Meet the Interstellar Five, Robotic Explorers Venturing Far, Far From Earth
Pluto's Got a Heart! Sure, It's an Icy Plain of Nitrogen, But Still ...
NASA Probe Awakens, Heads Toward Mysterious Space Rock
It's Not Your Parents' Solar System Anymore
Pluto's Geology: A New World Shimmers Into View
Months After its Pluto Encounter, NASA Spacecraft Still Surprises and Delights
Move Over Pluto, Dwarf Planet Ceres Gets an Extreme Close-Up
Earth in the Year 2015: Can You Ace the KQED Science Quiz?
Ice Volcanoes on Pluto? What's Next!
Sponsored
window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={"attachmentsReducer":{"audio_0":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_0","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"}}},"audio_1":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_1","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"}}},"audio_2":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_2","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"}}},"audio_3":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_3","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"}}},"audio_4":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_4","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"}}},"placeholder":{"type":"attachments","id":"placeholder","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-160x96.jpg","width":160,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-800x478.jpg","width":800,"height":478,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1020x610.jpg","width":1020,"height":610,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-lrg":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1920x1148.jpg","width":1920,"height":1148,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-med":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1180x705.jpg","width":1180,"height":705,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-sm":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-960x574.jpg","width":960,"height":574,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xxsmall":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-240x143.jpg","width":240,"height":143,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xsmall":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-375x224.jpg","width":375,"height":224,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"small":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-520x311.jpg","width":520,"height":311,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xlarge":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1180x705.jpg","width":1180,"height":705,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1920x1148.jpg","width":1920,"height":1148,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-50":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-50x50.jpg","width":50,"height":50,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-e1514998105161.jpg","width":1920,"height":1148}}},"science_1973550":{"type":"attachments","id":"science_1973550","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"science","id":"1973550","found":true},"title":"voyager 1","publishDate":1617390857,"status":"inherit","parent":0,"modified":1617404548,"caption":"Artist concept of the Pioneer 10 spacecraft, pointing its radio dish toward the ever receding solar system, as it coasts eternally through interstellar space. ","credit":"NASA/Ames Research Center","altTag":null,"description":"Artist concept of the Pioneer 10 spacecraft, pointing its radio dish toward the ever receding solar system, as it coasts eternally through interstellar space. ","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/voyager-1-160x90.jpg","width":160,"height":90,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium_large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/voyager-1-768x432.jpg","width":768,"height":432,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/voyager-1-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/voyager-1.jpg","width":800,"height":450}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"science_1956966":{"type":"attachments","id":"science_1956966","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"science","id":"1956966","found":true},"title":"nh-psychedelic-pluto_pca","publishDate":1581635703,"status":"inherit","parent":1956964,"modified":1581636312,"caption":"Pluto appears psychedelic in this false color image, made using a technique to highlight subtle color differences between Pluto's regions. ","credit":"NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI","description":"New Horizons scientists made this false color image of Pluto using a technique called principal component analysis to highlight the many subtle color differences between Pluto's distinct regions. The image data were collected by the spacecraft’s Ralph/MVIC color camera on July 14 at 11:11 AM UTC, from a range of 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers). This image was presented by Will Grundy of the New Horizons’ surface composition team on Nov. 9 at the Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in National Harbor, Maryland.","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/nh-psychedelic-pluto_pca-160x160.png","width":160,"height":160,"mimeType":"image/png"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/nh-psychedelic-pluto_pca-800x800.png","width":800,"height":800,"mimeType":"image/png"},"medium_large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/nh-psychedelic-pluto_pca-768x768.png","width":768,"height":768,"mimeType":"image/png"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/nh-psychedelic-pluto_pca-1020x1020.png","width":1020,"height":1020,"mimeType":"image/png"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/nh-psychedelic-pluto_pca-672x372.png","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/png"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/nh-psychedelic-pluto_pca-1038x576.png","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/png"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/nh-psychedelic-pluto_pca.png","width":1041,"height":1041}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"science_1924998":{"type":"attachments","id":"science_1924998","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"science","id":"1924998","found":true},"title":"Pluto close-up","publishDate":1527985659,"status":"inherit","parent":1924994,"modified":1527985830,"caption":"Photo of Pluto shot by New Horizons moments after its closest flyby in 2015.","credit":"NASA","description":null,"imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-160x68.jpg","width":160,"height":68,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-800x342.jpg","width":800,"height":342,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium_large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-768x328.jpg","width":768,"height":328,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-1020x436.jpg","width":1020,"height":436,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"complete_open_graph":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-1200x513.jpg","width":1200,"height":513,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-lrg":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-1920x820.jpg","width":1920,"height":820,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-med":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-1180x504.jpg","width":1180,"height":504,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-sm":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-960x410.jpg","width":960,"height":410,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xxsmall":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-240x103.jpg","width":240,"height":103,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xsmall":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-375x160.jpg","width":375,"height":160,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"small":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-520x222.jpg","width":520,"height":222,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xlarge":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-1180x504.jpg","width":1180,"height":504,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-1920x820.jpg","width":1920,"height":820,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-50":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-50x50.jpg","width":50,"height":50,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/15minutesaftercreditNASA.jpg","width":2800,"height":1196}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"science_723134":{"type":"attachments","id":"science_723134","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"science","id":"723134","found":true},"title":"solarsystemlitter","publishDate":1464112209,"status":"inherit","parent":723030,"modified":1464112303,"caption":"Depiction of known Near Earth Asteroids in and around the Inner Solar System. ","credit":"NASA","description":"Depiction of known Near Earth Asteroids in and around the Inner Solar System. ","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-400x225.jpg","width":400,"height":225,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-800x450.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium_large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-768x432.jpg","width":768,"height":432,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-50":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-50x50.jpg","width":50,"height":50,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/solarsystemlitter.jpg","width":800,"height":450}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"science_581814":{"type":"attachments","id":"science_581814","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"science","id":"581814","found":true},"title":"pluto","publishDate":1458150069,"status":"inherit","parent":581813,"modified":1458176470,"caption":"A panorama of Pluto displays some of the great variety found on the surface of this remote world. The bright Sputnik Planum is a region of glaciers made mostly of solid nitrogen. Mountains of water ice surround it, and more float within it like icebergs. Heavily cratered Cthulhu Regio, bottom, owes its color (exaggerated in this false-color image) to organic crud created by space radiation. Extensional cracks like the one at far left hint at deeper tectonics.","credit":"ASA/JHUAPL/SwRI","description":null,"imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-400x225.jpg","width":400,"height":225,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-800x450.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium_large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-768x432.jpg","width":768,"height":432,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-med":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-1180x664.jpg","width":1180,"height":664,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-sm":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-960x540.jpg","width":960,"height":540,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-75x75.jpg","width":75,"height":75,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto.jpg","width":1180,"height":664}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"science_556805":{"type":"attachments","id":"science_556805","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"science","id":"556805","found":true},"title":"00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration","publishDate":1456856046,"status":"inherit","parent":556802,"modified":1456856148,"caption":"Artist concept of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft silhouetted with Pluto and its large moon Charon. ","credit":"NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Steve Gribben/Alex Parker","description":"Artist concept of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft silhouetted with Pluto and its large moon Charon. ","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration-400x225.jpg","width":400,"height":225,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration-800x450.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium_large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration-768x432.jpg","width":768,"height":432,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration-75x75.jpg","width":75,"height":75,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NewHorizonsPlutoCharonIllustration.jpg","width":800,"height":450}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"science_456653":{"type":"attachments","id":"science_456653","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"science","id":"456653","found":true},"title":"ceres-occator","publishDate":1452113000,"status":"inherit","parent":456475,"modified":1452200949,"caption":"False-color image of the dwarf planet Ceres, centered on Occator Crater and the mysterious \"bright spots\" discovered within it in March 2015.","credit":"Dawn/NASA","description":"False-color image of the dwarf planet Ceres, centered on its Occator Crater and the mysterious \"bright spots\" discovered within.","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator-400x225.jpg","width":400,"height":225,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator-800x450.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium_large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator-768x432.jpg","width":768,"height":432,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator-75x75.jpg","width":75,"height":75,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-occator.jpg","width":800,"height":450}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"science_430986":{"type":"attachments","id":"science_430986","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"science","id":"430986","found":true},"title":"Earth","publishDate":1450899408,"status":"inherit","parent":430896,"modified":1450900385,"caption":"The John Muir Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada stands in for planet Earth.","credit":"\u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/agrinberg/3464380533/in/photolist-6h8RCR-e5kvuY-7Vrue4-7icRw2-9cZYPY-sdJgLw-72bcJo-aqazvX-7NRkz1-qrZBgv-9fq1G6-o1Xxj7-6yPust-ahLS8A-b4m5xV-bPrqaT-5XTyyJ-9f5z3a-6PoLj-8zmozo-rYgtFy-6KARJ1-bfmrez-9f8HtJ-8ZcbzT-4BQ3pz-6t851k-adBGkR-6TB3Lh-7WnLYU-9trGAF-e89jGp-ceLYvE-6Pmm5H-oFQvmp-9iHZVd-9y17bV-6Vufi4-ednNL3-rYRx8W-9pa7R9-6azCE2-jq8ouH-7179o-edj86W-kM1QQY-ch8suW-cFb9Am-njaPqF-binsBK\" target=\"_blank\">Alan Grinberg/Flickr\u003c/a>","description":"Earth in all its aspects was prominent on KQED Science this year. The John Muir Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada stands in for our planet.","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o-400x247.jpg","width":400,"height":247,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o-800x494.jpg","width":800,"height":494,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium_large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o-768x474.jpg","width":768,"height":474,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o-75x75.jpg","width":75,"height":75,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/3464380533_cf7661c458_o.jpg","width":800,"height":494}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"science_368486":{"type":"attachments","id":"science_368486","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"science","id":"368486","found":true},"title":"plutohaze","publishDate":1448049501,"status":"inherit","parent":368481,"modified":1448049642,"caption":"Hydrocarbon haze suspended in Pluto's thin atmosphere, back-lit by the sun. Image captured by New Horizons as it departed the Pluto system last July.","credit":"NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute","description":"Hydrocarbon haze suspended in Pluto's thin atmosphere, back-lit by the sun. Image captured by New Horizons as it departed the Pluto system last July.","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutohaze-400x225.jpg","width":400,"height":225,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutohaze-800x450.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutohaze-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutohaze-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutohaze-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutohaze-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutohaze-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutohaze-75x75.jpg","width":75,"height":75,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutohaze.jpg","width":800,"height":450}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false}},"audioPlayerReducer":{"postId":"stream_live"},"authorsReducer":{"ben-burress":{"type":"authors","id":"6180","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"6180","found":true},"name":"Ben Burress","firstName":"Ben","lastName":"Burress","slug":"ben-burress","email":"bburress@chabotspace.org","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":[],"title":null,"bio":"\u003cstrong>Benjamin Burress\u003c/strong> has been a staff astronomer at Chabot Space & Science Center since July 1999. He graduated from Sonoma State University in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in physics (and minor in astronomy), after which he signed on for a two-year stint in the Peace Corps, where he taught physics and mathematics in the African nation of Cameroon. From 1989-96 he served on the crew of NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory at Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. From 1996-99, he was Head Observer at the Naval Prototype Optical Interferometer program at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ.\r\n\r\nRead his \u003ca href=\"http://science.kqed.org/quest/author/ben-burress/\">previous contributions\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"http://science.kqed.org/quest/\">QUEST\u003c/a>, a project dedicated to exploring the Science of Sustainability.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8263bffa345b7e4923a0b8b9f0f6a161?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":null,"facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"science","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"quest","roles":["subscriber"]}],"headData":{"title":"Ben Burress | KQED","description":null,"ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8263bffa345b7e4923a0b8b9f0f6a161?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8263bffa345b7e4923a0b8b9f0f6a161?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/ben-burress"},"andrew-alden":{"type":"authors","id":"6228","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"6228","found":true},"name":"Andrew Alden","firstName":"Andrew","lastName":"Alden","slug":"andrew-alden","email":"alden@andrew-alden.com","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":[],"title":null,"bio":"Andrew Alden earned his geology degree at the University of New Hampshire and moved back to the Bay Area to work at the U.S. Geological Survey for six years. He has \u003ca href=\"http://geology.about.com/\">written on geology for About.com\u003c/a> since its founding in 1997. In 2007, he started the Oakland Geology blog, which won recognition as \"Best of the East Bay\" from the \u003ci>East Bay Express\u003c/i> in 2010. In writing about geology in the Bay Area and surroundings, he hopes to share some of the useful and pleasurable insights that geologists give us—not just facts about the deep past, but an attitude that might be called the \u003ci>deep present\u003c/i>.\r\n\r\nRead his \u003ca href=\"http://science.kqed.org/quest/author/andrew-alden/\">previous contributions\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"http://http://science.kqed.org/quest/\">QUEST\u003c/a>, a project dedicated to exploring the Science of Sustainability.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9eaa0afc32f98c5fc7ce634437334a64?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":null,"facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"science","roles":["author"]},{"site":"quest","roles":["subscriber"]}],"headData":{"title":"Andrew Alden | KQED","description":null,"ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9eaa0afc32f98c5fc7ce634437334a64?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9eaa0afc32f98c5fc7ce634437334a64?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/andrew-alden"},"dpotter":{"type":"authors","id":"6609","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"6609","found":true},"name":"Daniel Potter","firstName":"Daniel","lastName":"Potter","slug":"dpotter","email":"dpotter@kqed.org","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":[],"title":null,"bio":"Daniel Potter is a reporter for KQED Science. Before that, he worked at Nashville Public Radio for six years. He’s gathered tape for The New York Times, contributed to a growing list of podcasts, and done national features for NPR on everything from bats to meningitis. He tweets at @hellodanpo.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/59396b9ad9c672dd4cd1d3e453425f12?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":"hellodanpo","facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"futureofyou","roles":["author"]},{"site":"science","roles":["editor"]}],"headData":{"title":"Daniel Potter | KQED","description":null,"ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/59396b9ad9c672dd4cd1d3e453425f12?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/59396b9ad9c672dd4cd1d3e453425f12?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/dpotter"},"dventon":{"type":"authors","id":"11088","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"11088","found":true},"name":"Danielle Venton","firstName":"Danielle","lastName":"Venton","slug":"dventon","email":"dventon@kqed.org","display_author_email":true,"staff_mastheads":["science"],"title":"Science reporter","bio":"Danielle Venton is a reporter for KQED Science. She covers wildfires, space and oceans (though she is prone to sea sickness).\r\n\r\nBefore joining KQED in 2015, Danielle was a staff reporter at KRCB in Sonoma County and a freelancer. She studied science communication at UC Santa Cruz and formerly worked at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland where she wrote about computing. She lives in Sonoma County and enjoys backpacking.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ebaf11ee6cfb7bb40329a143d463829e?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":"DanielleVenton","facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"arts","roles":["contributor"]},{"site":"news","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"futureofyou","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"science","roles":["editor"]}],"headData":{"title":"Danielle Venton | KQED","description":"Science reporter","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ebaf11ee6cfb7bb40329a143d463829e?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ebaf11ee6cfb7bb40329a143d463829e?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/dventon"}},"breakingNewsReducer":{},"campaignFinanceReducer":{},"firebase":{"requesting":{},"requested":{},"timestamps":{},"data":{},"ordered":{},"auth":{"isLoaded":false,"isEmpty":true},"authError":null,"profile":{"isLoaded":false,"isEmpty":true},"listeners":{"byId":{},"allIds":[]},"isInitializing":false,"errors":[]},"navBarReducer":{"navBarId":"news","fullView":true,"showPlayer":false},"navMenuReducer":{"menus":[{"key":"menu1","items":[{"name":"News","link":"/","type":"title"},{"name":"Politics","link":"/politics"},{"name":"Science","link":"/science"},{"name":"Education","link":"/educationnews"},{"name":"Housing","link":"/housing"},{"name":"Immigration","link":"/immigration"},{"name":"Criminal Justice","link":"/criminaljustice"},{"name":"Silicon Valley","link":"/siliconvalley"},{"name":"Forum","link":"/forum"},{"name":"The California Report","link":"/californiareport"}]},{"key":"menu2","items":[{"name":"Arts & Culture","link":"/arts","type":"title"},{"name":"Critics’ Picks","link":"/thedolist"},{"name":"Cultural Commentary","link":"/artscommentary"},{"name":"Food & Drink","link":"/food"},{"name":"Bay Area Hip-Hop","link":"/bayareahiphop"},{"name":"Rebel Girls","link":"/rebelgirls"},{"name":"Arts Video","link":"/artsvideos"}]},{"key":"menu3","items":[{"name":"Podcasts","link":"/podcasts","type":"title"},{"name":"Bay Curious","link":"/podcasts/baycurious"},{"name":"Rightnowish","link":"/podcasts/rightnowish"},{"name":"The Bay","link":"/podcasts/thebay"},{"name":"On Our Watch","link":"/podcasts/onourwatch"},{"name":"Mindshift","link":"/podcasts/mindshift"},{"name":"Consider This","link":"/podcasts/considerthis"},{"name":"Political Breakdown","link":"/podcasts/politicalbreakdown"}]},{"key":"menu4","items":[{"name":"Live Radio","link":"/radio","type":"title"},{"name":"TV","link":"/tv","type":"title"},{"name":"Events","link":"/events","type":"title"},{"name":"For Educators","link":"/education","type":"title"},{"name":"Support KQED","link":"/support","type":"title"},{"name":"About","link":"/about","type":"title"},{"name":"Help Center","link":"https://kqed-helpcenter.kqed.org/s","type":"title"}]}]},"pagesReducer":{},"postsReducer":{"stream_live":{"type":"live","id":"stream_live","audioUrl":"https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio","title":"Live Stream","excerpt":"Live Stream information currently unavailable.","link":"/radio","featImg":"","label":{"name":"KQED Live","link":"/"}},"stream_kqedNewscast":{"type":"posts","id":"stream_kqedNewscast","audioUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1","title":"KQED Newscast","featImg":"","label":{"name":"88.5 FM","link":"/"}},"science_1973548":{"type":"posts","id":"science_1973548","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"science","id":"1973548","score":null,"sort":[1617401306000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"meet-the-interstellar-five-robotic-explorers-venturing-far-far-from-earth","title":"Meet the Interstellar Five, Robotic Explorers Venturing Far, Far From Earth","publishDate":1617401306,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Meet the Interstellar Five, Robotic Explorers Venturing Far, Far From Earth | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than four decades after launch, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is over 14 billion miles from Earth, cruising an eternal course through the stars of the Milky Way galaxy. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And Voyager 1 i\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s not the only spacefaring vehicle to venture so far from home. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The probe belongs to a cadre of five interstellar-bound spacecraft, three of which are still communicating with Earth through NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/services/networks/deep_space_network/about\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deep Space Network\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> radio dishes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What have these interstellar five been doing over their decades of exploration, and where are they now?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>New Horizons: Pluto or Bust\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The youngest of NASA’s interstellar vehicles, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/new-horizons/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Horizons\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, launched 15 years ago with a singular goal: to become the first spacecraft to reach Pluto, the last unexplored planet in the solar system. Only after launch, in 2006, did the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.iau.org/public/themes/pluto/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">International Astronomical Union\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> vote to demote Pluto to a “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/what-is-a-dwarf-planet\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dwarf planet\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">”.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973552\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 790px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1973552\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/790px-New_Horizons_1-nasa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"790\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/790px-New_Horizons_1-nasa.jpg 790w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/790px-New_Horizons_1-nasa-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/790px-New_Horizons_1-nasa-768x582.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 790px) 100vw, 790px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The plutonium-powered New Horizons spacecraft during final assembly before its 2006 launch. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a boost in speed generated by a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/primer/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gravitational slingshot maneuver\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at Jupiter, New Horizons became the fastest interplanetary spacecraft up till that time, reaching a peak velocity of over 36,000 mph—a speed that would take you from the Earth to the moon in under seven hours.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Pluto’s discovery in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, little was known of this small, distant world; the best pictures of the dwarf planet, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, had revealed little more than a blur of light and dark patches. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So on July 14, 2015, the world waited with great anticipation of seeing the first up-close images–and were rewarded handsomely for a decade of giddy patience. \u003c/span>After nine years in hibernation, New Horizons \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/five-years-after-new-horizons-historic-flyby-here-are-10-cool-things-we-learned-about-plut-0/\">whizzed past Pluto\u003c/a> at over 30,000 mph, passing within 4,800 miles of the dwarf planet’s surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pluto, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/281378/new-horizons-spacecraft-turns-pluto-from-blurry-disk-into-highly-complex-world\">brought into sharp focus\u003c/a> for the first time, was revealed as a far more interesting world than anyone expected. With mountains of solid ice reaching two miles high, vast planes of frozen nitrogen-methane “slush” that appear to be flowing like glaciers, and a thin hazy atmosphere reaching heights of 80 miles above the surface, we are still gasping at Pluto’s beauty and uniqueness six years after the encounter.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973555\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1973555\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/2020_march31_pluto-NASA-JHUAPL-SwRI-.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/2020_march31_pluto-NASA-JHUAPL-SwRI-.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/2020_march31_pluto-NASA-JHUAPL-SwRI--160x120.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/2020_march31_pluto-NASA-JHUAPL-SwRI--768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto. Image captured by New Horizons during its flyby on July 14, 2015. \u003ccite>(NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following that flyby, New Horizons cruised onward into the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/overview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kuiper Belt\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a wide swath of space beyond Neptune that contains multitudes of icy objects, mostly smaller than Pluto, circling the sun.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2019 New Horizons encountered one of these objects, later named \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/arrokoth-2014-mu69/overview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arrokoth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is to date the most distant object visited by any spacecraft. Discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope in June 2014, Arrokoth was added to New Horizons’ post-Pluto itinerary as a target of opportunity. Scientists interested in how our solar system formed about 4.5 billion years ago wanted an up-close look at this example of a primitive “building block” object, the likes of which are believed to have come together to form the planets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973559\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973559\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-800x1143.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1143\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-800x1143.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-1020x1457.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-160x229.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-768x1097.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-1075x1536.png 1075w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth.png 1302w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arrokoth, the Kuiper Belt Object that New Horizons flew by in 2019. This is an ancient object, formed in the earliest times of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago. Arrokoth is the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Horizons was bound for interstellar space since it launched, moving fast enough to escape the sun’s gravitational pull and coast forever outward into space, never to return home\u003cstrong>. \u003c/strong> Today, it is more than 4.6 billion miles away, forging ahead \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">through the vast region of the Kuiper Belt\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> toward its inevitable departure from the solar system.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Voyagers 1 and 2: A Grand Tour\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The twin \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voyager\u003c/span> \u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spacecraft launched from Earth in 1977 on a five-year mission to explore the two largest planets of the solar system, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/jupiter/#:~:text=NASA%20launched%20the%20two%20Voyager,approach%20was%20July%209%2C%201979.&text=They%20took%20more%20than%2033%2C000,and%20its%20five%20major%20satellites.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jupiter\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/saturn/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saturn\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. But as time went on, and the Voyagers continued in good health, NASA engineers became optimistic the spacecraft might operate for years beyond their expiration dates.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then a rare alignment of planets offered an opportunity to send at least one of the Voyagers on to the planet Uranus and perhaps Neptune as well.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973557\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path-800x671.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"671\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path-800x671.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path-160x134.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path-768x644.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path.jpg 805w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Map of the “Grand Tour” of the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After capturing astounding close-up images of Jupiter and Saturn plus a host of their remarkable moons, mission planners engineered an end game that still tops all record charts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saturn’s gravity flung Voyager 2 toward \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/uranus/#:~:text=NASA's%20Voyager%202%20spacecraft%20flew,24%2C%201986.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uranus\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the spacecraft arrived at the “ice giant” five years later, in 1986. Uranus, in turn, hurled Voyager 2 toward its final planet encounter, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/neptune/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neptune\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in 1989. To date, Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited either of these worlds.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voyager 1’s path through the Saturn system sent it by \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.drewexmachina.com/2015/11/12/voyager-1-the-first-close-encounter-with-titan/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Titan\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the ringed world’s largest moon. Titan’s size and thick atmosphere offered great scientific reward, trumping an alternative option to send the spacecraft to Pluto.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With most of their instruments still functioning after their final encounters, the Voyagers began new careers searching for the boundary of interstellar space, where the rarefied gases and magnetic fields flowing outward from the sun change like a shift in the wind to become the prevailing environment between stars.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973556\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech-800x450.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech-800x450.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech.png 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The boundary between our solar system and interstellar space is formed where the “bubble” of our sun’s gases and magnetic fields encounters the gases spread through interstellar space. Called the heliosphere, the shape of this bubble is not symmetrical around the sun, extending farther in some directions than in others. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voyager 1 officially passed into interstellar space on Aug. 12, 2012. Voyager 2 made the crossing in 2018.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, Voyager 1 has traveled the greatest distance from home of any spacecraft, 152 astronomical units from Earth, or just over 14 billion miles—a distance that takes radio signals over 21 hours to cross.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both Voyagers are \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">still reporting back to Earth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, more than four decades after their five-year missions began. Electrical power from their radioisotope thermoelectric generators has declined over the decades, and some of their instruments have been shut down to conserve what remains, but NASA estimates that Voyager 1 could remain functional until 2025.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pioneers 10 and 11: Gone But Not Forgotten\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before the Voyagers’ epic tours came the first explorers of the outer solar system: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/missions/archive/pioneer10-11.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pioneers 10 and\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 11\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Launched in 1972, scarcely a decade after the dawn of the space age, the Pioneers gave us our first up-close looks of Jupiter and Saturn and some of their moons. Before this, the gas giants’ enigmatic moons were known only as fuzzy points of light in Earth-based telescopes, and measurements of Jupiter’s magnetic field and intense radiation belts were crucial for designing the later Voyager and Galileo spacecraft. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973551\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 784px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1973551\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/784px-Pioneer_10_at_Jupiter-NASA-Rick-Guidice.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"784\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/784px-Pioneer_10_at_Jupiter-NASA-Rick-Guidice.jpg 784w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/784px-Pioneer_10_at_Jupiter-NASA-Rick-Guidice-160x122.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/784px-Pioneer_10_at_Jupiter-NASA-Rick-Guidice-768x588.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 784px) 100vw, 784px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of Pioneer 10 passing through the Jupiter system, the first spacecraft encounter with any planet beyond the orbit of Mars. \u003ccite>(NASA/Rick Guidice)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to cross the asteroid belt, to enter the outer solar system, and to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/forty-years-ago-pioneer-10-closest-approach-to-jupiter\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fly past Jupiter\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in 1973. Afterward, Pioneer 10 continued on a solar escape trajectory that will carry it eventually to interstellar space, probably within the next three decades. The last radio signal we received from Pioneer 10 came in 2003.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 228px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1973553\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Pioneer_10_-_Ganymede_-_P102a.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"228\" height=\"227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Pioneer_10_-_Ganymede_-_P102a.jpg 228w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Pioneer_10_-_Ganymede_-_P102a-160x159.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede, captured by Pioneer 10. Before this image, pictures of outer solar system moons taken from Earth will little more than fuzzy dots. