Rick Jones wrote in
:

So, much of the press coverage of the New Horizons probe is breathless
about how the probe will "pass the Moon in 9 hours." Does the probe
actually go anywhere near the Moon, or should the press really be
saying that the probe will pass beyond the Moon's orbital distance in
9 hours?

It passes lunar orbit in nine hours, but not the Moon itself.
The only enroute planetary encounter will be with Jupiter, but that
was intended for the helpful gravity boost. (Science will be
a bonus. Had NH passed close to the Moon, I could its instruments be
configured in time to do any useful observations? No loss there.)

Doubtless some news articles fail to clearly make the distinction.

--Damon