NASA Releases Detailed Photos of Pluto Taken by New Horizon Space Probe

NASA has captured some incredible shots of the Pluto, showcasing the dwarf planet in ways we've never seen before. They were taken by the Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera (MVIC) on the New Horizons space probe, which made history on July 14, 2015 as the closest approach to Pluto yet, at 7,800 miles away. The photos, taken during this flyby, have recently been released by the space organization.

NASA's images feature a variety of compositions. They're mostly in black and white, but some showcase rich colors like blues and reds. Images also depict zoomed-in shots and full portraits, too. Whatever their format may be, the details are awe-inspiring, and they highlight the diversity of Pluto's land forms, including its majestic mountains and icy plains, in addition to a setting sun and foggy haze. From these photos, it's no surprise that scientists are looking at Pluto in a whole new light, and so are we. Check out these spectacular shots, below.

Tartarus Dorsa mountains on Pluto

Sputnik Planum–the informal name for Pluto's region of icy plains

Sputnik Planum

Icy mountains and flat ice plains on Pluto

Haze or fog on Pluto

Sunset view of Pluto

New Horizons: Website
via [PetaPixelLaughing Squid]

Photographs by NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI.

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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