Eye's on the New Horizons and the Kuiper Belt

[Subduction Zone]

To you.

To any rational person. What difference can you show?

 

[Radrook]

I have been eying the New Horizon mission (New Horizons Web Site) ever since it launched in 2006. Too bad it could not set its path to 'Xena' after it explores Pluto!

Xena has been renamed Eris.
That object is described as being three times as far from the Sun than Pluto is.
Xena: Planet X or big lump of rock?

The Dwarf Planet Formerly Known as Xena Has Officially Been Named Eris, IAU Announces | Caltech

 

[rockytopva]

New Horizons Refines Course for Next Flyby and NASA Spacecraft Also Observes Distant Kuiper Belt Objects

New Horizons

06/28/2015 - 14.54 km/s (32,525 mph)
07/22/2015 - 14.51 km/s (32,458 mph)
08/14/2015 - 14.50 km/s (32,435 mph)
10/31/2015 - 14.47 km/s (32,368 mph)
11/06/2015 - 14.46 km/s (32,246 mph)
01/14/2016 - 14.45 km/s (32,323 mph)
12/24/2016 - 14.43 km/s (32,184 mph)
02/01/2017 - 14.31 km/s (32,000 mph)

 

[Radrook]

Based on its brightness and distance, 2014 MU69 is estimated to have a diameter of 30–45 km (20–30 mi).[3] Its orbital period is about 293 years and it has a low inclination and low eccentricity.[15] This unexcited orbit means that it is a cold classical Kuiper belt object which is unlikely to have undergone significant perturbations.[3] Observations in May and July 2015 greatly reduced the uncertainties in the orbit,[7] and the updated orbit parameters are available in the MPC database.

2014 MU69 has a red spectrum, making it the smallest Kuiper Belt Object to have its color measured. [16]

2014 MU69 - Wikipedia


Size of 2014 MU69 (PT1) compared to the coast of Massachusetts and Rosetta's target, comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko. By New Horizons team - http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/PI-Perspectives/images/10-23-2014-Compare-PT1-on-Earth.jpg, Public Domain, File:2014 MU69 size comparison 01.jpg - Wikimedia Commons


2014 MU69 - Wikipedia

 

[Michael]

New Horizons Refines Course for Next Flyby and NASA Spacecraft Also Observes Distant Kuiper Belt Objects

New Horizons

06/28/2015 - 14.54 km/s (32,525 mph)
07/22/2015 - 14.51 km/s (32,458 mph)
08/14/2015 - 14.50 km/s (32,435 mph)
10/31/2015 - 14.47 km/s (32,368 mph)
11/06/2015 - 14.46 km/s (32,246 mph)
01/14/2016 - 14.45 km/s (32,323 mph)
12/24/2016 - 14.43 km/s (32,184 mph)
02/01/2017 - 14.31 km/s (32,000 mph)

I still think this is one of the coolest missions NASA has done. It should be interesting to see how many total objects they have a chance to explore. The images of Pluto were amazing.

 

[rockytopva]

06/28/2015 - 14.54 km/s (32,500 mph)
07/22/2015 - 14.51 km/s (32,500 mph)
08/14/2015 - 14.50 km/s (32,400 mph)
10/31/2015 - 14.47 km/s (32,400 mph)
11/06/2015 - 14.46 km/s (32,200 mph)
01/14/2016 - 14.45 km/s (32,200 mph)
12/24/2016 - 14.43 km/s (32,200 mph)
02/01/2017 - 14.31 km/s (32,000 mph)
06/02/2017 - 14.27 km/s (31,900 mph)

4.82 AU's from KBO 2014 MU69. New Horizons is sleeping, but the folks on earth are busy planning future missions...

New Horizons
New Horizons

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/whereisnh/overview/nhov20170601_0042.svg

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/whereisnh/overview/nhov20170601_0042.svg

 

[rockytopva]

KBO chasing!

New Horizons

 

[rockytopva]

Scientists have been sifting through data gathered from observing the MU69 object's quick pass in front of a star – an astronomical event known as an occultation – on June 3

New Horizons

06/28/2015 - 14.54 km/s (32,500 mph)
07/22/2015 - 14.51 km/s (32,500 mph)
08/14/2015 - 14.50 km/s (32,400 mph)
10/31/2015 - 14.47 km/s (32,400 mph)
11/06/2015 - 14.46 km/s (32,200 mph)
01/14/2016 - 14.45 km/s (32,200 mph)
12/24/2016 - 14.43 km/s (32,200 mph)
02/01/2017 - 14.31 km/s (32,000 mph)
06/02/2017 - 14.27 km/s (31,900 mph)
07/06/2017 - 14.26 km/s (31,900 mph)

Distance from MU69 - 4.5 AU
544 days until the 2014 MH69 Flyby
January 1, 2019

 

[essentialsaltes]

New Horizons will pass by MU69 at one third the distance it passed by Pluto.

 

[Michael]

Scientists have been sifting through data gathered from observing the MU69 object's quick pass in front of a star – an astronomical event known as an occultation – on June 3

New Horizons

06/28/2015 - 14.54 km/s (32,500 mph)
07/22/2015 - 14.51 km/s (32,500 mph)
08/14/2015 - 14.50 km/s (32,400 mph)
10/31/2015 - 14.47 km/s (32,400 mph)
11/06/2015 - 14.46 km/s (32,200 mph)
01/14/2016 - 14.45 km/s (32,200 mph)
12/24/2016 - 14.43 km/s (32,200 mph)
02/01/2017 - 14.31 km/s (32,000 mph)
06/02/2017 - 14.27 km/s (31,900 mph)
07/06/2017 - 14.26 km/s (31,900 mph)

Distance from MU69 - 4.5 AU
544 days until the 2014 MH69 Flyby
January 1, 2019

This has been a really successful mission already, but I'm glad to see that it's got more exciting images to offer. Way cool.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Nice article on Pluto/New Horizons in the current Scientific American. Behind a paywall, I'm afraid, but you can find it on the newsstands.

 

[rockytopva]

Scientists have been sifting through data gathered from observing the MU69 object's quick pass in front of a star – an astronomical event known as an occultation – on June 3

New Horizons

06/28/2015 - 14.54 km/s (32,500 mph)
07/22/2015 - 14.51 km/s (32,500 mph)
08/14/2015 - 14.50 km/s (32,400 mph)
10/31/2015 - 14.47 km/s (32,400 mph)
11/06/2015 - 14.46 km/s (32,200 mph)
01/14/2016 - 14.45 km/s (32,200 mph)
12/24/2016 - 14.43 km/s (32,200 mph)
02/01/2017 - 14.31 km/s (32,000 mph)
06/02/2017 - 14.27 km/s (31,900 mph)
07/06/2017 - 14.26 km/s (31,900 mph)
12/26/2017 - 14.20 km/s (31,765 mph)

Distance from MU69 - 3.1 AU
Distance from our sun - 40 AU
370 days until the January 1, 2019 MH69 Flyby

The latest....

1. 2017 occultations to determine what to expect visually from this object (New Horizons' Next Target Just Got a Lot More Interesting)
2. December 9th course correction (New Horizons Corrects Its Course in the Kuiper Belt)
3. December 21st - Enters last hibernation (New Horizons Enters Last Hibernation Period Before Kuiper Belt Encounter)

4. Can we expect a moon? (AGU Fall Meeting: New Horizons Explores the Kuiper Belt)

 

[Michael]

You really have to hand it to the engineers and scientists that, designed, built, launched and maintain this equipment. It's survived for years in the hostile environment of space and it's still capable of producing some important information about our solar system, long after it has already completed it's primary mission.

It's amazing how much information about space and about objects in our solar system that has all become accessible during my lifetime. My hat is off to all people and all the hard work that has made that possible. I'm in awe of their accomplishments.

 

[rockytopva]

You really have to hand it to the engineers and scientists that, designed, built, launched and maintain this equipment. It's survived for years in the hostile environment of space and it's still capable of producing some important information about our solar system, long after it has already completed it's primary mission.

It's amazing how much information about space and about objects in our solar system that has all become accessible during my lifetime. My hat is off to all people and all the hard work that has made that possible. I'm in awe of their accomplishments.

Those targets are a long way away! It is also amazing how they can plan a flyby. The spacecraft has got to spin as it passes its target. If your math is not correct all you will see is stars as the spacecraft needs to turn at precise maneuvers to remain pointed at the object.

 

[Michael]

Those targets are a long way away! It is also amazing how they can plan a flyby. The spacecraft has got to spin as it passes its target. If your math is not correct all you will see is stars as the spacecraft needs to turn at precise maneuvers to remain pointed at the object.

Space exploration is a very noble and unforgiving pursuit of knowledge.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Those targets are a long way away! It is also amazing how they can plan a flyby. The spacecraft has got to spin as it passes its target. If your math is not correct all you will see is stars as the spacecraft needs to turn at precise maneuvers to remain pointed at the object.

Indeed, it is a remarkable feat, one that requires a very firm understanding of the position and motion of the craft (New Horizons) and the of the target object. It also requires a similar level of understanding of the forces that change the velocities inside the spacecraft (the thrusters, etc.) and of the gravitational pull from near and far (the Sun) bodies.

 

[Michael]

Indeed, it is a remarkable feat, one that requires a very firm understanding of the position and motion of the craft (New Horizons) and the of the target object. It also requires a similar level of understanding of the forces that change the velocities inside the spacecraft (the thrusters, etc.) and of the gravitational pull from near and far (the Sun) bodies.

It's an amazing amount of detail that one has to get right. One miscalculation and they could miss the whole event. Rocket science is pretty complicated and unforgiving stuff.

 

[essentialsaltes]

New book:

Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto

Just over 2 AU from MU69

 

[FredVB]

It seems they still don't know as a certainty whether MU69 is a singular object or binary.

 

[rockytopva]

Closing in on 1 AU from MU69 (now named Ultima Thule), which will be the most distant object explored.

06/28/2015 - 14.54 km/s (32,500 mph)
08/14/2015 - 14.50 km/s (32,400 mph)
10/31/2015 - 14.47 km/s (32,400 mph)
01/14/2016 - 14.45 km/s (32,200 mph)
12/24/2016 - 14.43 km/s (32,200 mph)
02/01/2017 - 14.31 km/s (32,000 mph)
06/02/2017 - 14.27 km/s (31,900 mph)
07/06/2017 - 14.26 km/s (31,900 mph)
12/26/2017 - 14.20 km/s (31,765 mph)
08/02/2018 - 14.14 km/s (31,630 mph)

Distance from MU69 - 1.2 AU
Distance from our sun - 42 AU
150 days until the January 1, 2019 MH69 Flyby

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20180731