New Horizons

[LordFerret]

I'll take it the 'wind streaks' shot is an enlarged section from the first image in your previous post? That being the case, looking at the surrounding structures in that first image, I'd guess shadows, not wind streaks.

[Camacha]

I'll take it the 'wind streaks' shot is an enlarged section from the first image in your previous post? That being the case, looking at the surrounding structures in that first image, I'd guess shadows, not wind streaks.

NASA thinks possible wind streaks. I am not going to argue

[LordFerret]

NASA thinks possible wind streaks. I am not going to argue

Not arguing, just saying that I'd think shadows. If they're wind streaks, why am I not seeing them elsewhere in other parts of that first image? Just wondering.

[Frida Space]

So, to recap today's foundings:

- an ion tail 77-109 000 km behind Pluto formed by nitrogen ionized by UV radiation and dragged from solar wind

- dark streaks on the surface which suggest winds

- an ice plain (Sputnik Planum!) with irregular, 20-km long segments (surface contraction? surface layer convection?) accompanied by shallow troughs occasionally containing dark material and occasionally interrupted by hilly areas (more resistent to erosion the the surroundings?). The rest of the surface is a field of small pits (sublimation?)

- the atmosphere extends to at least 1600 km from Pluto, instead of 270 km as inferred from earth-based observations

- the CO ice concentration spotted from Earth appears to be located in the left ventricle of Tombaugh Regio (the heart-shaped feature)

- Nix is a blob of pixels

[Aethon]

Yes, that correspondents nicely with the familiar 14 km/s figure Do you have a direct source for that? The numbers from the Voyagers seem less available though.

If you watch the NASA press conference, there's a shot of eyes on the solar system, currently showing 30,800/mph relative to Pluto. Sorry. Eyes was my only source.

- - - Updated - - -

Edit- Four minutes of me squealing like an eight year old girl.

So, to recap today's foundings:

Don't forget Norgay Montes: The first solar system object named after a Nepalesian, Tenzig Norgay the first man up Everest. I imagine they're bugging in Nepal.

And yes Camacha great naming schemes. Clever diplomacy. I hope the Russians are proud.

This just shows the need for more press conferences. So much, new cool ooooooo, no one had a chance to ask about Persephone.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Aethon

[Frida Space]

Don't forget Norgay Monts: The first solar system object named after a Nepalesian, Tenzig Norgay the first man up Everest. I imagine they're bugging in Nepal.

True! Thanks.

Don't know why NASA hasn't released the full res of this awesome mosaic yet. This is what I managed to grab from the stream.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, the plasma tail:

[Aethon]

Yes. Was looking for that first image as well now. Good work.

As I understand, this image shows a higher res. view of the left center of the heart shape, informally dubbed Tombaugh Reggio (mouthful). In the full screen view, it sure looks to me like the smooth, younger surface has flowed south into the mountains, rather than being 'snowed' or geysered into position. Also looks like the mountains on the lower left of that image, have blocked part of this southerly flow of material.

(squeal)

Oh and Plutos' atmosphere extends out to 1000 miles?!?... O.O

Edited July 17, 2015 by Aethon

[Frida Space]

[Scotius]

Winds in the atmosphere, that would count as quite hard vacuum in any Earthside lab Space exploration keeps on amazing us.

[LittleBlueGaming]

I know where I'm landing my first base. Heart of Hearts Outpost baby!

[Camacha]

And yes Camacha great naming schemes. I hope the Russians are proud.

Not just Soviets or Russians, I would say Sputnik was Earth's first artificial and human satellite. Empires fall, affiliations change and fade, but the fact that mankind first launched a probe into orbit that day will never change.

[SuperFastJellyfish]

Are those pixellated blobs of Nix and Hydra the best resolution images we are supposed to get of them? I'm sure there's plenty of info in them for scientists, but that's really underwhelming if that's all we get as laymen.

[Camacha]

Are those pixellated blobs of Nix and Hydra the best resolution images we are supposed to get of them? I'm sure there's plenty of info in them for scientists, but that's really underwhelming if that's all we get as laymen.

I am not sure, but like they said: they are better than what we had of Pluto just a month or so ago. Do not forget these moons are comparatively really small. We did not really have a clue what they look like, so even pixelated pictures are a huge massive step forward.

Plus, you need to dream a bit - and have a good reason to send another mission

[Godot]

I am not sure, but like they said: they are better than what we had of Pluto just a month or so ago. Do not forget these moons are comparatively really small. We did not really have a clue what they look like, so even pixelated pictures are a huge massive step forward.

...

Relatively small and, I guess, relatively far away from New Horizons Position during flyby (compared to Pluto and Charon)

[Layereddiagram]

It's strange to thing that just a few days ago the best pictures we had of Pluto were nearly indecipherable blobs.

[lajoswinkler]

Winds in the atmosphere, that would count as quite hard vacuum in any Earthside lab Space exploration keeps on amazing us.

Those "winds" would not be detectable by a human. It's a slow horizontal transfer in several microbar of pressure. Technically, it is a wind, but to a person standing on Pluto, the situation is good as being in vacuum chamber. No flags would flutter, no feathers tossed sideways. Indeed a fascinating atmosphere.

Are those pixellated blobs of Nix and Hydra the best resolution images we are supposed to get of them? I'm sure there's plenty of info in them for scientists, but that's really underwhelming if that's all we get as laymen.

No, we're getting several times better resolution when noncompressed images start pouring from the probe over the next months. So far we're getting just compressed stuff. Don't expect miracles, it will still be crappy, but better than this. These satellites are very tiny.

[Aethon]

Edited July 17, 2015 by Aethon

[Motokid600]

I missed today's conference. Is that about it in terms of new data?

[Frida Space]

Pretty much yes. In any case, here's the replay.

[kiwi1960]

Planet Earth is full of stalkers.....

[Camacha]

Planet Earth is full of stalkers.....

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CJ5QkQLXAAA-urH.jpg

Pluto must have very strange definitions for real slow, which is probably why it did not work out in the first place.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Camacha

[Robotengineer]

Planet Earth is full of stalkers.....

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CJ5QkQLXAAA-urH.jpg

Pluto obviously still loves us or else he would have a broken heart.

[Frida Space]

Pluto must have very strange defintions for real slow, which is probably why it did not work out in the first place.

I agree, Pluto seems to have a few problems with definitions.

[Aethon]

http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/frozen-carbon-monoxide-in-pluto-s-heart

In reference to todays' close up mosaic of Tombaugh Reggios' carbon monoxide ... uhhh... ice field(??) I guess. I don't see any impact craters there either.

After a review, I'll mention some other interesting parts of the conference.

"This means that there are active landform creating processes operating into the geological current time. Some of the craters appear partially destroyed, perhaps by erosion, and there are also hint of parts of Plutos' crust that have been fractured and thus that indicates there has probably been some forms of techtonics" -Jeff Moore

"We still don't have a good measure of the lowest atmosphere... we think all the atmosphere on Pluto is sort of compressed into a very thin layer near the surface where the winds can be up to a few meters per second.. and those numbers are good enough to launch or loft particles off the surface, you know, micron size.." -Randy Gladstone.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Aethon

[Robotengineer]

In reference to todays' close up mosaic of Tombaugh Reggios' carbon monoxide ... uhhh... ice field(??) I guess. I don't see any impact craters there either.

There were a few small ones, unless my eyes are confusing something else for a crater.