New Horizons getting closer to Pluto

[RichardJ]

Some new images and observations available.

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

Things are starting to get very intersting.

RichardJ :)

[tonybarry]

Two weeks before the New Horizons spacecraft enters the Pluto system, there is an occultation of the planet (dwarf planet, plutino, as you wish) which is generating a *lot* of interest.

The occultation is probably visible from much of Australia, although at 31 AU distance, the precise path of the occultation is not perfectly known.

The prediction may be viewed here:-

http://devel2.linea.gov.br/~braga.ribas/campaigns/

Scroll to the bottom of the page.

Any interested persons may contact their local occultation specialist at the local astro club, or discuss further here.

Regards,
Tony Barry
WSAAG

[Slawomir]

Very interesting, in particular more detail emerging as the spacecraft approaches Pluto, thank you for sharing.

[PSALM19.1]

Very exciting all this Pluto-mania! Can't wait for decent images to come through! Forgive the "newbie" question, but, what would you need to see the occultation of the R 12 star by Pluto, apart from supremely good conditions...?

[tonybarry]

Hi Shaun,

To view the mag 12 Pluto occ of the 29th June, you'd need something like an 8" telescope, preferably with a camera like a G-Star EX or a Watec 120N low light video camera.

To make the visual interest into a scientific recording that will help professional astronomers learn more about Pluto and its environs, you'd also want a video time inserter and some means to record video, e.g. a framegrabber or a video recorder.

Have a look at Blueskies (Jacquie)'s excellent document on occultations How To at the following link:-

http://occultations.org.nz/videotime/manual.htm

And keep us posted on what you do !

Regards,
Tony Barry
WSAAG

[PSALM19.1]

Thanks heaps Tony! I certainly have the 8" scope, but seeing as it is a Dob, may be a little difficult! My mate's C 11 may serve better! Will certainly check out the link, thanks again!

[tonybarry]

Hi Shaun,

The C11 will definitely show up the star. Mag 12 is quite doable in a C11. And the C11 should be able to slew to Pluto quite easily. If you have a video camera you can record for posterity. And be one of the select few who have seen a Pluto occultation. The last one was in 2012, and unlike this one had a 0.3 magnitude drop due to the faintness of the star. It was not discernable except with frame analysis. This one will be quite certain - blink it's gone, and if you are on the central line, gone for around a minute and a half (99 seconds).

It will be a great thing to see.

Regards,
Tony Barry

[DaveGee]

This event is to be very special and every effort should be taken to ensure observations are recorded and reported.

For this of you who are not sure what an occultation of a mag. 12 star by Pluto might look like, here is a video of a similar event I recorded in 2008...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WruS6own5qc

[pdthomas23]

Tony,

The RASNZ occultation predictions have it mostly over the Southern Ocean and missing Australia but reasonably favourable for New Zealand.
http://occultations.org.nz/planet/2015/predict/150629_134340g.gif
The original publication for the prediction you link that has wide coverage of Australia dates from 2010. What's the present situation?

Peter Thomas
Oakleigh, Vic

[DaveGee]

Hi Peter,

Predictions of Pluto events depend on the ephemeris and star catalogue used. The Gofin prediction you refer to doesn't specify the ephemeris used.

The prediction below was used using DE432 and UCAC4 and the path covers almost all of Australia and misses New Zealand.

Felipe Braga-Ribas of The RIO group use the older DE430 ephemeris and "special sauce" to apply offsets for Pluto. They also spend a large amount of observing time to obtain good position data for the star. The RIO Group has an excellent record for producing quality predictions and we hope that they publish updates as the date of the event approaches. We will also publish the updates here.

You can also expend lots of energy worrying where the path might lie, or you can observe regardless of any prediction. Observe first, worry second would be my tip.:rofl:

[tonybarry]

Hi Peter,

Dave has answered the question rather better than I could.

One of the challenges of Pluto occultations is that predictions are working at their limits to narrow the path down beyond a hemisphere of earth ... i.e. if you are in the southern hemisphere, then it's likely that you will (may) see the occ.

The MIT crew prediction for this event is for Tassie, NZ, and Antarctica.
The RIO prediction is for Darwin to Port Pirie.
The UCAC4-DE432 prediction is for southern Australia and NZ.

