NASA spacecraft flies by distant world past Pluto

That was lead scientist with NASA, Alan Stern, ringing in the new year with an unprecedented achievement in the exploration of space.

And it’s because of a spacecraft which has had a close encounter with a celestial body more than six billion kilometres from Earth.

Flight controllers say the New Horizons explorer has flown past Ultima Thule -- that’s further away from Earth than Pluto. Scientists say it will take nearly two years for the explorer craft to beam back all its observations to Earth.

So what does all this mean and what will it teach us about the far-flung places in our galaxy?

Guest: Chris Gainor

President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

That was lead scientist with NASA, Alan Stern, ringing in the new year with an unprecedented achievement in the exploration of space.

And it’s because of a spacecraft which has had a close encounter with a celestial body more than six billion kilometres from Earth.

Flight controllers say the New Horizons explorer has flown past Ultima Thule -- that’s further away from Earth than Pluto. Scientists say it will take nearly two years for the explorer craft to beam back all its observations to Earth.

So what does all this mean and what will it teach us about the far-flung places in our galaxy?

Guest: Chris Gainor

President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada