New horizon branches

You're referring to the New Horizons spacecraft's flyby of the Kuiper Belt object (KBO) Arrokoth (previously known as Ultima Thule) on January 1, 2019. During this flyby, the spacecraft captured a wealth of information about the object's shape, size, and composition.

Here are some of the key findings about Arrokoth's branches:

1. Y-shaped structure: Arrokoth has a Y-shaped structure, with two lobes connected by a thin neck. The lobes are roughly 12 miles (19 kilometers) wide and 9 miles (14 kilometers) high.
2. Branches: The two lobes have distinct branches, which are thought to be the result of a gentle collision between two separate objects in the distant past. The branches are relatively narrow, with widths ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 miles (0.8 to 2.4 kilometers).
3. Surface features: The branches have distinct surface features, including craters, ridges, and valleys. These features suggest that Arrokoth has been geologically active in the past, with processes such as erosion and deposition shaping its surface.
4. Composition: Arrokoth is composed primarily of water ice mixed with darker organic material. The branches have different compositions, with the northern lobe having a higher concentration of water ice and the southern lobe having a higher concentration of darker material.
5. Formation: The Y-shaped structure of Arrokoth is thought to have formed as a result of a gentle collision between two objects in the Kuiper Belt. The collision would have caused the objects to merge, with the resulting structure being shaped by subsequent geological processes.

These findings provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of the Kuiper Belt and the early solar system. The New Horizons spacecraft continues to explore the Kuiper Belt, providing new information about these distant and mysterious worlds.