# 'Amazing' NASA announcement re Pluto. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 8, 2015, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914 "2015-10-08T12:33:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/1 "2015-10-08T12:33:34Z")
Leader of the New Horizons mission Dr Alan Stern has reportedly let slip an upcoming announcement by NASA which will revolutionise our understanding of the minor planet. Exciting stuff! Any guesses as to what it’s all about? [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-announcement-today-why-people-think-agency-is-about-to-reveal-that-it-has-found-aliens-on-pluto-a6685786.html](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-announcement-today-why-people-think-agency-is-about-to-reveal-that-it-has-found-aliens-on-pluto-a6685786.html) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/2 "2015-10-08T13:19:42Z")
On a tiny rock that far from the sun, I’m not sure how it wouldn’t be too cold for…anything at all. I am curious about what it could be. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/3 "2015-10-08T13:27:38Z")
NASA is starting to remind me of Col. Sanders from Spaceballs. Stop making an announcement that you are going to make an announcement. Just make the damn announcement. We live in the digital age now, we don’t need time to prepare and gather the neighbors around the picture box, anymore we are able to receive info at any time. That being said, I’d can’t wait to see what they found out. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/4 "2015-10-08T13:33:00Z")
They found the home of the Fungi? ---
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/5 "2015-10-08T13:48:38Z")
Dammit. NASA have apparently tweeted that the rumours of a big announcement are false. Apparently it all came from people misinterpreting comments made by Dr Stern during a speech. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/6 "2015-10-08T13:51:37Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > On a tiny rock that far from the sun, I’m not sure how it wouldn’t be too cold for…anything at all. But that’s clearly – and surprisingly – not the case … “Stern said that 'the world is alive … it has weather, it has hazes in the atmosphere, active geology …”. It is indeed a remarkably active and interesting place for something so incredibly cold. I suspect the announcement may be related to hypothetical reasons for this unexpected level of activity. Which is all the more reason to admire the accomplishments of New Horizons – truly one of mankind’s great achievements. The “teaser” approach is really silly, though. I’m almost expecting to have to endure half an hour of “messages from our sponsor” about personal care and weight loss products before getting to the science announcement. 😛 ETA: Ah, so the Stern comment quoted above is pretty much the news. Not breaking news – we’ve known it from almost the first images – but impressive enough. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/7 "2015-10-08T13:52:57Z")
Let’s see if “NASA announcement rumor is false” makes CNN’s Breaking News today… and tomorrow… and Saturday… ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/8 "2015-10-08T13:53:41Z")
wasn’t it a cold cold planet that Kahn ended up in on Star Trek? (tee hee) ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/9 "2015-10-08T14:17:03Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > But that’s clearly – and surprisingly – not the case … “Stern said that 'the world is alive … it has weather, it has hazes in the atmosphere, active geology …”. > > It is indeed a remarkably active and interesting place for something so incredibly cold. I suspect the announcement may be related to hypothetical reasons for this unexpected level of activity. > > Which is all the more reason to admire the accomplishments of New Horizons – truly one of mankind’s great achievements. > > The “teaser” approach is really silly, though. I’m almost expecting to have to endure half an hour of “messages from our sponsor” about personal care and weight loss products before getting to the science announcement. 😛 > > ETA: Ah, so the Stern comment quoted above is pretty much the news. Not breaking news – we’ve known it from almost the first images – but impressive enough. 🙂 The supposed cryo-volcanism is a bit baffling, specially considering that both Pluto and Charon are tidally locked to each other, so there’s no heating from that to account for the activity. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/10 "2015-10-08T14:19:11Z")
> [@Mikeisskeptical](#): > > Dammit. NASA have apparently tweeted that the rumours of a big announcement are false. Apparently it all came from people misinterpreting comments made by Dr Stern during a speech. ☹ That was because they realized that a sequel to the blockbuster movie The Martian was never going to work as “The Plutian” and so backed off from the complementary PR campaign. Yes, I realize it would be something like The Plutonian. Mine’s funnier. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/11 "2015-10-08T14:26:45Z")
Contact with Pilinixi the dexitroboper? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/12 "2015-10-08T14:40:02Z")
Who cares about Pluto? The big question is, if Pluto is a dog, what the hell is Goofy? That’s what people want to know. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/13 "2015-10-08T17:07:17Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Who cares about Pluto? The big question is, if Pluto is a dog, what the hell is Goofy? That’s what people want to know. They really need to name the next large trans-Neptunian object found “Goofy.” ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/14 "2015-10-08T17:26:10Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Who cares about Pluto? The big question is, if Pluto is a dog, what the hell is Goofy? That’s what people want to know. Goofy’s the unholy love child of Walt Disney and [Sandy the dog](http://americacomesalive.com/i/Annie-and-Sandy-cartoon.jpg). Times were different then. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/15 "2015-10-08T17:33:45Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Who cares about Pluto? The big question is, if Pluto is a dog, what the hell is Goofy? That’s what people want to know. Yes, gawddamit! ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/16 "2015-10-08T17:40:31Z")
I know what it is – Pluto is actually an alien spacecraft! The ultimate disguise, really – just make it look like a mini-planet, and the locals won’t suspect a thing… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/17 "2015-10-08T17:42:29Z")
[Turns out they discovered a working Prothean mass relay orbiting it.](http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Charon_Relay) ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/18 "2015-10-08T17:51:35Z")
And the answer is up on [www.nasa.gov](http://www.nasa.gov). They have detected water ice on the surface, and there is enough atmosphere, and enough dust in said atmosphere, to create blue skies on Pluto. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/19 "2015-10-08T18:00:39Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > They have detected water ice on the surface, and there is enough atmosphere, and enough dust in said atmosphere, to create blue skies on Pluto. Schwifty! I sense a market for Plutonian B&Bs in the distant future. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914/20 "2015-10-08T19:29:17Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Contact with Pilinixi the dexitroboper? Could be. I haven’t heard from Pilinixi in a while, I admit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-nasa-announcement-re-pluto/733914.md?page=2)