by RichardSRussell » Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:20 pm
Angus McPresley wrote:l3p3r wrote:I understand that this is just an artist's impression... but the picture is flawed in just about every way it is possible for such a picture to be flawed. The sun seems very big at two pluto orbits distance, Dysnomia is practically grazing the surface of Eris it is so close, the shadow on Dysnomia is pitch black whereas the dark side of Eris is partly illuminated.
I would say this picture, for example, is much more representative of the actual Eris system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:2006-16-a-full.jpg
I came to this forum to say almost the exact same thing. The sun is WAY too big. It would look more like a bright pinprick from that distance.
The closeness of Dysnomia to Eris could just be perspective thing, though, I guess -- it could be a lot closer to the viewpoint. Which could explain how Eris' shadow could be partially illuminated -- it could be reflected off Dysnomia (given that the sun was that bright at that distance, which we know it would not be).
I too came to this forum to say almost exactly the same thing.
However, since I always at least TRY to figure out a logical explanation for why something appears the way it does, I suggest that perhaps, in the artist's mind, this is what Eris and Dysnomia will look like after the Sun goes nova.
[quote="Angus McPresley"][quote="l3p3r"]I understand that this is just an artist's impression... but the picture is flawed in just about every way it is possible for such a picture to be flawed. The sun seems very big at two pluto orbits distance, Dysnomia is practically grazing the surface of Eris it is so close, the shadow on Dysnomia is pitch black whereas the dark side of Eris is partly illuminated.
I would say this picture, for example, is much more representative of the actual Eris system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:2006-16-a-full.jpg[/quote]
I came to this forum to say almost the exact same thing. The sun is WAY too big. It would look more like a bright pinprick from that distance.
The closeness of Dysnomia to Eris could just be perspective thing, though, I guess -- it could be a lot closer to the viewpoint. Which could explain how Eris' shadow could be partially illuminated -- it could be reflected off Dysnomia (given that the sun was that bright at that distance, which we know it would not be).[/quote]
I too came to this forum to say almost exactly the same thing.
However, since I always at least TRY to figure out a logical explanation for why something appears the way it does, I suggest that perhaps, in the artist's mind, this is what Eris and Dysnomia will look like after the Sun goes nova.