NASA probe photographed the small satellites of Pluto – BBC Russian

• 14 May 2015

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Thus, according hudozhnnika would look like a space station, “New Horizons” Pluto near

probe “New Horizons” Pluto flew past, spotted all the known satellites of distant planets.

They were found in the images sent from the automatic interplanetary station NASA, which is now about 90 million miles from this distant planet.

Hydra and no one could see in the past, they were found in 2005 after an analysis of the photos of “Hubble”. But the probe “New Horizons” was able to see two small satellites – Cerberus and Styx.

The first Cerberus and Styx were discovered in 2011 and 2012.

The fifth we know Pluto’s moon Charon is much larger and brighter than the rest. It is relatively easy to detect, even though the images it sent a probe, as well as Pluto strongly overexposed.

The diameter of Pluto is about 2,300 km. The diameter of Charon half. Hydra and Nix in diameter may exceed 100 km.

But the other satellites of Pluto has a diameter of at most a few tens of kilometers. Therefore, in order to get their image needed a significant overexposure frame camera probe.

The footage from the station “New Horizons” shows all the known satellites of Pluto

That is why a more vivid Pluto and Charon appear on the scene as white spots, devoid of detail.

To capture probe uses a camera LORRI (Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager) with a resolution 5 microradians specially designed for detailed shooting and shooting from long distances.

Fleeting meeting

The automatic interplanetary station NASA will fly past Pluto on July 14. It was launched in 2006 and has already overcome some five billion kilometers of space.

The station is moving at such a high speed that it could not enter the orbit of Pluto, and passeth by, while trying to collect as much more information on the planet.

In particular, back in 2010, astronomers noticed that Pluto is becoming more red as they suggest, the reason – in the process of melting the ice on the planet’s surface. Station “New Horizons” may provide scientists with additional information.

This meeting space complete series of studies “classic nine” planets in the solar system.

After July 14 it will be possible to say that each of the nine planets, at least once, even if fleeting, and at a certain distance, to visit a spaceship.