Close Menu
  • Gaming
    • Game Guides
    • Codes
    • Game News
    • Game Previews
    • Game Reviews
    • Game Features
    • Game Lists
    • Platforms
      • Nintendo
      • PC
      • PlayStation
      • Xbox
      • Mobile
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Movie Features
    • Movie Reviews
    • TV
    • Reality TV
    • Royals
  • Celebrity
  • Human Interest
  • Astrology
  • Videos
  • More
    • Anime
    • Lists
    • Podcasts
    • Reviews
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
  • About Us
  • Join Our Team
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Advertising Policy
The Nerd Stash
  • Gaming
  • Celebrity
  • Human Interest
  • Videos
The Nerd Stash
Home»Exclusives»NASA’s New Horizons Probe Completes First Pluto Flyby

NASA’s New Horizons Probe Completes First Pluto Flyby

Today at about 7:50 am EST NASA’s New Horizons probe finally reached its main objective of Pluto after a nine-year journey. It sent back a…

Billy WhitehouseBy Billy WhitehouseJuly 14, 20153 Mins Read
This article is over 9 years old and may contain outdated information.

Today at about 7:50 am EST NASA’s New Horizons probe finally reached its main objective of Pluto after a nine-year journey. It sent back a stunning picture of the dwarf planet and its largest (as far as we know) moon, Charon.

charon 1
Pluto’s little brother, Charon

In their reddit AMA today, one NASA scientist stated that the dark spot seen on the pole of Charon in the picture above was one of the most interesting thing they’ve seen in these pictures.

Saying that Charon is Pluto’s little brother in the caption above is onlyย slightly for comedic effect. The current theory is that the two bodies formed from the same material after an impact (much like the leading theory of the formation of Earth’s moon). In fact, they state in the AMA, “Many of us on the team refer to it as the ‘Pluto-Charon system,’ rather than a visit to ‘Pluto and its moon Charon.'”

Charon is not Pluto’s only moon; there are also four more that we currently know about. The scientists are hoping to find out more about all of them as the data comes in.

The reason we are stuck with a sparse two images at this point is that, after taking these two images, New Horizons has gone silent for roughly 22 hours in order to collect more data. If all goes well, we should have more information tomorrow.

pluto1
The big (dwarf) boy himself, Pluto.

Looking at the image of Pluto above, the talk of the internet right now is the large, light-colored, heart-shape terrain feature on the bottom right. However, for my money, the coolest thing about this is that it is a true color image. Or, as close to true color as one can get when the sun is so far away that it appears as little more than an extra-bright star. According to another scientist involved in the AMA, “Yes, we tried to get it as close to real color as possible :). We combine the wavelengths that we have and translate it into what the human eye would see.”

Once New Horizons is finished with its flyby, it will continue on out into the Kuiper Belt–the region of debris beyond Pluto (where most comets originate)–and continue to collect and transmit data “so long as [the instruments] work and the mission is funded.”

What do you think is the most interesting feature from the pictures showed? Are you looking forward to any other data that will be coming back?

Related Topics
charon NASA new horizons pluto
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Email
Billy Whitehouse
  • Website

Wash your hands.

SUGGESTED READS

Michael Madsen in Kill Bill
Celebrity

‘Reservoir Dogs’ Star Michael Madsen Found Dead In His Malibu Home

Sean Diddy Combs
Celebrity

Diddy’s Former Protรฉgรฉe Aubrey Oโ€™Day Breaks Silence: Verdict ‘Makes Me Physically Ill’

Car driving recklessly
Human Interest

Driver Has Medical Emergency While On Busy Michigan Road, ‘Scary’ Footage Goes Viral

News

Georgia Singer Gavin Adcock Sparks Outrage Over Beyoncรฉ Country Comments: ‘Just Pop and Hiphop for Hicks Who Hate Black People’

Orlando Bloom selfie
Celebrity

‘Tacky’ Orlando Bloom Accused Of ‘Cheating Forever’ As Cozy Photos With Mystery Woman Surface

Doja Cat selfie
Celebrity News

Doja Cat Dresses Like ‘A Cheap Hooker’: ‘Her Stylist Hates Her’

Trending
Florida Hero Who Saved Girl From Shark Attack Now Faces Deportation

Florida Hero Who Saved Girl From Vicious Shark Attack Now Faces Deportation Because Heโ€™s Hispanic: With โ€˜ICE, No Good Deed Will Go Unpunished’

Tennessee Man Tips Waitress $300 Then Returns Two Weeks Later Demanding a Refund

Tennessee Man Tips Waitress $300 Then Returns Two Weeks Later Demanding a Refund from Her: โ€˜People Are So Inconsiderate’

Virginia Mom Kicked Out of July 4th Party After Bringing Salad: โ€˜People Are So Nasty'

Virginia Mom Kicked Out of July 4th Party After Bringing Salad: โ€˜People Are So Nasty’

A picture of the South Carolina Karen.

South Carolina Karen Harasses Black Man and Goes Racist on Stranger Trying to Help: โ€˜Trumpโ€™s America Is an Ugly Placeโ€™

The Nerd Stash
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
  • About Us
  • Join Our Team
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Advertising Policy
© 2025 The Nerd Stash. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.