They cannot all be right. But simply by observing we can pin things down a lot more than by not observing. This is where amateur telescopes are of such utility - a mag 12 occ is eminently doable by most 8" scopes, an integrating video camera and a video time inserter. Scatter those telescopes over Australia and NZ, and you can add to the storehouse of scientific knowledge .

Regards,
Tony Barry
WSAAG

[rustigsmed]

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20150527

new images available

[Ric]

Thanks for the link Russell.

Now things are starting to get interesting.

[pluto]

As if I wasn't already on the edge of my seat...
http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-hold-media-call-to-discuss-surprising-observations-of-pluto-s-moons

[pluto]

New pics today:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20150527

It's starting to look more like a world and less like a blurry dot ;)
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029527/lor_0295272163_0x630_sci_3.jpg

[Ric]

Starting to look good now

[AussieTrooper]

Interesting article on Pluto's moons.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-hubble-finds-pluto-s-moons-tumbling-in-absolute-chaos

[Neil]

A couple of more weeks should yield clearer and more detailed images. Currently it looks like dark(oceans) and light (possibly ice covered rock.the oceans will probably turn out to be plains, not unlike the moon. A very interesting month coming up,clear skies.:thumbsup:

[Slawomir]

The timeline for New Horizons looks very interesting...I had no idea it was launched in January 2006! Clearly NASA is not using Windows...spacecraft's systems are fully operational after 9.5 years of space travel...

[el_draco]

I'm absolutely buzzing... Its like revisiting Voyager...... :thumbsup: :D

[pluto]

A new post from Emily:
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/06091643-an-enigmatic-line-across-pluto.html

[pluto]

Some new images:
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/different-faces-of-pluto-emerging-in-new-images-from-new-horizons

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

[sn1987a]

Might have to rename it Praxis :P

[RichardJ]

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]

Some new images

http://astronomynow.com/2015/06/24/new-horizons-sees-plutos-close-approach-hemisphere-and-charons-dark-pole/

RichardJ :)

[pluto]

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-lakdawalla/2015/06230439-new-horizons-update.html

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

[pluto]

A few days, a few million kms closer ;)
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/view_obs.php?image=data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029751/lor_0297516568_0x630_sci_1.jpg&utc_time=2015-06-25%3Cbr%3E05:37:30%20UTC&description=OpNav+Campaign+4%2C+LOR RI+1X1&target=PLUTO&range=22.9M%20km&exposure=150%20msec

And a processed version from UMSF:
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=7970&view=findpost&p=221806

[pluto]

There's some lovely details visible in this processed image from the 27th:
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=7970&view=findpost&p=221898

[LewisM]

We live in exciting times!

[RichardJ]

Hugh,

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

Richard.

[pluto]

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-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029768/lor_0297689068_0x630_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 :D

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]

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

[rustigsmed]

things are starting to look much crisper :thumbsup:


http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029785/lor_0297859708_0x630_sci_1.jpg

[Shano592]

Wow, things are getting exciting now!

Thanks for the pic link.

[rustigsmed]

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029802/lor_0298029809_0x630_sci_1.jpg


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

[Ric]

They just keep getting better by the day.

[strongmanmike]

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

Mike

[pmrid]

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]

Some recent news - Unusual features on Pluto.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20150701-2

RichardJ

[strongmanmike]

Hey, I'd still think it awesome if it does turn out to look "just" like Ceres et al but it would be extra cool if it had some other distinguishing features, like an atmosphere or polar caps, that would be very cool (pardon the pun :P)

Mike

[rustigsmed]

Gibbous Pluto
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029809/lor_0298097204_0x630_sci_1.jpg









definitely know what you mean Mike, and Peter no harm in hoping for something more active though.

I think it is going to be really cool. the best thing is we don't know. I'm thinking something Triton like - but hoping for more Titan with less atmosphere or something totally different would be even better is it still meant to be pinkish? - haha not often we get to speculate :thumbsup:



very interesting!

[Neil]

:DThe nearer New Horizons gets to Pluto, the more mysterious the God of the underworld becomes, clear skies.:lol:

[LewisM]

Here was I thinking we WERE going to see another big asteroid, and Pluto goes and throws us all! Red with black formations ... this is going to be incredible.

[pluto]

Hopefully this is the last glitch before closest approach!
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20150704

EDIT:
The discussion over at UMSF seems to hint that, as NH is currently downlinking at ~1kb/s, it may now be out of safe mode.
http://eyes.nasa.gov/dsn/dsn.html

Fingers crossed!

