What would it be like to soar over the surface of Pluto ? Image Credit: NASA
The footage has been constructed from the thousands of photographs taken by the New Horizons probe.
It's difficult to believe that it has already been two whole years since mankind got its first ever close-up view of the surface of this tiny, distant and enigmatic world.
Now to celebrate this anniversary, NASA has released a new flyover video created from the huge collection of images New Horizons captured during its visit.
"Using actual New Horizons data and digital elevation models of Pluto and its largest moon Charon, mission scientists have created flyover movies that offer spectacular new perspectives of the many unusual features that were discovered and which have reshaped our views of the Pluto system - from a vantage point even closer than the spacecraft itself," the video caption states.
"The viewer first passes over the western margin of Sputnik, where it borders the dark, cratered terrain of Cthulhu Macula, with the blocky mountain ranges located within the plains seen on the right."
"The tour moves north past the rugged and fractured highlands of Voyager Terra and then turns southward over Pioneer Terra - which exhibits deep and wide pits - before concluding over the bladed terrain of Tartarus Dorsa in the far east of the encounter hemisphere."
A fantastical moon like world, there's something sci fi about it. Here's a bit of nostalgia. Spoiler http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/07/15/art_pluto_s_features_predicted_in_1979.html
Amazing images, Pluto, it orbits the Sun, has moons, it's a Planet! To say it's not because it's a little on the small side is sizist and we shouldn't allow pluto to be harrassed and intimidated by those who insist a planet has to be bigger
to maintain equilibrium and to back up life. as the sun continuously expands in hundred of million of years , further frozen planets will unfroze and team up with life.
It's interesting that they have discovered that Meteors contain properties of Asteroids and vice versa.....and when they do land on planets they can create water deposits....that contain the particles to create life.
Please Login or Register to post a comment.