Pluto Surface Observations 3: NH Post-Encounter Phase, 1 Feb 2016- TBD Options

[TheAnt]

5 points each to qraal and AndyG for the convection cell suggestions above, one month before the hamster escaped the cage..... er should be:
The idea got officially recognized.

(UMSF takes no responsibility for and will not be liable if the recipient tries to use said points to bribe their professor, reviewers, spouse or said hamster.)

[peter59]

New very detailed picture of Pluto (almost a year after taking the photo).

[Herobrine]

The weekend release actually included the last 3 frames of that strip to contain part of Pluto's surface

as well as new departure frames.
http://mc.herobrinesarmy.com/soc/2016-06-19_thumbs.html

Edit 2016-06-21: Changed "Friday" to "weekend" since the server dates indicate they were put up on Sunday.

[ngunn]

as well as new departure frames.

Some of those departure frames must also contain Charon within the field of view. Can anybody point to it - or at least to its expected position?

[Herobrine]

Some of those departure frames must also contain Charon within the field of view. Can anybody point to it - or at least to its expected position?

and

are PC_SLIVER_A_1_02 and PC_SLIVER_A_5_02, respectively, and are both described as "LORRI binned of Charon" (and alternately, "Sliver maps"). According to the metadata, Charon is at X=136;Y=144, then X=115;Y=120, then X=141;Y=148, then X=118;Y=124 (if I recall correctly, the origin is the bottom left for those coordinates; also, those coordinates should be approximate, not exact) . I see a crescent near the middle of the frame in all 4 frames, at what seem like they'd be about those coordinates, slightly up and right in the first one, and slightly down and left in the second for both sets.
Also published over the weekend was PC_SLIVER_202_SCI1A, which are 4 frames described as "4 LORRI images of Pluto and Charon together, SSR2." (and alternately, "Silver maps"), but I'm failing to spot Charon in them.
The 4 frames:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
Here they are added together:

Also published over the weekend were PC_SLIVER_202_SCI1B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_3.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_203_SCI1A:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_203_SCI1B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_203_SCI1C:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_3.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_203_SCI1D:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_204_SCI1A:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_204_SCI1B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_204_SCI1C:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_204_SCI2A:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_204_SCI2B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_205_SCI1A:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_205_SCI1B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_206_SCI1A:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_2.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_206_SCI1B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_206_SCI2A:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_206_SCI2B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_206_SCI2C:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_207_SCI1A:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_207_SCI1B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_208_SCI1A:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_208_SCI1B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, and PC_SLIVER_209_SCI1B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
, all described as "2 LORRI images of Pluto and Charon together", as well as PC_SLIVER_208_SCI2A:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_208_SCI2B:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, PC_SLIVER_208_SCI2C:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, and PC_SLIVER_208_SCI2D:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x636_sci_1.jpg
, which are all described as "4 LORRI images of Pluto and Charon together".
I haven't looked for Charon in any of those yet. Maybe I will after I run my little auto-aligner thingy on them.

Also released over the weekend were a bunch of frames from C_MVIC_LORRI_CA_L1:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounte...0x630_sci_1.jpg
but I don't think Charon's surface is captured in any of them.

Those aren't all of the frames published over the weekend (there were a bunch of "ring search" frames, for example), but I believe that's all of the ones that mention in the metadata that they intended to observe Charon.

[alan]

Modeling glacial flow on and onto Pluto's Sputnik Planum

The flow model developed is used here to qualitatively answer some questions motivated by observed glacial flow features found on Sputnik Planum. We find that the wavy transverse dark features found along the northern shoreline of Sputnik Planum may be a transitory imprint of shallow topography just beneath the ice surface suggesting the possibility that a major shoreward flow event happened relatively recently within the last few hundred years. Model results also support the interpretation that the prominent darkened features resembling flow lobes observed along the eastern shoreline of the Sputnik Planum basin may be a result of wet nitrogen glacial ice flowing into the basin from the pitted highlands of eastern Tombaugh Regio.

[ngunn]

Herobrine - thanks for the comprehensive reply. I can't see Charon in the ones I've looked at carefully.

alan - thanks for the interesting quote. I'd like to know what lies behind the speculation about timescales. Is the hundred-ish year estimate a presumption that these are seasonal phenomena?

[alan]

The hundred year estimate is based on how long it takes for the features to fade in simulations.

[Herobrine]

Here's an animation of the Pluto system approach, starting 2015-01-25 and ending 2015-07-13, played at a constant rate of 391,520 times actual speed (with the exception of a jump forward 1 1/2 seconds in, where 67 days pass in 1 second).
It includes LORRI observations from 139 different points in time, all aligned to the background star field. The JPEGs from the SOC site were used.
This shows the view from New Horizons looking in a fixed direction during the approach. The field of view in the animation is about 1.1 x 0.9 degrees.

(Click above for giant GIF)
It starts as a pair of dots in the top-right corner. The animation appears choppy at times (it even freezes for 3 seconds at one point), due to differences in the amount of time between observations.
The version above draws each frame over the previous ones, attempting to preserve stars and the disks of Pluto and Charon from previous frames (using a terrible algorithm I wrote), to leave trails of the binary planet.
It's at the native resolution of the LORRI frames, so the animation is very large, dimension-wise. It clocks in at under a megabyte, though, due to the fact that only a small part of the image changes in each frame.
The alignment to the background star field was done visually, by a combination of a program I wrote (which got over half of the frames rotated to the same orientation for me) and manual measuring, rotating, and aligning of each frame. For some frames, I could only detect one background star, and had to estimate the Pluto-Charon barycenter and use that as a second point so I could find the orientation of the frame. I stopped at the frame I stopped at because I couldn't detect any stars in any of the frames from next two observation times. A smart person probably would have used available SPICE kernels to figure out the orientations and do the alignment for everything, saving weeks of effort. Maybe I'll be a smart person some day.

Here are all of the frames drawn together.

(Click for full size, 3974x3197)

There's also a version that draws each entire frame over the previous one, replacing whatever was there before, so it doesn't leave trails. In a few frames where parts of Pluto and Charon from the previous frame weren't covered by the new frame, I manually erased them.
That version is available here, but be advised that this version is 14 MiB. The other version was much smaller because it didn't preserve all of the small changes to the background with each frame.

Edit: Added more information and a link to a second version

[Alan Stern]

Herobrine-- Mind if I share your cool image sequence of Pluto and Charon just above on my social media? If yes, how do you want to be credited?

[Herobrine]

Herobrine-- Mind if I share your cool image sequence of Pluto and Charon just above on my social media? If yes, how do you want to be credited?

Sure, I'd be honored. You don't need to credit me. If you want to credit me anyway, just call me Herobrine.

[Alan Stern]

Sure, I'd be honored. You don't need to credit me. If you want to credit me anyway, just call me Herobrine.

Thanks, will do!

[GS_Brazil]

Here's an animation of the Pluto system approach, starting 2015-01-25 and ending 2015-07-13, played at a constant rate of 391,520 times actual speed (with the exception of a jump forward 1 1/2 seconds in, where 67 days pass in 1 second).

Really love the way Charon 'corkscrews' around Pluto in the GIF

[qraal]

Woohoo!

It was pretty obvious after those close ups. Amazing to see nitrogen in such quantity. Pluto's suggested "Warm Phase" with a denser atmosphere and liquid N2 would be akin to Titan's "Cold Phase" which some models have suggested - when Titan's atmosphere collapses and the surface becomes super-reflective, temperatures hovering around 63 K. Not unlike a Pluto Thaw...

5 points each to qraal and AndyG for the convection cell suggestions above, one month before the hamster escaped the cage..... er should be:
The idea got officially recognized.

(UMSF takes no responsibility for and will not be liable if the recipient tries to use said points to bribe their professor, reviewers, spouse or said hamster.)

[alan]

I haven't caught a recent update on the progress of the download of the encounter data. Has it been completed?