News in Brief Astronomy

Ultima Thule is shaped like two lumpy pancakes

New images reveal the skinny side of the Kuiper Belt object

ultima thule

THIN CRESCENT  This series of images, taken as the New Horizons spacecraft sped away from Ultima Thule, helped scientists determine that its shape is more like two pancakes than a snowman.

NOAO/SwRI/JHU-APL/NASA

By Emily Conover

- More than 2 years ago

Visions of a space snowman have fallen flat.

New images of Ultima Thule released February 8 indicate that the faraway space rock is much thinner than thought.