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A Journey Into the Solar System's Outer Reaches, Seeking New Worlds To Explore (nytimes.com)
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will visit a tiny and mysterious object in the Kuiper belt on Tuesday, seeking clues to the formation of our cosmic neighborhood. From a report: In June 1983, newspaper headlines declared that NASA's Pioneer 10 spacecraft had left the solar system, crossing beyond the orbit of Neptune. It was the common view of the time: All of the solar system's big, interesting things -- the sun and the nine planets -- were behind Pioneer 10. Thirty-five years later, the Kuiper belt -- the region Pioneer 10 was just entering -- and the spaces beyond are perhaps the most fascinating parts of the solar system. In their vast, icy reaches are clues about how the sun and planets, including ours, coalesced out of gas and dust 4.5 billion years ago. Even farther out might be bodies the size of Mars or Earth, or even a larger one some astronomers call Planet Nine, and technological advances could usher in a new age of planetary discovery.
On Tuesday, New Horizons, the NASA spacecraft that snapped spectacular photographs of Pluto in 2015, will provide humanity with a close-up of one of these mysterious, distant and tiny icy worlds. Its target of exploration is believed to be just 12 to 22 miles wide, known as 2014 MU69 -- its designation in the International Astronomical Union's catalog of worlds -- or Ultima Thule, the nickname bestowed upon it by the New Horizons team. This will be the farthest object ever visited by a spacecraft. New Horizons will speed past Ultima Thule at 31,500 miles per hour and pass within 2,200 miles of the surface. What the probe finds could reveal much about the earliest days of the solar system and what else lies in the Kuiper belt.
On Tuesday, New Horizons, the NASA spacecraft that snapped spectacular photographs of Pluto in 2015, will provide humanity with a close-up of one of these mysterious, distant and tiny icy worlds. Its target of exploration is believed to be just 12 to 22 miles wide, known as 2014 MU69 -- its designation in the International Astronomical Union's catalog of worlds -- or Ultima Thule, the nickname bestowed upon it by the New Horizons team. This will be the farthest object ever visited by a spacecraft. New Horizons will speed past Ultima Thule at 31,500 miles per hour and pass within 2,200 miles of the surface. What the probe finds could reveal much about the earliest days of the solar system and what else lies in the Kuiper belt.
New Horizons will speed past Ultima Thule at 31,500 miles per hour and pass within 2,200 miles of the surface
what's that in units that make sense?
We only have eight? Is this a science article or fiction?
Because the con artist shut down the government, or at least part of it, only essential personnel at NASA will be on duty when the flyby happens.
This also affects another NASA flyby the same day:
Someone I know from another site has a niece whose husband works at NASA and is a big supporter of the con artist. He's taking a little bit of pleasure knowing the guy won't be around for the momentous occasion and won't get to see it until afterwards. Nor is he getting paid and won't get a pay raise next year.
In 1983 we did know about the Oort Cloud - We just hadn’t directly observed objects out there yet. I don’t recall anyone with any scientific knowledge making this “left the solar system” claim back then.
Actually, just found a NY Times archive article. The headline made that statement, but the article itself just says Pioneer 10 is past “the known planets”. Even then, headline writers went for the “clickbait”.
#DeleteChrome
This. The boundary of the solar system is open to definition, but the generally accepted one is the heliopause -- the boundary at which the sun's effect on space mingles with and is weaker than that of interstellar space.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
No, it isn't the generally accepted definition. The heliopause is merely the edge of the heliosphere and nothing more. The "sun's effect on space" includes its gravitational influence, which extends well beyond the heliopause.
"I'm so moist I'm sticking to the leather." -Kermit the Frog on The Late Late Show
Any news on what objects New Horizons can explore after "Thule"? The Hubble telescope spent a good many hours searching out targets explicitly for New Horizons, which is what found Thule. I wonder if any Earth scopes can help in the hunt for new targets.
Table-ized A.I.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Re: "...the spaces beyond are perhaps the most fascinating parts of the solar system."
This may be true from the perspective of, 'where we haven't visited yet'. However I'd challenge the notion that the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud are intrinsically more interesting than the 9 planets (yes, I said 9 planets). The 9 planets are extremely diverse.
The outer bodies are likely to have a certain amount of sameness to them, if the theories of solar system formation and dynamics hold up. Of course we won't know for sure until we visit a few.
The NY Times article wasn't clickbait, it was simply stating the fact that Pioneer had passed the known planets. Given than in 1983 Pluto was closer to the sun than Neptune was, the statement is correct.
Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
Enough hyperboles already. Who named this rock? Trump? "I have the ultimate space orbs, believe me! I name this one Ultima Thule, because only a thule would deny I'm the best namer ever!"
Fair enough. Using gravity to define the solar system would include the Oort Cloud, which is further out than the heliopause.
Perhaps the "end" of the solar system depends on your field. My background is in space science (plasmas and EM fields) so I suppose my bias is showing.
Thanks for the improvement.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
FTFTFS
Pluto is a planet, has been for a very long time and will remain so, despite an unfortunate mutual bewilderment that afflicted attendees at an IAU meeting.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
I, for one, just want to see a gas spewing comment called something like Fartopulous.
That is a really great thing
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