First ever up-close pictures of Pluto

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After billions of kilometres and nearly a decade, scientists say they’re amazed and ecstatic by the first-ever up-close pictures of Pluto.

The photos of the dwarf planet show 11 000 foot mountains.  One icy mountain range is as high as the Rockies.

Scientists say they likely formed no more than 100 million years ago, making them quite young in a solar system estimated to be more than four billion years old. That means that region of the planet may still be geo-logically active today.

Scientists have also released an image of Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, describing it as a small world with deep canyons.

And the heart-shaped image on the dwarf planet’s surface has been named the “Tombaugh region” after Clyde Tombaugh, the man who discovered pluto 85 years ago.

Scientists are describing the data they’re receiving as mind-blowing.

The spacecraft will be sending back data of the Pluto system during the next 16 months.  New horizons is already 1.6 million kilometres past Pluto after yesterday’s fly-by and it’s in good shape.