Little Pluto bigger than scientists thought as flyby looms
Jul 13, 2015, 10:30 AM
This July 11, 2015, image provided by NASA shows Pluto from the New Horizons spacecraft. On Tuesday, July 14, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will come closest to Pluto. New Horizons has traveled 3 billion miles over 9
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Little Pluto is a little bigger than anyone imagined.
On the eve of NASA’s historic flyby of Pluto, scientists announced Monday the New Horizons spacecraft has nailed the size of the faraway icy world. Measurements by the spacecraft set to sweep past Pluto on Tuesday indicate the radius of the dwarf planet spans 736 miles, plus or minus six miles. That’s 20 miles to 30 miles bigger than previous estimates. The diameter would be twice that.
Principal scientist Alan Stern says this means Pluto has a lower density than thought, which could mean an icier interior.
New Horizons’ 3 billion-mile, 9
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