APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
User avatar
APOD Robot
Otto Posterman
Posts: 5599
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:27 am

APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by APOD Robot » Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:06 am

Image Asteroid or Potato?

Explanation: Is this asteroid Arrokoth or a potato? Perhaps, after all the data was beamed back to Earth from NASA's robotic New Horizons spacecraft, the featured high resolution image of asteroid Arrokoth was constructed. Perhaps, alternatively, the featured image is of a potato. Let's consider some facts. Arrokoth is the most distant asteroid ever visited and a surviving remnant of the early years of our Solar System. A potato is a root vegetable that you can eat. Happy April Fool's Day from the folks at APOD! Although asteroid Arrokoth may look like a potato, in fact very much like the featured potato, Arrokoth (formerly known as Ultima Thule) is about 200,000 times wider and much harder to eat.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>

Boomer12k
:---[===] *
Posts: 2691
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:07 am

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Boomer12k » Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:10 am

Nature often repeats concepts...

:---[===] *

Alex_515

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Alex_515 » Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:11 am

The similarity is... intimidating, powerful enough to reshape our theories on planet formation.

GeoXXX

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by GeoXXX » Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:25 am

Asteroids are like sacks of taters, you never know... 🥔

Eric

nam888id
Ensign
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 8:44 pm

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by nam888id » Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am

an obvious contact binary potato

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13858
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Ann » Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:19 am

Life has been discovered in outer space. Look at those sprouts.

Ann
Color Commentator

User avatar
felix_wegerer
Ensign
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2020 6:40 am

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by felix_wegerer » Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:25 am

Definitely a potato, no doubt.

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by neufer » Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:55 am

Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Art Neuendorffer

mister T
Ensign
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:01 pm

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by mister T » Wed Apr 01, 2020 12:12 pm

Can NASA build a giant deep frier so we can all have French fries?

Everyone needs to write their senator...

starsurfer
Stellar Cartographer
Posts: 5409
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 7:25 pm

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by starsurfer » Wed Apr 01, 2020 1:00 pm

That's no asteroid, it's a potato!
Click to play embedded YouTube video.

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13858
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Ann » Wed Apr 01, 2020 1:14 pm

neufer wrote: Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:55 am
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Where is the "like" button for Fred and Ginger?

Ann
Color Commentator

TheZuke!
Science Officer
Posts: 198
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2019 2:19 pm

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by TheZuke! » Wed Apr 01, 2020 1:19 pm

All "eyes" are on today's APOD.
The Russians should launch a Spudnik probe for further invegetation.
I wonder if their dictater would risome to the occasion.

Robert L Grisham

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Robert L Grisham » Wed Apr 01, 2020 2:18 pm


Read your information to about the large Potato, and its is strange to be frank, wonder what the results would
be from a ground sample.But we have are own problem here on Earth right now , This Covid-19 Virus going around
but have pointed out that a stabilizer might be at hand, by taking a little Cinnamon mixed with black pepper ,to take and put around the mouth when in a public place.No harm, no one will be damaged by trying .
http://grisham660.com
04/01/20

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by orin stepanek » Wed Apr 01, 2020 2:22 pm

PotatoPod_Sutton_960.jpg
My Dad used to plant potatoes!🥔🥔 I've seen potatoes grown together before! We ate them anyway! :mrgreen:
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

Crtl-Z

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Crtl-Z » Wed Apr 01, 2020 2:23 pm

If we put electrodes in either side we'll be able to power Earth for centuries!

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: APOD: Aster(o)id or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by neufer » Wed Apr 01, 2020 2:38 pm

TheZuke! wrote: Wed Apr 01, 2020 1:19 pm
All "eyes" are on today's APOD.

The Russians should launch a Spudnik probe for further invegetation.

I wonder if their dictater would risome to the occasion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterids wrote:
<<In the APG IV system (2016) for the classification of flowering plants, the name asterids denotes a clade (a monophyletic group). Common examples include the forget-me-nots, nightshades (including potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers and tobacco), the common sunflower, petunias, morning glory and sweet potato, coffee, lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, honeysuckle, ash tree, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, table herbs such as mint, basil, and rosemary, and rainforest trees such as Brazil nut. Most of the taxa belonging to this clade had been referred to the Asteridae in the Cronquist system (1981) and to the Sympetalae in earlier systems.>>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae wrote:
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
<<The Solanaceae, or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that belong to the order Solanales, in the aster(o)id group. Many members of the family contain potent alkaloids but many—including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell and chili peppers—are used as food. The family The name may come from a perceived resemblance of certain solanaceous flowers to the sun and its rays. Alternatively, the name could originate from the Latin verb solare, meaning "to soothe", presumably referring to some of the psychoactive species of the family. The family is present on all continents except Antarctica with the greatest diversity found in South America and Central America. In 2017, scientists reported on their discovery and analysis of a fossil tomatillo found in the Patagonian region of Argentina, dated to 52 million years B.P. The finding has pushed back the earliest appearance of the plant family Solanaceae. As tomatillos likely developed later than other nightshades, this may mean that the Solanaceae may have first developed during the Mesozoic Era.>>
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
MarkBour
Subtle Signal
Posts: 1377
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 2:44 pm
Location: Illinois, USA

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by MarkBour » Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:23 pm

Thanks for posting the Asteroidal Potato of the Day, Professor Nemiroff! That was some welcome humor.

And the Astair-Rogers clip was very nice, Art. Pretty bold to try tap-dancing on roller skates. I wonder how many out-takes they had. Anyway, I came up with 3 ways that the clip relates to asteroids and potatoes. Maybe one day they'll find a pair of asteroids that they feel like naming after Astair and Rogers, which would solidify the 3rd relationship.
Mark Goldfain

User avatar
Psnarf
Science Officer
Posts: 325
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 6:19 pm

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Psnarf » Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:30 pm

I thought Congress cancelled All Fools Day as racist, since it refers to them.
Aprilsnar_2001.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar
Fred the Cat
Theoretic Apothekitty
Posts: 975
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2016 4:09 pm
AKA: Ron
Location: Eagle, Idaho

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Fred the Cat » Wed Apr 01, 2020 5:10 pm

First the plague, last night an earthquake. So today, an asteroid is the last thing I want to think about. :ohno:

Except maybe for lunch. :chomp:
Freddy's Felicity "Only ascertain as a cat box survivor"

Avalon

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Avalon » Wed Apr 01, 2020 5:32 pm

Thanks for the chuckle. I can really use one these days. :lol2:

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

I'm in Heaven?

Post by neufer » Wed Apr 01, 2020 5:37 pm

Click to play embedded YouTube video.
MarkBour wrote: Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:23 pm
And the Astair-Rogers clip was very nice, Art. Pretty bold to try tap-dancing on roller skates. I wonder how many out-takes they had. Anyway, I came up with 3 ways that the clip relates to asteroids and potatoes. Maybe one day they'll find a pair of asteroids that they feel like naming after Astair and Rogers, which would solidify the 3rd relationship.
There's already one named for Fred Rogers.

Now all we need is a Ginger Astaire Astairoid.
Art Neuendorffer

jdgoeschl@yahoo.com

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by jdgoeschl@yahoo.com » Wed Apr 01, 2020 5:41 pm

A potato is not a root. it is a modified stolon which is an underground stem.

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18607
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by Chris Peterson » Wed Apr 01, 2020 6:00 pm

jdgoeschl@yahoo.com wrote: Wed Apr 01, 2020 5:41 pm A potato is not a root. it is a modified stolon which is an underground stem.
A potato is not a root. But it is a root vegetable.

Kind of like the way that Pluto isn't a planet, but is a dwarf planet, I guess.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by neufer » Wed Apr 01, 2020 6:10 pm

Chris Peterson wrote: Wed Apr 01, 2020 6:00 pm
jdgoeschl@yahoo.com wrote: Wed Apr 01, 2020 5:41 pm
A potato is not a root. it is a modified stolon which is an underground stem.
A potato is not a root. But it is a root vegetable.

Kind of like the way that Pluto isn't a planet, but is a dwarf planet, I guess.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuber wrote: <<Tubers are enlarged structures in some plant species used as storage organs for nutrients. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season, and as a means of asexual reproduction. Stem tubers form thickened rhizomes (underground stems) or stolons (horizontal connections between organisms). Common plant species with stem tubers include potato and yam. The term originates from Latin tuber, meaning "lump, bump, swelling".

Potatoes are stem tubers. Enlarged stolons thicken to develop into storage organs. The tuber has all the parts of a normal stem, including nodes and internodes. The nodes are the eyes and each has a leaf scar. The nodes or eyes are arranged around the tuber in a spiral fashion beginning on the end opposite the attachment point to the stolon. The terminal bud is produced at the farthest point away from the stolon attachment and tubers thus show the same apical dominance as a normal stem. Internally, a tuber is filled with starch stored in enlarged parenchyma like cells. The inside of a tuber has the typical cell structures of any stem, including a pith, vascular zones, and a cortex.

A stem tuber forms from thickened rhizomes or stolons. The top sides of the tuber produce shoots that grow into typical stems and leaves and the under sides produce roots. They tend to form at the sides of the parent plant and are most often located near the soil surface. The underground stem tuber is normally a short-lived storage and regenerative organ developing from a shoot that branches off a mature plant. The offspring or new tubers are attached to a parent tuber or form at the end of a hypogeogenous (initiated below ground) rhizome. In the autumn the plant dies, except for the new offspring stem tubers which have one dominant bud, which in spring regrows a new shoot producing stems and leaves, in summer the tubers decay and new tubers begin to grow. Some plants also form smaller tubers and/or tubercules which act like seeds, producing small plants that resemble (in morphology and size) seedlings. Some stem tubers are long-lived, such as those of tuberous begonia, but many plants have tubers that survive only until the plants have fully leafed out, at which point the tuber is reduced to a shriveled-up husk.>>
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: APOD: Asteroid or Potato? (2020 Apr 01)

Post by neufer » Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:15 pm

Art Neuendorffer