2014 MU69 can compete for the title of the “red” planet in the Solar system.
NASA space probe New Horizons is approaching mysterious dwarf planet called 2014 MU69 in the Kuiper belt. According to the report, 2014 MU69 can compete for the title of the “red” planet in the Solar system.
The mission leader Alan stern said that the planetoid will become the new target of the probe. 2014 MU69 is about 45 kilometers in diameter and is 2.6 billion kilometers from Pluto. Scientists estimate that New Horizons will be close to the object already in 2019. While stern said that the probe has already flew past 2014 MU69 in 2015.
“We expect many interesting things from later in life and New Horizons, but at the same time study data collected during a flyby of Pluto, and open lot. The last data transmitted by the probe, indicate that further study of Pluto would require sending another mission to him,” added stern.
The main objective of New Horizons is to study Pluto and its satellite Charon. Scientific equipment installed at the station designed to collect data on the presence of the magnetosphere, the dwarf planet, the composition of its atmosphere, surface structure and interaction with Charon.
