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New Horizons probe every moment is coming to Pluto more and more. Launched in January 2006, the journey will culminate as early as next Tuesday, when the probe will pass close to the surface of the dwarf planet. NASA publishes Meanwhile, another, more accurate images of Pluto and its moon, Charon. You can be sure that in the coming days there will be more.
The latest black-and-white image was taken from a distance of about 6 million kilometers with the help of high resolution cameras Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (Lorrie). The colors, both Pluto and Charon were chosen based on previous observations with the help of Ralph instrument.
Pluto and Charon is a fascinating couple, two probably covered with ice balls, with enough mass similar to each other that the common center of mass around which they revolve falls behind the larger volume thereof. Though they seem to be the remains of some cosmic collisions, very apart – even color – different. On the surface of Pluto can be seen darker and lighter areas, Charon appears to be more uniform with a darker stain only in the area of the pole.
Pluto has a significant atmosphere, Charon – no, on the surface of the dwarf planet dominated by solidified nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide, the moon covers rather, water ice and ammonia compounds. Pluto has a rocky core, inside Charon is half and half rock and ice. These two objects orbiting each other for billions of years, but are completely different – says Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado.
Charon has 1200 kilometers in diameter, about half the diameter of Pluto’s largest moon relative to its planet of the solar system. The smaller size and low contrast area has hampered the probe New Horizons his observation in the coming days this will also change.
By the way NASA recalled the entire journey had begun. New Horizons embarked on a journey just like that:
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