This annotated view of a portion of Plutos Sputnik Planum (Sputnik Plain), named for Earths first artificial satellite, shows an array of enigmatic features. The surface appears to be divided into irregularly shaped segments that are ringed by narrow troughs, some of which contain darker materials. Features that appear to be groups of mounds and fields of small pits are also visible. This image was acquired by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) on July 14 from a distance of 48,000 miles (77,000 kilometers). Features as small as a half-mile (1 kilometer) across are visible. Credits: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI
1 posted on
07/17/2015 2:00:57 PM PDT by
BenLurkin
To: BenLurkin
Oooh! It looks like a brain!
2 posted on
07/17/2015 2:02:16 PM PDT by
Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
(Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
To: BenLurkin
So far less than 1 gigabit of data has been returned.
It will take some 16 months for all the Pluto flyby data to be transmitted back to Earth.
They must be using the same network I'm using.
3 posted on
07/17/2015 2:07:16 PM PDT by
BitWielder1
(I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
To: BenLurkin
Planetary geologist are going to be on cloud nine for years.
Makes me want to get back into it.
4 posted on
07/17/2015 2:08:25 PM PDT by
VanDeKoik
To: BenLurkin
“Dark Material Within Troughs”? Alien latrines??
To: BenLurkin
The photos we’ve seen so far are still from a long way out.
13 posted on
07/17/2015 2:23:43 PM PDT by
cripplecreek
(Sad fact, most people just want a candidate to tell them what they want to hear)
To: BenLurkin
16 posted on
07/17/2015 2:34:10 PM PDT by
JPG
(What's the difference between the Rats and the GOPe? Nothing.)
To: BenLurkin
20 posted on
07/17/2015 2:39:07 PM PDT by
JoeProBono
(SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
To: BenLurkin
It screams “active geology”. My questions include how and why there is an active hot core.
21 posted on
07/17/2015 2:46:23 PM PDT by
JimSEA
To: BenLurkin
Notice also, the “hills” only seem to form inside the “troughs”, and never on top of the segments.
It looks like something is seeping up through those fissures and piling up on the surface to form the hills.
To: BenLurkin
How cool would it be to explore that landscape in person? The lack of O2 and -400F temp might be a bit of a problem, though.
46 posted on
07/18/2015 3:11:23 PM PDT by
JPG
(What's the difference between the Rats and the GOPe? Nothing.)
To: BenLurkin
Still waiting for all of the amazing photos we were promised
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