New Horizons. Pluto coming into view

[kirkster501]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25301-new-dwarf-planet-hints-at-giant-world-far-beyond-pluto.html#.VTIdV5TF914

Planets beyond Pluto...

[Cath]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25301-new-dwarf-planet-hints-at-giant-world-far-beyond-pluto.html#.VTIdV5TF914

Planets beyond Pluto...

One thing I've noticed is just how surprised we are every time we send out a new probe out into our local solar system. Which to me is a lovely reminder of just how much we are soo easily convinced by our own models.

The article may or may not be correct in what it is 'stating', but the real surprise to me would to be find out their is nothing much else bigger than Mars outside of Plutos orbit.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

That's dead right - that position is one of a number of points you can almost park in a 2 body system.  They're called lagrange points.  Here they are.

Indeed, they believe that there is loads of space junk that is now sitting in Earths lagrange points.

Matt.

[Davey-T]

Indeed, they believe that there is loads of space junk that is now sitting in Earths lagrange points.

Matt.

I think there must be one in my neighbours back garden 

Dave

[Piero]

Although not about Pluto, I found this image of Jupiter taken by New Horizons during its travel. 

To me this is spectacular and it is amazing that shortly we will be able to see something similar about Pluto and its moons. 

Piero

[symesie04]

That is a gorgeous image.

[Dave Lloyd]

Superb and slightly spooky to see a superior planet as a half phase.

[Piero]

Forgot to mention that the moon near Jupiter in the previous image is Io .

Full description here: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_956.html

[damnut]

Thanks to all for the links and cracking images.

[Piero]

Thanks to NASA, ESA and all the other space agencies for showing us the Universe !!!      

[Laurie61]

The New Horizons spacecraft could be the first to make contact with alien civilisations. Researchers are hoping to use the probe to send a message to deep space telling extra-terrestrials about humanity and potentially, where to find Earth.

The probe is due to make the first-ever flyby of Pluto on July 14, and a transmission to alien worlds could take place in July 2016.

This project, dubbed One Earth Message, is the brainchild of Jon Lomberg, who was behind the 'golden records' that were placed aboard Nasa's twin Voyager spacecraft in 1977.

http://www.space.com/29439-pluto-spacecraft-message-to-aliens.html

[Piero]

This somehow scares me. Although I would be extremely curious to see other forms of life out there in the universe, I suspect that one able to detect our signal and come to visit us would be a serious problem for us rather than a nice meeting. 

Who knows, there might be a highly civilised, tolerant and peaceful society willing to interact with us and share ideas and technology. However, considering that many, if not all, forms of life on earth live adopting a simple and pure 'law of power', and that the stronger creatures prevail on the weaker ones, I fear that the contact with an alien species would likely be devastating for us, and that we would be either destroyed or simply colonised. For sure, if they have the means to detect our signal and come to us, their technology and intelligence are significantly more advanced than ours. 

This said, the 'Alien' saga is no doubt my favourite science fiction collection!   

[Piero]

BTW, I got confused about the title of this thread. There is another on the same topic here on SGL (and I also posted comments thinking it was this one?? ..  )

The other is here: http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/240861-new-horizons-only-100-days-from-pluto/     

Jupiter and Venus are waiting outside now..!   

[DaveS]

Agreed on the danger, something we should be very wary of.

Technology and intelligence are not inextricably linked. Compared to the cave-painters of Lascaux (?) our technology would make us seem godlike, but are we more intelligent? Unlikely.

Edit: Sorry wandering OT, as you were  .

[symesie04]

Hmm you are of course making a few assumptions. First off the likely hood of our signal reaching a species evolved enough to recognize it within our life times! probably unlikely so you dont really have a lot to worry about. Secondly that any evolved species has either somehow managed to overcome the constraint of physics and therefore can traverse galaxies in a worthwhile timeframe or that there life expectancy is so great that a few thousand years of galactic travel doesnt really put them off. 

There is always this idea that first contact will be in the form of a mass extinction event for life on Earth when in reality its far more likely that first contact is via a signal of some sort with maybe a communication between us that spans many generations.

By the way there is no weaker animals or stronger animals. Nature promotes balance, each creature has its strengths and weaknesses. If they didnt then i suspect everything would be extinct.

Just a thought and my opinion of course