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What is an interesting fact that you recently discovered? (pawb.social)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The word "asteroid" literally means "star-like", because when they were first observed, no telescope could see enough detail to know what they were, so they were basically just called "those things that look a bit like stars".

Even when eventually we figured out what they were, they were generally considered to all be spherical like tiny planets (see: The Little Prince) until the 1970s when one of the Mars probes flew close enough to have a look at one.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It is only in the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Nah, pretty sure a microscope or telescope will not only do the job, they would be even better.