Pluto's color changes as it makes its closest approach?

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SUMMARY

Pluto's color changes are influenced by its seasonal atmospheric variations as it approaches the Sun. Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) reveal these changes, particularly in the contrasting black and bright spots on its surface. The frequency of Pluto images captured by Hubble is not daily or weekly, but rather based on scientific proposals submitted by researchers, indicating a limited availability of imaging time due to high demand.

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  • Understanding of planetary atmospheres and their effects on surface color.
  • Familiarity with the Hubble Space Telescope's imaging capabilities and scheduling process.
  • Knowledge of seasonal changes in celestial bodies.
  • Basic concepts of astronomical observation techniques.
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  • Research the atmospheric composition of Pluto and its seasonal changes.
  • Learn about the Hubble Space Telescope's proposal submission process for imaging time.
  • Explore the significance of color variations in celestial bodies and their implications for planetary science.
  • Investigate other celestial bodies with similar atmospheric phenomena and their observational techniques.
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Astronomers, planetary scientists, and anyone interested in the atmospheric dynamics and observational techniques related to Pluto and other celestial bodies.

jarroe
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Pluto's changes as it makes its closest approach?
I've seen the photos from Hubble showing the seasonal color changes on Pluto.

Just wondering if the addition of the extra atmosphere as it makes its closest approach to sun, has changed the any of the colors on Pluto, in particular the black spot next to the bright spot?

How often do we get photos of Pluto from Hubble? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Help I'm ignorant in that area!
 
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jarroe said:
Just wondering if the addition of the extra atmosphere as it makes its closest approach to sun, has changed the any of the colors on Pluto, in particular the black spot next to the bright spot?

Hmmm. Not sure.

How often do we get photos of Pluto from Hubble? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Help I'm ignorant in that area!

Hubble is designed for, and mainly does, scientific research images. Most are not "pretty pictures". Scientists around the world submit proposals to get time on the HST for their research, and the telescope is always in very high demand. Most proposals are denied as there are far more demand for imaging time than is available.
 

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