New Horizons Pluto System Final Approach, 28 Jun-13 Jul 15 |
New Horizons Pluto System Final Approach, 28 Jun-13 Jul 15 |
Jul 2 2015, 10:36 AM
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#106
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Member Group: Members Posts: 244 Joined: 2-March 15 Member No.: 7408 |
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Jul 2 2015, 11:06 AM
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#107
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Member Group: Members Posts: 149 Joined: 18-June 08 Member No.: 4216 |
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Guest_Steve5304_* |
Jul 2 2015, 11:12 AM
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#108
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Guests |
Just speculating. The dark equatorial regions and the bright polar cap would seem to indicate some process leading to preferential hydrocarbon 'sand' deposition in lower latitudes as for ice deposits at higher latitudes. Except for that bright region which seems to straddle the equator which would therefore seem to show it to be some land mass analogous to Xanadu on Titan. Would this be a sign of plate tectonics on Pluto in keeping with a hypothesized internal ocean ? Hard to tell. There really should not be anything going on its too cold but there are theories about methane snowfalls & Liquid Oxygen/Neon.. Springs/Lakes But I know one thing... Looking at the images we are in for some surprises in the next week |
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Jul 2 2015, 01:03 PM
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#109
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Member Group: Members Posts: 112 Joined: 31-January 15 From: Houston, TX USA Member No.: 7390 |
Alright have more to share here. Haven't yet done the July 1 images but I will before the night is out. I wanted to have a go at getting a hold on Nix before proceeding to have something for comparison. Each body was processed separately to maximize output...Charon. Your Charon processing seems to confirm what I thought I saw in an earlier image. In the upper left it appears that Charon may have some higher elevations. Albedo changes? Possibly but I think when combined with earlier observations may indicate a peak instead. Nice job on Nix. Any attempt at Hydra? Andy |
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Jul 2 2015, 01:43 PM
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#110
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IMG to PNG GOD Group: Moderator Posts: 2250 Joined: 19-February 04 From: Near fire and ice Member No.: 38 |
The resolution is far too low for things like peaks to be visible on Charon, especially when keeping in mid the low phase angle. On the other hand it is obvious that Charon has significant albedo variations across its surface.
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Jul 2 2015, 01:48 PM
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#111
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Member Group: Members Posts: 555 Joined: 27-September 10 Member No.: 5458 |
Nice job on Nix. Any attempt at Hydra? Hydra is pretty dim in the series 4 June 29 images so I left it out. I may go back and try it later. July 1 has a much better view of Hydra and I will include it with that set. My process got exponentially more time consuming when I changed to this latest method followed by doing each body separately. As for Charon, all I keep seeing is this guy from Mario: -------------------- |
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Jul 2 2015, 02:26 PM
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#112
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Member Group: Members Posts: 807 Joined: 3-June 04 From: Brittany, France Member No.: 79 |
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Jul 2 2015, 02:52 PM
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#113
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 47 Joined: 21-June 15 Member No.: 7518 |
Pluto, Charon, Nix and Hydra from the bin x1 images of the 1st July :
Sadly, Kerberos is just outside of the field of view... Fred -------------------- Astronopithecus normandimensis nephophobis
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Jul 2 2015, 06:07 PM
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#114
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Member Group: Members Posts: 555 Joined: 27-September 10 Member No.: 5458 |
Alright, July 1.
First image again is a composite back into the raw image alignment. ---------- Pluto ---------- (click to animate) ---------- Charon ---------- (click to animate) ---------- Hydra ---------- (click to animate) ---------- Nix ---------- Word of caution with the small moons again. They are incredibly dim and little detail can be brought out from the raw images. One image of Nix is even just a line. Interpret as you will. -------------------- |
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Jul 2 2015, 07:17 PM
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#115
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Member Group: Members Posts: 796 Joined: 27-February 08 From: Heart of Europe Member No.: 4057 |
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Jul 2 2015, 07:30 PM
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#116
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Lord Of The Uranian Rings Group: Members Posts: 798 Joined: 18-July 05 From: Plymouth, UK Member No.: 437 |
Fantastic work, Dan: it almost looks for all the world like a mini-Ganymede's ended-up in orbit around Titan.
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Jul 2 2015, 07:34 PM
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#117
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Interplanetary Dumpster Diver Group: Admin Posts: 4404 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Powell, TN Member No.: 33 |
Charon and Pluto on July 1 vs Triton from Voyager on August 19, 1989, six days out and at a similar scale. The clear filter is used. I've done nothing to Pluto and Charon except enlarged them 3x and moved Charon closer. I cleaned up the Triton image to get rid of noise and enlarged it 3x. It is amazing to see how much greater the contrast variations on Pluto (and even Charon) are.
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Jul 2 2015, 07:43 PM
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#118
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Member Group: Members Posts: 796 Joined: 27-February 08 From: Heart of Europe Member No.: 4057 |
It depends also on the contrast of camera and onboard processing. Voyager has old vidicons with 8 bits per pixel after all and no onboard processing.
EDIT: But I remember that Ganymede has pretty nice contrast on the old vidicon images so Pluto has definitely much higher contrast between different regions than Triton. Fantastic work, Dan: it almost looks for all the world like a mini-Ganymede's ended-up in orbit around Titan. Thanks Ian! Yeah, exactly my thoughts too. Ganymede and Titan! -------------------- |
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Jul 2 2015, 08:15 PM
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#119
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Absolutely tantalizing. I am astonished at the emerging complexity of Pluto's surface, and it seems likely that Charon's is no less so. Beautiful work, Daniel!!!
-------------------- 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.
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Jul 2 2015, 08:57 PM
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#120
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1276 Joined: 25-November 04 Member No.: 114 |
Machi North is Up?
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