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pioneer 11 flew past Jupiter, and then on to become the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/40-years-ago-pioneer-11-first-to-explore-saturn\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first spacecraft to visit Saturn\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in 1979. The last radio signal received from Pioneer 11 came in 1995.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s Next for the Frontier Five?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the youngster New Horizons may continue to actively explore objects and the environment of the Kuiper Belt for years to come, the ultimate fate of all five of our interstellar pioneers is to drift perpetually between the stars of the Milky Way, becoming galactic derelicts of human technology and space exploration.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"More than four decades after launch, the Voyager 1 spacecraft is over 14 billion miles from Earth, one of five spacecraft bound for interstellar space. ","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1704846689,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":31,"wordCount":1383},"headData":{"title":"Meet the Interstellar Five, Robotic Explorers Venturing Far, Far From Earth | KQED","description":"More than four decades after launch, the Voyager 1 spacecraft is over 14 billion miles from Earth, one of five spacecraft bound for interstellar space. ","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Meet the Interstellar Five, Robotic Explorers Venturing Far, Far From Earth","datePublished":"2021-04-02T22:08:26.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-10T00:31:29.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"source":"Astronomy","sticky":false,"path":"/science/1973548/meet-the-interstellar-five-robotic-explorers-venturing-far-far-from-earth","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than four decades after launch, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is over 14 billion miles from Earth, cruising an eternal course through the stars of the Milky Way galaxy. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And Voyager 1 i\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s not the only spacefaring vehicle to venture so far from home. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The probe belongs to a cadre of five interstellar-bound spacecraft, three of which are still communicating with Earth through NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/services/networks/deep_space_network/about\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deep Space Network\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> radio dishes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What have these interstellar five been doing over their decades of exploration, and where are they now?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>New Horizons: Pluto or Bust\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The youngest of NASA’s interstellar vehicles, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/new-horizons/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Horizons\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, launched 15 years ago with a singular goal: to become the first spacecraft to reach Pluto, the last unexplored planet in the solar system. Only after launch, in 2006, did the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.iau.org/public/themes/pluto/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">International Astronomical Union\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> vote to demote Pluto to a “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/what-is-a-dwarf-planet\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dwarf planet\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">”.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973552\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 790px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1973552\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/790px-New_Horizons_1-nasa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"790\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/790px-New_Horizons_1-nasa.jpg 790w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/790px-New_Horizons_1-nasa-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/790px-New_Horizons_1-nasa-768x582.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 790px) 100vw, 790px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The plutonium-powered New Horizons spacecraft during final assembly before its 2006 launch. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a boost in speed generated by a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/primer/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gravitational slingshot maneuver\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at Jupiter, New Horizons became the fastest interplanetary spacecraft up till that time, reaching a peak velocity of over 36,000 mph—a speed that would take you from the Earth to the moon in under seven hours.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Pluto’s discovery in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, little was known of this small, distant world; the best pictures of the dwarf planet, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, had revealed little more than a blur of light and dark patches. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So on July 14, 2015, the world waited with great anticipation of seeing the first up-close images–and were rewarded handsomely for a decade of giddy patience. \u003c/span>After nine years in hibernation, New Horizons \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/five-years-after-new-horizons-historic-flyby-here-are-10-cool-things-we-learned-about-plut-0/\">whizzed past Pluto\u003c/a> at over 30,000 mph, passing within 4,800 miles of the dwarf planet’s surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pluto, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/281378/new-horizons-spacecraft-turns-pluto-from-blurry-disk-into-highly-complex-world\">brought into sharp focus\u003c/a> for the first time, was revealed as a far more interesting world than anyone expected. With mountains of solid ice reaching two miles high, vast planes of frozen nitrogen-methane “slush” that appear to be flowing like glaciers, and a thin hazy atmosphere reaching heights of 80 miles above the surface, we are still gasping at Pluto’s beauty and uniqueness six years after the encounter.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973555\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1973555\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/2020_march31_pluto-NASA-JHUAPL-SwRI-.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/2020_march31_pluto-NASA-JHUAPL-SwRI-.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/2020_march31_pluto-NASA-JHUAPL-SwRI--160x120.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/2020_march31_pluto-NASA-JHUAPL-SwRI--768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto. Image captured by New Horizons during its flyby on July 14, 2015. \u003ccite>(NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following that flyby, New Horizons cruised onward into the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/overview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kuiper Belt\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a wide swath of space beyond Neptune that contains multitudes of icy objects, mostly smaller than Pluto, circling the sun.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2019 New Horizons encountered one of these objects, later named \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/arrokoth-2014-mu69/overview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arrokoth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is to date the most distant object visited by any spacecraft. Discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope in June 2014, Arrokoth was added to New Horizons’ post-Pluto itinerary as a target of opportunity. Scientists interested in how our solar system formed about 4.5 billion years ago wanted an up-close look at this example of a primitive “building block” object, the likes of which are believed to have come together to form the planets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973559\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973559\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-800x1143.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1143\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-800x1143.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-1020x1457.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-160x229.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-768x1097.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth-1075x1536.png 1075w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/mu69-named-arrokoth.png 1302w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arrokoth, the Kuiper Belt Object that New Horizons flew by in 2019. This is an ancient object, formed in the earliest times of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago. Arrokoth is the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Horizons was bound for interstellar space since it launched, moving fast enough to escape the sun’s gravitational pull and coast forever outward into space, never to return home\u003cstrong>. \u003c/strong> Today, it is more than 4.6 billion miles away, forging ahead \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">through the vast region of the Kuiper Belt\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> toward its inevitable departure from the solar system.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Voyagers 1 and 2: A Grand Tour\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The twin \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voyager\u003c/span> \u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spacecraft launched from Earth in 1977 on a five-year mission to explore the two largest planets of the solar system, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/jupiter/#:~:text=NASA%20launched%20the%20two%20Voyager,approach%20was%20July%209%2C%201979.&text=They%20took%20more%20than%2033%2C000,and%20its%20five%20major%20satellites.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jupiter\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/saturn/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saturn\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. But as time went on, and the Voyagers continued in good health, NASA engineers became optimistic the spacecraft might operate for years beyond their expiration dates.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then a rare alignment of planets offered an opportunity to send at least one of the Voyagers on to the planet Uranus and perhaps Neptune as well.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973557\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path-800x671.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"671\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path-800x671.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path-160x134.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path-768x644.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Voyager_Path.jpg 805w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Map of the “Grand Tour” of the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After capturing astounding close-up images of Jupiter and Saturn plus a host of their remarkable moons, mission planners engineered an end game that still tops all record charts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saturn’s gravity flung Voyager 2 toward \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/uranus/#:~:text=NASA's%20Voyager%202%20spacecraft%20flew,24%2C%201986.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uranus\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the spacecraft arrived at the “ice giant” five years later, in 1986. Uranus, in turn, hurled Voyager 2 toward its final planet encounter, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/neptune/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neptune\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in 1989. To date, Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited either of these worlds.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voyager 1’s path through the Saturn system sent it by \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.drewexmachina.com/2015/11/12/voyager-1-the-first-close-encounter-with-titan/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Titan\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the ringed world’s largest moon. Titan’s size and thick atmosphere offered great scientific reward, trumping an alternative option to send the spacecraft to Pluto.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With most of their instruments still functioning after their final encounters, the Voyagers began new careers searching for the boundary of interstellar space, where the rarefied gases and magnetic fields flowing outward from the sun change like a shift in the wind to become the prevailing environment between stars.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973556\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech-800x450.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech-800x450.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/pia22835a_20181206_voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final-nasa-jpl-caltech.png 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The boundary between our solar system and interstellar space is formed where the “bubble” of our sun’s gases and magnetic fields encounters the gases spread through interstellar space. Called the heliosphere, the shape of this bubble is not symmetrical around the sun, extending farther in some directions than in others. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voyager 1 officially passed into interstellar space on Aug. 12, 2012. Voyager 2 made the crossing in 2018.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, Voyager 1 has traveled the greatest distance from home of any spacecraft, 152 astronomical units from Earth, or just over 14 billion miles—a distance that takes radio signals over 21 hours to cross.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both Voyagers are \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">still reporting back to Earth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, more than four decades after their five-year missions began. Electrical power from their radioisotope thermoelectric generators has declined over the decades, and some of their instruments have been shut down to conserve what remains, but NASA estimates that Voyager 1 could remain functional until 2025.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pioneers 10 and 11: Gone But Not Forgotten\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before the Voyagers’ epic tours came the first explorers of the outer solar system: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/missions/archive/pioneer10-11.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pioneers 10 and\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 11\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Launched in 1972, scarcely a decade after the dawn of the space age, the Pioneers gave us our first up-close looks of Jupiter and Saturn and some of their moons. Before this, the gas giants’ enigmatic moons were known only as fuzzy points of light in Earth-based telescopes, and measurements of Jupiter’s magnetic field and intense radiation belts were crucial for designing the later Voyager and Galileo spacecraft. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973551\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 784px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1973551\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/784px-Pioneer_10_at_Jupiter-NASA-Rick-Guidice.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"784\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/784px-Pioneer_10_at_Jupiter-NASA-Rick-Guidice.jpg 784w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/784px-Pioneer_10_at_Jupiter-NASA-Rick-Guidice-160x122.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/784px-Pioneer_10_at_Jupiter-NASA-Rick-Guidice-768x588.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 784px) 100vw, 784px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of Pioneer 10 passing through the Jupiter system, the first spacecraft encounter with any planet beyond the orbit of Mars. \u003ccite>(NASA/Rick Guidice)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to cross the asteroid belt, to enter the outer solar system, and to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/forty-years-ago-pioneer-10-closest-approach-to-jupiter\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fly past Jupiter\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in 1973. Afterward, Pioneer 10 continued on a solar escape trajectory that will carry it eventually to interstellar space, probably within the next three decades. The last radio signal we received from Pioneer 10 came in 2003.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 228px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1973553\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Pioneer_10_-_Ganymede_-_P102a.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"228\" height=\"227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Pioneer_10_-_Ganymede_-_P102a.jpg 228w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/04/Pioneer_10_-_Ganymede_-_P102a-160x159.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede, captured by Pioneer 10. Before this image, pictures of outer solar system moons taken from Earth will little more than fuzzy dots. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pioneer 11 flew past Jupiter, and then on to become the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/40-years-ago-pioneer-11-first-to-explore-saturn\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first spacecraft to visit Saturn\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in 1979. The last radio signal received from Pioneer 11 came in 1995.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s Next for the Frontier Five?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the youngster New Horizons may continue to actively explore objects and the environment of the Kuiper Belt for years to come, the ultimate fate of all five of our interstellar pioneers is to drift perpetually between the stars of the Milky Way, becoming galactic derelicts of human technology and space exploration.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/science/1973548/meet-the-interstellar-five-robotic-explorers-venturing-far-far-from-earth","authors":["6180"],"categories":["science_28","science_40","science_4450"],"tags":["science_4414","science_3419","science_5180","science_2173","science_2172","science_5191","science_501","science_1028"],"featImg":"science_1973550","label":"source_science_1973548"},"science_1956964":{"type":"posts","id":"science_1956964","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"science","id":"1956964","score":null,"sort":[1581693831000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"a-valentine-from-space-plutos-heart-beats-to-the-tune-of-the-winds","title":"Pluto's Got a Heart! Sure, It's an Icy Plain of Nitrogen, But Still ...","publishDate":1581693831,"format":"image","headTitle":"Pluto’s Got a Heart! Sure, It’s an Icy Plain of Nitrogen, But Still … | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003ch4>One of the most stunning discoveries of the 2015 New Horizons flyby mission to Pluto was a big, heart-shaped region full of canyons, plains and mountain chains.\u003c/h4>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s you may remember, Pluto lost its status as a planet a few years ago. Now, astronomers call it a “dwarf” planet. Despite that rejection, this planet has heart — a big heart-shaped region known as Tombaugh Regio. One of the most stunning discoveries of the 2015 New Horizons flyby mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have to imagine that everybody expected a flat ball covered with ice,” said Tanguy Bertrand, a postdoctoral research fellow at NASA Ames.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1956972\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1956972\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The left “lobe” of Pluto’s heart-shaped region is an icy plain of nitrogen known as Sputnik Planitia. \u003ccite>(NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, astronomers saw a beautiful, diverse landscape that includes canyons, plains and mountain chains. Tombaugh Regio in particular got a lot of attention because it was so visually striking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bertrand is lead author on a \u003ca href=\"https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019JE006120\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new paper\u003c/a> that examines how the west lobe of the heart, an area known as Sputnik Planitia, controls the dwarf planet’s winds. While the eastern half of the lobe is scraggly mountains and the western half is a frozen plane of nitrogen. And not just any nitrogen. This pulses with a kind of beat that makes the winds flow westward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the day, with the heat of the sun, the nitrogen ice warms and turns into vapor, creating a pressure that flows toward a darker, cooler region, where it condenses and re-forms as ice. This creates a flow from north to south and back. The planet is also spinning eastward. This rotation (because of the Coriolis effect) deflects the winds and they flow in a westward direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A similar process generates winds on Earth, but it’s slightly more complicated. Air rises in the equatorial zones, flows toward cooler polar regions, drops down and returns toward the equator in what scientists call “Hadley cells.” This circulation creates the trade winds, tropical rain-belts and hurricanes, subtropical deserts and the jet streams. On our planet, though, winds don’t flow in any one given direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Interesting fact: NASA researchers found this effect on Pluto by applying weather forecast models made for Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[This] gives us some perspective and gives us a natural laboratory to improve our knowledge,” Bertrand said. “It gives us a chance to test theories, learn more about fluid dynamics, and climate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately what they learn can improve how those weather models work for Earth and, possibly, for habitable exo-planets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"One of the most stunning discoveries of the 2015 New Horizons flyby mission to Pluto was a big, heart-shaped region full of canyons, plains and mountain chains.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1704847774,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":11,"wordCount":445},"headData":{"title":"Pluto's Got a Heart! Sure, It's an Icy Plain of Nitrogen, But Still ... | KQED","description":"One of the most stunning discoveries of the 2015 New Horizons flyby mission to Pluto was a big, heart-shaped region full of canyons, plains and mountain chains.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Pluto's Got a Heart! Sure, It's an Icy Plain of Nitrogen, But Still ...","datePublished":"2020-02-14T15:23:51.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-10T00:49:34.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"source":"Space Exploration","sticky":false,"path":"/science/1956964/a-valentine-from-space-plutos-heart-beats-to-the-tune-of-the-winds","audioUrl":"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/a55bc94a-7707-4cf5-8be8-ab6101266bab/audio.mp3","audioDuration":158000,"audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ch4>One of the most stunning discoveries of the 2015 New Horizons flyby mission to Pluto was a big, heart-shaped region full of canyons, plains and mountain chains.\u003c/h4>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>s you may remember, Pluto lost its status as a planet a few years ago. Now, astronomers call it a “dwarf” planet. Despite that rejection, this planet has heart — a big heart-shaped region known as Tombaugh Regio. One of the most stunning discoveries of the 2015 New Horizons flyby mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have to imagine that everybody expected a flat ball covered with ice,” said Tanguy Bertrand, a postdoctoral research fellow at NASA Ames.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1956972\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1956972\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/us7V64YEL5L34P64EetPx-1024-80.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The left “lobe” of Pluto’s heart-shaped region is an icy plain of nitrogen known as Sputnik Planitia. \u003ccite>(NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, astronomers saw a beautiful, diverse landscape that includes canyons, plains and mountain chains. Tombaugh Regio in particular got a lot of attention because it was so visually striking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bertrand is lead author on a \u003ca href=\"https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019JE006120\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new paper\u003c/a> that examines how the west lobe of the heart, an area known as Sputnik Planitia, controls the dwarf planet’s winds. While the eastern half of the lobe is scraggly mountains and the western half is a frozen plane of nitrogen. And not just any nitrogen. This pulses with a kind of beat that makes the winds flow westward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the day, with the heat of the sun, the nitrogen ice warms and turns into vapor, creating a pressure that flows toward a darker, cooler region, where it condenses and re-forms as ice. This creates a flow from north to south and back. The planet is also spinning eastward. This rotation (because of the Coriolis effect) deflects the winds and they flow in a westward direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A similar process generates winds on Earth, but it’s slightly more complicated. Air rises in the equatorial zones, flows toward cooler polar regions, drops down and returns toward the equator in what scientists call “Hadley cells.” This circulation creates the trade winds, tropical rain-belts and hurricanes, subtropical deserts and the jet streams. On our planet, though, winds don’t flow in any one given direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Interesting fact: NASA researchers found this effect on Pluto by applying weather forecast models made for Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[This] gives us some perspective and gives us a natural laboratory to improve our knowledge,” Bertrand said. “It gives us a chance to test theories, learn more about fluid dynamics, and climate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately what they learn can improve how those weather models work for Earth and, possibly, for habitable exo-planets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/science/1956964/a-valentine-from-space-plutos-heart-beats-to-the-tune-of-the-winds","authors":["11088"],"categories":["science_28","science_40","science_3423"],"tags":["science_3370","science_5191"],"featImg":"science_1956966","label":"source_science_1956964"},"science_1924994":{"type":"posts","id":"science_1924994","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"science","id":"1924994","score":null,"sort":[1528204315000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"nasa-probe-awakens-heads-toward-mysterious-space-rock","title":"NASA Probe Awakens, Heads Toward Mysterious Space Rock","publishDate":1528204315,"format":"audio","headTitle":"NASA Probe Awakens, Heads Toward Mysterious Space Rock | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"science"},"content":"\u003cp>An ancient space rock that may hold clues about\u003cb> \u003c/b>the formation of the solar system will be the next destination for New Horizons, the NASA probe that flew past Pluto three years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘While we do have some notions of things we might see, we really expect to be surprised.’\u003ccite>Jeff Moore, New Horizons researcher\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>NASA reestablished its connection with New Horizons overnight Monday. Since the Pluto flyby, the probe has continued to sail through space; it spent the last six months conserving power in hibernation mode. New Horizons captivated space fans in 2015 with detailed photos of Pluto’s frozen nitrogen surface, which features \u003ca href=\"https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/pluto-dunes-methane-winds-new-horizons-space-science/\">dunes\u003c/a> of methane sand and a giant formation in the shape of a heart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1925201\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1925201 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The large formation in the shape of a heart on Pluto’s surface is made of frozen nitrogen. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The probe—which runs, fittingly, on plutonium—is now about 40 times as \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Where-is-New-Horizons/index.php\">far away\u003c/a> as the sun. In the next few months, it will start pointing its cameras at the upcoming target—a county-sized object nicknamed Ultima Thule. Over fall, the team will fine-tune plans for a flyby, and if all goes well, New Horizons will make its closest approach overnight this New Year’s Eve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists like Jeff Moore—who heads the mission’s geology and geophysics imaging team—are already making \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/spend-next-new-year-s-eve-with-new-horizons\">plans\u003c/a> to celebrate. “It’ll probably be the most interesting New Year I’ll have ever attended,” he said on his lunch break at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moore, who has a white goatee and was wearing a shirt reading “When I was your age, Pluto was a planet,” says Ultima Thule might not be just one object, but two space rocks orbiting each other—or possibly fused together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1924997\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1924997 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-1020x1020.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s moon Charon, as seen by New Horizons. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“While we do have some notions of things we might see, we really expect to be surprised. We were certainly surprised when we flew past the Pluto system—we saw many things which we didn’t anticipate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed. Among them were valleys carved by nitrogen glaciers, hints of a liquid water ocean beneath Pluto’s cold surface, and a mountain on the moon Charon that is weirdly sunken into the surrounding crust, as if it has a moat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Of course, being a ‘2001: A Space Odyssey\u003cem>‘\u003c/em> fan, I suggested we name it Kubrick Mons,” Moore said. That name was \u003ca href=\"https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau1803/\">officially\u003c/a> approved by the International Astronomical Union in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ultima Thule\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The IAU has not yet officially signed off on the nickname Ultima Thule for the space rock; its proper name is 2014 MU69. “It’s a Norse saying for beyond the farthest frontiers,” said Alan Stern, the mission’s principal investigator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 20 to 30 miles across, Ultima Thule is bigger than San Francisco. What it’s shaped like and what it’s made of are unclear, but it’s been sitting in cold storage in a distant part of the solar system called the Kuiper Belt. That means it could give scientists new clues about the raw pieces that the planets formed from more than four billion years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Kuiper Belt really is the equivalent of an archaeological dig into the history of our solar system,” Stern said. “Because it’s so far away, and sunlight is so weak out there, temperatures are very low, almost absolute zero, and that promotes the preservation of pristine material.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1924999\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1924999 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-1020x774.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-1020x774.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-800x607.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-768x583.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-1200x911.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-1180x896.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-960x729.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-240x182.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-375x285.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-520x395.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA.jpg 1847w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New Horizons before its launch in 2006. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To Stern’s coauthor on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-New-Horizons-Inside-Mission/dp/1250098963\">new book\u003c/a> about New Horizons, astrobiologist David Grinspoon, it’s like trying to figure out what primordial building blocks our young solar system started with, based on what’s left on the playroom floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like if the planets were made out of some sort of big giant box of Legos, and it was sort of messy and then nobody really cleaned up afterwards—you could go find the bits that didn’t become planets and examine them,” Grinspoon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while fans of New Horizons are counting down toward New Year’s, they’ll have to be patient a little longer. Because it takes several hours for the probe’s signals to traverse the billions of miles of space between the Kuiper Belt and Earth, Moore expects we’ll be well into New Year’s Day, 2019, before we know how the flyby went.\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"NASA probe famous for sending photos of Pluto now headed to mysterious object in a distant area of the solar system known as the Kuiper Belt.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1704927851,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":17,"wordCount":794},"headData":{"title":"NASA Probe Awakens, Heads Toward Mysterious Space Rock | KQED","description":"NASA probe famous for sending photos of Pluto now headed to mysterious object in a distant area of the solar system known as the Kuiper Belt.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"NASA Probe Awakens, Heads Toward Mysterious Space Rock","datePublished":"2018-06-05T13:11:55.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-10T23:04:11.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"audioUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcr/2018/06/PotterNewHorizonsTCRAM180605.mp3","sticky":false,"path":"/science/1924994/nasa-probe-awakens-heads-toward-mysterious-space-rock","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>An ancient space rock that may hold clues about\u003cb> \u003c/b>the formation of the solar system will be the next destination for New Horizons, the NASA probe that flew past Pluto three years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘While we do have some notions of things we might see, we really expect to be surprised.’\u003ccite>Jeff Moore, New Horizons researcher\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>NASA reestablished its connection with New Horizons overnight Monday. Since the Pluto flyby, the probe has continued to sail through space; it spent the last six months conserving power in hibernation mode. New Horizons captivated space fans in 2015 with detailed photos of Pluto’s frozen nitrogen surface, which features \u003ca href=\"https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/pluto-dunes-methane-winds-new-horizons-space-science/\">dunes\u003c/a> of methane sand and a giant formation in the shape of a heart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1925201\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1925201 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/PlutoHeart.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The large formation in the shape of a heart on Pluto’s surface is made of frozen nitrogen. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The probe—which runs, fittingly, on plutonium—is now about 40 times as \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Where-is-New-Horizons/index.php\">far away\u003c/a> as the sun. In the next few months, it will start pointing its cameras at the upcoming target—a county-sized object nicknamed Ultima Thule. Over fall, the team will fine-tune plans for a flyby, and if all goes well, New Horizons will make its closest approach overnight this New Year’s Eve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists like Jeff Moore—who heads the mission’s geology and geophysics imaging team—are already making \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/spend-next-new-year-s-eve-with-new-horizons\">plans\u003c/a> to celebrate. “It’ll probably be the most interesting New Year I’ll have ever attended,” he said on his lunch break at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moore, who has a white goatee and was wearing a shirt reading “When I was your age, Pluto was a planet,” says Ultima Thule might not be just one object, but two space rocks orbiting each other—or possibly fused together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1924997\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1924997 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-1020x1020.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/CharonCreditNASA.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s moon Charon, as seen by New Horizons. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“While we do have some notions of things we might see, we really expect to be surprised. We were certainly surprised when we flew past the Pluto system—we saw many things which we didn’t anticipate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed. Among them were valleys carved by nitrogen glaciers, hints of a liquid water ocean beneath Pluto’s cold surface, and a mountain on the moon Charon that is weirdly sunken into the surrounding crust, as if it has a moat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Of course, being a ‘2001: A Space Odyssey\u003cem>‘\u003c/em> fan, I suggested we name it Kubrick Mons,” Moore said. That name was \u003ca href=\"https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau1803/\">officially\u003c/a> approved by the International Astronomical Union in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ultima Thule\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The IAU has not yet officially signed off on the nickname Ultima Thule for the space rock; its proper name is 2014 MU69. “It’s a Norse saying for beyond the farthest frontiers,” said Alan Stern, the mission’s principal investigator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 20 to 30 miles across, Ultima Thule is bigger than San Francisco. What it’s shaped like and what it’s made of are unclear, but it’s been sitting in cold storage in a distant part of the solar system called the Kuiper Belt. That means it could give scientists new clues about the raw pieces that the planets formed from more than four billion years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Kuiper Belt really is the equivalent of an archaeological dig into the history of our solar system,” Stern said. “Because it’s so far away, and sunlight is so weak out there, temperatures are very low, almost absolute zero, and that promotes the preservation of pristine material.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1924999\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1924999 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-1020x774.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-1020x774.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-800x607.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-768x583.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-1200x911.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-1180x896.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-960x729.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-240x182.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-375x285.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA-520x395.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/06/NHcreditNASA.jpg 1847w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New Horizons before its launch in 2006. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To Stern’s coauthor on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-New-Horizons-Inside-Mission/dp/1250098963\">new book\u003c/a> about New Horizons, astrobiologist David Grinspoon, it’s like trying to figure out what primordial building blocks our young solar system started with, based on what’s left on the playroom floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like if the planets were made out of some sort of big giant box of Legos, and it was sort of messy and then nobody really cleaned up afterwards—you could go find the bits that didn’t become planets and examine them,” Grinspoon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while fans of New Horizons are counting down toward New Year’s, they’ll have to be patient a little longer. Because it takes several hours for the probe’s signals to traverse the billions of miles of space between the Kuiper Belt and Earth, Moore expects we’ll be well into New Year’s Day, 2019, before we know how the flyby went.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/science/1924994/nasa-probe-awakens-heads-toward-mysterious-space-rock","authors":["6609"],"categories":["science_28","science_89","science_38","science_43"],"tags":["science_3370","science_5191","science_577"],"featImg":"science_1924998","label":"science"},"science_723030":{"type":"posts","id":"science_723030","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"science","id":"723030","score":null,"sort":[1464354023000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"its-not-your-parents-solar-system-anymore","title":"It's Not Your Parents' Solar System Anymore","publishDate":1464354023,"format":"standard","headTitle":"It’s Not Your Parents’ Solar System Anymore | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"science"},"content":"\u003cp>Ten years ago, Pluto was reclassified as dwarf planet — a result of discovering other solar system objects of comparable size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Less than a year ago, the New Horizons spacecraft gave us our first up-close look at Pluto and its system of moons. These historic events define a decade in which our understanding of the solar system blossomed as never before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advancements in technology have enhanced our ability to detect, observe and analyze outer space. In addition, a wider field of players in solar system exploration has played no small role in the information explosion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only do multiple countries now conduct space missions — the U.S., Russia, Europe, Japan, China, India and others — private entities like Elon Musk’s SpaceX corporation are also getting into the game, to the extent of \u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/32719-spacex-red-dragon-mars-missions-2018.html\">pursuing human missions to Mars\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_723135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-723135\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-800x400.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto, before and after New Horizons. Artist concept (left), New Horizons (right).\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-400x200.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-768x384.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-960x480.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto, before and after New Horizons. Artist concept (left), New Horizons (right). \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Not very long ago, \u003ca href=\"http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk/age14-16/Astronomy/text/Theories_of_the_solar_system/index.html\">textbooks taught us\u003c/a> that our sun is the center of a system of nine planets, a belt of little understood bodies of rock (asteroids) between Mars and Jupiter and a mostly invisible host of mysterious comets that periodically enter our awareness when one passes close to the sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was then, this is now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a quick headcount of \u003ca href=\"http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/\">what we now know to exist\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Eight major planets — the four “terrestrial” planets of the inner solar system and four gas giants of the outer solar system.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Five official dwarf planets, including Ceres (the largest object in the Main Asteroid Belt) and Pluto.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>At least 150 “\u003ca href=\"http://www.windows2universe.org/pluto/kuiper_belt/trans_neptune_objects.html\">Trans-Neptunian Objects\u003c/a>” (minor planets whose average distances from the sun are greater than Neptune’s) that may eventually be classified as dwarf planets.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>At least 179 moons orbiting planets and dwarf planets.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>About half a million \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/asteroids/indepth\">asteroids\u003c/a>, most of them in the Main Asteroid Belt.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>And about 4,000 comets.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_723137\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-723137 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/tnos.jpg\" alt=\"The largest Trans-Neptunian Objects of the Kuiper Belt, compared to Earth.\" width=\"800\" height=\"549\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/tnos.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/tnos-400x275.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/tnos-768x527.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The largest Trans-Neptunian Objects of the Kuiper Belt, compared to Earth. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s what we know of. Estimates based on observation and theory suggest this is only the tip of the iceberg, and that there are probably tens of thousands of sizable bodies (larger than 60 miles across) and perhaps hundreds of billions of smaller comet-like objects out there — mostly orbiting beyond Neptune.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the sheer body-count, the past decade has also turned up fine details of objects that have been real eye-openers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mars, long ago, was partially covered in\u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/28983-ancient-mars-oceans-big-waves.html\"> seas of liquid water\u003c/a>, likely salty, with an environment that may have been friendly to life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jupiter’s moon \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/europa\">Europa \u003c/a>hides under its icy outer crust an ocean containing more liquid water than all of Earth’s oceans, warmed by energy spewing from its interior generated by tidal forces of Jupiter’s gravity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saturn’s moon \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/enceladus/\">Enceladus\u003c/a> — which is barely 300 miles in diameter—erupts with jets of water vapor and harbors liquid water beneath its surface, and possibly the chemistry that could support life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_723136\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-723136\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of the ancient, water-covered Mars.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of the ancient, water-covered Mars. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saturn’s largest moon, \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/content/ten-years-ago-huygens-probe-lands-on-surface-of-titan\">Titan\u003c/a>, is practically a cryogenic version of Earth, with a thick nitrogen atmosphere that supports a liquid-methane analog of Earth’s water cycle, complete with clouds, rain, river runoff, and lakes and seas of the stuff. (Make no mistake, though, if you took a swim in these seas, you would freeze solid in seconds.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even cold, distant Pluto supports \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-on-frozen-pond\">dynamic processes\u003c/a> on its surface: glacier-like flows of nitrogen slush, cryovolcanoes and possibly tectonic activity. And we learned this just within the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A smaller dwarf planet than Pluto — \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/subject/6883/ceres/\">Ceres\u003c/a> — has shown signs of activity: water vapor outgassing from its surface, and bright mineral deposits possibly left behind by eruptions from beneath its crust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most exciting part of our burgeoning awareness of the solar system’s surprises may be those yet to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the advancement in technology and the enterprises that participated in space exploration over the past decade changed our thinking about the solar system in such profound ways, imagine what the next decade will bring. Further advancements in Earth and \u003ca href=\"http://jwst.nasa.gov/comparison.html\">space-based observatories\u003c/a>, robotic spacecraft and probes, and even human expeditions into space are already in the works.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What might we know by 2026?\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"In the past decade our understanding of the solar system has exploded as never before. This \"springtime\" of discovery is powered both by advancements in technology and a broader field of players participating in space exploration. ","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1704930124,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":20,"wordCount":739},"headData":{"title":"It's Not Your Parents' Solar System Anymore | KQED","description":"In the past decade our understanding of the solar system has exploded as never before. This "springtime" of discovery is powered both by advancements in technology and a broader field of players participating in space exploration. ","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"It's Not Your Parents' Solar System Anymore","datePublished":"2016-05-27T13:00:23.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-10T23:42:04.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"path":"/science/723030/its-not-your-parents-solar-system-anymore","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Ten years ago, Pluto was reclassified as dwarf planet — a result of discovering other solar system objects of comparable size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Less than a year ago, the New Horizons spacecraft gave us our first up-close look at Pluto and its system of moons. These historic events define a decade in which our understanding of the solar system blossomed as never before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advancements in technology have enhanced our ability to detect, observe and analyze outer space. In addition, a wider field of players in solar system exploration has played no small role in the information explosion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only do multiple countries now conduct space missions — the U.S., Russia, Europe, Japan, China, India and others — private entities like Elon Musk’s SpaceX corporation are also getting into the game, to the extent of \u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/32719-spacex-red-dragon-mars-missions-2018.html\">pursuing human missions to Mars\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_723135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-723135\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-800x400.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto, before and after New Horizons. Artist concept (left), New Horizons (right).\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-400x200.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-768x384.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter-960x480.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/plutobeforeandafter.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto, before and after New Horizons. Artist concept (left), New Horizons (right). \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Not very long ago, \u003ca href=\"http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk/age14-16/Astronomy/text/Theories_of_the_solar_system/index.html\">textbooks taught us\u003c/a> that our sun is the center of a system of nine planets, a belt of little understood bodies of rock (asteroids) between Mars and Jupiter and a mostly invisible host of mysterious comets that periodically enter our awareness when one passes close to the sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was then, this is now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a quick headcount of \u003ca href=\"http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/\">what we now know to exist\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Eight major planets — the four “terrestrial” planets of the inner solar system and four gas giants of the outer solar system.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Five official dwarf planets, including Ceres (the largest object in the Main Asteroid Belt) and Pluto.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>At least 150 “\u003ca href=\"http://www.windows2universe.org/pluto/kuiper_belt/trans_neptune_objects.html\">Trans-Neptunian Objects\u003c/a>” (minor planets whose average distances from the sun are greater than Neptune’s) that may eventually be classified as dwarf planets.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>At least 179 moons orbiting planets and dwarf planets.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>About half a million \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/asteroids/indepth\">asteroids\u003c/a>, most of them in the Main Asteroid Belt.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>And about 4,000 comets.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_723137\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-723137 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/tnos.jpg\" alt=\"The largest Trans-Neptunian Objects of the Kuiper Belt, compared to Earth.\" width=\"800\" height=\"549\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/tnos.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/tnos-400x275.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/tnos-768x527.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The largest Trans-Neptunian Objects of the Kuiper Belt, compared to Earth. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s what we know of. Estimates based on observation and theory suggest this is only the tip of the iceberg, and that there are probably tens of thousands of sizable bodies (larger than 60 miles across) and perhaps hundreds of billions of smaller comet-like objects out there — mostly orbiting beyond Neptune.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the sheer body-count, the past decade has also turned up fine details of objects that have been real eye-openers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mars, long ago, was partially covered in\u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/28983-ancient-mars-oceans-big-waves.html\"> seas of liquid water\u003c/a>, likely salty, with an environment that may have been friendly to life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jupiter’s moon \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/europa\">Europa \u003c/a>hides under its icy outer crust an ocean containing more liquid water than all of Earth’s oceans, warmed by energy spewing from its interior generated by tidal forces of Jupiter’s gravity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saturn’s moon \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/enceladus/\">Enceladus\u003c/a> — which is barely 300 miles in diameter—erupts with jets of water vapor and harbors liquid water beneath its surface, and possibly the chemistry that could support life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_723136\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-723136\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of the ancient, water-covered Mars.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/05/ancient-mars-seas.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of the ancient, water-covered Mars. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saturn’s largest moon, \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/content/ten-years-ago-huygens-probe-lands-on-surface-of-titan\">Titan\u003c/a>, is practically a cryogenic version of Earth, with a thick nitrogen atmosphere that supports a liquid-methane analog of Earth’s water cycle, complete with clouds, rain, river runoff, and lakes and seas of the stuff. (Make no mistake, though, if you took a swim in these seas, you would freeze solid in seconds.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even cold, distant Pluto supports \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-on-frozen-pond\">dynamic processes\u003c/a> on its surface: glacier-like flows of nitrogen slush, cryovolcanoes and possibly tectonic activity. And we learned this just within the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A smaller dwarf planet than Pluto — \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/subject/6883/ceres/\">Ceres\u003c/a> — has shown signs of activity: water vapor outgassing from its surface, and bright mineral deposits possibly left behind by eruptions from beneath its crust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most exciting part of our burgeoning awareness of the solar system’s surprises may be those yet to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the advancement in technology and the enterprises that participated in space exploration over the past decade changed our thinking about the solar system in such profound ways, imagine what the next decade will bring. Further advancements in Earth and \u003ca href=\"http://jwst.nasa.gov/comparison.html\">space-based observatories\u003c/a>, robotic spacecraft and probes, and even human expeditions into space are already in the works.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What might we know by 2026?\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/science/723030/its-not-your-parents-solar-system-anymore","authors":["6180"],"categories":["science_28","science_40"],"tags":["science_5189","science_2172","science_5191","science_576"],"featImg":"science_723134","label":"science"},"science_581813":{"type":"posts","id":"science_581813","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"science","id":"581813","score":null,"sort":[1458237659000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"plutos-geology-a-new-world-swims-into-our-ken","title":"Pluto's Geology: A New World Shimmers Into View","publishDate":1458237659,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Pluto’s Geology: A New World Shimmers Into View | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"science"},"content":"\u003cp>Last summer, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html\">New Horizons\u003c/a> spacecraft had everyone talking as it swept past Pluto, sending back tantalizing images of its surface. Now the mission’s scientists have published a lot of material from their research. Five papers in the journal \u003ca href=\"http://www.sciencemag.org/\">Science\u003c/a> answer questions we’ve been holding onto about Pluto and its large satellite Charon (the name rhymes with “Sharon”) since then. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Questions like: What are they like? What are they made of?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pluto’s neighborhood is pretty strange. First of all, conditions are extremely cold. The sun is so far away, it looks like an ordinary bright star. Temperatures are minus 370 degrees Fahrenheit in full sunlight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything out there is frozen solid, even things that are gases on Earth. Instead of Earth-type rocks made of silicon compounds, the rocks we see on Pluto and Charon are made of ices — frozen water, nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. Yet in important ways, rocks and ices on Pluto act like rocks and ice on Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_581815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 448px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-581815\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto image\" width=\"448\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe.jpg 448w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-75x75.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s true colors are exaggerated in this false-color rendition, especially the deep reds of Cthulhu Regio. \u003ccite>(ASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Take water ice. On Earth, water ice is soft enough to flow in the form of glaciers, but at Pluto’s temperatures it’s as rigid and brittle as stone. Pluto’s other three ices, together referred to as volatile ices, are softer, like glacier ice on Earth. The three volatile ices mix easily with each other, but they also can be naturally separated since they evaporate and condense at slightly different temperatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the long seasons as Pluto-Charon circles the Sun once in 248 years, these volatile ices evaporate during summer. That thin breath of vapor makes up the atmospheres of Pluto and Charon. The vapors circulate and then condense as frost during winter. Over billions of years, this slow cycle has gently sculpted the icy landscapes into a great variety of forms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_581816\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-581816\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutobladedterrain-800x600.png\" alt=\"Bladed terrain on Pluto\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutobladedterrain.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutobladedterrain-400x300.png 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutobladedterrain-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“Bladed terrain” in the Tartarus Dorsa region of Pluto appears to have formed in methane ice by some long-continued etching process. Similar erosional features in Earth rocks may give us clues about this terrain — or vice versa. \u003ccite>(ASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The big bright heart-shaped feature on Pluto, informally named Sputnik Planum, turns out to be a low-lying basin full of volatile ices. The ices slowly stir and circulate, erasing impact craters there within a few million years — about as fast as craters are wiped out on Earth’s rocky crust. In that respect, Pluto is one of the most active places we know. Yet other areas on Pluto are heavily cratered and appear to have surfaces as old as the solar system itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_581817\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-581817\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-sputnikplanum-800x600.gif\" alt=\"Surface of Sputnik Planum\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-sputnikplanum-800x600.gif 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-sputnikplanum-400x300.gif 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-sputnikplanum-768x576.gif 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This detailed image of the glaciers in Pluto’s Sputnik Planum, about 50 miles in width, shows thousands of pits in its surface of nitrogen ice as well as larger circulation patterns. “Islands” are interpreted as floating bergs of water ice, or perhaps the tips of ice mountains. \u003ccite>(ASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both Pluto and Charon also have evidence of deeper activity. Pluto has some canyons that appear to have formed by stretching from below. Charon is far more dramatic, with a ring of great cracks around its equator. The working theory is that when Charon was younger and warmer, it had an original interior of liquid water that slowly froze. Because water, uniquely among common substances, expands as it freezes, the results might look like what we see today on Charon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pluto and Charon are also colorful, ranging from the blue of nitrogen ice to the reds and browns found in Charon’s great north-polar basin, Mordor Macula, and Pluto’s ancient Cthulhu Regio. The reddish material appears to be a thin crust of organic crud, chemicals called tholins that are made from methane ice by space radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_581818\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 448px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-581818\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe.jpg\" alt=\"Charon\" width=\"448\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe.jpg 448w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-75x75.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heavily cratered Charon is marked by Mordor Macula, a deep polar basin paved with red tholins, and an equatorial belt of immense cracks possibly caused by freezing of its deep mantle of water ice. \u003ccite>(ASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As we all know, Pluto is no longer officially called a \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet\">planet\u003c/a>. Speaking as a geologist, I don’t like this, because Pluto exhibits the basic \u003ca href=\"http://geology.about.com/od/planets/a/planetnuts.htm\">geologic behavior of a proper planet\u003c/a> — it’s round, it’s differentiated inside, and it’s active. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, the astronomers decided 10 years ago that Pluto is not planetary enough. It’s too small for its gravity to have cleared all the cosmic debris from around it, and it has neighbors in that part of space that are the same size and even larger. So Pluto is a dwarf planet. But the authors of the Science papers have done better by calling Pluto and Charon “worlds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studying a world like Pluto takes the wide-ranging skills of a large team of scientists. They may find analogies for something on Pluto existing on Earth’s glaciers, in various parts of Mars, or on any number of the icy moons of the outer planets. The pitted terrain on Sputnik Planum’s glaciers, for instance, looks a lot like the “Swiss cheese features” seen on the carbon-dioxide ice caps of Mars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The promise of exploring these analogies is that what we learn on Pluto may shed new light on other worlds, even our own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The work uncovers holes in our knowledge — for instance, we know very little about the mechanical behavior of solid nitrogen or methane ice. But now that we know this knowledge matters, we can do some decent experiments. Thus a project like New Horizons not only challenges researchers to find new ideas, but also sends them back to obscure basics that are suddenly world-changing matters.\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"A set of papers in the journal Science reveal a variety of strange and splendid things about the outer worlds Pluto and Charon.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1704930472,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":16,"wordCount":981},"headData":{"title":"Pluto's Geology: A New World Shimmers Into View | KQED","description":"A set of papers in the journal Science reveal a variety of strange and splendid things about the outer worlds Pluto and Charon.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Pluto's Geology: A New World Shimmers Into View","datePublished":"2016-03-17T18:00:59.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-10T23:47:52.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"path":"/science/581813/plutos-geology-a-new-world-swims-into-our-ken","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Last summer, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html\">New Horizons\u003c/a> spacecraft had everyone talking as it swept past Pluto, sending back tantalizing images of its surface. Now the mission’s scientists have published a lot of material from their research. Five papers in the journal \u003ca href=\"http://www.sciencemag.org/\">Science\u003c/a> answer questions we’ve been holding onto about Pluto and its large satellite Charon (the name rhymes with “Sharon”) since then. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Questions like: What are they like? What are they made of?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pluto’s neighborhood is pretty strange. First of all, conditions are extremely cold. The sun is so far away, it looks like an ordinary bright star. Temperatures are minus 370 degrees Fahrenheit in full sunlight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything out there is frozen solid, even things that are gases on Earth. Instead of Earth-type rocks made of silicon compounds, the rocks we see on Pluto and Charon are made of ices — frozen water, nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. Yet in important ways, rocks and ices on Pluto act like rocks and ice on Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_581815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 448px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-581815\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto image\" width=\"448\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe.jpg 448w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutoglobe-75x75.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s true colors are exaggerated in this false-color rendition, especially the deep reds of Cthulhu Regio. \u003ccite>(ASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Take water ice. On Earth, water ice is soft enough to flow in the form of glaciers, but at Pluto’s temperatures it’s as rigid and brittle as stone. Pluto’s other three ices, together referred to as volatile ices, are softer, like glacier ice on Earth. The three volatile ices mix easily with each other, but they also can be naturally separated since they evaporate and condense at slightly different temperatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the long seasons as Pluto-Charon circles the Sun once in 248 years, these volatile ices evaporate during summer. That thin breath of vapor makes up the atmospheres of Pluto and Charon. The vapors circulate and then condense as frost during winter. Over billions of years, this slow cycle has gently sculpted the icy landscapes into a great variety of forms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_581816\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-581816\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutobladedterrain-800x600.png\" alt=\"Bladed terrain on Pluto\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutobladedterrain.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutobladedterrain-400x300.png 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/plutobladedterrain-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“Bladed terrain” in the Tartarus Dorsa region of Pluto appears to have formed in methane ice by some long-continued etching process. Similar erosional features in Earth rocks may give us clues about this terrain — or vice versa. \u003ccite>(ASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The big bright heart-shaped feature on Pluto, informally named Sputnik Planum, turns out to be a low-lying basin full of volatile ices. The ices slowly stir and circulate, erasing impact craters there within a few million years — about as fast as craters are wiped out on Earth’s rocky crust. In that respect, Pluto is one of the most active places we know. Yet other areas on Pluto are heavily cratered and appear to have surfaces as old as the solar system itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_581817\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-581817\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-sputnikplanum-800x600.gif\" alt=\"Surface of Sputnik Planum\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-sputnikplanum-800x600.gif 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-sputnikplanum-400x300.gif 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/pluto-sputnikplanum-768x576.gif 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This detailed image of the glaciers in Pluto’s Sputnik Planum, about 50 miles in width, shows thousands of pits in its surface of nitrogen ice as well as larger circulation patterns. “Islands” are interpreted as floating bergs of water ice, or perhaps the tips of ice mountains. \u003ccite>(ASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both Pluto and Charon also have evidence of deeper activity. Pluto has some canyons that appear to have formed by stretching from below. Charon is far more dramatic, with a ring of great cracks around its equator. The working theory is that when Charon was younger and warmer, it had an original interior of liquid water that slowly froze. Because water, uniquely among common substances, expands as it freezes, the results might look like what we see today on Charon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pluto and Charon are also colorful, ranging from the blue of nitrogen ice to the reds and browns found in Charon’s great north-polar basin, Mordor Macula, and Pluto’s ancient Cthulhu Regio. The reddish material appears to be a thin crust of organic crud, chemicals called tholins that are made from methane ice by space radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_581818\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 448px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-581818\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe.jpg\" alt=\"Charon\" width=\"448\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe.jpg 448w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/charonglobe-75x75.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heavily cratered Charon is marked by Mordor Macula, a deep polar basin paved with red tholins, and an equatorial belt of immense cracks possibly caused by freezing of its deep mantle of water ice. \u003ccite>(ASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As we all know, Pluto is no longer officially called a \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet\">planet\u003c/a>. Speaking as a geologist, I don’t like this, because Pluto exhibits the basic \u003ca href=\"http://geology.about.com/od/planets/a/planetnuts.htm\">geologic behavior of a proper planet\u003c/a> — it’s round, it’s differentiated inside, and it’s active. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, the astronomers decided 10 years ago that Pluto is not planetary enough. It’s too small for its gravity to have cleared all the cosmic debris from around it, and it has neighbors in that part of space that are the same size and even larger. So Pluto is a dwarf planet. But the authors of the Science papers have done better by calling Pluto and Charon “worlds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studying a world like Pluto takes the wide-ranging skills of a large team of scientists. They may find analogies for something on Pluto existing on Earth’s glaciers, in various parts of Mars, or on any number of the icy moons of the outer planets. The pitted terrain on Sputnik Planum’s glaciers, for instance, looks a lot like the “Swiss cheese features” seen on the carbon-dioxide ice caps of Mars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The promise of exploring these analogies is that what we learn on Pluto may shed new light on other worlds, even our own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The work uncovers holes in our knowledge — for instance, we know very little about the mechanical behavior of solid nitrogen or methane ice. But now that we know this knowledge matters, we can do some decent experiments. Thus a project like New Horizons not only challenges researchers to find new ideas, but also sends them back to obscure basics that are suddenly world-changing matters.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/science/581813/plutos-geology-a-new-world-swims-into-our-ken","authors":["6228"],"categories":["science_28","science_38"],"tags":["science_1310","science_218","science_2172","science_5191"],"featImg":"science_581814","label":"science"},"science_556802":{"type":"posts","id":"science_556802","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"science","id":"556802","score":null,"sort":[1457103657000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"months-after-its-pluto-encounter-nasa-spacecraft-still-surprises-and-delights","title":"Months After its Pluto Encounter, NASA Spacecraft Still Surprises and Delights","publishDate":1457103657,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Months After its Pluto Encounter, NASA Spacecraft Still Surprises and Delights | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"science"},"content":"\u003cp>Seven months after its historic encounter with Pluto, NASA’s New Horizons mission is still dazzling us with discoveries: ancient frozen canyons, chains of icebergs floating in rivers of exotic slush, signs of paleo-oceans, and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a quick flyby mission that lasted mere hours, New Horizons is the gift-giver that keeps on giving as its Pluto data trickles back to Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Icebergs Floating in Nitrogen Slush?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may have heard of Pluto’s 10,000-foot-high mountain ranges of water ice, possible cryovolcanoes, and nitrogen-ice glaciers pouring through canyons and spilling out into wide flat milky plains. What you may not know is that Pluto has \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/image.php?page=1&gallery_id=2&image_id=408\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">floating islands\u003c/a>—yes, islands. Or, maybe more correctly, icebergs, of a sort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_556873\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-556873\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-800x480.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto's "floating ice islands" in the plains of Sputnik Planum. \" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-800x480.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-400x240.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-768x461.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-1180x708.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-960x576.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s “floating ice islands” in the plains of Sputnik Planum. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the smooth white plains of\u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/image-of-plutos-vast-icy-plain-informally-called-sputnik-planum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Sputnik Planum\u003c/a>, out among the flat expanses of frosty nitrogen and methane, protrude hills of water ice clustered in chains that almost look like flotsam washed up along the banks of a river.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The water-ice islands, or bergs, range in size from a mile to several miles across. At first glance they appear as hills dotting the flat plain, or possibly the tops of taller formations poking above the frigid flows that surround them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the clustering pattern, along with the directional flow of the slushy glacial sheets, suggest that they are large chunks of material that have broken off nearby highlands of water ice and were carried along with the flow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The clustering in chains may be due to the floating bergs running aground in shallower areas and accumulating—so the impression of riverbank flotsam may be accurate!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, it helps to think of the nitrogen glaciers as rivers and the plains they flood into as seas—seas in a much more literal sense than the “mare” (seas) of Earth’s Moon, which are flat plains of solid basalt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Pluto, exotic ices of nitrogen, methane, and ammonia (all of which have been detected in Sputnik Planum) are not rock-solid like their water-ice counterpart, but flow somewhat like glaciers do in Earth’s warmer climate. Glaciers on Earth are even known to carry chunks of rock and transport them from one place to another—although these usually sink to the bottom of the glacier, rock being denser than water ice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Pluto, water ice is less dense than the nitrogen glaciers and so would “float” in the slush—not unlike how icebergs float in Earth’s oceans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Frozen Polar Canyons\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another news flash came in more recently: “frozen” canyons exist in Pluto’s North Pole region—face it, a lot of things are frozen on Pluto. You may think, so what? Isn’t every canyon on Pluto technically frozen? What’s the fuss about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_556874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-556874\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-800x986.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto's ancient frozen canyons of its North Polar region. \" width=\"800\" height=\"986\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-800x986.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-400x493.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-768x947.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-1180x1454.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-960x1183.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s ancient frozen canyons of its North Polar region. