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> The New Horizons spacecraft near Pluto

The New Horizons spacecraft near Pluto

author: Ron Miller/Novapix

reference: e-son40-00014

Image Size 300 DPI: 18 * 16 cm

Artist's concept of the New Horizons spacecraft as it approaches Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, in July 2015. The craft's miniature cameras, radio science experiment, ultraviolet and infrared spectrometers and space plasma experiments will characterize the global geology and geomorphology of Pluto and Charon, map their surface compositions and temperatures, and examine Pluto's atmosphere in detail. The spacecraft's most prominent design feature is a nearly 7-foot (2.1-meter) dish antenna, through which it will communicate with Earth from as far as 4.7 billion miles (7.5 billion kilometers) away.

Keywords for this photo:

134340 PLUTO - CHARON - DWARF PLANET - ILLUSTRATION - NEW HORIZONS - PLANET - PLUTO - PLUTO'S MOON - PLUTOID - SATELLITE - SPACE - SPACECRAFT - SPACEPROBE - SUN - TNO - TRANSNEPTUNIAN OBJECT -