History was made on July 14, 2015 when the New Horizons Spacecraft orbited Pluto for the very first time. The historic flyby now means that we’ve completed a survey of our solar system for the first time. We’ve now able to put to rest many of the lingering questions we’ve had about its existence since its discovery in 1930. We now know what Pluto looks like, how big it is, and potentially put to bed the hotly debated topic on whether or not Pluto is a planet.
So what does Pluto actually look like? Now we know.
Our 3-billion-mile journey to Pluto reaches historic #PlutoFly! Details & the high-res image: http://t.co/qX7KpXIUUQ pic.twitter.com/LDjXLtPdly
— NASA (@NASA) July 14, 2015
Pluto just had its first visitor! Thanks @NASA – it's a great day for discovery and American leadership. pic.twitter.com/FfztBSMbK0
— President Obama (@POTUS) July 15, 2015
Those on Twitter have taken to interpret the new photos in their own way. From spotting love hearts to finding Pluto in Pluto, there’s many different ways of looking at the dwarf planet.
https://twitter.com/sheenaoum/status/621198941103636480
How Pluto felt today pic.twitter.com/QJYo1ukPs1
— Josh Constine (@JoshConstine) July 15, 2015
What, or who, did @NASANewHorizons uncover during #PlutoFlyby? Take a look here: http://t.co/LaAIVJJclE https://t.co/lza3Iu5ykC
— ABC News (@abcnews) July 15, 2015
First high resolution photo of Pluto causes concern. pic.twitter.com/VncboSpTS4
— James Seymour-Lock (@JamesSLock) July 15, 2015
PLUTO pic.twitter.com/Q3RW9jrhfS
— sherlocked (@iatemuggles) July 15, 2015
15 hilarious things that Pluto looks like http://t.co/xD2PxxMbbl pic.twitter.com/Kkya6fknjG
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) July 15, 2015
Just how big is Pluto? According to NASA Mission Scientists Pluto is 1,473 miles (2,370 kilometers) in diameter, larger than prior estimates. “The size of Pluto has been debated since its discovery in 1930. We are excited to finally lay this question to rest,” said mission scientist Bill McKinnon.
Great scale graphic of #Pluto & its moon Charon compared to our pale, blue dot. My new fav pic…. for NOW! 😉 pic.twitter.com/hhWQVHzuXe
— NASA New Horizons (@NASANewHorizons) July 14, 2015
Because Pluto has way less gravity, it has a way bigger atmosphere (it doesn't hold the molecules as tight). pic.twitter.com/zLlZWjRHus
— Andrew Rader (@marsrader) July 15, 2015
The last time Pluto was in its current position was in 1768 and humans were totally unaware of its existence. New Horizons approach to the dwarf planet’s surface was a nine year trip in the making. So a big thank you to time for making this possible.
Time makes anything possible. #Pluto pic.twitter.com/0QOhw9GCvx
— Karen Bordador (@KaReNbOrDaDoR) July 15, 2015
That’s all for tonight but there will be more to share come 3pm ET/12pm PT tomorrow! For now, Pluto through the years pic.twitter.com/P7CXBD0UJM
— Mashable News (@MashableNews) July 15, 2015
Because now it’s official, Pluto is part of the family. Even though Pluto was determined to be a dwarf planet because of its size and location, it’s been added to the family portrait.
Nine years and 3 billion miles later, @NASANewHorizons makes its #PlutoFlyby: http://t.co/NX9PraJLir pic.twitter.com/DclUE4d1ju
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 14, 2015
We've finally added Pluto to the family portrait of the Solar System http://t.co/U5kp2rJYDk pic.twitter.com/h2VWJwVpjt
— BI Graphics (@BI_Graphics) July 14, 2015
1962 Venus, 1965 Mars, 1973 Jupiter, 1974 Mercury, 1979 Saturn, 1986 Uranus, 1989 Neptune, 2015, finally, today, #Pluto
— Çağrı TEMEL (@Cagritml) July 14, 2015
