PLUTO!

[Strathos]

In a sense, that is correct.

I used to be a serious chessplayer.

The opening moves are all nice and neatly categorized in what is called the Encylopedia of Chess Openings.

Eliminating the thinking factor for the first ten moves or so of the game.

So in that sense, the thinking is done for me.

Well, they say that chess is 99% tactics. What happens if I spring an opening novelty on you you've never seen before? You have to actually think about the position.

 

[Green Sun]

Anyways.....
1) Charon (Pluto's moon)
2) And a close up of part of Pluto's surface.

One thing I find fascinating about the close up of Pluto, is that the mountains you can see are likely quite young, no more than 100 million years old most likely! And Charon's terrain seems quite young due to the lack of craters over the surface. This means that it's quite likely that Pluto and Charon, or at least parts of it, might have some sort of active geological process! It can't be heat due to gravity interactions with another body, as Charon and Pluto are tidally locked with each other. It might be some new process we haven't discovered yet!

Every new picture we get holds new answers and new questions! This is so exciting!

 

[DogmaHunter]

These images are incredible.

On a funny side note, I just read an article on how the name Pluto was chosen for this "planet".

Apparantly, back when it was first discovered, some big shot historian from Oxford university was reading about it in the papers during breakfast with his 11-year old grand daughter, Venetia Burney, who had a thing from Roman and Greek mythology.

The 11-year old casually mentioned that "Pluto would be a good name for it".
Her dad mentioned it to an astronomer at the university who consequently contacted the Arizona observatory that discovered it. "GREAT name", they said.

 

[juvenissun]

Isn't the entire surface (or most of it) frozen nitrogen surrounding a water ice mantle? That would make those features caused by liquid nitrogen if anything ever caused it to warm up enough to liquify in places, such as a meteor strike.

What you said may be a mental picture of Pluto before this mission. But, it is no longer

Ice and rock behave very differently. Take a look of the Europa of Jupiter, that is how ice landform looks like.
The shape of circular mounds on Pluto suggests they are either craters or volcanoes. Many circular mounds with smooth surface and have no dent at the center is a puzzle to me. The brightest big patch could be ice or sand. I bet it is sand. So, in my model, the Pluto had liquid water (!!!), but not now. Same situation as the Mars.

The Pluto is out of place in the solar system.

Of course, I could be ALL wrong. But that is my best bet based on a single image.

 

[AV1611VET]

That you let something else do your thinking for you.

QV please.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Why do you seem so bitter? Is it because "Science can take a hike"?. If science can take a hike, why are you using a computer?

Do you really want Bill Gates to be a poster child for science?

 

[joshua 1 9]

QV please.

 

[RDKirk]

What you said may be a mental picture of Pluto before this mission. But, it is no longer

Ice and rock behave very differently. Take a look of the Europa of Jupiter, that is how ice landform looks like.
The shape of circular mounds on Pluto suggests they are either craters or volcanoes. Many circular mounds with smooth surface and have no dent at the center is a puzzle to me. The brightest big patch could be ice or sand. I bet it is sand. So, in my model, the Pluto had liquid water (!!!), but not now. Same situation as the Mars.

The Pluto is out of place in the solar system.

Of course, I could be ALL wrong. But that is my best bet based on a single image.

I don't think Pluto is large enough for a molten mantle that would produce volcanos. We're talking about extreme conditions here--how much do we know about how frozen nitrogen craters when struck by a meteor?

And Jupiter emits quite a bit of radiation that would keep Europa warmer than Pluto (not to mention that Europa gets a heck of a lot more radiation from the Sun than Pluto does).

 

[Saucy]

Dwarf planet? I think it prefers the term 'little plant'.

 

[juvenissun]

I don't think Pluto is large enough for a molten mantle that would produce volcanos. We're talking about extreme conditions here--how much do we know about how frozen nitrogen craters when struck by a meteor?

And Jupiter emits quite a bit of radiation that would keep Europa warmer than Pluto (not to mention that Europa gets a heck of a lot more radiation from the Sun than Pluto does).

