New Horizons space probe transmitted to Earth a unique picture of Pluto – News

The American spacecraft New Horizons, makes the first in the history of the journey to Pluto, was first transmitted to Earth pictures which show different parts of the surface of the dwarf planet, including one of its poles.

As reported by the US space agency, the pictures were taken in the first half of April with a special camera mounted on a 450-pound probe from a distance of 113 million km.

«As the apparatus to Pluto, we begin to notice intriguing details like bright spot near the visible pole of this mysterious planet “- TASS quoted the assistant director of NASA science officer John Gransfelda.

According to him, the picture may have captured ice polar cap. In other images could see the largest moon of Pluto – Charon, but the other four, smaller size, while the “left-overs».

«You can not even imagine what discoveries await us next summer when New Horizons will pass at a distance of 12.5 thousand kilometers from Pluto “- said Officer Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, Hal Weaver.

In this lab

was built a unique device, take a trip 19 January 2006 and since then has overcome in the space of about 5 billion kilometers. Now he came to the finish line and must fly at a minimum distance from Pluto on July 14.