this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2024
277 points (99.3% liked)

xkcd

8574 readers
11 users here now

A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

alt text:

During the day it also activates for neat clouds and pretty sunsets.

https://explainxkcd.com/2979/

PSA: This xkcd was released 6 days ago and nobody posted it. It is in fact allowed for other people to post new xkcd comics to this community too, you don't have to wait for me to do that.

top 14 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Dude, this would be an awesome mobile app!

Edit: found this, https://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/card-story/solar-system-calendar

And you can sync it to your calendar app. I haven't tried it yet, I'm hoping it's not just Google cal.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The calendar will return in 2024.

Doesn't look like it still exists.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago
[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Relevant to this idea, I use these apps to let me know when things like the International Space Station, meteor showers, aurorae, etc are visible overhead:

https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

Would be neat if there were one unified app to track them all and send notifications

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

When I lived in Florida I always wanted to see a rocket launch but they are always rescheduled. I would have loved to see this!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Supercluster (iOS) tells me all sorts of things, even ones I don't remember asking for. It might have what you need.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

...but isn't that what we have you for?

Sorry, I'm just being a wanker. It'd be a shame to waste this superpower!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Wow this is a reference from my childhood. Feeling old now.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Banging on a trash can!

Drumming on a streetlight!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Have none of you see the movie Meteor or the horror series Local 58?

FOOLS!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

As an avid devotee of Local58, you speak the truth! These people have absolutely no contingency whatsoever.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

"And that's how they saw the meteorite in the few seconds before humanity ended."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

I have an app called Star Walk 2 that does something very similar. Notifications about cool shit happening and then helps you to look in the right direction for it, including ISS fly-bys.