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Ultima Thule is Surprisingly Flat

This discovery could have a big effect on how scientists think about planet formation.

Aired 02/12/2019

NOVA

Ultima Thule is Surprisingly Flat

Clip: Season 46 Episode 1 | 1m 38sVideo has Closed Captions

This discovery could have a big effect on how scientists think about planet formation.

In the first images released of Ultima Thule, the object looked like two spheres — kind of like a snowman. The latest photo shows a very different perspective.

Aired 02/12/2019

National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

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The New Horizons spacecraft zooms toward an object 4 billion miles from Earth. (26s)

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National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

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