[pluto]

And on a more positive note - new images!:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/common/content/videos/dataMovies/7-3-15_Color_Rotation_Movie_NASA-JHUAPL-SWRI.gif

It looks like a little Mars!! :D

[DaveGee]

It's a real pity that NH doesn't have a clone taking the slow road, ar-la Voyager 1&2.:screwy:
You know, to follow up anything interesting...:confused2: ahem... how do you up the ante on "anything interesting"... stupendously, mind-bogglingly unexpectedly interesting?

[rustigsmed]

well it may be a few days to get NH to take some more shots.

here is a pic from the most recent release (3 july)

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/view_obs.php?image=data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029820/lor_0298204274_0x630_sci_1.jpg&utc_time=2015-07-03<br>04:39:15 UTC&description=OpNav+Campaign+4%2C+LOR RI+1X1&target=PLUTO&range=13.5M km&exposure=150 msec

[N1]

More intresting imagery:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/latest-images-of-pluto-from-new-horizons

Why they have to inflate them like that I don't know. Makes my eyes water. View at 25% zoom, much better and no loss of detail.

Atmosphere or artefact?

[pluto]

Yeah not presented very nicely.
They're the same images used to make that anim I posted the other day, and I thought it looked like traces of cloud in that - though I doubt it really is.
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/common/conte...HUAPL-SWRI.gif (http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/common/content/videos/dataMovies/7-3-15_Color_Rotation_Movie_NASA-JHUAPL-SWRI.gif)

Hopefully new images tomorrow following a return to operations tonight.

[rustigsmed]

something to view while awaiting the next picture release...

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20150707

[sn1987a]

Go you good thing! :prey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f19tTPlUoqc

[rustigsmed]

that is awesome barry! - i have to say that reminds me of trying to do planetary imaging with a dob without tracking :lol:

[rustigsmed]

Finally! new images :D getting close now :thumbsup:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029861/lor_0298614804_0x630_sci_1.jpg

[pluto]

Haha just about to post the same link!

Really amazing image, that "crater" has turned out to be an even more interesting albedo feature :)
Can't wait for more!!

[ZeroID]

OOoooer ! It is round and has features, must be a planet ...

[rustigsmed]

Great minds Hugh ;)

yep looking very interesting.
looking at that simulation the next week is going to go by very slowly!



:lol: I agree, binary planet :thumbsup:

[LewisM]

It is amazing how the closer we get to Pluto, the more it looks like the early Martian drawings.

[hobbit]

abc has a pictorial time line of pluto images the closer it gets
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-09/pluto-comes-into-focus/6566818

amazing the difference between the early and current ones.

[pluto]

I always thought is technically was, as the barycenter is outside of/above Pluto's surface - well... binary dwarf-planet anyway ;)

[Kunama]

It always was, is and will be a planet to me. Sure looks like one! I have nothing against dwarves but if it quacks like like a duck ........

CT had it right when he announced " Doctor Slipher, I have found your planet X "

[pluto]

So do you call Eris a planet? It quacks like a duck too!

[N1]

Duck or not, I'm hoping to see an annular phase of Pluto after the pass, when the night side is recorded. If the atmosphere is thick enough to cause the central flash we saw during last week's occultation, it may be thick enough for this too (I'm thinking the two are related anyway)...

[pluto]

You should get your wish. It looks like NH will pass through Pluto's shadow after closest approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f19tTPlUoqc

If you want any more details of the images, and other science, gathered during the flyby then check out the playbook:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/The-Path-to-Pluto/NH_Obs_Playbook_LORRI-MVIC.pdf

[N1]

Yes NH passes through Pluto's shadow (2:33 in the vid), but the simulation suggests NH will be talking to Earth rather than recording image data during that period. So the phase angle when it does take a look will be less than ideal. Having said that, it worked with Venus in 2012 even though it had a degree and a half elongation from the Sun the day after the Transit. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen through the eyepiece. So let's see.

[tonybarry]

NH prepares for a radio-occultation of Pluto and Charon just after the physical pass through the orbital plane of the Pluto system. The earth broadcasts a signal and NH picks it up. Not sure where that is listed in the timeline video.

[EDIT]
The Pluto - Earth occ occurs at 12:42:55 UTC, with the REX instrument active (high-gain antenna + signal processing module).
The Charon - Earth occ occurs at 14:30:44 UTC, again with REX active.

REX has to listen to the transmitters from earth, and as can be seen in the video, it's not far from the Sun. The REX paper (address below) advises that the separation is 0.23 degrees. The Deep Space Network has been assigned to pump out a minimum of 10kW at a baseband frequency of 7.1GHz (preferably 20kW) to provide the occultation "artificial radio star light", which has to be picked out from the broadband signal from the sun. A pretty decent task for the REX module.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Spacecraft/Payload.php
http://www.boulder.swri.edu/pkb/ssr/ssr-rex.pdf

Regards,
Tony Barry
WSAAG

[AussieTrooper]

Was just thinking that. I'm sure there are canali there somewhere...

[pluto]

New pics:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029872/lor_0298721714_0x630_sci_1.jpg

[RichardJ]

Thanks Hugh.
So exciting to see the details emerging day by day.
Fingers crossed all goes well.
Richard.

[icytailmark]

check out this app. It gives live data of new horizons and what its currently doing.

http://eyes.jpl.nasa.gov/eyes-on-pluto.html

[pluto]

Wow: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/view_obs.php?image=data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029889/lor_0298893504_0x630_sci_1.jpg&utc_time=2015-07-11<br>04:06:25
only 4 million kms out!

[julianh72]

"Pluto Killer" Mike Brown has been tweeting https://twitter.com/plutokiller about the features observed on the imagery so far - in particular, the equatorial ring of dark spots and the "heart". Interestingly, he points out that such features were PREDICTED in a 1996 paper "Seasonal Nitrogen Cycles on Pluto" by Hansen & Paige http://www.lesia.obspm.fr/perso/bruno-sicardy/biblio_occ/hansen_paige_Ic_96.pdf

How excited do you reckon those two would be right now that the data is actually starting to come in?!

(By the way - for those unfamiliar with his work, while Mike Brown is mostly known as the guy who got Pluto demoted from full planet status, it's not because he hates Pluto - far from it, he has contributed hugely to the study of the dwarf planets and KBOs etc.)

[clive milne]

And for those unfamiliar with James Hansen, he is one scientist that I regard as a hero of sorts. He became aware that NASA officials were reviewing and filtering public statements and press interviews in an effort to limit his ability (as well as that of other government scientists) to publicly express scientific opinions that were politically inconvenient.


In January 2006, Dr. Hansen told Andrew Revkin of the New York Times that he was warned of "dire consequences" if he continued (to make similar statements) Revkin reported that George Deutsch, a NASA public affairs officer appointed by the White House, denied a request from National Public Radio to interview Dr. Hansen, calling NPR the country's "most liberal" media outlet and arguing that his job was "to make the president look good."4 Mr. Deutsch later resigned after it was revealed that he had fabricated his own academic credentials.

Revkin, Andrew C. “A Young Bush Appointee Resigns His Post at NASA (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/politics/08nasa.html?ex=1297054800&en=dc3c509d1621f5af&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss),” New York Times, February 8, 2006, accessed December 7, 2006

Arguing that his loyalty was to NASA's mission statement, which then read in part "to understand and protect our home planet," Dr. Hansen refused to be silenced. ''Communicating with the public seems to be essential,'' the Times reported him as saying, ''because public concern is probably the only thing capable of overcoming (the) special interests that have obfuscated the topic.

Revkin, New York Times January 29, 2006.

In February 2006, the phrase "to understand and protect our home planet" was deleted from NASA's mission statement without any notification to agency scientists. The replacement mission statement, which reads "to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research," represented the first time that knowledge of Earth was not explicitly stated as part of NASA's mission.

Revkin, Andrew C., “NASA’s Goals Delete Mention of Home Planet (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/science/22nasa.html?ex=1311220800&en=74c926c8939e58e0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss),” New York Times, July 22, 2006.

Dr. Hansen pointed out that (administration) attempts to control scientific information were not limited to NASA, and that colleagues at NOAA have told him that conditions there are, in general, much worse.

Farrell, Bryan, “Political Science (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060227/farrell),” The Nation, February 13, 2006

Said Hansen, "In my thirty-some years of experience in government, I've never seen control to the degree that it's occurring now. I think that it's very harmful to the way that a democracy works. We need to inform the public if they are to make the right decisions and influence policy makers.

