Who else is excited about Pluto?

[Eribiste]

This is good. Is it possible to Like an entire thread?

I have Pluto down as a planet; it's a damn sight bigger than my shed, and apparently I'm on a different planet when I'm in there fettling the bike.

Then again, Eckington's a bit of a different planet. Worcestershire's answer to Royston Vasey.

 

[Gravity Aided]

From 1930 to 2006, Pluto was a planet, but after that, the IAU had a slow day, and decided they would downgrade Pluto due to Eris being larger. But Eris is a collection of Icy bits, that sometimes fall off and make periodic comets. Both Pluto and Eris have a moon. My personal theory is once a planet, always a planet, and not something scientists should chuck aside for some Johnny-come-lately collection of ice cubes. Pluto is larger than @Eribiste's shed, and cohesive . 2,368 miles in diameter, it is about the size of the western U.S..

 

[classic33]

http://www.scitechgeeks.com/threads/nasas-new-horizons-pluto-probe-wakes-up-for-work.5591/

 

[Profpointy]

Planets are like members of the opposite sex. It's difficult to get excited about them if you've never seen their face.

what about that kid on a summer job who found an exo-planet ?
Just a blip in brightness data - hardly seeing the planet- but wow all the same

 

[Berk on a Bike]

http://isplutoaplanet.com

 

[classic33]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html

 

[Jimmy Doug]

So we're now only two weeks away and some intriguing details are starting to emerge. First, Pluto's biggest moon, Charon, appears to be far more interesting than anyone had ever imagined with a black pole that no-one can yet explain. This, together with the strange way in which the nine moons orbit around their planet, lead one investigator to describe the Plutonian system as "wonder land". And now the latest photos have arrived Pluto and Charon are at last starting to look like planets rather than pixelated blobs:

But wait, what's this? Zoom in and it appears that Pluto could have a humongous crater:

As for the prominent dark ribbons on the surface, some speculate that they could be the result of nitrogen frost condensing in the atmosphere.
Finally, the colour of the planet is now confirmed. It's no longer considered to be red, as was hypothesised in the early images, but orange - an orange that one writer said makes the planet look like it's been covered in 1970s wallpaper:

Keep your seatbelts buckled chaps! Over the next two weeks the ride is going to get very fast and exciting!

 

[classic33]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBBPYTS5r2I&list=PLiuUQ9asub3RUlLBXMFGq8aFEPS5yONT2&index=1

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html

 

[classic33]

Countdown clock here

Mission Elapsed Time:
3453Days, 2Hours,17Minutes, 50Seconds
Beginning 19 January 2006, 19:00:00 UTC

 

[classic33]

Update (3:55 a.m. BST, 6 July) : The New Horizons team plans to resume science operations on 7 July. It says that the spacecraft went into safe mode after a timing flaw in a command sequence.
Ten days before its historic fly-by of Pluto, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft lost contact with mission control for unknown reasons for 1 hour and 21 minutes on 4 July.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Update (3:55 a.m. BST, 6 July) : The New Horizons team plans to resume science operations on 7 July. It says that the spacecraft went into safe mode after a timing flaw in a command sequence.
Ten days before its historic fly-by of Pluto, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft lost contact with mission control for unknown reasons for 1 hour and 21 minutes on 4 July.

My heart leapt into my mouth when I heard that New Horizons had entered safe mode and wouldn't be able to do any more science before the anomaly had been sorted out - just ten days away and as many years of travelling! But they sorted it out, good on 'em. Apparently, some science will be missed, but only a tiny amount. In the meantime, here are the latest best pictures, showing Pluto's unusual spots:

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Less than one week left! Now the photos are starting to get real detail. Notice the odd heart-shaped feature:

 

[classic33]

The New Horizons Media Center opens at APL from 1 to 7 p.m. EDT on July 12. Accredited media may pick up credentials during those hours and Monday and Tuesday morning. Credentials must be picked up in person and valid photo identification must be shown. Non-US citizens must bring their passport and visa or a permanent resident alien registration card. The media center number is 240-228-8532.

Highlights of the current coverage schedule, all in Eastern time, include:
July 8 - 10
11:30 a.m.(4:30pm BST) – Final approach to Pluto; daily mission updates on NASA TV(http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv)
July 11 - 12
11:30 a.m.(4:30pm BST) – Final approach to Pluto; live mission updates on NASA TV
Monday, July 13
11 a.m. to noon (4:00-5;00pm BST)– Media briefing: Mission Status and What to Expect; live on NASA TV
2:30 to 5:30 p.m.(7:30- 8:30pm BST) – Panels: APL’s Endeavors in Space and the latest on New Horizons (no NASA TV coverage)
Tuesday, July 14
7:30 to 8 a.m.(12:30-13:00pm BST) – Arrival at Pluto Countdown Program; live on NASA TV
At approximately 7:49 a.m.(12:49pm BST), New Horizons is scheduled to be as close as the spacecraft will get to Pluto, approximately 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers) above the surface, after a journey of more than nine years and three billion miles. For much of the day, New Horizons will be out of communication with mission control as it gathers data about Pluto and its moons.
The moment of closest approach will be marked during the live NASA TV broadcast that includes a countdown and discussion of what’s expected next as New Horizons makes its way past Pluto and potentially dangerous debris.
8 to 9 a.m. – Media briefing, image release; live on NASA TV
9 a.m. to noon – Interview Opportunities (no NASA TV coverage)

http://www.planetary.org/multimedia..._3_lg.html?referrer=https://www.google.co.uk/

 

[anothersam]

Notice the odd heart-shaped feature:

It beats howling at the moon

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Here is the latest image of Pluto's strange spots. Unfortumately, this is the best view New Horizons will have of them: