Who else is excited about Pluto?

[twentysix by twentyfive]

A minute late!

Bloody Railtrack

 

[jonny jeez]

Excited!

 

[classic33]

Well it's 10+ years old technology. Electronics speeds, data file size, transmit bandwidth? If it's transmitting back at 800Mb/min for 16 years - must be a whole lot of memory on board (can't be arsed to work it out = 800*16*365*24*60 Mb).

Its been asleep for most of the mission. The 16 months is the expected download time of information gathered since contact was lost earlier today, until the time given in previous post.

 

[classic33]

You fancy tracking it?
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Where-is-New-Horizons/index.php

 

[Tin Pot]

The amount of information collected, I'll stand to be corrected(or even correct myself) but I think the download speed is 800mb per minute.
Might be dodgy WIfI!

Why didn't they upgrade to fibre optics with Virgin before departure? You can't trust these science types can you.

 

[jonny jeez]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33524589

 

[classic33]

Its been asleep for most of the mission. The 16 months is the expected download time of information gathered since contact was lost earlier today, until the time given in previous post.

In hibernation for a total of 1,873 days, waking up on 6th December 2014.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Well, here's a pretty good idea for how New Horizons saw Pluto on July 14 2005. And the photos are gonna get better!

 

[Jimmy Doug]

.... In fact, we'll have pictures with a resolution 10 times better than the one above tomorrow!

 

[classic33]

.... In fact, we'll have pictures with a resolution 10 times better than the one above tomorrow!

Provided New Horizon survives and is able to re-establish contact.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Provided New Horizon survives and is able to re-establish contact.

It should do. The chances of it being knocked out of action are something like 10 000 to 1 against.

Here's a photo showing the size of Pluto and Charon compared to the earth:

 

[Lullabelle]

 

[classic33]

Talking to someone about this earlier today. Mentioned the fact that the ashes of Clyde Tombaugh were onboard. Seemed to miss the fact that he'd have to be dead, as he wondered if he was still alive when Pluto was downgraded.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Bit odd that downgrading. Those pics look planet like to me. Nice and spherical with a spherical moon orbiting too. Anyway I didn't keep up with the arguments over its classification as such human imposed boundaries are fairly unimportant in the spectrum of the size of rocks around the sun.

 

[classic33]

Possibility that it may be reclassified as a planet later this year. There's no sanction against anyone calling it a planet, so you're free to keep calling it a planet.
Pluto was excluded from planetary status basef on the fact it hasn't been able to "gravitationally clear the neighbourhood around its orbit".