Pluto and Charon in False Color Show Compositional Diversity

This July 13, 2015, image of Pluto and Charon is presented in false colors to make differences in surface material and features easy to see. It was obtained by the Ralph instrument on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, using three filters to obtain color information, which is exaggerated in the image. These are not the actual colors of Pluto and Charon, and the apparent distance between the two bodies has been reduced for this side-by-side view.

The image reveals that the bright heart-shaped region of Pluto includes areas that differ in color characteristics. The western lobe, shaped like an ice-cream cone, appears peach color in this image. A mottled area on the right (east) appears bluish. Even within Pluto's northern polar cap, in the upper part of the image, various shades of yellow-orange indicate subtle compositional differences.

The surface of Charon is viewed using the same exaggerated color. The red on the dark northern polar cap of Charon is attributed to hydrocarbon materials including a class of chemical compounds called tholins. The mottled colors at lower latitudes point to the diversity of terrains on Charon.

This image was taken at 3:38 a.m. EDT on July 13, one day before New Horizons’ closest approach to Pluto.

Image Credit: NASA/APL/SwRI

R U a Plutocionado?

March 17, 2016 weejee 5 Comments

+10

http://www.wired.com/2016/03/plethora-new-pluto-science/

Let’s Get the Lead Out Kiddos

March 17, 2016 weejee 1 Comment

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/03/17/its-not-just-flint-lead-taints-water-across-the-u-s-the-epa-says/

Poisoner gets hearing.

March 17, 2016 coozledad 3 Comments

+10

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/watch-elijah-cummings-annihilates-michigan-governor-rick-snyder-during-flint-hearing/

GOP has no idea how anatomy works

March 17, 2016 snowpointsecret 4 Comments

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/elizabeth-warren-neutered-darth-vader_us_56eacc1ce4b0b25c91849eae

Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is

March 17, 2016 weejee 10 Comments

+10

http://boingboing.net/2016/03/17/study-people-who-believe-in-i.html

Anyone Wanna Do Brackets?

March 17, 2016March 18, 2016 Bleepblorp 42 Comments

+20

http://games.espn.go.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2016/en/

“South Africa Did Not Bribe FIFA to get 2010 World Cup.” Pig Squadron to Arrange Fly-Past

March 17, 2016 PubOption Leave a comment

http://www.stltoday.com/news/world/south-africa-wants-fifa-to-retract-accusations-of-bribery/article_b135aac0-14e6-5253-8d99-11b4b899582d.html

Number Six on the Global Threat Index

March 17, 2016 C_T_Hulhu 9 Comments

+10

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/mar/17/president-trump-sixth-list-major-threats-global-economy-republican-trade-eiu

Blah Teen Dies in Custody

March 17, 2016 PubOption Leave a comment

+10

http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/kentucky-teen-s-death-due-to-heart-condition-not-martial/article_74c1480b-5aa3-598b-9b16-a0d069a4a4ee.html

Homophobic Sportsballers: Who Would Have Thunk It?

March 17, 2016 PubOption Leave a comment

+10

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinals-take-reported-allegations-from-gay-player-very-seriously/article_a4a58af5-d08f-5a8a-8917-bf1e585364e1.html

C.C. Rider (just cause)

March 17, 2016March 17, 2016 smokey Leave a comment

+10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7R-ck2LRWo

Huh.

March 16, 2016 natl_[gorgeous]_cmdr 2 Comments

+10

http://gawker.com/pbs-news-story-on-first-time-trump-voters-prominently-f-1765284316

Fiore: Refugee Occupiers were just “campers” using “private land”

March 16, 2016 Spottts1701 5 Comments

http://lasvegassun.com/news/2016/mar/16/fiore-oregon-occupiers-were-campers-who-were-victi/

Five Officers Demoted for Watching Drumpf Supporter Sucker-Punch a Protester at North Carolina Rally

March 16, 2016 natl_[gorgeous]_cmdr 4 Comments

+10

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/03/16/north_carolina_officers_demoted_for_role_in_trump_supporter_punch_protester.html

Hey Mr Tully Man, Tully me a Monster

March 16, 2016 C_T_Hulhu 9 Comments

+10

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-tully-monster-scientists-finally-think-they-know-180958422/?no-ist

Chascates asks for your support on this worthy petition

March 16, 2016 chascates 5 Comments

+30

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov//petition/stop-paying-wages-and-expenses-senators-and-their-staff-until-they-hold-hearing-scotus-nominee

Wonkville

Our Headlines Are Funnier®

Author: weejee

R U a Plutocionado?

Let’s Get the Lead Out Kiddos

Poisoner gets hearing.

GOP has no idea how anatomy works

Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is

Anyone Wanna Do Brackets?

“South Africa Did Not Bribe FIFA to get 2010 World Cup.” Pig Squadron to Arrange Fly-Past

Number Six on the Global Threat Index

Blah Teen Dies in Custody

Homophobic Sportsballers: Who Would Have Thunk It?

C.C. Rider (just cause)

Huh.

Fiore: Refugee Occupiers were just “campers” using “private land”

Five Officers Demoted for Watching Drumpf Supporter Sucker-Punch a Protester at North Carolina Rally

Hey Mr Tully Man, Tully me a Monster

Chascates asks for your support on this worthy petition