“A Conversation With Dr. James Hansen (http://video.nytimes.com/video/2006/01/28/science/1194817097774/a-conversation-with-dr-james-hansen.html?scp=1&sq=A%20Conversation%20With%20Dr.%20 James%20Hansen&st=cse),” New York Times video interview


Dr Hansen retired in 2013 in order to become more politically active.

[pluto]

A processed version of the one I linked to earlier: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/pics/071215_Pluto_Alone.png

[clive milne]

And Charon

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/B0BB/production/_84234254_071215_charon_alone.png

[clive milne]

Less than 24 hrs until it begins in earnest.

I have to say I find this mission far more compelling than I did Cassini.

[pluto]

Yes, I agree. We all knew what Saturn looked like before Cassini entered orbit - with Pluto it's all unknown :)

For those who can't wait to see more, like me ;), it might be worth re-reading Emily's breakdown on when new images will be downlinked, especially the list down the bottom:
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/06240556-what-to-expect-new-horizons-pluto.html

[clive milne]

This shows the current location of NH....

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/whereisnh/PlutoEncounter/nhpe2015_3169.svg

[N1]

It's a compelling mission alright, but let's be fair to Cassini/Huygens - Having a probe carry another probe to a Saturnian moon and landing it there has to be one of the greatest feats of planetary exploration.

Anyway, tomorrow we'll see stuff no one has ever seen before. Too bad there's no stopping for a second look.

I want to have a look at Pluto tonight (better weather than tomorrow night). Any idea what power to use in an 18" observing from suburbia for best results - seeing being average?

[pluto]

Good call, almost forgot about Huygens, definitely edge of seat excitement during that landing!

[rustigsmed]

yep super excited, i'm pretty sure all new pics are pretty much relayed to this thread very soon after being made public :D

hanging for a nice big colour pic of Pluto and Charon, seriously cannot wait.

the Huygens definitely a massive feat, but I struggled to interpret the scale and fov I was looking at - from memory is was a pretty extreme fish eye lens used. the atmosphere gave the impression of a thick soupy feeling - too bad the secondary camera failed on descent.

[pluto]

Well, according to Emily's post, the best single frame LORRI image of Pluto should be down by tomorrow night, though it doesn't look like there will be corresponding colour data until the main downlink starts in a couple of months. I'm sure there will be some other colour images before then and I'm sure someone will hack the last colour images about to colourise the LORRI image.

I think the Huygens video you're thinking of was the compilation video showing all the images taken during the descent. It was done in an extreme fisheye view but that's not how the images were taken. That was an awesome video though - been a while since I've watched it so it might be time for another viewing :)

[RichardJ]

Just over a day till closest approach.

I got to visit and observe at Lowell observatory a few years ago and enjoyed the story, exhibits and telescope around the discovery of Pluto. The next weeks and months will be great as more data gets downloaded.

I think it's great that in the states of Illinois and New Mexico there is legislation that Pluto is still a Planet :lol:

RichardJ :)

[pluto]

Pluto from 3 million kms:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029895/lor_0298959320_0x630_sci_1.jpg
And Charon:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029895/lor_0298959629_0x630_sci_1.jpg

[N1]

Those "regular" spots on what is going to be the far side on flyby don't look all that regular to me. :shrug:
Pluto viewing last night didn't happen due to high cloud and crappy seeing. :sadeyes:

[RichardJ]

Just been watching NASA TV.
Pluto has a confirmed polar cap and its diameter has been measured very accurately settling what is the biggest object in the Kuiper belt so far.
Great stuff!!!

RichardJ :)

[rustigsmed]

Pluto at 2.5M kms

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029899/lor_0298996724_0x630_sci_1.jpg

starting fill the screen up a bit more :thumbsup:

[AussieTrooper]

Is that dot in the top right one of the small moons? (I know, I know, probably just a background star...)

[N1]

Maybe it is a moon. A background star would have to be pretty bright to appear in the photo like that. It nmight also explain why Pluto is not centered in this image. Same for the earlier Charon shot.

[rustigsmed]

Charon at 2.5M km (took longer to be uploaded up to the webpage)

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/data/pluto/level2/lor/jpeg/029899/lor_0298997004_0x630_sci_1.jpg

as I post this I have just read live that the current location Charon fills up the entire FOV, hanging to see that.

[clive milne]

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_feature/public/thumbnails/image/nh-7-13-15_pluto_image_nasa-jhuapl-swri.png

[AussieTrooper]

I was thinking that too. It seems too much of a coincidence.

[AstroJason]

I'm sure some people know about it but for those that don't and want to watch the progress live you can do so here...

http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv

[RichardJ]

Check out the NASA July 13th news briefing for some great info

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNSGTbS3xuQ

RichardJ :)

[glenc]

This Guide 9 map shows Pluto at 7pm tonight with the zenith up.
Pluto is 28' from mag 5 xi1 Sgr.

[multiweb]

Fresh fov from last night here (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=1188922&postcount=1). Wouldn't have moved much in 24h.

[icytailmark]

2 hrs to go!!!! very exciting!!!! cant wait to see more images!!!

[glenc]

I saw Pluto with my 16" scope and an 8mm EP at 225x, also saw the mag 15.1 star next to it.

[xelasnave]

Who gets naming rights to the crater on the right ..the big eye. Looks interesting.

[RichardJ]

Check out this fabulous sneak preview image

https://t.co/GItS2VCU5P#PlutoFlyby

RichardJ

[omegacrux]

Amazing picture

David

[icytailmark]

wow it looks so similar to mars!!!

[andyc]

Flyby happening right now (fingers, toes etc crossed!)

The dark & light smears concentrated around the equator are a bit reminiscent of Iapetus, I'm wondering if we'll see similar processes here, or very different ones! Could be sublimation/lag deposits like Iapetus, could it even be material from dark Charon or another moon. Doesn't immediately look hugely like Triton, at least for surface patterning. Interesting times indeed :D

[mswhin63]

Flying by now yippee, now we have to wait for the data.

[clive milne]

Similar colour... but to me it looks like the moon, in as much as it has large basins filled with what appears to have been a liquid at some point in time (now solidified)

[sil]

hope they set up some citizen science projects to help with the data collected.

[multiweb]

So cool! :thumbsup: Looks like the moon in that Hancock movie with the logo. :lol:

[rustigsmed]

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20150714-3

nice false colour image of Pluto and Charon


This image was taken at 3:38 a.m. EDT on July 13, one day before New Horizons' closest approach to Pluto.


Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

[clive milne]

Well, it looks like all the data and images were taken successfully... now we wait.

[julianh72]

Latest imagery!

[RichardJ]

New horizons has 'phoned home'
All good.

RichardJ

[Steffen]

Amazing resolution images, if a little concerning...

[rustigsmed]

:lol: it should have been done with Charon.
that's no moon that's a ....

[Talby]

Steffen if that's plutos true form then possibly (low probability I grant you) Charon is full of EWOKS:rofl:

[michaellxv]

Does that mean Walt Disney was an alien?:ship2:

[ZeroID]

If Charon is forest green then I'd start getting worried ....:fight:

[N1]

Look at those mountains on Pluto. Almost as if they were driven through the surface from far below, rather than folded from it.

Steffen, that object was discovered by Cassini ages ago:

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2005-129

I was a bit concerned at the time, but Mimas hasn't hurt anyone so far....:P

Edit: Is that a speaker??? With that thing, they could "phone home" just about anywhere :rofl::rofl:

[clive milne]

Pluto
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2015/07/15/pluto-flyby-images/assets/150714-pluto-detail.jpg

Charon
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2015/07/15/pluto-flyby-images/assets/150714-charon.jpg

[glend]

I watched the NASA TV news conference live early this morning and they were certainly pretty excited, it's worth watching.

Re the mountains, they are of course made of water ice, but are fairly young (like maybe 100 million years at most) so that indicates that there is/was active geology happening on Pluto. The spectral data is fascinating, with loads of methane, but with uneven distribution across the planet; as well as the water ice, nitrogen, etc.
Obvious to me is that Pluto seems to be an ideal place to process fuel for return trips to the farther reaches of the Kuiper Belt. A reactor on Pluto could melt and electrolise the water from the water ice into oxygen and hydrogen, giving resources for restocking ships with fuel, air (when blended with nitrogen), and water. I can invision Kuiper Belt mining ships calling into Pluto to restock. Sure it's a long way out there, and damn cold, but there is plenty of useful stuff there. And its great to see an abundance of water so far out, which means there is probably much more in the Kuiper Belt (just stick a tractor engine on one object and toss it down to Mars). etc etc;)

[andyc]

Mind blown by the images this morning :eyepop: young geology, mountains and fewer craters!

And you can imagine how excited my planetary scientists wife is - seeing as she specialises in different types of water, methane and ammonia ice and hydrates in the outer Solar System...

