Nasa releases first video of most distant object it has ever explored
Footage shows 'space snowman' Ultima Thule hurtling towards spacecraft
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The most distant object ever explored by humanity has appeared in its first ever film.
Stunning new footage shows the far-away object known as Ultima Thule as it tumbles through space, on its way to meet the New Horizons spacecraft that sped past it on New Year's Day.
The video shows the "space snowman" – so named because it is shaped like two spheres joined together – hurtling towards the camera over a series of hours.
Nasa scientists stitched together the animation from a series of photos taken by the agency's spacecraft.
In the video, the small, icy object is shown spinning around like a propeller. It rotates about every 16 hours, with the video showing photos taken over seven hours.
The photos were taken over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, as the spacecraft made its closest approach to the object. But they were not sent back to Earth until recent days, as part of a series of data dumps that scientists expect to be looking through for years to come.
The New Horizons spacecraft explored Pluto in 2015, providing a series of insights into the still mysterious world. After that, it kept travelling further away from Earth and into the distant reaches of the solar system, where it came upon Ultima Thule.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments