New Pluto images offer some surprises
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Scientists have released the first up-close images ever of Pluto and its big moon Charon. And they say they’re amazed.
The long-awaited images were unveiled Wednesday in Maryland, home to mission operations for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.
A zoom-in of Pluto reveals an icy range about as high as the Rockies. To the scientists’ great surprise, there are no impact craters. On Charon, deep troughs and canyons can be seen.
The images were collected as New Horizons swept within 7,700 miles of Pluto on Tuesday, becoming Pluto’s first visitor in its 4.5 billion-year existence.
Scientists didn’t know until Tuesday night – when the spacecraft phoned home – that the encounter was a success.
New Horizons already is 1 million miles beyond the dwarf planet, and 3 billion miles from Earth.
Trump’s popularity grows within GOP
WASHINGTON – Donald Trump’s popularity has surged among Republicans after dominating several news cycles with his anti-illegal immigration rhetoric, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Nearly 6 in 10 – 57 percent – Republicans now have a favorable view of Trump, compared to 40 percent who have an unfavorable one. That marks a complete reversal from a late-May Post-ABC poll, in which 65 percent of Republicans saw Trump unfavorably.
Trump continues to be unpopular among the public at large, with negative marks outpacing positive ones 61-33. “Strongly unfavorable” views outnumber strongly positive ratings by a 3-1 ratio.
But Trump’s image has improved since his campaign launch; in May, just 16 percent had a favorable view of him, while 71 percent were unfavorable
Associated Press and The Washington Post
