NASA’s Blue Horizons project was launched in 2006. The plan was to explore Pluto and beyond. The NASA probe finally reached Pluto in 2015 and on July 14, it made its closest approach. Now, with Pluto under its belt, the probe is heading for an icy and very mysterious object that scientists have named 2014 MU69.
Pluto’s Secrets
The Blue Horizon probe allowed scientists to explore Pluto in greater detail. Pluto, everyone’s favorite dwarf planet, was first discovered in 1930. Named after a Roman God, Pluto lies 4.65 billion miles away from Earth, so it took the NASA Blue Horizons probe nine years to get there.
Scientists identified 14 very distinct areas on the icy planet. Since Pluto is named after the God of the Underworld, it seemed fitting that each region should be given darknames. NASA and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) launched a campaign to come up with some creative names inspired by mythology and the realms of the underworld. Some names used previously, such as Sputnik Plainita, were preserved, but others, including Sleipnir Fossa and Djanggawul Fossae, are new.
Exploring 2014 MU69
What is even more exciting, however, is that NASA’s next target beyond Pluto might possibly have its own moon. The Blue Horizons probe will reach 2014 MU69 in early 2019. Scientists watched 2014 MU69 very closely last year when it passed in front of three stars. Data revealed that 2014 MU 69 may have at least one moon, and possibly several.
“This might be the harbinger,” New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Colorado revealed at an American Geophysical Union meeting. “It might hint that there is actually a swarm of satellites from MU69.”
Data pertaining to MU69 was first taken from observations conducted from Earth while subsequent data sets were pulled from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, known as SOFIA for short. The first occultation with MU69 was supposed to take place on June 3 last year, but scientists were not in the right place. It wasn’t until July 17 that scientists hit the jackpot with data pulled from several observatories in Argentina.
Data revealed that MU69 is a bilobed mass with at least one natural satellite. Preliminary signals suggest MU69’s moon is approximately 3 miles in diameter, but the Blue Horizon probe should provide plenty more data when it conducts a flyby in January 2019. If the mission goes according to plan, scientists may even be able to calculate the geological makeup of this lump of ice and rock.
Because moons are so common in this part of space, scientists believe MU69 has more than one moon. The New Horizons probe will survey many other objects around MU69 when it conducts its flyby next year. Most will appear as tiny pricks of light.
Beyond MU69
NASA’s probe has enough fuel on board to continue exploring for another 15+ years. This will take it well beyond our solar system, which is tremendously exciting!
