Will New Horizons be able to image the poles of Pluto?

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willpittenger

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If we simply make an equitorial pass, that would be impossible. I figure if a pass is made to the North or South of the planet, options become available, but at the cost of imaging the other hemisphere. It's too bad New Horizons can't split in half to cover both hemispheres. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>
 
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MeteorWayne

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At this point, the path can be whatever we want it to be. It depends on what we think is there, and what is the target beyond.<br />Before the Jupiter approach, it will take only a tiny bit of fuel to create a large change in path.<br />We do need to decide within the next month or two; I believe jupiter is Jan 2007? Must aim before then. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>
 
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henryhallam

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I'm pretty certain the approach path can be changed to the extent of which pole to visit for very little dV even after the Jupiter encounter, as long as it is at least a few months before arrival at Pluto.
 
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comga

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The trajectory of New Horizons through the Pluto-Charon system is designed to pass through the shadows of both Pluto and Charon. (See attached image.) This is driven by the science goals of observing radio and UV occultations of the atmosphere (and possible atmosphere) with REX and Alice respectively. (Ralph-LEISA is capable of observing the Near IR spectrum of the occultation but only two instruments can be run at the same time.) Characterizing the atmosphere is a Group 1 (Top Priority) objective, as is mapping the surfaces. Searching for an atmosphere on Charon is a Group 2 Science Objective. However, there is no mention of the poles in the science goals. They are no more interesting than any other areas. <br /><br />A main goal of the light, fast New Horizons mission is to observe the planet before the atmosphere freezes out. Targeting the poles, which stand a greater chance of being covered with something frozen, would defeat this.<br /><br />Long range imagery of one of the poles will be possible on approach, as the planet is past the equinox. That is, one pole is sunlit at this time. One of the reasons to push for a lauch of New Horizons this year was that Pluto is going farther and farther from the equinox, and the area around one pole that is in perpetual darkness and cannot be observed is increasing by some large amount every year. <br /><br />Check for further details on the New Horizons website. Look in the archive of Principal Investigator Updates.
 
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vogon13

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Anyone know what the axial tilt of Pluto is?<br /><br />It might be around 90 degrees. If it is, you get to see one pole in sunshine, and the other in Charon-shine . . . . <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>
 
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willpittenger

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The only inaccuracy that I see with your image is that Charon's path should be a spiral or partial spiral. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>
 
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CalliArcale

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nineplanets.org (which, yes, has updated its title graphic) gives a figure of 122.52 degrees. Note: anything over 90 degrees means it rotates retrograde (Sun rises in the west). <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>
 
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3488

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Yes, only one pole though. New Horizons will image Pluto's & Charon's South Poles. The North Pole will be in darkness & Winter will be descending in the northern hemispheres.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>
 
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alokmohan

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In that case pluto has a retrogade orbit.But any way we may see the south pole only.
 
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CalliArcale

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Sorry, I wasn't very clear. It has a normal (prograde) orbit. Its rotation is retrograde. In other words, it goes around the Sun the same way the Earth does, but it spins the other direction. Venus is another retrograde rotator. Uranus is too -- just barely. (Uranus' axial tilt is so dramatic that it's a matter of semantics whether it's prograde or retrograde.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>
 
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