A billion miles beyond Pluto, New Horizons gets the all-clear to buzz Ultima Thule

A billion miles beyond Pluto, the New Horizons spacecraft is just a few weeks out from a historic flyby of the Kuiper Belt object, 2014 MU69 – also known by the far more dramatic nickname, Ultima Thule. After weeks of scans for any potential hazards, NASA has now given New Horizons the all-clear to buzz the object on an optimal path, which will bring it in closer for a much better look.

.. Continue Reading A billion miles beyond Pluto, New Horizons gets the all-clear to buzz Ultima Thule

Category: Space

Tags:

• Astronomy
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kuiper Belt
• NASA
• New Horizons
• Pluto

from New Atlas (Gizmag) https://ift.tt/2Ltmy9z