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/image.php?page=1&gallery_id=2&image_id=412\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">canyons in question\u003c/a> are a series of long, parallel furrows, the largest of them gaping 45 miles across, bracketing Pluto’s geographic North Pole. These canyons, unlike many others found elsewhere on Pluto, appear to be quite old, crumbling and degraded with age, and are possibly made of weaker material.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They may be old enough to have formed when Pluto was still tectonically active, when the dwarf planet and its large moon Charon rotated relative to each other and mutually generated a lot of tidal-stress heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Pluto and Charon are tidally locked, each keeping the same side aimed at the other—like the faces of a figure-skating couple with gazes locked on one another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the tethered grip the pair have on each other today, there is no longer any significant gravitational flexing or stretching between them to generate heat and drive tectonic activity—the figure skaters are not flexing their muscles to perform spins and throws, but simply clasp hands and no longer generate as much body heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By studying these polar canyons, scientists may gain insight into conditions in Pluto’s and Charon’s past, when the couple did work up more of a tectonic sweat than today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ancient Ocean on Charon?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally, turning our attention to Charon (Pluto’s big moon) there appears to be evidence of what may have been an \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/image.php?page=1&gallery_id=2&image_id=411\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ancient ocean\u003c/a> long ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The evidence comes in the form of a series of long, deep chasms that give the appearance that Charon’s water ice surface has cracked. One of these “cracks” is 1,100 miles long and up to 4.5 miles deep!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One hypothesis about these epic canyons is that long ago, Charon was warmer, with heat from radioactive decay as well as its initial formation melting at least some of the water ice to form subsurface oceans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_556875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-556875\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-800x433.jpg\" alt=\"The "cracks" in the icy crust of Pluto's moon Charon that may be evidence of a past subsurface ocean of liquid water\" width=\"800\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-800x433.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-400x217.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-768x416.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-1180x639.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-960x520.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The “cracks” in the icy crust of Pluto’s moon Charon that may be evidence of a past subsurface ocean of liquid water \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As Charon cooled over time, the oceans would have frozen and expanded, pushing the crust outward and forming giant stress fractures—ostensibly the chasms New Horizons captured images of when it flew by last July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Adventure Continues\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We can enjoy the fruits of New Horizons’ expedition for months to come. Due to the spacecraft’s great distance (\u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Where-is-New-Horizons/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">presently\u003c/a> over 3.2 billion miles from Earth), a limited amount of electrical power, and the fact that it collected many gigabytes of data, it will take upwards of \u003ca href=\"http://gizmodo.com/why-itll-take-new-horizons-16-months-to-send-us-this-we-1717769317\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">16 months to transmit\u003c/a> it all back to Earth—so the rewards should keep rolling in through the end of this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, there’s a fresh adventure on the horizon, as the tiny nuclear robot coasts toward a 2019 encounter with the Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69. If the encounter goes as planned, it will be our first up-close look at a small, icy object in the Kuiper Belt, those vast rings of material that encircle the sun beyond the orbit of Neptune.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stay tuned…\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Seven months after its historic encounter with Pluto, NASA's New Horizons mission is still dazzling us with discoveries: ancient frozen canyons, chains of icebergs floating in rivers of exotic slush, signs of paleo-oceans, and more. ","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1704930529,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":29,"wordCount":1067},"headData":{"title":"Months After its Pluto Encounter, NASA Spacecraft Still Surprises and Delights | KQED","description":"Seven months after its historic encounter with Pluto, NASA's New Horizons mission is still dazzling us with discoveries: ancient frozen canyons, chains of icebergs floating in rivers of exotic slush, signs of paleo-oceans, and more. ","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Months After its Pluto Encounter, NASA Spacecraft Still Surprises and Delights","datePublished":"2016-03-04T15:00:57.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-10T23:48:49.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"path":"/science/556802/months-after-its-pluto-encounter-nasa-spacecraft-still-surprises-and-delights","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Seven months after its historic encounter with Pluto, NASA’s New Horizons mission is still dazzling us with discoveries: ancient frozen canyons, chains of icebergs floating in rivers of exotic slush, signs of paleo-oceans, and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a quick flyby mission that lasted mere hours, New Horizons is the gift-giver that keeps on giving as its Pluto data trickles back to Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Icebergs Floating in Nitrogen Slush?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may have heard of Pluto’s 10,000-foot-high mountain ranges of water ice, possible cryovolcanoes, and nitrogen-ice glaciers pouring through canyons and spilling out into wide flat milky plains. What you may not know is that Pluto has \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/image.php?page=1&gallery_id=2&image_id=408\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">floating islands\u003c/a>—yes, islands. Or, maybe more correctly, icebergs, of a sort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_556873\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-556873\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-800x480.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto's "floating ice islands" in the plains of Sputnik Planum. \" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-800x480.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-400x240.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-768x461.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-1180x708.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16-960x576.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_PlutosFloatingHills-Context-lables_V3-sml-02-04-16.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s “floating ice islands” in the plains of Sputnik Planum. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the smooth white plains of\u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/image-of-plutos-vast-icy-plain-informally-called-sputnik-planum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Sputnik Planum\u003c/a>, out among the flat expanses of frosty nitrogen and methane, protrude hills of water ice clustered in chains that almost look like flotsam washed up along the banks of a river.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The water-ice islands, or bergs, range in size from a mile to several miles across. At first glance they appear as hills dotting the flat plain, or possibly the tops of taller formations poking above the frigid flows that surround them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the clustering pattern, along with the directional flow of the slushy glacial sheets, suggest that they are large chunks of material that have broken off nearby highlands of water ice and were carried along with the flow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The clustering in chains may be due to the floating bergs running aground in shallower areas and accumulating—so the impression of riverbank flotsam may be accurate!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, it helps to think of the nitrogen glaciers as rivers and the plains they flood into as seas—seas in a much more literal sense than the “mare” (seas) of Earth’s Moon, which are flat plains of solid basalt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Pluto, exotic ices of nitrogen, methane, and ammonia (all of which have been detected in Sputnik Planum) are not rock-solid like their water-ice counterpart, but flow somewhat like glaciers do in Earth’s warmer climate. Glaciers on Earth are even known to carry chunks of rock and transport them from one place to another—although these usually sink to the bottom of the glacier, rock being denser than water ice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Pluto, water ice is less dense than the nitrogen glaciers and so would “float” in the slush—not unlike how icebergs float in Earth’s oceans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Frozen Polar Canyons\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another news flash came in more recently: “frozen” canyons exist in Pluto’s North Pole region—face it, a lot of things are frozen on Pluto. You may think, so what? Isn’t every canyon on Pluto technically frozen? What’s the fuss about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_556874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-556874\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-800x986.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto's ancient frozen canyons of its North Polar region. \" width=\"800\" height=\"986\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-800x986.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-400x493.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-768x947.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-1180x1454.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy-960x1183.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_NorthPoleRotatedContrastUnannotated_CLEAN-copy.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s ancient frozen canyons of its North Polar region. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/image.php?page=1&gallery_id=2&image_id=412\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">canyons in question\u003c/a> are a series of long, parallel furrows, the largest of them gaping 45 miles across, bracketing Pluto’s geographic North Pole. These canyons, unlike many others found elsewhere on Pluto, appear to be quite old, crumbling and degraded with age, and are possibly made of weaker material.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They may be old enough to have formed when Pluto was still tectonically active, when the dwarf planet and its large moon Charon rotated relative to each other and mutually generated a lot of tidal-stress heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Pluto and Charon are tidally locked, each keeping the same side aimed at the other—like the faces of a figure-skating couple with gazes locked on one another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the tethered grip the pair have on each other today, there is no longer any significant gravitational flexing or stretching between them to generate heat and drive tectonic activity—the figure skaters are not flexing their muscles to perform spins and throws, but simply clasp hands and no longer generate as much body heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By studying these polar canyons, scientists may gain insight into conditions in Pluto’s and Charon’s past, when the couple did work up more of a tectonic sweat than today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ancient Ocean on Charon?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally, turning our attention to Charon (Pluto’s big moon) there appears to be evidence of what may have been an \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Science-Photos/image.php?page=1&gallery_id=2&image_id=411\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ancient ocean\u003c/a> long ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The evidence comes in the form of a series of long, deep chasms that give the appearance that Charon’s water ice surface has cracked. One of these “cracks” is 1,100 miles long and up to 4.5 miles deep!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One hypothesis about these epic canyons is that long ago, Charon was warmer, with heat from radioactive decay as well as its initial formation melting at least some of the water ice to form subsurface oceans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_556875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-556875\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-800x433.jpg\" alt=\"The "cracks" in the icy crust of Pluto's moon Charon that may be evidence of a past subsurface ocean of liquid water\" width=\"800\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-800x433.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-400x217.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-768x416.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-1180x639.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded-960x520.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/03/00_Charon_SerenityChasma_Context_02182016_Melded.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The “cracks” in the icy crust of Pluto’s moon Charon that may be evidence of a past subsurface ocean of liquid water \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As Charon cooled over time, the oceans would have frozen and expanded, pushing the crust outward and forming giant stress fractures—ostensibly the chasms New Horizons captured images of when it flew by last July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Adventure Continues\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We can enjoy the fruits of New Horizons’ expedition for months to come. Due to the spacecraft’s great distance (\u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Where-is-New-Horizons/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">presently\u003c/a> over 3.2 billion miles from Earth), a limited amount of electrical power, and the fact that it collected many gigabytes of data, it will take upwards of \u003ca href=\"http://gizmodo.com/why-itll-take-new-horizons-16-months-to-send-us-this-we-1717769317\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">16 months to transmit\u003c/a> it all back to Earth—so the rewards should keep rolling in through the end of this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, there’s a fresh adventure on the horizon, as the tiny nuclear robot coasts toward a 2019 encounter with the Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69. If the encounter goes as planned, it will be our first up-close look at a small, icy object in the Kuiper Belt, those vast rings of material that encircle the sun beyond the orbit of Neptune.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stay tuned…\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/science/556802/months-after-its-pluto-encounter-nasa-spacecraft-still-surprises-and-delights","authors":["6180"],"categories":["science_28","science_40"],"tags":["science_784","science_2172","science_843","science_5191"],"featImg":"science_556805","label":"science"},"science_456475":{"type":"posts","id":"science_456475","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"science","id":"456475","score":null,"sort":[1452265219000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"move-over-pluto-dwarf-planet-ceres-gets-an-extreme-close-up","title":"Move Over Pluto, Dwarf Planet Ceres Gets an Extreme Close-Up","publishDate":1452265219,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Move Over Pluto, Dwarf Planet Ceres Gets an Extreme Close-Up | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"science"},"content":"\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA’s Dawn spacecraft\u003c/a> recently made its closest flyby of Ceres, sending back the most detailed views of its surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ceres is the largest object in the \u003ca href=\"http://www.universetoday.com/32856/asteroid-belt/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Main Asteroid Belt\u003c/a> located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and the only dwarf planet closer to the sun than Pluto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While news from that other dwarf planet encounter of 2015—New Horizons’ epic and brief July flyby of Pluto—has dominated attention in recent months, Dawn has been quietly and persistently scouring Ceres for information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_456654\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-456654\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up picture of a region of the southern hemisphere of the dwarf planet Ceres, captured by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from its closest encounter to date. \" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-75x75.jpg 75w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Close-up on a region of Ceres’ southern hemisphere, captured by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft from its closest encounter to date. \u003ccite>(Dawn/NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Extreme Close-Up\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On \u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5\">December 10, \u003c/span>\u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5\" href=\"http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news-detail.html?id=4802\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dawn captured images\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5\"> of Ceres’ southern hemisphere from an altitude of only 240 miles, its closest encounter to date. From this close orbit, image resolution of Ceres’ surface is about 120 feet per pixel, which is providing scientists with unprecedented details of the tiny fractured and cratered world.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking of fractures and craters, Dawn has revealed a collection of “trough” features, found all over the dwarf planet’s surface. While many of these cracks appear to be associated with impact craters and formed by shattering collisions with meteorites, some appear to be \u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/31469-dwarf-planet-ceres-stretched-surface-photos.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tectonic in nature\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tectonic stress fractures have been seen on other solar system bodies, including Earth and Mars. These are cracks formed by the contraction of a planet’s surface or by the weight of mountains that build up, whether by volcanic eruption or tectonic uplift. \u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/9683-surface-mars-possibly-shaped-plate-tectonics.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Olympus Mons\u003c/a>, Mars’ mega-volcano, is an example of this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Ceres is very small—only about 584 miles across, on average—the evidence of internal forces and processes that have broken its crust is tantalizing. A number of small bodies in the solar system have surprised us recently by showing signs of internal activity—Ceres, \u003ca href=\"http://news.discovery.com/space/pluto-may-have-deep-seas-and-ancient-tectonic-faults-140412.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pluto\u003c/a>, and Saturn’s moon \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/pia11140.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enceladus\u003c/a>, to name three.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Detection of Salt and Clay\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawn’s other instruments have made observations of Ceres’ chemical makeup\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>that are also intriguing. Earlier in December, the composition of the mysterious “\u003ca href=\"http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news-detail.html?id=4785\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bright spots\u003c/a>” was revealed as salt, possibly a type of magnesium sulfate called hexahydrate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ceres has also been found to contain ammoniated clays, which suggests that the material it formed from may have originated in the outer solar system where ammonia is abundant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether Ceres formed in the outer solar system and then migrated to its present location in the Main Asteroid Belt, or the materials it coalesced from originated out there, is not known, but either way the finding offers fascinating insights into the solar system’s past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ceres Is Unique Even Among Dwarf Planets\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are five objects in our solar system classified as dwarf planets (with potentially many more to be added). Four of them—Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake—are Kuiper Belt Objects, orbiting the sun in a vast belt of icy material extending from beyond the orbit of Neptune.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the dwarf planets, Ceres alone resides relatively close to Earth. The rewards of data mined from Pluto and Ceres by New Horizons and Dawn gives us the opportunity to compare these two very different objects, and helps to define the range of variation in properties and surface conditions of dwarf planets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dawn’s Advanced Engine Technology\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_456658\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-456658\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of the Dawn spacecraft firing its electrical ion propulsion engine.\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-75x75.jpg 75w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of the Dawn spacecraft firing its electrical ion propulsion engine. \u003ccite>(Dawn/NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before arriving at Ceres, Dawn spent a year orbiting the asteroid and protoplanet Vesta, making it the only spacecraft outside of the Earth-Moon system to orbit two different objects. One of the things that enabled Dawn to do this is its cutting-edge \u003ca href=\"http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/ion_prop.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">electrical ion propulsion system\u003c/a>, a highly efficient engine that uses low power, but constant thrust to achieve greater velocity changes than conventional chemical rocket engines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So \u003ca href=\"http://www.popsci.com/whats-next-dawn-mission-keri-bean\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what’s in the future \u003c/a>for this versatile itinerant robot?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it turns out, Dawn will remain in orbit as a permanent artificial satellite of Ceres even beyond the duration of its mission, currently schedule to end in June. So, we still have a few months of cool pictures and potentially awesome discoveries to look forward to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, we can shift our anticipation back to New Horizons and its 2019 encounter with Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69.\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"In December, NASA's Dawn spacecraft put the dwarf planet Ceres back into the spotlight when it made its closest approach to date, sending back the most detailed views of its surface.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1704930813,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":22,"wordCount":739},"headData":{"title":"Move Over Pluto, Dwarf Planet Ceres Gets an Extreme Close-Up | KQED","description":"In December, NASA's Dawn spacecraft put the dwarf planet Ceres back into the spotlight when it made its closest approach to date, sending back the most detailed views of its surface.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Move Over Pluto, Dwarf Planet Ceres Gets an Extreme Close-Up","datePublished":"2016-01-08T15:00:19.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-10T23:53:33.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"path":"/science/456475/move-over-pluto-dwarf-planet-ceres-gets-an-extreme-close-up","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA’s Dawn spacecraft\u003c/a> recently made its closest flyby of Ceres, sending back the most detailed views of its surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ceres is the largest object in the \u003ca href=\"http://www.universetoday.com/32856/asteroid-belt/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Main Asteroid Belt\u003c/a> located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and the only dwarf planet closer to the sun than Pluto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While news from that other dwarf planet encounter of 2015—New Horizons’ epic and brief July flyby of Pluto—has dominated attention in recent months, Dawn has been quietly and persistently scouring Ceres for information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_456654\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-456654\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up picture of a region of the southern hemisphere of the dwarf planet Ceres, captured by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from its closest encounter to date. \" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1-75x75.jpg 75w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/ceres-lamo-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Close-up on a region of Ceres’ southern hemisphere, captured by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft from its closest encounter to date. \u003ccite>(Dawn/NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Extreme Close-Up\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On \u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5\">December 10, \u003c/span>\u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5\" href=\"http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news-detail.html?id=4802\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dawn captured images\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5\"> of Ceres’ southern hemisphere from an altitude of only 240 miles, its closest encounter to date. From this close orbit, image resolution of Ceres’ surface is about 120 feet per pixel, which is providing scientists with unprecedented details of the tiny fractured and cratered world.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking of fractures and craters, Dawn has revealed a collection of “trough” features, found all over the dwarf planet’s surface. While many of these cracks appear to be associated with impact craters and formed by shattering collisions with meteorites, some appear to be \u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/31469-dwarf-planet-ceres-stretched-surface-photos.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tectonic in nature\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tectonic stress fractures have been seen on other solar system bodies, including Earth and Mars. These are cracks formed by the contraction of a planet’s surface or by the weight of mountains that build up, whether by volcanic eruption or tectonic uplift. \u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/9683-surface-mars-possibly-shaped-plate-tectonics.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Olympus Mons\u003c/a>, Mars’ mega-volcano, is an example of this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Ceres is very small—only about 584 miles across, on average—the evidence of internal forces and processes that have broken its crust is tantalizing. A number of small bodies in the solar system have surprised us recently by showing signs of internal activity—Ceres, \u003ca href=\"http://news.discovery.com/space/pluto-may-have-deep-seas-and-ancient-tectonic-faults-140412.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pluto\u003c/a>, and Saturn’s moon \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/pia11140.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enceladus\u003c/a>, to name three.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Detection of Salt and Clay\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawn’s other instruments have made observations of Ceres’ chemical makeup\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>that are also intriguing. Earlier in December, the composition of the mysterious “\u003ca href=\"http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news-detail.html?id=4785\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bright spots\u003c/a>” was revealed as salt, possibly a type of magnesium sulfate called hexahydrate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ceres has also been found to contain ammoniated clays, which suggests that the material it formed from may have originated in the outer solar system where ammonia is abundant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether Ceres formed in the outer solar system and then migrated to its present location in the Main Asteroid Belt, or the materials it coalesced from originated out there, is not known, but either way the finding offers fascinating insights into the solar system’s past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ceres Is Unique Even Among Dwarf Planets\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are five objects in our solar system classified as dwarf planets (with potentially many more to be added). Four of them—Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake—are Kuiper Belt Objects, orbiting the sun in a vast belt of icy material extending from beyond the orbit of Neptune.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the dwarf planets, Ceres alone resides relatively close to Earth. The rewards of data mined from Pluto and Ceres by New Horizons and Dawn gives us the opportunity to compare these two very different objects, and helps to define the range of variation in properties and surface conditions of dwarf planets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dawn’s Advanced Engine Technology\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_456658\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-456658\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of the Dawn spacecraft firing its electrical ion propulsion engine.\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires-75x75.jpg 75w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/PIA19598_hires.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of the Dawn spacecraft firing its electrical ion propulsion engine. \u003ccite>(Dawn/NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before arriving at Ceres, Dawn spent a year orbiting the asteroid and protoplanet Vesta, making it the only spacecraft outside of the Earth-Moon system to orbit two different objects. One of the things that enabled Dawn to do this is its cutting-edge \u003ca href=\"http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/ion_prop.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">electrical ion propulsion system\u003c/a>, a highly efficient engine that uses low power, but constant thrust to achieve greater velocity changes than conventional chemical rocket engines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So \u003ca href=\"http://www.popsci.com/whats-next-dawn-mission-keri-bean\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what’s in the future \u003c/a>for this versatile itinerant robot?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it turns out, Dawn will remain in orbit as a permanent artificial satellite of Ceres even beyond the duration of its mission, currently schedule to end in June. So, we still have a few months of cool pictures and potentially awesome discoveries to look forward to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, we can shift our anticipation back to New Horizons and its 2019 encounter with Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/science/456475/move-over-pluto-dwarf-planet-ceres-gets-an-extreme-close-up","authors":["6180"],"categories":["science_28","science_40"],"tags":["science_1306","science_1310","science_5175","science_2172","science_5191"],"featImg":"science_456653","label":"science"},"science_430896":{"type":"posts","id":"science_430896","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"science","id":"430896","score":null,"sort":[1450965644000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"earth-in-the-year-2015-can-you-ace-the-kqed-science-quiz","title":"Earth in the Year 2015: Can You Ace the KQED Science Quiz?","publishDate":1450965644,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Earth in the Year 2015: Can You Ace the KQED Science Quiz? | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"science"},"content":"\u003cp>From planetology to paleontology, 2015 was full of news in the Earth sciences. Ace this 20-question quiz and you’ll have plenty of planetary tidbits from KQED Science to quick-turn an awkward conversation at your holiday table. Who doesn’t need that?\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>It’s the ultimate selfie: NASA launched this satellite that hovers between Earth and the Sun, taking snapshots of the whole planet about 15 times a day. Do you know its name?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Scientists reported that the ash from some volcanoes contains abundant spherules — glassy droplets as fine as powder — that don’t arise from the splashing and explosions of lava. What makes them instead?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Sediments in the bottom of a rare sinkhole show that a very large tsunami, triggered by a magnitude-9 quake in Alaska, struck this state about 500 years ago. What state is that?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A study showed that the coral-sand islands of the Maldives are maintained by the activity of parrotfish. What do the fish do?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Researchers found that parts of Mars contain hydrated minerals, as well as dark streaks in the ground that appear during the Martian summer. What did they conclude?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Last month, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose above a round number and will not go back below it in the foreseeable future. What is that number?\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_29853\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-29853\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/04/Daisy-parrotfish-wikimedia.jpg\" alt=\"Daisy Parrotfish in the Maldives\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Species like the daisy parrotfish \u003ci>Chlorurus sordidus\u003c/i>, are a crucial link in the natural chain that builds dry land in the Maldives archipelago. \u003ccite>(Julien Bidet/Wikimedia)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>Two groups of scientists called for research programs to study the invisible ecosystems of microscopic organisms found everywhere we look. What’s the name for those ecosystems?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Early this year a spacecraft named MESSENGER ended several years of planetary observations by crashing into its target. What is that planet?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft sent back images of high mountain ranges, plus what look like volcanoes and glaciers, on a place it took more than 9 years to reach. What is that distant world?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A fossil study proposed that the ancient soft-bodied creatures called Ediacarans went extinct when newly evolved animals ruined their habitat. What scientist first proposed this kind of extinction?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>In December, NOAA reported that the previous month was the warmest November ever recorded. How many record-breaking months in a row did that make?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A new National Monument was established in northern California that displays signs of dramatic geologic activity including the clash of tectonic plates, volcanic eruptions and the wrenching of modern earthquake faults. Do you know its name?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>True or false? A strong El Niño has been active since early summer.\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_104383\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-104383\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live-800x656.jpg\" alt=\"Head of Wendiceratops\" width=\"800\" height=\"656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live-800x656.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live-400x328.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live-960x787.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Wendiceratops pinhornensis\u003c/i>, as reconstructed by scientific illustrator \u003ca href=\"http://www.ddufault.com/paleo.html\">Danielle Dufault\u003c/a> for the Royal Ontario Museum \u003ccite>(Danielle Dufault/PLOS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>Fossils of a three-horned dinosaur with a flamboyant bony frill behind its head were found in a Canadian park and assigned the name \u003ci>Wendiceratops pinhornensis\u003c/i>. Why that name?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>After an earthquake rips the ground, you can walk around the fresh geological evidence taking snapshots, and scientists can turn those images into an accurate 3D model. What’s the name of that technique?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A widely used record of the Sun’s historical activity was revised, erasing an apparent increase in solar energy that some researchers used to argue against greenhouse warming. What is that record?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Researchers showed that the Hayward fault is closely connected to a neighboring fault, making it more likely than previously thought that both can rupture together in an earthquake the size of 1906’s Big One. What’s the second fault?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Clever observations by a spacecraft peeking through dense clouds yielded conclusive evidence of volcanoes caught in the act of erupting. What planet was this?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>After 100 years of guessing, a fossil study of stegosaurs — those big dinosaurs with the rows of bony plates down their backs — found a way to tell the males and females apart. What is it?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The U.S. Geological Survey updated its long-term earthquake forecast this year. Which Bay Area earthquake fault is considered most likely to cause a major quake over the next few decades?\u003c/li>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Here are the answers, each linked to its KQED Science story.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/10/20/nasas-new-snapshots-of-earth-from-a-satellite-far-far-away\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The “selfie satellite” is DSCOVR\u003c/a>, or Deep Space Climate Observatory.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/03/05/volcanoes-and-lightning-make-tiny-glass-balls-together/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The new variety of spherule is made\u003c/a> when lightning lashes the ash-filled clouds above erupting volcanoes.\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_27883\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27883\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/03/galunggung-lightning-usgs.jpg\" alt=\"Volcanic lightning can melt ash into tiny spheres of glass\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volcanic lightning lashes the eruption cloud over Galunggung, in Indonesia, in this 1984 photo. This discharge of energy creates abundant tiny spheres of melted rock that mix with the ash as it settles earthward and enters the geologic cycle. \u003ccite>(U.S. Geological Survey)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/03/09/ancient-sinkhole-could-presage-mega-tsunami-for-hawaii/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hawaii is the state\u003c/a>, and the Makauwahi sinkhole in Kauai has the evidence.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/05/01/fish-help-build-coral-reef-islands/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The parrotfish manufacture sand for the Maldives islands\u003c/a> by crunching on large corals and pooping out the grit.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/09/28/reports-nasa-to-announce-water-flows-on-mars-watch-live/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA scientists announced\u003c/a> they had “the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/11/19/co2-earth-passes-into-uncharted-territory/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In mid-November the CO\u003csub>2\u003c/sub> level\u003c/a> at the standard observatory in Hawaii exceeded 400 parts per million, for good.