CAPE CANAVERAL, US // Scientists have released the first ever close-up images of dwarf planet Pluto and its big moon Charon. And they say they’re amazed.
The long-awaited images were unveiled on Wednesday in Maryland, home to mission operations for Nasa’s New Horizons spacecraft.
A zoom-in of Pluto reveals an icy range about as high as the Rockies. To the scientists’ great surprise, there are no impact craters. On Charon, meanwhile, deep troughs and canyons can be seen.
The images were collected as New Horizons swept within 7,700 miles of Pluto on Tuesday, becoming Pluto’s first visitor in its 4.5 billion-year existence.
Scientists didn’t know until Tuesday night – when the spacecraft phoned home – that the encounter had been a success.
New Horizons is now 1 million miles beyond the dwarf planet, and 3 billion miles from Earth.
* Associated Press
