Planetary astrophotography

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88 years of evolution

pluto-observations-through-the-years

This animation depicts the dwarf planet Pluto, viewed chronologically from its original discovery in 1930 until the present day.  The initial image was captured through a terrestrial telescope (1930), followed by a series of images captured by the Hubble Telescope  (beginning in the 1990’s) and then the incredible results of the New Horizons interplanetary space probe in 2015.

This demonstrates so well the simultaneous evolution of photography, communication and space travel in bettering human understanding.

Complete source list in order with image credits:

  • Clyde Tombaugh, Lowell Observatory, 1930: HERE
  • Hubble Space Telescope, 1996: HERE
  • Hubble Space Telescope, 1994: HERE
  • Hubble Space Telescope, 2011: HERE
  • Hubble Space Telescope, 2002-2003: HERE
  • New Horizons, April 9, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, May 12, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, June 2, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, June 15, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, July 1, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, July 3, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, July 8, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, July 10, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, July 11, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, July 13, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, July 14, 2015: HERE
  • New Horizons, July 15, 2015: HERE

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