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Hello, Pluto! NASA Spacecraft Makes Historic Dwarf Planet Flyby
http://news.yahoo.com/hello-pluto-nasa-spacecraft-makes-historic-dwarf-planet-115557846.html ^ | July 14 '15 | Mike Wall

Posted on 07/14/2015 8:41:14 AM PDT by Pluto is NOT a Planet

The first age of solar system exploration is in the books. Related Stories NASA's New Horizons probe flew by Pluto this morning (July 14), capturing history's first up-close looks at the far-flung world — if all went according to plan. (Mission team members won't declare success until they hear from New Horizons tonight.) Closest approach came at 7:49 a.m. EDT (1149 GMT), when the spacecraft whizzed within 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers) of Pluto's frigid surface.

More at link

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: charon; newhorizons; planet; pluto
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My screen name says it all.
1 posted on 07/14/2015 8:41:14 AM PDT by Pluto is NOT a Planet
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To: Pluto is NOT a Planet

Pluto.
Dwarf.
Launched from Florida.

This has Disney written all over it...


2 posted on 07/14/2015 8:44:17 AM PDT by Old Sarge (Its the Sixties all over again, but with crappy music...)
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To: Pluto is NOT a Planet

too bad they’ll never know what those black spots are since they’re on the other side now.


3 posted on 07/14/2015 8:45:31 AM PDT by MNDude (God is not a Republican, but Satan is certainly a Democrat.)
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To: Pluto is NOT a Planet
I haven't read all about this mission in detail, but I am interested in the camera the probe has. At that distance the sun is not much more than a bright star and photography would be difficult. I remember that the Voyager probe’s instruments were optimized for Jupiter, and had to be reprogrammed before it flew by Uranus, specifically due to issues with less sunlight available.
4 posted on 07/14/2015 8:51:52 AM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: Pluto is NOT a Planet

Epic!


5 posted on 07/14/2015 8:52:19 AM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: MNDude

Did you notice how the black spots were all huddled together, segregated from the rest of the lightly colored planet.

That’s right... Pluto is a huge racist.

Yeah, I said it.


6 posted on 07/14/2015 8:52:31 AM PDT by navyguy (The National Reset Button is pushed with the trigger finger.)
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To: MNDude
too bad they’ll never know what those black spots are since they’re on the other side now.

They said that they had timed the flyby for when Pluto's biggest moon was in a position where it could reflect some light so as to illuminate the night side. How much light? Not much. We will see if we got anything somewhere in the next few months as they download all the data and images.

7 posted on 07/14/2015 8:55:32 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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To: Pluto is NOT a Planet

8 posted on 07/14/2015 8:56:06 AM PDT by Skooz (Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us)
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To: Old Sarge

“Mickey Mouse’s dog is gay???” /obscure


9 posted on 07/14/2015 8:57:50 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (This is no deal, Øbama is negotiating terms of surrender)
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To: Pluto is NOT a Planet

Looking forward to seeing the pics which are supposed to be released today.
Hope it doesn’t take them too long to erase the alien bases...


10 posted on 07/14/2015 9:03:39 AM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: Vince Ferrer
At that distance the sun is not much more than a bright star and photography would be difficult.

Given Pluto's mean distance of 39 A.U. from the Sun, Pluto receives only about 1500th (1 / 39 squared) as much light per square centimeter as the Earth (with is, by definition, 1 A.U. from the Sun). Nevertheless, the Sun is still much, much more than just a "bright star" as seen from Pluto. In fact, it would outclass every other celestial body in Pluto's sky. Even at aphelion (i.e., when farthest from the Sun, at a distance of 7.3 billion km), the Sun in Pluto's sky is still 150 times brighter than the Earth's full Moon as viewed from the Earth.

As far as the camera on board New Horizons - it is capable of discerning details on the NIGHT-side of Pluto lit only by sunlight reflected from Charon.

Regards,

11 posted on 07/14/2015 9:06:21 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: Vince Ferrer

New Horizons instrumentation.

LORRI Long range reconnaissance imager telescopic camera. It provides high res geologic images.

RALPH Visible and infrared imager/spectrometer provides color composition and thermal maps

ALICE ultraviolet imaging spectrometer analyzes Pluto’s atmospheric structure

REX radio science experiment measures atmospheric composition and temperature. Passive radiometer.


12 posted on 07/14/2015 9:09:26 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Sad fact, most people just want a candidate to tell them what they want to hear)
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To: alexander_busek
As far as the camera on board New Horizons - it is capable of discerning details on the NIGHT-side of Pluto lit only by sunlight reflected from Charon.

If Charon is reflective, i.e. white, that amount of light should be significant to show Pluto night side details, given the sensitivity of the detectors this probe is carrying.

13 posted on 07/14/2015 9:28:51 AM PDT by cicero2k
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To: navyguy

Do you know what they call a traffic jamb in watts ? A blood clot


14 posted on 07/14/2015 9:38:30 AM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom)
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To: MNDude

Fleas?


15 posted on 07/14/2015 9:38:56 AM PDT by dangus
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To: al baby

LOL! There’s actually some truth to that!


16 posted on 07/14/2015 9:39:35 AM PDT by navyguy (The National Reset Button is pushed with the trigger finger.)
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To: alexander_busek

You forgot to mention the dozen Sylvania Blue Dot flashbulbs the New Horizons is carrying to use at the fly by. Of course not many people know this. :)


17 posted on 07/14/2015 9:44:02 AM PDT by Shark24
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To: Pluto is NOT a Planet

And how soon will 0bama make a press announcement claiming credit?


18 posted on 07/14/2015 10:02:44 AM PDT by SkyDancer ( "Nobody Said I Was Perfect But Yet Here I Am")
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To: Skooz

19 posted on 07/14/2015 10:11:42 AM PDT by Textide (Lord, grant that I may always be right, for thou knowest I am hard to turn. ~ Scotch-Irish prayer)
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To: SkyDancer

I read a disgusting article this morning that had a line it to the effect of: “Exploration of the planets started with Kennedy, and now is completed under President Obama.”


20 posted on 07/14/2015 10:12:57 AM PDT by Textide (Lord, grant that I may always be right, for thou knowest I am hard to turn. ~ Scotch-Irish prayer)
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