More Pluto!!!

credit: NASA/JHAPL/SRI

Just WOW!!!  All the fantastic pictures and discoveries coming from the New Horizons Mission are simply awesome.  That photo of Pluto backlit by the Sun taken as New Horizons, on the way from the Pluto encounter pointed back towards the PLANET (Oh my, wouldn't want to prejudice the poll results, now would I?) was breathtakingly gorgeous.  

BTW, notice the poll to your right.  You can vote, and I encourage all readers to do so.  The poll will stay open through Aug. 4. (Update: voting is now closed.)

And the graphic above is sharable (good for things like social media) and can be found at the NASA gallery for the "dwarf planets" (sigh!) which can be found at this link.

I've been reading lots of articles about the mission as well as oogling pictures.  Here are two I found especially interesting:

Interviews of Three NH Female Team Members
       It's great to hear from women scientists and these three are fantastic.  Turns out the NH team was 25% female.  As the article says, that shows quite some progress over the years.

Article Featuring the Tombaughs
        This article spotlights the two children of Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh.  



Now, a few more poetic lines:


Pluto

He whispered to Lowell and Pickering
"Yes, fellows, I'm here!"
He waved to many astronomers
But it was Tombaugh who waved back
And a message he sent crossed billions of miles,
Calling New Horizons to explore;
They heard him say quite simply
"I'm ready for my close-up now."


Parting shots:  I am so with the sentiments of Alice Bowman: "...I can’t imagine anyone saying that Pluto is not worthy of planet status."  From what I've read, Alan Stern also feels we have a Planet here - as do quite a few other astronomers and related scientists.  As that opening graphic made my sentiments clear, I feel that no matter if the IAU doesn't see the light; Pluto will always be a PLANET in my heart!!! Take THAT, Mike Brown (whose book title I find loathsome). I did find something that might be more my cup of tea, however.  In the course of my reading, I came across mention of a book by Alan Boyle, titled The Case for Pluto.  I just may want to investigate more. 

Pluto lovers, unite!