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is new horizons going to take pictures of the other dwarf planets farther out in the solar system like makemake?

or is new horizons just going to orbit around pluto and collect date for 20 years

11 Answers

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  • 6 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    In order to get New Horizons there in a reasonable amount of time, it was accelerated quite a bit right from the start. It is presently going faster than "solar escape speed", meaning that it is going too fast to remain inside the solar system.

    It will continue forever to be going faster than solar escape speed, including when it whizzes past Pluto. It will therefore NOT go into orbit around Pluto.

    It is already planned to make at least one fly-by of another Kuiper-belt object (only requires tiny course corrections, therefore not much fuel) and MAYBE, perhaps, it could see its course altered (a tiny bit) again after that for a second object.

    However, because it is going that fast AND it does not carry much fuel**, it cannot be turned around at will to make a tour of dwarf planets (they are not anywhere close to the probe's projected path).

    ---

    **IF they had wanted the probe to slow down at Pluto (or zigzag around from dwarf planet to dwarf planet), the probe would have had to be made much bigger to carry the sufficient amount of fuel. This would mean a much higher take-off mass from Earth, requiring much stronger engines... using up fuel much faster, to get it up to "solar escape speed".

    Making it a LOT more expensive (well beyond the budget) and delaying its design, construction and launch. [it would still be on Earth, sitting in a wharehouse, waiting for Congress to approve a higher budget]

  • Joseph
    Lv 7
    6 years ago

    During the Summer of 2014 Hubble Space Telescope spent a considerable amount of observation time trying to find additional targets for the New Horizons to explore after the Pluto fly-by. It discovered several Kuiper Belt Object, some of which look promising, and one or two that are definitely reachable.

    NASA has not yet authorized the funding for the New Horizons extended mission while it concentrates on the upcoming Pluto encounter. If everything goes well at Pluto, additional funds will most likely be allocated since exploring one or more Kuiper Belt objects beyond Pluto was always in the mission plan and will likely produce major scientific discoveries at very modest cost.

  • Anonymous
    6 years ago

    It won't orbit Pluto, it is a flyby mission.

    None of the other dwarf planets are near enough to New Horizons trajectory to be photographed.

    They will direct New Horizons after it has passed Pluto to target other objects that it can get to within its mission parameters.

  • Paula
    Lv 7
    6 years ago

    Yes ... and No

    There is a plan to visit another object - but it is tiny (40 km across)

    And the encounter would happen in 2018-19

    And ...

    So far there is no money allocated for the subsequent mission.

    Hopefully - if the Pluto mission goes well, then money will be allocated for the 2nd fly-by.

    Look at this article :

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Horizons#Suitabl...

    "The preferred flyby target is PT1 (a 40–70 km object), but PT3 (a slightly bigger object) could be targeted for a flyby, with the decision in August [0f 2015]."

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  • 6 years ago

    neither of those. it's a fast flyby, it has nowhere near enough fuel to slow down to orbit or to reach another dwarf planet. however, it does have limited maneuvering capability. there are some identified targets that it can reach, but they're not large. these targets were previously unknown, they were found by looking with the Hubble space telescope in the volume of space that New Horizons can reach.

  • 6 years ago

    Pluto closest approach is scheduled for July 14, 2015. After that the spacecraft is expected to head farther into the Kuiper Belt to examine one or two of the ancient, icy mini-worlds in that vast region.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    This is all very interesting and wonderfull, but it really does not change a thing. "What will be, will be" Man can only surmise and wonder. Spiritually! your guess is as good as mine. It makes good reading tho! I am not going to get excited about this as some kind of omen. "Limited in his understanding and experience by his five physical senses, man compared to God is little better than an insect. His world exists for only a small distance in any direction, and yet he considers his opinion enlightened in all directions." God has given us some clues as to what to expect in the latter days. Do what He advices us to do and don't worry. It is all in His hands anyway!

  • GeoffG
    Lv 7
    6 years ago

    It all depends on where it's directed after the Pluto fly-by, but the Kuiper Belt Objects are so widely scattered that it will be a difficult choice.

  • New horizons will do a high-speed flyby of Pluto, with a window of only a few hours to do close-up photos and analysis. It is not yet known if it can reach any other objects.

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  • Mark G
    Lv 7
    6 years ago

    No. It's not even going to orbit Pluto, it's just going to wizz past

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