Media Conference to discuss Suprising Behavior on Pluto's Moons

From the article :

to discuss the Hubble Space Telescope’s surprising observations of how Pluto’s moons behave, and how these new discoveries are being used in the planning for the New Horizons Pluto flyby in July.

To me it reads as if they found some sort of change in the orbits or gravity or just different as they expected , and have to alter or modify the flyby.

The surprising observations reportedly have to do with the behavior of Pluto's moons. These are already known to have near orbital period resonances with the largest one, Charon. Perhaps they've found that the resonances are true, not just approximately so.
The ratios of the orbital periods of the moons of Pluto are approximately as follows:
Charon 1.000
Styx 3.16
Nix 3.89
Kerberos 5.03
Hydra 5.982
What would it signify if the true periods turned out to be exactly 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, and 6:1, respectively ?

How exactly can moons behave in a surprising way? I mean do they hide behind Pluto and then dash out shouting "surprise"?
This statement has piqued my curiosity.
After all, gravity is gravity, right?

originally posted by: Ross 54
The surprising observations reportedly have to do with the behavior of Pluto's moons. These are already known to have near orbital period resonances with the largest one, Charon. Perhaps they've found that the resonances are true, not just approximately so.
The ratios of the orbital periods of the moons of Pluto are approximately as follows:
Charon 1.000
Styx 3.16
Nix 3.89
Kerberos 5.03
Hydra 5.982
What would it signify if the true periods turned out to be exactly 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, and 6:1, respectively ?

Ooh I like this idea, it smacks of design!

a reply to: Krazysh0t

There are orbital aberrations of Neptune to some extent. I believe that's how the astrophysicists determined that "something" was affecting Neptune and Pluto. (I'm gonna get flamed for this!!!!) and Uranus, also to a very small degree.

I agree that Pluto is too large to be a defunct neutron star, it could have portions of it neutron and the rest ice and dust, like a comet caught in a stable orbit. I have wondered how something so small could be caught in a solar orbit if it didn't have much mass, that far out.

But then, we have the Oort cloud, don't we. IDK, awaiting NASA's report.

these kind of nasa press calls to announce 'surprising' or 'interesting' discoveries are invariably as dull as dishwater. it would be nice to hear something truly phenomenal. fingers crossed but breath not held.

If there are aliens living that far out in the solar system, they must be some really cold muthas.

a reply to: butcherguy

Nah, they harness nothingness to produce all the power and heat they want.

originally posted by: Ross 54

What would it signify if the true periods turned out to be exactly 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, and 6:1, respectively ?

Interesting

Sounds like harmonics? Designed that way?
I would have exact ratios to make planet orbits stay how I want them too.

They discovered a couple of new moons on the way there and they are still somewhat on guard for new ones that could obliterate the probe at any time. maybe they found another?

They are going to release the info they have found the Prothean data cache on Mars.Charon is the frozen over Mass Relay.What did Bioware know and when did they know it?

Yes, I think that a complete set of true resonances 3, 4, 5, 6 could justly be described as 'surprising'. Charon was probably created when a planetesimal struck Pluto, something like the giant impact theory of how Earth's Moon was formed. The formation of the other moons is open to question.
Their orbits are bunched together rather closely, with a large gap between them and Pluto.
We know of other orbital periods in resonance, such as Io, Europa, and Ganymede, at Jupiter, with periods of 1, 2, and 4, and the exo-planets KOI 730 d,b,c, and e, with period ratios of 3,4,6, and 8.
I wonder if they will find an additional moon at Pluto with a 2:1 resonance.

a reply to: ChefSlug

Then afterwards there will be a conference on the behavior of those same people and why the heck Pluto's moons matter!

Anyone having trouble receiving the audio? I'm on the streaming page but I get nothing.

a reply to: NightFlight

There was a delay, it is now streaming.

a reply to: ChefSlug

Quite a misleading title.

This is not behavior ON Pluto's moons.


This was the title of the article you linked.

NASA to Hold Media Call to Discuss Surprising Observations OF Pluto’s Moons

It's not really the same is it?

CRAP they found my DUJ!
Now I gatta move it ...

Anyone have any updates?

People grasping at straws again. Nowhere does it say "strange behaviors ON the moon" it says they will explain how the moon itself behaves. Probably some weird orbit or something uninteresting.

a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

"it" could be that the orbit of pluto's moons show the influence of a large yet undiscovered body beyond Pluto's orbit. Clearly there is more out there to be found.

A large yet undiscovered body? It must be Nibiru!

Perhaps it could be an large asteroid caught in- Nah, it's Nibiru. Now we wait for the inevitable "I told you so" claims and then the world can start ending again.

To be fair what is huge is the astronomical world is considered mundane to the everyday folk.

Below find a link to an article on the subject of today's NASA press briefing on the odd behavior of Pluto's moons:
www.nbcnews.com...