Tag: Long Range Reconnaissance Imager

New Horizons sends us a new photograph of Pluto

July 9, 2015 • 11:03 am

by Grania

The first space mission to explore Planet Pluto is now 5 days from target, the last of our solar system’s planets (or not-planets) to be visited. New Horizons will then pass within 12,500km of the surface. The mission hopes to uncover knowledge about its surface and atmosphere. There’s an in depth discussion of what the mission would like to uncover as well as questions about Pluto that are as yet unanswered over on the America Space website.

This was the image taken by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) when New Horizons was woken from its accidental “safe mode” this week.

The dark patch is called “The Whale”.

There is also a competition running to name the mountains on Pluto’s moon Charon, and it appears that they’re going to end up being a character out of Star Wars or Star Trek.

Pluto & Charon seen from Hubble. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Pluto & Charon seen from Hubble. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

I wasn’t kidding about the Star Wars characters.

Pluto is technically a Dwarf Planet, having been demoted from full planet status in 2006 on the basis that “has not cleared its neighboring region of other objects” according to the International Astronomical Union. Its demotion caused an upset, not least amongst young fans of the solar system who bombarded Neil DeGrasse Tyson with angry letters about it.

Credit: PBS NOVA
Credit: PBS NOVA

He’s apparently since made peace with Pluto, ot at least, that is his story and he’s sticking to it.

If you do Twitter, then you can follow the mission as it unfolds on @NewHorizons2015