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 29 2018, 10:20 AM
Post
#31
|
|
 Member  Group: Members Posts: 214 Joined: 30-December 05 Member No.: 628  |
PDP8E, in the same spirit, I predict that the soon-to-be-revealed observations will bear "some" but "not too much" resemblance to your model image.
|
 |
 
|
|
Dec 29 2018, 05:13 PM
Post
#32
|
|
|
Forum Contributor Group: Members Posts: 1372 Joined: 8-February 04 From: North East Florida, USA. Member No.: 11 |
1.9m miles now.
 |
|
|
|
|
Dec 29 2018, 05:55 PM
Post
#33
|
|
 Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
Were this the Saturn system, we'd be within Iapetus' orbit now...
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 29 2018, 10:29 PM
Post
#34
|
|
|
Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 24 Joined: 11-February 07 From: College Station, TX Member No.: 1709 |
Interesting tweet from Alan... perhaps they have resolved Ultima Thule?
https://twitter.com/alanstern/status/1079111629604831233 |
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 12:12 AM
Post
#35
|
|
|
Forum Contributor Group: Members Posts: 1372 Joined: 8-February 04 From: North East Florida, USA. Member No.: 11 |
QUOTE (Lucas @ Dec 29 2018, 11:29 PM)  Interesting tweet from Alan... perhaps they have resolved Ultima Thule? https://twitter.com/alanstern/status/1079111629604831233 It seems to be something, but they are still too far out to resolve anything, except maybe if it's a binary or not ? Also according to Emily's posted schedule no pics are due to be downloaded today. |
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 12:54 AM
Post
#36
|
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 529 Joined: 19-February 05 Member No.: 173 |
QUOTE (MahFL @ Dec 30 2018, 12:12 AM) It seems to be something, but they are still too far out to resolve anything, except maybe if it's a binary or not ? Also according to Emily's posted schedule no pics are due to be downloaded today. Emily's article is about scirct science data. But all data are useful for science, even OpNav images..... |
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 02:18 PM
Post
#37
|
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 124 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 291 |
QUOTE (Alan Stern @ Dec 29 2018, 07:54 PM) Emily's article is about scirct science data. But all data are useful for science, even OpNav images..... Squinting at where the wand is pointing in your twitter post, I'd say LORRI has resolved Ultima Thule into multiple pixels, right on schedule! I guess all will be revealed soon enough
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 03:24 PM
Post
#38
|
|
 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4246 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
I don't think he can see where he's pointing.
There appears to be a vaguely ringlike structure about the centre of that image (and darkness at the very centre). My guess: they've subtracted a point-source model (PSF) from the image where MU69 is predicted to be and see a residual around it, which would suggest it's starting to be resolved. |
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 04:49 PM
Post
#39
|
|
 Member Group: Members Posts: 699 Joined: 3-December 04 From: Boulder, Colorado, USA Member No.: 117 |
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 05:15 PM
Post
#40
|
|
 Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Thanks, John. I assume that the fact that UT is near the center of the frame is a very good indication of nav accuracy...?
-------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 06:58 PM
Post
#41
|
|
|
Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Spaceflight Now is going to live-blog the encounter in real time from JHAPL.
-------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 09:11 PM
Post
#42
|
||
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 890 Joined: 18-November 08 Member No.: 4489 |
artist's concept
do to software constraints a render of UltimaThule as a SPHERE
( this is basically my default KBO generator using Blender ) we will see in a few days , then something much closer to the real thing PS. dose anyone know of a naif spice kernel for New Horizon for the fly-by. The last kernel ( nh_pred_alleph_od124.bsp ) has a end date of September 2018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 09:52 PM
Post
#43
|
|
|
Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Alan just reported on FB that they finished their last nav meeting a few minutes ago, so possible that there might be a REAL fresh one available soon.
-------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 10:25 PM
Post
#44
|
|
 IMG to PNG GOD Group: Moderator Posts: 2250 Joined: 19-February 04 From: Near fire and ice Member No.: 38 |
Interesting tidbit in the Spaceflight Now live-blog from Hal Weaver, there are some hints that Ultima Thule is a quickly-rotating object.
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 30 2018, 10:56 PM
Post
#45
|
|
|
Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 77 Joined: 27-June 04 From: Queensland Australia Member No.: 90 |
QUOTE (Bjorn Jonsson @ Dec 30 2018, 11:25 PM) Interesting tidbit in the Spaceflight Now live-blog from Hal Weaver, there are some hints that Ultima Thule is a quickly-rotating object. Could that explain the lack of light curve? (temporal resolution constraints) |
|
|
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 19th April 2024 - 01:49 AM |
|
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |
|
