On May 16, 2016 a NASA paper was released describing 1994 JR1. (link to the paper) which was imaged by the LORRI camera on Nov 2nd, and April 7th, 2015 at a distance of 1.85 AU and .71 AU respectively. JR1 was 2.7 AU from Pluto at the time of this image. JR1 in this gif appears to have an irregular shape.
1994 JR1 is RED (tholin covered) its redder than Pluto and redder than 2/3 of the Plutinos caught in a 3:2 resonance with Neptune. Object 1994 JR1;
2014 MU69, 1994 JR1 and Pluto are all red or covered in complex hydrocarbons called tholins produced from gasses like CH4, CO, CO2 and H2O as they interact with cosmic energetic particles. |
The New Horizons team has been busy collecting as much information as they can about 2014 MU69 via telescopes. When an object like Pluto or MU69 crosses in front of a distant star it cast a shadow on Earth.
This event is known as an occultation and it allows scientists to learn additional information about the object. Info like depth, distance and period from which we can better understand its shape. This is also how we knew Pluto had an atmosphere before we went there. From occultations we can also collect information about what types of gasses are in an objects atmosphere. |
On July 17th, 2017, MU69 passed in front of an unnamed star and cast a shadow on Earth in Patagonia Argentina. NASA scientists were there and collected more data about MU69. The collected data about MU69 indicates the shape is either like Kerberos and comet 67P (bilobed duck), Styx (potato) or Pluto/Charon (two orbiting bodies or a binary pair orbiting a barycentric point). |
Here's the Pluto system with its moon's orbits. Nix looks similar to some of the floating icebergs on Sputnik Planitia while Hydra looks similar to an embedded ice rock on the southern hemisphere of Charon. Hydra, depending on the viewing angle of rotation looks like it could be considered to be a potato shape or a bilobed shape. Since Nix and Hydra have their own unique shapes, I'll compare MU69 to Styx and Kerberos. |