Latest pics of Pluto and Charon - really getting clear! 7 hours 49 min until closest approach!

[NRaleighLiberal]

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/

This is Pluto - note that the bright "heart" area is rotating back into view



This is Charon - note the big crater, and dark pole area

[haikugal]

1. I'm really enjoying this!

It's so awesome to see Pluto like this. I'm glad I lived to see it, and thanks for the post!

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. no prob - science is the best. I am as amazed at Charon as with Pluto - such a clear view of such

a tiny, distant body! wow!

[haikugal]

5. Is that Charon in the bottom picture?

I went to the link and Charon is pretty large compared to Pluto...the whole thing is a WOW!

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. yes - Pluto top (heart is rotating back into view), Charon bottom - big crater, dark pole area

fascinating! They are not color pics, which is why Pluto isn't reddish in the pic

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Let me be the first to say "I see Jesus' face!" Other than...

that though, I've been following this and it is awesome.

In my lifetime we've expanded the size of the universe to incredible proportions, and made it smaller at the same time.

If we could only work this way with our own planet.

[Unknown Beatle]

9. The Solar System is getting smaller,

but I don't think the universe is. We've only touched the minutest top peak of the tip of the iceberg in regards to the universe.

But I understand what you're saying. It's just that I beg to differ.

[jaysunb]

4. I think I'm see this right now. the night sky seems

rather blue and these two very bright objects are clearly responsible. I think.....pretty amazing, at any rate.

[Mister Ed]

11. The two bright objects you see wouldn't be Pluto and Charon

They're much too small, and much too far away, for you to see with the naked eye.

The planets Jupiter and Venus have been very bright lately, and appear very close together in the evening sky. If the bright objects you see are in the west, in the hours just after sunset, they're probably Jupiter and Venus.

[SheilaT]

7. My astrophysicist son is following this very closely.

Actually, he's a budding astrophysicist, just finishing up his Bachelor's degree, and applying to grad schools. One he is very interested in is the University of Colorado which is very involved in this project. The whole planetary astrophysics is what most interests him.

[Kablooie]

8. Walt and Mickey would be proud.

The character Pluto was named after the planet which had been recently discovered.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. Too bad we can't orbit for a few years and map it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. We can do better than that!

I think this is the final image it transmitted before it went into full "take all the pictures you can, and don't bother aligning for transmisstion back to Earth" mode - the 'E-Health 1' picture.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33524589

[trotsky]

13. That's the one.

Amazing.

[byronius]

14. That is exciting.

[mindwalker_i]

15. Average temperatures on Plutot are, what, 20 kelvins?

We could have "room temperature" superconductors there, which could mean for some very powerful computers. Although, power-cycling them would be difficult - don't run Windows.