New Horizons takes our first ever half-decent image of Pluto, prepares for flyby - Polidicks

[QUOTE=YoumuMyon;48201856]2 Hours until closest flyby.[/QUOTE] So about 8-9 hours before we get the best possible pictures, I suppose?

[QUOTE=GoDong-DK;48202071]So about 8-9 hours before we get the best possible pictures, I suppose?[/QUOTE] Hopefully we will get some nice pictures of the pluto/sun occulation.

It will be a good while before the really good pictures start coming in, the probe will not be able to take photos and send data to Earth at the same time, and once it can send data it's still at a very small rate (I read 1kbit/s a few days ago, but not sure how accurate that is).

I think they actually said a few choice images would be shared tomorrow.

[QUOTE=LarparNar;48202139]and once it can send data it's still at a very small rate (I read 1kbit/s a few days ago, but not sure how accurate that is.[/QUOTE] You can view live comms over NASA's Deep Space Network here: [url]http://eyes.nasa.gov/dsn/dsn.html[/url] Yesterday they were downloading from New Horizons at around 1kbit/sec. They were also downloading from Voyager 1 at 150bytes/s

less then an hour till closest flyby. [editline]14th July 2015[/editline] [url]http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/index.php[/url]

Just posted on NASA's Instagram: [IMG]https://igcdn-photos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/t51.2885-15/11311925_687877714680167_484233801_n.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Bradyns;48202348]Just posted on NASA's Instagram: [IMG]https://igcdn-photos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/t51.2885-15/11311925_687877714680167_484233801_n.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] This is the last detailed image before closest approach, good news for those wanting a higher resolution. TBH they should call the main feature 'Venetia's Basin' after the girl who named it. She died in 2009 and never got to see this.

I notice theres a very slight haze around the edge. could that be an atmosphere, or just image processing.

You can watch how scans using [url]http://eyes.nasa.gov/[/url] right now. I'm surprised they can turn it this quickly, since that seems like it would use quite a bit of power. Those moon orbits are really strange though.

[QUOTE=FlandersNed;48202377]TBH they should call the main feature 'Venetia's Basin' after the girl who named it. She died in 2009 and never got to see this.[/QUOTE] This is a really good idea. Sounds nice too.

[QUOTE=Tamschi;48202383]You can watch how scans using [url]http://eyes.nasa.gov/[/url] right now. I'm surprised they can turn it this quickly, since that seems like it would use quite a bit of power.[/QUOTE] The magic of spinning discs.

I wish we could see the surface of these planets, it blew my mind seeing the pictures of Mars.

[QUOTE=Hanso;48202407]I wish we could see the surface of these planets, it blew my mind seeing the pictures of Mars.[/QUOTE] That is the surface tho.

[QUOTE=FlandersNed;48202426]That is the surface tho.[/QUOTE] I think he means "from the surface". Something like Pluto would be really hard, as we have barely any data on it.. this is the first true Pluto specific mission. 3minutes!!!!!

[QUOTE=Whomobile;48202392]This is a really good idea. Sounds nice too.[/QUOTE] Unfortunately the naming comp finished last month, I'll shoot it to the NASA twitter though.

I can't believe it, just 1 minute left until [URL="http://what-if.xkcd.com/"]what-if.xkcd.com[/URL] updates!

[IMG]http://puu.sh/iYKtJ/d2b6d1b41b.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Whomobile;48202380]I notice theres a very slight haze around the edge. could that be an atmosphere, or just image processing.[/QUOTE] Pluto does have an atmosphere but it could be both.

So, there it is. New Horizons has passed Pluto and now begins its journey out of the solar system into the great black yonder.

So excited for the new pictures, and what research comes out of this.

[QUOTE=BLUchameleon;48202455]I can't believe it, just 1 minute left until [URL="http://what-if.xkcd.com/"]what-if.xkcd.com[/URL] updates![/QUOTE] The newest what-if is "What if the New Horizons hits my car?"

Shadowplayed Eyes. [video=youtube;3hoTncGh-kY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hoTncGh-kY[/video]

Meanwhile on Nasa media TV youtube comments. Why the fuck thais are invading there? [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/ZoKUS9n.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/6Fk7SsE.png[/IMG]

Can't wait until we get to the point where we can place rovers (or something similar) on other planets to get pictures of ground-level. I want to see inside Jupiter.

[QUOTE=slayer20;48202903]Can't wait until we get to the point where we can place rovers (or something similar) on other planets to get pictures of ground-level. I want to see inside Jupiter.[/QUOTE] Jupiter's a gas planet, and anything sent into it would be crushed and liquefied before it even reaches anything resembling ground. We've already got a fair bit of data on what the inside of Jupiter is like from when [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_%28spacecraft%29"]Galileo was sent into it[/URL] so as not to contaminate any of its moons.

[QUOTE=fauxpark;48202929]Jupiter's a gas planet, and anything sent into it would be crushed and liquefied before it even reaches anything resembling ground. We've already got a fair bit of data on what the inside of Jupiter is like from when [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_%28spacecraft%29"]Galileo was sent into it[/URL] so as not to contaminate any of its moons.[/QUOTE] I know, but I'm sure one day we'll be able to send something into it that won't immediately liquefy. I want some pictures of its insides.

sometimes I have a sit down and think about how they manage to fly these probes millions of kilometres out into space and how they then beam back high-definition images from those many millions of kilometres... I get a headache and have to stop thinking about it.

[QUOTE=slayer20;48202944]I know, but I'm sure one day we'll be able to send something into it that won't immediately liquefy. I want some pictures of its insides.[/QUOTE] I mean, I'm not sure what there is to look at. It'd just be like flying through a cloud in a plane, just with more orange probably.

A gas planet doesn't imply that the entire planet is non-solid. It still has a significant solid part, including its core.