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Theobject
moved,thebackgroundstarsdidnot.LickObservatoryimagesare1day
apart
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Pluto(diameter~2320km;surfaceT=390F)anditsmoon
CharonimagedbytheHubbleSpaceTelescope
Charonwasdiscoveredin1978andis~1,200kmindiameter
PatRawlingsconceptionofthePlutoCharonbinaryplanetsystem
(leftfront=Charon;rightback=Pluto)
RelativesizesofPluto,Charon,andtheUS.
Plutois2,320kmandCharon~1,200kmindiameter
Plutosunusualorbit
Itissteeplyinclined(17)andhighlyeccentric(0.25).Attimes,Plutosorbit
reachesinsidethatofNeptune
TheNewHorizonsMissiontheracetocatchtheatmosphereof
Plutobeforeitfreezesin~2015
LaunchJanuary19,2006
(JupiterflybyFebruary2007)
PlutoencounterinJuly2015