NASA's New Horizons space probe beams back sharpest image yet of Ultima Thule

CBS ^

[BenLurkin]

"The oblique lighting of this image reveals new topographic details along the day/night boundary, or terminator, near the top," according to the APL release. "These details include numerous small pits up to about 0.4 miles in diameter. The large circular feature, about 4 miles across, on the smaller of the two lobes, also appears to be a deep depression.

"Not clear is whether these pits are impact craters or features resulting from other processes, such as 'collapse pits' or the ancient venting of volatile materials."

The two lobes show "intriguing light and dark patterns of unknown origin, which may reveal clues about how this body was assembled during the formation of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago. One of the most striking of these is the bright 'collar' separating the two lobes."

NASA's New Horizons probe captured this high-resolution view of Ultima Thule in the distant Kuiper Belt a billion miles past Pluto on New Years Day. The image was sent back to Earth on Jan. 18-19.

NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

[chaosagent]

So there were two Ghostbusters references on this thread, and I’m not to make one?

Lighten up, yourself.

[antidemoncrat]

Yep, that’s the Schmoos’ birthplace.

[teeman8r]

it is from stripes...

just kidding..

hehehe

[pgyanke]

It vould have an enormous schwanzstucker.

Could be a space duck...

[al baby]

There is no up or down in space

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

So THAT’s what happened to my daughter’s Weebles toys.

[Yossarian]

One possibility for the big depression on the smaller lobe is that the two lobes were separate bodies that were in a very low speed collision (kissing), and did not bounce apart but rather remained in contact, rotating and grinding against each other till the surface speeds matched and then gently fused together as seen now. The depression could have been caused by the first contact or the effects of the rotational grinding surfaces in contact, over a long time, before fusing together. Just a educated guess.

Is it wrong that I’m kind-of turned on by your hypothesis?!?

[Red Badger]

There is no up or down in space

Then why do they call it 'free fall'?......................

[SunkenCiv]

Ultima Thule Isn't A Snowman Any More | Scott Manley | YouTube | Published on Feb 9, 2019

[Moonman62]

Ultima would make a good skipping stone.