Something incredible is five billion kilometers away from Earth! After more than nine years of travel, the inspirational New Horizons spacecraft darted past Pluto, coming closer than we have ever been to the planet and its moons.

1. Onwards and Upwards
Nicholas Kellett's personal blog about space exploration, scuba diving, and travel
http://blog.nicholaskellett.com
Good Morning, Pluto
http://blog.nicholaskellett.com/2015/07/14/good-morning-pluto

2. Something Incredible
 “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be
known.” – Carl Sagan
 Pluto is 5,000,000,000 km away from Earth
 We have never before visited or even had good
images of it
 On July 14, 2015 we reached Pluto

3. Search for Planet X
 Percival Lowell was an American businessman and
amateur astronomer who achieved fame describing
the (sadly mythical) Canals of Mars
 He searched for “Planet X” beyond Neptune
 He died in 1915 without having found it
 In 1930 Clyde Tombaugh, working at Lowell’s
observatory, spotted Pluto in photographs

4. New Horizons Mission
 After multiple projects cancelled due to NASA budget
cuts, this was last possible effort before Pluto atmosphere
froze over
 Launched by NASA/John Hopkins AP Laboratory
 Fastest launch ever
 Gravity-assisted journey still took over 9 years to speed
past Pluto
 In order to be light and cheap, carried minimum
instruments and not enough fuel to stop
 Now heading into Kuiper Belt on way out of Solar System

5. Is Pluto a Planet?
 In August 2006, after New Horizons launched, IAU
general assembly voted to “demote” Pluto from
“major planet” to “dwarf planet”
 Major controversy over this definition remains to
this day
 Lead investigator of New Horizons mission Alan
Stern disputes the definition
 Pluto might actually be a binary planet sharing orbit
with its biggest moon, Charon

6. Planetary Society Involvement
 The Planetary Society helped lobby for the missions
and managed to assist with securing congressional
funding
 Launched a grassroots letter-writing campaign
 Members names were included
in a CD carried on New Horizons
 Discoverer Clyde Tombaugh’s
ashes also on board

7. Good Morning, Pluto
 Read the whole post on my blog, Onwards and
Upwards, to find out and add your thoughts!
 http://blog.nicholaskellett.com/2015/07/14/good-
morning-pluto

8. Get In Touch
 I’d love to connect with you on
 Twitter: @NickKellett
 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholaskellett
 Onwards and Upwards is my main blog at
http://blog.nicholaskellett.com
 Subscribe to my blog:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/nicholaskellett/xFoR
 I also have a Tumblr blog at
http://nickkellett.tumblr.com