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Pluto - it's here and it's real !

5 years 3 months ago #104166 by Keith g
Pluto - it's here and it's real ! was created by Keith g
Wow ! If this is just the latest shot from NASA 's new horizons space probe, can any body only imagine what Pluto reveal in July as it passes close by

news.discovery.com/space/new-spacecraft-...lex-pluto-150527.htm

Keith..
If a telescope can fit into your backyard it's too small. If you can't move it, it's too big." -- John Dobson
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5 years 3 months ago #104194 by JohnONeill
Replied by JohnONeill on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Yes very exciting,

Excluding other EKB objects, Pluto and Charon are the largest unexplored (known) objects in the Solar System.
From the New Horizons craft, Pluto has now surpassed 10 arcsec in diameter. Maybe not seem large, but from Earth Pluto is just 0.10 arcsec across! In the coming weeks Pluto and Charon will dramatically increase in size in the FOV of New Horizons cameras.

John

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5 years 3 months ago #104286 by mykc
Replied by mykc on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
The first colour movies of Pluto and Charon have been released ( www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-and-its-moon-charon-now-in-color ). Although the resolution is very low, Pluto has a beige colour with clear variations, whereas Charon is grey. The outer (minor) planets and moons, with their many different textures and hues, have much more varied surfaces than the small rocky objects of the inner Solar System. I'm really looking forward to what will be revealed as the close fly-by approaches.

Mike
Skywatcher 120 mm ED on a CG5 mount.
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5 years 3 months ago #104287 by Keith g
Replied by Keith g on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
That really cool Mike, it's good to see NASA sharing it's received data with the public very quickly. I am just amazed by this world and it's moons, everyday it's just getting better. Right now we can see definite differences in Pluto's surface feature's although very low resolution, my bet is that it will look very like Neptune's moon Triton !

This thread will be very busy from now on B)

Keith..
If a telescope can fit into your backyard it's too small. If you can't move it, it's too big." -- John Dobson

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5 years 2 months ago - 5 years 2 months ago #104372 by Keith g
Replied by Keith g on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Hi everybody, Wow! This is just getting better from the New Horizons probe, the latest pictures from Pluto show it better than ever in colour, it could easily resemble any of Jupiters moons or indeed Neptunes Triton.

And Charon looks dark with its own surface markings, what a great moment in space exploration

www.astronomy.com/news/2015/07/spots-on-...s-gets-the-all-clear

Keith..
If a telescope can fit into your backyard it's too small. If you can't move it, it's too big." -- John Dobson
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5 years 2 months ago #104381 by JohnONeill
Replied by JohnONeill on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Hi,

A few comparisons, as of today (3rd July):

Pluto is still only 39" in width (and Charon 20"). But at last it's bigger than Jupiter's apparent diameter of 32". They should grow rapidly in the coming days!

From Earth, Pluto is 0.10" in diameter!

John

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5 years 2 months ago #104389 by Keith g
Replied by Keith g on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Wow,

mysterious dark spots on Pluto, with it's reddish hue, what will still be revealed at Pluto?

All the latest here:
www.universetoday.com/121236/new-horizon...ing-pluto-encounter/

Keith..
If a telescope can fit into your backyard it's too small. If you can't move it, it's too big." -- John Dobson
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5 years 2 months ago #104393 by Keith g
Replied by Keith g on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Hi all, this 1st clear combined shot of both Pluto and it's moon Charon was taken on Wednesday July 8th from a distance of 3.7 million miles (about 6 million kms) from both the LORRI and RALPH instruments aboard the New Horizons spacecraft.



Keith..
If a telescope can fit into your backyard it's too small. If you can't move it, it's too big." -- John Dobson
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5 years 2 months ago #104394 by Neill
Replied by Neill on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
That's an impressive image. Charon looks like a mini version of the moon. Perhaps the observing guide for August might have a guest slot for Pluto ;-)
Linda: "All in all, this is one day Mittens the kitten won't soon forget."
Morbo: "Kittens give Morbo gas."

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5 years 2 months ago - 5 years 2 months ago #104401 by Seanie_Morris
Replied by Seanie_Morris on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
www.nasa.gov is probably one of the best locations online for getting rapid updates on the mission today. Follow the link for LIVE NASA TV coverage later today (Irish Time).

