New Year’s Eve leading into New Year’s Day: the New Horizons spacecraft is making a historical flyby in the Kuiper belt tonight. Why is this a big deal? Well if you are like me and interested in very important and awesome things like the universe, our solar system, the how’s and why’s, you know the big questions about life, the universe and everything then you will appreciate the scale of this flyby.
New Horizons is making a pass on a 30km rocky object known as Ultima Thule – marking the farthest ever exploration of a Solar System body. The object was only discovered 4 years ago by the Hubble telescope. Just happen to be perfect timing and reachable. Ultima Thule is a latin phrase for “a place beyond the known world”. It blows my mind when I think about the potential of space exploration and what it all means for our humanity on Earth.
Anyway this flyby will give us cool images and data. Exploring the Kuiper belt could give us valuable clues into how the Solar System was formed 4.6 billion years ago. For example it might provide insights into planet formation which is essential to understanding origins of life. As we explore the universe, we are unravelling the big picture, one small picture at a time. Like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Piece by piece.
By putting the pieces together we are discovering the story of the universe, ultimately the story of humanity. On the surface this is just one piece of many. But it takes a piece to lead to another. Imagine someday we might be the ones creating the jigsaw puzzle for other civilizations to put together. Be sure to check out the live coverage of this flyby. Be curious my friends! Always. Make 2019 a time beyond the known world. Make it your time! Your world! Your new horizon!
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