plutonic interlude

[MiR]

Some time ago I've read a comprehensive article in a science magazine about Pluto's atmosphere.

Here are some related web-pages:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/science/everything_pluto/7_atmosphere.php (New Horizons Web Site)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

And here's the .ssc-code (made during the coffee break...):

Code: Select all

 "" "Sol"    # Pluto
{
    Class "dwarfplanet"
    Texture "pluto.*"    # be sure to have a texture "pluto.*" in your "textures" directory
    SpecularColor            [ 0.135 0.12 0.08 ]
    SpecularPower             9.5

    Color [ 0.4 0.5 0.4 ]
    HazeColor [ 0.04 0.05 0.04]
    HazeDensity 0.64

    Radius 1152        # 1151

   Beginning 2440911.91961    # 1970
   Ending 2455156.92115        # 2009

   Atmosphere {
      Height 1024
      Lower [ 0.06 0.07 0.064 ]
      Upper [ 0.04 0.05 0.04 ]
      Sky [ 0.04 0.04 0.05 ]
      Sunset [ 0.2 0.2 0.1 ]

      Mie 0.00000064    # f?r OpenGL2
      MieAsymmetry -0.29
      Rayleigh [ 0.0000000029 0.00000056 0.00000043 ]
      Absorption [ 0.0000001 0.000015 0.00006 ]
      MieScaleHeight 1111
   }

    OrbitFrame {
        EquatorJ2000 { Center "Sol/Pluto-Charon" }
    }

    BodyFrame {
        EclipticJ2000 { Center "Sol/Pluto-Charon" }
    }

    EllipticalOrbit
    {
   Epoch      2452600.5   # 2002 Nov 22
        Period           6.387206   # mean
        SemiMajorAxis    2043.1     # mass ratio of 0.1166
        Eccentricity     0.003484   # mean
        Inclination      96.1680    # mean
        AscendingNode   223.0539    # mean
        ArgOfPericenter 337.92      # mean
        MeanLongitude    77.960     
    }

    UniformRotation
    {
    Period      153.292944
    Inclination      115.60
    AscendingNode   228.34
    MeridianAngle   320.75
    }
   
    Albedo      0.64        # 0.55
}

Note: You have to set the time values between the years 1970 and 2009!

(If you can't see anything, then the add-on works well because Pluto's atmosphere is very thin. See pictures below)
Please click for a better view - animated .gif's....

pluto_dark.gif

pluto_normal.gif

The add-on should be only a complementary aspect. Just for the completeness...

Michael

[MiR]

...and for a better impression (again) I've made an additional "cloud-map" (escaping gases):

pluto_clouds_0002.jpg

pluto_clouds_0004.jpg

Michael

[MiR]

Some interesting news about Pluto's atmosphere:
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/04/plutos-expanding-atmosphere-conf.html?ref=hp

It seems that Pluto's atmosphere evaporate into free space.
Maybe its atmosphere doesn't freeze out and will not condense back onto its surface. Because of Pluto's low gravity.

I'm gonna customize the .ssc file as soon as possible.

Michael

[MiR]

the new .ssc starts 1958; a cloud layer (if you like) and an atmospheric height about 6km.
then follows:

1969 - 1987 => 64km [height of atmosphere(ionosphere)]
1987 - 1999 => 135km
1999 - 2004 => 640km
2004 - 2009 => 1000km
2009 - 2011 => 3000km
2011 - ? => will wait for Nasa's New Horizons...

pluto_atmosphere_1958-2011.jpg

within the listed time interval the .ssc runs automatically. Put it in your Celestia/extras... or copy everything in your solarsys.ssc.
Before 1958 and after 2011 nothing will be changed.

[MiR]

...and here's the new file:

pluto-atmosphere.zip

Michael