You are here

New Horizons Mission

New Horizons is a spacecraft that flew past Pluto in the summer of 2015. It mapped the surfaces of Pluto and its biggest moon, Charon, and snapped pictures of the dwarf planet's three smaller moons. It is scheduled to rendezvous with another Kuiper Belt Object, 2014 MU69, on New Year's Day, 2019.

Resources

Pluto February 19, 2016

Radio Programs

Wispy Skies The wispy blue skies of Pluto July 25, 2023

Keeping it Going A hard-working spacecraft keeps going February 24, 2023

Vanishing Air Pluto’s air gets ready to “hibernate” January 20, 2022

Deep Ocean A deep and ancient ocean on Pluto July 14, 2021

Land of Explorers A land fit for exploration April 29, 2020

Distant Merger The result of a distant merger August 3, 2019

More New Horizons Celebrating a distant encounter December 30, 2018

New Horizons A final target for a pioneer December 28, 2018

Featured Images

Falling Skies January 20, 2022
New Horizons view of haze in Pluto's atmosphere

Changing Skies? February 3, 2021
Highest-resolution image of 2014 MU69 (Ultima Thule)

As Good As It Gets February 24, 2019
New Horizons view of MU69 (Ultima Thule)

Double Target January 3, 2019
New Horizons encounters Ultima Thule

Bowling a Strike January 2, 2019
2014 MU69, a ball of ice and rock about four billion miles from Earth, is the next target for New Horizons

Next Target December 28, 2018
Io and Jupiter

Volcanic Connection May 7, 2017
Enhanced-color image of Charon from New Horizons

Charonian Chapeau December 27, 2016
View of ice field on Pluto from New Horizons

Plutonian Lava Lamp July 18, 2016
Global view of Charon, Pluto's largest moon

Red Roof Moon October 2, 2015
Backlit view of Pluto landscape from New Horizons

Hazy Skies September 22, 2015
New Horizons view of young mountains on Pluto

Ice Mountains July 15, 2015
July 12 views of Charon and Pluto from New Horizons

Hours Away July 13, 2015
July 8 view of Charon, Pluto from New Horizons

Dynamic Duo July 10, 2015
Artist's concept of New Horizons passing by Pluto

First Encounter July 9, 2015
New Horizons view of Pluto and Charon, July 1, 2015

Best Shot July 7, 2015
Diagram shows the location of the Kuiper Belt

Icy Realm July 6, 2015