New Horizons getting closer to Pluto

[pluto (Hugh)]

A new post from Emily:
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily...oss-pluto.html

[pluto (Hugh)]

Some new images:
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/differen...m-new-horizons

And a vid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftZ47euv_lU

[sn1987a (Barry)]

Might have to rename it Praxis

[RichardJ (Richard)]

Check out today's APOD

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

RichardJ

[Ric]

Cheers for the heads up Richard.

That was really cool.

[RichardJ (Richard)]

Some new images

http://astronomynow.com/2015/06/24/n...ons-dark-pole/

RichardJ

[pluto (Hugh)]

Originally Posted by RichardJ

Some new images

http://astronomynow.com/2015/06/24/n...ons-dark-pole/

RichardJ

Good article but they're not the latest images.

Emily has some newer processed ones in her latest update:
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily...ns-update.html

And there are bin 1x1 raws from the 22nd:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/

[pluto (Hugh)]

A few days, a few million kms closer
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-En...ure=150%20msec

And a processed version from UMSF:
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/i...dpost&p=221806

[pluto (Hugh)]

There's some lovely details visible in this processed image from the 27th:
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/i...dpost&p=221898

[LewisM]

We live in exciting times!

[RichardJ (Richard)]

Originally Posted by pluto

There's some lovely details visible in this processed image from the 27th:
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/i...dpost&p=221898

Hugh,

Is that a big impact crater on Pluto or something else?

Richard.

[pluto (Hugh)]

Originally Posted by RichardJ

Hugh,

Is that a big impact crater on Pluto or something else?

Richard.

Could be, it's definitely a feature, as opposed to a processing artifact, as it's in the original image here:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-En...x630_sci_1.jpg

Looks like a crater to me, a truly massive one if it is!
Luckily it's not long until we find out for sure

EDIT: this is from that post on UMSF:
"The feature near the limb at upper right is particularly interesting. Inspection of the original JPGs reveals that it is real. Looking closely at the diagram shows that the terminator is at upper left, i.e. the sun illuminates Pluto from lower right. This rules out shadows associated with a crater and makes this feature likely to be due to albedo variations."

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

Charon looking interesting also, exciting times, only a fortnight away!

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

things are starting to look much crisper


http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-En...x630_sci_1.jpg

[Shano592 (Shane)]

Wow, things are getting exciting now!

Thanks for the pic link.

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-En...x630_sci_1.jpg


and even better again, may need a daily update on this!

[Ric]

They just keep getting better by the day.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Starting to hint at not just looking like another Vesta or Ceres..let's hope so

Mike

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Starting to hint at not just looking like another Vesta or Ceres..let's hope so

Mike

I know what you mean - and I agree with you - but when you consider what has been involved in imaging Ceres and Vesta, I had a moment of pause while I digested the word "just "in context. Haven't we become so accustomed to these marvelous adventures in space? It's just the way we're wired I guess. But "just " it ain't.

Peter

[RichardJ (Richard)]

Some recent news - Unusual features on Pluto.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/...age=20150701-2

RichardJ