Eye's on the New Horizons and the Kuiper Belt

[Michael]

Isn't Dawn supposed to visit Ceres later this year?

 

[rockytopva]

Isn't Dawn supposed to visit Ceres later this year?

[Edit]

April 30, 2014
Dawn Less than One Year from Ceres

Dawn is making good progress on its journey to Ceres and is now less than a year from arrival. To perform all of its planned observations, it will take advantage of the remarkable capability of its ion propulsion system by maneuvering extensively in orbit to provide different perspectives.The April Dawn Journal explains how the ship will spiral down to lower and lower altitudes above the alien landscapes.
- See more at: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.asp#sthash.7L3hQsbQ.dpuf

 

[rockytopva]

New Horizon news feed warming up

Trailer: New Horizons Gets Ready to Meet Pluto

Approaching the orbit of Neptune and 3 AU's from Pluto!

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

This combination of dwarf planet related awesomeness pleases me.

 

[Strathos]

This combination of dwarf planet related awesomeness pleases me.

I bet I know someone it doesn't please, though...

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

I bet I know someone it doesn't please, though...

I knew the minute that I typed "dwarf planets" that I was inviting the forward march of the implacable.

 

[Aureus]

I just want someone to land a probe on Ceres... The Dwarf Planets and Moons of our solar system simply seem much more interesting than the 'real' planets. At least when it comes to practical research that could let us advance our presence in the Solar System.

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

I just want someone to land a probe on Ceres... The Dwarf Planets and Moons of our solar system simply seem much more interesting than the 'real' planets. At least when it comes to practical research that could let us advance our presence in the Solar System.

I kind of want someone to land a probe on Europa, personally. That said, the planets are still pretty interesting. We can learn a lot about the early solar system whenever we put a rover or probe anywhere useful.

 

[Aureus]

I kind of want someone to land a probe on Europa, personally. That said, the planets are still pretty interesting. We can learn a lot about the early solar system whenever we put a rover or probe anywhere useful.

Yeah, but, gosh-darn-it, I want space fueling stations, permanent research outposts and the means to resupply them without having to escape Earth's gravity.

 

[pgp_protector]

I kind of want someone to land a probe on Europa, personally. That said, the planets are still pretty interesting. We can learn a lot about the early solar system whenever we put a rover or probe anywhere useful.

Europa or Titan?

 

[rockytopva]

Course correction
1 year from Pluto
2.9 AU's from Pluto
About a half year away from observation

New Horizons Web Site

So New Horizons' vision is is about 25 times less sharp than Hubble's. Therefore, New Horizons will have to be about 25 times closer to Pluto than Earth is before its images will begin to improve on Hubble's. Right now it's "only" 4 times closer to Pluto than Earth is. It still has a long way to go!

Pluto will appear 3 pixels across to LORRI when New Horizons is about 160 million kilometers away. How did I get that number? Pluto is 2400 kilometers across, so 3 pixels means each pixel is 800 kilometers. Divide that by 5 microradians -- which is the same as dividing it by 5 and then tacking the word "million" on the end -- and you get 160 million kilometers.

New Horizons is currently a thousand million kilometers from Pluto. When will it have closed to 160 million? The simplest way to answer this question is to use the Solar System Simulator. Set it to view Pluto as seen from New Horizons, then play with dates until you make the distance to Pluto go to 160 million kilometers. (Note that you don't have to keep returning to the form to change dates -- you can change them directly, in the URL.) It looks like it'll be another 5 months for New Horizons to get close enough to Pluto for the mini-planet to appear three pixels across to LORRI. Hubble's view actually spans fewer than three pixels, so New Horizons' view will actually be better than Hubble's a bit earlier than that. A good round date to use is January 1, 2015. So it makes perfect sense that January 1, 2015 is when New Horizons' approach science observations begin!

 

[rockytopva]

Pluto from 3 AU's.... We are going to have to get inside 1 AU from Pluto before we can see Pluto better that the Hubble space telescope!

 

[rockytopva]

Don't wreck the spacecraft trying to thread the needle!

 

[rockytopva]

New Horizons is now outside the orbit of Neptune and less than a year away from Pluto. Nasa TV will have a mission update this afternoon.


Jet Propulsion Laboratory | News

 

[rockytopva]

 

[Split Rock]

It takes a scientist to broadcast our ignorance into intergalactic space!

Radio and television stations have been doing this for decades.

 

[rockytopva]

Are we there yet ... No!
Are we there yet ... No!
Are we there yet ... No!
Are we there yet ... No!

 

[bhsmte]

Are we there yet ... No!
Are we there yet ... No!
Are we there yet ... No!
Are we there yet ... No!

Do you enjoy talking to yourself?

 

[rockytopva]

Do you enjoy talking to yourself?

How am I suppose to answer that

 

[AV1611VET]

I wonder why Pluto is in that picture?