We’ve got your Pluto right here (July 14)
2015-07-10
On July 14, the rapscallion icy dwarf planet that has remained a mystery to scientists and astronomy buffs alike will be less so thanks to the New Horizons spacecraft. New Horizons, launched back in 2006, will make history as it encounters Pluto at the edge of our solar system after a journey of more than nine years and 3 billion miles.
New Horizons’ instrumentation can finally cease its mechanical pingings of “Are we there yet?” during its closest pass of Pluto—7,800 miles above the surface—at approximately 6:49 a.m. CDT on July 14. Watch the Pluto countdown program live on NASA TV, with coverage beginning at 6:30 a.m.
For much of the day, New Horizons will be out of communication with mission control as it gathers data about Pluto and its equally enigmatic moons. The NASA TV broadcast will include a discussion of what’s expected as New Horizons makes its way past Pluto and potentially dangerous debris.
At 7 a.m., stay tuned on NASA TV for a live media briefing and image release.
Want to know more about our first flyby of the former planet? Join other Johnson Space Center "Plutonians" in Teague Auditorium at 2 p.m. on July 14 for a presentation on the mission with Dr. Paul Abell, lead scientist for Planetary Small Bodies within the Astromaterials Research and Science Division at JSC.
So why all the hubbub about a planet that once wasn’t, really, and now sort of … is? The National Academy of Sciences ranked exploration of the Kuiper Belt—including Pluto—of the highest priority for solar system exploration. New Horizons hopes to answer, once and for all, where Pluto and its moons “fit in.” A close-up of these ancient, icy mini-worlds promises to unveil an incredible story—one about the origins of our universe and what exactly is out there.
With the success of New Horizons, the United States will have been the first nation to reach every planet from Mercury to Neptune with a space probe.
Join us on July 14 to watch history being made. Break out your old Styrofoam planetary kits and mobiles and celebrate getting to know this solar system enigma.
Catherine Ragin Williams
NASA Johnson Space Center
New Horizons’ instrumentation can finally cease its mechanical pingings of “Are we there yet?” during its closest pass of Pluto—7,800 miles above the surface—at approximately 6:49 a.m. CDT on July 14. Watch the Pluto countdown program live on NASA TV, with coverage beginning at 6:30 a.m.
For much of the day, New Horizons will be out of communication with mission control as it gathers data about Pluto and its equally enigmatic moons. The NASA TV broadcast will include a discussion of what’s expected as New Horizons makes its way past Pluto and potentially dangerous debris.
At 7 a.m., stay tuned on NASA TV for a live media briefing and image release.
Want to know more about our first flyby of the former planet? Join other Johnson Space Center "Plutonians" in Teague Auditorium at 2 p.m. on July 14 for a presentation on the mission with Dr. Paul Abell, lead scientist for Planetary Small Bodies within the Astromaterials Research and Science Division at JSC.
So why all the hubbub about a planet that once wasn’t, really, and now sort of … is? The National Academy of Sciences ranked exploration of the Kuiper Belt—including Pluto—of the highest priority for solar system exploration. New Horizons hopes to answer, once and for all, where Pluto and its moons “fit in.” A close-up of these ancient, icy mini-worlds promises to unveil an incredible story—one about the origins of our universe and what exactly is out there.
With the success of New Horizons, the United States will have been the first nation to reach every planet from Mercury to Neptune with a space probe.
Join us on July 14 to watch history being made. Break out your old Styrofoam planetary kits and mobiles and celebrate getting to know this solar system enigma.
Catherine Ragin Williams
NASA Johnson Space Center
Artist’s concept of the New Horizons spacecraft as it approaches Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, in July 2015.
This image of Pluto from New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) was received on July 8, and has been combined with lower-resolution color information from the Ralph instrument. Image Credit: NASA-JHUAPL-SWRI