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Space & Astronomy

Hew Horizons still on course for Pluto

By T.K. Randall
September 6, 2011 · Comment icon 11 comments

Image Credit: NASA
NASA's New Horizons probe is still hurtling towards Pluto at a speed of 1 million miles a day.
Launched in 2006 the spacecraft is the first to be sent to investigate objects in the Kuiper Belt, a large region of small, icy worlds beyond the orbit of Neptune. Although it still has four years of travel to go to reach Pluto, astronomers will be eager to learn of what it finds as it nears its target over 7 billion km from the Sun.
At this very moment one of the fastest spacecraft ever launched -- NASA's New Horizons -- is hurtling through the void at nearly one million miles per day. Launched in 2006, it has been in flight longer than some missions last, and still has four more years of travel to go.


Source: PhysOrg.com | Comments (11)




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Comment icon #2 Posted by ScienceDominates 14 years ago
Damn right
Comment icon #3 Posted by Dirty Bubble 14 years ago
I can't wait for it to get there. I'd love to see the images and data collected by New Horizons so we could learn more about the least known about planet in the Solar System. WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT IT'S GONE
Comment icon #4 Posted by ShadowSot 14 years ago
WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT IT'S GONE ... Buh?
Comment icon #5 Posted by Jaguarpurrr 14 years ago
This will be an exciting time to learn even more about our solar system
Comment icon #6 Posted by MainerMikeBrown 14 years ago
I've always been fascinated with Pluto, especially as a child. That surprised some. But it was the furthest planet from the Sun (usually, anyway, as at times, Neptune was further). So it was so mysterious to me, especially since we knew so little about it. I'm still interested in what they find, even though it's no longer considered a planet.
Comment icon #7 Posted by ShadowSot 14 years ago
I'm looking forward to it. I recently heard of the discovery of it's fourth moon. I didn't know they'd discovered three, only knew of Charon. I've been wanting to know what it looks like, with real pictures, for awhile now.
Comment icon #8 Posted by Khaleid 14 years ago
I've been wanting to know what it looks like, with real pictures, for awhile now. I'm really curious about that too...
Comment icon #9 Posted by laurele 14 years ago
Actually, the dispute over Pluto's status has been raging for far more than five years. Since Pluto's discovery in 1930, astronomers have been divided about Pluto, largely because it represents a new type of planet not seen before. What we need to realize is that there are more than just two classes of planets, terrestrial and jovian. Dwarf planets represent a third class of planets, and there may be even more types out there. Also, this debate is not limited to members of the International Astronomical Union. Most of those who voted in 2006--four percent of the IAU--are not planetary scientis... [More]
Comment icon #10 Posted by reggie2011 14 years ago
by the time it gets there all instuments abord will be outdated and i also think its a waist of money ,shouldnt we be looking alittle closer in our back yard? maybe to the planets we can actully get to so what did that space jusnk cost 20bil? lol
Comment icon #11 Posted by ShadowSot 14 years ago
by the time it gets there all instuments abord will be outdated and i also think its a waist of money ,shouldnt we be looking alittle closer in our back yard? maybe to the planets we can actully get to so what did that space jusnk cost 20bil? lol We already have probes that have gone out to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The Voyagers took some stunning video and stills of the outer planets, except Pluto. I don't think NASA's entire budget is 20 billion. It's systems are currently up to date, and actually won't be outmoded so quickly. The Hubble lasted a very long time, the shuttles... [More]


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