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Pluto’s Moon Nix, Half Illuminated
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Caption:
This recently received panchromatic image of Pluto's small satellite Nix taken by the Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) aboard New Horizons is one of the best images of Pluto's third-largest moon generated by the NASA mission. Taken on July 14, 2015, at a range of about 14,000 miles (23,000 kilometers) from Nix, the illuminated surface is about 12 miles (19 kilometers) by 29 miles (47 kilometers). The unique perspective of this image provides new details about Nix's geologic history and impact record.
Background Info:
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, designed, built, and operates the New Horizons spacecraft, and manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The Southwest Research Institute, based in San Antonio, leads the science team, payload operations and encounter science planning. New Horizons is part of the New Frontiers Program managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Cataloging Keywords:
| Name | Value | Additional Values |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Pluto | Nix |
| System | Pluto | Kuiper Belt |
| Target Type | Satellite | Dwarf Planet, KBO |
| Mission | New Horizons | |
| Instrument Host | New Horizons | |
| Host Type | Flyby Spacecraft | |
| Instrument | Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) | |
| Detector | ||
| Extra Keywords | Grayscale, Impact | |
| Acquisition Date | ||
| Release Date | 2015-12-18 | |
| Date in Caption | 2015-07-14 | |
| Image Credit | NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute | |
| Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20287 | |
| Identifier | PIA20287 | |
