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[A-V-B]

No, it has to do with scale. Like if the Pillars of Eternity are 100K times as far from Earth as Pluto is, but it's 100MM times larger than Pluto, then we're going to be able to get a picture 1000 times clearer. Those aren't the right numbers, but you get the idea.

Jesus, how big was the Kickstarter?

 

[liliththepale]

Jesus, how big was the Kickstarter?

Shit, I meant the Pillars of Creation. These:

 

[Orbis]

Amateurs have been processing more of the images to make them clearer. Here's a couple (Pluto is the larger, brighter in both. Charon the smaller). Worth noting that stacking and processing images like this can exaggerate image features that are just 'noise' (so don't exist).

This one is colourised based on previous data:

Source for both: http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7970

Also there's a quote here with some scientific reaction to what we're seeing so far:

“This system is just amazing,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator, from the Southwest Research Institute, in Colorado. “The science team is just ecstatic with what we see on Pluto’s close approach hemisphere. Every terrain type we see on the planet – including both the brightest and darkest surface areas – are represented there, it’s a wonderland.

“And about Charon – wow – I don’t think anyone expected Charon to reveal a mystery like dark terrains at its pole,” he continued. “Who ordered that?”

Source: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaki...-charon--and-no-one-expected-that-683405.html via user centsworth_II in the same forum topic.

 

[GK86]

Looks like Pluto is gonna be the ugly duckling of our solar system.

 

[Orbis]

Looks like Pluto is gonna be the ugly duckling of our solar system.

I think Mercury takes that prize.

 

[RiverBed]

I think Mercury takes that prize.

with rains of molten iron, it is still damn cool.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Looks like Pluto is gonna be the ugly duckling of our solar system.

The seventh planet in our system is pretty foul looking.

 

[PantherLotus]

I think all the planets are beautiful

 

[The Chosen One]

Posting to subscribe.

Can't wait!

 

[Marz]

How do they fund these flights? Have to be billions upon billions for something like this right?

 

[Log4Girlz]

How do they fund these flights? Have to be billions upon billions for something like this right?

Girl scout cookie sales.

 

[Version 3.0]

The seventh planet in our system is pretty foul looking.

Some people are into it.

 

[Prez]

How do they fund these flights? Have to be billions upon billions for something like this right?

Total Cost: About $700 million (including spacecraft and instrument development, launch vehicle, mission operations, data analysis, and education/public outreach) over the period 2001-2016.

So pretty cheap actually.

 

[HellBlazer]

Unknown bright spots seen near Pluto's north pole.

I wonder if this will turn out similar at all to the bright spots on Ceres...

 

[GK86]

Aliens are having fun with us.

 

[The Sum of Zero]

Sure it's been posted before, but just in case. If you want quick pictures, check here.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/

They post raw images when they're received. No color or special processing. Perfect for impatient people like myself.

 

[Joey Fox]

Sure it's been posted before, but just in case. If you want quick pictures, check here.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/Pluto-Encounter/

They post raw images when they're received. No color or special processing. Perfect for impatient people like myself.

Pictures are starting to look pretty clear to me.

 

[Mariolee]

I hope it has life forms. That'll teach them to take away Pluto's planet status.

 

[Orthogonal]

Unknown bright spots seen near Pluto's north pole.

I wonder if this will turn out similar at all to the bright spots on Ceres...

That would be a really amazing coincidence. Especially being be first dwarf planets to be visited.

 

[MasterOfPastures]

Control stations for the mass relays, of course.

 

[m_shortpants]

What are the theories for the bright spots? Ice?

 

[LookAtMeGo]

The bright spots are saying "land here."
They have been waiting for us to reach Pluto.

 

[liliththepale]

Unknown bright spots seen near Pluto's north pole.

I wonder if this will turn out similar at all to the bright spots on Ceres...

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

What are the theories for the bright spots? Ice?

If Ceres is any indication, it's where one would find The Great Mould of Pluto. Maybe the camera just sets those high points incorrectly as extreme white due to the difference in height and focus?

 

[Megalosaro]

How do they fund these flights? Have to be billions upon billions for something like this right?

Why would it cost that much? Once it's clear of earth's gravity, energy costs arent particularly high.

 

[foxuzamaki]

Amateurs have been processing more of the images to make them clearer. Here's a couple (Pluto is the larger, brighter in both. Charon the smaller). Worth noting that stacking and processing images like this can exaggerate image features that are just 'noise' (so don't exist).

This one is colourised based on previous data:

Source for both: http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7970

Also there's a quote here with some scientific reaction to what we're seeing so far:

Source: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaki...-charon--and-no-one-expected-that-683405.html via user centsworth_II in the same forum topic.

So pluto isnt just a big ball of ice as we predicted.

 

[Log4Girlz]

GOD I LOVE SPACE EXPLORATION

 

[KimiNewt]

How do they fund these flights? Have to be billions upon billions for something like this right?

According to WP, about 650 million over 15 years.

 

[Souldestroyer Reborn]

What amazes me is how we get all the data back.

I mean think about it. Trying to keep a WiFi signal in a decent sized house is a nightmare.

Losing a 3G/4G signal on our own planet.

Yet we can get pictures from Pluto...

 

[StayDead]

Meanwhile on Pluto.

This is amazing. Pluto will always be a planet to me <3 Will New Horizons continue to move out away from our solar system?

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could set it to orbit around pluto and travel around for a while.

 

[Marz]

Why would it cost that much? Once it's clear of earth's gravity, energy costs arent particularly high.

R&D, paying employees etc. Seems like a big waste of money to take some pictures.

 

[MrGreencastle]

Seems like a big waste of money to take some pictures.

Why?

 

[Par Score]

R&D, paying employees etc. Seems like a big waste of money to take some pictures.

The US Federal budget expenditure for 2014 was $3.50 trillion.

This mission cost $700 million over 15 years.

That means, on an annual basis, it accounts for just over 0.001% of total US Federal expenditure (NASA in total accounts for about 0.5%, compared to, say, the Department of Defense (not including Intelligence and Homeland Security), which gets around 15%).

 

[Marz]

The US Federal budget expenditure for 2014 was $3.50 trillion.

This mission cost $700 million over 15 years.

That means, on an annual basis, it accounts for just over 0.001% of total US Federal expenditure (NASA in total accounts for about 0.5%, compared to, say, the Department of Defense (not including Intelligence and Homeland Security), which gets around 15%).

Lol fuck.

 

[valkillmore]

The US Federal budget expenditure for 2014 was $3.50 trillion.

This mission cost $700 million over 15 years.

That means, on an annual basis, it accounts for just over 0.001% of total US Federal expenditure (NASA in total accounts for about 0.5%, compared to, say, the Department of Defense (not including Intelligence and Homeland Security), which gets around 15%).

Only $700 Million over 15 years to send a space camera to Pluto for some holiday snaps? Right, get on it!

 

[Log4Girlz]

The US Federal budget expenditure for 2014 was $3.50 trillion.

This mission cost $700 million over 15 years.

That means, on an annual basis, it accounts for just over 0.001% of total US Federal expenditure (NASA in total accounts for about 0.5%, compared to, say, the Department of Defense (not including Intelligence and Homeland Security), which gets around 15%).

Waste of money. Scrap Nasa and strip the military to a bare minimum. We have nukes, so we only need coast guard.

 

[Chittagong]

The US Federal budget expenditure for 2014 was $3.50 trillion.

This mission cost $700 million over 15 years.

That means, on an annual basis, it accounts for just over 0.001% of total US Federal expenditure (NASA in total accounts for about 0.5%, compared to, say, the Department of Defense (not including Intelligence and Homeland Security), which gets around 15%).

For even more perspective, the most expensive estimate of putting *man on Mars* is $500 billion. Spread over 10 years, that would be $50 billion a year, or bit over 1% of the total US federal expenditure. And that's the most expensive estimate. Lowest estimate is $6B for the entire thing.

 

[WeAreStarStuff]

Can't wait for some clearer pictures.

 

[m_shortpants]

Only $700 Million over 15 years to send a space camera to Pluto for some holiday snaps? Right, get on it!

I'd gladly allocate a budget learning about the solar system we inhabit over building fighter jets and weapons to kill other humans with.

 

[Einbroch]

I think half a kilometer per pixel or there abouts

Gonna look sweet on my PS4.

 

[Log4Girlz]

For even more perspective, the most expensive estimate of putting *man on Mars* is $500 billion. Spread over 10 years, that would be $50 billion a year, or bit over 1% of the total US federal expenditure. And that's the most expensive estimate. Lowest estimate is $6B for the entire thing.

6b is a joke estimate. May as well say ten dollars.

 

[MrGreencastle]

Surely we (and I say "we" as in humanity, as I'm not American) shouldn't be spending zero money on space exploration and discovery. The question is: how much should we be spending, if not nothing? Personally, I don't think we spend enough - considering the predicament we find ourselves in on Earth.

 

[Winterblink]

I'd love it if GAF could have a space sciences thread that doesn't devolve into goddamn debate about whether it's a worthwhile endeavor because of the costs.

 

[The Sum of Zero]

I'd love it if GAF could have a space sciences thread that doesn't devolve into goddamn debate about whether it's a worthwhile endeavor because of the costs.

It's just that their souls are weighed down by gravity.

 

[RyanardoDaVinci]

Surely we (and I say "we" as in humanity, as I'm not American) shouldn't be spending zero money on space exploration and discovery. The question is: how much should we be spending, if not nothing? Personally, I don't think we spend enough - considering the predicament we find ourselves in on Earth.

Space exploration and settlement, Fusion R&D, and renewable energies should be what governments spend the most on.

But it's more important to figure out better ways to kill ourselves.

 

[jmdajr]

I hyped!

 

[Link]

R&D, paying employees etc. Seems like a big waste of money to take some pictures.

Marz
Member

 

[NaM]

Space exploration and settlement, Fusion R&D, and renewable energies should be what governments spend the most on.

But it's more important to figure out better ways to kill ourselves.

It's way more profitable in the short term.

 

[Catdaddy]

 

[espher]

{Fwiffo screenshot}

Goddamn I was going to post this.