Starship Asterisk*

Northern Pluto

Explanation: Gaze across the frozen canyons of northern Pluto in this contrast enhanced color scene. The image data used to construct it was acquired in July 2015 by the New Horizons spacecraft as it made the first reconnaissance flight through the remote Pluto system six billion kilometers from the Sun. Now known as Lowell Regio, the region was named for Percival Lowell, founder of the Lowell Observatory. Also famous for his speculation that there were canals on Mars, Lowell started the search that ultimately led to Pluto's discovery in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. In this frame Pluto's North Pole is above and left of center. The pale bluish floor of the broad canyon on the left is about 70 kilometers (45 miles) wide, running vertically toward the south. Higher elevations take on a yellowish hue. New Horizon's measurements were used to determine that in addition to nitrogen ice, methane ice is abundant across Lowell Regio. So far, Pluto is the only Solar System world named by an 11-year-old girl.

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

Perhaps here is our Sol system “tidal tail”. Information on Wikipedia suggest that the orbit of Pluto-Charon is too inclined to that of Neptune to come close enough to have been “escaped” from Neptune. They actually come closer to Uranus at one point; add to that the fact that the P-C orbit is tilted 120 degrees, similar in nature to Uranus, perhaps the “passing star eons ago” scenario happened. Pluto-Charon were pulled away from Uranus. The other little moons were picked up later along the way.
Predicting or back tracking an orbit requires numerical methods, which are less exact the longer the time period sought.

Roy wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 3:09 pm Perhaps here is our Sol system “tidal tail”. Information on Wikipedia suggest that the orbit of Pluto-Charon is too inclined to that of Neptune to come close enough to have been “escaped” from Neptune. They actually come closer to Uranus at one point; add to that the fact that the P-C orbit is tilted 120 degrees, similar in nature to Uranus, perhaps the “passing star eons ago” scenario happened. Pluto-Charon were pulled away from Uranus. The other little moons were picked up later along the way.
Predicting or back tracking an orbit requires numerical methods, which are less exact the longer the time period sought.

Indeed, it is quite impossible to work backwards from anything in the current Solar System to billions of years ago. Testing these theories actually works in the other direction: numerical simulations where we throw a passing star (or some other perturbance) into the model and observe whether the results are consistent with what we see today.

I'm thankful for the new map of Pluto: It'll come in handy when I go
to visit there! Actually; the Northern view of Pluto doesn"t hold a candle to the
Pluto we know today!

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:02 pm ann19052a.jpg
I'm thankful for the new map of Pluto: It'll come in handy when I go
to visit there!
nh-northpolerotatedcontrast1024.jpg
Actually; the Northern view of Pluto doesn"t hold a candle to the
Pluto we know today!

What do you mean? This view of the northern plains of Pluto IS what we know today!

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:10 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:02 pm ann19052a.jpg
I'm thankful for the new map of Pluto: It'll come in handy when I go
to visit there!
nh-northpolerotatedcontrast1024.jpg
Actually; the Northern view of Pluto doesn"t hold a candle to the
Pluto we know today!

What do you mean? This view of the northern plains of Pluto IS what we know today!

I like the Pluto with the Heart and what is in the map of Pluto; but that is my Own Opinion! I'm happy you like The Northern photo of Pluto! I don't really dislike it but IMO the Southern section has more character!

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:34 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:10 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:02 pm ann19052a.jpg
I'm thankful for the new map of Pluto: It'll come in handy when I go
to visit there!
nh-northpolerotatedcontrast1024.jpg
Actually; the Northern view of Pluto doesn"t hold a candle to the
Pluto we know today!

What do you mean? This view of the northern plains of Pluto IS what we know today!

I like the Pluto with the Heart and what is in the map of Pluto; but that is my Own Opinion! I'm happy you like The Northern photo of Pluto! I don't really dislike it but IMO the Southern section has more character!

Yes, there seem to be more features in the north than the south, but both views show what we know today.

Plus, we still haven't seen a good chunk of the surface up close, so I'm sure there could be many more surprises in store for some future orbiter mission.

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:54 pm so I'm sure there could be many more surprises in store for some future orbiter mission.

Future ski resort potential there. ?
Who could resist the allure of all that nitrogen ice & methane ice ... !

RocketRon wrote: ↑Sat Aug 19, 2023 3:35 am

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:54 pm so I'm sure there could be many more surprises in store for some future orbiter mission.

Future ski resort potential there. ?
Who could resist the allure of all that nitrogen ice & methane ice ... !

Talk about a wonderful ski resort! Of course, the trip getting there would be a bit long, and you would have to pay good money to get there.

Getting home might also be a problem, but hey - good skiing is worth it, right?

Ann

Ann wrote: ↑Sat Aug 19, 2023 3:45 am

RocketRon wrote: ↑Sat Aug 19, 2023 3:35 am

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:54 pm so I'm sure there could be many more surprises in store for some future orbiter mission.

Future ski resort potential there. ?
Who could resist the allure of all that nitrogen ice & methane ice ... !

Talk about a wonderful ski resort! Of course, the trip getting there would be a bit long, and you would have to pay good money to get there.

Getting home might also be a problem, but hey - good skiing is worth it, right?

Ann

But once there, there's all that methane ice rocket fuel just waiting to be used. Along with all that water ice from which oxygen can be extracted. Though I hope by then we have some better means of propulsion that simple chemical ignition!