Today’s new Pluto images plus updated media coverage and activities for flyby on July 14

The newest image of Pluto and its largest moon Charon in color, taken on July 8, 2015 by New Horizons. Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI
The newest image of Pluto and its largest moon Charon in colour, taken on July 8, 2015 by New Horizons. Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI

New images of Pluto and its largest moon Charon have again been released today, showing these two worlds in ever greater detail. Also, with the New Horizons spacecraft now in its final approach phase to the Pluto system, NASA has updated its schedule of media coverage and activities for the historic encounter. There will be continuous coverage of the flyby, including, of course, the latest images as they become available.

Read MoreToday’s new Pluto images plus updated media coverage and activities for flyby on July 14

Closing in on Pluto: dwarf planet shows its face and heart

The newest image of Pluto, taken by New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) camera less than six days before closest approach. The long dark area called the “whale” is in the lower left and the brighter “heart” region is in the lower right. Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI
The newest image of Pluto, taken by New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) camera less than six days before closest approach. The long dark area called the “whale” is in the lower left and the brighter “heart” region is in the lower right. Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI

With less than six days remaining now until closest approach, Pluto is starting to show its real face for the first time ever, including a big “heart.”

Read MoreClosing in on Pluto: dwarf planet shows its face and heart

After glitch, New Horizons to resume science operations July 7, before Pluto encounter

The newest maps of Pluto, as of two weeks before closest approach. A black and white reflectance map has been combined with a natural colour map to produce the map in the center. Four dark patches of about the same size and spacing can also be seen in these and other recent images. Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI
The newest maps of Pluto, as of two weeks before closest approach. A black and white reflectance map has been combined with a natural colour map to produce the map in the center. Four dark patches of about the same size and spacing can also be seen in these and other recent images. Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI

After an anomaly was detected onboard the New Horizons spacecraft on July 4, which had many people holding their collective breath, NASA announced today that science operations will resume on July 7, just days before the spacecraft makes its closest approach to Pluto and its moons on July 14.

Read MoreAfter glitch, New Horizons to resume science operations July 7, before Pluto encounter

New colour images show ‘two faces’ of Pluto and odd dark spots along equator

New colour images of Pluto sent back by New Horizons showing two different “faces” or hemispheres of the dwarf planet and its largest moon Charon. Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
New colour images of Pluto sent back by New Horizons showing two different “faces” or hemispheres of the dwarf planet and its largest moon Charon. Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

First there were the unusual bright spots on Ceres, which are still awaiting an explanation, and now as New Horizons races toward its flyby encounter with Pluto on July 14, another mystery has emerged: four intriguing large dark spots more or less along Pluto’s equator which seem to be roughly the same size and evenly spaced. The spots are mentioned as part of an update on July 1 from NASA about the “two different faces of Pluto” that scientists are now starting to see in more detail.

Read MoreNew colour images show ‘two faces’ of Pluto and odd dark spots along equator