A billion miles past Pluto, New Horizon flies by Ultima Thule

[jimmy olsen]

Click here to start voting on what the geography of Pluto and Charon should be called. Voting ends on the 24th so don't delay!
http://www.ourpluto.org/vote

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2015/0320-mapping-of-pluto-begins-today.html

The Mapping of Pluto Begins Today

Posted by Mark Showalter

2015/03/20 17:12 UTC

Topics:  trans-neptunian objects,  New Horizons,  Pluto,  fun,  Charon,  Contests,  dwarf planets beyond Neptune

Pluto is just 3.5 pixels across in the latest images from the New Horizons spacecraft. That's nine square pixels. You can't do much with nine pixels. You might be able to see crude patterns of light and dark, but you probably wouldn't call it a map. Still, it's a start.

In a few months, this will all change. Craters, mountains and other landforms will take shape before our eyes. When New Horizons flies past Pluto in July, we will see a new, alien landscape in stark detail. At that point, we will have a lot to talk about. The only way we can talk about it is if those features, whatever they turn out to be, have names.

Today we are beginning a campaign called "Our Pluto". The goal is to gather together the names that we will eventually use to label the maps of Pluto and its large moon, Charon. After discussions with the International Astronomical Union (IAU), we have defined a set of broad themes for these names, related to mythology, literature and history.

The New Horizons science team is doing something unprecedented. Naming campaigns have been held before, but on a different scale. Today, the entire landscapes of Pluto and Charon is open to the public. We have called the campaign "Our Pluto" because we think that everyone should have a say in the names we use on those strange and distant worlds. At ourpluto.seti.org, you can vote for your favorite names, talk about them, and nominate names that we might have overlooked.

After the campaign ends, the New Horizons science team will select your best ideas and pitch them to the IAU. The IAU will have final say over the names on the maps of Pluto and Charon.

Let the conversation begin!

[Martinus]

As I said, Tim the Human Clickbait.

[The Brain]

Topics: trans-neptunian objects,  New Horizons,  Pluto,  fun,  Charon,  Contests,  dwarf planets beyond Neptune

Weird sex freaks make me sick.

[Martinus]

Yeah, looks like tranny-chasing Disney character furries with a dwarf fetish.

[Martinus]

[lustindarkness]

As I said, Tim the Human Clickbait.

I really don't think "Tim the Human Clickbait" will get many votes.

[Caliga]

Whee, that was fun.

I voted for Rama, Arthur Dent, Leif Ericson, and Baldr.

[Maladict]

Thank you for voting. Vote again tomorrow if you like.

[Eddie Teach]

From what we know of Pluto, the whole thing should be Tartarus. No rivers and no Elysian Fields to be had.

[Caliga]

Oh, I also voted for some Cthulhu thing. 

[Ed]Cthulhu sucks.[/Ed]

[HisMajestyBOB]

I admit that I've been excited about the New Horizons missions ever since it launched.
First good, clear photos of Pluto... so cool.

[KRonn]

First good, clear photos of Pluto... so cool.

Agreed on that.   

[Caliga]

Aren't we pretty much expecting it to look like the Moon or Mercury though?  Not that it's not neat to see Pluto in high definition, but it's not expected to look particularly interesting, is it?

[Neil]

Aren't we pretty much expecting it to look like the Moon or Mercury though?  Not that it's not neat to see Pluto in high definition, but it's not expected to look particularly interesting, is it?

There should be a few differences.  Pluto has a faint atmosphere, and the two objects are made of different materials.

[jimmy olsen]

Aren't we pretty much expecting it to look like the Moon or Mercury though?  Not that it's not neat to see Pluto in high definition, but it's not expected to look particularly interesting, is it?

There could be liquid neon on the surface.

We could see ice volcanoes like on Enceladus.