The mission team called it a “stretch goal” – just before closest approach, precisely pointing…
Browsing: Ultima Thule
Ultima Thule, officially designated as 486958 Arrokoth, is a trans-Neptunian object located in the Kuiper Belt, a region of the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune. It gained significant attention when NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft performed a flyby on January 1, 2019, making it the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft. Ultima Thule is a contact binary, meaning it consists of two lobes that are in direct contact with each other, resembling a snowman. The larger lobe is named “Ultima” and the smaller lobe is named “Thule.” This ancient object, formed about 4.5 billion years ago, provides scientists with valuable insights into the early solar system’s conditions and processes. The data collected by New Horizons revealed details about its composition, geology, and the way small planetary bodies evolve over time, enhancing our understanding of the primordial materials that make up our solar system.
An evocative new image sequence from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft offers a departing view of…
The wonders – and mysteries – of Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69 continue to multiply…
This movie shows the propeller-like rotation of Ultima Thule in the seven hours between 20:00…
Data from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, which explored the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule earlier…