Pluto has its first image in natural colors – TVN Meteo

We first color photo of Pluto. April 9, 2015 she performed them space probe, which traverses nine years into space.

The image was made possible by Ralph multispectral camera, which is on the board of the probe. Ralph takes photographs in the visible and near-infrared. This allows you to create both panchromatic and color maps the surface of the bodies examined.

Pluto and its moon

On a black background interstellar space in natural colors, two objects were photographed. The larger is Pluto. From the photo that the surface is in bright shades of red. Smaller facility, which is located to the left of Pluto, is its largest moon – Charon. Scientists have announced that in the near future will gain more photos dwarf planet.

The culmination of the project closer

spacecraft, which carried pictures of Pluto, is coming to him in the project New Horizons. Objects shares currently about 115 million km. If all goes according to plan, the probe will be closest to the dwarf planet in mid-July of 2015. The probe is placed on the orbit of Pluto, but only to fly next to him at a safe distance. The aim of the mission is to collect materials through which fail to perform accurate maps of Pluto and its moon, Charon, determine their structure and examine the dwarf planet’s atmosphere.

More than 20 years without the company

In the vicinity of Pluto has reached one probe – Voyager 2 took place in the late 80s Voyager 2 moves away from the Sun at a speed of 15.396 km / s (ie 55 425 km / h) in the direction of the constellation spotting scopes. 1 January 2015. Voyager 2 was located at a distance of more than 15 978 000 000 miles from the sun. The average distance of Pluto from the Sun is 5 900 000 000 km.