We do have a few icy moons and they are full of craters too.
But, hey, those on the Pluto ARE different in geometry.
However, I never know how would solid nitrogen behave. Could it have liquid nitrogen ocean there?

I am not sure how big a planet should be to have anything molten inside. I only look the morphology on the surface. I do think there are volcanoes of some kind on the Pluto.

Just read a report which says the "mountain" on Pluto is tens of thousands of feet high. It should be made by rocky material.

 

[TheBear]

For AV -

 

[nonbeliever314]

Do you really want Bill Gates to be a poster child for science?

Before he explained what the "hike" meant, I took it as an anti-scientific statement (which it still is), even though he says he'll agree as long as it doesn't contradict the bible. When I said "Why do you use a computer?", I was basically saying if you're so anti-science, why do you use technology that could have only come about from using science.

 

[SepiaAndDust]

On a funny side note, I just read an article on how the name Pluto was chosen for this "planet".

Apparantly, back when it was first discovered, some big shot historian from Oxford university was reading about it in the papers during breakfast with his 11-year old grand daughter, Venetia Burney, who had a thing from Roman and Greek mythology.

The 11-year old casually mentioned that "Pluto would be a good name for it".
Her dad mentioned it to an astronomer at the university who consequently contacted the Arizona observatory that discovered it. "GREAT name", they said.

You should look into how Pluto's moon, Charon, got its name and pronunciation. Basically, the guy who discovered it wanted to name it after his wife, Charlene, but the scientific community said Nuh uh.

 

[AV1611VET]

I was basically saying if you're so anti-science, why do you use technology that could have only come about from using science.

QV please:

People think I'm so dead-set against scientists here, and I'll go overboard to make a point: I'll kiss the feet of a scientist before I kiss the feet of a theologian anyday.

 

[Kristi1]

Okay Everyone, here is what I believe and it's True!! Our True GOD who art in HEAVEN CREATED the HEAVENS ( UNIVERSE ) and the EARTH, HE CREATED us in HIS own IMAGE, HE LOVES Ye all forever through HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!!

Praise JESUS CHRIST for TODAY and EVERYDAY, HE is KING of kings, LORD of lords, HE is the ALPHA and OMEGA, the FIRST and the LAST, HE is the BEGINNING and the END, HALLELUJAH and MARANATHA!!

 

[AV1611VET]

Okay Everyone, here is what I believe and it's True!! Our True GOD who art in HEAVENS ( UNIVERSE ) and the EARTH, HE CREATED us in HIS own IMAGE, HE LOVES Ye all forever through HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!!

Praise JESUS CHRIST for TODAY and EVERYDAY, HE is KING of kings, LORD of lords, HE is the ALPHA and OMEGA, the FIRST and the LAST, HE is the BEGINNING and the END, HALLELUJAH and MARANATHA!!

AMEN!

 

[nonbeliever314]

Okay Everyone, here is what I believe and it's True!! Our True GOD who art in HEAVEN CREATED the HEAVENS ( UNIVERSE ) and the EARTH, HE CREATED us in HIS own IMAGE, HE LOVES Ye all forever through HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!!

Praise JESUS CHRIST for TODAY and EVERYDAY, HE is KING of kings, LORD of lords, HE is the ALPHA and OMEGA, the FIRST and the LAST, HE is the BEGINNING and the END, HALLELUJAH and MARANATHA!!

If it's true, prove it.

 

[nonbeliever314]

But I already know you'll say you don't have to, or you'll just say refer to the bible.

 

[nonbeliever314]

@AV1611VET

If the bible says it, and that settles it, if I were to convert to Christianity would it be a big deal to you if I started executing homosexuals because it's an "abomination"? Extreme case, yes, but the bible says it.

 

[brinny]

I hate to inform you of this, but Pluto has been demoted.

She was found being in company with ... well ... others like her.

LOL! Awwwwww...that's just sooooooo wrong.....

poor Pluto....