Pluto our neighbor at the end of the block

Discussion in 'Science and Nature' started by loopster, Jul 14, 2015.

  1. #1 loopster, Jul 14, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 14, 2015
    With less than 24 hours to go before NASA's New Horizons probe makes its close flyby of Pluto and I am surprised no one has mentioned this phenomenal event!!
    http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/



    The New Horizons team selected instruments that not only would directly measure NASA's items of interest, but also provide backup to other instruments on the spacecraft should one fail during the mission.

    The science payload includes seven instruments:

    Ralph: Visible and infrared imager/spectrometer; provides color, composition and thermal maps.

    Alice: Ultraviolet imaging spectrometer; analyzes composition and structure of Pluto's atmosphere and looks for atmospheres around Charon and Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs).

    REX: (Radio Science EXperiment) Measures atmospheric composition and temperature; passive radiometer.

    LORRI: (Long Range Reconnaissance Imager) telescopic camera; obtains encounter data at long distances, maps Pluto's farside and provides high resolution geologic data.

    SWAP: (Solar Wind Around Pluto) Solar wind and plasma spectrometer; measures atmospheric "escape rate" and observes Pluto's interaction with solar wind.

    PEPSSI: (Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation) Energetic particle spectrometer; measures the composition and density of plasma (ions) escaping from Pluto's atmosphere.

    SDC: (Student Dust Counter) Built and operated by students; measures the space dust peppering New Horizons during its voyage across the solar system.

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    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiuUQ9asub3...



    The cute little guy PLUTO!
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    Charon plutos moon(left) Pluto(Right)
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    This graphic presents a view of Pluto and Charon as they would appear if placed slightly above Earth's surface and viewed from a great distance. Recent measurements obtained by New Horizons indicate that Pluto has a diameter of 2370 km, 18.5% that of Earth's, while Charon has a diameter of 1208 km, 9.5% that of Earth's.

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  2. no stoner scientists huh
     
  3. Watch live!!!<iframe src="http://www.ustream.tv/embed/6540154?v=3&wmode=direct" scrolling="no" style="border: 0px none transparent;" frameborder="0" height="302" width="480">    </iframe>
    Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
     
  4. New higher definition of pluto, by tomorrow we will have pictures with 10X this resolution
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  5. #5 loopster, Jul 14, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 14, 2015
  6. Poor Pluto.. few care about it anymore since they stripped it of its planethood :(
     
  7. that's crazy

    Pluto is small enough to be its own.country

    -yuri
    this sub forum is pretty much dead except when new discoveries/science news is posted

    -yuri
     
  8. Understandably so ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1436902181.117447.jpg
     
  9. I've been waiting for the fly by since launch. I'm following it, but on nasa lol. And manti, I still consider it a planet. Even if the scientific community doesn't agree lol.
     
  10. Yeah ...Mantikore...nailled it ...just a rock now, but just look at all them new planets...?


     
  11. 9 years ago I was like "can't wait to see those pictures in 9 years"

    Holy shit time has passed without me realising it
     
  12. I heard that scientists dont call it a planet or something but that planetary scientists still consider it a planet or something haha. Btw im literally the king of pluto
     
  13. I think its currently called a dwarf planet.

    I think a planet is something that cleared its orbit, and Pluto doesn't have a clear orbit? Something like that

    -yuri
     
  14. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/featu...


    Today, Pluto is called a dwarf planet. A dwarf planet is round and orbits the sun just like the eight major planets. But unlike a planet, a dwarf planet does not have enough gravity to attract all of the space dust and tiny objects in its path. A dwarf planet also is much smaller than a planet, but it is not a moon.


    Pluto also is called a plutoid. A plutoid is a dwarf planet that is farther out in space than the planet Neptune. The three known plutoids are Pluto, Eris and Makemake (MAH-kee-MAH-kee).




    http://www.space.com/43-pluto-the-ninth-planet-tha...


    ...Pluto is now seen as one of the largest known members of the Kuiper Belt, a shadowy disk-like zone beyond the orbit of Neptune populated by a trillion or more comets.


    Pluto's orbit is highly eccentric, or far from circular, which means its distance from the sun can vary considerably and at times, Pluto's orbit will take it within the orbit of the planet Neptune. When Pluto is closer to the sun, its surface ices thaw and temporarily form a thin atmosphere, mostly of nitrogen, with some methane. Pluto's low gravity, which is a little more than one-twentieth that of Earth's, causes this atmosphere to extend much higher in altitude than Earth's. When traveling farther away from the sun, most of Pluto's atmosphere is thought to freeze and all but disappear. Still, in the time that it does have an atmosphere, Pluto can apparently experience strong winds.

     
  15. I wouldn't be surprised if liquid water existed near the core of Pluto.

    If we start finding inverts under ice on these distant worlds, it will prove life is not just common, but likely inevitable if conditions are correct.

    -yuri
     

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