The NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, that was launched on January 19, 2006, has now taken an unprecedented mission. It is prepared to fly by an icy object nicknamed Ultima Thule (pronounced TOO-lee), a resident of the Kuiper belt. The flyby is anticipated to take place within a close proximity of approximately 3,500 kilometers from Ultima Thule.
Location of Ultima Thule
Ultima Thule is located at a staggering distance from our planet. To be precise, it’s about 1.6 billion kilometers beyond Pluto and a mammoth 6.4 billion kilometers away from Earth. This vast distance makes it a record-holder since it will be the farthest object ever visited by any spacecraft, thus making the journey of New Horizons an extraordinary one.
About Ultima Thule
This unique Kuiper Belt object was first discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in the year 2014. It was originally christened as 2014 MU69 but later fondly nicknamed as Ultima Thule. Thule, in classical and medieval literature signifies the most distant places situated far beyond the boundaries of the known world.
The Significance of Visiting Ultima Thule
The exploration of Ultima Thule carries immense significance for astronomers and researchers. They believe that Ultima Thule could potentially harbour relics dating back to the very origin of our solar system approximately 4.5 billion years ago. No other spacecraft in history has ever visited anything so primitive or ancient. Therefore, this journey could open up new avenues in understanding the origins of our solar system.
Moreover, the mission also aims to study the structure, composition, and environment of Ultima Thule in detail. Knowledge gained from this expedition has the potential to provide remarkable insights about the early days of our solar system and the forces behind its formation.
The Kuiper Belt
The Kuiper Belt, also known as the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt, is a significant region of the Solar System. It exists beyond the eight major planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun. To give some perspective, 1 Astronomical Unit (AU) is equal to the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
The Kuiper Belt bears a striking resemblance to the asteroid belt as it also contains many small bodies which are remnants from the Solar System’s formation. However, the Kuiper Belt is much larger and more massive than the asteroid belt.
New Horizon’s Key Milestones
Here’s a summary of the important events related to the New Horizons mission:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Launch of New Horizons | Jan 19, 2006 |
| Pluto Flyby | July 14, 2015 |
| Ultima Thule Flyby | Jan 1, 2019 |
Mission Objective
The primary objective of the ongoing New Horizons mission is to study Pluto, its moons, and other Kuiper Belt objects like Ultima Thule. This exploration and research have the potential to be a watershed moment in our understanding of the cosmos. The expedition could provide us with key details about the formation, structure, and evolution of our solar system.
