Relatively speaking, NASA's much-anticipated flyby of the enigmatic planetary object known as Pluto July 14 will be over in the blink of an eye. But from a science perspective, the New Horizons mission, which launched nearly a decade ago, is only beginning. The brief encounter is expected to produce reams of data on the distant world that for three-quarters of a century was classified as the ninth planet in the solar system. The data will begin flowing the day after the flyby and continue for months, after which comes years of analysis that could unlock some of Pluto's mysteries.
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