NASA releases enhanced-color image of Pluto

NASA has released an enhanced-color image of Pluto, revealing a world significantly more colorful than what is visible to the human eye. The image, featured as the Astronomy Picture of the Day, utilizes high-resolution data and color information captured by the New Horizons spacecraft during its flyby in July 2015.

The enhanced colors serve a scientific purpose by making differences in chemical composition across the surface visually distinct. A prominent feature is the heart-shaped Tombaugh Regio, which is divided into two geologically different regions. The leftmost lobe, known as Sputnik Planitia, appears unusually smooth, providing evidence of an unexpectedly young surface on this ancient dwarf planet.

The mosaic was created using data from NASA, Johns Hopkins University/APL, and the Southwest Research Institute.