New Horizons flyby of Pluto [updated for Ultima Thule]

[Drakkith]

It seemed intuitive to me that there must be some way to approximate the distance from which the photo was taken using known distances between Pluto and Charon and their diameters. It was a good mental exercise to understand why that's not so thanks to mb and Drakkith.

But you can! I've given you everything you need to know about the imaging system to do so. (I think I have at least)

 

[DennisN]

Man, I can't believe we're seeing the actual surface of Pluto. I have been looking at "artist's impression"s of Pluto in textbooks for more than 4 decades, and now here we are.

I actually have to admit I feel a little bit like a kid in a candy shop at the moment... ... even more so after seeing post #29 by Drakkith above .

 

[davenn]

It's really a cool time to be living in with all these new discoveries

 

[Garth]

Isn't the photo in #29 beginning to look like the image (side on) in #13?

Garth

 

[mfb]

Isn't the photo in #29 beginning to look like the image (side on) in #13?

Garth

I see what you mean.

 

[Lord Crc]

What is the reason for the pause until September before the bulk of data gets transmitted?

From http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/06240556-what-to-expect-new-horizons-pluto.html

The transmission of the High Priority data set will be complete on July 20, and then image transmission will pause. For nearly two months, until September 14, New Horizons will switch to near-real-time downlinking of data from other, so-called "low-speed" instruments while it transmits just housekeeping information for all of the rest of the data. No new images will arrive on the ground during this time.

The blog post has some more details about why they've done this. So it's just not transmitting images.

 

[Dotini]

Is it too bold to say the northern hemisphere looks very dissimilar to the southern hemisphere?

Perhaps the southern hemisphere faces Charon?

 

[DennisN]

Is it too bold to say the northern hemisphere looks very dissimilar to the southern hemisphere?

That is something I've been thinking about too, since I saw the image.

Perhaps the southern hemisphere faces Charon?

Quote from the NASA article:

This image views the side of Pluto that always faces its largest moon, Charon, and includes the so-called “tail” of the dark whale-shaped feature along its equator.

Edit: I also post the additional image that includes a reference globe at the bottom right:

 

[D H]

Their article claims this photo was taken from a distance of 3.7 miles. Intuitively this seems way off. Can anyone help me prove or disprove the purported distance?

A link to that article: http://www.popsci.com/space-waves-birth-control-and-other-amazing-images-week?image=9.

Fact checking and fixing typos has never been Pop Sci's strong suit. As far as disproving that distance, it's nonsense. Closest approach won't happen for a couple of days and even then the distance to Pluto will be 7800 miles. Look at the link nsaspook posted.

 

[DaveC426913]

As far as disproving that distance, it's nonsense. Closest approach won't happen for a couple of days and even then the distance to Pluto will be 7800 miles.

Not to mention that fact that 3.7 miles is well within Pluto's atmosphere. The only way it could be 3.7 miles above the surface is if impacts Pluto one-third of a second later (moving at 36,000 mph).BTW, they get the number right in the longer article:

http://www.popsci.com/new-horizons- spacecraft -sends-back-more-pluto-eye-candy

which means they're not even consistent.

 

[|Glitch|]

Is it possible that Pluto is actually part of a "collisional family?" I realize that the label "collisional family" has only been used for asteroids and/or comets in the past, but considering the number and relative size of the moons orbiting Pluto, a "dwarf planet" does not seem to be an adequate description. I suppose a better question would be, what defines a "collisional family?"

 

[Garth]

Is it possible that Pluto is actually part of a "collisional family?" I realize that the label "collisional family" has only been used for asteroids and/or comets in the past, but considering the number and relative size of the moons orbiting Pluto, a "dwarf planet" does not seem to be an adequate description. I suppose a better question would be, what defines a "collisional family?"

Families of asteroids, believed to be fragments from a collisional breakup of a larger parent body, are defined as those sharing similar orbital elements.

Garth

 

[|Glitch|]

Families of asteroids, believed to be fragments from a collisional breakup of a larger parent body, are defined as those sharing similar orbital elements.

