Editing 2439: Solar System Cartogram
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Created by a BELOVED MARS ROVER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
− | + | In this comic, Randall has made a {{w|cartogram}} showing the planets in the {{w|solar system}}. Cartograms are a type of map in which geographic area is displayed proportionately to some secondary characteristic - in this case, population. It's not clear whether the population in question is human or all life forms, but in this case it doesn't matter. Since the only confirmed life in the Solar System is on Earth, the other planets have a population of 0{{Citation needed}} and are shown as nothing more than dots. This comic is a joke about electoral cartograms. A standard {{w|United States Electoral College|American electoral map}} is very misleading. Though the split between Democrats and Republicans is about 50-50, most districts are red. That’s because many Democrats live in densely packed districts, while many Republicans live in rural ones. This has led to the rise of electoral cartograms, where districts are inflated in relation to population, correcting the misimpression that most of American is conservative. Solar system maps are also often misleading. Mapmakers shrink the size difference and space between planets. Here, Randall has mistakenly applied the wrong solution to the problem, with amusing results. | |
− | + | The title text states that, even though the active [[:Category:Mars rovers|Mars rovers]] count as one person each, they are almost nothing compared to Earth's 7,800,000,000 and doesn't make Mars anything more than a dot. There are a total of five rovers at the moment; in chronological order, they are Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance. Only the latter two were functional at the time of the comic's publication, giving Mars a rover population of two. (This is a tie for all-time high. Spirit and Opportunity were active together from 2004 to 2010, when Spirit shut down. Opportunity was still active when Curiosity arrived in 2012, and remained so until 2018. With the arrival of Perseverance in 2021, there are again two active rovers. A third rover, China's {{w|Tianwen-1}}, is currently in orbit around Mars and expected to land in May 2021.) | |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
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− | : | + | :Caption: Most solar system diagrams are misleading. |
− | + | :Caption: This chart offers a more accurate view by showing the planets sized by population. | |
− | + | :[The eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) are shown in order, with equal space between. Each planet is labeled with its name. All planets other than Earth are indistinguishable tiny dots, while Earth is large and clearly drawn. The view is approximately centered on southeast Asia, the region of highest population density.] | |
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Charts]] | [[Category:Charts]] | ||
[[Category:Astronomy]] | [[Category:Astronomy]] | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Maps]] |