NASA’s new horizon spacecraft conducted an unprecedented deep space star navigation test while 438 million miles from the ground. Using his long-distance camera in April 2020, he captured pictures of Proxima Centuri and Wolf 359, which moved slightly into the sky compared to the landscape of the land-a wonderful demonstration of the turquoise paralysis. It was the first demonstration of deep space navigation. By comparing these images with earth -based observations and 3D star charts, scientists calculate the position of new horizons, about 4. 4.1 million miles, only 26 inches in the United States.
The markie paralex test
According to the article that describes the results, the astronomical journal was accepted for publication, New Horizons camera Imageded Proxima Centuri (4.2 Light Year away) and Wolf 359 (7.86 Light Year) on April 23, 2020. From the remote location of the spacecraft, two stars appear in various locations visible from the earth. By comparing these images with land -based data and three -dimensional maps of nearby stars, the team worked at about 4. 4.1 million miles at the site of the investigation.
As the leading author Todd Laper explained, “simultaneously taking pictures of the earth/spacecraft we hope that the concept of the Paralyx will be immediately and clearly clear”. He added, “Knowing something is one thing, but the other says, ‘Hey, look! It really works!”.
New horizons and future missions
New Horizons, the fifth spacecraft, which is to leave Earth and reach Interestler Space, blew Pluto and its moon Charon in the past in 2015, and sent the first close photos of these remote snowy worlds home. Now on an extended mission, the investigation is studying Heli Spare.
New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Sturn called the Paralex test “an important interstitial navigation demonstration” that shows a spacecraft that “can use ship cameras” to find its way among the stars. He also noted that “it could be extremely useful for the deep space missions of the solar system in remote and interstitial space”.