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/11/05/whats-left-to-discover-about-microbes-pretty-much-everything/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">These worlds of microbes\u003c/a>, found in soils, our skins and our digestive tracts, are called microbiomes.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/04/03/nasas-messenger-spacecraft-preparing-its-farewell-message-from-mercury/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The planet was Mercury\u003c/a>, the one nearest to the Sun.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/11/27/ice-volcanoes-on-pluto-whats-next/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Horizons found volcanoes of ice water\u003c/a> and glaciers of solid nitrogen on the dwarf planet Pluto.\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_281380\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-281380\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"New Horizons' high-resolution color-enhanced portrait of Pluto exaggerated colors showing variations in surface composition and terrain.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-75x75.jpg 75w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New Horizons’ high-resolution color-enhanced portrait of Pluto, exaggerated colors showing variations in surface composition and terrain. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/09/11/mass-extinctions-the-case-of-the-vanishing-ediacarans/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Unlike other mass extinctions\u003c/a>, which had catastrophic causes, the Ediacaran mass extinction is the first example ever found of “biotic replacement,” the mechanism proposed in 1859 by Charles Darwin.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/12/17/november-was-record-warm-month-for-globe-extending-streak/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In 2015, November was the seventh month in a row\u003c/a> that was the warmest on record.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/07/16/geologic-highlights-of-californias-new-national-monument/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The new park, in the heart of the Coast Range\u003c/a>, is Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, although lots of California parklands feature this kind of geology.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/06/11/burn-after-reading-big-el-nino-building-could-be-major-rainmaker-this-fall/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">It’s true; El Niño is a tropical weather pattern\u003c/a> that was strong back in June, in the tropics, but it’s barely starting to affect California now in late December.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/07/09/wendys-ceratops-a-new-face-in-the-dinosaur-line/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>Wendiceratops pinhornensis\u003c/i>, an early relative of \u003ci>Triceratops\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, was named in honor of amateur fossil hunter Wendy Sloboda and the Pinhorn Provincial Grazing Reserve, where its bones were dug up.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/03/19/after-an-earthquake-use-your-phone-camera-for-science/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The surprisingly effective image-stitching technique\u003c/a>, stereoscopic viewing on steroids, is called “Structure from Motion,” or SfM.\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_28390\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/03/vofstereo.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-28390\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28390\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/03/vofstereo.jpg\" alt=\"Stereo image from Valley of Fire, Nevada\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stereo image of a scene from Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park. To view it, carefully cross your eyes until the two images fuse in a 3D picture. \u003ccite>(Andrew Alden/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/08/14/its-official-dont-blame-the-sun-for-climate-change/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The historical record of solar activity\u003c/a> is based on a quantity called the sunspot number.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/05/28/two-faults-could-make-one-big-earthquake/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hayward fault could form a megafault with its southern neighbor\u003c/a> that runs from San Jose past Gilroy — the Calaveras fault.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/06/25/active-volcanoes-spotted-on-venus/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The evidence of fresh pools of red-hot lava\u003c/a> was seen through the thick atmosphere of Venus.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/04/23/stegosaurus-male-or-female-the-answer-is-in-the-plates/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stegosaurs appear to have had differently shaped spinal plates\u003c/a> in males and females.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/03/10/new-earthquake-forecast-less-frequent-moderate-quakes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hayward fault is given one-in-seven odds\u003c/a> of a massive rupture between now and 2045.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/ol>\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Test your knowledge of planets, earthquakes, fossils and more in this year's big Earth science news.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1704930883,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":4,"wordCount":1195},"headData":{"title":"Earth in the Year 2015: Can You Ace the KQED Science Quiz? | KQED","description":"Test your knowledge of planets, earthquakes, fossils and more in this year's big Earth science news.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Earth in the Year 2015: Can You Ace the KQED Science Quiz?","datePublished":"2015-12-24T14:00:44.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-10T23:54:43.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"path":"/science/430896/earth-in-the-year-2015-can-you-ace-the-kqed-science-quiz","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>From planetology to paleontology, 2015 was full of news in the Earth sciences. Ace this 20-question quiz and you’ll have plenty of planetary tidbits from KQED Science to quick-turn an awkward conversation at your holiday table. Who doesn’t need that?\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>It’s the ultimate selfie: NASA launched this satellite that hovers between Earth and the Sun, taking snapshots of the whole planet about 15 times a day. Do you know its name?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Scientists reported that the ash from some volcanoes contains abundant spherules — glassy droplets as fine as powder — that don’t arise from the splashing and explosions of lava. What makes them instead?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Sediments in the bottom of a rare sinkhole show that a very large tsunami, triggered by a magnitude-9 quake in Alaska, struck this state about 500 years ago. What state is that?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A study showed that the coral-sand islands of the Maldives are maintained by the activity of parrotfish. What do the fish do?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Researchers found that parts of Mars contain hydrated minerals, as well as dark streaks in the ground that appear during the Martian summer. What did they conclude?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Last month, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose above a round number and will not go back below it in the foreseeable future. What is that number?\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_29853\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-29853\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/04/Daisy-parrotfish-wikimedia.jpg\" alt=\"Daisy Parrotfish in the Maldives\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Species like the daisy parrotfish \u003ci>Chlorurus sordidus\u003c/i>, are a crucial link in the natural chain that builds dry land in the Maldives archipelago. \u003ccite>(Julien Bidet/Wikimedia)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>Two groups of scientists called for research programs to study the invisible ecosystems of microscopic organisms found everywhere we look. What’s the name for those ecosystems?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Early this year a spacecraft named MESSENGER ended several years of planetary observations by crashing into its target. What is that planet?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft sent back images of high mountain ranges, plus what look like volcanoes and glaciers, on a place it took more than 9 years to reach. What is that distant world?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A fossil study proposed that the ancient soft-bodied creatures called Ediacarans went extinct when newly evolved animals ruined their habitat. What scientist first proposed this kind of extinction?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>In December, NOAA reported that the previous month was the warmest November ever recorded. How many record-breaking months in a row did that make?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A new National Monument was established in northern California that displays signs of dramatic geologic activity including the clash of tectonic plates, volcanic eruptions and the wrenching of modern earthquake faults. Do you know its name?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>True or false? A strong El Niño has been active since early summer.\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_104383\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-104383\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live-800x656.jpg\" alt=\"Head of Wendiceratops\" width=\"800\" height=\"656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live-800x656.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live-400x328.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live-960x787.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/07/Wendiceratops_live.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Wendiceratops pinhornensis\u003c/i>, as reconstructed by scientific illustrator \u003ca href=\"http://www.ddufault.com/paleo.html\">Danielle Dufault\u003c/a> for the Royal Ontario Museum \u003ccite>(Danielle Dufault/PLOS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>Fossils of a three-horned dinosaur with a flamboyant bony frill behind its head were found in a Canadian park and assigned the name \u003ci>Wendiceratops pinhornensis\u003c/i>. Why that name?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>After an earthquake rips the ground, you can walk around the fresh geological evidence taking snapshots, and scientists can turn those images into an accurate 3D model. What’s the name of that technique?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A widely used record of the Sun’s historical activity was revised, erasing an apparent increase in solar energy that some researchers used to argue against greenhouse warming. What is that record?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Researchers showed that the Hayward fault is closely connected to a neighboring fault, making it more likely than previously thought that both can rupture together in an earthquake the size of 1906’s Big One. What’s the second fault?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Clever observations by a spacecraft peeking through dense clouds yielded conclusive evidence of volcanoes caught in the act of erupting. What planet was this?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>After 100 years of guessing, a fossil study of stegosaurs — those big dinosaurs with the rows of bony plates down their backs — found a way to tell the males and females apart. What is it?\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The U.S. Geological Survey updated its long-term earthquake forecast this year. Which Bay Area earthquake fault is considered most likely to cause a major quake over the next few decades?\u003c/li>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Here are the answers, each linked to its KQED Science story.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/10/20/nasas-new-snapshots-of-earth-from-a-satellite-far-far-away\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The “selfie satellite” is DSCOVR\u003c/a>, or Deep Space Climate Observatory.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/03/05/volcanoes-and-lightning-make-tiny-glass-balls-together/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The new variety of spherule is made\u003c/a> when lightning lashes the ash-filled clouds above erupting volcanoes.\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_27883\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27883\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/03/galunggung-lightning-usgs.jpg\" alt=\"Volcanic lightning can melt ash into tiny spheres of glass\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volcanic lightning lashes the eruption cloud over Galunggung, in Indonesia, in this 1984 photo. This discharge of energy creates abundant tiny spheres of melted rock that mix with the ash as it settles earthward and enters the geologic cycle. \u003ccite>(U.S. Geological Survey)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/03/09/ancient-sinkhole-could-presage-mega-tsunami-for-hawaii/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hawaii is the state\u003c/a>, and the Makauwahi sinkhole in Kauai has the evidence.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/05/01/fish-help-build-coral-reef-islands/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The parrotfish manufacture sand for the Maldives islands\u003c/a> by crunching on large corals and pooping out the grit.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/09/28/reports-nasa-to-announce-water-flows-on-mars-watch-live/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA scientists announced\u003c/a> they had “the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/11/19/co2-earth-passes-into-uncharted-territory/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In mid-November the CO\u003csub>2\u003c/sub> level\u003c/a> at the standard observatory in Hawaii exceeded 400 parts per million, for good.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/11/05/whats-left-to-discover-about-microbes-pretty-much-everything/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">These worlds of microbes\u003c/a>, found in soils, our skins and our digestive tracts, are called microbiomes.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/04/03/nasas-messenger-spacecraft-preparing-its-farewell-message-from-mercury/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The planet was Mercury\u003c/a>, the one nearest to the Sun.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/11/27/ice-volcanoes-on-pluto-whats-next/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Horizons found volcanoes of ice water\u003c/a> and glaciers of solid nitrogen on the dwarf planet Pluto.\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_281380\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-281380\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"New Horizons' high-resolution color-enhanced portrait of Pluto exaggerated colors showing variations in surface composition and terrain.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-400x400.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release-75x75.jpg 75w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/P_COLOR2_enhanced_release.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New Horizons’ high-resolution color-enhanced portrait of Pluto, exaggerated colors showing variations in surface composition and terrain. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/09/11/mass-extinctions-the-case-of-the-vanishing-ediacarans/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Unlike other mass extinctions\u003c/a>, which had catastrophic causes, the Ediacaran mass extinction is the first example ever found of “biotic replacement,” the mechanism proposed in 1859 by Charles Darwin.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/12/17/november-was-record-warm-month-for-globe-extending-streak/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In 2015, November was the seventh month in a row\u003c/a> that was the warmest on record.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/07/16/geologic-highlights-of-californias-new-national-monument/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The new park, in the heart of the Coast Range\u003c/a>, is Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, although lots of California parklands feature this kind of geology.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/06/11/burn-after-reading-big-el-nino-building-could-be-major-rainmaker-this-fall/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">It’s true; El Niño is a tropical weather pattern\u003c/a> that was strong back in June, in the tropics, but it’s barely starting to affect California now in late December.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/07/09/wendys-ceratops-a-new-face-in-the-dinosaur-line/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>Wendiceratops pinhornensis\u003c/i>, an early relative of \u003ci>Triceratops\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, was named in honor of amateur fossil hunter Wendy Sloboda and the Pinhorn Provincial Grazing Reserve, where its bones were dug up.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/03/19/after-an-earthquake-use-your-phone-camera-for-science/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The surprisingly effective image-stitching technique\u003c/a>, stereoscopic viewing on steroids, is called “Structure from Motion,” or SfM.\u003c/li>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_28390\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/03/vofstereo.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-28390\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28390\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/03/vofstereo.jpg\" alt=\"Stereo image from Valley of Fire, Nevada\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stereo image of a scene from Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park. To view it, carefully cross your eyes until the two images fuse in a 3D picture. \u003ccite>(Andrew Alden/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/08/14/its-official-dont-blame-the-sun-for-climate-change/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The historical record of solar activity\u003c/a> is based on a quantity called the sunspot number.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/05/28/two-faults-could-make-one-big-earthquake/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hayward fault could form a megafault with its southern neighbor\u003c/a> that runs from San Jose past Gilroy — the Calaveras fault.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/06/25/active-volcanoes-spotted-on-venus/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The evidence of fresh pools of red-hot lava\u003c/a> was seen through the thick atmosphere of Venus.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/04/23/stegosaurus-male-or-female-the-answer-is-in-the-plates/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stegosaurs appear to have had differently shaped spinal plates\u003c/a> in males and females.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/03/10/new-earthquake-forecast-less-frequent-moderate-quakes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hayward fault is given one-in-seven odds\u003c/a> of a massive rupture between now and 2045.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/ol>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/science/430896/earth-in-the-year-2015-can-you-ace-the-kqed-science-quiz","authors":["6228"],"categories":["science_28","science_31","science_38","science_40"],"tags":["science_427","science_349","science_218","science_5191"],"featImg":"science_430986","label":"science"},"science_368481":{"type":"posts","id":"science_368481","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"science","id":"368481","score":null,"sort":[1448632854000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"ice-volcanoes-on-pluto-whats-next","title":"Ice Volcanoes on Pluto? What's Next!","publishDate":1448632854,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Ice Volcanoes on Pluto? What’s Next! | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"science"},"content":"\u003cp>At this moment, NASA’s tiny \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Horizons\u003c/a> spacecraft, which captured the world’s imagination and our hearts when it flew past Pluto in July, is already some 100 million miles beyond, plunging headlong into the icy, dark reaches of the \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/kbos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kuiper Belt\u003c/a> at more than eight miles per second.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The armchair-adventure we’ve engaged in with this intrepid little robot is far from over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the buzz of the Pluto encounter quieted down and people assumed the cool stuff was over, one astonishing discovery after another has rolled in with data that New Horizons beamed back to Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘The image of a volcanic eruption, even one spewing frosty slush, shatters the long-held assumption that Pluto was merely a dead, static world with little or no active processes.’\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“How?” you may ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It takes time to analyze the scientific data New Horizons captured, and not all of that data has even made it back to Earth yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a data transmission rate of only about 2 kilobits per second, it will take until late in 2016 for all of the Pluto encounter data to be sent home. A slow process, maybe, but for scientists it’s a bit like a birthday party that goes on for months, with new presents to unwrap every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Layers of Geologic Time\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20151109\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">surprises scientists have found\u003c/a> inside the gift boxes from New Horizons is that Pluto’s landscapes comprise a wide range of ages. Scientists determined this by counting impact craters; the number of craters on a planet’s or a moon’s surface is an indication of how long that surface has been exposed to meteoroid impact events, without being reshaped by ongoing active processes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_368487\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-368487\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap-800x417.jpg\" alt=\"Map of Pluto showing the locations of impact craters. Heavily cratered regions are more ancient surfaces, while those with little or no cratering are relatively young.\" width=\"800\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap-800x417.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap-400x209.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap.jpg 903w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Map of Pluto showing the locations of impact craters. Heavily cratered regions are more ancient surfaces, while those with little or no cratering are relatively young. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Planetary surfaces whose ages stretch back to when the solar system was young and filled with debris—meteoroids, asteroids, comets, and planetesimals—bear especially high densities of impact craters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The diversity of ages of Pluto’s surface tells us clearly that the dwarf planet hasn’t just been stoically bearing the ravages of the solar system’s slings and arrows, but has been actively healing some of those scars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some regions do appear to date back 4 billion years to just after the solar system’s genesis, other areas have been since remodeled. The smooth icy plains of Sputnik Planum, the western half of Pluto’s vast heart-shaped feature, are completely crater-free, and may be as young as only 10 million years—that’s baby skin in the time scale of the solar system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ices of Sputnik Planum are not just frozen water—which are as strong as rock in Pluto’s minus 378 degrees F temperatures—but frozen nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. These exotic ices are not so rock-hard in Pluto’s climate, and patterns in some areas suggest they are moving, or have moved recently, in glacier-like flows. The youthful, unblemished surfaces of Sputnik Planum may be explained in part by the action of flowing ices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_368488\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 360px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-368488\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes-400x763.jpg\" alt=\"Wright Mons and Piccard Mons, two mountains on Pluto that may have been formed by eruptions of ices from beneath Pluto's surface. \" width=\"360\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes-400x763.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes-800x1527.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes-960x1832.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes.jpg 974w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wright Mons and Piccard Mons, two mountains on Pluto that may have been formed by eruptions of ices from beneath Pluto’s surface. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ice Volcanoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two of Pluto’s mountains—Wright Mons and Piccard Mons—appear to be more than just mounds of ice and rock. They may be \u003cem>cryovolcanoes\u003c/em>: mountains formed by the eruption of ices from beneath Pluto’s surface!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wide depressions surrounded by concentric fracturing occupy the mountains’ central areas, resembling pictures of some Earthly volcanic calderas. Wright Mons is 60 miles wide, 13,000 feet high, and its central depression is 35 miles across—and it’s the smaller of the pair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The image of an active volcanic eruption, even one spewing out frosty slush instead of molten rock, may grip our imaginations more than any other Plutonian discovery, for the notion shatters the long-held assumption that Pluto was merely a dead, static world with little or no active processes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Clues to Planetary Origin\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A scarcity of smaller impact craters on Pluto’s more ancient surfaces, as well as those of its large moon, Charon, have caused scientists to question some earlier and long-standing assumptions about the formation of the Kuiper Belt, and by extension the \u003ca href=\"http://www.windows2universe.org/our_solar_system/formation.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">solar system \u003c/a>in general.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One long-time assumption had been that objects in the Kuiper Belt were gradually built up in size by the coalescence of small chunks of rock and ice that clumped into ever-larger objects, which in turn clumped together to build the objects we see today. This idea is like when a child snaps together the smallest blocks in a set of Legos into somewhat larger blocks, and then fits those blocks into even larger assemblies, and so on toward a final finished Lego structure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_368489\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-368489\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-400x200.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto's smaller moons, which may be representative of smaller bodies throughout the Kuiper Belt\" width=\"400\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-400x200.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-1440x720.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-1920x960.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-1180x590.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-960x480.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s smaller moons, which may be representative of smaller bodies throughout the Kuiper Belt \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The lack of small craters on Pluto supports a different idea: that Kuiper Belt Objects of the sizes we see today–typically 10-miles across and up–may have formed directly from ice and rock dust. In this case the child builds the final Lego structure simply by adding single Lego blocks to it, without creating intermediate assemblies first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>But Wait, It Gets Even Better\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even as New Horizons’ Pluto flyby data continue to trickle back to Earth, the spacecraft has already set upon a new mission of exploration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, mission operators conducted a \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20151105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series of engine thrust maneuvers\u003c/a> that put New Horizons on a path for a January 2019 encounter with the Kuiper Belt Object known as 2014 MU69, more than a billion miles farther away than Pluto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This extended mission will give us our first-ever close look at a small Kuiper Belt Object—or any object, other than Pluto and its moons, within the Kuiper Belt. Another big gift box awaits!\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Two of Pluto's mountains may be formed by eruption of ices from beneath its surface. NASA's New Horizons keeps delivering adventure on the dwarf planet.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1704930985,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":26,"wordCount":1075},"headData":{"title":"Ice Volcanoes on Pluto? What's Next! | KQED","description":"Two of Pluto's mountains may be formed by eruption of ices from beneath its surface. NASA's New Horizons keeps delivering adventure on the dwarf planet.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Ice Volcanoes on Pluto? What's Next!","datePublished":"2015-11-27T14:00:54.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-10T23:56:25.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"path":"/science/368481/ice-volcanoes-on-pluto-whats-next","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>At this moment, NASA’s tiny \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Horizons\u003c/a> spacecraft, which captured the world’s imagination and our hearts when it flew past Pluto in July, is already some 100 million miles beyond, plunging headlong into the icy, dark reaches of the \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/kbos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kuiper Belt\u003c/a> at more than eight miles per second.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The armchair-adventure we’ve engaged in with this intrepid little robot is far from over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the buzz of the Pluto encounter quieted down and people assumed the cool stuff was over, one astonishing discovery after another has rolled in with data that New Horizons beamed back to Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘The image of a volcanic eruption, even one spewing frosty slush, shatters the long-held assumption that Pluto was merely a dead, static world with little or no active processes.’\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“How?” you may ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It takes time to analyze the scientific data New Horizons captured, and not all of that data has even made it back to Earth yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a data transmission rate of only about 2 kilobits per second, it will take until late in 2016 for all of the Pluto encounter data to be sent home. A slow process, maybe, but for scientists it’s a bit like a birthday party that goes on for months, with new presents to unwrap every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Layers of Geologic Time\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20151109\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">surprises scientists have found\u003c/a> inside the gift boxes from New Horizons is that Pluto’s landscapes comprise a wide range of ages. Scientists determined this by counting impact craters; the number of craters on a planet’s or a moon’s surface is an indication of how long that surface has been exposed to meteoroid impact events, without being reshaped by ongoing active processes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_368487\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-368487\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap-800x417.jpg\" alt=\"Map of Pluto showing the locations of impact craters. Heavily cratered regions are more ancient surfaces, while those with little or no cratering are relatively young.\" width=\"800\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap-800x417.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap-400x209.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutocratermap.jpg 903w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Map of Pluto showing the locations of impact craters. Heavily cratered regions are more ancient surfaces, while those with little or no cratering are relatively young. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Planetary surfaces whose ages stretch back to when the solar system was young and filled with debris—meteoroids, asteroids, comets, and planetesimals—bear especially high densities of impact craters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The diversity of ages of Pluto’s surface tells us clearly that the dwarf planet hasn’t just been stoically bearing the ravages of the solar system’s slings and arrows, but has been actively healing some of those scars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some regions do appear to date back 4 billion years to just after the solar system’s genesis, other areas have been since remodeled. The smooth icy plains of Sputnik Planum, the western half of Pluto’s vast heart-shaped feature, are completely crater-free, and may be as young as only 10 million years—that’s baby skin in the time scale of the solar system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ices of Sputnik Planum are not just frozen water—which are as strong as rock in Pluto’s minus 378 degrees F temperatures—but frozen nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. These exotic ices are not so rock-hard in Pluto’s climate, and patterns in some areas suggest they are moving, or have moved recently, in glacier-like flows. The youthful, unblemished surfaces of Sputnik Planum may be explained in part by the action of flowing ices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_368488\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 360px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-368488\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes-400x763.jpg\" alt=\"Wright Mons and Piccard Mons, two mountains on Pluto that may have been formed by eruptions of ices from beneath Pluto's surface. \" width=\"360\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes-400x763.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes-800x1527.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes-960x1832.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/cryovolcanoes.jpg 974w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wright Mons and Piccard Mons, two mountains on Pluto that may have been formed by eruptions of ices from beneath Pluto’s surface. \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ice Volcanoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two of Pluto’s mountains—Wright Mons and Piccard Mons—appear to be more than just mounds of ice and rock. They may be \u003cem>cryovolcanoes\u003c/em>: mountains formed by the eruption of ices from beneath Pluto’s surface!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wide depressions surrounded by concentric fracturing occupy the mountains’ central areas, resembling pictures of some Earthly volcanic calderas. Wright Mons is 60 miles wide, 13,000 feet high, and its central depression is 35 miles across—and it’s the smaller of the pair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The image of an active volcanic eruption, even one spewing out frosty slush instead of molten rock, may grip our imaginations more than any other Plutonian discovery, for the notion shatters the long-held assumption that Pluto was merely a dead, static world with little or no active processes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Clues to Planetary Origin\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A scarcity of smaller impact craters on Pluto’s more ancient surfaces, as well as those of its large moon, Charon, have caused scientists to question some earlier and long-standing assumptions about the formation of the Kuiper Belt, and by extension the \u003ca href=\"http://www.windows2universe.org/our_solar_system/formation.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">solar system \u003c/a>in general.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One long-time assumption had been that objects in the Kuiper Belt were gradually built up in size by the coalescence of small chunks of rock and ice that clumped into ever-larger objects, which in turn clumped together to build the objects we see today. This idea is like when a child snaps together the smallest blocks in a set of Legos into somewhat larger blocks, and then fits those blocks into even larger assemblies, and so on toward a final finished Lego structure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_368489\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-368489\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-400x200.jpg\" alt=\"Pluto's smaller moons, which may be representative of smaller bodies throughout the Kuiper Belt\" width=\"400\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-400x200.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-1440x720.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-1920x960.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-1180x590.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/plutosmoons-960x480.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pluto’s smaller moons, which may be representative of smaller bodies throughout the Kuiper Belt \u003ccite>(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The lack of small craters on Pluto supports a different idea: that Kuiper Belt Objects of the sizes we see today–typically 10-miles across and up–may have formed directly from ice and rock dust. In this case the child builds the final Lego structure simply by adding single Lego blocks to it, without creating intermediate assemblies first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>But Wait, It Gets Even Better\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even as New Horizons’ Pluto flyby data continue to trickle back to Earth, the spacecraft has already set upon a new mission of exploration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, mission operators conducted a \u003ca href=\"http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20151105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series of engine thrust maneuvers\u003c/a> that put New Horizons on a path for a January 2019 encounter with the Kuiper Belt Object known as 2014 MU69, more than a billion miles farther away than Pluto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This extended mission will give us our first-ever close look at a small Kuiper Belt Object—or any object, other than Pluto and its moons, within the Kuiper Belt. Another big gift box awaits!\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/science/368481/ice-volcanoes-on-pluto-whats-next","authors":["6180"],"categories":["science_28"],"tags":["science_2173","science_2172","science_5191"],"featImg":"science_368486","label":"science"}},"programsReducer":{"possible":{"id":"possible","title":"Possible","info":"Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.","airtime":"SUN 2pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.possible.fm/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Possible"},"link":"/radio/program/possible","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"}},"1a":{"id":"1a","title":"1A","info":"1A is home to the national conversation. 1A brings on great guests and frames the best debate in ways that make you think, share and engage.","airtime":"MON-THU 11pm-12am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/1a.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://the1a.