In case anyone didn't already know this, I love puns. I also love space. So today seems like a good day to write about Pluto and the #PlutoFlyBy.
The New Horizons Spacecraft has been on course for Pluto for 9 years. That is a long time. I already wrote a little bit about what that means for us less-than-scientific folk, so today I'm going to focus more on celebrating how awesome this is.
Today, a momentous day in history, New Horizons has arrived at the long-awaited Pluto and has shut down communications with Earth while it photographs the momentous occasion.
Today is a first in many ways. It is the first time humans have explored a world so far away. It is the first time we have had a spacecraft get so close to Pluto. And the US is the first country to reach Pluto.
I think the NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said it nicely:
"The exploration of Pluto and its moons by New Horizons represents the capstone event to 50 years of planetary exploration by NASA and the United States. Once again we have achieved a historic first. The United States is the first nation to reach Pluto, and with this mission has completed the initial survey of our solar system, a remarkable accomplishment that no other nation can match."
I, for one, am thrilled to see what data New Horizons starts sending back in a few hours.
In celebration of this momentous occasion, this a capella genius (Tim) redid Uptown Funk much, much, much better. It is amazing and dance-worthy. Check it out, and don't forget to tell everyone you know: New Horizons has finally reached Pluto!