Garth

In other words, very much like Pluto and its moons, except that Pluto is a dwarf planet and not an asteroid Assuming all of Pluto's moons are chemically similar to Pluto, and therefore most likely originated from Pluto, and are not captured bodies. According to the above definition, the Earth and moon could also be considered a "collisional family." Is there any reason why the label "collisional family" should only be applied to asteroids and/or comets?

 

[Dotini]

Charon and Pluto appear to have very dissimilar colors.

 

[DennisN]

Today is the flyby!

Here is a cropped version of this image, 12 July 2015 (image information: 2015-07-12 08:46:45 UTC, Exp: 100 msec, Target: PLUTO, Range: 2.5M km). It was too large to post here, so I cropped it.
Source: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/index.php

Edit: Another one from 13 July 2015 (cropped by me, source image is here):

Edit 2:
And an image of Charon from 12 July 2015... (also cropped by me)
(source image, image info: 2015-07-12 08:51:25 UTC, Exp: 100 msec, Target: CHARON, Range: 2.5M km)

 

[DennisN]

Space.com has a "live stream" here (courtesy of NASA TV; contents according to the schedule: Media briefing, image release, interview opportunities, panel discussions, broadcast from APL Mission Control):
http://www.space.com/17933-nasa-television-webcasts-live-space-tv.html

 

[Borg]

Space.com has a "live stream" here (courtesy of NASA TV; contents according to the schedule: Media briefing, image release, interview opportunities, panel discussions, broadcast from APL Mission Control):
http://www.space.com/17933-nasa-television-webcasts-live-space-tv.html

I didn't realize that it was passing this morning. I turned on your link just in time for the last 8 seconds before closest approach.

 

[DennisN]

A new color image :
"This stunning image of the dwarf planet was captured from New Horizons at about 4 p.m. EDT on July 13, about 16 hours before the moment of closest approach."
Source: NASA (Instagram)

Bonus picture (I could not resist):

 

[Borg]

Google has a tribute to the flyby today - doodle link.

 

[Dotini]

A new color image :
"This stunning image of the dwarf planet was captured from New Horizons at about 4 p.m. EDT on July 13, about 16 hours before the moment of closest approach."
Source: NASA (Instagram)

Does the relative lack of craters in the light area imply this area is active?

Could the dark areas be hydrocarbons?

 

[Orodruin]

With some good will, the "heart" does looks a bit like a dog ...

 

[|Glitch|]

I hope New Horizons was able to collect more information on Pluto's other moons (other than Charon) as well. Could Pluto have more than 5 moons? When New Horizons was launched we only knew about the moons Charon, Nix, and Hydra. The moons Kerberos and Styx were not discovered until after New Horizons had been launched..

 

[DaveC426913]

More detailed images of Pluto reveal startling new features!

(You saw it here first, folks.)

 

[websterling]

The spacecraft phoned home- reported that it was in great health and no anomalies occurred during the fly-by!

 

[Astronuc]

Hello, Pluto! NASA Spacecraft Makes Historic Dwarf Planet Flyby
http://news.yahoo.com/hello-pluto-nasa- spacecraft -makes-historic-dwarf-planet-115557846.html

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

A pluto fly by recap would make a great Insight :)

 

[OmCheeto]

Chris Hadfield just mentioned that http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tom0bio-1 's ashes are on the NH spacecraft .

I thought that was very cool.

 

[Drakkith]

Chris Hadfield just mentioned that http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tom0bio-1 's ashes are on the NH spacecraft .

I thought that was very cool.

Geez, you'd think they would have wiped the spacecraft off prior to launch...

 

[Borg]

More detailed images of Pluto reveal startling new features!
View attachment 85953
(You saw it here first, folks.)

I'm sure it won't be the last.

 

[Dotini]

Just as we are getting used to the idea that Pluto is a lovable, laughable Disney cartoon, some other mythologists throw underworld demons from Lovecraft and Tolkien into the punchbowl! Lost Carcosa is how I'd like to name that crater with the central peak, located in NE Cthulhu not far from the peach-colored area. Maybe it's ruled by the Yellow King?

http://space.io9.com/places-on-pluto-are-being-named-for-your-darkest-imagin-1717825166