A Decade Ago, New Horizons Revealed Pluto’s Iconic “Heart”
Ten years ago today, on July 14, 2015, NASA’s groundbreaking New Horizons spacecraft made history by performing the first-ever close flyby of Pluto. Among the many astonishing discoveries unveiled during this momentous encounter, one feature captured the imagination of the world and continues to be a symbol of Pluto’s complex and fascinating landscape: the vast, bright, heart-shaped region now affectionately known as “Tombaugh Regio.”
Published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on July 14, 2025, at 16:00, the anniversary of this iconic image serves as a poignant reminder of the incredible scientific achievements made possible by decades of planning, engineering, and dedication. The “heart” on Pluto, officially named Tombaugh Regio after Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who discovered Pluto in 1930, is a testament to the immense scientific return from the New Horizons mission.
At the time of the flyby, New Horizons was traveling at an incredible speed of over 30,000 miles per hour, allowing it to gather an unprecedented wealth of data and imagery in a very short window of time. The image of Tombaugh Regio, specifically the smooth, pale western lobe of the heart, revealed a vast plain of nitrogen ice that had been deposited over geological time. This remarkable discovery challenged previous assumptions about Pluto, indicating a surprisingly active and dynamic world despite its frigid temperatures and extreme distance from the Sun.
The eastern lobe of the “heart,” a more rugged and mountainous area, further hinted at the complex geological processes shaping Pluto’s surface. These include evidence of cryovolcanism (ice volcanoes), tectonic activity, and vast plains of frozen gases. The sheer detail captured by New Horizons’ instruments, particularly the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), allowed scientists to analyze these features with remarkable clarity, providing invaluable insights into the composition, atmosphere, and history of this dwarf planet.
The mission’s success extended far beyond the iconic “heart.” New Horizons provided the first close-up views of Pluto’s five moons, revealing unexpected geological activity on Charon, Pluto’s largest moon. It also characterized Pluto’s tenuous atmosphere, which is primarily composed of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide.
The legacy of New Horizons and its iconic imagery of Pluto’s “heart” continues to inspire future exploration and scientific inquiry. It underscores humanity’s insatiable curiosity about the cosmos and our ability to push the boundaries of what is known. As we commemorate the tenth anniversary of this remarkable achievement, we are reminded of the profound impact that scientific endeavors can have on our understanding of the universe and our place within it. NASA’s New Horizons mission remains a shining example of human ingenuity and our ongoing quest to explore the farthest reaches of our solar system.
10 Years Ago: NASA’s New Horizons Captures Pluto’s Heart
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