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Pluto Probe Snaps Jupiter Pictures

sighted writes "The New Horizons probe, on its way to Pluto and beyond, is now speeding toward Jupiter. Today the team released some of the early data and pictures, which are the first close-range shots of the giant planet since the robotic Cassini spacecraft passed that way in 2001."

3 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. Another dismissal for erroneous points by FallOfDay · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...this means that the particles must 'know' where each other are going to be in 10 years time. This is quite frankly ridiculous!

    You're still thinking in three spatial dimensions plus one of time. Start adding extra dimensions to Einstein's 4D & things aren't so ridiculous - extra dimensions will discount, not time itself but, the effect of time. Why do you think 10D & 11D Superstring/M theories have been postulated?

    In this way the rule limiting the exchange of information is kept intact and the rules of physics remain unchanged.

    Only in Euclidean space. In quantised spacetime, the data is there instantaneously & exchangeable. Any data that isn't exchanged until via Euclidean space is in a superposition, until viewed, and is available for exchange in methods not reliant on Euclidean space.

  2. Just an Opinion... by Thumper_SVX · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm really excited about New Horizons. It's a really exciting mission that almost didn't get the support it needed. If you do some Googling you can find out the full story about it.

    Hell, I know Pluto isn't considered a planet... but that to me makes NH even more exciting. Pluto is a large KBO (Kuiper Belt Object) and as such has the potential to be a very early remnant of the formation of our solar system. As such, investigating this object and Charon, it's "moon" has the potential to teach us far more about the early existence of the solar system than investigating many other objects. To be honest, I'm MORE excited about a trip to a relatively unknown and uncharted object such as a KBO than I would be over the exploration of another planet (despite the fact that these are arbitrary designations at best)

    The NEAR mission was fascinating for the same reason. It was investigation of a relatively unknown object and we learned far more about the nature of asteroids and other deep space objects during that mission than we ever thought possible. If NH even returns half of the information about Pluto that NEAR returned about the asteroid Eros then we will learn an incredible amount about our solar system, and maybe change a few models about solar system formation that might just change some minds.

    Good show, NASA. Sometimes you're the butt of a lot of jokes, but there are times you manage some truly remarkable missions (the mars rovers for one) that increase our understanding of the universe and just really excite science geeks like me :)

  3. Re:well this is where they are by beckerist · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A cool slight diversion: this is exactly the reverse process of how Ole Roemer in the 1670's came up with his estimate of the speed of light.