NASA launched the New Horizons craft in January 2006 to explore the outermost edges of our solar system for the first time.

On July 14 (Tuesday), the craft will make its closest approach to Pluto and will head toward the Kuiper Belt, a band of debris left over from the formation of our solar system that is located nearly 4 billion miles from Earth’s orbit.

Director of the UNT Astronomy program and NASA Ambassador Ron DiIulio is available for interviews to discuss this space exploration milestone. DiIulio is available by email at Ronald.DiIulio@unt.edu or by phone at 940-369-8213.