New Horizons colour pic Pluto/Charon

[rustigsmed]

I am very excited about this mission, and cant wait to see what the Pluto system looks like; with the internet at our finger tips and so many things already seen from the work done decades ago, it is exciting to be doing some 'real' exploration again. The generation following on from us perhaps wont have an opportunity of actually seeing something new like this being 'discovered'.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/image.php?gallery_id=2&image_id=175


Looking forward to more!

Russ

[Ric]

I agree Russell, definitely exciting times.

Some people wouldn't see the excitement in a fuzzy coloured but it certainly waters the mouth to see these images with more to come.

Cheers

[LewisM]

Exciting times we live in... and whining pessimistic "futurists" believed we were in an age of stagnation. BS!

[Kunama]

I just got back from Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station checking out the current tracking program. Quite amazing, eagerly awaiting July.

[Neil]

Looks very much like Mars, same colour, of course that may change as New Horizons gets closer, should be great, clear skies.:D

[Amaranthus]

Incredibly exciting, the next few months are going to be a thrill! We'll also get to find out what the white spots on Ceres really are...

[Eden]

Exciting times indeed. It would be nice to see Pluto reinstated as a true planet, I preferred the way the solar system was before Mike Brown took a proverbial sledgehammer to it!

Too bad New Horizons imaging hardware will be a little outdated by the time it reaches the little red mesoplanet. :(

[pluto]

Very cool, can't wait for more!

It's probably worth noting that in the original of this image Pluto takes up only a fraction more than one pixel and Charon a bit less than a pixel and it has been scaled and processed heavily.

[Amaranthus]

Yeah, but what a pixel! ;)

[pluto]

Haha, agreed! :D

[rustigsmed]

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/03101637-pluto-image-expectations.html

this link has some cool info on what to expect from images and when - including simulations of sizes etc.

[pluto]

Surface features!!
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20150429

[rustigsmed]

Awesome thanks Hugh knew this was being released today but forgot! Am hoping it's spherical hard to tell if it's in a phase or not:thumbsup:

[AussieTrooper]

So who wants to guess what it looks like before the first good surface images come in?

I'm guessing that it's a little like Triton, but slightly egg shaped.

[pluto]

This UMSF member has done a screengrab from his simulation software (not sure which one but I'm sure you could find out on UMSF) which shows the phase:
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=7970&view=findpost&p=219883

EDIT: Oh and here's one to bookmark, they've done a New Horizons raw image page just like Cassini, MER, and MSL!
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/

[el_draco]

I reckon there will active regions, Suspect there will some BIG impact craters as well as reworked surface areas..... Cant wait but I reckon Clyde will get the best view! ;)

[pluto]

New colour images:
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-and-its-moon-charon-now-in-color

Plus there's a nice stack of the latest LORRI images here:
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=7970&view=findpost&p=221586