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Re: Pictures of Pluto
Originally Posted by Michael
(Post 11700627)
The spacecraft uses a giant dish antenna to communicate with NASA’s Deep Space Network. It’s no trivial effort, though; the beam is only 0.3-degrees wide and has to hit Earth from Pluto and, eventually, beyond.
We Reach Pluto Tomorrow! 10 Fast Facts About 'New Horizons' | Mental Floss Half power beamwidth is given by: https://upload.wikimedia.org/math/a/...518db0f7bc.png k is typically 70 for a parabolic dish, lambda is 0.0429m (7Ghz), and d is 2.1m. Thus theta = 1.43 deg. Maybe a bit better, since they don't slap these dishes together.
Originally Posted by Swerv-o
(Post 11700629)
Where is it heading after this? Will there be an opportunity to examine any of the extrasolar bodies out there?
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Re: Pictures of Pluto
Originally Posted by GarryP
(Post 11700686)
Right, you're going to make me do this, aren't you.
Half power beamwidth is given by: https://upload.wikimedia.org/math/a/...518db0f7bc.png k is typically 70 for a parabolic dish, lambda is 0.0429m (7Ghz), and d is 2.1m. Thus theta = 1.43 deg. Maybe a bit better, since they don't slap these dishes together. The alignment analysis showed that the HGA system could be accurately aligned to within 0.2° of the spacecraft spin-axis. An additional 0.1° misalignment with the DSN ground station pointing due to ephemeris is allowed for a total alignment budget of 0.3°. The RF Telecommunications System for the New Horizons Mission to Pluto |
Re: Pictures of Pluto
And this is the release image of Charon, showing what you might expect if the surface weren't quite so young (as it is on Pluto).
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/f...?itok=Pt_JfrQR And this is a 3D animation of the Pluto ice mountains (if your browser is young enough) http://i.imgur.com/ZiRD56E.gifv |
Re: Pictures of Pluto
Well, the initial data dump from New Horizons is over, and there will be nothing new for the next few months. However NASA have now released some bits from the last downloads.
A view of the atmosphere of Pluto, illuminated by the sun. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/f...?itok=50hWP1Je Evidence of flowing nitrogen ice, glaciers, which act to erase parts, and only parts, of the surface over time. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/f...?itok=A4yYLX6Y And finally, a flyover video of parts of the terrain discovered |
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