Dwarf Planet Pluto (right) left its large moon Charon. This picture was taken in six million kilometers. Photo Reuters via NASA
New Horizons space probe shooting this afternoon around 13.50 with 50,000 kilometers per hour along Pluto. The probe, which has been underway for almost a decade, the coming months by carrying out measurements and take pictures explain how Pluto and its moons look like, where they are made of and whether there might still be spinning objects that were not discovered .
Pluto, discovered in 1930, is regarded as the great unknown in the solar system. When New Horizons launched in 2006, was even Pluto as a planet, but now is the icy celestial body – which is one-third smaller than our moon – classified as dwarf planets. Pluto’s average forty times as far from the sun as Earth.
New Horizons is roughly 2.5 meters wide and has a mass of 480 kilograms. The spacecraft is equipped with a camera and six instruments. With this instrument package is measured, inter alia, the composition of the atmosphere-Pluto, and analyzed the structure and composition of the surface. Scientists hope the study Pluto and its large moon Charon will provide more insight into the origins of our solar system.
Update 14:08 pm: The ‘fly-by took place exactly at 13.49u, NASA announced:
Pluto seems remote Mars, but appearances are deceptive
The spacecraft sent in recent weeks been increasingly sharp pictures of Pluto to Earth. NASA could announce this morning its first results of the investigation by New Horizons. Pluto has a diameter of 2370 kilometers and is slightly greater than expected. On the first pictures taken by millions of kilometers away, the dwarf planet at first glance looks a bit like the red planet Mars. But appearances are deceptive: they are completely different worlds, our aerospace editor Eddy Etter Nach writes this morning in nrc.next
Where the red color of Mars caused by iron oxide (rust) is the hue of Pluto probably from tholinen. These are large, complex molecules that result from the effects of ultraviolet radiation on simple organic compounds such as methane and ethane. Recent measurements of New Horizons show that UV radiation from the sun is not only coming, but also of hot stars far away – even beyond the Milky Way.
Coming night signal to earth
Around 13:49 hours Dutch time, the New Horizons closest to Pluto. The distance is about 12,500 kilometers. In comparison, our phones, navigation systems and television networks send their signals to satellites that are two to three times as far from the Earth. When everything is over, the New Horizons sends a confirmation signal to Earth. That comes next night at the Mission Control
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- dwarf planets
- Mars
- Nasa
- New Horizons
- planets
- Pluto
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