New Horizons probe passing 2014 MU69, artwork. In 2015, the NASA probe New Horizons famously arrived at Pluto after a decade-long flight. But its mission is not over. On 28 August 28 2015, scientists chose the Kuiper-Belt Object 2014 MU69 as the next flyby target. After four course corrections, the probe is due to arrive on 1 January 2019. It will be the first ever encounter of a robotic probe with a classical Kuiper-Belt Object. The object 2014 MU69 is far smaller than Pluto, and may actually be a binary – two objects orbiting each other. This irregularly shaped orbits the Sun once in 295 years. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Garlick, Mark |
Bildgröße: | 6000 px × 3375 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |