New Horizons scientists use enhanced color images to detect differences in the composition and texture of Pluto’s surface. When close-up images are combined with color data from the Ralph instrument, it paints a new and surprising portrait of the dwarf planet.

The image shows a region of the planet, shaped like a heart, which appears to indicate ice originating and spreading from the formation.

Scientists used several composite images taken from 280,000 miles away during the New Horizons July 14 fly-by to create the picture.

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., arrives to a news conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

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