Ultima Thule - Horizons spacecraft set to image.

[Tropo-Bob]

Another new world to explore. Horizons spacecraft is flying past on New Years Day.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-12-30/nasas-new-horizons-to-fly-over-ultima-thule-way-beyond-pluto/10599866

[AndyG]

What's the chances of some holidaying Alien, taking it easy on Ultima-Thule, knocks out New Horizons with a roll of Xeno-Toilet paper, a la anti-drone style? I wouldn't be sure if I should laugh or cry... :P

[gary]

Article in Science :-
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/live-updates-new-horizons-flyby-kuiper-belt-ultima-thule

Watch on the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)
YouTube channel :-
https://www.youtube.com/user/jhuapl

[gary]

New Horizons was engineered at the Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory (APL).

The APL YouTube channel includes a reminder as to how APL was founded
in 1942, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, to be one of the major
researchers into the development of the Radio Proximity Fuze.

They have a short video about it here :-
https://youtu.be/kx8EYZJ-e3o

History buffs will appreciate how the development of the 'VT' Radio Proximity
Fuze aided allied forces in WWII in the Pacific in helping down kamikaze
aircraft, was used to down over 2000 V-1 "Buzz Bombs" in England
and played a critical role during the Battle of the Bulge.

[gary]

Live streaming now :-
https://www.youtube.com/user/jhuapl

[lazjen]

According to ABC News tonight, Ultima Thule is in the "...outer reaches of the galaxy" :rolleyes:

Not only on the scroller at the bottom but also in the report itself and said by the news reader. Top notch work there ABC. Guess the holiday crew really aren't the best.

Anyway, hope they get good pictures. Going to take a while to know.

[Tropo-Bob]

The images will be received slowly over the next two years. The first picture has been received. Its not great, but at least it indicates that the mission looks to have been successful and off course, the best is yet to come.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-02/nasa-new-horizons-probe-passes-ultima-thule/10677844

[multiweb]

Looks like a giant peanut. Maybe the oort cloud is cheese and crackers. :question:

[pluto]

Giant peanut indeed, here is the latest from just before closest approach:
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2019/mu69-baby-comet-contact-binary.html

[Tropo-Bob]

Another update.

https://www.9news.com.au/2019/01/03/09/01/news-usa-nasa-new-horizons-ultima-thule-snowman-image

[pfitzgerald]

Only slightly off topic...but I'll think you'll all enjoy this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Jm5POCAj8

Paul

PS It's available from iTunes too

[pfitzgerald]

Only slightly off topic ;) ...but I'll think you'll all enjoy this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Jm5POCAj8

Paul

PS It's available from iTunes too

[gary]

Jan 24 2019
New Horizons' Newest and Best-Yet View of Ultima Thule

Press Release :-
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20190124&fbclid=IwAR2merxHsa-2a7oW-UgpyMsxHHXd4wKZfu5WnChGIQx8_DmgwFgb bKb9pBg

Image :-
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Galleries/Featured-Images/pics/CA06_deconvolved.png

[sharpiel]

Amazing imagery. Thanks for sharing. I remember some of the very early images. Just showed an elongated pixelated blob.

Lots of definition now.

[AussieTrooper]

This is fantastic stuff. A probe finishes it's job, then a co-ordinated search for a next target was successful. It then turns out to be yet another oddity well worth the study. Top notch work.

[gary]

In a press release yesterday (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-evocative-farewell-glance-at-ultima-thule), NASA released what it called "the departure
movie", created from 14 different images taken by New Horizons
shortly after the spacecraft flew past Ultima Thule on Jan. 1, 2019.

These aren't the last Ultima Thule images New Horizons will send back to
Earth and many more are yet to come, but these images have provided
an insight into how Ultima Thule is really shaped, which is different than
the shape we may have supposed when viewing it from the sunlit side.

Press release and videos here :-
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-evocative-farewell-glance-at-ultima-thule

[Tropo-Bob]

Attached is an update re the uniqueness of Ultima Thuele.

https://www.engadget.com/2019/03/19/nasa-new-horizons-ultima-thule/