Alan Stern

How big is Pluto? New Horizons settles decades-long debate

13 July 2015 Astronomy Now

The true size of Pluto has been debated since its discovery over 85 years ago. New Horizons’ mission scientists can now answer that question with certainty, confirming that Pluto is larger than all other known Solar System objects beyond the orbit of Neptune.

Clear sailing expected for Pluto flyby

13 July 2015 Stephen Clark

There is no sign of an undiscovered moon lurking around Pluto in data streaming back to Earth from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, and that is surprising to Alan Stern, the scientist in charge of the probe.

Video: Pluto scientist’s biggest surprise so far

13 July 2015 Astronomy Now

Alan Stern, principal investigator for the New Horizon mission, reveals his biggest surprise so far as the probe closes in on Pluto.

Question time with Alan Stern, the Pluto evangelist

12 July 2015 Stephen Clark

July is a month of rich rewards for Alan Stern, the scientist who shepherded the New Horizons spacecraft from the drawing board to Pluto, and the payoff will be sweet.

New Horizons sees Pluto’s close approach hemisphere and Charon’s ‘dark pole’

24 June 2015 Astronomy Now

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft doesn’t pass Pluto until July 14th — zipping by about 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometres) above the surface of the dwarf planet after a journey of almost 3 billion miles — but the mission team is making tantalising new discoveries as the piano-sized probe bears down on the Pluto system.

NASA’s New Horizons sees more detail as it draws closer to Pluto

28 May 2015 Astronomy Now

What a difference 20 million miles makes! Images of Pluto from NASA’s New Horizons are growing in scale as the spacecraft approaches its mysterious target. The new images, taken May 8th-12th using a powerful telescopic camera and downlinked last week, reveal more detail about Pluto’s complex and high contrast surface.

How big is Pluto? New Horizons settles decades-long debate

Clear sailing expected for Pluto flyby

Video: Pluto scientist’s biggest surprise so far

Question time with Alan Stern, the Pluto evangelist

New Horizons sees Pluto’s close approach hemisphere and Charon’s ‘dark pole’

NASA’s New Horizons sees more detail as it draws closer to Pluto

New Horizons detects features and possible polar cap on Pluto

Pluto-bound probe tweaks its trajectory

New Horizons spots Pluto’s small moons