Focus on Pluto

July was all about Pluto and other small bodies in our solar system.

Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, debuted a brand-new FullDome planetarium show, Exploring New Horizons, as part of its Pluto Week celebration. The show focuses on Pluto and NASA’s New Horizons mission that is at this moment sending us the most detailed images of Pluto’s surface yet seen.

The UA Lunar and Planetary Laboratory also celebrating Pluto Week by opening its doors on July 14 for Pluto Phone Home, displaying live video feed direct from Johns Hopkin’s Applied Physics Laboratory, mission control for New Horizons.

Then on July 19, the UA Lunar and Planetary Laboratory hosted its annual Summer Science Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with this year’s theme, Small Bodies of the Solar System. The community open house featureed lectures, tours, exhibits, and interactive activities for kids.

Want more information about Pluto and New Horizons? Visit NASA’s New Horizons page or check out the Applied Physics Lab page: both have comprehensive resources for learning more about the mission and about Pluto.