{"id":10946,"date":"2015-07-11T01:43:04","date_gmt":"2015-07-11T05:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=10946"},"modified":"2015-07-11T01:43:17","modified_gmt":"2015-07-11T05:43:17","slug":"new-horizons-pluto-features-coming-into-focus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=10946","title":{"rendered":"New Horizons: Pluto features coming into focus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here is an image of Pluto taken by the\u00a0New Horizons<\/a>\u00a0and released on Friday”<\/p>\n

Houston, We Have Geology<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

It began as a point of light. Then, it evolved into a fuzzy orb. Now \u2013 in its latest portrait from NASA\u2019s New Horizons spacecraft \u2013 Pluto is being revealed as an intriguing new world with distinct surface features, including an immense dark band known as the \u201cwhale.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"071015_Puto_Image_Annotated%20(2)[1]\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Signs of Geology (Annotated)\u00a0–\u00a0July 10, 2015<\/a>: \u00a0Tantalizing signs of geology on Pluto are revealed in this image from New Horizons taken on July 9, 2015 from 3.3 million miles (5.4 million kilometers) away. The annotation indicates features described in the text, and includes a reference globe showing Pluto\u2019s orientation in the image, with the equator and central meridian in bold. At this range, Pluto is beginning to reveal the first signs of discrete geologic features. This image views the side of Pluto that always faces its largest moon, Charon, and includes the so-called \u201ctail\u201d of the dark whale-shaped feature along its equator. (The immense, bright feature shaped like a heart had rotated from view when this image was captured. Among the structures tentatively identified in this new image are what appear to be polygonal features; a complex band of terrain stretching east-northeast across the planet, approximately 1,000 miles long; and a complex region where bright terrains meet the dark terrains of the whale.\u00a0Click for larger image.<\/a>\u00a0 Click here for image with no annotation<\/a>.<\/em><\/div>\n

As the newest black and white image from New Horizons\u2019 Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) appeared on the screen before members of the science team, they reacted with joy and delight, seeing Pluto as never before. There will be many more moments to come, as new images are received and New Horizons speeds closer to a July 14 flyby after a journey of three billion miles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re close enough now that we\u2019re just starting to see Pluto\u2019s geology,\u201d said New Horizons program scientist Curt Niebur, NASA Headquarters in Washington, who\u2019s keenly interested in the gray area just above the whale\u2019s \u201ctail\u201d feature. \u201cIt\u2019s a unique transition region with a lot of dynamic processes interacting, which makes it of particular scientific interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"20150710[1]\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Science team members react to the latest New Horizons data from Pluto at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab on July 10, 2015. Left to right: Cathy Olkin, Jason Cook, Alan Stern, Will Grundy, Casey Lisse, and Carly Howett. Photo by Michael Soluri.<\/em><\/p>\n

New Horizons\u2019 latest image of Pluto was taken on July 9, 2015 from 3.3 million miles (5.4 million kilometers) away, with a resolution of 17 miles (27 kilometers) per pixel. At this range, Pluto is beginning to reveal the first signs of discrete geologic features. This image views the side of Pluto that always faces its largest moon, Charon, and includes the so-called \u201ctail\u201d of the dark whale-shaped feature along its equator. (The immense, bright feature shaped like a heart had rotated from view when this image was captured.)<\/p>\n

\u201cAmong the structures tentatively identified in this new image are what appear to be polygonal features; a complex band of terrain stretching east-northeast across the planet, approximately 1,000 miles long; and a complex region where bright terrains meet the dark terrains of the whale,\u201d said New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern. \u201cAfter nine and a half years in flight, Pluto is well worth the wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow the New Horizons mission with #PlutoFlyby and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com\/new.horizons1<\/a><\/p>\n

[ All images –\u00a0Credit: NASA\/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory\/Southwest Research Institute.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here is an image of Pluto taken by the\u00a0New Horizons\u00a0and released on Friday” Houston, We Have Geology It began as a point of light. Then, it evolved into a fuzzy orb. Now \u2013 in its latest portrait from NASA\u2019s New Horizons spacecraft \u2013 Pluto is being revealed as an intriguing new world with distinct surface … Continue reading New Horizons: Pluto features coming into focus<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,13,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pluto","category-space-science","category-space-systems"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-2Qy","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10928,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=10928","url_meta":{"origin":10946,"position":0},"title":"New Horizons: July 8th daily briefing video + Flyby schedule + Pluto in Google Earth","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's the latest update on the New Horizons mission: https:\/\/youtu.be\/H3zbyzuFA6I --- Here are timelines of events from now till\u00a0July 14th when the New Horizons probe passes by Pluto and several\u00a0days after: Updated Television Coverage, Media Activities for Pluto Flyby -\u00a0NASA What to expect when you're expecting a flyby: Planning your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Pluto and beyond"","block_context":{"text":"Pluto and beyond","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=97"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/H3zbyzuFA6I\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10950,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=10950","url_meta":{"origin":10946,"position":1},"title":"New Horizons: Pluto by Moonlight + Images + Videos: Daily briefing + History + In Focus","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 11, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are several items related to\u00a0the New Horizons Pluto fly-by mission: *\u00a0Pluto by Moonlight\u00a0- An article about the dark south polar region of Pluto *\u00a0New Horizons SOC\u00a0- gallery of images from the New Horizons probe. * July 11th Daily Briefing: https:\/\/youtu.be\/oywH-z6nTTQ *\u00a0How Pluto Was Discovered - Space Pod 07\/10\/15 https:\/\/youtu.be\/WA1WY3O4mpM\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Pluto and beyond"","block_context":{"text":"Pluto and beyond","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=97"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image converted using ifftoany","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/moonlit1-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12898,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=12898","url_meta":{"origin":10946,"position":2},"title":"New Horizons: Looking back on the flyby + Video simulates a landing on Pluto","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been a year since the\u00a0New Horizons\u00a0probe flew past Pluto and its moons. Here is a review of the flyby and the major findings by the mission:\u00a0Looking Back, a Year after Pluto - New Horizons. Fly down to near the surface in a new video from New Horizons: Video: Imagine\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Pluto and beyond"","block_context":{"text":"Pluto and beyond","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=97"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/GKmixf1pC2w\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10860,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=10860","url_meta":{"origin":10946,"position":3},"title":"Pluto Fly-by: New video update, Alan Stern profile, Resources list, & Infographic","author":"TopSpacer","date":"June 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The New Horizons\u00a0probe\u00a0will pass by Pluto 14 days from now. Closest approach will happen on\u00a0July 14 at 11:49:57 UTC. 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