Description
"Science at the Edge of the Solar System: Uncovering the Secrets of the Pluto System and Arrokoth"
Dr. Oliver White
May 28, 2025
Ten years ago, the New Horizons spacecraft flew by the Pluto system and revealed an unexpectedly diverse range of landscapes on the dwarf planet and its largest moon Charon, implying much more complex geological histories for these distant worlds than anyone expected. Dr. White lead a vividly illustrated tour of their often bizarre terrains, some of which are still evolving, and explains what processes scientists think molded them into their present appearances. After a brief stop at Pluto's four small moons, Dr. White extends the tour 2 billion km farther out into space to show us Arrokoth, the tiny "planetesimal" that New Horizons flew past three and a half years after visiting Pluto. It is the most primitive object in the Solar System ever visited by a spacecraft.