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Pluto — a Complex and Changing World

Posted by timothy on from the can-imagine-quite-a-bit dept.

astroengine writes "After 4 years of processing the highest resolution photographs the Hubble Space Telescope could muster, we now have the highest resolution view of Pluto's surface ever produced. Most excitingly, these new observations show an active world with seasonal changes altering the dwarf planet's surface. It turns out that this far-flung world has more in common with Earth than we would have ever imagined."

4 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. Re:High res? by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think there's a matter of interpretation as far as "sharpest picture yet". The image you reference is "over-exposed" to bring out Pluto's multiple moons. They meant it's the best pic of Pluto's *system*, not Pluto's disk. In other words, "best" depends on what you want to emphasize. The world ain't black and white (pun semi-intended).

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  2. Re:i'll grant you pluto is a planet by lawpoop · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Well, Pluto does seem to have the biggest satellite. If we wanted to maintain tradition and keep Pluto a planet, this might just be the fudge factor we need.

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  3. Re:Another Earth(like)? by WillDraven · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Minor nitpick, Pluto's seasons are primarily driven by its highly elliptical orbit.

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  4. Re:i'll grant you pluto is a planet by sznupi · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But our language and terminology exists to facilitate exchange of ideas. Any term which encompasses so many so different bodies looses most of any usable meaning.

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