New Horizons Probe's Images of Jupiter

SeaDour writes "The Pluto-bound New Horizons space probe, launched a little over a year ago, recently succeeded in passing through a narrow navigational keyhole by Jupiter. Using the gas giant's tremendous gravity, the craft now has a significant boost toward its final destination, shaving three years off the time it would otherwise spend en-route. As it passed through the Jovian system, the probe took some fantastic images of the neighborhood, including detailed observations of erupting volcanoes on Io, time-lapse photography of Jupiter's tumultuous atmosphere, and the faint ring system that was first discovered in Voyager photography. These new images prove the capabilities of the small probe, which is set to reach Pluto in 2015."

Re:Forget Jupiter

[Anonymous Coward]

Here you go:

{_@_}

Re:Obligatory answer

[Anonymous Coward]

Nope, but if it ran windows, it would have crashed into the sun on it's last maneuver...

Which is good because if windows was installed, the photos taken would not be viewable after downloading them as the owners certificate would not match the original and the DRM would not allow viewing unless they called 1-800-MICROSOFT and obtained a new key...

Problem is the license sticker is ON THE SPACECRAFT!

Re:Great!

[psaunders]

I was actually looking forward to seeing what comes back from the probe. But I hear Pluto is a dwarf planet...the pictures probably won't show much, since dwarves live underground.

Another time-saving measure

[Kingrames]

Whoop-de-do, slingshotting around Jupiter. They could have shaved a lot more time off the trip by slingshotting around the sun. :)

But that method is usually only reserved for Starfleet emergencies.

Re:asteroid field

[regularstranger]

The asteroid fields in Star Wars are not representative of any asteroid fields we are familiar with, just like Natalie Portman isn't representative of any woman who has ever talked to me.

Re:Immature Joke Warning

[Tablizer]

How long until there's pictures of Uranus?

Boys, you know what to do...
   

Re:Gravitational slingshot

[absolutely]

Crikey, i never said Jupiter's gravitaional field wasn't a factor. But it's the orbital velocity that gives the spacecraft the extra push. Of course Jupiter's gravitational field is necessary to pull the spacecraft along in the first place, as the Wikipedia article I linked to clearly states. Can't people read between the lines or do I have to spell out even the bleedin' obvious?