Scientists have   released a sensational new “ leave-taking to Pluto ” figure of speech , taken by NASA ’s New Horizons spacecraft as it flew past Pluto onJuly 14 , 2015 .

Once on the nighttime side of the dwarf major planet , the spacecraft pointed its camera back at Pluto to observe the Sun ’s light come in through its atmosphere . While we ’ve run into what this looked like before , this glorious high - resolution image reveals even more details .

“ This is the highest - answer color loss stab of Pluto ’s fall back crescent from NASA ’s New Horizons space vehicle , consider when the ballistic capsule was 120,000 international mile ( 200,000 kilometers ) aside from Pluto , ” the New Horizons team aver in astatement .

“ designate in approximate reliable color , the mental picture was constructed from a mosaic of six black - and - white images from the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager ( LORRI ) , with color bring from a lower resoluteness Ralph / Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera ( MVIC ) color effigy . ”

The image was taken about 3.5 60 minutes after New Horizons go along its confining pointedness to Jupiter , with a resolution of about 1 kilometer ( 0.6 miles ) per pixel . This image was stitched together by astronomers Alex Parker and Tod Lauer .

As you may see , Pluto appears to have a blue haze not wholly dissimilar to Earth . In Pluto ’s case , this is thought to be made by   a photochemical smogginess lead from sunlight move on methane and other molecule . This acquire a intermixture of hydrocarbons , which then scatter more dingy light than other illumination . Layers of this haze reach up to 200 kilometers ( 120 naut mi ) above the surface .

But perhaps the most amazing feature of this persona is the disgraceful run you may just make out around the upper rim of the dwarf planet . These are shadows from passel lit by the Sun behind , which you could also just make out on the horizon . Yes , that is really , really awesome .

Most of the data from the Pluto flyby has now been download , with New Horizons now on its way to visit another object   in the Kuiper Belt on New Years ’ daylight 2019 . Images like this , though , remind us just how particular that Pluto flyby was .