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Amateur-astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto 80 years ago at Lowell Observatory in Arizona. Pluto's demotion in 2006 from a planet to a plutoid upset space enthusiasts all over the world, and trimmed the tail off the mnemonic device for remembering the order of the planets from the Sun: "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas." Pluto Day 2010 will cue another burst of anger about the demotion, and will see NASA's New Horizonspacecraft a little closer to the "King of the Kuiper Belt."
His finding was confirmed by several other astronomers, and on 13 Mar 1930--the anniversary of Lowell's birth and of William Hershel's discovery of Uranus--the discovery of Pluto was publicly announced.
At 1553 miles in diameter, Pluto is smaller than seven moons in the solar system - including our own moon. The path to demotion started after the first Kuiper Belt icy objects were found in 1992, and it became apparent that the diminutive Pluto was closer in size, composition, and orbit to these icy comets than to either the terrestrial planets or Jovian gas giants. Then in 2006 the International Astronomical Union ruled that Pluto is a dwarf planet and coined "plutoid" to describe this distinctive class of Trans-Neptunian Objects. The IAU has been responsible for the naming and nomenclature of planetary bodies and their satellites since the early 1900s. The Kuiper Belt lies beyond Neptune, consists of perhaps tens of thousands of icy objects spread out between 30 and 50 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoThere are no spacecrafts that have visited Pluto yet. There is currently one NASA unmanned mission on it's way to Pluto. It is expected to pass by the planet in July of 2015. This mission is called New Horizons and, while it has not reached Pluto, it has already sent back many useful pictures to NASA scientists.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoNot yet. This will change in June 2015 when the New Horizons space probe flies past it.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoNone. The New Horizons mission is the first probe to visit Pluto. It was launched on the 19th of January 2006 and is expected to arrive during July 2015.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoNone. But New Horizons spacecraft is expected to reach pluto july 14, 2015
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoNo space craft has ever visited Pluto but there is going to me on in July 2015
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Space probes have crossed Pluto's orbit but never have visited the planet Why?
space probes have crossed Pluto's orbit, but never have visited the planet because Pluto was not in alignment with the flight path of the space probes.
What is the only planet that hasn't been visited by a space probe?
April 2008 At present the only planet in our solar system that has not been visited (either by an orbiting spacecraft or flyby spacecraft) has been the recently planet downgraded body of Pluto. There is a mission currently in motion to visit this distant outpost.
What space crafts visited Eris?
There haven't been any probes sent to Eris.
What spacecraft will Pluto be visited by and when?
Pluto will be visited by the spacecraft New Horizon in 2015
What satellites have come to Pluto and in which year?
So far, not space probes have visited Pluto. The New Horizons probe, launched in 2006, will do a flyby of Pluto in 2015. No other missions are in the works.
Have space crafts visited Pluto?
No
Have any space crafts ever visited Pluto?
Spacecrafts have never visited Pluto, but the New Horizons mission is on its way there.
Space probes have crossed Pluto's orbit but never have visited the planet Why?
space probes have crossed Pluto's orbit, but never have visited the planet because Pluto was not in alignment with the flight path of the space probes.
What space crafts have visited Neptune?
Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to visited Neptune.
how many unknown space crafts visited venus?
7
What planet has never been visited by a space craft?
Pluto
What space probe visited Pluto and what year?
No Space Probes have currently visited Pluto. However NASA launched a space probe called New Horizons to take pictures of pluto and to discover more objects in the Kuiper Belt. New Horizons is expected to arrive at Pluto in July 2015.
What space missions have visited Pluto?
Currently, there are no space mission that have involved the landing on Pluto. New Horizons; will be doing a fly-by of Pluto in the near future.It will be closest to Pluto on July 14, 2015.
What is the only planet that hasn't been visited by a space probe?
April 2008 At present the only planet in our solar system that has not been visited (either by an orbiting spacecraft or flyby spacecraft) has been the recently planet downgraded body of Pluto. There is a mission currently in motion to visit this distant outpost.
Have any robots or spacecraft visited Pluto?
Yes. The space probe New Horizons flew by Pluto in 2015.
Space probes have visited or passed near every planet EXCEPT?
All but Pluto, which is currently being visited.
Have any space crafts visited Jupiter?
none with humans although some probes have
