Rover 'Opportunity' Follows Mars-Bound 'Spirit'

[laurenceata]

we were there to watch it -it was awsome!!! -laurence ata

[CHONGCHU]

was there when this thing took off it was amazing!11

[joshig1983]

How do they visually track the rocket after launch?  It looks like they'd need an incredible telescope.

[astrorider]

you'd be surprised how big their telescope is ;)

[joshig1983]

I saw some huge binoculars used by the military to track moving objects in the sky like jets. They were 2 24 inch Ritchey Chretien telescopes. It was probably a million dollar binocular. I wonder if the video there is from a similar kind of thing.

[astrorider]

yeah that sounds about right. 2-3 inches. The camera man sits right in the middle.

[DeimosSaturn]

I hate the fact that the names of the rovers weren't named after people we owe our knowledge of astronomy and physics to...like copernicus, einstein, newton, galileo, or great explorers like Louis and Clark or Marco Polo. Oh well...

[HAL11000]

I think they were named by a little, little girl that won a contest through LEGO. I WANTED TO NAME THEM AFTER LOUIS AND CLARK! WAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

[DeimosSaturn]

Here's a lolli-pop.

[HAL11000]

Baby want wowi-pop NOW! Mmmmmm....Wawi-pop...*Deficate­* Baby need diaper change. NOW!

[Zachmister]

Sofi Collins won the contest

[ZRKFilms]

Sophi Collins or something like that. She said,

"In america we can make all our dreams come true, thank you for the spirit and the opportuinity."

[HAL11000]

Ah!

[thesouthparkguy]

Yeah, she named them after a Disney movie and a word she can't pronounce yet! But still, they're inspiring names, and I approve of them.

[astrorider]

Ya I thought they were beautiful names.

[carrierform]

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