Figure 1 – NASA moon rocket launch (September 12, 2013) from Wallops Island, VA, showing startled frog in the upper left. Picture from NASA and in the public domain.

I have a friend who told me about a cousin of hers who travels all around the world.  Let’s call the cousin “Robbie,” to protect the innocent.  Robbie carries with her a little Lego figure that she calls Lego Robbie, and Lego Robbie bears a striking resemblance to real Robbie.  Anyway, everywhere Real Robbie photographs Lego Robbie against the sights wherever she goes.  So you have for instance “Lego Robbie in Front of the Eiffel Tower” or “Lego Robbie” in front of the Great Pyramids.”  It’s really kind of delightful and, actually, from a technical viewpoint less than trivial for Real Robbie to achieve the depth of field required to photograph a two inch toy figure against full size grand architecture.  It is very reminiscent of the US television commercials about the guy who travels with a garden gnome figure.

I was thinking about the two Robbies the other day after seeing Figure 1. On September 12, 2013 NASA launched a rocket to the moon from Wallops Island, Virginia, and there captured in one of the launch frames is a startled frog leaping for his life.  The comment was made in one of the articles that I read about this that “we cannot guarantee that no frogs were hurt in the creation of this photograph.”  That would be very unfortunate.  We may also joke about “amphibious assaults.” However, I prefer this little children’s story that runs through my mind about a little frog (OK let’s call him “Robbie.”) who wanted to jump to the moon.  He was always trying, and all his erstwhile friends, his brother and sister frogs, even his parent laughed at him.  That is until one day when …