Comments on: Where Is the New Horizons Spacecraft? http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/ Space and astronomy news Sun, 8 Nov 2009 08:15:54 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: William Robinson http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-48359 William Robinson Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:20:49 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-48359 Hi from England. I am very fascinated by the New Horizons probe, the Voyagers, the Pioneers, and all other such craft. A while ago I saw a website which had a "running clock" which was quite literally ticking-off the miles travelled by New Horizons, and how far it had to go to Pluto. It was amazing to see how fast it was going, with the digits absolutely flying by. 100 kilometers in just a few seconds! Unfortunately I cannot now find this site, so if anyone knows the address pls be so kind as to post it. I would also like to see NASA put up a running clock for the Voyager and Pioneer probes, in terms of their distance from the Sun. Have a nice day!! Bill. Hi from England. I am very fascinated by the New Horizons probe, the Voyagers, the Pioneers, and all other such craft.
A while ago I saw a website which had a "running clock" which was quite literally ticking-off the miles travelled by New Horizons, and how far it had to go to Pluto. It was amazing to see how fast it was going, with the digits absolutely flying by. 100 kilometers in just a few seconds!
Unfortunately I cannot now find this site, so if anyone knows the address pls be so kind as to post it. I would also like to see NASA put up a running clock for the Voyager and Pioneer probes, in terms of their distance from the Sun.
Have a nice day!! Bill.

]]> By: GeorgetteT http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-35103 GeorgetteT Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:49:19 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-35103 We all know how curious we are. How much more would it have cost to piggyback a orbiter to stay in the Pluto system. Is it possible to have interested donations from around the world to achieve this extra. Now we will probably only have one side of Pluto in reasonable detail Perhaps Macdonalds might want to place a add on the side of New Horizons. We will all see these spacecraft again in a musium on Earth, hundreds of years from now when our space travel speeds catch up and retieves them. We all know how curious we are. How much more would it have cost to piggyback a orbiter to stay in the Pluto system. Is it possible to have interested donations from around the world to achieve this extra. Now we will probably only have one side of Pluto in reasonable detail
Perhaps Macdonalds might want to place a add on the side of New Horizons.
We will all see these spacecraft again in a musium on Earth, hundreds of years from now when our space travel speeds catch up and retieves them.

]]> By: jasond http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23210 jasond Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:08:39 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23210 If you have a decent machine, you can grab Celestia and monitor the course of New Horizons - even fast forward to 2015. There's a great-looking 3d model available in the 'Motherlode' add-ons. http://www.shatters.net/celestia/ If you have a decent machine, you can grab Celestia and monitor the course of New Horizons – even fast forward to 2015. There's a great-looking 3d model available in the 'Motherlode' add-ons.

http://www.shatters.net/celestia/

]]> By: MikeM http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23171 MikeM Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:33:35 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23171 Here's a look at where both Pioneers and Voyagers are right now: http://www.heavens-above.com/solar-escape.asp New Horizons isn't plotted in the pictures but is included in the data table. Here's a look at where both Pioneers and Voyagers are right now:

http://www.heavens-above.com/solar-escape.asp

New Horizons isn't plotted in the pictures but is included in the data table.

]]> By: billymac1 http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23160 billymac1 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:06:01 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23160 You know, a quick look at a wikipedia entry on "list of artifical objects escaping the solar system" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_artificial_objects_escaping_from_the_Solar_System makes me think that none of the objects outside the two Pioneers, two Voyagers, and New Horizons, as well as their upper stages, have the required escape velocity and have become solar orbiting objects instead. Welcome anyone's further discussion or insight on it! You know, a quick look at a wikipedia entry on "list of artifical objects escaping the solar system" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_artificial_objects_escaping_from_the_Solar_System makes me think that none of the objects outside the two Pioneers, two Voyagers, and New Horizons, as well as their upper stages, have the required escape velocity and have become solar orbiting objects instead. Welcome anyone's further discussion or insight on it!

]]> By: billymac1 http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23159 billymac1 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:44:15 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23159 I think it's fascinating to contemplate where far-flung human-made objects are at this point. As nancy said "operational spacecraft" farther out than NH only includes the two Voyagers. Unfortunately, the Pioneers 10 and 11 are now silent, so for our purposes, even if their RTGs are still generating power at some level or another. However, it'd be a fascinating project for some properly-inclined person to calculate with whatever information is available on last known speeds, trajectories, etc as to where the two Pioneers are, as well as the flyby Mariner missions and any other early planetary or lunar flyby missions where the hardware just flew past its target and after a while was turned off. One would assume these dead machines are also on their way out of the solar system. Where are THEY as of this date in terms of AU from the sun and general direction? I think it's fascinating to contemplate where far-flung human-made objects are at this point. As nancy said "operational spacecraft" farther out than NH only includes the two Voyagers. Unfortunately, the Pioneers 10 and 11 are now silent, so for our purposes, even if their RTGs are still generating power at some level or another. However, it'd be a fascinating project for some properly-inclined person to calculate with whatever information is available on last known speeds, trajectories, etc as to where the two Pioneers are, as well as the flyby Mariner missions and any other early planetary or lunar flyby missions where the hardware just flew past its target and after a while was turned off. One would assume these dead machines are also on their way out of the solar system. Where are THEY as of this date in terms of AU from the sun and general direction?

]]> By: greg c http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23143 greg c Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:57:06 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23143 jasond i agree with everything you posted. it's also amazing to me that the sun is that massive that it's pull can still attract these objects that are so far away from it. neat! jasond

i agree with everything you posted.
it's also amazing to me that the sun is that massive that it's pull can still attract these objects that are so far away from it.

neat!

]]> By: jasond http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23136 jasond Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:09:07 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23136 @ greg c: Funny you should say that, I was just thinking the same thing. With all the news UT publishes on deep space and extra-galactic phenomena, it's kind of made the Universe seem that much bigger while seemingly dwarfing our own solar system when, in reality, the Sol system is still essentially massive in scale. The snippet in this article that hit me the most was that the next big milestone for this craft is crossing Uranus' orbit just shy of three years from now. While NH's speed of 65,740 kph seems blazing fast to me, it’s humbling to realize light from the Sun will travel that same distance in just 2.66h. It’s amazing we have the patience for it but the payoff in the end always seems worth it. Hopefully when Pan-STARRS comes online next year, astronomers will discover new and interesting TNOs/KBOs for New Horizons to swing by and photograph, as well. Looking forward to seeing the outer solar system in high-res… @ greg c:

Funny you should say that, I was just thinking the same thing. With all the news UT publishes on deep space and extra-galactic phenomena, it's kind of made the Universe seem that much bigger while seemingly dwarfing our own solar system when, in reality, the Sol system is still essentially massive in scale. The snippet in this article that hit me the most was that the next big milestone for this craft is crossing Uranus' orbit just shy of three years from now. While NH's speed of 65,740 kph seems blazing fast to me, it’s humbling to realize light from the Sun will travel that same distance in just 2.66h. It’s amazing we have the patience for it but the payoff in the end always seems worth it. Hopefully when Pan-STARRS comes online next year, astronomers will discover new and interesting TNOs/KBOs for New Horizons to swing by and photograph, as well. Looking forward to seeing the outer solar system in high-res…

]]> By: Al Hall http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23135 Al Hall Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:44:30 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23135 I also like stories like this. Puts things in a little more perspective. I think, though, that the Pioneer spacecraft should have also gotten a little credit in the article. Maybe they still are operational, but we just can't communicate with them.. Just my two cents worth.. :-) I also like stories like this. Puts things in a little more perspective.
I think, though, that the Pioneer spacecraft should have also gotten a little credit in the article. Maybe they still are operational, but we just can't communicate with them.. Just my two cents worth.. :-)

]]> By: greg c http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23124 greg c Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:01:08 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23124 at that speed it will still take another 7 years to reach Pluto and Charon. really puts an image in my head of how huge just our solar system really is. fascinating! at that speed it will still take another 7 years to reach Pluto and Charon. really puts an image in my head of how huge just our solar system really is. fascinating!

]]> By: Sili http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23123 Sili Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:59:06 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23123 Is NH just gonna swing by Pluto fast or is there some way of braking the poor thing when it arrives? Is NH just gonna swing by Pluto fast or is there some way of braking the poor thing when it arrives?

]]> By: Ralph G http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23122 Ralph G Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:33:31 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23122 I'm guessing the speeds as quoted are New Horizons velocity receeding from the sun? I'm guessing the speeds as quoted are New Horizons velocity receeding from the sun?

]]> By: website design http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/09/wheres-the-new-horizons-spacecraft/comment-page-1/#comment-23118 website design Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:33:59 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=14935#comment-23118 Thanks for posting this! It is interesting! Thanks for posting this! It is interesting!

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