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Because Science

Could You Write “Mystery Science Theater 3000” on the Moon?

If you like movies and you like funny people, you probably like Mystery Science Theater 3000. The cult classic series is certainly one of the funniest and smartest shows ever made, and since it debuted in 1988, it has gone on to influence probably every comedian and writer you enjoy. So, as my own tribute to the show, I wanted to dig as deep as Deep 13 into some of the iconography of MST3K.

In my latest Because Science, I’m figuring out whether or not we could somehow fit the famous logo on a moon, as seen in the intro of every episode. More specifically, I want to find out if the letters of the logo could be big enough to see written on our Moon from here on Earth — creator Joel Hodgson recently confirmed to me on Twitter that the “Spaghetti Planet” is indeed our largest natural satellite.

Everything comes down to visual acuity. Is the minimum size the letters need to be to be visible from 384,000 kilometers away larger or smaller than the available surface of the Moon’s light side? You’ll have to watch my latest video above to find out!


Check out my last video on why Overwatch’s Widowmaker is blue; subscribe to this playlist to stay current with the show; buy a Because Science shirt, mug, or collectible pin (you know why); and follow me on Twitter to give me a suggestion for the next episode or on Instagram where I’m now posting extra mini-episodes!

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