New Horizons is fast approaching the dwarf planet As NASA’S New Horizons spacecraft closes in on its Pluto flyby early Tuesday morning, stargazers interested in the historic mission can use a number apps to track it and even print out a 3D model of the spacecraft. New Horizons , which launched on Jan. 19, 2006, is set to be the first space probe to make a close encounter with Pluto, capturing images of the dwarf planet and its moons, measuring its atmosphere, making thermal maps and even casting around for extra satellites. Pluto, which is only about one-sixth the mass of the Earth’s moon and one-third its volume, initially was designated as the ninth planet from the sun, but in 2006 was reclassified a dwarf planet. The piano-sized spacecraft, which made scientific studies as it flew past Jupiter in early 2007, now is set for a five-month-long reconnaissance flyby study of Pluto and its moons. New Horizons will use seven instruments to give researchers their first real scientific information about the dwarf planet, which is believed to consist primarily of rock and ice. NASA and Johns Hopkins University, which designed, built and operates New Horizons, are making several technologies available to make it easy to track the spacecraft’s journey. Johns Hopkins has launched a free app, called New Horizons: a NASA Voyage to Pluto. Available on iTunes for the iPhone, the iPad and the Apple Watch, the app is designed to give users the latest images and information from the mission. Pluto Safari is a free app from the people who developed the popular SkySafari. This app, which is available on Android and iOS, offers a countdown clock, the spacecraft’s distance to Pluto in miles and information about Pluto and its moons. NASA has developed a desktop app called Eyes on Pluto. The download, which works on OS X and Windows, enables users to track what the spacecraft is doing and where its instruments are trained. The official countdown clock to New Horizons’ closest approach to Pluto is available here. The site also tracks the elapsed time of the mission, along with the spacecraft’s distance to Pluto. Twitter updates and conversations about the mission can be followed using the hashtag #Plutoflyby. NASA will offer flyby coverage and commentary on NASA TV, on its main website and on its social media sites, starting early Tuesday morning. NASA is scheduled to air its Arrival at Pluto Countdown Program 7:30-8 a.m. (ET). NASA and Johns Hopkins teamed up to offer instructions on how to make a 3D-printed replica of New Horizons. Related content news analysis Apple earnings: About that iPhone 'slump' in China Based on information from Thursday's earnings report, it seems that data pointing to an iPhone slump in China were over-baked. By Jonny Evans May 03, 2024 9 mins iMac iPhone Apple news Microsoft begins to phase out ‘classic’ Teams Microsoft is encouraging Teams customers to move to the new, faster version of the collaboration app; the older version will be switched off next year. By Matthew Finnegan May 03, 2024 3 mins Microsoft Teams Collaboration Software Productivity Software news analysis Apple confirms it will open up the iPad in Europe this fall The latest efforts to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act mean developers can offer to side load apps to both iPhones and iPads in the EU. Apple has also taken steps to improve what it offers to smaller and non-commercial developers in the By Jonny Evans May 02, 2024 6 mins iPad Apple Mobile Apps news Udacity offers laid-off US workers free access to its courses for 30 days Sign-ups will be available over the next 30 days By Lucas Mearian May 02, 2024 4 mins Technology Industry IT Jobs IT Skills Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe