Another picture has arrived from the New Horizons spacecraft, and it is as good as the previous ones, if not better! 2015 has been a marvelous year for space renaissance. Ceres and Pluto, two dwarf planets which we barely knew about before the turn of the year, have been photographed in exquisite detail, each providing mysteries.
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| Pluto’s surface |
On Ceres, a white spot was observed (potentially many). Scientists are scratching their heads trying to figure out what it is. On Pluto, there was evidence of a young surface, as well as an atmosphere, and even the diameter estimate was shown to be wrong! Also, a contrasting surface between Pluto and it’s moon Charon was observed, suggesting that Charon was captured, rather than made from the same material as Pluto.
As the year draws to a close, we can look forward to even more excitement in the future! The New Horizons mission isn’t over yet. Rather, it’s just beginning! It has already identified another Kuiper Belt object that it’s going to explore. Also, the spacecraft Juno, launched in 2011, will reach Jupiter next year. It could provide clues about its magnetosphere, its great red spot, its moons and much more!
All in all, astronomy never ceases to amaze!
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| Ceres’ Surface |
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