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Image: Plutonium pellet

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Description: Plutonium-238 sphere under its own light. PU-238, with a half-life of 89 years, is being used in space applications requiring a power source with a long service life. PU-238 has a relatively high heat production rate which makes it useful as a power source. As a power and heat source, PU-238 has also been used to power instruments left on the Moon by Apollo astronauts, weather satellites and interplanetary probes. The interplanetary probe, Pioneer-10 (powered by a PU-238 source), recently left the solar system. Image ID: 2006407
Title: Plutonium pellet
Credit: http://www.doedigitalarchive.doe.gov/ImageDetailView.cfm?ImageID=2006407&page=search&pageid=thumb
Author: Department of Energy
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No

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