© Photo: NASA / JHUAPL / SWRI
© Photo: NASA / JHUAPL / SWRI / ZLD / Unmannedspaceflight.com
© Photo: NASA / JHUAPL / SWRI / ZLD / Unmannedspaceflight.com
MOSCOW, July 15 – RIA Novosti. New Horizons probe managed to convey to the earth, before the transition to “radio silence” on the transit time through the system of Pluto, the first draft of the geological map of the dwarf planet and its moon Charon, the press service of NASA.
“These pictures show that Pluto and Charon are actually very difficult arranged worlds. On the surface there are many interesting things. Our team is making every effort to ensure that in the very short time to determine the chemical composition of the different regions of Pluto and understand how they arise “- said William Grundy (William Grundy), head of the geological team of New Horizons.
Grundy and his colleagues used images taken by cameras LORRI and Ralph, as well as data from other instruments of the probe to map geological regions of Pluto and Charon. This card, despite its relatively low resolution, has managed to reveal some interesting facts about Pluto and “boatman” Charon.
For example, the giant light “heart” on the equator of Pluto, as it turns out, consists of two halves with different chemical and mineral composition. In addition, “spotty” north pole of space, “the king of the dead,” apparently has a complex structure and rapid geological past.
Charon is no less interesting in terms of geology, especially given the fact that it is “moon” and not a full dwarf planet. Dark ice cap at the North Pole Charon, according to Grundy and his colleagues consists of hydrocarbons and sulfur compounds and unusual “striped” in the equatorial regions of the satellite regions are made up of a complex mixture of minerals.
In January 2015, New Horizons began a rapprochement with Pluto. According to scientists, NASA, New Horizons, has gone down in history as the most speed from ever running earthlings spacecraft approached the dwarf planet at a distance of only 12.5 thousand kilometers at 14:49 MSK on July 14.
During the rendezvous with Pluto observations led him seven scientific instruments that are equipped with the probe. It is expected that the unit produced about 150 measurements, including studied composition, geology of the planet, the temperature of its surface to study its topography, and check whether there is “general” atmosphere of Pluto and its moon Charon.
In During this rendezvous probe temporarily ceased communication with Earth, focusing all his “attention” to study the dwarf planet and its retinue.
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