New Horizons mission

IAU names asteroid named after Indian professor, recognizing his contributions to astronomy

22Mar

By adminNo Comments

Technology

IAU names asteroid named after Indian professor, recognizing his contributions to astronomy

[ad_1] The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, announced on Friday that the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has honored renowned Indian astrophysicist Prof Jayant Murthy by naming an asteroid after him. The asteroid, previously designated as "2005 EX296," has now been officially named "(215884) Jayantmurthy" by the IAU's Working Group on Small Bodies Nomenclature. Positioned between Mars and Jupiter, the asteroid completes one orbit around the Sun every 3.3 years. Prof Murthy's Contributions to the New Horizons MissionProf Murthy, who retired from IIA in 2021 but continues as an Honorary Professor, expressed his joy at the rare recognition. He credited his work with the NASA New Horizons Science Team, particularly focusing on observing the ultraviolet background ra...

NASA to extend New Horizons mission to Kuiper belt, where comets come from

[ad_1] NASA's New Horizons mission which was launched in 2006 has now been extended by almost 5 more years. The objective of the mission was to explore Pluto and now the mission will continue till the spacecraft exits the Kuiper belt, the place where comets reside. The mission was planned to be concluded next year in 2024, however, now the space agency has extended objectives for the mission. Know what NASA has planned for the mission.New Horizons mission extensionAccording to a NASA report, the New Horizons will start with new objectives from 2025. Now, the spacecraft is planned to explore the Kuiper belt objects. This mission will be continued till the spacecraft exits the Kuiper belt, which could take till 2028 or 2029. The primary goal of New Horizons is to gather heliophysics data ...

NASA’s New Horizons snaps awesome glowing Blue Halo around Pluto

[ad_1] NASA has just revealed an amazing photo of Pluto with a blue halo glowing all around it. The image was captured by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft back on July 14, 2015. When this photo was taken, New Horizons was approximately 120000 miles or 200,000 kilometers from Pluto. What caused it? "The smog present in Pluto's atmosphere is thought to be a result of the reaction between sunlight and methane and other molecules," NASA said in a blog.The space agency further explained that this process creates a complicated blend of hydrocarbons that accumulate into tiny haze particles, which disperse blue light. As these particles gradually descend through the atmosphere, they generate several complex horizontal layers that span heights of more than 120 miles, around 200 kilometers. NASA a...