The great thing about today's APOD is that it actually shows us some surface details on Pluto below the little planet's layered atmosphere.
A gorgeous high-resolution image really shows surface details of Pluto below the hazy atmosphere, including Sputnik Planitia, the large light-colored "heart" of Pluto:
Doesn't it look amazing?![:shock:]( "Shocked")
![:D]( "Very Happy")
Talking of Pluto's Sputnik Planitia, we've really got to look at the day side of Pluto, to see its huge nitrogen flood plain heart!
But since I am the Color Commentator - or, more precisely, since I call myself the Color Commentator - I feel compelled to show you that Pluto's atmosphere is blue!
Since Wikipedia compared the atmosphere of Pluto with the upper haze layer of Titan, let's look at the atmosphere of Titan:
Titan is, of course, the largest moon of Saturn. Titan is surprisingly dark compared with the haze-covered yellow cloudtops of Saturn. Titan's blue haze layers are invisible when the moon is seen in front of the face of Saturn. But we do see hints of a blue haze layer on Saturn:
But since the APOD is about Pluto, not about Titan or Saturn, let's look at a picture of Pluto and its (comparatively) huge moon, Charon, to appreciate the brightness or rather reflectivity (albedo) difference between them!
I note that one thing the the Earth, Pluto and Titan have in common is that our atmospheres are mostly composed of nitrogen. All in all, I'm happy that I get to breathe the atmosphere of the Earth rather than the atmosphere of Pluto or Titan!
Ann
P.S. I've got to show you this!
Can you believe it? This picture was taken from the ISS by astronaut Matthew Dominick. You can see the thin crescent of the Moon above the Earth's atmosphere, and our planet's upper atmosphere is rippling with noctilucent clouds. Doesn't it look amazing?
A gorgeous high-resolution image really shows surface details of Pluto below the hazy atmosphere, including Sputnik Planitia, the large light-colored "heart" of Pluto:
Doesn't it look amazing?
Talking of Pluto's Sputnik Planitia, we've really got to look at the day side of Pluto, to see its huge nitrogen flood plain heart!
But since I am the Color Commentator - or, more precisely, since I call myself the Color Commentator - I feel compelled to show you that Pluto's atmosphere is blue!
Since Wikipedia compared the atmosphere of Pluto with the upper haze layer of Titan, let's look at the atmosphere of Titan:
Titan is, of course, the largest moon of Saturn. Titan is surprisingly dark compared with the haze-covered yellow cloudtops of Saturn. Titan's blue haze layers are invisible when the moon is seen in front of the face of Saturn. But we do see hints of a blue haze layer on Saturn:
But since the APOD is about Pluto, not about Titan or Saturn, let's look at a picture of Pluto and its (comparatively) huge moon, Charon, to appreciate the brightness or rather reflectivity (albedo) difference between them!
I note that one thing the the Earth, Pluto and Titan have in common is that our atmospheres are mostly composed of nitrogen. All in all, I'm happy that I get to breathe the atmosphere of the Earth rather than the atmosphere of Pluto or Titan!
P.S. I've got to show you this!
Can you believe it? This picture was taken from the ISS by astronaut Matthew Dominick. You can see the thin crescent of the Moon above the Earth's atmosphere, and our planet's upper atmosphere is rippling with noctilucent clouds. Doesn't it look amazing?
Statistics: Posted by Ann — Sat Nov 16, 2024 6:38 am — Replies 2 — Views 70