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/1a","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=1188724250&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/1A-p947376/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510316/podcast.xml"}},"all-things-considered":{"id":"all-things-considered","title":"All Things Considered","info":"Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.","airtime":"MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/all-things-considered"},"american-suburb-podcast":{"id":"american-suburb-podcast","title":"American Suburb: The Podcast","tagline":"The flip side of gentrification, told through one town","info":"Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/news/series/american-suburb-podcast","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"13"},"link":"/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"}},"baycurious":{"id":"baycurious","title":"Bay Curious","tagline":"Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time","info":"KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"\"KQED Bay Curious","officialWebsiteLink":"/news/series/baycurious","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"4"},"link":"/podcasts/baycurious","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9jYXRlZ29yeS9iYXktY3VyaW91cy1wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdA","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"}},"bbc-world-service":{"id":"bbc-world-service","title":"BBC World Service","info":"The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.","airtime":"MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service","meta":{"site":"news","source":"BBC World Service"},"link":"/radio/program/bbc-world-service","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/","rss":"https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"}},"code-switch-life-kit":{"id":"code-switch-life-kit","title":"Code Switch / Life Kit","info":"\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />","airtime":"SUN 9pm-10pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"}},"commonwealth-club":{"id":"commonwealth-club","title":"Commonwealth Club of California Podcast","info":"The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.","airtime":"THU 10pm, FRI 1am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Commonwealth Club of California"},"link":"/radio/program/commonwealth-club","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"}},"considerthis":{"id":"considerthis","title":"Consider This","tagline":"Make sense of the day","info":"Make sense of the day. Every weekday afternoon, Consider This helps you consider the major stories of the day in less than 15 minutes, featuring the reporting and storytelling resources of NPR. Plus, KQED’s Bianca Taylor brings you the local KQED news you need to know.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Consider-This-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"Consider This from NPR and KQED","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/considerthis","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"7"},"link":"/podcasts/considerthis","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1503226625?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/coronavirusdaily","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM1NS9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbA","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3Z6JdCS2d0eFEpXHKI6WqH"}},"forum":{"id":"forum","title":"Forum","tagline":"The conversation starts here","info":"KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.","airtime":"MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal","officialWebsiteLink":"/forum","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"8"},"link":"/forum","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"}},"freakonomics-radio":{"id":"freakonomics-radio","title":"Freakonomics Radio","info":"Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png","officialWebsiteLink":"http://freakonomics.com/","airtime":"SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/freakonomics-radio","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"}},"fresh-air":{"id":"fresh-air","title":"Fresh Air","info":"Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.","airtime":"MON-FRI 7pm-8pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/fresh-air","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"}},"here-and-now":{"id":"here-and-now","title":"Here & Now","info":"A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.","airtime":"MON-THU 11am-12pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/here-and-now","subsdcribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"}},"how-i-built-this":{"id":"how-i-built-this","title":"How I Built This with Guy Raz","info":"Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this","airtime":"SUN 7:30pm-8pm","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/how-i-built-this","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"}},"inside-europe":{"id":"inside-europe","title":"Inside Europe","info":"Inside Europe, a one-hour weekly news magazine hosted by Helen Seeney and Keith Walker, explores the topical issues shaping the continent. No other part of the globe has experienced such dynamic political and social change in recent years.","airtime":"SAT 3am-4am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Inside-Europe-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Deutsche Welle"},"link":"/radio/program/inside-europe","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-europe/id80106806?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Inside-Europe-p731/","rss":"https://partner.dw.com/xml/podcast_inside-europe"}},"latino-usa":{"id":"latino-usa","title":"Latino USA","airtime":"MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm","info":"Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://latinousa.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/latino-usa","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"}},"live-from-here-highlights":{"id":"live-from-here-highlights","title":"Live from Here Highlights","info":"Chris Thile steps to the mic as the host of Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion), a live public radio variety show. Download Chris’s Song of the Week plus other highlights from the broadcast. Produced by American Public Media.","airtime":"SAT 6pm-8pm, SUN 11am-1pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Live-From-Here-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.livefromhere.org/","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"american public media"},"link":"/radio/program/live-from-here-highlights","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1167173941","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Live-from-Here-Highlights-p921744/","rss":"https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/a-prairie-home-companion-highlights/rss/rss"}},"marketplace":{"id":"marketplace","title":"Marketplace","info":"Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.","airtime":"MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.marketplace.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"American Public Media"},"link":"/radio/program/marketplace","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/","rss":"https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"}},"mindshift":{"id":"mindshift","title":"MindShift","tagline":"A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids","info":"The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn","officialWebsiteLink":"/mindshift/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"2"},"link":"/podcasts/mindshift","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"}},"morning-edition":{"id":"morning-edition","title":"Morning Edition","info":"\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.","airtime":"MON-FRI 3am-9am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/morning-edition"},"onourwatch":{"id":"onourwatch","title":"On Our Watch","tagline":"Police secrets, unsealed","info":"For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"On Our Watch from NPR and KQED","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/onourwatch","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"1"},"link":"/podcasts/onourwatch","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw","npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"}},"on-the-media":{"id":"on-the-media","title":"On The Media","info":"Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us","airtime":"SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm","meta":{"site":"news","source":"wnyc"},"link":"/radio/program/on-the-media","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/","rss":"http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"}},"our-body-politic":{"id":"our-body-politic","title":"Our Body Politic","info":"Presented by KQED, KCRW and KPCC, and created and hosted by award-winning journalist Farai Chideya, Our Body Politic is unapologetically centered on reporting on not just how women of color experience the major political events of today, but how they’re impacting those very issues.","airtime":"SAT 6pm-7pm, SUN 1am-2am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Our-Body-Politic-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://our-body-politic.simplecast.com/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kcrw"},"link":"/radio/program/our-body-politic","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-body-politic/id1533069868","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9feGFQaHMxcw","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/4ApAiLT1kV153TttWAmqmc","rss":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/_xaPhs1s","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/Our-Body-Politic-p1369211/"}},"pbs-newshour":{"id":"pbs-newshour","title":"PBS NewsHour","info":"Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.","airtime":"MON-FRI 3pm-4pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"pbs"},"link":"/radio/program/pbs-newshour","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/","rss":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"}},"perspectives":{"id":"perspectives","title":"Perspectives","tagline":"KQED's series of of daily listener commentaries since 1991","info":"KQED's series of of daily listener commentaries since 1991.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Perspectives-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/perspectives/","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"kqed","order":"15"},"link":"/perspectives","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"}},"planet-money":{"id":"planet-money","title":"Planet Money","info":"The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.","airtime":"SUN 3pm-4pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/sections/money/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/planet-money","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"}},"politicalbreakdown":{"id":"politicalbreakdown","title":"Political Breakdown","tagline":"Politics from a personal perspective","info":"Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.","airtime":"THU 6:30pm-7pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Political Breakdown","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/politicalbreakdown","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"kqed","order":"11"},"link":"/podcasts/politicalbreakdown","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5Nzk2MzI2MTEx","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"}},"pri-the-world":{"id":"pri-the-world","title":"PRI's The World: Latest Edition","info":"Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.","airtime":"MON-FRI 2pm-3pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world","meta":{"site":"news","source":"PRI"},"link":"/radio/program/pri-the-world","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/","rss":"http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"}},"radiolab":{"id":"radiolab","title":"Radiolab","info":"A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.","airtime":"SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/","meta":{"site":"science","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/radiolab","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/","rss":"https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"}},"reveal":{"id":"reveal","title":"Reveal","info":"Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.","airtime":"SAT 4pm-5pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/reveal","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/","rss":"http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"}},"says-you":{"id":"says-you","title":"Says You!","info":"Public radio's game show of bluff and bluster, words and whimsy. The warmest, wittiest cocktail party - it's spirited and civil, brainy and boisterous, peppered with musical interludes. Fast paced and playful, it's the most fun you can have with language without getting your mouth washed out with soap. Our motto: It's not important to know the answers, it's important to like the answers!","airtime":"SUN 4pm-5pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Says-You-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://www.saysyouradio.com/","meta":{"site":"comedy","source":"Pipit and Finch"},"link":"/radio/program/says-you","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/says-you!/id1050199826","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Says-You-p480/","rss":"https://saysyou.libsyn.com/rss"}},"science-friday":{"id":"science-friday","title":"Science Friday","info":"Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.","airtime":"FRI 11am-1pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/science-friday","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/","rss":"http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"}},"science-podcast":{"id":"science-podcast","title":"KQED Science News","tagline":"From the lab, to your ears","info":"KQED Science explores science and environment news, trends, and events from the Bay Area and beyond.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-News-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/category/science-podcast/","meta":{"site":"science","source":"kqed","order":"17"},"link":"/science/category/science-podcast","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqed-science-news/id214663465","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2Jsb2dzLmtxZWQub3JnL3NjaWVuY2UvZmVlZC8","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed-science-news","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/category/science-podcast/feed/podcast"}},"selected-shorts":{"id":"selected-shorts","title":"Selected Shorts","info":"Spellbinding short stories by established and emerging writers take on a new life when they are performed by stars of the stage and screen.","airtime":"SAT 8pm-9pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Selected-Shorts-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.pri.org/programs/selected-shorts","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"pri"},"link":"/radio/program/selected-shorts","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=253191824&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Selected-Shorts-p31792/","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/selectedshorts"}},"snap-judgment":{"id":"snap-judgment","title":"Snap Judgment","info":"Snap Judgment (Storytelling, with a BEAT) mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic, kick-ass radio. Snap’s raw, musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. WNYC studios is the producer of leading podcasts including Radiolab, Freakonomics Radio, Note To Self, Here’s The Thing With Alec Baldwin, and more.","airtime":"SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/snapJudgement.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://snapjudgment.org","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/snap-judgment","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=283657561&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Snap-Judgment-p243817/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/snapjudgment-wnyc"}},"soldout":{"id":"soldout","title":"SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America","tagline":"A new future for housing","info":"Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/soldout","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":3},"link":"/podcasts/soldout","subscribe":{"npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing","apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america","tunein":"https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vc29sZG91dA"}},"ted-radio-hour":{"id":"ted-radio-hour","title":"TED Radio Hour","info":"The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.","airtime":"SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/ted-radio-hour","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"}},"tech-nation":{"id":"tech-nation","title":"Tech Nation Radio Podcast","info":"Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.","airtime":"FRI 10pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://technation.podomatic.com/","meta":{"site":"science","source":"Tech Nation Media"},"link":"/radio/program/tech-nation","subscribe":{"rss":"https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"}},"thebay":{"id":"thebay","title":"The Bay","tagline":"Local news to keep you rooted","info":"Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"\"KQED The Bay","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/thebay","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"kqed","order":"6"},"link":"/podcasts/thebay","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM4MjU5Nzg2MzI3","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"}},"californiareport":{"id":"californiareport","title":"The California Report","tagline":"California, day by day","info":"KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED The California Report","officialWebsiteLink":"/californiareport","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"9"},"link":"/californiareport","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1MDAyODE4NTgz","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"}},"californiareportmagazine":{"id":"californiareportmagazine","title":"The California Report Magazine","tagline":"Your state, your stories","info":"Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.","airtime":"FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/californiareportmagazine","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"10"},"link":"/californiareportmagazine","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"}},"theleap":{"id":"theleap","title":"The Leap","tagline":"What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?","info":"Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED The Leap","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/theleap","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"14"},"link":"/podcasts/theleap","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM0NTcwODQ2MjY2","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"}},"masters-of-scale":{"id":"masters-of-scale","title":"Masters of Scale","info":"Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.","airtime":"Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://mastersofscale.com/","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"WaitWhat"},"link":"/radio/program/masters-of-scale","subscribe":{"apple":"http://mastersofscale.app.link/","rss":"https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"}},"the-moth-radio-hour":{"id":"the-moth-radio-hour","title":"The Moth Radio Hour","info":"Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.","airtime":"SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://themoth.org/","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"prx"},"link":"/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/","rss":"http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"}},"the-new-yorker-radio-hour":{"id":"the-new-yorker-radio-hour","title":"The New Yorker Radio Hour","info":"The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.","airtime":"SAT 10am-11am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"}},"the-takeaway":{"id":"the-takeaway","title":"The Takeaway","info":"The Takeaway is produced in partnership with its national audience. It delivers perspective and analysis to help us better understand the day’s news. Be a part of the American conversation on-air and online.","airtime":"MON-THU 12pm-1pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Takeaway-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/takeaway","meta":{"site":"news","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/the-takeaway","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-takeaway/id363143310?mt=2","tuneIn":"http://tunein.com/radio/The-Takeaway-p150731/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/takeawaypodcast"}},"this-american-life":{"id":"this-american-life","title":"This American Life","info":"This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.","airtime":"SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.thisamericanlife.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"wbez"},"link":"/radio/program/this-american-life","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","rss":"https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"}},"truthbetold":{"id":"truthbetold","title":"Truth Be Told","tagline":"Advice by and for people of color","info":"We’re the friend you call after a long day, the one who gets it. Through wisdom from some of the greatest thinkers of our time, host Tonya Mosley explores what it means to grow and thrive as a Black person in America, while discovering new ways of being that serve as a portal to more love, more healing, and more joy.","airtime":"","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Truth-Be-Told-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Truth Be Told with Tonya Mosley","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.kqed.ord/podcasts/truthbetold","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr","order":"12"},"link":"/podcasts/truthbetold","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/truth-be-told/id1462216572","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9jYXRlZ29yeS90cnV0aC1iZS10b2xkLXBvZGNhc3QvZmVlZA","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/719210818/truth-be-told","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=398170&refid=stpr","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/587DhwTBxke6uvfwDfaV5N"}},"wait-wait-dont-tell-me":{"id":"wait-wait-dont-tell-me","title":"Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!","info":"Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.","airtime":"SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"}},"washington-week":{"id":"washington-week","title":"Washington Week","info":"For 50 years, Washington Week has been the most intelligent and up to date conversation about the most important news stories of the week. Washington Week is the longest-running news and public affairs program on PBS and features journalists -- not pundits -- lending insight and perspective to the week's important news stories.","airtime":"SAT 1:30am-2am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/washington-week.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"pbs"},"link":"/radio/program/washington-week","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/washington-week-audio-pbs/id83324702?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Current-Affairs/Washington-Week-p693/","rss":"http://feeds.pbs.org/pbs/weta/washingtonweek-audio"}},"weekend-edition-saturday":{"id":"weekend-edition-saturday","title":"Weekend Edition Saturday","info":"Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.","airtime":"SAT 5am-10am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"},"weekend-edition-sunday":{"id":"weekend-edition-sunday","title":"Weekend Edition Sunday","info":"Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.","airtime":"SUN 5am-10am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"},"world-affairs":{"id":"world-affairs","title":"World Affairs","info":"The world as we knew it is undergoing a rapid transformation…so what's next? Welcome to WorldAffairs, your guide to a changing world. We give you the context you need to navigate across borders and ideologies. Through sound-rich stories and in-depth interviews, we break down what it means to be a global citizen on a hot, crowded planet. Our hosts, Ray Suarez, Teresa Cotsirilos and Philip Yun help you make sense of an uncertain world, one story at a time.","airtime":"MON 10pm, TUE 1am, SAT 3am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/World-Affairs-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg ","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.worldaffairs.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"World Affairs"},"link":"/radio/program/world-affairs","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/world-affairs/id101215657?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/WorldAffairs-p1665/","rss":"https://worldaffairs.libsyn.com/rss"}},"on-shifting-ground":{"id":"on-shifting-ground","title":"On Shifting Ground with Ray Suarez","info":"Geopolitical turmoil. A warming planet. Authoritarians on the rise. We live in a chaotic world that’s rapidly shifting around us. “On Shifting Ground with Ray Suarez” explores international fault lines and how they impact us all. Each week, NPR veteran Ray Suarez hosts conversations with journalists, leaders and policy experts to help us read between the headlines – and give us hope for human resilience.","airtime":"MON 10pm, TUE 1am, SAT 3am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2022/12/onshiftingground-600x600-1.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://worldaffairs.org/radio-podcast/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"On Shifting Ground"},"link":"/radio/program/on-shifting-ground","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/on-shifting-ground/id101215657","rss":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/36668/rss"}},"hidden-brain":{"id":"hidden-brain","title":"Hidden Brain","info":"Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain","airtime":"SUN 7pm-8pm","meta":{"site":"news","source":"NPR"},"link":"/radio/program/hidden-brain","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"}},"city-arts":{"id":"city-arts","title":"City Arts & Lectures","info":"A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.cityarts.net/","airtime":"SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am","meta":{"site":"news","source":"City Arts & Lectures"},"link":"https://www.cityarts.net","subscribe":{"tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/","rss":"https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"}},"white-lies":{"id":"white-lies","title":"White Lies","info":"In 1965, Rev. James Reeb was murdered in Selma, Alabama. Three men were tried and acquitted, but no one was ever held to account. Fifty years later, two journalists from Alabama return to the city where it happened, expose the lies that kept the murder from being solved and uncover a story about guilt and memory that says as much about America today as it does about the past.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/White-Lies-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510343/white-lies","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/white-lies","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/whitelies","apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1462650519?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM0My9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbA","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/12yZ2j8vxqhc0QZyRES3ft?si=LfWYEK6URA63hueKVxRLAw","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510343/podcast.xml"}},"rightnowish":{"id":"rightnowish","title":"Rightnowish","tagline":"Art is where you find it","info":"Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/rightnowish","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"kqed","order":"5"},"link":"/podcasts/rightnowish","subscribe":{"npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast","apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"}},"jerrybrown":{"id":"jerrybrown","title":"The Political Mind of Jerry Brown","tagline":"Lessons from a lifetime in politics","info":"The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/jerrybrown","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"16"},"link":"/podcasts/jerrybrown","subscribe":{"npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/","tuneIn":"http://tun.in/pjGcK","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9zZXJpZXMvamVycnlicm93bi9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv"}},"the-splendid-table":{"id":"the-splendid-table","title":"The Splendid Table","info":"\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.splendidtable.org/","airtime":"SUN 10-11 pm","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/the-splendid-table"}},"racesReducer":{"5921":{"id":"5921","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 7","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":158422,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.97,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Doris Matsui","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":89456,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tom Silva","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":48920,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"David Mandel","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":20046,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-09T01:00:38.194Z"},"5922":{"id":"5922","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 8","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Rudy Recile","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"John Garamendi","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5924":{"id":"5924","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 10","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":185034,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.07,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mark DeSaulnier","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":121265,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Katherine Piccinini","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34883,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Nolan Chen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":19459,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joe Sweeney","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":7606,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mohamed Elsherbini","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":1821,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-09T01:02:32.415Z"},"5926":{"id":"5926","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 12","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":153801,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.88,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:41 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lateefah Simon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":85905,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jennifer Tran","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":22964,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tony Daysog","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":17197,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Stephen Slauson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":9699,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Glenn Kaplan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":6785,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eric Wilson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":4243,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Abdur Sikder","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2847,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ned Nuerge","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2532,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Andre Todd","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1629,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-16T00:22:36.062Z"},"5928":{"id":"5928","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 14","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":125831,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.14,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:41 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Eric Swalwell","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":83989,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Vin Kruttiventi","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":22106,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Alison Hayden","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":11928,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Luis Reynoso","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":7808,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:51:36.366Z"},"5930":{"id":"5930","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 16","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":182135,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.91,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","timeUpdated":"3:04 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Sam Liccardo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":38489,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Evan Low","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":30249,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joe Simitian","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":30249,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Peter Ohtaki","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":23275,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Peter Dixon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":14673,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Rishi Kumar","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":12377,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Karl Ryan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":11557,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Julie Lythcott-Haims","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":11383,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ahmed Mostafa","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":5811,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Greg Tanaka","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2421,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joby Bernstein","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1651,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:32:05.002Z"},"5931":{"id":"5931","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 17","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":117534,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.92,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Ro Khanna","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":73941,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Anita Chen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":31539,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Ritesh Tandon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":5728,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mario Ramirez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":4491,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joe Dehn","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Lib","voteCount":1835,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-08T01:50:53.956Z"},"5932":{"id":"5932","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 18","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":96302,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.93,"eevp":98.83,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Zoe Lofgren","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":49323,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Peter Hernandez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":31622,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Charlene Nijmeh","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":10614,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Lawrence Milan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2712,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Luele Kifle","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2031,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:26:02.706Z"},"5963":{"id":"5963","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 2","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":139085,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.62,"eevp":98.6,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Greer","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":38079,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Chris Rogers","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":27126,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Rusty Hicks","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":25615,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ariel Kelley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":19483,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Frankie Myers","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":17694,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ted Williams","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":9550,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Cynthia Click","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1538,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-22T21:38:36.711Z"},"5972":{"id":"5972","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 11","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":99775,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lori Wilson","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":50085,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Dave Ennis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":26074,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Wanda Wallis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":14638,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jeffrey Flack","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":8978,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-08T02:01:24.524Z"},"5973":{"id":"5973","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 12","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":143532,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.19,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:38 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Damon Connolly","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":111275,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Andy Podshadley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":17240,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Eryn Cervantes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":15017,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-21T00:25:32.262Z"},"5975":{"id":"5975","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 14","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":106997,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.06,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Buffy Wicks","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":78678,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Margot Smith","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":18251,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Utkarsh Jain","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":10068,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-15T01:30:34.539Z"},"5976":{"id":"5976","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 15","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":97144,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.98,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Sonia Ledo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":30946,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Anamarie Farias","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":29512,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Monica Wilson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":24775,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Karen Mitchoff","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":11911,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-14T00:19:38.858Z"},"5977":{"id":"5977","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 16","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Joseph Rubay","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Rebecca Bauer-Kahan","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5978":{"id":"5978","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 17","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":111003,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"8:25 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Matt Haney","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":90915,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Manuel Noris-Barrera","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":13843,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Otto Duke","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":6245,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:36:19.697Z"},"5979":{"id":"5979","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 18","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":86008,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.1,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:41 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mia Bonta","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":73040,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Andre Sandford","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"AIP","voteCount":4575,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mindy Pechenuk","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":4389,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Cheyenne Kenney","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":4004,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T08:03:23.729Z"},"5980":{"id":"5980","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 19","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":113959,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.8,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Catherine Stefani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":64960,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"David Lee","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":33035,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Nadia Flamenco","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":8335,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Arjun Sodhani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":7629,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-11T23:50:23.109Z"},"5981":{"id":"5981","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 20","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:36 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Liz Ortega","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5982":{"id":"5982","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 21","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mark Gilham","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Diane Papan","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5984":{"id":"5984","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 23","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":116963,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.91,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Marc Berman","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":67106,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Lydia Kou","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":23699,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Gus Mattammal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":13277,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Allan Marson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":12881,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T01:13:06.280Z"},"5987":{"id":"5987","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 26","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":72753,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.19,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Patrick Ahrens","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":25036,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tara Sreekrishnan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":19600,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Sophie Song","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":15954,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Omar Din","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":8772,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Bob Goodwyn","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Lib","voteCount":2170,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ashish Garg","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":1221,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-13T21:06:29.070Z"},"5989":{"id":"5989","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 28","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Gail Pellerin","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Liz Lawler","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6010":{"id":"6010","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 49","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:36 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Fong","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Long Liu","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6018":{"id":"6018","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 2","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":229348,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.05,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:38 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jared Huffman","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":169005,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Chris Coulombe","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":37372,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tief Gibbs","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":18437,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jolian Kangas","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":3166,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jason Brisendine","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":1368,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:46:10.103Z"},"6020":{"id":"6020","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 4","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":187640,"precinctsReportPercentage":96.32,"eevp":96.36,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Thompson","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":118147,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"John Munn","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":56232,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Andrew Engdahl","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":11202,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Niket Patwardhan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":2059,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-07T00:30:57.980Z"},"6025":{"id":"6025","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 9","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":121271,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.17,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Josh Harder","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":60396,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Kevin Lincoln","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":36346,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"John McBride","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":15525,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Khalid Jafri","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":9004,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:49:44.113Z"},"6031":{"id":"6031","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 15","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Anna Kramer","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Kevin Mullin","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6035":{"id":"6035","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 19","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":203670,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.11,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jimmy Panetta","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":132540,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jason Anderson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":58120,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Sean Dougherty","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Grn","voteCount":13010,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-07T00:23:46.779Z"},"6066":{"id":"6066","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 3","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jamie Gallagher","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Aaron Draper","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6067":{"id":"6067","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 4","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Cecilia Aguiar-Curry","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6087":{"id":"6087","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 24","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":66643,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.19,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Alex Lee","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":45544,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Bob Brunton","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":14951,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marti Souza","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":6148,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-14T23:23:49.770Z"},"6088":{"id":"6088","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 25","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":69560,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.31,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Ash Kalra","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":35821,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Ted Stroll","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":18255,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Lan Ngo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":15484,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-14T02:40:57.200Z"},"6092":{"id":"6092","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 29","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Robert Rivas","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"J.W. Paine","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6223":{"id":"6223","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 46","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:16 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lou Correa","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"David Pan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6530":{"id":"6530","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 3","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":222193,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Thom Bogue","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":61776,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Christopher Cabaldon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":59041,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Rozzana Verder-Aliga","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":45546,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jackie Elward","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":41127,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jimih Jones","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":14703,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-15T01:24:31.539Z"},"6531":{"id":"6531","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 5","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":171623,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.09,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jim Shoemaker","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":74935,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jerry McNerney","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":57040,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Carlos Villapudua","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":39648,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-13T20:07:46.382Z"},"6532":{"id":"6532","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 7","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":192446,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.72,"eevp":98.78,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jesse Arreguín","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":61837,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jovanka Beckles","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":34025,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Dan Kalb","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":28842,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Kathryn Lybarger","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":28041,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sandre Swanson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":22862,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jeanne Solnordal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":16839,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-16T00:58:11.533Z"},"6533":{"id":"6533","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 9","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Tim Grayson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marisol Rubio","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6534":{"id":"6534","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 11","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":228260,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.09,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Scott Wiener","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":166592,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Yvette Corkrean","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34438,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Cynthia Cravens","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":18513,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jing Xiong","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":8717,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T02:01:51.597Z"},"6535":{"id":"6535","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 13","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":227191,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.88,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Josh Becker","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":167127,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Alexander Glew","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":42788,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Christina Laskowski","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":17276,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T01:56:24.964Z"},"6536":{"id":"6536","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 15","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":180231,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.81,"eevp":98.95,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Dave Cortese","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":124440,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Robert Howell","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34173,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tony Loaiza","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":21618,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-13T01:15:45.365Z"},"6548":{"id":"6548","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 39","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:55 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Akilah Weber","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Bob Divine","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6611":{"id":"6611","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 11","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":188732,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.89,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"8:25 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Nancy Pelosi","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":138285,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Bruce Lou","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":16285,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marjorie Mikels","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":9363,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Bianca Von Krieg","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":7634,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jason Zeng","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":6607,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jason Boyce","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":4325,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Larry Nichelson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3482,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eve Del Castello","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2751,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:31:55.445Z"},"8589":{"id":"8589","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. Senate, Class I","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":7276537,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Adam Schiff","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2299507,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Steve Garvey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2292414,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Katie Porter","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1115606,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Barbara Lee","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":714408,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eric Early","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":240723,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"James Bradley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":98180,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Christina Pascucci","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":61755,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sharleta Bassett","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":54422,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sarah Liew","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":38483,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Laura Garza ","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":34320,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jonathan Reiss","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34283,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sepi Gilani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":34056,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Gail Lightfoot","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Lib","voteCount":33046,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Denice Gary-Pandol","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":25494,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"James Macauley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":23168,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Harmesh Kumar","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":21522,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"David Peterson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":21076,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Douglas Pierce","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":19371,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Major Singh","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":16965,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"John Rose","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":14577,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Perry Pound","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":14134,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Raji Rab","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":13558,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mark Ruzon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":13429,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Forrest Jones","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"AIP","voteCount":13027,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Stefan Simchowitz","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":12717,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Martin Veprauskas","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":9714,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Don Grundmann","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":6582,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T05:01:46.589Z"},"8686":{"id":"8686","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"President,","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top1","totalVotes":3589127,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:48 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Joe Biden","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":3200188,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marianne Williamson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":145690,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Dean Phillips","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":99981,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Armando Perez-Serrato","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":42925,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Gabriel Cornejo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":41261,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"President Boddie","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":25373,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Stephen Lyons","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":21008,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eban Cambridge","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":12701,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:12:27.559Z"},"8688":{"id":"8688","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"President,","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top1","totalVotes":2466569,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Donald Trump","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":1953947,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Nikki Haley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":430792,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ron DeSantis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":35581,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Chris Christie","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":20164,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Vivek Ramaswamy","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":11069,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Rachel Swift","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":4231,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"David Stuckenberg","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3895,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ryan Binkley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3563,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Asa Hutchinson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3327,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:13:19.766Z"},"81993":{"id":"81993","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. Senate, Class I Unexpired Term","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":7358837,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Steve Garvey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2444940,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Adam Schiff","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2155146,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Katie Porter","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1269194,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Barbara Lee","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":863278,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eric Early","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":448788,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Christina Pascucci","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":109421,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sepi Gilani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":68070,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:31:08.186Z"},"82014":{"id":"82014","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"Proposition, 1 - Behavioral Health Services Program","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top1","totalVotes":7221972,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":null,"voteCount":3624998,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":null,"voteCount":3596974,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-21T00:11:06.265Z"},"timeLoaded":"April 25, 2024 7:57 AM","nationalRacesLoaded":true,"localRacesLoaded":true,"overrides":[{"id":"5921","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 7","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5922","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 8","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5924","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 10","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5926","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 12","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/congress-12th-district"},{"id":"5928","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 14","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5930","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 16","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/congress-16th-district"},{"id":"5931","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 17","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5932","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 18","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5963","raceName":"State Assembly, District 2","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5972","raceName":"State Assembly, District 11","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5973","raceName":"State Assembly, District 12","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5975","raceName":"State Assembly, District 14","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5976","raceName":"State Assembly, District 15","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/contracosta/state-assembly"},{"id":"5977","raceName":"State Assembly, District 16","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5978","raceName":"State Assembly, District 17","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5979","raceName":"State Assembly, District 18","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5980","raceName":"State Assembly, District 19","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5981","raceName":"State Assembly, District 20","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5982","raceName":"State Assembly, District 21","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5984","raceName":"State Assembly, District 23","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/state-assembly-23rd-district"},{"id":"5987","raceName":"State Assembly, District 26","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/santaclara/state-assembly-26th-district"},{"id":"5989","raceName":"State Assembly, District 28","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6010","raceName":"State Assembly, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6018","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 2","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6020","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6025","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 9","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6031","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 15","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6035","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 19","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6067","raceName":"State Assembly, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6087","raceName":"State Assembly, District 24","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6088","raceName":"State Assembly, District 25","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6092","raceName":"State Assembly, District 29","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6223","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6530","raceName":"State Senate, District 3","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/state-senate-3rd-district"},{"id":"6531","raceName":"State Senate, District 5","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6532","raceName":"State Senate, District 7","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/state-senate-7th-district"},{"id":"6533","raceName":"State Senate, District 9","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6534","raceName":"State Senate, District 11","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6535","raceName":"State Senate, District 13","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6536","raceName":"State Senate, District 15","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6611","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 11","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"8589","raceName":"U.S. Senate (Full Term)","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/senator"},{"id":"8686","raceName":"California Democratic Presidential Primary","raceDescription":"Candidates are competing for 496 delegates.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/president/democrat"},{"id":"8688","raceName":"California Republican Presidential Primary","raceDescription":"Candidates are competing for 169 delegates.","raceReadTheStory":"https://kqed.org/elections/results/president/republican"},{"id":"81993","raceName":"U.S. Senate (Partial/Unexpired Term)","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election."},{"id":"82014","raceName":"Proposition 1","raceDescription":"Bond and mental health reforms. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/proposition-1"}],"AlamedaJudge5":{"id":"AlamedaJudge5","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 5","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":200601,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Terry Wiley","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":200601}]},"AlamedaJudge12":{"id":"AlamedaJudge12","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 12","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":240853,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mark Fickes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":133009},{"candidateName":"Michael P. Johnson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":107844}]},"AlamedaBoard2":{"id":"AlamedaBoard2","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Education, Trustee Area 2","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":33580,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"John Lewis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6943},{"candidateName":"Angela Normand","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":26637}]},"AlamedaBoard5":{"id":"AlamedaBoard5","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Education, Trustee Area 5","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":26072,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Guadalupe \"Lupe\" Angulo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7521},{"candidateName":"Janevette Cole","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13338},{"candidateName":"Joe Orlando Ramos","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5213}]},"AlamedaBoard6":{"id":"AlamedaBoard6","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Education, Trustee Area 6","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":30864,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"John Guerrero","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9989},{"candidateName":"Eileen McDonald","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":20875}]},"AlamedaSup1":{"id":"AlamedaSup1","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":41038,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"David Haubert","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":41038}]},"AlamedaSup2":{"id":"AlamedaSup2","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":31034,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Elisa Márquez","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":31034}]},"AlamedaSup4":{"id":"AlamedaSup4","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/supervisor-4th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":57007,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jennifer Esteen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":22400},{"candidateName":"Nate Miley","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":34607}]},"AlamedaSup5":{"id":"AlamedaSup5","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":81059,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Ben Bartlett","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13518},{"candidateName":"Nikki Fortunato Bas","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":27597},{"candidateName":"John J. Bauters","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":16783},{"candidateName":"Ken Berrick","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7520},{"candidateName":"Omar Farmer","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1240},{"candidateName":"Gregory Hodge","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3419},{"candidateName":"Chris Moore","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7428},{"candidateName":"Gerald Pechenuk","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":305},{"candidateName":"Lorrel Plimier","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3249}]},"AlamedaBoard7":{"id":"AlamedaBoard7","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Flood Control & Water Conservation District Director, Zone 7, Full Term","raceDescription":"Top three candidates win seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top3","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":134340,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Alan Burnham","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":15723},{"candidateName":"Sandy Figuers","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":22454},{"candidateName":"Laurene K. Green","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":30343},{"candidateName":"Kathy Narum","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23833},{"candidateName":"Seema Badar","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7468},{"candidateName":"Catherine Brown","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":34519}]},"AlamedaAuditor":{"id":"AlamedaAuditor","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Oakland Auditor","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":59227,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Houston","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":59227}]},"AlamedaMeasureA":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Alameda County. Civil service. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":282335,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":167903},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":114432}]},"AlamedaMeasureB":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Alameda County. Recall rules. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/measure-b","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":282683,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":182200},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":100483}]},"AlamedaMeasureD":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Oakland. Appropriations limit. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":79797,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":59852},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":19945}]},"AlamedaMeasureE":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Alameda Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":22692,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":17280},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5412}]},"AlamedaMeasureF":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureF","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure F","raceDescription":"Piedmont. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":4855,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3673},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1182}]},"AlamedaMeasureG":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Albany Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote. ","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":5898,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4651},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1247}]},"AlamedaMeasureH":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"Berkeley Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":33331,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":29418},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3913}]},"AlamedaMeasureI":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureI","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure I","raceDescription":"Hayward Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":21929,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14151},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7778}]},"AlamedaMeasureJ":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureJ","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure J","raceDescription":"San Leandro Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":12338,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7784},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4554}]},"CCD2":{"id":"CCD2","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":45776,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Candace Andersen","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":45776}]},"CCD3":{"id":"CCD3","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":25120,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Diane Burgis","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":25120}]},"CCD5":{"id":"CCD5","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/contracosta/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":37045,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Barbanica","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14338},{"candidateName":"Jelani Killings","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5683},{"candidateName":"Shanelle Scales-Preston","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":12993},{"candidateName":"Iztaccuauhtli Hector Gonzalez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4031}]},"CCMeasureA":{"id":"CCMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Martinez. Appoint City Clerk. Passes with a majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":11513,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7554},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3959}]},"CCMeasureB":{"id":"CCMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Antioch Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":17971,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10397},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7574}]},"CCMeasureC":{"id":"CCMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Martinez Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":9230,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6917},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2313}]},"CCMeasureD":{"id":"CCMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Moraga School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":6007,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4052},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1955}]},"MarinD2":{"id":"MarinD2","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/supervisor-2nd-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":18466,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Brian Colbert","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7971},{"candidateName":"Heather McPhail Sridharan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4851},{"candidateName":"Ryan O'Neil","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2647},{"candidateName":"Gabe Paulson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2997}]},"MarinD3":{"id":"MarinD3","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":13274,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Stephanie Moulton-Peters","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13274}]},"MarinD4":{"id":"MarinD4","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":12986,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Dennis Rodoni","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10086},{"candidateName":"Francis Drouillard","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2900}]},"MarinLarkspurCC":{"id":"MarinLarkspurCC","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Larkspur City Council (Short Term)","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":4176,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Stephanie Andre","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2514},{"candidateName":"Claire Paquette","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1008},{"candidateName":"Lana Scott","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":654}]},"MarinRossCouncil":{"id":"MarinRossCouncil","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Ross Town Council","raceDescription":"Top three candidates win seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top3","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":1740,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Charles William \"Bill\" Kircher, Jr.","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":536},{"candidateName":"Mathew Salter","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":502},{"candidateName":"Shadi Aboukhater","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":187},{"candidateName":"Teri Dowling","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":515}]},"MarinMeasureA":{"id":"MarinMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Tamalpais Union High School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":45345,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":24376},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":20969}]},"MarinMeasureB":{"id":"MarinMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Petaluma Joint Union High School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":132,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":62},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":70}]},"MarinMeasureC":{"id":"MarinMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Belvedere. Appropriation limit. