Art Meets Science in New Pluto Aerial Tour

The latest images (as of Sept. 11, 2015) downloaded from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft were stitched together and rendered on a sphere to make this flyover. This animation, made with the LORRI (Long Range Reconnaissance Imager) images, begins with a low-altitude look at the informally named Norgay Montes, flies northward over the boundary between informally named Sputnik Planum and Cthulhu Regio, turns, and drifts slowly east. During the animation, the altitude of the observer rises until it is about 10 times higher to show about 80% of the hemisphere New Horizons flew closest to on July 14, 2015.
Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI, Stuart Robbins

[WavyLayz]

Wow. This image being made from that far away is mind boggling. More please.

[Mchavez]

This CG animation is a composite of actual black-and-white photographs taken by New Horizons Space Probe. It is not in true color (Pluto is brown), however it is not "fake" or "cg art." It is a spherical rendering.

[biochemscott]

When I was a kid (early 80s) Pluto was represented as a few colored pixels in my Science textbook. I always wanted to know what Pluto really looked like. This video exceeded every expectation I every had!

[uncoveringthelost]

Pluto, the "planet", that when we finally arrive, gives us a heart.

[deborahcriss]

Thank you New Horizon team. Great job, this is truly amazing!

[AndrewKaylor]

Astonishing. What a wonder it is to spend your whole life knowing of it's existence, witnessing it's demotion... and then finally being able to see what our frozen friend actually looks like up close. Hi there, little buddy!

[abelgonzalezcyberabel]

Beautiful, smooth flyby. Can't imagine how cold it is there.

[ap]

Thanks a lot for this awesome animation!

[Horgirithor]

Lovely! Remarkably smooth surface for as far flung as its orbit is.

[miladyblue]

The team who designed, launched and monitored this project must have been as gleeful as little kids locked in a toy and candy store during and after this wonderful flyby.

[alfilleon]

good job NASA amazing seeing real pictures whenever we can

[lukasq]

Wow this looks so real, there's no way this could be fake!

[jimmysgameclips]

Now do a photoscan from the video :D This is stunning though

[no_name]

moments like these that make me realize how pettt our current problems on planet earth

[jasonluong]

Is this a one directional fly by or was the craft making several orbits?

[fhayat]

how come no half dark side...not even a glimps of half dark side?

[davidsonh]

There's probably more intelligent life in Pluto than over here.

[craigkessler]

I think I saw a sign on the surface "Killroy Was Here"

[StealthyNomadica]

Beautiful animation. How close to "true" photographic quality is it? If you can get such tremendous detail from a probe that was sent out with camera technology that is 9+ years old, then why can't NASA prduce such high quality imagery from Dawn? She is much closer, has been there far longer than N.H., and ostensibly has far superior video capabilities. I smell a space rat.

[simoncarlile]

If only our species could stop spending most of our time building weapons we'd probably be able to see exoplanets like this.