WATCH LIVE: Pluto gets its close-up as New Horizons spacecraft flys by at 7,800 miles away

NY Daily News ^ | 7/14/15 | AP

[kidd]

[cripplecreek]

I just caught it on the simulation. There won't be any new pics for a while due to the craft being too busy to send info back to earth. We'll be getting data for some 16 months.

[G Larry]

Which set of goofballs decided Pluto wasn’t a planet?

[Darksheare]

So where are the Mi-Go on Yuggoth?

[Crazieman]

Because Pluto is just one of a handful of objects in the same neighborhood. To call it a planet would add at LEAST half a dozen new ‘planets’.

[DungeonMaster]

After 52 years of only hearing the name Pluto and seeing a little star like image, THAT’S BEAUTIFUL!

[kidd]

No more images or data will be transmitted until tomorrow morning, except for a brief signal saying that the probe is still working (some time tonight).

The probe is busy taking data.

A spectacular accomplishment, just to get this photo.

[P.O.E.]

That heart is where God gave the solar system a swat on the backside at birth.

[hoagy62]

The “phone home/I’m still here” signal is due at about 9:00pm EDT.

[Popman]

Well, as much as an accomplishment this is for NASA, the WH is concerned no Muzzies were credited with recognition of how Islam was the driving force behind this momentous event...

[traderrob6]

They arbitrarily changed the definition of “planet” so as to meet their new narrative. Typical of science lately.

[kidd]

From live conference:

Dark region is equator
Top-center is north pole of Pluto

Some signs of tectonics
Some impact craters
Thin nitrogen atmosphere

Color variations on surface

Expect much higher resolution photos tomorrow (over 10 times better)

The probe is powered by plutonium (RTG)
Produces 200 Watts of power, loses 3 watts of power per year

[kidd]

Will be transmitting data back to Earth from tomorrow morning until sometime in October 2016 at a rate of 1 kbs to 4 kbs

(should’ve gotten cable instead of dial-up)

[Empireoftheatom48]

It was done at the end of the conference and most scientists had already left. I believe ( just my opinion), that this was done to punish the U.S. Since an American had discovered it; for the Iraq war!

[Squidpup]

Looks like a footprint to me

[bert]

the accreted mass is being worn smooth as it escapes the sun’s gravity

[P.O.E.]

Sometimes a kick in the butt is needed to get things started :)

[Thorliveshere]

Almost looks like a footprint on there, like God had punted it out there.

[odawg]

It certainly looks like a planet. The “goofballs” evidently were trying to get everyone thinking it was shaped like a potato and not much larger.

[dirtboy]

Sense of scale: