Launch next week of Pluto Probe

The long awaited mission to Pluto will be launched next week, Janurary 17, 2006. The probe is called New Horizons and will explore Pluto-Charon and the Kepler belt. It will arrive at Pluto in 2015, nine years from now.

Interesting facts about Pluto and Charon from this article.

Scientists continue to discuss whether Pluto is a planet or should be considered a refugee from the Kuiper belt. Whatever its classification, Pluto and its moon Charon are certain to harbor secrets about the early history of planet formation. Charon is roughly half the diameter of the planet itself, and they form a unique pair in our solar system. How they came to be together remains a mystery.

-The surface tempature for Pluto is about about 43 K (-382 degrees F)and Charon is 53 K (-364 degrees F). It is the coldest body in our solar system.

- Pluto can be as close to the sun as 30 astronomical units (AU) and as far away as 50 AU.