Pluto’s day in the spotlights

By Larry Berz

    Like you, I saw the first images from New Horizons with the same sense of fascination and curiosity as earlier publicized links between humanity and the cosmos. I mean, we continued to wait since August, 1989 to see the chain of discovery fulfilled in our solar system. When Voyager 2 left Earth in 1977, the original mission did not include Pluto on the spacecraft itinerary. Voyager’s planetary parade ended with Neptune.

    Glorious image after image processed from Voyager detailed Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus as well. Little Pluto seemed simply forgotten as too far, too cold, too minute, and too insignificant within the shadows of bigger brothers.

    Now, the cameras turn toward something completely different: Pluto.

    When NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft swoops within 10,000 miles of the fabled dwarf planet system this week, the jokes end, and we can expect many wonders and surprises to transform and blow our minds. Already, the tawny tint of Pluto’s surface startles the eye contrasting sharply with its nearby neighboring moon, Charon.

    Given the decades long speculations about this distant place and planet, I found the initial views far out but not unexpected. Lot of creepy geology seemed to give Pluto an almost ugly cast of a blemished, scarred asymmetry and rugged complexion. The unfamiliar and mysterious once again reveals its secrets, this time from some four billion miles away.

    What will it all mean? Well, we mark this successful Pluto mission as another jewel in the crown of American pre-eminence in space exploration, especially within our solar system. That’s a recognition in which we can all take pride. Second, we continue to refine our understanding of our own planetary system and elevate our connection and communion with our far out neighbors. Perhaps more importantly, here in 2015, we give our own local County children and grandchildren a sense of personal awareness of the immensity and the peculiar beauty and power of nature and the God who created it all.

    New Horizon’s success should once again focus our attention upon offering our entire community access to educational experiences to empower ourselves as members of a technological age of engineering marvel and daring exploration.

    I personally urge all readers to go online to pluto.jhuapl.edu for further details as this story unfolds. Treasure the new insights and share the wonder with friends. Remember, this is history and you are there!

    Larry Berz of Caribou is the astronomy instructor at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone and director of Easton’s Francis Malcolm Planetarium. His email address is berzl@mssm.org