Plutopalooza

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

New photos showing two of Pluto's moons, Nix (in enhanced color*) & Hyrda:
http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/new-ho...ller-moons

* or is it really by adaptive optics, and a military operation?

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Why is it so hard to find the new Pluto images?
There simply aren't that many images sent so far.

The data stream of photos began a few days ago, and they're finally starting to come in:

http://io9.com/nasa-just-released-an-ama...1729877699

[terracore]

Awesome. Thanks.

It's 2015, can we build space equipment that uses "color" as it's standard photograph?

(tongue in cheek, I know the reasons why)

[TomK]

Whether it's tongue in cheek, have to admit I was a little disappointed there wasn't a little more color. Maybe that'll come soon.

[Ino]

It's false color but still dramatic. Check out the pics released on Sept. 10th following this story;
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/pluto...alse-color

New Horizon has started it's massive download of data that may take a year to complete. In the meantime New Horizon's is past Pluto and still working well. Mission status update here; It's really moving fast!
http://www.livecometdata.com/new-horizons-spacecraft/

Next up for New Horizon's PT1 in 2019;
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lak...a-kbo.html

[pahoated]

It is using the same MIPS CPU as the Playstation 1. Remember, this was launched seven years ago after several years of design and manufacturing. It doesn't satisfy the Amerikan 10-second attention span, so it seems slow.

"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I haven't paid a lot of attention to what New Horizons has discovered about Pluto's geologic composition, but perhaps the lack of color is due to the planet/dwarf planet/Kuiper Belt object consisting of a moon-like (earth moon) material? Or a frozen ice-like coating? It is after all, the Antarctica of the solar system, and much of that continent is colorless, except for the flags and parkas.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

A new photo shows Pluto shortly after sunset, back lit by the distant sun.
For those of you still missing the color, some have suggested that New Horizons is the Ansel Adams of space probe photographers:

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-wows-i...t-panorama

[TomK]

Thank you, HOTPE. That image is spectacular. What a whole bunch of new discoveries encapsulated in one picture. Truly stunning, and I can certainly understand the reference to Ansel Adams. I think he'd be proud of that one.

[TomK]

Gorgeous enhanced color image of Pluto:

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/the-r...s-of-pluto

A high-resolution image is available via that link.

Lots of things become more obvious with images like this. The difference between newer, more recent surfaces (fewer or no craters) and the much older, cratered surface is striking. The enormous chasm on Pluto is also more obvious (north-south feature very nearly bisecting Pluto).

Never thought I'd see Pluto in this detail in my lifetime. Extraordinary job by NASA.