."

The mission itself has a very personal Twitter account, @NasaInSight, which gives a voice to the expedition. So far, the mission has explained the reason for its hazy first photo (a lens cover that will later be removed), thanked Vice-President Mike Pence for his congratulations, and happily declared Mars its new home.

NASA InSight lander rocks its journey to Mars: A view in pictures

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