Sharpest
Ultima Thule
NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day
On
January 1, New Horizons swooped to within 3,500 kilometers of the Kuiper Belt world known as Ultima Thule.
That's
about 3 times closer than its July 2015 closest approach to Pluto.
The spacecraft's unprecedented feat of navigational precision, supported by data from ground and space-based observing campaigns, was accomplished 6.6 billion kilometers (over 6 light-hours) from planet Earth.
The spacecraft's unprecedented feat of navigational precision, supported by data from ground and space-based observing campaigns, was accomplished 6.6 billion kilometers (over 6 light-hours) from planet Earth.
Six
and a half minutes before closest approach to Ultima Thule it captured the nine
frames used in this composite image.
The most detailed picture possible of the
farthest object ever explored, the image has a resolution of about 33 meters
per pixel, revealing intriguing bright surface features and dark shadows near
the terminator.
A
primitive Solar System object, Ultima Thule's two lobes combine to span just 30
kilometers.
The
larger lobe, referred to as Ultima, is recently
understood to be flattened like a fluffy pancake, while the
smaller, Thule, has a shape that resembles a dented walnut.
