New Horizons

[lajoswinkler]

Awesomeness. Is the color truly accurate though, I wonder? The colors seemed more variable in the blurry hubble image.

It's not accurate as our eyes would see. The instrumentation lacks a green filter because of reasons. The difference is supposedly not that great, given the spectroscopy data.

What you see is pretty accurate, although not really. It's kind of obvious. Looks too monochrome to me. Future images will be better.

[Red Iron Crown]

Epic lulz:

[LittleBlueGaming]

Epic lulz:

[lajoswinkler]

Stephen Hawking comments the mission.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=860234164063682

[Frida Space]

Some notes on what has been said so far (we are in the quite unique transition from speculation to fact)

- left side of the heart region corresponds to area where Earth-based astronomers (*) saw carbon monoxide ice (Will Grundy)

- the heart is probably a pretty permanent feature (Bill McKinnon): we see it in images up to 60 years ago, although it looks like its eroding away (Bonnie Buratti)

- solar wind picked up which made nitrogen ions easier to see, maybe that's why we saw them so early on (Matt Hill)

- this appears to be the purest nitrogen atmosphere we've got. Suspect will only see N (Frank Bagenal)

- fact that Pluto so round means it must have really shrunk, soft enough on the inside (McKinnon)

- look to left of "left ventricle", seems to be getting darker, was probably larger. Warmer over there (Buratti)

- left ventricle maybe higher than the right one (McKinnon)

- the dark stuff on Pluto, like the whale is actually quite red. Probably photolyzed ices. (Buratti)

- bets are still mixed as to whether Pluto has haze or not (Joel Parker)

* = now I'm wondering who's a not-Earth-based astronomer.

[Frida Space]

A reddit AMA with the team is live now!

www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3d9luh/were_scientists_on_the_nasa_new_horizons_team

[rkman]

I think the 'heart' is an impact crater/basin: left lobe is the crater, the right lobe is ejecta.

(increased saturation and contrast, enlarged)

[Red Iron Crown]

Sorry, all I see is the Pluto the dog in silhouette now.

[Kerbart]

I think the 'heart' is an impact crater/basin: left lobe is the crater, the right lobe is ejecta.

That was my thought. Perhaps similar to Earth the result of a major impact that formed the moon? One or more of Pluto's moon's might have resulted from this?

[Superfluous J]

I slept right through the encounter, on purpose. Boo-yah.

I must say, I am unimpressed by NASA TV's broadcast... too much emphasis on the 'social impact' of this opposed to the actual science and happenings.

I have to agree with you there, it feels like a sports pregame show.

Considering it serves exactly the same purpose (To talk about the unknown thing that is going to happen, that has already been analyzed to death and back, to fill time before said unknown thing happens) then I see no reason to expect it to be anything different.

[pincushionman]

* = now I'm wondering who's a not-Earth-based astronomer.

As opposed to space-based observation platforms (Hubble etc.), probably.

[Frida Space]

As opposed to space-based observation platforms (Hubble etc.), probably.

Yes I was suspecting that

Here's a great rotation animation by Bjorn Jonsson

Also, this:

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CJ4zJTQUsAAiuTF.mp4

[lajoswinkler]

I think the 'heart' is an impact crater/basin: left lobe is the crater, the right lobe is ejecta.

http://i.imgur.com/rgjdZAo.jpg

(increased saturation and contrast, enlarged)

The "crater" is very messed up, and the "ejecta" isn't. That doesn't make much sense.

[Pipcard]

My favorite singer (who happens to be virtual), Hatsune Miku, has a song about Pluto called "The 9th":

[basic.syntax]

I also slept through the encounter, when I stopped reading this thread was at page 80...

More congrats to the NH team! Your patience is being rewarded

[LordFerret]

The "crater" is very messed up, and the "ejecta" isn't. That doesn't make much sense.

I don't think it's a crater per-say, not in the sense it's been mentioned. My eye sees flows into?/out-of? the 'crater'... but I'll not really admit that right now, I'll wait until the good hires stuff comes down.

[Frida Space]

If I was a scientist on the mission team I'd be screwed. I keep seing Pluto the dog in there and literally cannot even pay any attention to geological features whatsoever

[LordFerret]

I had to go fire up my old version of Celestia (v1.6) and take a look at Pluto. My how things have changed.

[Robotengineer]

Considering it serves exactly the same purpose (To talk about the unknown thing that is going to happen, that has already been analyzed to death and back, to fill time before said unknown thing happens) then I see no reason to expect it to be anything different.

I guess I was expecting it to be a little more science-y is all, the press conference was more science-y.

[Frida Space]

New color images to be released soon!

[Mitchz95]

So how long until we get a Pluto surface map for Texture Replacer?

[Tw1]

I guess I was expecting it to be a little more science-y is all, the press conference was more science-y.

I didn't think it was too bad. But then, I had NASA TV on one screen, NASA's Eyes on another, a phone checking social media streams, and friends to talk to, so I had a lot of other sources.

It's stupid o'clock in the morning here, so I better sleep. I hope you guys find and post useful stuff from the AMA.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Tw1

[Frida Space]

First atmospheric science results: bigger radius, less atmosphere!

- - - Updated - - -

Here we go!

www.nasa.gov/image-feature/pluto-and-charon-shine-in-false-color

Edited July 14, 2015 by Frida Space

[Aanker]

Link suggests false colour?

[lajoswinkler]

Remember, the left "heart" lobe is CO ice.

Fascinating.