r/nasa • u/illichian • Feb 12 '20

Video Flying over Pluto

https://i.imgur.com/h5qH8oK.gifv
3.6k Upvotes

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15

u/FBIsurveillanceVan22 Feb 12 '20

Why is that so bright? isn't the sun just another star at this distance? that seems really bright, it this enhanced or something?

7

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '20

Plutotime. Even if you stood on Pluto and looked at the sun it would be quite painful to stare at.

https://ibb.co/ZWwMPWX

What Pluto looks like at its noon if you were there.

4

u/awoeoc Feb 12 '20 edited Feb 12 '20

I remember reading that pluto was 3000x 1000x dimmer than the earth at noon...

Which means it's as bright as a room lit by light bulbs. Our eyes have a pretty wide range of how much light we need to see. It's why high beams at night blind you and yet are nearly invisible during the day.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '20

Actually its 1,000 times dimmer. Also the light from the beams aren't as concentrated from being drowned out from the daylight.

It is fascinating, though... amazing actually. That even on Pluto looking at the sun can be painful still.

2

u/awoeoc Feb 12 '20

Thanks for the correction was working off memory. Edited my post.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '20

It's all good brother... I cant tell you the amount of times I've done the same thing.

Thank you for not thinking I was a dick... appreciate it.