The existence of an unknown ninth planet was first proposed by the astronomer Percival Lowell, who measured “wobbles” in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune and suggested they were caused by the gravitational pull of an unknown planetary body.
But it was not until February 18, 1930, that Clyde Tombaugh discovered the tiny, distant planet by use of a new astronomic technique of photographic plates combined with a blink microscope. This year will be the 85th anniversary of its discovery. And on July 14, after a nine year journal of almost three billion miles, NASA’s New Horizons probe will make its closest approach to Pluto. It will be the first spacecraft to get close-up photos of the dwarf planet. The best images of Pluto to date are fuzzy and difficult to interpret. That's about to changer!
Alan Stern, the leader of the NASA project since its inception, 14 years ago in 2001, says:
“This month, a small, robot spacecraft—built, launched, and guided by a team of over 2,500 Americans—will begin the exploration of far-away Pluto and its five known moons. Lasting from January through July. this epic journey is very much the Everest of planetary exploration.”
“At its closest approach, New Horizons will pass Pluto at a distance of just 6,000 miles (9,700 km). It will send back images at resolutions so high that if it were flying over New York’s Central Park at the same altitude, it could count wharfs on the Hudson and ponds in Central Park. It will also take measurements of Pluto’s composition and atmosphere, study its moons, and more.”
Read more of what Mr Stern has to say at:
http://time.com/3645704/pluto-new-horizons-spacecraft/
But it was not until February 18, 1930, that Clyde Tombaugh discovered the tiny, distant planet by use of a new astronomic technique of photographic plates combined with a blink microscope. This year will be the 85th anniversary of its discovery. And on July 14, after a nine year journal of almost three billion miles, NASA’s New Horizons probe will make its closest approach to Pluto. It will be the first spacecraft to get close-up photos of the dwarf planet. The best images of Pluto to date are fuzzy and difficult to interpret. That's about to changer!
Alan Stern, the leader of the NASA project since its inception, 14 years ago in 2001, says:
“This month, a small, robot spacecraft—built, launched, and guided by a team of over 2,500 Americans—will begin the exploration of far-away Pluto and its five known moons. Lasting from January through July. this epic journey is very much the Everest of planetary exploration.”
“At its closest approach, New Horizons will pass Pluto at a distance of just 6,000 miles (9,700 km). It will send back images at resolutions so high that if it were flying over New York’s Central Park at the same altitude, it could count wharfs on the Hudson and ponds in Central Park. It will also take measurements of Pluto’s composition and atmosphere, study its moons, and more.”
Read more of what Mr Stern has to say at:
http://time.com/3645704/pluto-new-horizons-spacecraft/