2014 MU69 flyby distance?

[MaxwellsDemon]

I can't seem to find anything specifying how close New Horizons will get to 2014 MU69 on or about 1 Jan 2019... is it simply not known yet?

[kerbiloid]

http://www.space.com/32049-kbo-2014-mu69.html

Quote

it will pass even closer to 2014 MU69 than it flew by Pluto, though the exact distance is not yet known

A nice picture, though

(from http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/new-horizons-a-billion-miles-to-2014-mu69-10012015/)

Spoiler

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by kerbiloid

[Wjolcz]

8 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

http://www.space.com/32049-kbo-2014-mu69.html

A nice picture, though

(from http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/new-horizons-a-billion-miles-to-2014-mu69-10012015/)

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even closer!? The pictures' resolution is going to be amazing. And it will be the farthest solar system object to be partially mapped, no?

[Scotius]

But will the probe have enough light to take good pictures? It's dark out there...

[Wjolcz]

1 hour ago, Scotius said:

But will the probe have enough light to take good pictures? It's dark out there...

I'm pretty sure the cameras on NH will be able to compensate for the lack of appropriate light there.

Edited December 23, 2016 by Veeltch

[kerbiloid]

43 AU vs 40 AU? Probably the light wouldn't. differ much

[YNM]

I suppose the flyby of this object would require NH to guide itself to the target or something ?

[SuperFastJellyfish]

I used NASA's Eyes to see what their current projection was for the flyby.  The closest approach was on Dec 26th, 2018 at ~6:47pm.  Somewhere around 355,000 miles apart.  I imagine there is, at least, one more burn to be done though.

 

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by SuperFastJellyfish
Added image

[pincushionman]

13 hours ago, Scotius said:

But will the probe have enough light to take good pictures? It's dark out there...

I 'spect "the available light at 2014 MU69" vs "the available light at Pluto-Charon" isn't that significant. Both some variation of "not very much".

[MaxwellsDemon]

355,000 miles isn't very close*... I sure hope a burn will bring it closer than that!  The asteroid it flew by in 2006 was something like 100 km away and it was just a blob in the imaging.

 

* Astronomically, it is.  I mean 'close enough for good imaging.'

Edited December 27, 2016 by MaxwellsDemon