Photos from NASA's Cassini probe

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[crandc]

way cool

 

[jlprk]

After a 9 1/2 year trip, New Horizons passed less than 8000 miles from Pluto less than 4 hours ago, and you guys are talking about Saturn.

A few minutes ago we finished the atmostphere occultation of Pluto, then Charon. Got a few pictures of Nix and Hydra. Here's the timetable. Subtract 7 hours to get Pacific Time.

http://www.spaceflight101.com/new-horizons-encounter-timeline.html

Here's the graphics I'm watching. I don't have time to explain how to use it. After you download, click on the lower left corner, "Eyes on Pluto."

http://eyes.nasa.gov/eyes-on-pluto.html

 

[Denny Crane]

Where's the alien pyramid thingies?

 

[jlprk]

All I have for you is a heart-shaped feature. (The picture was taken 19 hours ago. It's the best Pluto picture in existence until the next one arrives about half a day from now.)

 

[jlprk]

Here's another detailed schedule of the current hours, but with more description of each event.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/The-Flyby.php

But you really should download that graphics program I linked, in these hours when there is a lot of action.

 

[jlprk]

Here's a beauty taken 2 days ago and released yesterday. Looks like frozen carbon sand. It's close to absolute zero out there, 450 below, but if there's some interior heating, it might be as hot as 350 below.

 

[Denny Crane]

Looks like a planet.

 

[Sedatedfork]

Looks like a planet, but in Mine Craft

 

[ripcityboy]

Wow. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent to get a shakey picture of a space rock billions of miles away. I am so inspired!

 

[dviss1]

Wow. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent to get a shakey picture of a space rock billions of miles away. I am so inspired!

The most important things in life aren't things.

 

[BrianFromWA]

 

[BrianFromWA]

it wasn't mine...I know there's another "e" in "sincerely"

 

[riverman]

Where's the alien pyramid thingies?

They are there but they're 3.5 inches tall

 

[jlprk]

Another 2 photos got added to this, Pluto and Charon. Still needs Eris (same size as Pluto).

 

[jlprk]

A NASA conference started yesterday at Moffett Field. The speaker who made the most news was the DAWN Principal Investigator at 11:40 July 21, Chris Russell, which you can watch if you have Adobe. Toward the end of his 18 minutes he says that Ceres' newly-famous bright spots emit plumes, and the shadows are barely visible. This is controversial because he displayed no evidence, so he got criticized by a few scientists for spilling the beans long before his team is ready to present the goods.

http://nesf2015.arc.nasa.gov/agenda

 

[MARIS61]

I like Io.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080817.html

 

[jlprk]

Your picture's bigger than mine. I'm taking my marbles and going home.

 

[South East]

Another 2 photos got added to this, Pluto and Charon. Still needs Eris (same size as Pluto).

Did anyone else see Iapetus and assume it was the Death Star? Didn't even think twice about it, not until I zoomed in and saw the name.

 

[crandc]

I also like Io. Also Europa. Saturn's rings. I've always had a fondness for little Pluto, out in the void with its moons.

During Voyager's mission, the moons kept stealing the show from the planets (except Saturn). Earth really lost out with just one rather boring moon.