Pluto

[TheBoss]

After nearly 9 and half years of a journey, the New Horizons probe is almost at Pluto & its 4 moons (Charon, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos). The funny thing is that Pluto was officially a planet and 3 of its moons were known when the probe was launched! Been following this since it was launched but now is the really exciting time!

Over the last week images have been released of this unknown world and we will finally get to see what it looks like a couple of days time, July 14th. Here are the most recent images:

Taken on July 6th
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/image_card_4x3_ratio/public/thumbnails/image/nh-pluto-color-7-6-2015_0.png?itok=9kHjl47V

Taken on July 8th
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/image_card_4x3_ratio/public/thumbnails/image/7-8-15_pluto_color_new_nasa-jhuapl-swri-tn.jpg?itok=WkqqeyPP


Taken on July 9th
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/image_card_4x3_ratio/public/thumbnails/image/nh-7-10-15_pluto_image_nasa-jhuapl-swri_0.png?itok=PSnQCrT1


Its come along way in 5 years, best image of Pluto in 2010 from hubble:
Pluto Hubble Image (http://media.cleveland.com/world_impact/photo/pluto-colors-nasajpg-fb12d16089a6ea68.jpg)

[jinxy lilywhite]

Bring back Pluto as a planet

[TheBoss]

New Image, taken on early on July 11th, starting to get an idea of what it looks like now.
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/image_card_4x3_ratio/public/thumbnails/image/nh-pluto-7-11-15.jpg?itok=2AjKu5Eq

[Kingdom]

I heard talk last night that there is fairly regular nitrous gases emitting from the surface, which had a few of the boffins in a flutter.

[TheBoss]

Taken on July 12th
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/image_card_4x3_ratio/public/thumbnails/image/071215_pluto_alone_0.png?itok=C95W47_V

[TheBoss]

Few more released images from yesterday:

Pluto
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/image_card_4x3_ratio/public/thumbnails/image/nh-7-13-15_pluto_image_nasa-jhuapl-swri.png?itok=KGAUmaRp

Charon
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/image_card_4x3_ratio/public/thumbnails/image/nh-7-13-15_charon_image_nasa-jhuapl-swri.png?itok=c_DR-RrQ

Pluto and Charon
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/image_card_4x3_ratio/public/thumbnails/image/nh-color-pluto-charon.jpg?itok=Ix5lshqt

Closet approach is in about 5 hours time but images will take some time to get back to earth before they are released to the public.

[dahamsta]

I dunno if it's my age or what, but I'm increasingly excited by space stuff these days. I love all the space-y threads on Reddit, and I've been following New Horizons with bated breath.

[TheBoss]

Great image here, taken on Monday/Tuesday
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CJ32XAEVAAAp_8T.png:medium

[bennocelt]

Question, will the New Horiz probe go beyond Pluto?
Was looking at it on C4 news, it is quite amazing and all:)

[jinxy lilywhite]

Yes it is going in to the kipther (sorry if spelt incorrectly). I think it is going to another dwarf plan Eris

[pineapple stu]

Kuiper Belt.

It literally can't stop at this stage - what's to slow it down? Only question is if it comes across anything interesting. Wiki says Eris is out - has been since the start? But maybe something's changed since - but there's plenty of random rocks out there it can spot.

[TheBoss]

Well, if they do go to Eris, it would take somewhere between 15-20 years from now to get there its that far away!

[bennocelt]

Watched a lot of this guys vids last night, very interesting, ok mostly about Aliens and the like, but with a very scientific slant to it. Some of the ways they can detect life (mirroring, chemicals in the air, etc) is pretty cool.

https://testtube.com/host/ian-o-neill/

[jinxy lilywhite]

Well, if they do go to Eris, it would take somewhere between 15-20 years from now to get there its that far away!

But don't they expect the new horizons to be fully working until the 2030's