All the Pluto Photos from New Horizons' First Big Data Dump
Released on 09/16/2015
[Voiceover] These are the latest photos
of the once mysterious Pluto,
courtesy of NASA's New Horizons probe.
The last time we heard from New Horizons,
it was zooming away from Pluto
at about 30,000 miles per hour.
Back in July, the little space probe that could
made it's closest approach to the dwarf planet,
snapping photos and furiously taking measurements.
Knowing that we earthlings would be excited to see
what the icy rock really looks like,
NASA made sure that the probe sent
a few high res photos back right away.
Scientists used those to make this super cool
animated fly-over of it's mountains and plains.
After nearly two months of rest, New Horizons
is sending back images again.
These are the first photos from the probe's
intense data dump.
This is what Pluto's surface would look like
from only 1,100 miles away.
It shows the edge of Pluto's famous heart,
the big icy blotch that scientists
are calling Sputnik Planum.
That area is relatively young geologically,
but Pluto also has much older, dark, cratered surfaces,
and even some things that look like windswept dunes.
And Charon, Pluto's biggest moon, has
an impressive geology of it's own.
You can expect lots more where this came from
but the entire download will take a year.
Ms. Rachel Answers Parenting Questions
Every Ancient Greek Constellation Explained
‘The Odyssey’ Cast Answer The 50 Most Searched Questions
Josh Johnson Answers The Web's Most Searched Questions
History Professor Answers: Is American Democracy Going to Die?
History Professor Answers Corruption Questions
Bernie Sanders Answers Oligarchy Questions
‘Jackass’ Cast Answer The 50 Most Searched Jackass Questions
New Horizons’ Long Trip to Pluto
NASA's Simulator Puts All Eyes on Pluto