July 14, 2015: New Horizon arrives at Pluto
Today in the history of astronomy, a nine-year journey pays off.
The New Horizons spacecraft flew by Pluto in 2015, gathering data on its surface, interior structure, atmosphere, and more. Credit: NASA/APL
New Horizons launched in January 2006, and by July 14, 2015, it had reached its primary goal: Pluto. The first spacecraft to study Pluto up close, it conducted measurements of Pluto’s atmosphere, mapped the surface geology, observed Pluto’s moons. New Horizons also investigated the dwarf planet’s interior structure, adding support to the theory that Pluto has a subsurface ocean. The mountains of data collected at Pluto continue to be analyzed and researched today, while the spacecraft itself is in the Kuiper Belt, on a trajectory for interstellar space.
Elisa Neckar is senior production editor of Astronomy magazine, and the editor of the Today in the History of Astronomy feature on Astronomy.com.
