Pluto

originally posted by: jonnywhite
[ Ya I remember "roundness" being a factor, so I googled:
en.wikipedia.org - IAU definition of planet...

The definition of planet set in Prague in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) states that, in the Solar System, a planet is a celestial body which:
...is in orbit around the Sun,
...has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape), and
...has "cleared the neighbourhood" around its orbit.

I guess what that means is it has enough self-mass to overcome its structure somewhat to produce a (nearly) round shape--an ellipsoid. I've read most

Hi Jonny, thanks for your excellent and polite post, I wish there were more like that round here . :up
I had aready pointed out to Jadestar those three criteria in an earlier reply to him/her. As for hydrostatic equilibrium, it occurs when external forces such as gravity are balanced by a pressure gradient force, it can be spherical to elliptical I can presume that to include it meaning perfectly round without too much bother, not that it is likely to be perfectly round.

Anyway my first post was more of a dig against that ridiculous 2006, 'agreement', or more so the way it was done.

Some guy on TV remarked that had they not done that, then they would have had to go and start naming all these rocks, planets. so instead they came up with a naff set of criteria...of which can be a bit bendy if it suited.
Who knows, maybe it's all to do with resources in the future. Say...you can mine an asteroid, maybe a Dwarf planet, but not a planet!

Pluto is so small it makes me wonder if it and several other dwarf planets that they say are out there are not actually moons thrown from the inner solar system at some point and time?

Maybe Saturn or Jupiter tossed some of them out?

a reply to: Darkblade71

Either that or the Oort cloud swung them in during the early days and they got caught in the Sun's gravity well.

At least that's my understanding.

~Tenth

Isn't she pretty?.

Another great step in human achievement .
Thumbs up to all involved.
Now we have seen her can we just let the planetoid name a pass just for Pluto?

Lets let Pluto be a Planet!!.


So many questions how cold is it on pluto what is the gravity like?.
What would it taste like If licked...and many more .

originally posted by: boymonkey74

Isn't she pretty?.

Another great step in human achievement

.
Thumbs up to all involved.
Now we have seen her can we just let the planetoid name a pass just for Pluto?

Lets let Pluto be a Planet!!.


So many questions how cold is it on pluto what is the gravity like?.
What would it taste like If licked...and many more

.

I dont mind Pluto being a dwarf planet. Shes in good company....

a reply to: 3danimator2014

Yeah the other one with the aliens on is cool .
So how many more are out there? will the probe find new ones?.

originally posted by: okrian
So, I was actually just with one of the people (from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab) in charge of the mission for the past week and he gave a talk on the entire project. Insanely interesting to say the least. I'll have more time to post some other things that I learned from him, but quickly… I will say that this is not a color photo (and there will not be 'true' one). Most of the instruments are on board are there to measure spectrums/wavelengths that give scientific information, not to capture a photo pleasing to the eye. They can deduce the colors based on the readings taken and the elements present, but all 'color' is done in post. I'm guessing that this is a quick render and better (more true) versions will be released once the analysis is done. So cool though.

Ralph camera has the red and blue filters (along with broadband and narrowband infrared). If only it had also a green filter, guys at home could combine the red/green/blue filtered images into a "true-colour" RGB image. Cassini is doing that right now around Saturn. The Hubble is doing that. I wonder why New Horizons isn't doing that. This might have been our only chance to photograph Pluto up-close in "true colours" for the coming decades.

Looks like we'll have make do with bi-colour red/blue images with a "fake" green channel.

originally posted by: chrisss

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: chrisss

After Pluto it's heading to the Kuiper Belt to explore a handful of planetoids there too..

Why? To satisfy the curiosity of a handful of people?

To satisfy the curiosity of MOST people!

originally posted by: wildespace

originally posted by: okrian
So, I was actually just with one of the people (from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab) in charge of the mission for the past week and he gave a talk on the entire project. Insanely interesting to say the least. I'll have more time to post some other things that I learned from him, but quickly… I will say that this is not a color photo (and there will not be 'true' one). Most of the instruments are on board are there to measure spectrums/wavelengths that give scientific information, not to capture a photo pleasing to the eye. They can deduce the colors based on the readings taken and the elements present, but all 'color' is done in post. I'm guessing that this is a quick render and better (more true) versions will be released once the analysis is done. So cool though.

Ralph camera has the red and blue filters (along with broadband and narrowband infrared). If only it had also a green filter, guys at home could combine the red/green/blue filtered images into a "true-colour" RGB image. Cassini is doing that right now around Saturn. The Hubble is doing that. I wonder why New Horizons isn't doing that. This might have been our only chance to photograph Pluto up-close in "true colours" for the coming decades.

Looks like we'll have make do with bi-colour red/blue images with a "fake" green channel.

They are photographing it in real color. The images are simply over-saturated in the actual spectrum in which they appear in order to provide greater contrast and show more clearly structures and distinctions. There are plenty of true color photos being taken and NASA has been very, very clear about the use of over-saturation on these photos.

First images of the close fly by will be released today at 3pm EDT.

They are expecting to post them here on Space.com, here's the link:

Amazing Flyby Images To Be Unveiled Today

a reply to: chrisss

"I like that. But does that mean Pluto would be easier to land on than Mars or Our moon? I can't believe that. Maybe Mars but our moon is right there. Maybe one of the moons of Jupiter or Saturn. I guess I'll have to conceed to your learned astronomy for that answer."

Less gravity generally equates to an easier landing simply because less power is required regrading decent. Its achieving an orbit considering the velocity of any probe and the fact the Pluto is rather small mass wise that may be a problem regarding any future missions.

That being said we are certainly nowhere near ready technologically speaking to be landing anything other than some form of robotic probe on any of the outer planets. As to learning astronomy the extent of my knowledge regarding the subject falls into the category of general knowledge. Geology would probably be a far more pertinent subject regarding the mission in question.

"I am a fan of space exploration (I remember that bird from planet X coming to fight Godzilla.) All I'm saying is that space travel is where the work is."

Well you know any and all information we as a species manage to gleam regarding our solar system and the universe will be to the benefit of humanity in the long run. Simple fact is we will never know what's out there unless we launch missions such as these.

anybody got links to the full size, full resolution pluto pics? not the 1024 miniatures i've only been able to find?

I wander if the back shot with the sun illuminating from behind might show us a ring

I love this image (that looks fake but is amazingly real~!) of Saturn passing in front of the sun.

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
I wander if the back shot with the sun illuminating from behind might show us a ring

Ring or not, I'm really hoping we get an image of what the Sun looks like from out there.

Around 45mins to go! There will be a big surprise I'm hoping, something that no one really thought of! Don't know what though Plumes or thicker atmosphere than expected... can't wait!

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4
anybody got links to the full size, full resolution pluto pics? not the 1024 miniatures i've only been able to find?

1024 is the full resolution. pluto.jhuapl.edu...

a reply to: wildespace

ok thanks

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: chrisss

"I like that. But does that mean Pluto would be easier to land on than Mars or Our moon? I can't believe that. Maybe Mars but our moon is right there. Maybe one of the moons of Jupiter or Saturn. I guess I'll have to conceed to your learned astronomy for that answer."

Less gravity generally equates to an easier landing simply because less power is required regrading decent. Its achieving an orbit considering the velocity of any probe and the fact the Pluto is rather small mass wise that may be a problem regarding any future missions.

And to land, you need to achieve an orbit first, otherwise you just slam into your traget head-on. So yeah, the problem with doing anything other than making a fly-by of such a distant and small body, is the huge amount of fuel you'd need to slow down enough.

a reply to: wildespace

Also slowing down to achieve orbit around the planetary body may significantly affect the travel time of any future probes we may decide to send in Pluto's direction. Considering any reduction in velocity is going to have to be initiated long before the probe enters into the vicinity of Pluto's orbit.

Fact is we need some form of reaction-less propulsion system(inertial propulsion engine) that possesses significant power to be able to achieve the things we want to do at so great a distance from our Earth.

originally posted by: eriktheawful
First images of the close fly by will be released today at 3pm EDT.

They are expecting to post them here on Space.com, here's the link:

Amazing Flyby Images To Be Unveiled Today

From your link.

The completion of that task may not mark the end of the spacecraft's work, either: Stern and other New Horizon team members have said they want to fly by another object in the faraway Kuiper Belt, the realm of icy bodies beyond Neptune's orbit. This second flyby would likely take place in 2019, if NASA approves and funds the extended mission.

What other object?