New Horizons could provide data on beginnings of solar system: Sask. astronomer

A Saskatchewan astronomer is excited about the data a NASA spacecraft will send back to Earth.

James Edgar of Melville, a former president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, said NASA’s New Horizon’s explorer has already sent back data from space. The encounter submitted was with Ultima Thule, an object in the Kuiper belt beyond Pluto. 

Ultima Thule orbited the sun untouched for the last 4.5 billion years and Edgar said it could possess valuable information.

“The reason they want to go there is because it’s a remnant of the beginning of the solar system,” Edgar said.

He added the object is most likely going to be made up of ice, but could potentially hold other elements.

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“If we discover something new that we didn’t know before, that’s what it’s all about. That’s why we’re exploring space,” he said.

The New Horizons spacecraft has a Canadian connection — Frederic Pelletier of Quebec City is the chief navigator.

Edgar said Canada continues to play an important role in space.

“We provide instruments, technology and knowledge. We have knowledgeable people in the Canadian Space Agency that are contributing jointly with NASA,” he said.

The New Horizons spacecraft travels at approximately 20,000 kilometres per second. The speed and distance makes the transmission of data very slow.

It will take about 20 months for all the information on Ultima Thule to reach Earth.

ron.quaroni@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @RonaldQuaroni