There was quite a landmark reached in science this week, and an exciting event for anybody interested in astronomy and the Solar System we live in. On July 14, NASA's New Horizons space probe got closer to Pluto than any other spacecraft has before.
New Horizons was launched on January 19, 2006, taking off at a record speed of more than 16 kilometres per second. To fly within 12,000 kilometres of the distant dwarf planet, New Horizons travelled an amazing 5.3 billion kilometres in around nine years and six months. Those are some pretty mind-blowing figures.
While flying at a speed of 58,000 kilometres per hour past Pluto, close-up images of the small planet were beamed back to a NASA tracking station near Canberra, Australia. With each piece of information sent from New Horizons taking more than four hours to reach Earth, data about Pluto will be received on Earth from New Horizons for the next 15 months.
Until now, little has been known about Pluto, which was first discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh back in 1930. Originally considered to be the ninth planet from the Sun in our Solar System, Pluto was later reclassified by the International Astronomical Union as a dwarf planet.
The surface of Pluto is mostly nitrogen ice, along with some methane and carbon monoxide. Spectacular images sent from New Horizons have revealed icy mountains with a height of about 3,300 metres. As more images are sent, scientists will be able to learn more about the geology of Pluto and about the outer regions of our Solar System.
With all the seemingly never-ending problems caused by pure human stupidity that we have to face here on Earth on a daily basis, it's inspiring to read about astounding technological achievements like that of New Horizons. It shows that the human race is capable of truly great things when it wants to be. Let's hope that some of that talent for greatness is applied to maintaining our own unique planet and all the things that live on it. Because as beautiful as Pluto looks in the images being sent back, somehow I don't think it would be a very hospitable place to live!
Ben Edwards
Editor
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