Brewster Rockit by Tim Rickard for May 01, 2011

Alas, poor Winky…

I’m stuck in a blue shift…

Oh, my achin’ bacon!

It was good of Winky to volunteer for this Science Demonstration.

“Volunteer?” Maybe like that woebegone singer in Please, Mr. Custer?

“Please, Cap’n Rockit, I don’ wanna fry…”

Yes very interesting. I take issue with the third panel though: I thought a blue star burned hotter than a red star. Or am I mistaken?

Winky’s pitch is not getting higher because of the Doppler effect, it’s because he’s quickly becoming a soprano.

Binary, The star doesn’t become a blue or red star, it just appears bluer or redder.

So, when there’s a “Blue” moon you should duck?

I am amazed that great minds think alike. My first thought was “Poor Winky” and MARG said it in the first post. Hey TIM, for an anniversary or something could Winky get over on all his horrible shipmates? Maybe have them eat Spleen at the mess hall.

Winky is toast.

The Science Corner is always good.

next weeks’ Rocket Science feature: proper flame extinguishment procedures on one’s person

Someone needs to teach Winky how to stop, drop and roll.

Stars do have color, their output brighter in one part or another in the visible spectrum. What Dr. M here is talking about is if you look close at, say, the output spectrum of hot hydrogen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_spectrum). The various bright lines will all be still recognizable in their groups, but all shifted together toward the red. So you know that this is hot hydrogen you’re seeing in that star, but it’s moving away from you at high speed.

So, stars that are not undergoing the Doppler Effect are, in fact, shiftless. And those that are could be considered shift-faced! And Zaphod Beeblebrox, ex President of the Galaxy, has been known to display both qualities at the same time. Aren’t Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters GRRREAT?!

Next time: Quantum tunneling or how to get out of an Afghani prison.

Has anyone noticed that Brewster is checking out Winky’s smoking-hot @ss in the last panel?