The most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft finally has a name.
Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69 was officially christened Arrokoth, a Native American term meaning “sky” in the Powhatan/Algonquian language.
With the blessing of Powhatan Tribal elders and representatives, the International Astronomical Union and Minor Planets Center announced the title at a ceremony this week in Washington, D.C.
“The name ‘Arrokoth’ reflects the inspiration of looking to the skies and wondering about the stars and worlds beyond our own,” Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from Southwest Research Institute, said in a statement.
“That desire to learn is at the heart of the New Horizons mission,” he continued. “And we’re honored to join with the Powhatan community and people of Maryland in this celebration of discovery.”
New Horizons launched in January 2006 and conducted its first flight through the Pluto system more than nine years later. On New Year’s Day 2019, the spacecraft performed a record-breaking voyage to Arrokoth—nicknamed “Ultima Thule”—almost four billion miles away from the Sun.
All year, details of the mysterious entity have trickled in from outer space: Arrokoth’s two differently shaped lobes—a large, flat one (Ultima), attached to a small, round one (Thule)—suggest it is a contact binary.
One of the thousands of known small icy worlds in the Kuiper Belt—the vast “third zone” of the Solar System, beyond the inner terrestrial planets and the outer gas giant planets—it was discovered in 2014.
“Data from the newly named Arrokoth has given us clues about the formation of planets and our cosmic origins,” according to New Horizons team member Marc Buie of the Southwest Research Institute. “We believe this ancient body … may harbor answers that contribute to our understanding of the origin of life on Earth.”
To name the celestial object, the discovery team took inspiration from the culture of native peoples who lived in the region where it was detected. In this case, Maryland—home of the Chesapeake Bay and the Powhatans.
“We graciously accept this gift from the Powhatan people,” Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, said. “Bestowing the name Arrokoth signifies the strength and endurance of the indigenous Algonquian people of the Chesapeake region.
“Their heritage continues to be a guiding light for all who search for meaning and understanding of the origins of the universe and the celestial connection of humanity,” Glaze added.
Data transmission from the flyby will carry on until late summer 2020; until then, New Horizons continues to capture new observations.
More on Geek.com:
- Ultima Thule Is Flat, And Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong
- New Horizons Snaps Sharp Images of Ultima Thule’s Surface
- NASA Makes Ultima Thule ‘Pop’ in Artsy 3D Images
from Geek.com https://ift.tt/2CLrvHf
via IFTTT
0 comments:
Post a Comment