Time-Lapse of Pluto and Charon Produced By New Horizons

schwit1 writes: Cool images! Using New Horizons' long range camera, scientists have compiled a movie showing Charon and Pluto orbiting each other during the last week of January 2015. "Pluto and Charon were observed for an entire rotation of each body; a "day" on Pluto and Charon is 6.4 Earth days. The first of the images was taken when New Horizons was about 3 billion miles from Earth, but just 126 million miles (203 million kilometers) from Pluto — about 30% farther than Earth's distance from the Sun. The last frame came 6.5 days later, with New Horizons more than 5 million miles (8 million kilometers) closer." The wobble easily visible in Pluto's motion is due to the gravity of Charon, about one-eighth as massive as Pluto and about the size of Texas. Our view of Pluto and Charon is only going to get better as New Horizons zooms towards its July fly-by.

Comments

July Fly-by

[rossdee]

It makes sense when you're going to thecoldest planet in the solar system, to arrive in summer.

Re:July Fly-by

[Livius]

As opposed to February, which is in summer. (Note both depend on your hemisphere.)

Need CSI

[inflex]

They should have gotten CSI on the job, need that zoom+enhance facility.