2014 MU69 "Ultima Thule" flyby, For discussion of the encounter as it happens |
2014 MU69 "Ultima Thule" flyby, For discussion of the encounter as it happens |
Dec 13 2018, 10:12 PM
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#1
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Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 5172 Joined: 4-August 05 From: Pasadena, CA, USA, Earth Member No.: 454 |
It's only 10 days now until the "Core" phase of the 2014 MU69 flyby begins! I thought it was time for a new thread. Carry on discussing distant observations of other KBO worlds in the KBO encounters thread, and use this one for MU69 until after the departure phase is officially over on 8 January.
I'll be posting a "What to Expect" article next week. -------------------- My website - My Patreon - @elakdawalla on Twitter - Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here.
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Jan 3 2019, 08:18 PM
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#2
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 68 Joined: 27-March 15 Member No.: 7426 |
Odd, but I'd received the impression that an image with about twice the resolution of that shown yesterday was likely to be seen today.
Looking at the above 3d image, it appears as though the possible large depression on the 'Thule' lobe could be unusually deep and steep-sided. |
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Jan 3 2019, 08:29 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: 24-July 15 Member No.: 7619 |
Looking at the above 3d image, it appears as though the possible large depression on the 'Thule' lobe could be unusually deep and steep-sided. It helps to consider that the two lobes of Ultima Thule are, roughly, the size of the nucleus of Halley's Comet. Which raises the possibility that it could also be a comet 67P style sublimation pit. But that triggers some really interesting questions about the scale of KBO building blocks- Comet 67P shows evidence that is formed out of ~10 foot/3 meter units, "dino-eggs" (aka "accretting pebbles"). UT is about 10x the diameter of comet 67P, so, roughly, the "pits" on UT are around the size of 67P's lobes. One big question is whether is UT is composed of 67P sized chunks, or from 10m "pebbles", or a mix of both. Another big question is, which follows from observing the "diamond in the sky" rubble pile asteroids Bennu and Ryugu, is, what is causing the lobes of Ultime Thule to hold their shape? Are Ultima and Thule just "pebble piles" which hold their shapes because they have acquired a tholin surface skin? |
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