The flyby by NASA's New Horison spacecraft will be at its closest approach within about 4 hours from now (ca 10 AM = GMT+2).
Interesting photos of this very remote planet as well as some commentary and interviews can be seen at the website:
A once in a lifetime occurrence.
bluebo k,
Blikkies, just a heads up, you are bound to be called stupid by some know it all on here for calling Pluto a planet.
Oh, I know that, but the exact definition of a planet is still not fixed. Many would like to call it a dwarf planet and one of the biggest objects of the Kuiper Belt.
Blikkies I have to say so far Pluto looks less interesting than the moon.....the accomplishment of getting there is massive though. If you like this kind of stuff I am reading the new science fiction novel Seveneves.....in which the moon blows up. Its highly praised and quite interesting so far.
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anathem, Reamde, and Cryptonomicon comes an exciting and thought-provoking science fiction epic—a grand story of annihilation and survival spanning five thousand years.
What would happen if the world were ending?
A catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere, in outer space.
But the complexities and unpredictability of human nature coupled with unforeseen challenges and dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain . . .
Five thousand years later, their progeny—seven distinct races now three billion strong—embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown . . . to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth.
A writer of dazzling genius and imaginative vision, Neal Stephenson combines science, philosophy, technology, psychology, and literature in a magnificent work of speculative fiction that offers a portrait of a future that is both extraordinary and eerily recognizable."
Yes, thanks Moz. I would also not mind to have a look at the book.
Space is a very fascinating frontier with its unparalleled beauty, potential hazardous objects and scientist's view what the future may hold.
