SOLAR SYSTEM

Detailed explanation-1: -NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft was the first spacecraft to explore Pluto up close, flying by the dwarf planet and its moons on July 14, 2015.

Detailed explanation-2: -Although already the fastest spacecraft to leave Earth, New Horizons also required a gravity assist from Jupiter to reduce its total flight time to Pluto from 14 years to under ten.

Detailed explanation-3: -The images were captured by NASA’s New Horizons mission in July, 2015, when the spacecraft did a flyby around Pluto and its moons.

Detailed explanation-4: -New Horizons observed a large, young, heart-shaped region of ice on Pluto and found mountains made of water ice that may float on top of nitrogen ice. It discovered large chasms on Charon and found that its north pole was covered with reddish material that had escaped from Pluto’s atmosphere.

Detailed explanation-5: -In February 2007, New Horizons passed through the Jupiter system at more than 50, 000 mph, ending up on a path that got it to Pluto on July 14, 2015. During the cruise from Jupiter to Pluto, the mission team monitored the health of the spacecraft while planning and practicing for the encounter with Pluto and Charon.