[rustigsmed]

yep I agree very exciting, crazy young geology and a smorgasboard of chemical composition. :thumbsup:

The mountains on Pluto likely formed no more than 100 million years ago -- mere youngsters in a 4.56-billion-year-old solar system. This suggests the close-up region, which covers about one percent of Pluto's surface, may still be geologically active today.

"This is one of the youngest surfaces we've ever seen in the solar system," said Jeff Moore of the New Horizons Geology, Geophysics and Imaging Team (GGI) at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20150715

[clive milne]

Yep, I imagine the cat is well and truly amongst the pigeons...
The people who pushed for this mission must be feeling no small amount of vindication for their vision.

[AussieTrooper]

Those mountains look like the Pingos in Alaska.

[AussieTrooper]

Isn't that just amazing. That right out there where there was a good chance all we'd find were colder versions of Ceres, here we have a planet that is more active than Mercury or Mars.

[N1]

Anywhere I can still get Guide 9? Looks like it's been discontinued...

[glenc]

Find someone near you that has Guide 9 I guess.

[Suzy]

185209

The Dummies Guide to Understanding Pluto's Geology......
Everything you wanted to know but were too afraid to ask :lol: .

Credit: http://xkcd.com/1551/

If the pic isn't large enough to view here, click on the link.

I've popped this on our facebook page today if you'd like to share the humor around :D .

[pmrid]

www.projectpluto.com
I bought a copy last October.
Peter

[clive milne]

Emily has a bit to say about NASA's refusal to release NH data and images (in a timely manner)

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/07181721-new-horizons-awaiting-the-data.html

Whilst Emily must remain the diplomat, some in the Planetary society have stronger views,

Here's a few of them:

[rustigsmed]

thanks clive,

I thought there should have been way more jpgs released by now. really there hasn't been many. raws haven't even crossed my mind as yet!

[Ric]

Love that map Suzy. :thumbsup:

[clive milne]

A couple more pics have been released...

http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/D927/production/_84419555_nh-pluto-mountain-range.png

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/12747/production/_84419557_nh-nix-hydra-no-captions1.jpg

[rustigsmed]

and backlit atmosphere :thumbsup:


http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/news/pictures/2015-07-24-PlutoHaze.png

[rustigsmed]

some more from LORRI

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/index.php

[N1]

That's what I've been hoping to see! :thumbsup:

[rustigsmed]

got bored awaiting new images to be released so made a composite showing the atmosphere and surface,, :thumbsup:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/80336656@N07/20131118442/in/dateposted-public/

[Ric]

Nice work Russell, that looks excellent.

[DaveGee]

In a similar light-hearted theme... I present Charon's Mordor. Does this prove Tolkien was an Alien?:eyepop:

[rustigsmed]

Thanks Ric :thumbsup:



haha very good Dave.


Apparently we will have to wait till second half of September for new Pluto /Charon pics.

[RichardJ]

Lovely Pluto flyby

http://www.theverge.com/tldr/2015/8/14/9152929/new-horizons-pluto-video-nasa-spacecraft

RichardJ

[Nexus69]

Great pics...looking forward to more

[pluto]

It's very well done :D

Bjorn posted some extra info with it here: http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=8074&view=findpost&p=225341

[multiweb]

Yeah that was awesome!

[RichardJ]

NASA Pluto flyby animation
See http://space.io9.com/whoa-this-is-exactly-what-new-horizons-saw-zipping-pas-1727829437

RichardJ

[RichardJ]

Just watched a very good documentary about the New Horizons mission by Sky at Night on you tube.
See www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCjNON1kTKU

RichardJ

[ralph1]

The target New Horizons would fly to has been confirmed, assuming it gets funding
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/09011608-new-horizons-extended-mission-pt1.html

[RichardJ]

New LORRI images set to be posted Sept 11th.

RichardJ

[pluto]

And here they are: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/view.php?gallery_id=2

[ZeroID]

'Dunes' on Pluto ..

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/unexpected-dunes-in-nasas-latest-stunning-pluto-photos-20150910-gjk4ky.html

[RichardJ]

My goodness they are fabulous!

RichardJ :)

[AussieTrooper]

The top one looks an awful lot like the 'canali' :)

[pluto]

More added here: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/index.php

And this guy has done a nice stitch of the full globe, from those images, here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/132160802@N06/21336052656/in/dateposted/

[pluto]

WOW, I'm speachless.
We knew there's be some great images but this is beyond what I'd dare to expect :eyepop:
15 minutes after closest approach:
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0.png

Article here:
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-wows-in-spectacular-new-backlit-panorama

[marc4darkskies]

Blown away! When I consider distance, surface composition & terrain, degree of difficulty and just plain aesthetics, this latest image is one of the best planetary images of all time IMHO! Just wow!

[pluto]

I was thinking the same thing, so I started a thread to get some other suggestions: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=138713

[rustigsmed]

that is exactly the type if images i was hoping for. if the nasa link doesn't work (which hasn't for me) try http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/pics/Pluto-Wide-FINAL-9-17-15.jpg

truly spectacular! :eyepop:

[RichardJ]

Absolutely magnificent !!!

RichardJ :)

[pluto]

More wow - a colourised version (using earlier colour MVIC imagery) by one of the members on UMSF:
http://postimg.org/image/g4c7i2si1/full/

[RichardJ]

Fantastic Hugh. Thanks for the link.
Still more to come!

Richard.

[pluto]

I know, a whole year of downlink! - we've barely scratched the surface of what was captured during the flyby! :D

[ZeroID]

O. M. G. .... :eyepop:

Don't care what the so called 'professionals' think,'adopted' it may be but it's a planet.

[pluto]

New stuff out today:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/view.php?gallery_id=2

This is awesome - make sure you click the thumbnail for the BIG image!:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/image.php?page=1&gallery_id=2&image_id=319

And I think this is an even higher res version (full res mosaic?) of that image above (warning: very big file - 67MB):
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/crop_p_color2_enhanced_release.png

[RichardJ]

Thanks Hugh,

Just when I thought it couldn't get better ;)

Richard :)

[AussieTrooper]

I wonder if these images were available a decade ago, if Pluto might not have had a stay of execution for a few years.

[pluto]

If we had pictures like this of Eris would we call it a planet too? We have similar images of Ceres, though it's not nearly as visually spectacular, should we call it a planet?

It doesn't really matter whether science classifies Pluto as a planet, dwarf planet, TNO, KBO, whatever, but surely whatever label(s) science gives to Pluto needs to also be given to the other similar bodies. The way I see it having an exception to the rule doesn't really work well in science.
Having said that, of course scientists often need to classify things in a way that popular culture won't accept or adhere to so I guess we, as non scientists, can call it whatever we want.
Personally I'd prefer it if Pluto was still classified as a planet and our Solar system had 14 planets but nobody listens to me, and either way Pluto is still Pluto ;)

[AussieTrooper]

That's not what I said.

Eventually Pluto would still have been demoted. Having clear details of what are clearly planet style features would have strengthened the argument to keep Pluto a planet, delaying the inevitable decision.

[andyc]

In the interest if twisting tails (probably more Brent's than yours)... which "planet-style features" should have strengthened those arguments? Which of them do not occur on moons like Titan, Enceladus, Europa or Io? ;) Titan's river channels, hills, lakes, atmosphere and clouds are especially planet-like!

There's an amazing range of really cool stuff that goes on beyond the frost line in the Solar System, and it's been a joy to see some of the imagery coming from probes like Cassini and New Horizons, what a great time to be watching :D

[AussieTrooper]

You've pretty much nailed it with those features. If, say Io wasn't a moon, but was orbiting on its own between Jupiter and Saturn, the case to call it a planet would be very strong.
It would be visible to the unaided eye, spherical, have clearly active geology, and not asteroidal in nature.
The test that was created (and that pluto fails) is that it has not cleared its orbit of other similar sized objects.
Move Pluto's orbit closer to the sun, and assuming it's surface features don't evaporate away leaving just rock, I'd say you've got a bone fide planet.

[RichardJ]

Charon flyover

http://youtu.be/nVtdgJnUWn8

RichardJ

[pluto]

Wow:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/pics/Blue-Skies-on-Pluto-FINAL.jpg

Todays article:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20151008

And in case anyone missed it, the amazing new images of Charon from last week:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20151001

[Ric]

Cheers Hugh

Thanks for the links, a truly amazing planet.

[gary]

Dec 5 2015 - NASA reports that New Horizons has returned the first
in a series of the sharpest images of Pluto.

Story and image here -
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-returns-first-of-the-best-images-of-pluto

[Ric]

Stunning images, looking forward to more.