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Pluto's Haze
Today brings another release of images from NASA's New Horizons probe. This time, it includes an image taken seven hours after closest approach, when the probe was looking back at Pluto. It captured the dwarf planet in silhouette: the body of the planet is in darkness, but the atmosphere is luminous with deflected sunlight. "A preliminary analysis of the image shows two distinct layers of haze -- one about 50 miles (80 kilometers) above the surface and the other at an altitude of about 30 miles (50 kilometers)." Before this picture, scientists didn't expect to see such haze more than 30 kilometers above the surface.
Other findings released today include preliminary indications that Pluto's atmospheric pressure has dropped sharply from early observations. This may indicate that the atmosphere is in the process of freezing and falling to Pluto's surface. Finally, new close-up pictures of the surface transmitted back to Earth show direct evidence of nitrogen ice floes reminiscent of glacier movement on Earth. The dwarf planet also seems to be rich in methane ice and carbon dioxide ice.
Other findings released today include preliminary indications that Pluto's atmospheric pressure has dropped sharply from early observations. This may indicate that the atmosphere is in the process of freezing and falling to Pluto's surface. Finally, new close-up pictures of the surface transmitted back to Earth show direct evidence of nitrogen ice floes reminiscent of glacier movement on Earth. The dwarf planet also seems to be rich in methane ice and carbon dioxide ice.
filled with micro-aggression.
Pluto haze all in our brains
Latest readings don't seem the same
An exciting time, you all agree
For studyin' exometeorology
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Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
NASA made this site to give you an idea http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/pl...
Sadly, the haze is reddish-brown, rather than Purple Haze.
New Horizons' communication channel is very slow. About 1 killobit (not kilobyte) per second. My guess is they don't really have more data to "release" yet.
It has an atmosphere at all.
"When Pluto is closer to the Sun in its orbit, the warmth from the Sun heats up the frozen ices of nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide on Pluto's surface. These ices vaporize and form a temporary atmosphere. When Pluto moves farther from the Sun, the atmosphere freezes and falls back onto Pluto's surface."
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech...
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
The public that pays its bills understands miles, they report in miles.
One of the scientists at today's press conference actually started discussing things in kilometers and had to correct himself.
Is anyone else embarrassed that NASA uses miles as its primary unit of measure?
Indeed, I was expecting distances expressed in furlongs.
Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
Pluto's orbit is the most eccentric of any planet (or former planet :). Its distance from the Sun varies from about 30 AU to 49 AU. Any planet with that kind of eccentricity would have considerable climate change as it traveled along it's orbit.
I would be much more interested in seeing how day on the planet Pluto compares to night with moonlight on planet earth.
The sun on Pluto is about 100 times brighter than a full moon on Earth.
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
The best explanation I've read for the youth of the surface is that Pluto's elliptical orbit results in a heat-and-cool cycle that pumps semi-liquid and/or soft frozen gasses around.
The relative densities between different materials changes during the near/far cycle, causing push-pull action that gradually squeezes and pumps shit around.
Table-ized A.I.