Stereoscopic image 2014 MU69, created from the first data during the passage of the spacecraft New Horizons past an object in the Kuiper belt
On January 4, the New Horizons spacecraft was silent, but scientists still have enough data to study the characteristics of the investigated object 2014 MU69. This is a short break and the device will again begin to broadcast information after 5 days. Communication should resume on January 10th.
The break is caused by the current location of the New Horizons on the far side of the Sun, which causes interference in the transmission and reception of information on radio waves. As soon as the ship and the Sun align in a more favorable position, data transfer will be restored, although it will not be fast. Researchers expect to receive hundreds of photographs, spectra, and other types of information. If the break extends, it will not be a tragedy, since scientists still have a lot of information to analyze. Two weeks after the resumption of communication, the team will meet to compare the figures before disconnecting and after.
