Destination Pluto: NASA's New Horizons Mission in Pictures

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Surface of Pluto

NASA/Southwest Research Institute/Alex Parker

This artist's impression depicts Pluto's surface. The sun appears roughly 1,000 times fainter than it does on to us on Earth. Pluto's moon Charon hangs in the sky. Image released June 8, 2015.

Full Portrait of Pluto and Charon

NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

The full portrait of Pluto and and its largest moon Charon, taken by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) instrument on board New Horizons, and released on June 29.

Pluto’s Moon Nix Chaotic Spin

NASA, ESA, M. Showalter (SETI Inst.), G. Bacon (STScI)

These illustrations of Pluto’s moon Nix show how the orientation of the moon changes unpredictably while it orbits the Pluto-Charon system.

#DearPluto by Parker

Janet's Planet/#DearPluto

A "Dear Pluto" letter submitted by a child named Parker.

New Horizons LORRI Images of Pluto April 15 and May 10, 2015

NASA/JHU-APL/SwRI

This image taken on May 10, 2015, shows Pluto in the latest series of New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) photos, compared to a LORRI image taken on April 15.

New Horizons Captures all 5 of Pluto's Known Moons

NASA/JHU-APL/SwRI

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured these views of Pluto and its moons on April 25, 2015.

New Horizons LORRI Images of Pluto April 12 and May 8, 2015

NASA/JHU-APL/SwRI

This image taken on May 8, 2015, shows Pluto in the latest series of New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) photos, compared to a LORRI image taken on April 12.

New Horizons LORRI Images of Pluto April 16 and May 12, 2015

NASA/JHU-APL/SwRI

This image taken on May 12, 2015, shows Pluto in the latest series of New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) photos, compared to a LORRI image taken on April 16.

Pluto and Charon Captured by New Horizons Probe

NASA/JHU-APL/SwRI

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft snapped this photo of Pluto (center) and its largest moon Charon on April 15, 2015. The image, which hints at surface features, is one of several views captured over several days from a range of between 69 million miles (111 million kilometers) to 64 million miles (103 million km).

Pluto Seen by New Horizons, April 17, 2015

NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

NASA’s New Horizons probe took this image of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, on April 17, 2015, from a distance of 64.85 million miles (104.368 million kilometers).

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
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