Did you know that an upward revision of Pluto's size was conducted? It is now set at 2,370km, making it the largest of the bodies known beyond Neptune.

The features captured so far in the past few days have been mesmerising!



Seanie.
Midlands Astronomy Club.
Radio Presenter (Midlands 103), Space Enthusiast, Astronomy Outreach Co-ordinator.
Former IFAS Chairperson and Secretary.
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5 years 2 months ago #104402 by Seanie_Morris
Replied by Seanie_Morris on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Real-time data on the mission (distance, speed etc.):

www.livecometdata.com/new-horizons-spacecraft/
Midlands Astronomy Club.
Radio Presenter (Midlands 103), Space Enthusiast, Astronomy Outreach Co-ordinator.
Former IFAS Chairperson and Secretary.
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5 years 2 months ago #104403 by lunartic
Replied by lunartic on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Pluto looks magnificent, the large flat looking area to the south of the image appears like a large desert region. To the left of this region there is a great double impact crater, with one crater sitting inside its larger sibling and a rille heading away. The dark region on Charon looks a little like the Mare Orientale on the moon and there is great ray splashes from the large impact crater.

If these are the opening shots then we are in for some great times as more images are released and more details are revealed.

Bring it on.

Paul
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better programs, and the universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning.

Rich Cook

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5 years 2 months ago #104404 by Keith g
Replied by Keith g on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Thanks for the updates Lads, the shots released already are just spectacular, bring on tomorrow!

Keith..
If a telescope can fit into your backyard it's too small. If you can't move it, it's too big." -- John Dobson

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5 years 2 months ago - 5 years 2 months ago #104405 by mykc
Replied by mykc on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
First image after the flyby reveals unexpected new features on Pluto!!











(Copied from medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/is-pluto-a-planet-now-8a4ea23e52a )
Skywatcher 120 mm ED on a CG5 mount.
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5 years 2 months ago - 5 years 2 months ago #104407 by Neill
Replied by Neill on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
www.skyandtelescope.com/wp-content/uploads/WEB_2015_Pluto.pdf

Above is a link to a finder chart for it, if anyone wants to try and find it/imagine it :)
Linda: "All in all, this is one day Mittens the kitten won't soon forget."
Morbo: "Kittens give Morbo gas."

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5 years 2 months ago #104408 by Neill
Replied by Neill on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
That last post should have read image it! :-)

Has anyone ever tried to locate it?
Linda: "All in all, this is one day Mittens the kitten won't soon forget."
Morbo: "Kittens give Morbo gas."

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5 years 2 months ago #104409 by JohnONeill
Replied by JohnONeill on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Hi,

I have seen Pluto a few times over the years. My first time was on the night of 24-25 April 1992 with my Coulter 13.1" (33.3 cm) Dobsonian. At that time it was on the borders of Serpens and Libra. I had no computer charts in those days!

For a recent (i.e. 2014) image of Pluto I took see my website: Variable Star Nights
and follow the link to "Asteroids/EKB Objects".

John
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5 years 2 months ago #104410 by lunartic
Replied by lunartic on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
A little off theme, but you mentioning your Coulter scope takes me back, the 10" version was my first real scope, ordered from the U.S. before the internet in the 80's. Cardboard tube, push pull focusser, no finder scope. I loved that scope.

Paul
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better programs, and the universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning.

Rich Cook

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5 years 2 months ago #104411 by Keith g
Replied by Keith g on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
Here's the latest image of a close up of Charon - the team have called this the 'mountain in a moat'

New images will come tomorrow

www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-relea...-17-nasa-tv-briefing

Keith..
If a telescope can fit into your backyard it's too small. If you can't move it, it's too big." -- John Dobson

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5 years 3 weeks ago #104695 by mykc
Replied by mykc on topic Pluto - it's here and it's real !
After a hiatus of a few weeks, downloading of images of Pluto from the New Horizons spacecraft will resume in the next few days. Keep an eye on pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/index.php for weekly updates.

Mike
Skywatcher 120 mm ED on a CG5 mount.
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