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":870,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":679},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":191}]},"MarinMeasureD":{"id":"MarinMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Larkspur. Rent stabilization. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/measure-d","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":4955,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2573},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2382}]},"MarinMeasureE":{"id":"MarinMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Ross. Special tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/measure-e","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":874,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":683},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":191}]},"MarinMeasureF":{"id":"MarinMeasureF","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure F","raceDescription":"San Anselmo. Flood Control and Water Conservation District. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":5193,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3083},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2110}]},"MarinMeasureG":{"id":"MarinMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Bel Marin Keys Community Services District. Special tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":830,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":661},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":169}]},"MarinMeasureH":{"id":"MarinMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"Marinwood Community Services District. Appropriations limit, fire protection. Passes with a majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":1738,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1369},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":369}]},"MarinMeasureI":{"id":"MarinMeasureI","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure I","raceDescription":"Marinwood Community Services District. Appropriations limit, parks. Passes with a majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":1735,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1336},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":399}]},"NapaD2":{"id":"NapaD2","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":8351,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Liz Alessio","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6340},{"candidateName":"Doris Gentry","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2011}]},"NapaD4":{"id":"NapaD4","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/napa/supervisor-4th-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":7306,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Amber Manfree","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3913},{"candidateName":"Pete Mott","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3393}]},"NapaD5":{"id":"NapaD5","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/napa/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":5356,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mariam Aboudamous","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2379},{"candidateName":"Belia Ramos","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2977}]},"NapaMeasureD":{"id":"NapaMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Howell Mountain Elementary School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":741,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":367},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":374}]},"NapaMeasureU":{"id":"NapaMeasureU","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Measure U","raceDescription":"Lake Berryessa Resort Improvement District. Appropriations limit. Passes with majority vote. ","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":86,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":63},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23}]},"NapaMeasureU1":{"id":"NapaMeasureU1","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Measure U","raceDescription":"Yountville. Appropriations limit. Passes with majority vote. ","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":925,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":793},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":132}]},"SFJudge1":{"id":"SFJudge1","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Seat 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/superior-court-seat-1","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":202960,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Begert","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":124943},{"candidateName":"Chip Zecher","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":78017}]},"SFJudge13":{"id":"SFJudge13","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Seat 13","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/superior-court-seat-13","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":202386,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jean Myungjin Roland","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":90012},{"candidateName":"Patrick S. Thompson","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":112374}]},"SFPropA":{"id":"SFPropA","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition A","raceDescription":"Housing bond. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/proposition-a","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":225187,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":158497},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":66690}]},"SFPropB":{"id":"SFPropB","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition B","raceDescription":"Police staffing. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222954,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":61580},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":161374}]},"SFPropC":{"id":"SFPropC","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition C","raceDescription":"Transfer tax exemption. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":220349,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":116311},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":104038}]},"SFPropD":{"id":"SFPropD","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition D","raceDescription":"Ethics laws. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222615,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":198584},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":24031}]},"SFPropE":{"id":"SFPropE","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition E","raceDescription":"Police policies. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/proposition-e","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222817,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":120529},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":102288}]},"SFPropF":{"id":"SFPropF","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition F","raceDescription":"Drug screening. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/proposition-f","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":224004,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":130214},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":93790}]},"SFPropG":{"id":"SFPropG","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition G","raceDescription":"Eighth-grade algebra. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222704,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":182066},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":40638}]},"SMJudge4":{"id":"SMJudge4","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":108919,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Sarah Burdick","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":108919}]},"SMD1":{"id":"SMD1","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanmateo/supervisor-1st-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":29650,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jackie Speier","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":20353},{"candidateName":"Ann Schneider","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9297}]},"SMD4":{"id":"SMD4","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanmateo/supervisor-4th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":22725,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Antonio Lopez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5730},{"candidateName":"Lisa Gauthier","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10358},{"candidateName":"Celeste Brevard","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1268},{"candidateName":"Paul Bocanegra","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1909},{"candidateName":"Maggie Cornejo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3460}]},"SMD5":{"id":"SMD5","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":19937,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"David Canepa","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":19937}]},"SMMeasureB":{"id":"SMMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"County Service Area #1 (Highlands). Special tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":1549,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1360},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":189}]},"SMMeasureC":{"id":"SMMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Jefferson Elementary School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":12234,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8543},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3691}]},"SMMeasureE":{"id":"SMMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Woodside Elementary School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":1392,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":910},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":482}]},"SMMeasureG":{"id":"SMMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Pacifica School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":11548,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7067},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4481}]},"SMMeasureH":{"id":"SMMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"San Carlos School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":9938,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6283},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3655}]},"SCJudge5":{"id":"SCJudge5","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":301953,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jay Boyarsky","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":142549},{"candidateName":"Nicole M. Ford","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":52147},{"candidateName":"Johnene Linda Stebbins","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":107257}]},"SCD2":{"id":"SCD2","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/santaclara/supervisor-2nd-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":44059,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Corina Herrera-Loera","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10519},{"candidateName":"Jennifer Margaret Celaya","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2394},{"candidateName":"Madison Nguyen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":12794},{"candidateName":"Betty Duong","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14031},{"candidateName":"Nelson McElmurry","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4321}]},"SCD3":{"id":"SCD3","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":42549,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Otto Lee","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":42549}]},"SCD5":{"id":"SCD5","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/santaclara/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":88712,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Margaret Abe-Koga","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":37172},{"candidateName":"Sally J. Lieber","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":21962},{"candidateName":"Barry Chang","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6164},{"candidateName":"Peter C. Fung","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":17892},{"candidateName":"Sandy Sans","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5522}]},"SCSJMayor":{"id":"SCSJMayor","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José Mayor","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":167064,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Matt Mahan","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":144701},{"candidateName":"Tyrone Wade","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":22363}]},"SCSJD2":{"id":"SCSJD2","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":14131,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Joe Lopez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4950},{"candidateName":"Pamela Campos","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3436},{"candidateName":"Vanessa Sandoval","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2719},{"candidateName":"Babu Prasad","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3026}]},"SCSJD4":{"id":"SCSJD4","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":14322,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Kansen Chu","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5931},{"candidateName":"David Cohen","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8391}]},"SCSJD6":{"id":"SCSJD6","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 6","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":25108,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"David Cohen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9875},{"candidateName":"Alex Shoor","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3850},{"candidateName":"Angelo \"A.J.\" Pasciuti","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2688},{"candidateName":"Michael Mulcahy","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8695}]},"SCSJD8":{"id":"SCSJD8","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 8","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":21462,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Tam Truong","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6982},{"candidateName":"Domingo Candelas","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8466},{"candidateName":"Sukhdev Singh Bainiwal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5513},{"candidateName":"Surinder Kaur Dhaliwal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":501}]},"SCSJD10":{"id":"SCSJD10","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 10","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":22799,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"George Casey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8805},{"candidateName":"Arjun Batra","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8354},{"candidateName":"Lenka Wright","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5640}]},"SCMeasureA":{"id":"SCMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Santa Clara. Appointed city clerk. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":20315,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6580},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13735}]},"SCMeasureB":{"id":"SCMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Santa Clara. Appointed police chief. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":20567,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5680},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14887}]},"SCMeasureC":{"id":"SCMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Sunnyvale School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":14656,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10261},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4395}]},"SolanoD15":{"id":"SolanoD15","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Department 15","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":81709,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Thompson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":36844},{"candidateName":"Bryan J. Kim","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":44865}]},"SolanoD1":{"id":"SolanoD1","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/solano/supervisor-1st-district","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":13786,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Wilson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6401},{"candidateName":"Cassandra James","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7385}]},"SolanoD2":{"id":"SolanoD2","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":19903,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Monica Brown","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10951},{"candidateName":"Nora Dizon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3135},{"candidateName":"Rochelle Sherlock","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5817}]},"SolanoD5":{"id":"SolanoD5","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":17888,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mitch Mashburn","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":11210},{"candidateName":"Chadwick J. Ledoux","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6678}]},"SolanoEducation":{"id":"SolanoEducation","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Sacramento County Board of Education","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":3650,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Heather Davis","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2960},{"candidateName":"Shazleen Khan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":690}]},"SolanoMeasureA":{"id":"SolanoMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Benicia. Hotel tax. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/solano/measure-a","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":10136,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7869},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2267}]},"SolanoMeasureB":{"id":"SolanoMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Benicia. Sales tax. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/solano/measure-b","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":10164,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7335},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2829}]},"SolanoMeasureC":{"id":"SolanoMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Benicia Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":10112,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6316},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3796}]},"SolanoMeasureN":{"id":"SolanoMeasureN","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure N","raceDescription":"Davis Joint Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":15,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10}]},"SonomaJudge3":{"id":"SonomaJudge3","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":115405,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Kristine M. Burk","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":79498},{"candidateName":"Beki Berrey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":35907}]},"SonomaJudge4":{"id":"SonomaJudge4","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":86789,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Paul J. Lozada","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":86789}]},"SonomaJudge6":{"id":"SonomaJudge6","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 6","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":117990,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Omar Figueroa","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":42236},{"candidateName":"Kenneth English","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":75754}]},"SonomaD1":{"id":"SonomaD1","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":30348,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Rebecca Hermosillo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23958},{"candidateName":"Jonathan Mathieu","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6390}]},"SonomaD3":{"id":"SonomaD3","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sonoma/supervisor-3rd-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":16312,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Chris Coursey","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":11346},{"candidateName":"Omar Medina","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4966}]},"SonomaD5":{"id":"SonomaD5","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":23356,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lynda Hopkins","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23356}]},"SonomaMeasureA":{"id":"SonomaMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":13756,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10320},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3436}]},"SonomaMeasureB":{"id":"SonomaMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Petaluma Joint Union High School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":24877,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":15795},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9082}]},"SonomaMeasureC":{"id":"SonomaMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Fort Ross School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":286,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":159},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":127}]},"SonomaMeasureD":{"id":"SonomaMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Harmony Union School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":1925,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1089},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":836}]},"SonomaMeasureE":{"id":"SonomaMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Petaluma City (Elementary) School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":11133,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7622},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3511}]},"SonomaMeasureG":{"id":"SonomaMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Rincon Valley Union School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":14577,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8668},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5909}]},"SonomaMeasureH":{"id":"SonomaMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"Sonoma County. Sales tax. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sonoma/measure-h","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":145261,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":89646},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":55615}]}},"radioSchedulesReducer":{},"listsReducer":{"posts/science?tag=pluto":{"isFetching":false,"latestQuery":{"from":0,"postsToRender":9},"tag":null,"vitalsOnly":true,"totalRequested":9,"isLoading":false,"isLoadingMore":true,"total":17,"items":["science_1973548","science_1956964","science_1924994","science_723030","science_581813","science_556802","science_456475","science_430896","science_368481"]}},"recallGuideReducer":{"intros":{},"policy":{},"candidates":{}},"savedPostsReducer":{},"pfsSessionReducer":{},"siteSettingsReducer":{},"subscriptionsReducer":{},"termsReducer":{"about":{"name":"About","type":"terms","id":"about","slug":"about","link":"/about","taxonomy":"site"},"arts":{"name":"Arts & Culture","grouping":["arts","pop","trulyca"],"description":"KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.","type":"terms","id":"arts","slug":"arts","link":"/arts","taxonomy":"site"},"artschool":{"name":"Art School","parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"artschool","slug":"artschool","link":"/artschool","taxonomy":"site"},"bayareabites":{"name":"KQED food","grouping":["food","bayareabites","checkplease"],"parent":"food","type":"terms","id":"bayareabites","slug":"bayareabites","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"bayareahiphop":{"name":"Bay Area Hiphop","type":"terms","id":"bayareahiphop","slug":"bayareahiphop","link":"/bayareahiphop","taxonomy":"site"},"campaign21":{"name":"Campaign 21","type":"terms","id":"campaign21","slug":"campaign21","link":"/campaign21","taxonomy":"site"},"checkplease":{"name":"KQED food","grouping":["food","bayareabites","checkplease"],"parent":"food","type":"terms","id":"checkplease","slug":"checkplease","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"education":{"name":"Education","grouping":["education"],"type":"terms","id":"education","slug":"education","link":"/education","taxonomy":"site"},"elections":{"name":"Elections","type":"terms","id":"elections","slug":"elections","link":"/elections","taxonomy":"site"},"events":{"name":"Events","type":"terms","id":"events","slug":"events","link":"/events","taxonomy":"site"},"event":{"name":"Event","alias":"events","type":"terms","id":"event","slug":"event","link":"/event","taxonomy":"site"},"filmschoolshorts":{"name":"Film School Shorts","type":"terms","id":"filmschoolshorts","slug":"filmschoolshorts","link":"/filmschoolshorts","taxonomy":"site"},"food":{"name":"KQED food","grouping":["food","bayareabites","checkplease"],"type":"terms","id":"food","slug":"food","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"forum":{"name":"Forum","relatedContentQuery":"posts/forum?","parent":"news","type":"terms","id":"forum","slug":"forum","link":"/forum","taxonomy":"site"},"futureofyou":{"name":"Future of You","grouping":["science","futureofyou"],"parent":"science","type":"terms","id":"futureofyou","slug":"futureofyou","link":"/futureofyou","taxonomy":"site"},"jpepinheart":{"name":"KQED food","relatedContentQuery":"trending/food,bayareabites,checkplease","parent":"food","type":"terms","id":"jpepinheart","slug":"jpepinheart","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"liveblog":{"name":"Live Blog","type":"terms","id":"liveblog","slug":"liveblog","link":"/liveblog","taxonomy":"site"},"livetv":{"name":"Live TV","parent":"tv","type":"terms","id":"livetv","slug":"livetv","link":"/livetv","taxonomy":"site"},"lowdown":{"name":"The Lowdown","relatedContentQuery":"posts/lowdown?","parent":"news","type":"terms","id":"lowdown","slug":"lowdown","link":"/lowdown","taxonomy":"site"},"mindshift":{"name":"Mindshift","parent":"news","description":"MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.","type":"terms","id":"mindshift","slug":"mindshift","link":"/mindshift","taxonomy":"site"},"news":{"name":"News","grouping":["news","forum"],"type":"terms","id":"news","slug":"news","link":"/news","taxonomy":"site"},"perspectives":{"name":"Perspectives","parent":"radio","type":"terms","id":"perspectives","slug":"perspectives","link":"/perspectives","taxonomy":"site"},"podcasts":{"name":"Podcasts","type":"terms","id":"podcasts","slug":"podcasts","link":"/podcasts","taxonomy":"site"},"pop":{"name":"Pop","parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"pop","slug":"pop","link":"/pop","taxonomy":"site"},"pressroom":{"name":"Pressroom","type":"terms","id":"pressroom","slug":"pressroom","link":"/pressroom","taxonomy":"site"},"quest":{"name":"Quest","parent":"science","type":"terms","id":"quest","slug":"quest","link":"/quest","taxonomy":"site"},"radio":{"name":"Radio","grouping":["forum","perspectives"],"description":"Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.","type":"terms","id":"radio","slug":"radio","link":"/radio","taxonomy":"site"},"root":{"name":"KQED","image":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","imageWidth":1200,"imageHeight":630,"headData":{"title":"KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California","description":"KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."},"type":"terms","id":"root","slug":"root","link":"/root","taxonomy":"site"},"science":{"name":"Science","grouping":["science","futureofyou"],"description":"KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.","type":"terms","id":"science","slug":"science","link":"/science","taxonomy":"site"},"stateofhealth":{"name":"State of Health","parent":"science","type":"terms","id":"stateofhealth","slug":"stateofhealth","link":"/stateofhealth","taxonomy":"site"},"support":{"name":"Support","type":"terms","id":"support","slug":"support","link":"/support","taxonomy":"site"},"thedolist":{"name":"The Do List","parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"thedolist","slug":"thedolist","link":"/thedolist","taxonomy":"site"},"trulyca":{"name":"Truly CA","grouping":["arts","pop","trulyca"],"parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"trulyca","slug":"trulyca","link":"/trulyca","taxonomy":"site"},"tv":{"name":"TV","type":"terms","id":"tv","slug":"tv","link":"/tv","taxonomy":"site"},"voterguide":{"name":"Voter Guide","parent":"elections","alias":"elections","type":"terms","id":"voterguide","slug":"voterguide","link":"/voterguide","taxonomy":"site"},"science_5191":{"type":"terms","id":"science_5191","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"5191","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Pluto","slug":"pluto","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Pluto Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null,"imageData":{"ogImageSize":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","width":1200,"height":630},"twImageSize":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"},"twitterCard":"summary_large_image"}},"ttid":5191,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/pluto"},"source_science_1973548":{"type":"terms","id":"source_science_1973548","meta":{"override":true},"name":"Astronomy","isLoading":false},"source_science_1956964":{"type":"terms","id":"source_science_1956964","meta":{"override":true},"name":"Space Exploration","isLoading":false},"science_28":{"type":"terms","id":"science_28","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"28","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Astronomy","slug":"astronomy","taxonomy":"category","description":"Explore the universe with KQED Science! Dive into the latest astronomy news, discover celestial events, and unravel the mysteries of outer space.","featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Astronomy Articles | KQED Science","description":"Explore the universe with KQED Science! Dive into the latest astronomy news, discover celestial events, and unravel the mysteries of outer space.","ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":30,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/category/astronomy"},"science_40":{"type":"terms","id":"science_40","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"40","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"News","slug":"news","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"News Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":42,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/category/news"},"science_4450":{"type":"terms","id":"science_4450","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"4450","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Science","slug":"science","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Science Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":4450,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/category/science"},"science_4414":{"type":"terms","id":"science_4414","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"4414","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"featured-science","slug":"featured-science","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"featured-science Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":4414,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/featured-science"},"science_3419":{"type":"terms","id":"science_3419","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"3419","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"interstellar","slug":"interstellar","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"interstellar Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":3419,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/interstellar"},"science_5180":{"type":"terms","id":"science_5180","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"5180","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Jupiter","slug":"jupiter","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Jupiter Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":5180,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/jupiter"},"science_2173":{"type":"terms","id":"science_2173","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"2173","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"kuiper belt","slug":"kuiper-belt","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"kuiper belt Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":2184,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/kuiper-belt"},"science_2172":{"type":"terms","id":"science_2172","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"2172","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"new horizons","slug":"new-horizons","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"new horizons Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":2183,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/new-horizons"},"science_501":{"type":"terms","id":"science_501","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"501","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"saturn","slug":"saturn","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"saturn Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":507,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/saturn"},"science_1028":{"type":"terms","id":"science_1028","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"1028","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"voyager","slug":"voyager","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"voyager Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":1036,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/voyager"},"science_3423":{"type":"terms","id":"science_3423","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"3423","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Science Podcast","slug":"science-podcast","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Bay Area Science: Stories & Insights with KQED's Science Podcasts","description":"Our captivating podcasts take you on a journey through the Bay Area's vibrant scientific landscape. Discover groundbreaking research & hear expert insights.","ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null,"socialTitle":"Bay Area Science: Stories & Insights with KQED's Science Podcasts"},"ttid":3423,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/category/science-podcast"},"science_3370":{"type":"terms","id":"science_3370","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"3370","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"featured","slug":"featured","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"featured Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":3370,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/featured"},"science_89":{"type":"terms","id":"science_89","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"89","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Engineering","slug":"engineering","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Engineering Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":92,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/category/engineering"},"science_38":{"type":"terms","id":"science_38","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"38","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Geology","slug":"geology","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Geology Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":40,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/category/geology"},"science_43":{"type":"terms","id":"science_43","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"43","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Radio","slug":"radio","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Radio Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":45,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/category/radio"},"science_577":{"type":"terms","id":"science_577","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"577","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"space","slug":"space","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"space Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":583,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/space"},"science_5189":{"type":"terms","id":"science_5189","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"5189","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Elon Musk","slug":"elon-musk","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Elon Musk Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":5189,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/elon-musk"},"science_576":{"type":"terms","id":"science_576","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"576","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"solar system","slug":"solar-system","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"solar system Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":582,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/solar-system"},"science_1310":{"type":"terms","id":"science_1310","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"1310","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"dwarf planet","slug":"dwarf-planet","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"dwarf planet Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":1319,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/dwarf-planet"},"science_218":{"type":"terms","id":"science_218","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"218","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"geology","slug":"geology-2","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"geology Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":222,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/geology-2"},"science_784":{"type":"terms","id":"science_784","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"784","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"methane","slug":"methane","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"methane Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":791,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/methane"},"science_843":{"type":"terms","id":"science_843","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"843","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"ocean","slug":"ocean","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"ocean Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":849,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/ocean"},"science_1306":{"type":"terms","id":"science_1306","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"1306","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"ceres","slug":"ceres","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"ceres Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":1315,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/ceres"},"science_5175":{"type":"terms","id":"science_5175","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"5175","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"NASA","slug":"nasa","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"NASA Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":5175,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/nasa"},"science_31":{"type":"terms","id":"science_31","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"31","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Climate","slug":"climate","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Climate Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":33,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/category/climate"},"science_427":{"type":"terms","id":"science_427","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"427","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"earthquakes","slug":"earthquakes","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"earthquakes Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":433,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/earthquakes"},"science_349":{"type":"terms","id":"science_349","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"science","id":"349","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"fossils","slug":"fossils","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"fossils Archives | KQED Science","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":355,"isLoading":false,"link":"/science/tag/fossils"}},"userAgentReducer":{"userAgent":"Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)","isBot":true},"userPermissionsReducer":{"wpLoggedIn":false},"localStorageReducer":{},"browserHistoryReducer":[],"eventsReducer":{},"fssReducer":{},"tvDailyScheduleReducer":{},"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer":{},"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer":{},"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer":{},"userAccountReducer":{"routeTo":"","showDeleteConfirmModal":false,"user":{"userId":"","isFound":false,"firstName":"","lastName":"","phoneNumber":"","email":"","articles":[]}},"youthMediaReducer":{},"checkPleaseReducer":{"filterData":{},"restaurantData":[]},"reframeReducer":{"attendee":null},"location":{"pathname":"/science/tag/pluto","previousPathname":"/"}}
