# Pluto Probe on it's way **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 19, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695 "2006-01-19T19:08:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/101 "2015-07-15T03:32:26Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > There are also oceans to explore inside **Europa** , Ceres, Ganymede, Callisto and _Terra_. (bolding mine) “All these worlds are yours, except Europa. Attempt no landing there. Use them together. Use them in peace.” ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/102 "2015-07-15T03:47:12Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > A weird passing thought: When I was a little boy, I had this gizmo called a [“Big Trak”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Trak). It was a robot tank (with a “ray gun” cannon that would flash and make a sound effect). The (theoretically) really cool thing was that you could program it: Go forward _z_ lengths, turn _y_ degrees to starboard, and fire the cannon _z_ times! _PEW PEW PEW!_ And by properly programming it, you could send it out, and down the hallway say, to ambush some green plastic army men or something. > > The thing is, to the best of my recollection it _never_ really worked properly. The carpet would mess it up or something; but it would never actually go foward at just the right length and wheel around to just the correct position and actually zap the target with its little flashlight ray gun. > So, to send a space probe across billions of miles of space, and expect it to correctly and precisely position itself to take photographs and sensor measurements of some alien world it’s whizzing past at tens of thousands of miles an hour is just absolutely amazing. This. Entirely this. If sending a space probe billions of miles into the future and actually getting pictures back years later doesn’t impress you then you need to seriously question your own existence. Seriouslyl ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/103 "2015-07-15T04:22:19Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Well, I said I’d revive this thread in 9 years, so here we are. Kudos to you, Hypno-Toad. You said you would do it and you did. 100% awesome. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/104 "2015-07-15T05:12:14Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > I guess that’s my core reaction as well. There are still times when the human animal amazes me and gives me some hope for the future. By Friday my mileage may be greatly reduced. Who knows? But I hope to ride this buzz for as long as I can. I know what you mean. I watched the Curiosity landing live (or as live as Einstein permitted) and I was just sort of _happy_ for about a week afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/105 "2015-07-15T06:45:22Z")
Emily L is now my Hopeless Internet Crush. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/106 "2015-07-15T10:03:56Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > This. > > Entirely this. > > If sending a space probe billions of miles into the **future** and actually getting pictures back years later doesn’t impress you then you need to seriously question your own existence. Seriouslyl Future? Can you explain please. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/107 "2015-07-15T10:05:29Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Future? Can you explain please. Nine years ago we (they) sent a probe into the future. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/108 "2015-07-15T11:52:28Z")
Cthulhu is on Pluto! > **[Cthulhu is on Pluto!](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=762360)** > > I realize that we have a Pluto thread already\*, but this is different. CTHULHU IS ON PLUTO!!! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pluto-cthulhu\_55a5dda9e4b0896514cfbc06?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592 Of course, there’s also a Balrog and Meng Po. If the... ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/109 "2015-07-15T12:08:35Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Nine years ago we (they) sent a probe into the future. Oh, of course. I’m not sure why I was having problems parsing it. Too early in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/110 "2015-07-15T12:37:46Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > I’m old but ever since I was a kid, I always considered Pluto to be pretty much the “Outer Limits” of the Solar System. I am very pleased that in my lifetime, we finally “explored” it. > Well, that’s one “boundary” down 🙂 - and an incredible achievement!!! > > Just to give you an idea of the incredible distances of space (and somebody please check these calculations), if we drew the Earth as a 5 inch sphere, where would we place the model of Pluto? > **36 miles** away. > > And where (on this scale) would we place the model of Alpha Centauri? > _ **The Moon!!!** _ > Yes, folks we still have a _ **long** _ way to go. Sounds like you would be interested in [The Kirkhill Pillar Project](http://www.kirkhillpillarproject.org.uk) in West Lothian, Scotland. There’s a disc six feet across (1.8m) representing the Sun. And then each planet represented by a piece of an artwork, making up a scale model. So Earth is approximately 200m from the Sun, and is 1.6cm across. Pluto is 7.5 Km from the Sun and is 3.8mm across. There’s a metal plaque saying “I could be.” and the full stop is the scale model of Pluto. To anyone who grew up seeing the odd orrery in a museum, it’s quite mind-boggling. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/111 "2015-07-15T15:04:15Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > There are also oceans to explore inside Europa, Ceres, Ganymede, Callisto and _Terra_. What, Terra has oceans? Who knew! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/112 "2015-07-15T15:08:24Z")
I thought terra was firma than that. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/113 "2015-07-15T15:08:52Z")
And they are so inaccessible that we’ve only been to the deepest parts [del]once[/del] twice. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/114 "2015-07-15T15:13:41Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > This tweet might be of some interest. > > [x.com](https://twitter.com/chronsciguy/status/620637891601960961) **The Bad Astronomer** [follows up](http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/07/15/art_pluto_s_features_predicted_in_1979.html) on this. Amazing what you can deduce from size, mass, distance, likely chemicals and such. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/115 "2015-07-15T16:33:00Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > Sounds like you would be interested in [The Kirkhill Pillar Project](http://www.kirkhillpillarproject.org.uk) in West Lothian, Scotland. > > There’s a disc six feet across (1.8m) representing the Sun. And then each planet represented by a piece of an artwork, making up a scale model. So Earth is approximately 200m from the Sun, and is 1.6cm across. > > Pluto is 7.5 Km from the Sun and is 3.8mm across. There’s a metal plaque saying “I could be.” and the full stop is the scale model of Pluto. > > To anyone who grew up seeing the odd orrery in a museum, it’s quite mind-boggling. The scale I like has the Sun as a two-foot beach ball on the goal-line at my local football club, the Earth as a dried pea most of the way to the other end of the field, and Alpha Centauri in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/116 "2015-07-15T17:03:04Z")
Thought I posted this earlier. Video of the “systems nominal” sequence (in case you want to relive it) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/117 "2015-07-15T17:10:45Z")
FYI, [an online solar system calendar](http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/). Plug in the prefered diameter for the sun and get the planet sizes and orbit radius of each planet, plus sizes and distances of other stellar objects. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/118 "2015-07-15T17:24:54Z")
Been riveted to the Internet news on this over the last few months. I can’t believe it’s been 9 years already. The iPhone was a year away from hitting the market when NH launched. Crazy. Anyway, so… It’s a butterscotch color (not what I imagined as a kid). What does that coloration, primarily, come from? It’s mostly frozen nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/119 "2015-07-15T17:34:58Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Thought I posted this earlier. Video of the “systems nominal” sequence (in case you want to relive it) > > Brian It’s amazing how young so many of them are. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Angry\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@The\_Angry\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Angry_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695/120 "2015-07-15T18:01:55Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > Sounds like you would be interested in [The Kirkhill Pillar Project](http://www.kirkhillpillarproject.org.uk) in West Lothian, Scotland. > > There’s a disc six feet across (1.8m) representing the Sun. And then each planet represented by a piece of an artwork, making up a scale model. So Earth is approximately 200m from the Sun, and is 1.6cm across. > > Pluto is 7.5 Km from the Sun and is 3.8mm across. There’s a metal plaque saying “I could be.” and the full stop is the scale model of Pluto. > > To anyone who grew up seeing the odd orrery in a museum, it’s quite mind-boggling. If you don’t have the time to go to Scotland, [this site](http://www.scalesolarsystem.66ghz.com/index.html) gives a good sense of the distances involved. Hint: you need to do a _lot_ of scrolling. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-probe-on-its-way/340695.md?page=7)