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Science & Medicine

Getting ready for Pluto’s closeup

On Tuesday at 4:49 a.m. PDT, New Horizons will fly by Pluto at 30,800 miles per hour, coming within about 7,750 miles of the dwarf planet. The images it is sending back as it approaches already reveal a complex surface.

On Tuesday at 4:49 a.m. PDT, New Horizons will fly by Pluto at 30,800 miles per hour, coming within about 7,750 miles of the dwarf planet. The images it is sending back as it approaches already reveal a complex surface.

  (NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI)

As NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft closes in on Pluto and its moons, images sent back by the spacecraft are painting a fascinating portrait of the dwarf planet system. As it closes in to its Tuesday flyby, fresh images will continue to fill in the details.

Pluto's surface

This annotated image shows several surprising features on Pluto’s surface that New Horizons has already been able to identify. These structures will grow clearer as the spacecraft approaches.

  (NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI)

Pluto/Charon Portrait

Pluto and its moon Charon are markedly different in color and brightness, according to this July 11 composite image. High-resolution black-and-white LORRI images were colorized using Ralph instrument data collected from the last rotation of Pluto.
  (NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI)

Charon, Pluto's moon

This annotated image of Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, showcases an array of features on the dark surface.

  (NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI)

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