Feb 092019
 

Turns out Ultima Thule *isn’t* shaped like a snowman with two merged spheres, but instead like two flattened river rocks edge to edge.

New Horizons’ Evocative Farewell Glance at Ultima Thule

Images Confirm the Kuiper Belt Object’s Highly Unusual, Flatter Shape

The two components did seem a bit small to be such good spheres. Turns out they weren’t; New Horizons just happened to catch them at the right angle.

 Posted by at 5:54 pm