Crowded Pluto
Monday, March 27, 2006
In just under a year's time we would be arriving near Jupiter. The biggest planet in our Solar system would then be used to obtain a gravitational boost. "Mission Horizon" - thats the name given to the mission by NASA - a spacecraft that carries all kinda equipments to probe the farthest planet - Pluto.
Currently travelling at about 20 miles a second, the spacecraft is expected to arrive at Pluto in July 2015. It would by then have flown for 9 years at a stretch (launched on Jan 19, 2006)!! Freaking 9 years it takes for a one way flight ... damn. The speed by which it's travelling, it would take a mere ~ 10 seconds from NY to DC ... I doubt if the scientists involved in the project currently would still be by then. Transfer of information, maybe .. or atleast thats how most of these things work.
The neighborhood around Pluto is getting crowded (or we are discovering it to be crowded). Hubble recently discovered 2 new moons around Pluto taking the total count to 3. Charon, the existing moon, was discovered way back in 1978 though, and is about half the size of Pluto itself. The newly discovered ones have been named P1 and P2 as the discoverers are yet to suggest a name to the Intl. Astronomical Union. P1 goes around Pluto once while Charon goes aroud the planet every 6 times. P2 on the other hand goes around Pluto once while Charon goes aroud the planet every 4 times.
Strange things happen in this universe of ours with discoveries becoming so common now-a-days with the help of powerful equipments and telescopes like Hubble.
Posted by Rajesh @ 10:40 PM; PERMALINK,
4 Shouts:
-
At March 28, 2006 12:41 AM,
RPM said...
-
Is it 20 miles/sec or 200?
-
At March 28, 2006 10:46 AM,
Rajesh said...
-
@Rpm - Its just under 20 miles/sec... 200/sec hasn't been achieved yet.
Also come to think of it .. NY-DC is ~ 200 miles and it would take about 10 seconds that way ;-) -
At March 28, 2006 11:27 PM,
RPM said...
-
@rajesh: 20 miles/sec seems incredibly slow for a machine going from Earth to Pluto. Of course, from NY to DC, it does sound fast ;-)
-
At March 29, 2006 10:27 AM,
Rajesh said...
-
@ Rpm - Not actually.If you convert, its 72000 Mph which is quite astounding. In fact its the fastest space-craft ever launched by man !! :)
9.5 years to travel 3-billion miles is probably the best we have achieved
read here ...
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060119/nasa_pluto_060120?s_name=&no_ads=
