Historic Encounter With Pluto

[psyche101]

NASA have release a new close-up of Charon (see HERE).

More high resolution images will be released tomorrow (Friday 17th July).

These pictures are so much better than I imagined they would be

How is that chasm on Charon!!!!! That really blew me away!!

May I ask Waspie, how are the mountains on Pluto only 100 million years old? Does the indicate tectonic movement? Volcanic Activity?

[Calibeliever]

The statement that it appear to be geologically active is astonishing! With no major gravitational body near it, what's fueling it?

[Merc14]

The statement that it appear to be geologically active is astonishing! With no major gravitational body near it, what's fueling it?

I was thinking that maybe since Charon and Pluto are so close in size and are in a barycentric orbit that they are heating each other's cores enough to cause surface changes. May be awhile before we have an answer but I am sure the science team will figure out the mechanics at work in the Pluto-Charon system.

[MJNYC]

That's great! TYVM

[Waspie_Dwarf]

I was thinking that maybe since Charon and Pluto are so close in size and are in a barycentric orbit that they are heating each other's cores enough to cause surface changes.

I could be wrong (as I so frequently am) but I would have thought that the fact that Pluto and Charon are mutually tidally locked would have negated any heating effects by tidal forces.

May be awhile before we have an answer but I am sure the science team will figure out the mechanics at work in the Pluto-Charon system.

Indeed. If not they will (as is so often the case in science) at least learn which new questions they have to ask.

The fact that Pluto/Charon is providing so many surprises makes me believe that we need more missions to the Kuiper Belt. Not just another mission to Pluto to lean more about this fascinating world but to some of the other dwarf planets residing in this region. Since the Kuiper Belt is believed to represent the left over building blocks from the birth of the solar system I think it is important to know if Pluto is typical of the Kuiper Belt or is it an unusual or even unique place. Learning about the Kuiper Belt is learning about the origins of our own planet.

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.

- T.S. Elliot (1888 - 1965)

[Merc14]

I could be wrong (as I so frequently am) but I would have thought that the fact that Pluto and Charon are mutually tidally locked would have negated any heating effects by tidal forces.

Actually you are usually right and in this case I would agree with you, yet we have these young surfaces on these old worlds with seemingly no explanation from what we know today. Always the possibility that in the reams of data stored aboard the craft a mundane answer will arrive but as of now it seems that New Horizon is destined to discover something radically new to planetary science. At least I hope that is the case.

Indeed. If not they will (as is so often the case in science) at least learn which new questions they have to ask.

The fact that Pluto/Charon is providing so many surprises makes me believe that we need more missions to the Kuiper Belt. Not just another mission to Pluto to lean more about this fascinating world but to some of the other dwarf planets residing in this region. Since the Kuiper Belt is believed to represent the left over building blocks from the birth of the solar system I think it is important to know if Pluto is typical of the Kuiper Belt or is it an unusual or even unique place. Learning about the Kuiper Belt is learning about the origins of our own planet.

- T.S. Elliot (1888 - 1965)

I agree that we need more missions and NH's is doing a great job of making that very case so maybe the science team will get that extension to visit another Kuiper Belt object that they have been asking for.

[BeastieRunner]

I don't have words yet to describe how awesome all this news is!

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Actually you are usually right

Only because I read the right things and quote the right people. I am sensible enough not to make wild guesses and to know that I don't know much, hence I rely on the people that know a lot.

and in this case I would agree with you, yet we have these young surfaces on these old worlds with seemingly no explanation from what we know today. Always the possibility that in the reams of data stored aboard the craft a mundane answer will arrive but as of now it seems that New Horizon is destined to discover something radically new to planetary science. At least I hope that is the case.

I frequently warn that in science not all opinions are equal and that opinion counts for nothing compared to evidence. I hope I am not a hypocrite with this. My opinion is simply that. I am no expert on tidal effects and so my opinion counts for nothing. If I am wrong I will have learned something. If I am right I will have got lucky... and I will have learned something.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA is releasing some new images, HERE is the first.

Edited July 17, 2015 by Waspie_Dwarf
typo.

[Athena1979]

Someone had asked if pluto had once been a moon for Neptune. Maybe that could have been why one of Neptune's moons goes in the wrong decision. They thought that Triton might have been hit in a collision at some time in its past to change its orbit. Could that have been Pluto?

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Someone had asked if pluto had once been a moon for Neptune. Maybe that could have been why one of Neptune's moons goes in the wrong decision. They thought that Triton might have been hit in a collision at some time in its past to change its orbit. Could that have been Pluto?

This is a long discredited hypothesis based on the fact that Pluto's orbit intersects that of Neptune.

Firstly we now know that Pluto is not a lone object but one of simply thousands of others.

Secondly we now know that Pluto is in an orbit that means it never comes anywhere near Neptune... highly unlikely if it was once a moon of that planet..

[Waspie_Dwarf]

New Horizons Reveals Pluto’s Extended Atmosphere

Scientists working with NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft have observed Pluto’s atmosphere as far as 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) above the surface of the planet, demonstrating that Pluto’s nitrogen-rich atmosphere is quite extended. This is the first observation of Pluto’s atmosphere at altitudes higher than 170 miles above the planet’s surface (270 kilometers).

The new information was gathered by New Horizon’s Alice imaging spectrograph during a carefully designed alignment of the sun, Pluto, and the spacecraft starting about an hour after the craft’s closest approach to the planet on July 14. During the event known as a solar occultation, New Horizons passed through Pluto’s shadow while the sun backlit Pluto’s atmosphere.

Read more...

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Pluto Wags its Tail: New Horizons Discovers a Cold, Dense Region of Atmospheric Ions Behind Pluto

New Horizons has discovered a region of cold, dense ionized gas tens of thousands of miles beyond Pluto -- the planet’s atmosphere being stripped away by the solar wind and lost to space. Beginning an hour and half after closest approach, the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument observed a cavity in the solar wind -- the outflow of electrically charged particles from the Sun -- between 48,000 miles (77,000 km) and 68,000 miles (109,000 km) downstream of Pluto. SWAP data revealed this cavity to be populated with nitrogen ions forming a “plasma tail” of undetermined structure and length extending behind the planet.

Read more...

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA’s New Horizons Discovers Frozen Plains in the Heart of Pluto’s ‘Heart’

In the latest data from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, a new close-up image of Pluto reveals a vast, craterless plain that appears to be no more than 100 million years old, and is possibly still being shaped by geologic processes. This frozen region is north of Pluto’s icy mountains, in the center-left of the heart feature, informally named “Tombaugh Regio” (Tombaugh Region) after Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto in 1930.

“This terrain is not easy to explain,” said Jeff Moore, leader of the New Horizons Geology, Geophysics and Imaging Team (GGI) at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. “The discovery of vast, craterless, very young plains on Pluto exceeds all pre-flyby expectations.”

Read more...

[back to earth]

oo - oooo! I can see pyramids ... statues ... is that a docking station ?

[MissJatti]

Looks like the moon to me

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Looks like the moon to me

It looks NOTHING like the Moon.

Scientists expected it to look lie the Moon, the shock is that it doesn't.

The Moon has an ancient surface covered in millions of years worth of impact craters. Pluto has a young surface almost completel devoid of impact craters.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

May I ask Waspie, how are the mountains on Pluto only 100 million years old? Does the indicate tectonic movement? Volcanic Activity?

Sorry psyche, I missed this post of yours.

Last night I watched the Sky at Night Pluto special. The presenters asked this question of several experts. All of them gave the same answer, "I don't know". If they don't know believe me I really don't have a clue... but it's going to be fun finding out.

One hypothesis that was put forward (but remember it's pure conjecture at the moment) is that Charon was formed as originally believed when an object collided with Pluto. However that collision was much more recent than previously considered. This would explain the lack of old surface features and recent activity on both Pluto and Charon. It would also make Charon one of the newest large objects in the solar system.

One point that did come from the Sky at Night programme, that figure of 100 million years is the estimation of the oldest the surface can be, it could be much more recent than that.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA has released an image showing two of Pluto's smaller moons, Nix and Hydra. I have posted the image HERE.

I will upload more images to the UM gallery as they are released.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA’s New Horizons Finds Second Mountain Range in Pluto’s ‘Heart’

Pluto’s icy mountains have company. NASA’s New Horizons mission has discovered a new, apparently less lofty mountain range on the lower-left edge of Pluto’s best known feature, the bright, heart-shaped region named Tombaugh Regio (Tombaugh Region).

These newly-discovered frozen peaks are estimated to be one-half mile to one mile (1-1.5 kilometers) high, about the same height as the United States’ Appalachian Mountains. The Norgay Montes (Norgay Mountains) discovered by New Horizons on July 15 more closely approximate the height of the taller Rocky Mountains.

Read more...

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This new image has been posted in UM's gallery HERE.

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[psyche101]

Sorry psyche, I missed this post of yours.

Last night I watched the Sky at Night Pluto special. The presenters asked this question of several experts. All of them gave the same answer, "I don't know". If they don't know believe me I really don't have a clue... but it's going to be fun finding out.

One hypothesis that was put forward (but remember it's pure conjecture at the moment) is that Charon was formed as originally believed when an object collided with Pluto. However that collision was much more recent than previously considered. This would explain the lack of old surface features and recent activity on both Pluto and Charon. It would also make Charon one of the newest large objects in the solar system.

One point that did come from the Sky at Night programme, that figure of 100 million years is the estimation of the oldest the surface can be, it could be much more recent than that.

Cheers Waspie, not a problem, thanks for the reply. I guess we will both have to be fascinated as the data rolls in, and hopefully there will be a clue as to why they are so young, It sure is a fascinating planet, and far more beautiful than I had ever imagined. The latest Mountain Range discovered is nothing short of stunning being so close to the heart shaped area.

Looking forward to the excellent documentaries that illustrate the arduous aspects this long and rewarding journey which are surely bound to start popping up. The one you saw sounds great.

Edited July 22, 2015 by psyche101

[Anomalocaris]

Data from the New Horizons mission have revised Pluto’s diameter to just 2370 kilometers across.

http://io9.com/another-way-of-looking-at-pluto-1719538176

Pluto's Atmosphere is Swept Back Like a Comet's Tail

http://news.discovery.com/space/plutos-atmosphere-is-swept-back-like-a-comets-tail-150720.htm

[b0wn]

I'm assuming the camera does not have color? Mabye there is a ton of green in that picture?

Edited July 22, 2015 by b0wn

[Waspie_Dwarf]

I'm assuming the camera does not have color?

There are two cameras, LORRI is monochrome, RALPH is colour.

Mabye there is a ton of green in that picture?

And why would ice be green?

As New Horizons CAN detect colour I think we can be fairly certainly that there isn't a ton of green in that picture.

[coolguy]

I can see the rebel base